Stronger with More Jobs

Chapter 708 - 297: The Federation!? Not Worth Shit

Lei Meng was taken aback by Liu San’s sudden sobbing tone.

He then exchanged glances with several top members beside him who were also in ragged clothes and had injuries on their faces.

After a brief shock, they all burst into hearty, even somewhat crazy laughter simultaneously:

"Hahaha!!"

"Good! Well done!!"

"Old San, what the hell are you crying about!"

Lei Meng slapped Liu San’s shoulder hard, almost knocking him over, his laughter loud, filled with the relief and boldness of surviving a disaster and a victory, "How old are you! Still shedding cat urine! Isn’t it embarrassing! A man should be like my name... Be fierce! Got it?! Fierce is all that matters!"

The laughter echoed in the deep night of the Gray Rock District.

Lei Meng’s gaze crossed over Liu San, who was still sniffling with excitement, and landed precisely on Qin Hui and others seated on the step opposite.

The smile on his face grew even brighter, carrying an undisguised appreciation and enthusiasm.

He came over in big strides, extending his calloused and muddy big hands from afar:

"Su brother! Haha! Su brother! You all are really my Lei Meng’s lucky stars!! This battle was a thrill! Damn thrilling!!"

Qin Hui immediately stood up, putting on a perfectly suited smile, stepped forward, and gave Lei Meng a firm handshake: "Brother Meng, you flatter us! It’s what we should do! Since our Su Family chose to follow Brother Meng, naturally we must give it our all! As the gang grows, we can all thrive together, right?"

"Right! Absolutely right!"

Lei Meng vigorously shook Qin Hui’s hand, smiling broadly.

He surveyed Fang Qingyu and others who had stood up, focusing especially on Fang Qingyu and Chu Kuanglan for a few extra seconds, the smile on his face restraining, turning to a more solemn expression: "Su brother, and all brothers of the Su Family, rest assured! My word is my bond! You have done great merit, and I will not treat you unjustly! Whatever reward and territory you’re entitled to, not a single penny will be missing!"

His gaze finally settled on Fang Qingyu’s face.

Looking at this young man whose face was still somewhat pale, a complex flash crossed Lei Meng’s eyes.

With concern, admiration, and unabashed appreciation, he seemed to want to say something caring or commendatory, but this leader of the Gray Rock District gang, who was used to communicating with fists and coarse words, found himself at a loss for words.

He opened his mouth, brewing for a few seconds, and finally just reached out his hand, slapping Fang Qingyu’s shoulder hard twice:

"Kid, well done! Your future is really going places!!"

Listening to these familiar words, Fang Qingyu...

twitched his mouth corner.

...

After a night of excitement.

The next day.

Which was also the third morning since Fang Qingyu and others arrived in the City of Injustice.

On the first day, the group familiarized themselves with the Cyan Dragon Gang’s territory.

On the second day, they did some part-time work.

In the early hours of the third day, they directly helped the Cyan Dragon Gang with a big move, having done quite a bit.

But it hadn’t yet aligned with their main purpose.

So they gathered around the only shabby little wooden table in the cramped living room.

"Alright, let’s summarize the news we heard last night."

Sitting at the head of the table, Fang Qingyu swept his calm gaze over everyone, "Let’s start with the part-time gig side, Old Qin, you go first."

Qin Hui rubbed his face and began to speak: "While hanging out with a few fellow delivery guys working the night shift, chatting as we smoked on the roadside, we talked a lot."

He paused, turning serious, "They said that lately, a lot of people have died in the city."

"In the middle of the night, you can often see those well-sealed black trucks speeding down quiet streets. The trucks drive very fast, and from the tires and and cracks, sometimes there will drip some... dark red liquid, leaving intermittent traces on the road."

"Those traces are cleaned up by specialized people by morning, but those running night shifts, especially delivery guys like them, see a lot of it."

"They privately say that the truck is full of bodies!"

The living room fell into silence. This news corroborated earlier suspicions of unrest.

It was no small skirmish but had already resulted in numerous Transcendent deaths, with someone deliberately covering the tracks.

"I also have some news."

Lu Jiuyuan picked up the topic, his voice as steady as ever, "Inquired mainly about the Bauhinia Association."

"The Bauhinia Association, as the official representative force of the Federation in the City of Injustice, is very powerful."

"According to previous public information and some internal hearsay, its president is a Peak of Third Tier Apostle, ranking among the top ten apostles in the entire City of Injustice."

"Its core entourage consists of nearly a hundred Tier Three Martial Saints or Apostles, with hundreds of Tier Two members. In the entire Mirage, it’s firmly ranked among the top ten super forces."

"However." Lu Jiuyuan’s tone shifted, furrowing his brow slightly, "In the past month, the Bauhinia Association’s behavior has been extremely unusual. They’ve almost closed all external communication channels, the headquarters door has been tightly shut, and all core members and armed forces have withdrawn into the headquarters fortress located in the core area of the Inner City, entering the highest level of lockdown."

"No matter how their industries and territories are attacked, taken over, or even blatantly occupied, the Bauhinia Association remains unresponsive. No reinforcements, no negotiations, no warnings. It’s like... they’ve completely abandoned these, thoroughly retreating. In the past, this would have been absolutely unimaginable."

Upon saying this, Lu Jiuyuan paused, and with a slight frown, said: "The most widespread rumor outside now is that the president of the Bauhinia Association, that Peak of Third Tier Apostle, is most likely already dead."