Chapter 41: Retirement Home Hitman
Qing Chen walked through the silent and deserted No. 18 Prison with Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao.
This was his first time seeing the prison after 9 PM, open and tranquil.
Four mechanical prison guards stood silently in the square, their mechanical eyes also extinguished, as if they were in hibernation.
By now, Qing Chen had confirmed that his and He Xiaoxiao’s speculations were not wrong, Jian Sheng had also traveled to No. 18 City because he appeared in Los Angeles City.
Wherever a Time Traveler traveled to, from there their life in the Inner World would continue.
Ye Wan said, “The day the transmigrator arrived, we didn’t capture you immediately to avoid others making the connection, so you don’t have to worry about blowing your cover. Xiao Xiao publicized that you coveted the ACE-005 guarded by the boss, so you received a light punishment.”
“Hmm, you’ve thought it through quite well,” Qing Chen understood that Uncle Li Dong had been prepared from the start to accept him into the organization. Whether he could survive was his own matter.
At that moment, a feeble and hoarse voice came from somewhere in the prison, “Uncle Li Dong, release my boss…”
Qing Chen was startled, “Have you had him locked up for four days?”
“Yeah, otherwise he would come out looking for trouble with the boss again. If it wasn’t for his commendable loyalty, the boss would have gotten rid of him a long time ago,” Lin Xiaoxiao explained, “But don’t worry, someone has been sending him food and water during these four days.”
“What did he used to do before? Did you investigate?” Qing Chen asked.
“We did,” Lin Xiaoxiao replied, “He used to work as a thug in an old age home for the He Lian Society.”
Qing Chen’s mouth slowly widened, “Old age home… thug?”
“Oh, you don’t know about this,” Lin Xiaoxiao nodded, “In the poverty-stricken areas of the Inner World, there is no customary support for the elderly. Everyone sends them off to old age homes after they turn sixty, while their children squander their parents’ retirement funds.”
“Then why hire thugs? To beat up the elderly?” Qing Chen was shocked.
“No, no,” Lin Xiaoxiao explained with a half-laugh, “They collect protection fees from the elderly. The elderly pay them to send robust youths with the most mechanical limbs to pretend to be their grandsons. This is to intimidate and scare other elderly residents so they are not bullied in the old age home.”
Ye Wan added, “These old age home enforcers even have a famous slogan: ‘He Lian Society’s Elderly Services, guaranteed to respond faster and serve better than your son. After all, we’d worry about not making money if you died, but your son wouldn’t – because he’d inherit everything once you’re gone.'”
Qing Chen hesitated, “Is this industry doing well?”
“Not bad,” Lin Xiaoxiao answered with a nod, “At least it can sustain a society, but we at the Heng Society look down on this type of business.”
At this point, Qing Chen felt it strange why Qing’s Family would assign an old age home thug to assist him in the crucial matter of competing for the Shadow Candidate.
After some thought, Qing Chen said, “Can I go see him?”
“Of course,” Lin Xiaoxiao led Qing Chen to where Lu Guangyi was confined. After greeting the camera at the door, the alloy gate opened.
However, Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan did not enter, instead giving Qing Chen space to speak privately with Lu Guangyi.
Lu Guangyi lay motionlessly on the cold floor, with his food tray touched a little but mostly uneaten.
The moment he heard the sound of the alloy gate, he scrambled up, and when he turned around and saw Qing Chen, he burst into tears, “Boss, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” said Qing Chen softly. He felt somewhat weak and simply sat down on Lu Guangyi’s bed.
Lu Guangyi squatted beside him, concerned, “But Boss, how have you lost so much weight? Did they torture you? When Qing Yan comes to visit in a few days, I will tell him about this!”
“No need to tell Qing Yan,” Qing Chen shook his head, “I hear you went looking for trouble with Uncle Li Dong?”
“Yeah,” Lu Guangyi nodded, “Is it just because he coveted his ACE-005 that he should torture someone ? Guo Huchan coveted it before too, and he was fine. It’s probably because they think Qing’s Family won’t make a big fuss over a mere Shadow Candidate like you.”
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. When you’re under someone’s roof, you don’t have a choice but to bow,” Qing Chen said.
“That won’t do, I’ll have to face Uncle Li Dong in a showdown tomorrow!” Lu Guangyi declared with righteous indignation.
“Enough, there’s no need to pretend,” Qing Chen said with a mixture of laughter and tears.
“Pretend… I’m not pretending,” Lu Guangyi hesitated for a moment.
Qing Chen’s clear eyes met his gaze until Lu Guangyi became increasingly guilty and eventually deflated, sitting on the ground, despondent.
Even if his opponent’s body was fitted with Qing’s Family military mechanical limbs, it couldn’t withstand the aura of defeat that a small-time character radiated.
Qing Chen felt somewhat emotional; he had only known Lu Guangyi for a few days, and even if he were as formidable as Cao Cao or Liu Bei reincarnated, he didn’t have the charismatic aura of a king that could make people submit on sight.
His past life experiences had bestowed upon him not only suffering but also an ability for meticulous observation and thought.
So he was actually very clear that Lu Guangyi knew he wouldn’t really come to harm and was just putting on an act of loyalty.
If Lu Guangyi did nothing during the time he was imprisoned, he would be marginalized sooner or later after Qing Chen’s release.
In this world, there is no such thing as love and loyalty without reason.
Qing Chen was exceptionally familiar with human nature.
But then he heard Lu Guangyi muttering in a low voice, “You’ve seen right through me, boss. This is just the way we small folks survive.”
Qing Chen sighed, “You don’t need to flatter me; I’m aware of what you’ve done these past days. Rest assured, as long as you don’t betray me, I won’t treat you as a disposable piece.”
Lu Guangyi suddenly looked up, “Really, boss?”
“Really,” Qing Chen nodded. Qing Chen pondered for a moment before saying to Lu Guangyi, “However, there is one thing I must make clear: if you follow me, you must act more discreetly and can no longer be as ostentatious as before.”
“I’ve heard from Qing Yan before that you are very low-key, boss, and it’s really true!” Lu Guangyi immediately became obedient: “Boss, if there’s anything you want me to improve, just say the word, and I’ll definitely change.”
Qing Chen fell silent for a moment: “First, take off those gold strips you’ve affixed to your mechanical arm, be more plain.”
“Alright!” Lu Guangyi said without hesitation as he tore off the gold strips.
The gold strips were flat and long; calling them strips was actually more accurate than calling them bars.
About 1 millimeter thick, 2 centimeters wide, and ten centimeters long.
In just a moment, the originally exquisite mechanical arms looked a class cheaper…
Qing Chen nodded and said, “I’ll keep the gold strips for you for now. Remember, don’t be ostentatious.”
Lu Guangyi didn’t think too much about it; in the average citizen’s view of the Inner World, would the direct descendants of the five major conglomerates lack money? They have the means to print it.
“You should rest,” Qing Chen said subtly as he took the gold wire from Lu Guangyi’s hands, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into his pocket before leaving the room.
Only after the Alloy Gate behind him closed did the young man slowly exhale a sigh of relief.
Qing Chen’s brain worked rapidly, calculating that this was probably 2 cubic centimeters of gold, and with gold’s density at normal temperature being 19.23, that meant it was over thirty grams…
What was the price of gold in the Outer World now?
Lin Xiaoxiao asked, “Is there anything else that needs to be dealt with?”
Qing Chen thought for a moment, “Yes, I have a plan to confirm something.”