Without the portable oxygen, Zhou Ming wouldn’t have lasted long. So, seeing that the tank was nearly empty, he began his return, his body completely covered in grime.
Thanks to the Ironthread Snake’s assistance, his return went smoothly, and soon he could see the entrance tunnel where he had first entered.
A few blinding beams of light appeared in his vision—it seemed to be other rat exterminators. Zhou Ming quickly had the Ironthread Snake slither back into his clothes.
He also unzipped his protective suit slightly and stuffed the bag of rat tails inside.
His chest bulged a bit, but not too obviously. Still, due to inexperience, he hadn’t come fully prepared.
“Brother, how’s the haul?”
Two groups of exterminators appeared—one with two people, the other with three.
All wore protective suits and masks, their faces indistinguishable.
And with the filth of the sewer clinging to their gear, they all looked nearly identical.
“Newbie. Walked around and came back empty-handed. I’ll be better prepared next time.”
When the leader of the three-man team greeted him, Zhou Ming replied casually.
“Yeah, not well-prepared. Didn’t even bring a steel fork.”
Hearing the teasing tone, Zhou Ming gave a light response and continued toward the exit.
“Hey, little brother, want to join our team? We’re short one man—you could learn a lot.”
As Zhou Ming was about to leave, one of the two-man group spoke up.
“Thanks, but I’m just trying this out. No need to trouble you, brother.”
Zhou Ming didn’t stop walking as he replied.
The two groups of exterminators exchanged glances. The hands gripping their steel forks tightened, but in the end, they just watched Zhou Ming’s back fade into the dark passage.
Those who lived long in the sewers—ruthless or not—were always cautious.
There were plenty of vicious people down here, but just as many of those had ended up as corpses in the muck after falling for dirty tricks.
Unable to gauge Zhou Ming’s background, both groups gave up on the idea of robbing him.
“Cold Blade, why didn’t you make a move? Feeling shy in front of an old friend?”
“Haha, if you’re not moving, how could I?”
After Zhou Ming left, the two groups of supposedly unfamiliar exterminators started chatting casually. Judging by their tone, it was clear they had pulled such stunts before.
Their voices were relaxed, but their grips on the steel forks never loosened.
Zhou Ming had no idea what happened behind him, but he could more or less guess their intentions.
Before deciding to become a rat exterminator, he had heard plenty of rumors. Just imagining the environment down here was enough to know what could happen.
This place—was far too perfect for murder and disposal.