Era of Mist

’Could it be that the Boss has other sources of information? Better ones than mine?’

Ah Fei’s heart skipped a beat. His boss seemed more unfathomable than ever, and he instantly became more cautious.

Where did Shi Tiexin get this information? From the note Old Jia gave him, of course. He hadn’t asked Old Jia for anything, but Old Jia had just inexplicably stuffed a note into his hand. On it was the middle-aged man’s basic information, written out clearly.

As for the accuracy of this information... Shi Tiexin found himself subconsciously trusting Old Jia’s note, as if it were an instinctual reaction from his very body.

Surprise finally flickered across the middle-aged man’s face. He dropped his casual demeanor and began to regard Shi Tiexin seriously. "I thought you were just some common street punk, but it seems that’s not the case. But whether you are or not is none of my business. You wanted to see me, and I came. Why did you call me here? Speak!"

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Shi Tiexin mulled it over for a moment, then looked at Officer Gao and said slowly, "I sought you out because I want to know about Ouyang Hong’s situation. I want to know what’s going on with him, what intelligence you have, and what heinous things he’s done to make you cross an ocean to investigate him."

"Hmph! Don’t even think about it!" The middle-aged man’s tone was harsh. "You just want to deal with Ouyang Hong, but I won’t tell you anything. I don’t help criminals!"

"How about we make a deal?" Shi Tiexin spread his hands. "You work with me, and I’ll help you capture Ouyang Hong. If you don’t cooperate, then I’m afraid you won’t be able to do anything."

"Cooperate? HA HA HA, I never cooperate with lawbreakers!"

The middle-aged man was completely impervious, his attitude unyielding. "Let me tell you, I’ve seen plenty of tricks like yours! Whatever petty scheme you have, bring it on. I specialize in dealing with people like you! Are you going to threaten me? Intimidate me? Or maybe kidnap and torture me for information? Do whatever you want! I’m not afraid of anything. Someone who’s afraid of death has no business being a people’s officer!"

Officer Gao’s words were powerful and resonant, his will as hard as steel.

Seeing Officer Gao like this, Shi Tiexin seemed to see another image in a daze, hearing a voice that was different yet uncannily similar in spirit.

"Hone your body, fortify your will, elevate your character..."

"From now on, you must brand your mission onto your heart like a steel seal!"

The voice echoed from the deepest part of the block of consciousness. There was only sound, no images. The specific details remained hidden, as if the block of consciousness was unwilling to easily reveal the related circumstances.

But after a moment of daze, Shi Tiexin came back to his senses and suddenly felt that this Officer Gao before him was actually somewhat familiar and relatable.

So Shi Tiexin smiled and bowed his head apologetically. "I misspoke. I apologize."

Then, he looked at him sincerely. "Officer Gao, I won’t threaten you, much less kidnap and torture you for information. I do intend to deal with Ouyang Hong, but I won’t use such despicable methods against a warrior who disregards his own life and death to uphold justice."

"Hmph." Officer Gao’s expression softened slightly. He then rose abruptly. "Then we have nothing more to say. Goodbye. No matter what you say, I will never cooperate with a criminal."

The middle-aged man got up and turned to leave, his movements crisp and decisive. The underlings wanted to stop him but weren’t sure if they should, so they looked to Shi Tiexin for guidance.

Shi Tiexin didn’t get up, nor did he turn his head. He just said in a low voice, "Officer Gao, it seems your daughter died at Ouyang Hong’s hands. Don’t you truly want to avenge her?"

The middle-aged man’s steps faltered. Then, he bit out, word by word, through clenched teeth, "How. Do. You. Know?"

’How do I know? Old Jia told me.’

"It doesn’t matter how I know, Officer Gao. Ouyang Hong’s Hongshun Society is a first-rate power in all of Tokyo City. This is his den, and he’s the local kingpin."

"Here, he doesn’t even need to be wary of you. He has countless underlings and followers. The last time you showed up at his office building, he noticed you immediately. He came over and mocked you without restraint, and all you could do was seethe with righteous indignation."

"When I said you couldn’t do anything, I wasn’t threatening you. I don’t need to threaten or obstruct you, because objectively speaking, you really can’t do anything."

"As the saying goes, a powerful outsider can’t beat a local boss on his home turf. You’re an outsider, and you’re all alone. You don’t even qualify as an Overseas Dragon. I, on the other hand, have been operating here for a long time. I’m not just some small local snake; I’m a mid-level player, at least."

"Snakes have their holes, and rats have their tunnels. In your eyes, I might not be much, but the streets have their own methods. In the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, only I can deal with him, just like that time I had his luxury car towed and he was powerless to do anything about it."

The middle-aged man trembled slightly at his words and turned around, looking Shi Tiexin up and down. "No wonder you looked familiar. So that was you! Still, hmph, in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area today, the major gangs are at each other’s throats. There are plenty of people who want to take down Ouyang Hong, not just you."

"But to you, Officer Gao, aren’t they all criminals? No, to be precise, in Japan today, even the government’s very existence is becoming faint. The law is gradually becoming nothing but empty words on paper. Without enforcement, there is no law. And in a place without law, theoretically, there are no ’criminals’."

Shi Tiexin slowly rose and turned to face the middle-aged man, looking at him with sincerity. "Please believe me. Although I’m in the underworld, I am not a bad person."

Shi Tiexin didn’t use the psionic energy in his mind, because he didn’t actually know any real mind-bending Secret Techniques. For someone with a will this firm, the mind-swaying effects of ordinary rhetorical psionics wouldn’t just be ineffective; the backlash from the failure would also damage his own psionic energy.

However, Shi Tiexin spoke from the heart, his face showing not a trace of guilt, which naturally allowed his sincerity to be felt. ’Right, I also have to make sure my face isn’t backlit. With no shadows on my face, this square-jawed, well-defined look with thick eyebrows and large eyes can win a lot of goodwill.’

The middle-aged man hesitated, then frowned and asked, "How can I trust you? How do I know you really want to take on Ouyang Hong? And how do I know you have the ability to do so?"

"First, if I didn’t want to go after Ouyang Hong, I wouldn’t have sought you out. Since I know about your daughter and could track you down on the streets, I could have just captured you and handed you over to him for a reward. Officer Gao, the conflict between our Daxing and the Hongshun Society is common knowledge. You can ask anyone. I’m sure you’re not completely without information channels here either."

Officer Gao nodded, acknowledging Shi Tiexin’s point.

"As for the second point—my ability—that’s confidential, so I have no comment. But Officer Gao, cooperating with me is already your best option. Besides me, no one else will want to get involved in this mess, and no one else will seek justice for your daughter."

"Seek justice?" Officer Gao couldn’t help but sneer. "A street punk? Don’t tell me you’re some kind of crusader for justice?"

"I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a crusader." Shi Tiexin’s expression was incredibly serious as he once again extended a hand to Officer Gao. "But, like I said, I am absolutely not a bad person."

Officer Gao was silent. After a long, long silence, he finally took two steps forward and raised his right hand.

CLASP. The two men shook hands, their grips equally firm.