Chapter 135: Hidden Influence

Lu Xin squinted against the blinding flashlight beam.

He could see Gecko holding up his hands helplessly, shooting him a look that seemed to say he’d done his best.

They had split the tasks earlier. Lu Xin went after their target while Gecko stayed behind to persuade Blackwater Town’s armed force.

It should have been relatively simple, so Lu Xin didn’t understand why Gecko ended up being detained.

“Please, don’t misunderstand…”

As the men approached, Lu Xin stood up and addressed them, “We’re from Qinggang City. We have Qinggang IDs. We came here to capture this wanted man. We have him now… and he fired his gun first.”

…

“We know you’re from Qinggang. So what if you are?”

The burly man spat on the ground, casting a cold glance at the man Lu Xin had captured.

Seeing the man’s pathetic state, his expression grew even fiercer.

He aggressively raised his gun as if to shove it in Lu Xin’s face, cursing, “This ain’t Qinggang! In goddamn Blackwater Town, Master Snake calls the shots! And when Master Snake ain’t talking, I call the shots! You wanna grab someone, didn’t you think to tell me first?”

Lu Xin frowned slightly but said nothing.

The man clutching his shoulder offered a faint smile.

Gecko, seeing things were going sideways, started to panic and yelled, “Brother, don’t do anything rash…”

“I’ve told you ten times already, we really are from Qinggang City…”

…

“Rash?”

The burly man shot him a cold look, then signaled his companions. Immediately, two men stepped forward. One moved to restrain Lu Xin, while the other approached the Man in Red Suit, muttering curses:

“Blackwater Town has its own rules. Whether they committed a crime or not, we need to interrogate them first. Besides…”

“You say you’re from Qinggang, but how do we know if that’s true?”

“Believe it or not, even if I shoot you both and feed you to the dogs, nobody can do a damn thing to us!”

…

Amidst the cursing, men had reached both Lu Xin and the captured man.

It looked like they intended to take them away separately.

“Damn, are they really this tough?”

Gecko was surprised now, clearly not expecting the Peacekeeper to be so aggressive.

Even Lu Xin found it a bit unexpected.

A chaotic town like this couldn’t be fully trusted, which was why they hadn’t notified the local authorities before making the arrest.

Normally, even if Blackwater Town had dealings with the Knight Orders, they wouldn’t dare act recklessly once the target was apprehended. Yet, this Peacekeeper showed clear displeasure the moment he arrived…

Knowing they were from Qinggang City and still acting so forceful and irritable…

“I see.”

Lu Xin smiled faintly, a spark of understanding in his eyes as he slowly looked up.

He immediately spotted Mom standing nearby, watching the scene with keen interest.

Lu Xin felt certain now.

Seeing the Peacekeeper’s subordinate approach him, he spoke with a slight smile:

“You’re not normal.”

This sudden statement momentarily stunned the Blackwater Town Peacekeeper’s men.

The tall, burly Peacekeeper narrowed his eyes, looking at Lu Xin. “What did you say?”

“I said, you’re acting a bit abnormally right now…”

Lu Xin met the intense glare of the flashlight head-on.

Most people’s eyes would lose focus under such strong light, but Lu Xin’s didn’t. It was as if his gaze could pierce through the glare.

Illuminated by the harsh light, his features seemed shadowed and uncertain, yet he wore a very composed smile.

His voice was soft, carrying a sincere tone as he chuckled, “This man committed crimes in Qinggang, and we’ve already captured him. Yet you still want to secretly let him go, even seeming willing to harm us…”

“So, are you disrespecting Qinggang, or have you actually become abnormal?”

…

Hearing these calm, serious words, the Peacekeeper paused.

He hesitated for a moment before shouting, “What nonsense are you spouting? You dare curse me…”

Before he could finish, Lu Xin suddenly walked towards him.

He only took one step, but in the tense atmosphere, the movement was attention-grabbing.

With a clatter, several guns around them swiveled to point at him.

The Peacekeeper was startled, quickly raising his own gun to point it directly at Lu Xin’s head.

Normally, having a gun pointed at him like this would make Lu Xin nervous. But now, because he felt he’d discovered the truth, he found it somewhat amusing. Also, with his sister right beside him and his mom standing nearby, he wasn’t tense, even with the gun in his face. He simply smiled faintly, studying the Peacekeeper’s face intently.

…Actually, he didn’t want to smile; it seemed unprofessional and not serious enough.

…But he couldn’t help it.

“What are you looking at?”

The air felt like a string stretched to its breaking point.

So many dark muzzles, ready to spit lethal bullets at any moment.

Although the Peacekeeper held the gun, its muzzle pressed close to Lu Xin’s face, he was inexplicably nervous. In contrast, Lu Xin, smiling into the barrel, seemed much more composed.

…Is this guy not afraid of guns? Who’s the abnormal one here?

Meeting the Peacekeeper’s fierce, hostile gaze, Lu Xin slowly asked, “Did you receive something from him?”

This question made everyone around them pause.

What kind of question was that?

The Peacekeeper licked his lips, his expression growing harsher. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not talking about bribery, although he might have given it to you in the form of a bribe…”

Lu Xin thought slowly, glanced at the Man in Red Suit, then looked back at the tall Peacekeeper, his smile widening. “It might have been a rose, or perhaps something else. Whatever it was, he gave it to you personally…”

“Think carefully. Did you start feeling particularly fond of him after receiving that item?”

“Even… loving him?”

…

Hearing his words, the Man in Red Suit’s expression changed slightly.

Gecko, standing to the side, was also suddenly startled as if realizing something.

After speaking, Lu Xin simply smiled quietly, observing the Peacekeeper’s reaction.

No wonder Mom said it wasn’t over yet.

This Peacekeeper’s behavior was too strange.

Considering the Red Rose incident that happened back in the city, this connection should be easy to make.

This man was an accomplice of the boy who sold roses.

So, it was perfectly normal for him to possess something similar to the roses.

If, upon entering the town, he had used some method – perhaps giving a rose, or maybe some substitute… after all, a man giving another man a rose is too weird, the recipient might not accept it… given it to this Peacekeeper, then the Peacekeeper would start developing increasing fondness for him. Before this fondness reached its peak, the Peacekeeper would desperately protect him.

This was the man’s final trump card.

If they hadn’t uncovered this trump card, it could have caused significant trouble for them.”