As the customer buying salt stepped away, Wen Jifei shifted his gaze, glancing diagonally down the street... Then, planting a hand on the counter, he vaulted straight over it and sprinted to the curb in a few quick strides.
At the end of the Third District, beneath the giant sign of the source energy refinery workshop, a long black car made a turn, its rear disappearing from his view.
"What is it? What's going on?!"
They had been chatting happily just a second ago. Seeing his sudden move, the proprietress hurried out of the shop after him in alarm, shoving her handful of melon seeds into her pocket while drawing the dead iron scimitar from behind her shoulder.
"Looks like my buddies... were just kidnapped," Wen Jifei said thoughtfully, staring at the intersection without looking back.
Between kidnapping someone and being kidnapped, Wen Jifei considered the matter and felt the latter was slightly more probable—after all, the current situation didn't match their original plan.
"Nonsense! Scaring your big sis again, are you? ...What, instead of kidnapping someone, you got kidnapped instead?!"
The kid in front of her fooled around far too often. She sheathed her scimitar, shooting him a reproachful look and grumbling under her breath.
"I'm not making it up. If you don't believe me, Sis, look over there."
Wen Jifei pointed across the road toward the distance behind them. Explaining it to her was also his way of piecing together and deducing the events for himself.
Over there, Han Qingyu's broom lay on the ground, but he was gone. A gust of wind blew past, swirling two plastic bags out of his dustpan and sending them tumbling across the road.
Then, pulling his gaze back, Wu Xu's broom and dustpan nearby were still leaning against the door of the garbage truck, but he was gone just the same.
"A black car just drove past, and both of them vanished," Wen Jifei said slowly.
With that, he finished reconstructing the entire sequence of events, and any worry he had completely evaporated. He was only slightly disappointed that Qingzi hadn't brought him along.
No one could quietly abduct Han Qingyu and Wu Xu in sequence over three hundred meters apart on a street like this. Not even that Shu You could manage it.
At the same time, however, an entire kidnapping scene played out in the proprietress's mind!
"Oh heavens! Really?!" Panic seized her, and she cried out in alarm.
She naturally knew Ah Jing and Ah Xi too. Though those two boys weren't as lively and charming as Chick, they were good kids...
She simply couldn't fathom it. What force would bother with a bunch of broke kids? Why kidnap them?!
"Quick, Chick, think! Who have you crossed lately?!" This was a matter of life and death; her expression and voice turned frantic. "Hurry! Think! Let me see if there's any way I can help!"
Just as Ao Yong and Qian Daofeng had said, anyone running a shop on the streets of the City of Iniquity had to possess formidable strength or a substantial background.
"Thanks, Sis, but..." Wen Jifei began, turning around.
"What happened?! Who got kidnapped?!" The noodle shop owner ran over bare-chested behind He Tangtang, dough still clinging to both of their hands.
"Ah Jing and Ah Xi! Those two honest boys were just sweeping the street, who knows who they offended!" the proprietress beat Wen Jifei to the punch.
Before long, quite a crowd gathered nearby. Most, of course, were just there to spectate. Commotions like this were common in the City of Iniquity, yet people still loved gawking at them.
Zhu Jiaming ran back as well. Overhearing the talk, his first reaction was: *Hurry back and steal the Bone of Eternal Life!* His second reaction was: *He definitely carries it with him, and even if he doesn't, it's probably with Rusty Sister, and I can't beat her.* His third reaction was: *Lure Rusty Sister away and try searching... Wait, no!*
*Thank goodness I caught myself in time, or I would've exposed my motives. Uh, actually, maybe I've been glaringly obvious all along...*
The Little Prince quickly pieced the logic together too. After all, he knew Han Qingyu and Wu Xu all too well by now.
"Come on, think!"
Considering the perpetrators likely weren't after money, any further delay might mean the two were as good as dead. The impatient proprietress shouted at Wen Jifei again.
"..." How was he supposed to explain it to her? Wen Jifei scratched his head in a dilemma. *What am I supposed to say? "Yes, they were indeed kidnapped, but it's actually great news"?!*
Besides, if they really got these people involved or even let them track them down, what if they saw that gruesome scene? Wouldn't that ruin their image?!
