Eight hours after the attack on Ji Jue, just as Tacheng was placed under martial law, a car pulled up at the entrance of Uptown Headquarters.
Having not slept a wink all night, Dugu Ming's eyes were bloodshot. The buttons of his suit jacket were not even properly fastened. He pushed open the doors and barged in, wearing a sour, scowling face as he shoved aside a fawning police inspector and marched straight toward the lounge.
In an instant, his expression completely flipped.
Underneath a warm and hearty smile, that classic old-money low chuckle was once again dispensed without restraint. Carrying a hint of gentleness, a touch of concern, a sliver of pity, and a trace of melancholy, he practically threw himself toward Ji Jue.
"My apologies, Mr. Ji, I'm late!"
He gripped Ji Jue's hand with immense fervor, pumping it vigorously, his tone heavy with grief. "To think you would suffer such an ordeal... it truly wrenches my heart."
"Thank you for your concern, but rest assured, it's merely a bunch of lowlife scoundrels backed into a corner, making desperate gambles."
Ji Jue gripped his hand right back, wearing a grand, heroic expression. He smiled in the face of life's trials and tribulations—or rather, mainly in the face of other people's trials and tribulations—and declared with rousing passion:
"Haichao Armaments will never bow to fear! Justice will prevail, and justice will inevitably descend! We shall fight to the very end against terrorist organizations like Nirvana and the Evil Transmutation Cult!"
That resounding proclamation rang out from the lounge, echoing outward so powerfully that it could be heard clearly even through the walls.
"The Evil Transmutation Cult? Nothing but a rabble of clay chickens and pottery dogs!"
"How could a mere bunch of maggots lurking in the shadows ever shake the bigger picture?"
"Please let everyone know that I will never give up, and I will never bow my head! Vicious, evil syndicates like the Evil Transmutation Cult must be wiped out in one fell swoop!!!"
Broadcast through the surveillance feeds, that impassioned voice rang out just like an official press conference, reaching the ears of every lurking eavesdropper.
A declaration of war against evil!
At that, Dugu Ming's sweat poured down even faster.
"No need, no need to go that far!"
He hurriedly tried to dissuade him, clutching Ji Jue's hand and speaking with earnest gravity: "You still have us! You have us! We're all one family, why be so distant?"
Big bro, that's enough already.
If you won't think of yourself, at least think of the rest of us!
If our lives are ruined, do you think yours will be any better?
As long as Haichao still wants a foothold here, we're all grasshoppers tied to the same string! Fine, you're addicted to going rogue, but did you really think the rest of us were just freeloading good-for-nothings?
"Sigh, ah, sigh..."
Ji Jue's expression suddenly turned melancholy, and the rims of his eyes began to redden. "Brother Du, there is so much you don't know. I am truly terrified!
"Those dogs from the Evil Transmutation Cult have been hounding me relentlessly for years. For an innocent, law-abiding person like me, just trying to live an honest life, what else can I do?
"They see me as a thorn in their side and will never let me live in peace. Being a stranger alone in a strange land is truly so hard... Surely you don't expect me to submit to those rats, Brother Du?"
He paused. His eyes, swimming with tears, stared straight at Dugu Ming without blinking, locking onto him.
Whoever harms me is the Evil Transmutation Cult!
If you don't attack the Evil Transmutation Cult, then I'm going to attack you!
"How could that ever happen!"
Dugu Ming didn't even have time to correct that idiotic form of address. Gritting his teeth and swallowing his annoyance, he swore dramatically, pointing toward heaven and earth: "We are branch and root with Huanyu Heavy Industries! Federation enterprises huddle together for warmth, eager to help one another at every turn. How could we ever advise you to bow to the Evil Transmutation Cult?"
He paused, but finding that Ji Jue didn't respond and only kept staring at him with an increasingly impassioned expression, he scrambled to redirect the conversation. Squeezing words out through gritted teeth, he said, "I came here today specifically to help you, Mr. Ji. Don't be afraid. Whatever grievances you have, just tell me!
"As long as it's 'within my power,' I will never sit idly by!"
In the end, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and carve off a piece of his own flesh to feed this bastard until he was satisfied. Otherwise, if that reckless mouth kept snapping around, who the hell knew what kind of chaos it might tear open?
"Brother Du, what kind of talk is that!"
Ji Jue froze as though struck by lightning, looking as if he had suffered an egregious injustice, his voice choking up: "Do you truly see me as such a shameless person, Brother Du?
