Chapter 306 - 292: Bone-Breaking Lineage?
Meanwhile, deep within the government jail.
In a dim, damp cell, Ma Tietou slowly came to, his head throbbing.
His mind was still foggy. His last memory was of being knocked out by a single punch from the masked woman in black, right after he’d confessed everything. ’That punch... was damn vicious.’
He shook his groggy head and looked around. Stone walls, straw, a cage... ’How long has it been since I was last here?’
He glanced around again. The adjacent cells were filled with his men, beaten half to death and sprawled in every direction.
’Looks like... a total wipeout.’
The moment the guard on duty saw Ma Tietou was awake, he immediately ran out of the prison to report it.
Meanwhile, in the cell next to Ma Tietou’s, Jiang Stone, who was disguised as one of the "beggar thugs," felt his eyelids twitch slightly. He immediately went still again, continuing to feign unconsciousness.
Before long, the sound of light footsteps approached, and the figure of the City Lord, Zhao Decang, appeared outside the cell.
"Ma Tietou..." Zhao Decang’s voice was hushed. "What in the world happened?! Who did you piss off this time?!"
Inside his cell, Jiang Stone, who appeared to be unconscious, had already cranked his [System Audio Capture] function to maximum.
At the same time, in his live stream, amplified audio was clearly broadcasting this "secret talk between the official and the bandit."
[Jiang Stone (Live Stream Subtitles)]: My people! My regulars! You know I always tell it like it is! You seein’ this?! You hearin’ this?! Didn’t I tell you things in Anhe City were shady?! The City Lord is in cahoots with these scumbags, just as I thought! Government officials and criminals colluding! A whole den of vipers!
This scene instantly set the live stream chat ablaze.
[WTF?! Solid proof! That bastard official really is dirty!]
[The streamer is a legend! Are there any just officials left in Anhe City?! Guess they’re all crooked!]
[A crooked Bao Zheng? Even a crooked Bao Zheng would be better than them!]
[Government-bandit collusion! Government-bandit collusion!]
[Be careful, streamer! Don’t blow your cover!]
[Fuck ’em up! We gotta take down that scumbag official and his cronies all at once!]
Back in the jail, Zhao Decang and Ma Tietou’s secret conversation continued.
"Who is this ’vigilante’?" Zhao Decang’s voice was filled with anxiety. "How strong are they? Any distinguishing features? What’s their background? And what did you guys do to get caught?! Didn’t I tell you to lay low?! We still haven’t figured out the Guixi Sect’s stance, and you dare to cause trouble?!"
"Mr. Zhao, you’ve got it all wrong!" Ma Tietou also lowered his voice. "I just fucking stepped out for a bit. How was I supposed to know I’d run into such a tough customer! By the time I got back, my best fighter, Ah Hu, had already been sent flying through a wall with a single punch!"
Recalling the scene, he said with lingering fear, "The one who attacked was a woman. She looked pretty slender, but her fists... my god, she must have been practicing the Iron Sand Palm for thirty years! I’m guessing she’s a disciple out gaining experience from some martial sect that specializes in hard-style techniques. Her kung fu is profound!"
"I kept telling my men to keep a low profile. Who knew we’d have such rotten luck!"
Zhao Decang’s brow furrowed. "What’s the use of saying that now?! The question is how to handle this. Until we figure out the deal with the Guixi Sect and that woman, you’ll stay right here for the time being!"
He paused, then asked, "By the way, about the Bone-Breaking Lineage... you won’t be able to return for now. Your superiors over there won’t cause any trouble, will they?"
’Bone-Breaking Lineage?!’
Those three words exploded in Jiang Stone’s mind. He immediately typed out a new subtitle for his live stream.
[Jiang Stone (Live Stream Subtitles)]: My regulars! Did you hear that?! "Bone-Breaking Lineage"! Another new keyword! Didn’t I tell you Anhe City was shady as hell?! I’ve only been undercover for a short time and I’ve already dug up such an explosive piece of dirt! Want to see Jiang keep digging and unearth every single dirty secret in this city?! If you do, start sending those planes and sports cars! Let Mr. Jiang take you all the way down the rabbit hole!
[DIG! DIG ALL THE WAY THROUGH!]
[Mr. Jiang, you’re a god! I WANT TO MARRY YOU AHHHHHH! (voice cracks)]
[Person above, calm down!]
[Bone-Breaking Lineage... That doesn’t sound like a nice place!]
[HELL YEAH—GO GO GO! Mr. Jiang, get deep into the enemy camp and then bring the vigilante to PUNCH THEM TO OBLIVION!!!]
...
At this, Ma Tietou’s expression grew solemn. He pondered for a moment before replying in a hushed tone, "It... it shouldn’t be a big problem. The official road from Pingyang City is a fair distance from Anhe City; it’s not close. They’re always careful to question people thoroughly before they make a move. They won’t touch anyone who has even a slightly special background."
"Besides, they’ve heard the heat is on in Anhe City lately, so they’re being cautious. We’re just a branch, after all. Headquarters is still waiting for their shipment. We can’t just shut down the whole operation over this, or we’ll have hell to pay with the higher-ups."
He paused and sighed. "I guess I’ll just stay in this cell for now. Anhe City is full of all sorts of characters right now. I’ll wait until the heat dies down and things get quiet again."
"Oh, and Mr. Zhao... while I’m gone for the next few days, could you please... help me look after Liu Yue? Don’t let anything happen to her."
"Hmph," Zhao Decang waved a dismissive hand. "That girl of yours is much sharper than you! You managed to get caught red-handed. I don’t even know what to say to you!"
Ma Tietou chuckled sheepishly. "She’s not my girl just yet, we’re not officially married. Once this all blows over, I’ll be sure to invite you, Mr. Zhao, to our wedding banquet."
"Alright, alright, spare me the pleasantries," Zhao Decang cut him off impatiently. He suddenly seemed to recall something and asked, "By the way, let me ask you... have you taken on any new men recently?"
"New men?" Ma Tietou was taken aback, confused by the question. "No. Why, Mr. Zhao? Was there a problem during our arrest?"
"Not a problem, exactly..." Zhao Decang’s expression turned strange. He recalled the "mountain of people" he’d seen at the Yamen entrance and smacked his lips. "It’s just that... among the people that vigilante delivered this time, besides all your familiar faces, there seemed to be... one extra person."
He struggled to describe the person. "The guy’s face... tsk, how should I put it? It was... distinctive. His face was swollen like a pig’s head, and he had two sausage-like lips... I’ve never seen anyone that ugly in my life. You’re sure... you haven’t recruited someone like that recently?"
Ma Tietou was utterly baffled. He wracked his brain, certain that he had absolutely no one so remarkably ugly among his subordinates.
He quickly waved his hands and shook his head. "No way, Mr. Zhao. I know all my men. There is absolutely no one like that!"