A Shot Across the Bow and a Flying Start

Amid the spreading blood in the water, the Prosperity slowly pulled alongside the pier. With a soft click, the ship docked. The lingering momentum stirred the corpses hanging from the bow, setting them swaying in the wind. A stir rippled through the dense crowd on the docks, giving rise to a clamor of voices. In the harbor, where the alert status had just been lifted, passersby caught sight of the eerie vessel laden with carcasses. Curiosity drawn, people couldn't resist craning their necks, and some even gathered nearby to watch the spectacle. A few pulled out their phones to snap pictures. After all, this was a naval port. The locals had seen everything—arrogant, magnificent fleets, ultra-gigantic phlogiston transports, battered warships, and the latest advanced weaponry. Yet none had ever seen anything so uncanny. Its aesthetic was utterly out of place with everything else. Then the cargo hold's hatch steadily lowered. As the silhouette standing at the threshold was revealed to everyone, he waved, and Haichao personnel waiting on the dock promptly drove over to unload the freight. Ji Jue didn't need to waste a single breath. To the clanking of firm footsteps, rows of activated Riot Cats filed out of the hold in crisp formation, stepping onto the ramp and boarding the trucks on their own. Meanwhile, Ji Jue had already walked toward Tong Shan, who had been waiting for quite some time. Both men reached out a hand, paused midair, and exchanged a look. Unable to suppress their smiles any longer, they pulled their hands back and shared a hearty embrace. Compared to his days in Yacheng, Tong the Vegetable had grown considerably tanner, blending thoroughly into the local environment. A fresh scar ran across his arm, and his entire demeanor was different from before. While his composed, gentle manner remained, it carried an added edge of sharpness and severity. Ji Jue, by contrast, seemed virtually unchanged. Yet ever since Tong Shan had first met him, that appearance had hardly ever wavered—at most, it was merely an artisan's hypocritical mask. What Tong Shan noticed instead were his eyes. Had they grown darker? Tong Shan could only describe them as coals smoldering deep within ash. "That's quite an exaggerated welcome ceremony, Brother Shan," Ji Jue greeted him with a grin. "The exaggeration isn't the welcome ceremony, is it? Look at yourself first." "I just brought along some local specialties. If nobody wanted them, I had to clean them up myself." Ji Jue smiled, looking toward a bearded soldier smoking a cigar not far away. "And this is?" "Allow me to introduce you. This is Major Liang, commander of Tacheng's Rapid Reaction Force," Tong Shan said. "A friend of mine." Hearing the word 'friend' from Tong Shan's mouth made Ji Jue's smile even warmer. "Pleasure to meet you. Ji Jue, Deputy Director of Research and Development at Haichao Armaments. I also dabble in civilian products on the side. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate." "No need to explain. Your company's three-wheelers are all over the outskirts. The pleasure is mine." Liang Mo chuckled and shook his hand, his gaze drifting to the bow of the ship and the three corpses swaying in the wind. "Who might these fine gentlemen be?" "No idea. Just happened to run into them on the way, so I gave them a lift." Ji Jue glanced back. "The wind and waves were pretty rough, so they got a bit damp. I'll find somewhere to hang them out in the sun later." "Were they tough to handle?" Tong Shan asked. "Not bad. One of them had a remarkably well-honed Fishbelly Sword, definitely true White Stag lineage." Recalling that painstakingly refined thrust, Ji Jue couldn't help but admire it. "Any idea who they are, Brother Shan?" "Most likely 'Blackgold Stone.'" Tong Shan pondered for a moment and had an answer. "A five-man team that frequently takes contracts at the Wild Gathering under that name. Fairly well known locally. That White Stag is likely of the Blood Teeth branch, though the main line of the Blood Teeth is far away in the Empire, so you don't need to worry about lingering trouble from them." Within the White Stag, the four orthodox lines of heritage—Scales, Horns, Claws, and Fangs—were like artisan credentials within the Embers: they placed their bearers among the internal elite. The Blood Teeth belonged to the Fang branch, specializing in offensive arts. Another person belonging to the Fang branch was none other than Ji Jue's little darling, Xiao An! Although the Flying Light of the An family belonged to the Hunting Fingers of the Claw branch, Xiao An had replaced her matrix after running away from home with a lost, extinct Fang heritage known as Blade Teeth—Sword Resonance. Meanwhile, that "old friend" Ji Jue had crossed paths with once and had been keeping tabs on ever since—the Sower's subordinate, Shehri—originally belonged to the Scales branch. Otherwise, upon his corruption, he wouldn't have been granted the Vile Folly title of Rotting Scales. Seemingly wild and undisciplined, the White Stag was internally divided by rigid hierarchies, strict heritages, and countless precepts and constraints. A White Stag with true lineage and an unpedigreed one were entirely different breeds. Yet before swords were drawn, telling them apart was virtually impossible. White Stags loved to hide, every single one of them an insufferable sneak. Once corrupted into wolves, they concealed themselves even deeper and better, vanishing at the slightest