Chapter 842: Crossroads of Fate

If you were as professional as them, you’d be dead by now.

While someone was making a call on Number Fourteen’s line, Lu Xin had already reached the veteran hitman lying face down on the ground.

Unlike his approach with others, he didn’t kill the man immediately.

When fighting the others, every move was a fight for survival or a threat to Little Nineteen and the rest—yet in this case, even though the hitman fired a bullet, Lu Xin could clearly sense that it carried no lethal intent.

Besides, his shot was way off target.

It took him two quick steps and a full stretch of his arm just to grab that bullet.

Had he not caught it, who knows where it would have ended up…

Is he really playing sniper with skills like that?

Sure enough, every field has its slackers…

……

……

The veteran hitman lay trembling on the ground, unable to stand or roll away.

An invisible pressure pinned him to the floor.

It wasn’t just the horrifying scene of the monster wiping out several hitman teams—the sheer surge of mental power emanating from him felt like a vast sea, trapping the hitman beneath its crushing depths.

He wanted to protest that he was actually quite professional.

As a notorious lone wolf hitman in the wasteland, he was beyond comparison to those wild drifters riding motorcycles.

Earlier, he wasn’t even shooting—it was merely a tremor…

But what could he say now?

From a professional perspective, it was safer to admit he was just an amateur.

“Besides, I know you have your own jobs, but your work isn’t exactly legal.”

As the veteran hitman buried his head into the ground, Lu Xin pondered before saying, “And since I’ve got important matters to attend to, next time you might not get the chance to strike before I act first.”

“For now, I want to discuss two matters with you.”

Squatting down, Lu Xin looked at the back of the hitman’s head and gently stroked it.

It was as if he were caressing a cat.

That single gesture instantly tensed the hitman’s entire body, sending spasms through his muscles.

At this, Lu Xin smiled softly and his tone softened further as he said:

“First, I need you to go back and pass on a message in your circle.”

“I know someone paid a hefty sum to buy my life, and I get that you’re eager to snag this job.”

“But since I’m your target, this assignment affects me too.”

“So if anyone dares take this job and endangers me, they’d better be ready to face my retribution.”

“……”

The veteran hitman wanted to nod emphatically, but his neck was so stiff he couldn’t budge.

He was overwhelmed by a panic and tension that bordered on the absurd—was he really discussing this with himself?

Has the world changed too fast?

Have even business targets become this congenial?

“Now, for the second matter…”

Using the gentlest, most rational tone he could muster, Lu Xin engaged the hitman in a friendly conversation.

Then, with a smile, he lifted his hand to support the hitman’s chin and looked him in the eyes,

“I want to strike a business deal with you.”

“……”

“……”

Meanwhile, Number Fourteen and Little Nineteen had no idea what Lu Xin had done after dealing with those hitmen, but when he returned, his face sported a smile—even if he tried to hide it, the joy of coming into money was unmistakable.

“Soaking for too long isn’t good—your feet are peeling.”

Lu Xin didn’t mention what he had just done; he only frowned when he saw Little Nineteen’s feet still soaking in the basin.

He crouched down, pulled Little Nineteen’s feet from the basin, dried them off, and then carried her into the tent.

“Get some sleep; we leave bright and early tomorrow.”

“……”

Watching Lu Xin care for Little Nineteen so tenderly, Sister crawled down from the tent, her gaze on him tinged with resentment.

At first, she was happy to have found Little Nineteen.

But when she discovered that Lu Xin treated Little Nineteen even better than he treated her, jealousy soon set in.

Hanging upside down from the top of the tent, she deliberately stretched her dark feet in front of Lu Xin.

“Stop fooling around.”

Lu Xin brushed aside Sister’s feet and stepped out of the tent.

Little Nineteen was flesh and blood, fully alive. Sister, though also real, was merely a mental entity…

Honestly, why would a mental entity bother with washing feet?

Sitting by the campfire and nibbling on something, Lu Xin let out a long sigh.

Though the hitmen had caused a minor nuisance, it wasn’t enough to worry him.

He was more concerned about reaching Soda City by tomorrow afternoon.

Number Three…

……

……

The next morning, after extinguishing the campfire and packing up the tent and tools, Lu Xin and his group set off again.