"Still nothing?" the proprietress asked with a furrowed brow. They had been discussing it for more than ten minutes already.
"Yeah," Wen Jifei nodded.
In truth, Wen Jifei could make an educated guess. A couple of days ago, Liu Lang's faction had sent people to tail Ao Yong and Qian Daofeng, which they were aware of. They had even warned Ao Yong and Qian Daofeng to be careful.
Of course, he wasn't certain either—this place was far too chaotic... And even if he were sure, there was no need to tell her. Wen Jifei considered it and said, "It's fine, Sis. It's not that serious. We can handle it ourselves."
"Handle it yoursel—" the proprietress started.
*Whoosh!* A roar of source energy blasted down the street, cutting her off.
Wen Jifei had underestimated how fast word traveled through the district.
Boss Dao's figure shot down the long street, pulling up just outside the crowd.
Cloth shoes on his feet, clad in a silk shirt and trousers, he wore his maneuver gear and held his blade.
"Chick... you three, come out." Calling to them with cool authority, Boss Dao turned and walked back.
These kids were far too inexperienced. You didn't make a racket over things like this, and you certainly didn't go asking around through layers of intermediaries—most of the time, doing that was no different from forcing the kidnappers to silence their hostages.
Besides, if even he couldn't resolve it, the cigarette shop and noodle shop certainly couldn't either; Boss Dao knew their backgrounds well.
Say what you will, he had bummed around these streets for thirty years, running his own freelance band for eleven of them. Around here at least, he was no small fry.
"Since Boss Dao is willing to step up for them..." The proprietress and the noodle shop owner looked at each other, thought it over, and decided not to meddle further, even if their minds weren't entirely at ease.
Boss Dao led Wen Jifei and the other two away.
"There aren't many freelance bands with this kind of loyalty. Old Dao really is something else."
"Yeah, heard he hasn't been in good health lately."
"Right, his band's been turning down jobs recently."
The people on the street watched and murmured among themselves.
...
"How did it go?! Did you find anything?!" Seeing Filio lead his men in through the courtyard gate, Boss Dao stood up.
Thirty years hadn't been spent in vain; Boss Dao lacked neither men nor connections... The moment he had heard the news, he had dispatched his people.
"Yeah." Filio nodded, hesitating slightly. "Someone saw that car drive straight into the Shelvey Band's headquarters."
The word "straight" stung—it meant the other side hadn't bothered to take any precautions whatsoever.
"Oh." Surprisingly, Boss Dao didn't seem stung by the word. He gave a slow response and raised his head... The momentum and fury from earlier had completely vanished from him.
After four or five seconds of silence, he said, "Understood. I'll go demand them back."
Those words were spoken with heavy solemnity.
With that, without calling on anyone, Boss Dao strode forward alone.
He was out of options. The Shelvey Band wasn't weak; its core combat strength had remained stable for years... What was worse, they belonged to a Three-Band Alliance that included a truly top-tier band.
As for Boss Dao, his group was still merely a freelance band; the two were worlds apart in standing.
"Don't, Boss! Your health..."
If he went and made a scene, he would die.
A freelance band lacked the clout, and an old veteran leading one held no sway before such figures. In fact, given the recent glory of Boss Dao's band, those people were probably wishing he were dead...
Filio knew all of this very well.
Yet because he was standing right in front of Wen Jifei and the others, he couldn't lay out the grim reality so bluntly, and could only use Boss Dao's health as an excuse to dissuade him.
Boss Dao paused ahead. Without looking back, he considered it and said, "Isn't that just perfect, then? I'm already half in the grave anyway. What the hell do I have to fear from them?"
At the same time, Zhu Jiaming took a step closer to Wen Jifei. "What, aren't you going to stop Boss Dao? If he goes there and sees..."
"Yeah, such a good man. Besides, Qingzi said earlier that we can let him in on some things now." Wen Jifei smiled as he spoke and walked forward.
"Thanks, Boss."
"Thanks my ass! Get your asses back, grab those two girls, and find a place to hide. Quickly," Boss Dao said without turning around.
Chapter 449