stir. Finding them had proved so tedious that Ji Jue had contemplated returning to his old trade and playing bait for a sting operation. Hearing Tong Shan's summary, Ji Jue raised an eyebrow. A five-man squad? Then why had he only caught three?! Two pieces short of a complete collector's edition—his obsessive-compulsive itch was flaring up. He would have to round out the set later! Just looking at his expression, Tong Shan could tell what wicked scheme was brewing in his gut. Shaking his head, he said, "The rest have probably fled long ago. You honestly expect them to hold enough comrade loyalty to seek revenge? There are plenty of teams like that at the Wild Gathering, but those with genuine camaraderie could be counted on one hand. Put it out of your mind." "Tsk..." Ji Jue's expression darkened. "..." Seeing that Ji Jue wasn't even bothering to hide it, Liang Mo's eyelid twitched violently. Curiously, he asked, "Who sent them?" "Don't know. Didn't ask, either." Ji Jue shrugged nonchalantly and countered, "Does it matter?" Liang Mo was taken aback, then nodded in agreement. He had spent too long in the military, used to internal conflicts where men resolved disputes with bare knuckles, forgetting that aside from being an artisan, the man before him was a defense contractor representative—an arms dealer. Indeed, it didn't matter. Regardless of whether this incident had occurred, rivals would remain rivals, and cutthroat struggles wouldn't soften into warmth and gentility. Money was a marvelous thing, and everyone craved it. Even the phlogiston tycoons, the formidable experts, the defense industry competitors, and the numerous artisans of the Mid-Continent—the very people who seemed to lack for nothing—were often the hungriest of all. It was simply that the things they desired could no longer be bought with mere coin. That was why they needed power, influence, and henchmen, giving rise to endless conflicts and vendettas. Who pulled the strings might matter to Ji Jue personally, but to a representative of Haichao Armaments, it didn't matter in the least. Anyone could be a suspect; anyone would take the shot given the chance; and nobody cared about such petty change. Taking a club to the face before even stepping through the door was merely a shot across the bow, no heavier than a gentle breeze. Whether someone in the shadows was taking a potshot on a whim, trying to escalate tensions to bait him into reckless retaliation, or simply displeased at a newcomer muscling in, it made no difference. Whatever Ji Jue had come to do, he would do. No matter who stood against him. The seemingly chaotic Mid-Continent had long been partitioned, its territories crowded to the brim. In this bustling, torrid land, not a single copper coin lacked an owner. The moment Ji Jue sought to carve out a foothold, he would inevitably find enemies on all sides. In secret, knives were driven in without mercy; on the surface, everyone shook hands with warm smiles, acting as though they were blood brothers. At the thought, Liang Mo couldn't help but sigh. A real headache. Without the slightest pretense, he patted Ji Jue on the shoulder and said with wry emotion, "Old Tong has helped me a great deal. By rights, his friends are my friends, so feel free to come to me whenever you need help... but to tell the truth, I'm terrified of you showing up on my doorstep." "Oh, don't you worry." Ji Jue's smile turned exceedingly cordial. With zero hesitation, he leaned in and slung an arm around Liang Mo's shoulder, refusing to be shaken off. "If an opportunity arises, I will do my utmost to trouble you." "That's precisely what I'm afraid of, all right?" Liang Mo rolled his eyes, let out a helpless sigh, and then chuckled to himself. "Alright, let's move. Leave the ship here for now, but remember to tidy it up soon. The base is conducting safety inspections lately; don't give anyone an excuse to make a fuss." After asking a few questions over his walkie-talkie, Liang Mo waved to them. "Come on. Breakfast at the NCO mess is almost over. If you don't want to fight the enlisted grunts for donuts, pick up the pace. We'll make do at the base today, and in a few days, dinner in the city is on me." He called it 'making do,' but in truth, it was beyond ordinary imagination. Generally, the standard of food at an overseas garrison base depended entirely on the conscience of the commanding officers. More often than not, the grunts chewed chaff and swallowed bitter greens, while temporary hands and outsourced mercenaries were fed garbage. Yet no matter what, the NCO mess was never subpar. After all, keeping all the spoils to oneself was a fast track to getting shot in the back and labeled a suicide. Leaking a few crumbs through one's fingers was the only way to keep everyone happy. There were four NCO mess halls at the Tacheng garrison base, each with its own style. Liang Mo brought them to one featuring Mid-Continent specialties. The decor boasted distinct local flair—luxurious and tranquil, with fragrant scents lingering in the air. If not for the uniforms worn by everyone walking about, Ji Jue would have thought he had stepped into a star-rated restaurant. Liang Mo signaled with three fingers, and a server promptly stepped forward with breakfast. The kitchen was spotless, the food meticulously prepared, and there were several local fruit drinks Ji Jue had never tasted before. The service was overwhelmingly attentive, delivering an insanely comfortable experience. There was no sign of