It seemed yesterday’s warning had taken effect—today’s journey was remarkably quiet.

At least, from Lu Xin’s viewpoint, he didn’t see any lurking eyes around.

That eased his mind; he revved the throttle and drove straight ahead.

In just a few more hours, they’d be arriving at Soda City.

Soon after Lu Xin’s group left, a pitch-black Jeep appeared in the distance.

Above, a helicopter circled overhead.

A Qinggang Secret Security Force, clad in new lightweight protective suits, rapidly arrived in the area. Their leader, Cheng Hui, quickly organized his team to examine the explosion marks and corpses scattered about, leaving everyone silent.

“Despite our extensive combat experience and top-notch armed forces…”

After a long pause, one inspector looked up with a bitter expression, “But how are we supposed to protect against someone like that?”

Other security team members shared the same frustration.

As a professional, mysterious, advanced security unit, what was their biggest headache?

Their employers completely outclassed them…

“Clear the battlefield—bury what needs burying and clean up the rest…”

Captain Cheng Hui shook his head in resignation and issued a ‘cleanup’ order before quickly organizing his thoughts and instructing his team, “Also, find out which organizations made a move or issued orders last night, and identify everyone involved or those who knew but didn’t report it.”

“Once identified, arrest them immediately!”

“If they resist, shoot on sight.”

“Clean it up as thoroughly as possible. Our own protection efforts have become seriously hampered.”

“We need to show anyone daring to target Qinggang’s citizens just what awaits them.”

“……”

“This…”

Catching the fierce tone in the captain’s voice, an adjutant whispered, “Won’t this give Qinggang a reputation for brutality?”

“Brutal?”

Captain Cheng Hui couldn’t help but laugh and replied, “Qinggang needs to demonstrate its strength now.”

“Do you know what strength is?”

“Strength is pulling off robberies and still being hailed as heroes!”

“……”

“……”

“Is this Soda City?”

After seven hours of trekking, Lu Xin, along with Number Fourteen and the others, arrived before the towering Steel Drawbridge.

As the transport teams queued outside to enter the city, Lu Xin exhaled deeply, his excitement barely contained.

Number Three was here in this city.

It felt like reuniting with an old classmate after years apart.

It was hard to put his feelings into words at that moment.

Lu Xin had always missed his orphanage classmates, though the thought of seeing them again made him nervous.

After all, parting ways had left everyone in an awkward state.

With trepidation, Lu Xin clutched his Qinggang Citizen ID and the counterfeit ID—arranged by Chen Jing for Number Fourteen and Little Nineteen before departure—while passing the security check at the Steel Drawbridge to enter the city.

Once he stepped onto Soda City’s bustling streets, Lu Xin fell into deep thought.

He wondered what preparations he should make before reuniting with old classmates he hadn’t seen in years.

After a five-minute reflection, he decided to freshen up his image first.

After all, when meeting old classmates—even if time is short—you’ve got to look your best.

Besides, the group’s appearance had really taken a hit.

Lu Xin himself looked clean and smart in high-quality streetwear.

But Number Fourteen looked much worse, having grabbed some temporary clothes in Qinggang that merely replaced his old prison uniform.

Qinggang was stingy when it came to sizes, and nothing quite fit him…

Resulting in him wearing loose sportswear that ended up looking like a tight outfit.

Both Sister and Little Nineteen were dressed sloppily, hardly appearing cute.

Sister was normally unnoticed, but reuniting with old classmates meant she had to show up.

Little Nineteen bore so many scars that, though Lu Xin couldn’t erase them, he had to buy clothes to cover them up.

With that in mind, Lu Xin decided to take them to an incredibly affordable store.

They went in and spent half an hour trying on clothes and bargaining—Number Fourteen got the largest size outfit that, without the zipper, looked loose enough, while Sister and Little Nineteen each got a beautiful new skirt.

It cost them a total of 200 yuan.

That wasn’t all—they even took Number Fourteen and Little Nineteen to get their hair done, as their hair looked as lifeless as straw.

Lu Xin also washed his hair and got a shave at the barbershop.

That cost another 30 yuan.

This made Lu Xin grumble—prices in Soda City were ridiculously high.

