Chapter 36: Old Base

The car drove down the road and soon reached the suburbs of the East Fortress District. This district was located right next to a public road that led outside the city and went straight to Central City.

Such roads were military-grade and were built by soldiers when Yangzhi City was used as a logistics hub. They were so sturdy and broad that even tanks could drive on them.

The area around the road was rather deserted. Chen Chuan could see a few hills on the left. A number of makeshift shacks were scattered on the hilltops and their bases.

An old watchtower sat on top of one of the hills. When Wei Changan turned toward it, someone up there observed them through a pair of binoculars before changing the flag on the watchtower.

A small base appeared in front of Chen Chuan. Sentry posts were scattered around the base, and the people inside them were built young men and women with unzipped jackets. They held crossbows and had five blood-red gashes sprayed onto their clothes and across their chests.

The car stopped in front of a road block. The sentries turned their crossbows toward it. A muscular, bald woman chewing on gum walked over and knocked on the car window. “Who sent you?”

Wei Changan rolled down the window and handed a business card to her. “Mr. Lu has talked things out with your boss. We’re here for this morning’s appointment.”

The bald woman took the business card and clicked her tongue before she said to the goons behind her, “Go tell the boss that the people he has an appointment with have arrived.”

After a while, someone behind the bald woman waved at them, and the bald woman moved aside to open up the path. “Let them in!”

The sentries moved the road blocks away and pulled open the double metal door.

When Wei Changan saw the potholes and the water-filled mud pits on the road, his lips twitched, but he still drove in. His heart wept for his car.

Wei Changan kept his eyes trained on the road while he instructed Chen Chuan, “We’re going to meet Big Guo. He’s the boss here. Try not to speak. I’ll talk to them.”

“Sure,” Chen Chuan answered.

Wei Changan gave him a look before he smiled. “You don’t have to be scared. We’re here on an assignment and have the support of the Agent Association and the higher-ups of the Blood Scars Gang. Big Guo wouldn’t dare to do anything stupid, but he’ll definitely try to pull something. We’ll have to cross that bridge when it comes.”

They arrived at a rather large empty spot in the base. It should be the place they used to exercise.

Next to it was a worn-down, caged phone booth. Hollowed cement pipes were erected along the perimeter of the space. Some Blood Scars Gang members sat on them.

They wore yellow-red checkered shirts. Most of them wore brass knuckles and had knives strapped to their waists. When they saw the car, they sized it up with malicious intent clear on their faces.

At the center of the base was a two-story barrack that occupied quite a lot of space. A fair, plump man, who was more than two meters tall even while sitting, sat in front of the barracks. He was bald and wore a fitting vest that dug into his flesh. There were five claw marks painted on his chest. Beside him was a man who wore a face mask and a white doctor’s coat.

Nearby, a few sheep had their legs bound with rope. They had bells strung to their necks, and their fur was clean and tidy. They looked like pets.

“That’s Big Guo, one of the leaders of the Blood Scars Gang,” Wei Changan said.

Chen Chuan observed him and noticed that Big Guo’s breathing was steady. He should have practiced a breathing technique. Curiously, he wore shiny, eye-catching finger sleeves on all his fingers on his right hand.

When the car finally came to a stop, they got out. Big Guo stood up and spread his arms. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Wei Changan got out of the car and stayed by the hood of his car while raising his business card toward Big Guo. “Mr. Guo, I’m Agent Wei Changan.”

Chen Chuan stood by the car door with one hand in his trouser pocket. Two small stones he had prepared beforehand were inside it.

“I wasn’t expecting Mr. Lu to send two youngsters. Why don’t you come in for a drink?” Mr. Guo offered.

“Sorry, Mr. Guo, we’re not here to form ties with you. Mr. Lu should have hashed out the details with you. Hand Qiu Huzi to us, and we’ll leave. We don’t wish to bother you more than necessary.”

Big Guo’s eyes flicked about with cunning. His fleshy face made his eyes look beady, giving him a shifty appearance. He hummed and said, “I did say I would hand him over to you, but if you take him away like this, I’ll be humiliated before the other gang members.”

“Oh? Are you going back on your promise, Mr. Guo?” Wei Changan challenged.

Big Guo shook his meaty hands. “I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m breaking my promise. I’m a man of my word.”

He took two steps forward and looked down at Wei Changan, “But while I have to show respect to Mr. Lu, I don’t have to show you any. If you want Qiu Huzi, you have to be good enough to take him.”

Wei Changan had known that this would happen, so he had not been polite to Big Guo since the start. If he did, Big Guo would have thought that he was meek and an easy target. He scoffed. “That’s just like you, alright. What do you want?”

Big Guo became excited. He stepped back and rubbed his hands together. “It’s simple. I heard that you’re from Martial Valor University. Why don’t you fight with one of my guys? If you win, I’ll hand Qiu Huzi to you. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

Wei Changan scowled. While he was from Martial Valor University, he did not like fighting in front of so many people. He found it undignified.