supply shortages or inconvenience; it felt like a holiday resort. Human capability knew no bounds. Even amidst the relentless flames of war and chaos of the Mid-Continent, a paradise could still be forged. One simply had to avoid asking what lay beneath that paradise while reveling in the indulgence. After exchanging pleasantries, Tong Shan took his leave. The operations division of the Mid-Continent Security Bureau had crates of trouble to deal with every day; he had no Empire time to waste. Given their rapport, there was no need for stiff courtesy. If anything came up, they would get in touch. Afterward, Liang Mo acted as the 'local guide' to escort Ji Jue through the various administrative procedures, which went off without the anticipated friction or hassle. Haichao was an armaments enterprise, after all, and carried weight within the military. Even if certain people were displeased, they wouldn't stoop to making things difficult for Ji Jue over routine handover paperwork. As Haichao Armaments' representative, Ji Jue's role was to provide after-sales service, but the products hadn't even entered service yet, so after-sales was out of the question. His honorary rank of major was more than enough to grant him every luxury and convenience the garrison base had to offer in the Mid-Continent. Clean drinking water, gourmet food, a spacious private room, and even call girls with local or Imperial flair... The hallways of the officers' quarters were not lacking in striking women with voluptuous figures. Whenever they brushed past him, they would casually brush their fingers against his or offer a sly wink. Everyone was out here to make a living; money was money no matter whose pocket it came from. The ladies wanted a taste of the finer things, too. Unfortunately, Ji Jue had no appetite. "My advice is to stay on base and not wander around, though you probably won't listen. Just... stay safe," Liang Mo said with a wave as they parted. "If there's trouble, run back toward the base. I'll cover you." "You make it sound like I came here to rob a bank." Ji Jue laughed. "If you were just here to rob a bank, I'd actually be relieved." Liang Mo shook his head, said no more, and departed. The rest of the day was his own. In principle, as a representative, he wasn't supposed to wander off. But once principles had to be invoked, it meant principles no longer existed. Thus, so long as the military had no demands of him, all remaining time was his to spend freely. The base was safe, true enough, but it was also restrictive. Everything happened under everyone else's watchful eyes, which made it far too inconvenient—especially if Ji Jue wanted to prepare a few pleasant surprises. After finding a berth for the ship, he planned to seek out separate quarters. Once he confirmed his appointment time with the base commander's secretary, he drove his Little Niuma out the gates. Someone was already waiting at the entrance of the camp. Ji Jue stopped the car, hopped out, marched right up, and smacked the back of Yan Fei's head, plucking the cigarette butt from the boy's mouth and flicking it aside. Then he delivered a swift kick to his rear. *I worked so hard to turn you into a decent kid, and the moment I look away for two days, you start looking like some delinquent punk!* Yan Fei scurried about holding his head, while his younger brother in the back seat giggled incessantly. A front-row seat to the show. As Ji Jue's personal retainers, they had arrived in Tacheng half a month earlier to handle preparations. Leading the team was the president of Courier Logistics, Old Gou, who had finally wrapped up his work and managed a brief respite. It couldn't be helped: Ji Jue was terribly short on business talent among his subordinates, and trustworthy ones were even rarer. Competent ones were rarest of all. Though Old Gou usually put on an act of being an uneducated brute, agonizing over every report he had to draft, Ji Jue had discovered that when dealing with people from the Red States, this bastard actually spoke the Mid-Continent tongue! Not only that, he could speak, read, and write all four major languages of the Mid-Continent! When Ji Jue confronted him, he had tried to play dumb. Ji Jue hadn't cared for any excuses—he grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and packed him off to Tacheng to take up his post! As for Yan Fei, he had undergone an Autonomous Awakening during a brawl with the security team a few days back. The part that met Ji Jue's expectations was that he had awakened Embers; the part that fell woefully short—aside from his academic grades being an utter disaster—was that the ability he awakened was 'Catalysis.' In simple terms: whatever he touched, blew up. And worse, the brawl had taken place in a restroom. So the little rascal had accidentally... blown up the restroom! A pure nightmare. Imagine the scene when Ji Jue arrived: amid the ruins of a blasted latrine, a kid threw his head back and laughed maniacally under a rain of flying filth... Incidentally, while checking on his condition, Ji Jue had discovered something else—Yan Fei's younger brother, Yan Chang, had also undergone an Autonomous Awakening! Even earlier than Yan Fei! According to Ji Jue's deductions, the moment Yan Chang woke from his dream and opened his eyes, he had become a Celestial Chosen. It was just that his body and soul had been too frail for it to manifest. As for the Supreme Goodness he aligned with—congratulations, it was Heart Pivot! One could only say