"It's just a bit of wind and frost, so how could I drag everyone else into it?
"Rest assured, Brother Du, a real man takes responsibility for his own deeds! Even if I, Ji Jue, am smashed to pieces, I will surely restore peace and clarity to Tacheng, and return to everyone..."
Who do you think you're fooling, you idiot?
You offer such a measly pittance, and you expect me to beg for it?
What do you take me for, a stinking beggar?!
Dugu Ming's vision went black once, then black again, the corners of his eyes twitching madly.
"No, no, of course not!"
His face twitched as he cut across Ji Jue's words again, hurriedly interrupting the performance. "It is merely a humble gesture of goodwill, born purely out of my deep admiration for you, Mr. Ji! How could we ever let you bear such a grave sacrifice all on your own?"
"Ah, no, really... no, no..."
Ji Jue shook his head and waved his hands, while Dugu Ming could only grip his hand like a vise and nod frantically. "Please, please, no... ah..."
The two wriggled back and forth in the lounge with hands firmly clasped, pulling and pushing in a relentless tussle. In the end, Dugu Ming was 'superior in skill' and 'forcibly' pressed Ji Jue down into a chair.
How could it be you asking for it, Brother Ji? This is me offering it freely!
If you won't take it, does that mean you don't see me as a brother?
Are you treating me like an outsider?
So shut the fuck up and lay down your terms, will you?!
Stop acting!
Immediately, Ji Jue let out another rueful sigh, looking up to the ceiling with tears welling in his eyes once more. "Brother Du, my heart aches! It aches so bitterly! I've barely arrived in Tacheng, and the building I just rented has already been blown to smithereens!
"In this vast city of Tacheng, is there truly no place for me, Ji Jue, to plant my feet?!"
"...Don't worry. Leave it to me, I'll handle it!"
Gritting his back teeth, Dugu Ming hesitated for a moment, then took out a notepad and scribbled two addresses across the paper. "Don't worry, take this building and this parcel of land for your own use!"
"Ah, this... but this is downtown, and such a massive plot of land right outside the city center!" Ji Jue gasped in disbelief, before promptly pledging, "Rest assured, as for the rent, I will—"
"No rent needed!"
The corner of Dugu Ming's eye twitched as he cut him off. "It doesn't matter, we're all family. As fellow allies of Huanyu Heavy Industries, we haven't even offered you a proper welcome gift since you arrived in Tacheng. It's just an office space, after all!"
He paused for a fraction of a second, glancing at the note—which listed an industrial plant and office complex that had literally just been purchased, renovated, and never even used. Holding back the agony of his heart bleeding, he ground his teeth and said:
"It's yours!"
"I appreciate your kindness, Brother Du, but even if you give it to me, it's of little use."
Ji Jue offered a 'bitter smile' and shook his head. "My employees were injured too. Living in Tacheng is truly difficult; everything is so expensive, and medical treatment will cost a fortune."
"Don't worry, I'll cover it!"
After cutting the first slice of flesh, Dugu Ming had already gone numb.
One cut or two cuts, what was the difference? Compared to an actual catastrophe blowing up, this pocket change was truly nothing. He'd just treat it as feeding a dog.
He had come prepared to bleed anyway, so why hesitate now?
He waved a hand to signal Ji Jue to stop barking, then whipped out his checkbook, swiftly scribbling a row of zeros behind a '1' before signing his name with a flourish.
"Consider it emergency aid between peers, think nothing of it. Human lives are at stake—take it and put it to use right away!"
With this much money, never mind medical expenses, it was more than enough to build an entire bloody hospital!
That should be enough, right, brother?
"...What matters most is the prototype that was just delivered!"
Ji Jue covered his face, tears streaming endlessly. "We invested so much, poured in countless precious materials, and in one explosion, it was gone—all gone! All our research went down the drain!
"Look, Brother Du, just look! The losses are devastating!"
With that, he pulled a stack of lists from his pocket, where the ink was so fresh it wasn't even dry yet. It was densely packed with all kinds of materials—from steel to rubber, from equipment to accessories, and even bloody servers, top-of-the-line luxury spec at that!
Worse yet were the esoteric items mixed in, including things like essence of the five metals, solar quintessence... A mere glance out of the corner of his eye sent Dugu Ming's eyelids twitching madly again. He could barely suppress the urge to deliver a vicious slap across Ji Jue's face: You son of a bitch, you only blew up a forty-square-meter office, not an entire factory!
