"What will happen if I don't talk?"
"I will make you talk." His tone remained so calm and unwavering.
"Tsk, that's really scary, heh." Although Gleid's mouth was mocking, his hind legs were indeed trembling slightly, after all, the man before him could indeed do it.
'Iron-B7300,' the code name of this burly man, no one knew his real name, but this code name frequently appeared in the Underworld of South First District, he acted mercilessly, taking on even highly dangerous tasks with a high completion rate, and now he was highly valued, only employed by some major corporations.
After several thoughts and ideas spun through his mind, Gleid finally steeled himself, his pupils dilated, then with a rapid forward kick of his heel, he shot out like a black wolf.
The hilt of the sword strapped to his back swung up suddenly, and a bright blue Light Saber burst forth, its intense particle stream turning the alley entrance deathly white, and Gleid himself was illuminated by the dazzling Light Saber, creating small, glaring blind spots in his field of view.
The powerful Light Saber slashed down from the head of the burly man, intense sparks and grating sounds erupting densely like firecrackers, and after a single stroke, Gleid didn't wait to see the man's injuries but bolted toward the alley entrance, trying to quickly leave the area.
However, just when he thought the man was either dead or severely injured, a merciless iron hand reached out from the exploding sparks and dazzling blind spots, grasped Gleid's shoulder as if to tear him in half, yanked him forcefully back, then slammed him straight against the wall.
A tremor at the back of his head against the wall caused a brief bout of dizziness for Gleid, and his body slid down the wall like a rag doll, tumbling a few times on the ground, covered in dust.
Bearing the intense pain, Gleid came to and managed to prop himself up off the ground, trying to grasp the hilt of the Light Saber to continue resisting.
A foot clad in iron-colored boots stepped down directly and then twisted forcefully, crushing his hand bones and the sword hilt and warping the bones.
"Ugh— Ah—" Clutching his trapped wrist, Gleid writhed in pain on the ground, his body curling like a shrimp, forehead sweating.
Afterward, a hand like a vice gripped him and pressed him against the wall.
"Where did you hide the item?" The burly man continued to inquire, one of his pupils constantly dilating and contracting as if checking the truthfulness of Gleid's answer.
"I... I hid it in... cough cough... why should I tell you... you said if I got my hands on 'Three Finger Workshop's' secrets, you would give me a fitting reward... now... is this my reward... cough cough."
"The item you turned over wasn't worth that kind of reward."
"Enough, do you think I'm a child! If I hand over everything, you won't give me a dime, and what could I do, sue you!?"
"You've already received the first payment, otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to procure these equipments," 'Iron-B7300' pointed at the broken Light Saber hilt at his feet.
Although he had been struck by the Light Saber, only his outer garment was damaged, while the real muscle under his skin was made of high-strength alloy fibers, not the common flesh and blood.
A body wouldn't be easily cleaved by a swing of the Light Saber, only a long gash about a centimeter deep was made on the surface.
"When paying the second installment, the information you provided failed verification; the corporation deduced you hadn't revealed the truth but were prevaricating, so they sent you a warning."
"But you disregarded it, continuing to demand money, saying you'd give the crucial item once you had the money in hand."
"Edith Academy had shielded you for a while; you didn't realize how precious that opportunity was and even tried to haggle with the corporation over it." He spoke with a hint of mockery in his gaze, mocking Gleid's naivety and immaturity.
"You don't understand the rules of South First District; such behavior isn't allowed, the corporation doesn't tolerate threats, nor does it acknowledge changes to the agreement mid-way."
"I will ask you one more time, where is the item hidden? After your move, 'Three Finger Workshop' began martial law and announced the halt of new product development, even if this would cause a stock price plummet, they didn't rethink their position."
"This is illogical; it also indicates they actually lost something important."
"So, I'm asking one last time, where did you hide the item?"
As his words ended, the muzzle of a black gun slowly aligned with Gleid's eye socket, and his cheek could even feel the burning hardness of the gun barrel pressing against his bone.
"I... I..." Gleid spoke in gasps, seemingly out of breath, but in the end, he lashed out fiercely, kicking towards the burly man before him.
The words were filled with anger and fear, a howl that also revealed his desperation and frailty.
However, this young man in a black shirt didn't reverse the situation after his roar like the heroes in legends; instead, he was directly grabbed by the leg, hoisted up, slammed onto the ground, and knocked unconscious.
The just-roaring voice abruptly ceased, and the alley fell silent.