His old eyes were always fixed on people's backs, as if he was constantly plotting how to overpower someone from behind.
Firing from the dark, using a blackjack, throwing lime, poisoning...
He played dirty in every way possible.
Throw these two out—one draws aggro, the other backstabs. They seem to make a pretty good pair.
It's just that things are getting dirtier and dirtier, to the point where even Huai Shi occasionally thinks this wicked duo is too much to handle.
Not just Huai Shi, but even those smugglers watching their own people get taken out by such dirty tricks through the surveillance all gasped in shock, wondering who the real villains were amidst all the poisoning and backstabbing.
Seeing their two strongest fighters being taken away like chopping vegetables, the expressions on the faces of the others soured instantly.
"Social Security Bureau is charging in again!"
The person peeking out of the window turned back, a look of terror on their face. "Second Brother, what do we do!"
"Grab our weapons! Take down that little whelp from the Astronomical Society first! I don't believe Social Security would dare to make a move!"
Second Brother pulled out a key, unlocked the secret cabinet in his office, took out the iron box inside, and distributed weapons with a cold expression.
"Now that it's come to this, our only option is to fight to the death. Don't even think about getting off easy after surrendering. I've never seen anyone successfully lie to the Astronomical Society. The stuff we've done could get us killed dozens of times over! Even if we don't make it, at least we'll die fighting! If we get caught alive, then... begging for death will be useless!"
The ominous tone made everyone shiver. They gripped their weapons more tightly, murderous intent flashing in their eyes.
A successful pre-battle rally bolstered everyone's resolve.
Some even clapped, unable to hold back their admiration.
Outside the door.
Suddenly, everyone inside felt an intense chill surge up. Before they could even react, the door exploded—literally. Amidst the burst of flame, it shattered into countless metal fragments that screamed through the air, turning the room into a complete mess.
Then, the heavy sound of steel scraping against the ground resounded as sparks flew.
The rather slender young man dragged an Iron Hammer that completely mismatched his own style into the room step by step, greeting his stunned adversaries with a smile.
"...It looks like you guys have finished your pre-battle rally. I'm not too late, am I?"
The Iron Hammer, born of suffering, was raised again slowly, its six nozzles at the back igniting with intense flames.
They lit up Huai Shi's slightly upturned smile.
"If possible, I hope you won't resist... Otherwise, I'm not quite confident I can leave your bodies intact!"
BOOM!
The sonic boom erupted again. As Huai Shi stepped and turned, the Iron Hammer, roaring with flame, traced a fierce arc through the air.
Within the blink of an eye, it had smashed a Sublimator against the wall, splattering him so evenly that the thickness variation was no more than three centimeters.
It was just that the flowing liquids made for an unpleasant sight, causing everyone's complexion to turn pale.
"Don't be afraid!" At the critical moment, someone stood up, bellowing, "Have you forgotten what Second Brother just said!"
"Second Brother?" Huai Shi asked, puzzled, looking behind them. "You mean the one who ran away the moment I came in?"
An awkward silence descended suddenly.
Only now did they realize... Second Brother had disappeared at some point. The barely closed secret door was the only proof he had ever been there.
"That's why I hate you smugglers... completely unprofessional."
Huai Shi sighed, lifting the Iron Hammer again. "Given your not-too-bright looks, even if I asked you where Ding NanKe was, you probably wouldn't know."
"I'll try to give you a swift end—"
***
It turned out the Special Affairs Department was somewhat useful after all.
After Huai Shi finished smashing the limbs of those bothersome guys, the Suppression Troops on the radio told him Second Brother had confessed.
He surrendered voluntarily, kneeling down nice and neat.
Completely different from what he had just told his brothers. As soon as the Suppression Troops burst in, he threw himself at them. Before his burly comrades could react, he had spilled everything.
As crafty as he was at trying to clear his name, at least he gave up some information,
like the account books and his contacts, as well as where the critical goods were stored—Old Fu was currently tallying up those smuggled goods while swearing up a storm.
Without a doubt, a major case.
Yet, after blabbing about everything under the sun, Second Brother couldn't for the life of him say where Ding NanKe was.
According to him, Ding NanKe had been acting strange since the previous week. The night before last, he had personally received two visitors, with no one else allowed to intervene.
Those two guests had left the next morning.
Afterward, Ding NanKe hadn't been seen again, as if he had disappeared too.
No one knew if Ding NanKe, knowing too much, had been silenced by his own guests. Before Huai Shi burst in ready to enforce the law, everyone was discussing whether to divvy up their loot and head back to Gao's Old Manor.
Huai Shi was flabbergasted. "Unbelievable. A whole bunch of Second Fifths. With such great brothers, Ding NanKe would probably be laughing in his grave, right?"
"No, I'm actually not too keen on laughing."
Outside the door, a hoarse voice spoke up.