Chapter 106: The Difference Between Firecrackers and Bullets

Lu Luo sized up Li Qinglian from head to toe. Unperturbed, Li Qinglian even pulled up her slit cheongsam a bit more, allowing Lu Luo a clearer view.This blatant seduction was simply too much for someone as upright as Lu Luo! Just as Lu Luo was enjoying the view, a member of the Qinglian Gang rushed in, interrupting the flirtatious atmosphere between him and Li Qinglian. "Boss, the Dirty Hand Gang has arrived." Li Qinglian immediately let go of her cheongsam and frowned. "So soon? It’s not even 12 o’clock yet. Have you cleared the area?" "We don’t know why they’ve come this early; they’ve blocked the entrance, and we didn’t have time to clear the area." At this moment, Li Qinglian looked at Lu Luo, her meaning quite clear: You’ve just talked big, now it’s time to make good on your boast. "No problem, no problem, leave the Dirty Hand Gang to me. Qinglian Gang leader, when the job is done, don’t forget to give me some positive reviews on Entertainment Street, so the Circular Affairs Office can get some visibility." Although she didn’t really understand what giving a few extra positive reviews meant, she assumed it was something akin to promotional ratings. Li Qinglian nodded her head. "Rest assured, Mr. Lu Luo, I keep my promises, and I hope you do too." "Of course. I’m off then. Remember, 100 bucks per head." After saying that, Lu Luo strode outside. Liu Fa glanced at Lu Luo and then at their leader, Li Qinglian. Lu Luo was someone she had found, and at a time like this, he should prove to be useful. Liu Fa, not knowing where her courage came from, said to Li Qinglian, "Boss, I’ll go and have a look." Li Qinglian nodded. If Lu Luo really was a super-skilled Transcendent who could deal with the threat of the Dirty Hand Gang, then today’s actions would be a great merit for Liu Fa. "Go ahead, and we’ll follow to see what happens. Let’s make sure the guests aren’t harmed by the Dirty Hand Gang." "Yes." ... The gangs on Entertainment Street all had investment shares from various big corporations behind them, but these corporations ignored the gangs, treating them as if rearing venomous creatures. No matter what kind of conflict occurred among these gangs—brawls, or even deaths—as long as they did not touch the interests of the big corporations, they would not intervene. But should anyone dare to touch the shares here, they would be crossing a line, and the forces behind Entertainment Street would take over. Not just the corporations behind them, but usually even the East Ring Security Bureau wouldn’t bother with this place. For Hunters, this was all petty skirmishing, hardly worth their attention; a single team of Hunters could flatten East Ring’s Entertainment Street. But they wouldn’t do that, because they had done something similar before, more than once. Every time, the outcome was the formation of new gangs, which would then engage in even greater conflicts among themselves. The underlying reason was that these corporations needed legitimate spots for money laundering, and entertainment venues were naturally the optimal places for them to do so. Take Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals behind New Hope, or the Grand Plan Martial Force behind Little Swan, for instance. Therefore, the Security Bureau simply let matters run their course, as long as there was no major disturbance. The gangs also knew the score, so every gang war was tacitly scheduled after midnight, out of sight and out of mind for the Security Bureau. But today was different. The Dirty Hand Gang was set on eliminating the Qinglian Gang tonight, taking over Little Swan, and making offerings to the Grand Plan Martial Force. They were also after capturing that arrogant woman Li Qinglian to warm their leader’s bed, which is why tonight, they had timed their move before midnight. Even at the risk of interrogation by the Security Bureau, they were determined to shatter the Qinglian Gang members’ morale. For this purpose, they had hired a Second Tier peak Transcendent, Ge Tuo, from the black market of Siping District. Ge Tuo was a Second Tier wild man with a history of betraying his teammates. Hunters wouldn’t take him, and regular mercenaries wouldn’t hire someone with a record. Without resources, help, connections, or direction, he had been stuck at the peak of the Second Tier for a long time now. He also wanted to break into the Third Tier, so he needed to make money, but he was a person who cherished his own life very much.He didn’t want to scavenge, primarily because it was dangerous and, secondly, because life beyond the wall was too harsh.Therefore, he started to get involved with gang business. Even though the Dark Energy was thin inside the wall, and the money he made wasn’t much, the good thing was that working for the gangs in these clubhouses meant staying within the wall, where, under normal circumstances, fights didn’t involve life or death.Not only was it safe, but there were countless women in the clubs to play with, and most importantly, these women were free of charge. That night, the boss of the Dirty Hand Gang promised Ge Tuo that as long as he helped wipe out the Qinglian Gang, the base payment would be 20,000. But there was a condition: action had to be taken before midnight. Injuring guests was permissible, but any slander had to be directed at the Qinglian Gang. Furthermore, Ge Tuo himself had to bear the risk of being pursued by the Security Bureau. 