Completion

"So you two are the ones who wanted to see me?" Fu Shouxin looked over Ren Xiaotian and Chen Chuan. Upon hearing that a commissioner wished to see him, he had instructed his men to invite them in. Because this underground arena was situated near the city center, he had to deal with people from all walks of life; relying on the old gang rules alone would solve nothing. Commissioners in particular possessed wide connections and formidable clout. It was best to avoid offending them whenever possible, and so long as there was no fundamental conflict of interest, he was usually willing to grant them face. Chen Chuan studied the man before him. Though both were heads within the Blood Mark Gang, Fu Shouxin was completely different from the crude, unrestrained Fatty Guo. He was a middle-aged man who kept himself impeccably groomed. His sideburns were trimmed neat and even, his face cleanly shaven, and he wore a casual imported formal suit paired with a plaid tie. On his feet were polished black leather shoes, giving him the appearance of a member of high society. Fu Shouxin invited the two to sit, had his men serve each of them a drink, and leaned back against the sofa. Gesturing with one hand, he said, "Speak your minds. What brings you two here to see me?" Ren Xiaotian said, "We want to take An Qingqing with us." "That?" Fu Shouxin replied dismissively, "As long as you can convince her to leave of her own accord, I certainly won't stand in your way. Doing business here, we adhere strictly to the rules." Ren Xiaotian countered, "She refuses to leave. I want you to make her go, Mr. Fu." Fu Shouxin chuckled. Sitting up slightly straighter, he looked at them and said, "Let me lay it out plain and simple. You aren't the first group to come looking for An Qingqing. But she is our patron. She's here to hand us money. Why would we ever drive away a paying customer on our own initiative? I'd prefer she stayed here forever. As for your request..." He leaned back once more, spreading one hand outward. "Impossible." Ren Xiaotian drew his revolver and set it on the tea table before him. The surrounding guards and gang members instantly tensed, several reaching for their weapons. Fu Shouxin raised a hand to signal them to hold. His expression carried a hint of surprise, tinged with amusement. "What is this? Threatening me? As commissioners, you ought to know where you are standing. Did you think a single gun would scare me off? Did you come here just to amuse me?" Ren Xiaotian spoke in a completely level tone. "If you don't release her, I will step out that door and fire a shot into the sky." Fu Shouxin, who had paid little heed until now, suddenly changed countenance. Ren Xiaotian continued in a dry drone, "When people hear the gunfire, someone will report it, and the constabulary will come." "Fuck!" Fu Shouxin spat out a curse, staring hard at Ren Xiaotian. "Are you serious?" He knew all too well how the constabulary operated. Their funding came directly from the state rather than through the Municipal Administration, and their ranks were tightly knit; they would never grant any face to the Blood Mark Gang. Once they arrived, they wouldn't care what was actually happening inside or who had fired the shot. They would surely use a search for illegal firearms as an excuse to shake him down for a hefty sum, or simply padlock his establishment for several days. Even if he pulled strings and called in favors to get the place reopened, it would cost him a fortune. Worse yet, his own hands were far from clean. His operation could never withstand scrutiny, and the resulting losses would be devastating. Chen Chuan understood Ren Xiaotian's line of thought. When it came to matters concerning the constabulary, it fell squarely within his area of familiarity. Seizing the opportunity, he chimed in with a calm, measured voice: "Mr. Fu, your arena sits right on the border between two districts. Ordinarily, you might exploit that loophole to evade oversight. But the moment a shot rings out, the constabularies of both districts will mobilize. "The Daping District constabulary is about a ten-minute drive from here. Baofeng District is even closer—only seven or eight minutes away. They will arrive within ten minutes at most. With an operation as massive as yours, Mr. Fu, you wouldn't have time to clear out, would you? "I'm sure you understand the constabulary's practices. From what I know, Captain Wei of Baofeng District is known as Wei the Tiger. He hates evil like poison and acts with ruthless resolve. I imagine he is the last person you would wish to see, Mr. Fu." Fu Shouxin's expression shifted erratically. For a moment, he contemplated detaining the two right then and there. Yet anyone bold enough to walk in and confront him was bound to have people stationed outside as backup. If that happened, things would escalate into an even bigger mess that could never be talked away. People who openly carried firearms were either reckless outlaws or licensed weapons holders. The latter were far more troublesome, as that implied a martial academy background—and crossing them came with far