that these two brothers each possessed unique talents, sweeping the top two spots on the Supreme Goodness temperament rankings! Since he had stumbled upon rare, unpolished gems, Ji Jue naturally wouldn't let them go to waste. Yan Fei was currently in a probationary period as a prospective apprentice until he brought his academic studies up to par; if all else failed, he could just have the younger brother shove the knowledge straight into his brain. Meanwhile, Ji Jue was already searching for an appropriate heritage for Yan Chang. However, when the two heard Ji Jue was heading to the Mid-Continent, both had volunteered. Considering the risks, Ji Jue had initially intended to refuse, but given the dire shortage of hands on this end, plus a Heart Pivot's intuition for killing intent and the child's own security level, bringing them along as assistants wouldn't be throwing them into the fire. Besides, they still lacked an HR manager and a maintenance technician. Since they wanted to work, job reassignments it was. After picking out several employees from those who had come forward in the dream—individuals hailing from the Mid-Continent and eager to expand business with him—the foundation of Haian Industries' branch team was finally assembled. In half a month, Old Gou had already set up the local shell company. The main hurdle was hiring. Setting aside whether the recruits were trustworthy, their education levels were abysmal. Moreover, they were as slippery as ghosts. On the drive into the city, Old Gou cursed nonstop. Renting an office space for Haian in the most stable section of downtown cost almost as much as prime real estate in Dongcheng. Everything was exorbitant; eating, drinking, and basic living drained money at every turn. Of course, there were places that didn't cost a dime. One could set up shop in the barren hills or shantytowns outside the city, but security and stability would be out of the question, and one's dignity would be dragged through the mud. Thanks to the garrison base, the road into the city rivaled those in Yacheng—wide and paved. Though slightly lacking in maintenance, there were at least no cratered shell holes or filthy mud pits. The sights within Tacheng completely overturned everyone's preconceived notions of the Mid-Continent. Towers rose one after another, and the downtown core bustled with prosperity. Malls and luxury boutiques clustered together along pristine streets teeming with pedestrians. There was no filth, no chaos, and no beggars. Because the lords possessed tender hearts and couldn't bear to see the poor suffer or beg, they quietly performed good deeds under the cover of night, feeding them 'purple bullets' until they were full—and once they were full, they never returned. Thus did white lotuses bloom from cesspools. A city built on filth, glittering with gold. "It must look splendid when it burns," Ji Jue murmured softly. From the back seat, Old Gou looked back in bewilderment. "What was that, Boss?" "I said it looks very nice," Ji Jue replied with a smile. Beside Old Gou, Yan Chang dozed as usual, as though he hadn't heard a thing. Meanwhile, the underage driver, Yan Fei, had thoroughly assimilated into the local driving style, deftly weaving through traffic while laying on the horn. The office on the upper floors of an upscale commercial building was decorated with considerable care. Though not large, it looked quite respectable. A promising start. Ji Jue looked around and nodded slowly, offering lavish praise about their 'booming growth.' Old Gou, having just listened to a report from the newly hired secretary, paused. Taking the envelope from her hand, he walked over. "Boss, this was delivered this morning. Take a look." An envelope. Inside was an invitation. It cordially invited Mr. Ji Jue, the local representative of Haichao Armaments, to grace Tacheng's most luxurious premier hotel with his presence this evening for a charity banquet. The theme: maintaining urban order and creating a better Tacheng. The host was Tacheng's local Zhengrong Group. Ji Jue glanced at it and chuckled knowingly. "We're going. Why wouldn't we?" The name Zhengrong Group sounded utterly unfamiliar, but a glance at the faint Wild Gathering emblem on the crest made everything clear: this was the local Wild Gathering. Setting aside whether the banquet was truly charitable, and without concerning oneself over whether it would maintain urban order or build a better Tacheng, one only had to look at the guest list on the back. It encompassed major defense contractors from the Federation, the Empire, and local players, alongside prominent figures from every industry—and, most importantly, the commanders of both the Federation and Empire garrison bases! This was an internal briefing and notice, a semi-public press conference where both sides laid out their stances and demands! Nobody cared which nobody Ji Jue was; they only cared about his identity as the representative of Haichao Armaments. If he truly wished to integrate into the local circles, vie for market share, and make an impact, he could not afford to stay away—let alone miss it! As for whether he would sit at the table as a diner or end up served as the meal once he arrived, that was another matter entirely. "Good thing I brought formal attire." Ji Jue folded the invitation and slipped it into his pocket. Whether they bore ill will or not, he was hardly a creature of mercy himself. Whether they were dragons or snakes, they would only know after crossing paths!