Chapter 570: City Shadows and Unyielding Resolve

In Heichao City, there are no shortage of enigmatic big shots.

Although during the earlier phase of clear contamination Lu Xin hadn’t encountered any, their true caliber became evident during the subsequent meeting.

They are truly formidable—adept at both analysis and rhetoric. Lu Xin was convinced that arguing with them would only lead to defeat, likely having his views swayed. Being a reasonable man, he chose not to face them directly.

So he decided to let his Father step in.

After all, his Father was also exceptionally persuasive.

And sure enough, events unfolded just as expected.

After Father departed with a cheerful smile, within three seconds the crowd at the street entrance erupted into chaos. Headlights blazed and footsteps turned frantic; all cars and pedestrians vanished without a trace—some even leaving in tears.

Lu Xin was thoroughly satisfied by the outcome.

A sense of unprecedented fulfillment stirred within him.

……

“You seem quite pleased with the outcome of this trip,” a voice remarked.

Mom appeared beside an empty table while Sister, grinning, perched on a chair.

Seeing them, Lu Xin paused briefly before grabbing his beer and three servings of stinky tofu—one grilled, one pan-fried, and one served cold. He placed them on the table and nudged Sister to give it a try.

Meeting Mom’s warm smile, he nodded lightly and said, “It turns out that a change of scenery really clears the head.”

Enticed, Sister leaned in to sniff the dish Lu Xin offered, her expression clearly puzzled.

Her little head seemed momentarily dazed, and she even playfully pounded it twice.

Mom, however, barely glanced at what Lu Xin had brought. Instead, with a soft smile she said, “Your Father is impulsive and timid, and when he acts he never holds back. Do you really trust him to watch over this city?”

Lu Xin chuckled, “Perhaps because he’s timid, he never goes overboard, right?”

“I heard him say he’d only give them one chance, but I know he’s soft-hearted.”

“So in reality, he ends up giving everyone at least two chances…”

“…”

Even after recovering from her daze, Sister stubbornly took a bite of the stinky tofu, scrunched her face, and then darted off to clean her tongue.

“So this is what you value,” she teased.

Mom looked at Lu Xin with gentle eyes and said, “I must remind you: by executing that fool who fled from the Abyss, you inadvertently stirred up a lot of trouble in there. Now, letting Father watch over the city has alarmed countless people in this world.”

“Both the Abyss and reality now have their eyes on you.”

“They’ll get nervous and may act irrationally, triggering unforeseen events…”

“So, are you ready?”

“…”

Lu Xin sensed the worry in Mom’s words. He fell silent for a while before finally looking at her.

In his stark, clear eyes, dark particles flashed momentarily before settling back into calm.

In that instant, he had so much to say, but the words simply lingered on his lips, unspoken.

So he quietly added, “I just want to be a decent person…”

“So if they get scared first and act irrationally, the real issue isn’t…”

“Whether they’re prepared?”

“…”

“…”

A simple remark, yet Mom’s expression seemed to shift dramatically.

Her face remained as gentle and refined as ever, but deep in her eyes it was as if a massive tidal wave was brewing.

It wasn’t until long later that she finally smiled.

Looking into Lu Xin’s eyes filled with admiration, she patted his hand gently and said, “I used to worry—the weight of that report card was tremendous. No parent wants their child to become a puppet in someone else’s hands. That person was incredibly clever; I dreaded you’d fall for his tricks. But now, seeing you this confident…”

She paused, then softly parted her red lips, “My worry has now turned into anticipation…”

In the distance, Sister had just retracted her tongue and was stomping along as she ran over. From afar, the sight of her alongside Brother and Mom sharing mischievous smiles made them look like a couple of rascals…

……

……

“You truly are a good kid.”

With Lu Xin’s clear affirmation, Mom seemed to set aside a heavy burden. Smiling, she reached out, grasped his hand, and said, “I once thought I would have to teach you many things, but I never expected you’d figure it out on your own.”

“I’m so proud of you.”

“…”

“You’re right. Our family has always been about reason—we don’t go out of our way to provoke others or meddle in matters that aren’t ours.”

Mom’s tone grew serious as she added, “But we also won’t allow ourselves to be bullied.”

“If someone owes us, we’ll collect together as a family.”

“And if anyone betrays us, they’ll pay the price.”

“…”

Lu Xin looked into Mom’s eyes and nodded gently, wholeheartedly agreeing with her.

“Alright, you two go on having fun.”

Mom stood gracefully with an elegant smile and said, “I’m off to arrange a few matters so that everything runs smoothly in the future.”

“I believe that as long as our family sticks together, no problem is insurmountable.”

“…”

“Okay, be sure to come home early.”

Lu Xin watched Mom leave, slowly finishing the beer in his cup.

This trip had indeed triggered a subtle but significant change in his mindset.