too many lingering complications. He had truly never run into a situation like this before. Those with the standing to cause him trouble rarely bothered, and those without it never dared pick a fight with the Blood Mark Gang. After a long silence, he raised a hand, waved over a subordinate, and said with a grim face, "Go cancel Box Seven and send the girl on her way." The subordinate nodded and led a few men out. Ren Xiaotian picked up the gun from the table, holstered it, and stood. "Goodbye, Mr. Fu." "Don't let me see you again," Fu Shouxin said, seated with a sour scowl. "You aren't welcome here in the future." Ren Xiaotian said, "There won't be a next time." Fu Shouxin sneered. "It had better be that way." Turning to his men, he barked, "What are you standing around for? Escort our guests out!" A crowd of Blood Mark gangsters immediately swarmed forward. Once the two stood, the mob escorted them outward as if marching prisoners. Neither Ren Xiaotian nor Chen Chuan paid it any mind, knowing it was merely a show of bravado. After all, the business had been concluded, and it was only fair to leave the host a shred of dignity. Once outside, they regrouped with Lin Xiaodi. Chen Chuan caught a faint scent of algae oil clinging to her, and the pieces instantly fell into place in his mind. With An Qingqing not yet out, the three waited by the entrance. Pondering the encounter, Chen Chuan felt Ren Xiaotian's strategy of turning an opponent's momentum against them had been remarkably deft. In the end, they hadn't needed to lift a finger; they had resolved the situation entirely by leaning on the Blood Mark Gang's own vulnerabilities. It looked simple enough on the surface, but pulling it off required a keen understanding of Fu Shouxin's psychology and the constabulary's habits, backed by sufficient nerve and authority. He said to Ren Xiaotian, "Senior Brother Ren, I've learned something today." Ren Xiaotian looked at him and said earnestly, "Use rules to counter rules." After a pause, he added, "Your own safety comes first." Chen Chuan could not help but nod. Lin Xiaodi chimed in briskly from the side, "Listening to Martial Uncle Ren is never a mistake!" After they chatted for a brief spell, An Qingqing and her female bodyguard, Xiao Zhen, emerged from within. An Qingqing's cheeks were puffed out in an obvious pout. Lin Xiaodi bounced over and said, "Miss An, we meet again! Time to come with us." "You two behind this?" An Qingqing crossed her arms and let out a huff. "Fine then. Beat Xiao Zhen, and I'll go with you." The muscular female bodyguard had only just stepped forward when she saw Ren Xiaotian draw his gun and point it straight at her. Freezing instantly, she practicedly raised both hands and glanced back. "Miss..." An Qingqing looked at the cold, unyielding Ren Xiaotian leveling the revolver, then at the pleading look in her bodyguard's eyes. She muttered a few disgruntled words before throwing up her hands. "Boring. Fine, I'll go with you. But I'm not riding in your vehicle. Xiao Zhen, drive me back." Chen Chuan thought to himself that a weapons license truly made all the difference. Having received permission, the female bodyguard hurried off to fetch the vehicle. A moment later, she drove up in a red Red Maple sedan. An Qingqing strode over, yanked the door open, and climbed inside. Ren Xiaotian asked, "All taken care of?" Lin Xiaodi giggled and said, "Already checked! I was thinking of siphoning some, but her tank only had enough algae oil to get home anyway. She couldn't go anywhere else even if she tried." Ren Xiaotian said no more, motioning for Chen Chuan and Lin Xiaodi to get into the off-road vehicle. The two cars pulled onto the street in tandem, heading south across the city. The journey went smoothly, escorting An Qingqing all the way back to the wealthy residential district where her father lived. Ren Xiaotian sent Lin Xiaodi to place a phone call, and before long, a butler-like figure came out to sign off on the paperwork. Ren Xiaotian handed a carbon copy of the receipt to Chen Chuan. With that, the commission was officially complete; whether An Qingqing ran off again in the future was no longer their concern. On the drive back to the academy, Chen Chuan learned through casual conversation that Lin Xiaodi was a year younger than him. She had studied combat arts under her master from an early age and planned to take the entrance exam for Wuyi the following year. Judging by her connections and skill, the two were almost certain to become schoolmates. When the vehicle pulled up outside the dormitory entrance, Chen Chuan parted ways with them. Following his routine, he went to make a phone call to Cheng Zitong. Once connected, his instructor heard that the outing had gone without a hitch and said: "I checked your file. You completed a commission during enrollment and received an excellent rating. Your evaluation for this one should be no problem either. That satisfies your requirement of three completed commissions. Next up, you need to master the jin technique as soon as possible." Chen Chuan replied steadily, "Teacher, I'll do so without delay."