20,000! That was almost enough to buy 30 grams of Dark Spirit Stone.Although there were risks to assume, 20,000 was just too much for a Second Tier wild man to pass up. So Ge Tuo took the job. Shortly after 10 PM, he brought his men to the Qinglian Gang’s haunt, the Little Swan Club. "Lock all the doors." "As you command, Brother Tuo." Once the doors were closed, the sheer number of Dirty Hand Gang members, along with their menacing presence, scared the patrons who were still drinking in the bar area, leaving them confused. Some had heard that there would be gang fights after midnight in Entertainment Street, but this was the first time one had occurred before midnight. Ge Tuo stepped forward, arrogance in his stride, and declared, "Tonight, the Qinglian Gang will be erased, and it’s time for the Little Swan’s signboard to be replaced. Those who want to watch the commotion and are not afraid of dying, stay; if you don’t want to die, get the hell out of here now!" Hearing his words, how could the patrons in the bar area not know it was a gang fight? Many had never witnessed such a fight and were very curious, but out of concern for their safety, they chose to retreat for the time being. With a collective RUSTLE, the patrons stood up and headed towards the back area of the club. Yan Danqin also stood up, about to pull Bai Yuetong to the back to run, but after two tugs, she found she couldn’t move Bai Yuetong at all. Bai Yuetong had already taken hold of Yan Danqin and flipped them over behind the bar counter. "Are you out of your mind, Bai Yuetong? Why aren’t you leaving at a time like this? What if something happens?" Compared to Yan Danqin’s stern words, Bai Yuetong’s eyes shone with excitement, her face lit with thrill. "A gang fight! Wow! I’ve only read about them in novels. This is like a live broadcast; how could I possibly miss it? Don’t worry about safety; if it really gets dangerous, I will summon my mobile armor suit." Yan Danqin felt slightly reassured to know Bai Yuetong had brought her mobile armor suit, though she remained somewhat displeased. "What’s so good about such brawls? They lack any skill to speak of, and if these people were in the Inner Ring, they would probably be among the weakest, right?" "That’s where you’re wrong. It’s precisely because they lack skill, because it’s chaotic enough, that it’s exciting and blood-pumping! Man, I’m getting pumped up." Bai Yuetong and Yan Danqin hid behind the bar, sipping stolen drinks and peeping through the gaps at the situation in the bar area. Meanwhile, Lu Luo had arrived. The Dirty Hand Gang brought a lot of people, over 200. When Lu Luo saw so many upon arrival, his heart bloomed with joy. Earning 30,000 for a gang fight, plus a permanent freeloading card – where else could one find such a good deal?Of course, freeloading was just a trifle. The main thing was that he could often invite Ludie to come here and play in the future, as if it were his own home.Ludie had been good to him, and it was his fault Ludie lost his New Hope freeloading membership. Lu Luo was a straightforward person and understood well that one should never forget a benefactor’s kindness.So, what could be more meaningful than compensating Ludie with a freeloading membership? Ge Tuo looked at Lu Luo walking toward them, the words "Circular Affairs Office" on his clothes seeming vaguely familiar, but he could not immediately recall where he had heard of it. "You’re not from the Qinglian Gang, are you? If you don’t want trouble, go inside and hide. We’ve sealed the front door." The Dirty Hand Gang members had nailed the front door shut with wooden planks. It looked as if tonight, they wouldn’t rest until they had wiped out the Qinglian Gang. Lu Luo stopped five meters in front of Ge Tuo, scrutinizing him from head to toe. "Such a terrifying Second Tier peak expert!" "What?" As Ge Tuo looked on in astonishment, Lu Luo’s Mechanical Arm tightened and spun. Raising an arm, he beckoned the Dirty Hand Gang members, led by Ge Tuo, with a curl of his finger. "Circular Affairs Office, Lu Luo!" Hidden behind the bar, Bai Yuetong gripped Yan Danqin’s hand so tightly upon seeing the Mechanical Arm that Yan Danqin almost cried out in pain. "What are you doing? Are you crazy, Bai Yuetong?" "Nothing, just think this guy looks deceivingly decent. Kind of a surprise." Yan Danqin had also seen Lu Luo; the very polite student had left a deep impression on her as well. "His name is Lu Luo, a biology student from