Chapter 740: Gray Transaction
After Colt got in the car, Lin Ye switched to the driver's seat and sped away from the arcade at full speed.
“Someone tailing us?”
Colt glanced at the rearview mirror but didn’t spot any suspicious vehicles.
“I saw a drone earlier. Felt like it was watching us.”
Lin Ye didn’t drive back to the Old City District. Instead, he pulled up to the building where his office was located.
The enemy might ambush them in the Old City District. Going back now would be too dangerous.
Lin Ye’s office was in an office building, with a police station just a few streets away.
The building had no security guard. After making sure no one was around, Colt helped the unconscious arcade owner while the four of them took the elevator upstairs.
“Mr. Lin, you’re back?”
The female secretary set down her pen and eyed Colt and the man beside him with curiosity.
“You haven’t clocked out yet?”
Lin Ye had assumed the college student had already gone home.
“Of course not—it’s not quitting time yet… Should I leave?”
Wen Luo asked tactfully.
“No, it could be dangerous out there. Best if you don’t wander off or go near the windows.”
Lin Ye and the others entered the office.
The arcade owner was quickly brought around. He didn’t struggle or shout for help—just glared at Colt with venomous eyes.
“Tell me where you got this business card, and I’ll give you a chance to live.”
Lin Ye set two identical cards on the coffee table.
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
The arcade owner paid no attention to Lin Ye’s threat. He was convinced Lin Ye wouldn’t dare touch him.
Lin Ye didn’t get angry. Calmly, he stabbed the kitchen knife into the owner’s abdomen.
“I’m on a tight schedule, so you’d better answer my questions seriously.”
Lin Ye didn’t pull the knife out. The man’s response would determine his next move.
Colt released the hand covering the owner’s mouth and nose, then squeezed hard on his shoulder blade.
“…He’s a broker in the Old City District. We run gray transactions through him.”
The owner’s breath came ragged. He hadn’t expected Lin Ye to actually strike.
“What kind of transactions? Where can I find him?”
Lin Ye let go of the knife handle and pressed on.
“It’s about contraband. He can get his hands on some high-purity stuff. I have his contact info. Let me go back, and I’ll set up a meeting for you.”
The owner was already plotting how he’d make these bastards suffer later.
“You don’t have his contact info? Then you’re useless, aren’t you? Know anything else?”
Lin Ye placed his hand back on the knife handle.
“Wait! I know plenty of useful stuff! Hel—!”
Before the owner could finish crying out, Colt twisted his neck, snapping it clean.
“We can take the body out in that woven bag over there.”
Lin Ye suddenly heard footsteps coming up the stairs from the corridor. He signaled Colt to deal with the corpse, then led Ephesus and Susie out of the office.
Knock knock knock!
Someone rapped on the door. Wen Luo opened it as usual, revealing a man and a woman in police uniforms standing outside.
“Someone reported seeing you kidnap a man…”
The male officer glanced at the room number, then at the two middle school students. He wondered if he had the wrong room.
“Sorry, I was just telling them some detective stories. Maybe I got a bit loud. The caller must be a neighbor. Want to come in and take a look?”
Lin Ye opened the door wide, inviting the two officers inside.
“Forget it. Just keep it down.”
Seeing the two middle schoolers, the officers relaxed. The four people in the room didn’t look like kidnappers at all.
Lin Ye was about to close the door when he heard chaotic footsteps from downstairs.
“…You two better come inside and hang out for a bit.”
Lin Ye pulled the male officer, who was about to leave, into the room.
“No need, we’re still on duty…”
The female officer turned toward the stairwell and saw a group of hunched, twisted creatures.
“Get in here.”
Lin Ye yanked the female officer inside as well, then shut the door.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!
A violent pounding erupted from outside the door. Colt emerged from the office, pulling the pistol from his waist.
“What the hell is out there? Who’s this guy?”
“I think I saw a bunch of monsters!”
Both officers had caught sight of the radiation mutants, and it threw them into confusion.
“I don’t know what those things are either. We can talk specifics later, but if you don’t want to die here, you’d better get ready to fight.”
Lin Ye grabbed the kitchen knife, leaving the pistol with only eight rounds holstered.
Thud!
Before they had any breathing room, the flimsy door was smashed open by a radiation mutant, slamming against the wall. It was, after all, just a cheap office building—poor soundproofing and shoddy materials.
A flood of deformed monsters crammed into the room. The two officers and Colt opened fire, while Lin Ye handled the ones that got close.
The two middle school students and the college student huddled behind them, retreating to the corner of the room.
Dozens of twisted creatures clogged the hallway. The officers ran out of bullets in no time—they hadn’t prepared for a gunfight at all.
Lin Ye focused on taking down the approaching radiation mutants with the most efficient moves possible. He needed to conserve stamina for the mob still packed in the corridor.
“Damn it! Why is there no signal?!”
The male officer shoved away a nearby monster with his boot while fumbling with his radio.
Just then, Lin Ye heard the sound of shattering glass. He quickly drew his pistol and shot down the monsters that had come crashing in through the window and from the office.
A drone hovered outside the window. Lin Ye raised his gun and blasted it with a single shot.
After the drone was destroyed, the number of monsters in the hallway began to dwindle. The four of them worked together to finish off the rest.
“…Anyone hurt?”
Lin Ye steadied his breathing. Killing so many monsters, even while conserving energy, had left him exhausted.
“…I’m fine. What the hell are these things?”
The male officer stared at the corpses piling up on the floor, half-convinced he was dreaming.
“I’d advise you not to dig into where these monsters came from. Leave it to someone else. We’re out of here.”
Lin Ye glanced back at the three behind him. Seeing they were unharmed, he prepared to lead them out of the building.
“Hold on! You have to come to the station with us for a statement!”
The female officer tried to stop them, but the male officer pulled her back. He looked at the radio on the floor, as if something had clicked.
Lin Ye and his group took the elevator down. Sirens wailed in the distance. Lin Ye grabbed Colt as he headed for the car and instead used a piece of wire to jimmy open another vehicle parked at the curb.