But he also knew that if he did not agree to it, there was no telling when the whole mess could be cleaned up. So, he did not waste his breath and started removing his watch. “So? Where’s your guy?”

“That was a quick yes. I like that! But I get to choose the place,” Big Guo quickly said.

Wei Changan paused and stared at him. “Where do you want the fight to happen? Mr. Guo, don’t cause too much trouble for me. If things go sideways, don’t expect me to play nice.”

“Of course. You work for Mr. Lu, so I have to show him respect.” Big Guo grinned and pointed at the worn-down caged phone booth. “How about there?”

Wei Changan frowned but did not say no. He started removing his jacket and went to the trunk to throw his things inside.

Big Guo clapped his hands. With a loud thud, a bongosero started playing the bongos with his hands. As the rhythmic beats filled the air, a lean, middle-aged man covered in scars walked out.

He gave Wei Changan a ghastly look before wiping off his snot and smearing it on his pants. Then, he grinned and went straight into the phone booth.

Wei Changan regarded him in disdain and said, “I’ll take care of this, Chen Chuan. Remember to act according to the situation.”

“Okay,” Chen Chuan answered in a relaxed fashion.

Wei Changan gave him an admiring look. He had once been a rookie too and had led other rookies. Anyone who first came to such places was bound to be nervous. It was rare for anyone to look as relaxed and at home as Chen Chuan was.

Wei Changan went into the phone booth. One of the gang members went over to shut the door and lock it with a padlock. It was meant to keep fighters from being thrown out during a scuffle.

Chen Chuan gave the phone booth a scrutinizing look. It was cramped, so the two were pressed together with less than half a foot between them. This meant that they could not use takedowns, punches, or kicks. If neither of them had melee weapons, then the most effective attacks were elbow strikes.

But both fighters would have a hard time dodging and launching any proper hits. It all came down to who was faster and more ruthless. Usually, even if someone was stronger, they would inevitably get hurt in such a cramped space, so this was an additional problem placed on Wei Changan.

After some thinking, Chen Chuan unzipped his jacket, removed it, and threw it into the car.

Once Wei Changan got inside, his gaze turned indifferent and revealed no reaction to the stains on his opponent’s body or his bad breath. It was as if the clean and dignified city elite from before had disappeared, and all that was left was just a martial artist.

The stroke roll came to a stop, and Big Guo raised his arms. “Begin!”

The bongosero struck the bongos faster.

The lean man reacted right away. The moment Big Guo called out, he threw a punch.

Wei Changan moved his head to the back a little the moment the start of the fight was announced and slammed his head against the man’s.

His legs seemed to be fastened to the ground, while his body moved like a whip with the head serving as the striking tip. Even though it was just a small movement, the power came from his feet, traveled up his knees to his waist, then to his spine before going to his neck. This transfer of power happened at lightning speed.

His head seemed to have phased through the fist and rammed into the man’s face. A dull thud rose, and the phone booth trembled. The man’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed like he was boneless.

The cheers outside came to an abrupt halt. The bongosero struck the bongos a few more times because he could not stop in time. No one expected that the much-anticipated fight would end so soon.

Wei Changan straightened his collar and took out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. “Mr. Guo, can I have Qiu Huzi now?”

Big Guo stared at Wei Changan for a while. “Of course.” Then, he shouted to his goons, “Bring him out!”

Soon, a thin, middle-aged man with a full beard walked out with three bodyguards beside him. One of them observed the area with a fierce glare.

“What is it, Mr. Guo?”

Big Guo chuckled and pointed at Wei Changan, then at Chen Chuan. “Look, Qiu Huzi, don’t say that I didn’t try to protect you, but Mr. Lu sent these boys to take you back to the Constabulary for questioning.”

Qiu Huzi’s expression changed. He cursed under his breath before motioning at two of his bodyguards. “Stop them.”

Then, he ran in the direction of another car.

Wei Changan saw it, and his expression changed. He pushed against the door and demanded, “What’s this, Big Guo?!”

Big Guo shrugged. “I said that I’d bring him to you, and I did. Whether you can bring him back is your business, though.”

Wei Changan knew that if Qiu Huzi made it to the car, it would be hard to capture him. He sucked in a deep breath and punched the door. The phone booth swayed, but did not open.

Big Guo chuckled.

From the moment Chen Chuan saw Wei Changan getting locked in the phone booth, he knew that things might happen, so he had been mentally prepared for it. He stomped down on the ground and shot forward after Qiu Huzi.

Upon seeing this, Wei Changan shouted, “Hey, don’t go! He has Black Arena’s Zhai Wu with him!”

Chen Chuan did not stop, as if he did not hear Wei Changan.

Anxiety raced through Wei Changan’s veins. He cast a glance at the door. The man lay unconscious by his feet, making it hard for him to get enough strength into an attack.

He had no other choice.

Feeling resigned, Wei Changan sucked in a breath, drew himself back again, and rammed his forehead against the door.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep