Read Novel Full Chapter 920: 564. Search
Chapter 920: 564. Search
“All individuals of lower caste, a curfew will be enforced after 8 PM. Walking on the streets is prohibited, and violators will be criminally detained under charges of endangering public order!”
In City 22, the defensive radar has already been activated.
On the streets, there’s no longer the sound of laughter, only the orderly sound of infantry running and the roaring engines of military vehicles driving past.
Desolation.
The entire city, in the harsh winter, has suddenly fallen into a desolate scene, something even a blizzard couldn’t achieve.
After Jindai Yunhe was sent to the hospital, the world of the entire City 22 changed.
It is said that the two Ten Eunuchs who had left here previously have suddenly returned.
Outside the private hospital in the Jindai’s Fifth District, drones continuously patrol and surveil, soldiers build foam glue fortifications at the entrance, this advanced foam glue can’t even be penetrated by heavy machine guns.
Some say that Jindai Yunhe has already fallen into a coma.
Others say that Jindai Yunhe wouldn’t dare to fall into a coma, because within the Jindai Consortium, there are three Ten Eunuchs whose life spans are nearing the end, seeking targets to seize bodies.
The Fourth District is desolate, seeming like only the Black Swan remains unchanged.
Qing Chen arrived steadily at the entrance, and this time, two security guards took the initiative to open the door for him and respectfully called out, “Brother Chen.”
It must be said, ever since Jindai Yunlo started frequenting the Black Swan Restaurant, Qing Chen’s status here has changed, from Little Chen the day before yesterday to Brother Chen today.
According to Manager Wang of the concierge, Chen Sui single-handedly upheld the entire Black Swan’s performance.
Everyone can receive such a large bonus every day, all thanks to Chen Sui, so everyone should be a bit more polite to Chen Sui in the future!
The main reason is, Jindai Yunlo’s evening tab alone can match the Black Swan Restaurant’s hard-earned performance of a month. For a core figure of the Consortium, this is nothing because after Jindai Yunlo became A-Class, even without actual power, he could enjoy the family’s trust dividends.
But for a restaurant, this sum of money is an unexpected surprise.
Qing Chen, maintaining his usual composure, walked towards the concierge changing room. Manager Wang, smiling broadly, approached: “Chen Sui, still very punctual today, huh.”
Qing Chen looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds: “…Xiao Wang, go get me a bottle of water.”
Manager Wang’s expression shifted several times: “Alright, sure.”
After sending him away, Qing Chen entered the washroom, locked the door, and suddenly spat a mouthful of fresh blood into the sink.
The recent head-on clash with Jindai Yunhe ultimately left Qing Chen with severe internal injuries, not from any internal force but due to repeated injury exchanges causing all of Qing Chen’s internal organs to shift violently.
He only felt like his internal organs were burning as if on fire, with the pain occupying his mind.
At this moment, Manager Wang stood at the door: “Chen Sui, I’ve got the water.”
Qing Chen methodically wiped the bloodstains from the sink, checked the mirror to ensure no traces were left, and then turned to open the door and walked out.
He still had a calm expression, as if nothing had happened.
No one knew how he concealed the tumultuous pain.
Before 8 PM, the Black Swan Restaurant had no guests.
However, today Jindai Yunlo came exceptionally early, bringing a large group of people with him, and the moment Jindai Yunlo entered, the whole restaurant became lively.
Outside, Jindai Yunlo led the cheering: “Chen Sui! Chen Sui! Chen Sui!”
Qing Chen helplessly adjusted his expression, walked out of the concierge with a full smile, like a seasoned player in the drinking game…
Today, Manager Wang even arranged a dance with all the waiters to entertain these distinguished guests, except for Qing Chen, who only needed to sit at the drink table.
A young man smiled at Qing Chen and said: “Chen Sui, I heard you never lose at games, and no one can make you drink. How about we play a different game today: if you drink a glass of wine, I’ll transfer you a hundred thousand on the spot!”
Qing Chen knew he couldn’t drink a drop of alcohol today, so he smiled and shook his head: “No way.”
He was prepared to deal with the other’s provocations. If anyone forced him to drink today, he could only fight his way out, or getting drunk would lead to clues being found, and only death would await.
Qing Chen watched the young man’s expression change.
The result surprised him… the other did not make a fuss but stood up and clapped his hands: “Truly the Fourth District’s most reserved gold-class… waiter! I like it! Not like the gaudy allure outside!”
Qing Chen was at a loss of whether to laugh or cry. What kind of situation was this? He had just severely injured Jindai Yunhe and was wounded himself; now, he had to face this?
Moreover, what’s with these people? The less he drank, the more excited they became.
Clearly someone who doesn’t want to drink, yet his fame in the upper circles of City 22 spreads wider and wider.
Clearly a waiter from the slums, yet female celebrities are fighting to drink with him.
Who knows how Jindai Yunlo marketed him, isn’t it just pathetic?!
“Hey, do you guys know what’s really happening today?” After three rounds of drinks, a Jindai Consortium descendant said with a light laugh.
