Chapter Five: Once and for All

“Chief Dai, there seem to be people ahead on the road.” In the lead SUV, the chubby driver spoke softly.

“I see them. Six in total.”

In the passenger seat sat a refined, lanky middle-aged man, wearing glasses. He was none other than Dai Guangjun, captain of the Outer City Patrol’s Second Squad—known to many as the “Glasses Chief.”

“Why aren’t they moving aside even when they see our convoy approaching?”

Chief Dai removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, speaking slowly, “If my guess is correct, the five men led by Scarface are trying to rob the man standing before them. Their target is the massive sand lizard carcass behind him.

“But Scarface lost—his wrist was chopped off!”

The driver, startled, asked, “Chief, how do you know it was Scarface who lost his hand?”

“Because I saw it.”

The driver was left speechless.

...

Ye Chen watched as the convoy drew closer, so he sensibly moved aside, dragging the giant sand lizard’s body further to the edge to clear the way. Scarface’s gang, however, was not as tactful.

As Chief Dai scrutinized everyone through his lenses, Ye Chen also regarded the convoy from the roadside, his gaze wary.

The convoy consisted of six vehicles. The first two bore the emblem of the Energy Capital: a circular design with a symbol resembling a battery at its center. Or at least, what the elders once called a battery before the cataclysm. Now it was known as an “energy core”—the city’s namesake and the continent’s leading producer of these power cells.

The next four vehicles included a modified SUV and three supply-laden trucks. Curiously, the insignias on the trucks and SUVs were different. The trucks bore a circular emblem with a gear inside—the mark of the Steel Capital.

As for the SUV, it displayed a symbol Ye Chen couldn’t immediately recall—a circle enclosing the character for “human.” It seemed vaguely familiar.

Soon, the convoy came to a slow halt in the middle of the road. The driver of the lead vehicle stepped out, followed by two men from the second SUV.

The first wore the uniform of the Outer City Patrol, his expression thunderous, one hand already gripping the baton at his waist.

The other two were equipped differently, clad in tactical combat suits and wielding government-issue elemental assault rifles—gear only the inner city defense forces possessed. The magazines glowed with yellow light, signifying a clip of electric energy rounds.

Ye Chen was taken aback. This was quite the welcome—inner city defense involved? Who on earth was being escorted?

A chilling click rang out as the two defense officers chambered their weapons without hesitation.

“What do you want? Move aside—if you don’t, you’ll be executed on the spot!” The voice from behind the mask was utterly devoid of emotion.

Ye Chen had no doubt that if Scarface’s gang hesitated, they’d be met with a volley of high-voltage energy rounds.

The driver, clearly familiar with Scarface, was meek before Chief Dai but barked authoritatively at Scarface, “Scarface, don’t cause trouble. Just do as you’re told and get moving.”

The meaning was clear: don’t create problems for the Outer City Patrol. As for whether Scarface was still bleeding, he didn’t care in the least—as long as no one died, he wouldn’t intervene.

Scarface’s underlings helped him up. Mouse, one of them, considered wrapping the lifeless, severed hand in his jacket, but was stopped by Scarface, who turned to Ye Chen and said, word by word, “We’re not finished.”

Mouse hesitated, “Boss… your hand?”

“Go!”

With that, Scarface led his men down a side alley without further ado.

But though Scarface had left, Ye Chen knew the matter was far from over—a grudge had been forged.

At that moment, someone in the SUV with the strange emblem slowly rolled down the window. Glancing at the dissolving hand on the ground, then at the man guarding the giant sand lizard, a faint smile appeared.

“A physique awakener lost? Interesting. So what is your ability, then?”

...

Outer City Marketplace.

Near the small plaza in the center of the market stood a shop called the Task Hall, with a board by the door for posting bounties and hunting missions. The location was prime, the rent exorbitant—not something ordinary folk could afford, nor was it common to run a business that issued and accepted tasks.

Thus, this shop operated under the Inner City Trade Office—a branch of the city’s administrative apparatus.

Creak.

The door opened slowly. Ye Chen entered, dragging the giant sand lizard’s carcass, waving his hand to disperse the haze of smoke swirling around him.

“Old Jin, it’s barely mid-morning and your place is already thick with smoke. How many cigarettes have you had? And the mutant sand lizard bounty—has anyone claimed it yet?”

The manager’s full name was Jin Yinghui, and his greatest pleasures were smoking and drinking. In his fifties, he was getting a bit rotund.

Ye Chen remembered that when he first became a wilds hunter, Jin was already managing this place—at least five or six years ago.

Seated behind his desk, Jin hurriedly set his feet down and sprang up in shock. “You actually brought back a mutant sand lizard? Are you out of your mind?”

Ye Chen gave a weary smile and shook his head. “It’s not what you think. It came after me. Out in the wilderness, you never turn down prey that comes to you. If I hadn’t killed it, do you think you’d be seeing me here today?”

Jin eyed him skeptically, then sighed with relief. “As long as you’re alive.”

He grabbed a measuring tape and checked the sand lizard’s length. “Four point nine meters—let’s call it five. That’s fifty thousand.”

Had anyone else in the shop heard, they’d be astounded—what kind of business paid extra to the client? Not even storybooks went that far.

But Ye Chen took it in stride. In the Outer City, there were only two people Jin would ever treat so generously, and Ye Chen was one of them. After all, it was Ye Chen who had once saved Jin’s life from a beast in the wild.

As Jin put it, “Your life’s worth some money—but you’ll have to take it in installments.”

When Jin turned to fetch the cash from the safe, Ye Chen stopped him. “Put it on my credit card this time. Cash isn’t safe—I was nearly robbed by Scarface on the way here.”

Jin froze, his genial expression turning grave. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

After Ye Chen finished recounting the events, Jin had burned through five cigarettes in a row. Finally, he said quietly, “Have you considered settling this once and for all?”

Ye Chen hesitated. “I have. Why do you ask? Don’t tell me you have a way to make him vanish completely?”

“No,” Jin shook his head. “But I can get you into the Outer City Patrol.

“At least until spring comes, you won’t be idle.

“And there’s no rule that says patrolmen can’t moonlight as hunters.

“Most importantly, Scarface isn’t bold enough to retaliate against a patrol officer.”