In Qinggang, you can get a haircut for five yuan twice…

……

……

“Jiu Ge, you really have come into money…”

After about an hour, they emerged from the barbershop looking completely transformed. Number Fourteen, sporting his oversized new old-man outfit, happily checked himself in the storefront, patted his belly with delight, and turned to praise Lu Xin.

“Good thing…”

Lu Xin nodded modestly, glancing proudly at the newly refreshed Sister and Little Nineteen.

Though they spent a lot, it was worth it to reunite with old classmates.

Of course, he remembered that Number Three used to be the odd one who never cared about clothes, and he hoped their dapper appearance wouldn’t spur Number Three’s envy or disrupt old bonds.

“Let’s go!”

The group got back into the car, and under Number Fourteen’s guidance, headed straight toward Number Three.

With a mix of nervousness and anticipation, they weaved through the streets until they reached the entrance of Soda City’s First Satellite City…

“…Administration Hall?”

Sure enough, it was the Administration Hall!

Lu Xin stared in disbelief at the long staircase, the grand facade, and the armed guards at the door.

“Is Number Three actually working at the Administration Hall now?”

“……”

“I have no idea if it’s a proper job.”

Number Fourteen shook his head and said, “But he is indeed here… and the address I was given said it’s here.”

“There’s no way an Administration Hall job could be shady…”

Lu Xin marveled, his anticipation for the current Number Three growing stronger.

After all, this was the Number Three from the orphanage who once seemed like a misfit.

After all these years, even the upright Number Fourteen and Little Nineteen had taken crooked paths, and Number Seven had become a wasteland robber—yet the one who had seemed most monstrous, Number Three, had somehow infiltrated the Administration Hall to become a civil servant?

Surprised, Lu Xin felt a surge of excitement—finally, an old classmate was on the right path!

“He’s definitely here.”

Number Fourteen stretched his head out of the car and, nodding firmly, confirmed.

Lu Xin’s excitement grew as he said, “Let’s go in and find him.”

Filled with anticipation of reuniting with an old friend, he and Number Fourteen took a deep breath and strode forward.

But they were soon blocked by security guards.

The Administration Hall is a stronghold of High-wall City and only permits entry by appointment.

Lu Xin and Number Fourteen were stunned, so they looked at each other and asked if Number Fourteen could call Number Three.

But Number Fourteen hesitated, saying he only knew that Number Three was here.

However, Number Three’s current name and position at the Administration were completely unknown—there was no way to call him.

Helpless, they had to return to the car and wait for Number Three’s shift to end.

But even staying in the car wasn’t safe. Soon, an old man arrived to shoo them away from parking.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Xin pulled out ten yuan and, through the car window, handed it to the old man:

“Buy a pack of cigarettes, and let’s make a deal.”

“……”

“Uh, just park here for a bit. Don’t even think about spending the night here.”

The old man pocketed the money and, with a cold expression, reminded them as he walked away with his hands behind his back.

Number Fourteen, watching with envy, blurted, “Jiu Ge, you really have come into money now…”

Initially, Lu Xin felt a pang for the ten yuan, but seeing Number Fourteen’s envious look made him realize the money was well spent.

After all, when facing old classmates, how can you scrimp?

He’d always focused on making money and never thought spending it could bring joy.

No wonder so many people love to spend…

With that thought, a smile spread across his face as he said, “Really, it’s nothing—as long as you stick to the straight path.”

“Look at me, working honestly is how I earn money.”

“And you and Little Nineteen too. Back in the day, one ended up in the hospital and the other in jail… sigh…”

“……”

Determined at last to set Number Fourteen and Little Nineteen on the right path, he felt he’d finally gotten his chance.

But as Number Fourteen listened, he suddenly felt a pang and, after a pause, cautiously asked,

“Jiu Ge, didn’t they say you were cured already…?”

“……”

Lu Xin gave Number Fourteen a look that spoke of exasperation, reading the suspicion and worry in his eyes.

He murmured with a touch of wistfulness, “Trying to guide others onto the right path has somehow gone wrong.”

“What has the world come to…”

“……”

Lost in thought, Number Fourteen suddenly brightened and anxiously said, “Look, he’s off work…”

That one sentence made everyone in the car tense up immediately.

One by one, they craned their necks out of the car window, anticipation welling up inside them.