Chapter 41: Who Can Bear Such a Cost

The recent assault on the Emperor Hong Building, and the attempt to steal the auction items, had been carried out by operatives from this very base.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Jiang Mohe and a subordinate named Asi went in first.

There were only a few customers inside.

Asi, a burly man with both arms covered in dragon and tiger tattoos, held an unlit cigarette between his lips. He looked every bit the menacing thug who might collect protection fees, and his mere presence was enough to scare people. As he strolled near the customers, they each quietly left one after another.

The shop owner, a tall, thin man in his forties with glasses, hurried out from behind the counter when he saw Asi scaring off his clientele, forcing a smile. “Young man, who are you? We just paid our respects to Brother White Dragon a couple days ago…”

This underground night market in the north of the city was, on the surface, a government initiative to provide reemployment opportunities for the jobless. In reality, a group led by White Dragon collected management fees in secret.

Unlike ordinary criminal organizations, their fees were strictly voluntary, and they never forced anyone. Still, in this chaotic northern district, those who paid White Dragon’s fees enjoyed a peaceful business. The few shop owners who initially refused inevitably fell victim to street thugs a few times, and soon enough, they too started paying.

The shop owner assumed Asi had failed to notice the White Dragon management badge hanging by the door and thought he was here to stir up trouble, so he made a point of reminding him.

Though Asi was solidly built, he wasn’t especially tall. He looked about twenty, but his weathered smile made him seem older. “What, am I not allowed to buy something from your shop? Are you discriminating against me?”

The shop owner was lost for words.

If you want to buy something, why scare off the other customers? Clearly, you’re here to make trouble!

Asi took a multifunctional knife favored by mountaineers off the wall, flicked it open with a snap, and waved it in front of the owner, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Boss, isn’t it risky to sell this in your store? What if someone accuses you of selling contraband?”

The shop owner’s face fell. “We run a legitimate business!”

“Oh?” Asi chuckled. “Then I’ll take twenty.”

“T-twenty?” The owner stammered in shock. “Why do you need so many?”

“Our mountaineering club needs them!”

“But we don’t have that much stock. We’d need to order more, and it might take a while since our supplier’s out of town. Maybe you want to try elsewhere?” The shop owner was clearly reluctant to sell.

Asi raised an eyebrow. “Boss, if you ran your business like this all the time, how would you make any money?”

He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Or do you make your money elsewhere?”

The shop owner took two steps back, eyeing Asi warily. “Are you really with a mountaineering club? Show me your employee ID!”

Asi grinned and called out toward the door, “Boss, the shop owner wants to see our credentials.”

A tall man dressed in black entered, ducking slightly to avoid hitting his head on the low doorframe.

Glancing up, the shop owner saw a strikingly handsome face and a well-put-together appearance, which made Asi’s story more believable.

“If you want twenty knives, we’ll need to place a special order. It’ll take at least ten days,” the owner warned.

The man in black’s eyes were as cold and deep as a frozen lake, and his voice was equally icy. “We can’t wait. We need them now.”

With that, he grabbed the knife from Asi and hurled it behind the counter with force.

There was a scream from behind the counter. The shop owner turned ashen and ducked, clutching his head.

Asi rushed behind the counter and found a man lying on the floor, the knife lodged in his chest. The man was still gripping a small handgun.

A cold sweat broke out on Asi’s brow. Clearly, their adversaries had already sensed something was wrong!

He didn’t touch the handgun, but instead pulled a few silver darts from his belt, kicked open a hidden door behind the counter, and flung the darts inside.

There were several muffled groans from within. Asi grabbed a few glow sticks from the counter and tossed them through the doorway. Before he could move, a sudden gust of wind swept past him.

When he entered the back room, he found it was much larger than the shopfront. Three men, felled by his darts, lay on the floor, along with several others, each killed with a single stroke—clearly the handiwork of the man in black.

Asi rubbed his nose and said to him, “Brother Cangyu, when are you coming to ZR to teach us a thing or two?”

Jiang Mohe didn’t reply. He meticulously searched every corner, found another hidden door, and made a call on his phone.

On the other end, Bai Luomei answered.

“Four came out on this side. It’s handled,” Jiang Mohe reported.

He hung up and told Asi, “Take the shop owner back with us. The rest, leave for White Dragon to deal with.”

“Got it.”

Asi slung the unconscious owner over his shoulder and left the “Wild Trail Outdoor Gear” shop with Jiang Mohe.

Soon, White Dragon arrived with his men.

He took one look at the carnage and ground his teeth in fury. “That Cangyu! He promised there’d be no blood, and now he’s gotten me into trouble again!”

A subordinate, trembling as he looked at the bodies, asked, “Boss, should we call the police?”

White Dragon spat, annoyed. “Of course! I can’t cover up a murder! Besides, all the dead have weapons—they’re hardly innocent. We’ll just say it was gang-on-gang violence. Still, the higher-ups are definitely going to come down on me for this!”

He sighed, blaming himself for trusting Cangyu. If he didn’t owe the man a favor, he’d never have cleaned up this mess.

With a huff, White Dragon kicked the shop door in frustration and headed home to await his reprimand.

Jiang Mohe and Asi, along with the shop owner and Bai Luomei’s team, regrouped in a dilapidated warehouse in the northern district.

Of the four who escaped, one was the base’s head, known as Grey Leopard.

Asi looked at the battered Grey Leopard with a tinge of sympathy. For all her seductive appearance, Sister Bai was ruthless in interrogation—enough to terrify any man.

And yet, after she was through, her victims were never dead—just wishing they were.

Yet tonight, unexpectedly, she failed.

“He’s too tight-lipped,” Bai Luomei reported to Jiang Mohe.

In the past, anyone who didn’t cooperate would soon talk after she worked her magic, even with drugs. This time, though, she got nothing important.

Jiang Mohe glanced at Grey Leopard, then nodded toward the still-unconscious shop owner. “He might be useful.”

Asi nudged the shop owner with his foot, unimpressed. “A guy like him will spill everything with just a scare.”

Bai Luomei sauntered over, picked up the man’s glasses, and examined them with narrowed eyes.

She looked at Jiang Mohe, a sly smile on her lips. “You really do know quite a lot, don’t you?”