In the past, he was content to drift along with life, but now he yearned to accomplish something meaningful.

He recalled how, a few years ago, his sluggish mental state had led him to waste so much time…

But now, his outlook had started to shift…

Maybe not completely fixed, but he could clearly sense improvement.

Thus, Lu Xin was filled with confidence that his state of mind would keep getting better.

Surely many are hoping for his improvement too?

Imagine the joy when he appears with a healthy, positive demeanor!

……

……

With a long sigh, his spirits lifted even further.

This mission had turned out exceptionally well; he was thoroughly pleased with the result.

What more could be improved?

Lu Xin mused to himself.

With Father’s mental power lingering here, and with Heichao City having been effectively held by Black Grass, things should begin to improve.

Moreover, the Abyss Rifts surrounding Heichao City could also ease their grip.

Black Jack once said that every S-Rank forbidden zone actually harbors an Abyss Rift.

The creatures in these forbidden zones grow stronger as the mental power from the rifts flows out, and true to their nature they strive to preserve their will—unwittingly opposing the rifts and becoming gatekeepers between the Abyss and reality…

Now, the mysterious creatures of the S-Rank forbidden zone around Heichao City have been slain.

In other words, this place has become an unclaimed Abyss Rift.

A portion of Father’s mental power remains here—the key reason being to keep watch over the rift.

At the very least, it allows for real-time monitoring.

Is this a small compensation for what he did to Heichao City?

Then, what more could he possibly do?

……

He looked around and noticed Yin Mao, with his striking silver hair, seated alone at a table on the very edge.

Ever since the Administration Hall incident—though Lu Xin had explained that it was due to Miss Sun’s influence which led to the attempted assassination of the Group Leader—his lackeys remained extremely discontent, believing Yin Mao had been bought off by Miss Sun and showing disloyalty. They’d even roughed him up several times, yet Yin Mao had strangely never explained himself.

Nonetheless, he never left the Group Leader’s circle; he kept sticking around.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Xin grabbed two bottles of Salty Water Beer, wove through the crowd, and sat next to him.

“The beer you recommended,” he said.

Opening a new bottle, he handed it to Yin Mao.

Then he pushed a serving of Stinky Tofu Braised with Flesh Buds toward him and offered a pair of chopsticks.

Yin Mao accepted, eating greedily as he gulped down both the stinky tofu and the beer, with tears welling at the corners of his eyes.

“A man with shattered dreams…”

Lu Xin murmured with a sigh, “What do you plan to do next?”

In his mind, if Yin Mao even mentioned reviving that venture again, he’d have liked to choke him on the spot.

“I don’t know…”

At these words, Yin Mao broke down further, tears streaming as he said, “My career hasn’t even begun, and now it’s all ruined…”

“Do you really think that hardworking people have no chance of success?”

“…”

“Um…”

Lu Xin, now a bit affected by his words, sighed softly, “When I started my first job, I was just like you—working hard every day, putting in overtime, handling everything. Yet my boss and colleagues never understood me and treated me poorly…”

Yin Mao’s curiosity was piqued as he blinked, “And then?”

“Then…”

After a thoughtful pause, Lu Xin said, “Then I gradually earned their respect and eventually got promoted with a raise.”

“Really?”

Yin Mao’s eyes started to light up, only to quickly dim again:

“But I’m scared—I can’t handle that stuff anymore…”

“…”

“So why do you keep fixating on it?”

Lu Xin, with a hint of helplessness in his voice, replied, “I’m in the mob…”

Yin Mao cried pitifully, “What else can I do?”

“Collect protection money, stage accidents, engage in extortion, set up honeypots, even cut off legs and pretend to be a beggar on the street…”

Lu Xin earnestly added, “All these ventures have potential…”

Wiping his tears, Yin Mao looked at Lu Xin and said, “I find what you just said a bit embarrassing…”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about when pursuing your career?”

Lu Xin looked at him helplessly, “There’s no hierarchy in careers—you just need to find what suits you best.”

Pointing at the serving of Stinky Tofu Braised with Flesh Buds and the Salty Water Beer on the table, he said, “Look, selling this beats pushing that nonsense any day. These are unique to Heichao City and have immense market potential…”

“Really, can that work?”

Yin Mao’s eyes widened instantly.

Lu Xin encouraged him warmly, “Maybe others won’t believe, but I know you can do it—after all, you’ve got a burning dream.”

“…”

Lu Xin’s eyes shone with sincere warmth.

Deeply moved, Yin Mao clenched his fist and said, “You’re right.”

“Only ventures filled with challenges offer true fulfillment, don’t they?”

“…”

Gradually, Yin Mao’s eyes began to sparkle.

They shone with the bright hues of a burning dream.

Gulping down a bottle of Salty Water Beer, he vowed to promote Stinky Tofu Braised with Flesh Buds to the entire world.