“Jindai Yunhe was assassinated. There’s a video online, but the experts fought so quickly, you couldn’t see clearly,” a female celebrity said. “This is far more impressive than our Federation’s martial arts stars!”
“How can it be the same, theirs is for killing, martial arts stars slow down on purpose so the audience can understand. My favorite is a C-Class Genetic Warrior,” a female celebrity protested.
“C-Class?” The Jindai descendant laughed. “What’s C-Class worth? The two who fought today might both be A-Class! Though there’s no conclusion yet, nothing proves the assassin’s identity. Some say he might only be B-Class, but most agree his skills are definitely A-Class. Such a person could fight a hundred of your martial arts stars easily, and you wouldn’t even see where he is.”
“Why talk about this while drinking? These things are far from us,” someone interrupted.
He didn’t know that this event was actually very close to them; the assassin was sitting among them.
“Hey, Chen Sui, have you heard about today’s events?” Jindai Yunlo asked after downing a glass of wine.
Qing Chen felt a headache coming on, “I saw the video online.”
“What do you ordinary people think about this matter,” Jindai Yunlo asked, a smile in his eyes.
Qing Chen said calmly, “I think this assassin is very bold to openly assassinate a Jindai big shot in City 22.”
“Exactly, very bold,” Jindai Yunlo said with a grin. Interviewing the person involved and having them answer, it’s such a thrill.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Black Swan Restaurant, a convoy of troop carriers passed by, but Qing Chen’s expression didn’t change as he continued to play games with everyone, watching them lose one by one.
In this bustling and lively venue, only Jindai Yunlo knew what Qing Chen had just gone through.
An 18-year-old boy had just a few hours ago taken on an A-Class expert famous within the Jindai Consortium, fought him on equal footing with only B-Class strength, forcing the opponent to hide in a hospital under layers of soldiers, fitted with half an arm and shoulder in mechanical prosthetics.
Yet here he was, playing games as if nothing happened; such psychological resilience was unparalleled.
Jindai Yunlo had reviewed the surveillance footage; he knew Qing Chen was injured, yet he still managed to win every game at the table.
Just then, a squad of Jindai soldiers stormed in from the entrance, “Everyone stay in your seats, no moving. Show your electronic IDs to confirm you’re residents of City 22… Officer Yunlo! Our apologies, we didn’t know you were here, we’ll leave immediately!”
Jindai Yunlo laughed, “Don’t go, leaving now would make it hard to explain. Search the Black Swan Restaurant thoroughly and see if any criminal is hiding. Don’t let any suspicious person slip by. Assassins dare to commit a crime on my Jindai Consortium’s territory; this matter must be pursued to the end.”
“Understood,” the soldier said.
Qing Chen watched all of this expressionlessly, waiting for the soldiers to check his identity. He did not hesitate and directly took out his phone to display his electronic beacon, normal, no issues at all.
Jindai Yunlo smiled, “All my friends here are from the Upper Three Districts, if there are no issues, record them. Don’t treat them according to the low caste system.”
“Understood,” the soldier bowed.
The Jindai soldiers used a handheld device to scan Qing Chen’s phone and recorded his electronic beacon.
The entire city was now in lockdown, all districts completely isolated, with a temporary curfew in place.
To cross districts, unless you’re a member of a high caste family, you’d need such a record.
By 4 a.m., Qing Chen had knocked the last drunkard to the ground. Jindai Yunlo laughed, “Everything today was so spectacular, this might be the most exquisite assassination I’ve ever seen in my life. To hit an A-Class with pre-buried firearms, it’s beyond imagination.”
Qing Chen grumbled, “If you brought fewer people, we wouldn’t have to stay up till 4 a.m. every day to talk about this.”
“Isn’t it interesting? When you’re drunk, you can’t tell if this is the human world or hell,” Jindai Yunlo lazily sat on the sofa. “But you don’t trust me at all, you didn’t kill even one extra person. Don’t you believe Jindai Sorajima has already left City 22?”
Qing Chen remained nonchalant, “Believing or not doesn’t matter, it’s one’s own life that matters.”
“Makes sense,” Jindai Yunlo laughed. “It’s a bit of a pity not to have killed him today. I’m quite curious, if the plan was this intricate this time, how dangerous will it be next time? Truly exciting. By the way, can you kill him before we go to the Outer World?”
“None of your concern,” Qing Chen said calmly.
“Of course it concerns me,” Jindai Yunlo said seriously. “You killed Jindai Yunwu, and now their line blames me for avoiding battle and are looking for ways to hold me accountable. Plus, the most crucial thing is that Jindai Yunwu and Jindai Yunyi’s shikigami are missing, that’s the main issue.”
“Is that all you wanted to say today?” Qing Chen asked.
Jindai Yunlo sighed, “I sat here and let the soldiers be lenient while checking you, yet you show no sign of gratitude! It’s really heartbreaking!”
“Say something else,” Qing Chen remained ungrateful, because his electronic beacon was crafted by Yi, it couldn’t possibly have any issues, and he wasn’t afraid of the check.
The only good thing Jindai Yunlo offered was ensuring his unrestricted passage in the future.