Yet at this moment, that tearful face was right in front of him. His hand had already lifted, but try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to strike!
Hold back, hold back, Dugu Ming, hold back!
He's baiting you!
You can't hit him. If you land this slap, the amount of blood you'll bleed later won't be something a few sheets of paper can wipe clean.
"What's wrong, Brother Du?"
Ji Jue leaned in closer and closer, filled with concern. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"N-no, not at all! I'm just grieving for you, suffering such a 'catastrophic' 'loss'..." Dugu Ming nearly shattered his teeth from grinding them so hard.
"It... it's fine. None of us will stand idly by!"
"Oh, that's wonderful! Sure enough, the Mid-Continent is full of good people after all!"
Ji Jue beamed instantly and reached into his pocket once more, only for Dugu Ming to clamp down on his wrist so tightly that he couldn't pull his hand out no matter what.
That's enough, brother, that's enough!
Bleeding us to this extent is already everyone's limit. Squeezing any more would be outright rude!
"At this stage, this is no longer just your personal matter." Dugu Ming cut short the theatrics, seizing the spotlight and forcibly steering the conversation toward what truly mattered: "Huanyu Heavy Industries shares branch and root; we advance and retreat together. Mr. Ji, rest assured, we will definitely stand up for you!"
"Really?" Ji Jue's eyes lit up as if overjoyed.
"Indeed—"
Dugu Ming gritted his teeth. "However, the investigation will require some time. In this regard, Mr. Ji, we need you to wait a little and cooperate with us."
"Of course, Brother Du!"
Ji Jue nodded without a second thought. "No problem at all, Brother Du!"
Handing over the initiative so effortlessly, without even taking a moment to consider or even feigning hesitation—for a second, Dugu Ming was slightly stunned, finding it hard to believe.
Could this bastard be bluffing me?
"Mr. Ji, I'm not joking," Dugu Ming warned. "Everyone operates according to proper rules here. Policies aren't changed on a whim; once a course is set, it will be seen through to the end."
You bastard, this is everyone's consensus. Once you've gorged yourself, don't you dare think of flip-flopping or stirring up more trouble.
Once the deal is struck, it won't be a game anymore!
"No problem, it's all about considering the bigger picture!"
Ji Jue nodded decisively, his smile growing even more genial. "Ever since I was an apprentice, my teacher taught me to endure together for the common good! Since everyone is huddling together for warmth and willing to stand up for me, how could I be so tactless?
"Rest easy, Brother Du. From here on out, I'll be relying on your assistance!"
Gone was any trace of the lunatic flinging filth everywhere earlier. He was as calm and composed as an enlightened monk, carrying an air of 'strife is not my wish, I only pray for calm waters,' leaving everyone utterly dumbfounded.
Yet at the same time, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
For Ji Jue, blowing up the quagmire would bring him no benefit either. Besides, a bomb only possessed the greatest deterrent power before it detonated.
If a massive purge were truly unleashed, whether it succeeded or failed, he wouldn't be able to stay here any longer. How could he hunt for the wolf then?
Why not seize the opportunity to crack open the situation?
Worst-case scenario, if he felt disgruntled later, he could always bring up the old grudge again. Things like the Evil Transmutation Cult—he could summon as many as he wanted. If the stakes weren't so high, he could even drag Lu Changsheng out for a stroll.
The initiative of putting things on the scale had always rested firmly in his own hands.
Now that the benefits were in his pocket, why keep bickering endlessly?
However...
"Since Brother Du came to find me, that means you should have leads by now."
Ji Jue suddenly grinned. Raising his coffee cup, he asked offhandedly, "So, the 'Evil Transmutation Cult' must have been found, right?"
"..."
Dugu Ming fell silent for a moment.
Subconsciously, he clenched the hand hidden behind his back, his body stiffening.
Clearly, the young man was smiling, and the atmosphere was undeniably genial. Yet those eyes gazing at him were brimming with an unspeakable hunger and bloodlust.
Amidst the darkness flickered a cruel, ferocious flame.
Already unable to wait.
"...Soon," Dugu Ming promised. "Very soon."
Now that the pyre had been erected,
there had to be the blaze of burning corpses!
Since all the upheaval began because of the 'Evil Transmutation Cult,' why not let it end with the 'Evil Transmutation Cult'?
With everything ready, only one final question remained...
Who would serve as the 'Evil Transmutation Cult' thrown into the bonfire?
Half an hour later, the "Evil Transmutation Cult" turned themselves in.
Chapter 574