East Ring Alliance University. I even interrogated him during the 404 incident last time. It’s a pity he didn’t ask for my number, or I would have given it to him then." Bai Yuetong didn’t speak; she just nodded her head, her thoughts unknown. Seeing Lu Luo’s blatant provocation, the Dirty Hand Gang members behind Ge Tuo began to laugh uproariously. They had been there for a while, but only one youngster had come forward from the Qinglian Gang, which really wasn’t sufficient. It seemed the Qinglian Gang was truly in decline. "Is there no one left in the Qinglian Gang? Did they just send out a kid like you?" Unlike the others who treated Lu Luo with contempt, Ge Tuo did not. He had recognized Lu Luo’s identity as a mercenary hired by the Qinglian Gang. Typically, a gang’s external assistance would be powerful mercenaries with clean backgrounds. Those with criminal records like them could easily get investigated by the Security Bureau; only a gang with no bottom line like the Dirty Hand Gang would hire such help. Since he was a mercenary, he would surely know what kind of people he was facing and was aware of his own strength. If he still dared to make a move, it meant he was quite confident. The only thing that puzzled Ge Tuo was Lu Luo’s age—he was just in his early twenties! The training of Transcendents isn’t something to embark on from a young age. If one recklessly trains before the body has fully developed and its structure has stabilized, it can easily lead to deformities, which is a perilously risky endeavor. That the Qinglian Gang dared to hire, and Lu Luo dared to accept, said a lot. Plus, the distinctively structured Mechanical Arm that Lu Luo was now displaying was clearly very valuable. Therefore, Ge Tuo didn’t underestimate Lu Luo; instead, he looked at him with a serious expression. "A very confident young man. Since you’re so sure of yourself, let me be the one to meet you." Ge Tuo surged forward suddenly, the Sequence particles in his body beginning to vibrate. At the same time, Lu Luo also received a prompt. [Detection of Sequence particles, suspected Sequence C-165-Eternal Battler: As battle time increases, pain sensation and cognitive ability decrease, all attributes increase.] It turns out he’s a Transcendent with a Sequence, not bad! Lu Luo was well aware that the gap in strength between Transcendents with and without a Sequence was massive. Moreover, with differences in the strength of the Sequence tiers, the disparity in their powers would only grow wider. Ge Tuo was a Second Tier peak with a C-tier Sequence; such an enemy was undoubtedly much stronger than Wu Sen. However, Lu Luo’s strength had improved since his fight with Wu Sen. The Sequence C-00 Extreme had completed a perfect Enhancement of all attributes by 20 points, and his own strength and agility had increased extraordinarily. With Pang Ding and You Xiaoqi gone, Lu Luo was indeed in need of a worthy opponent. His Mechanical Arm tensed, the layered texture of the metal adding immense pressure to Lu Luo’s right fist. From the nature of Ge Tuo’s Sequence, it was clear that his orientation was likely close combat. So Lu Luo didn’t use Qi He, but simply used his superhuman strength of 20+4, delivering a punch head-on. BOOM! Ge Tuo’s performance was just as Lu Luo had guessed; a fierce Dark Energy surged from his fist, truly domineering. Ge Tuo’s own physical constitution was not bad either; being at the peak of Second Tier was no laughing matter. With this punch, Lu Luo’s super-high strength of 24 points, coupled with a 33% physical damage enhancement brought by the Sequence C-00 Extreme, slightly outpaced Ge Tuo’s punch, which mixed his physique and energy! The floor beneath Lu Luo’s feet shattered like a spiderweb, yet his body didn’t budge an inch. Meanwhile, Ge Tuo had to retreat five steps backward, consecutively crushing five floor tiles. Ge Tuo’s face was a picture of shock. "Hunter Six Paths! A strength powerhouse, no wonder you dare to come here alone." It’s good I didn’t use Qi He, Lu Luo thought with relief. Otherwise, I’d have killed someone again. The two women hiding behind the bar watched with relish. Bai Yuetong had no concept of Lu Luo’s strength and simply thought that a punch that didn’t kill the opponent was too weak. But shock was writ large in Yan Danqin’s eyes! She knew about Lu Luo, having even seen some of his basic physical test results at the Security Bureau. The Lu Luo from two months ago, although possessing some strength, was more than ten times weaker than the Lu Luo of now. This guy’s rate of progress is astonishing! After one exchange, Ge Tuo’s body lunged forward again. "Great strength! Truly a promising young man. Come again!" Knowing himself to be inferior to Lu Luo in both strength and Outburst power, Ge Tuo had already been pondering strategies to counter Lu Luo.The Six Paths of Power usually involve taking one of the three attributes—Strength, Constitution, or Agility—to the extreme.From watching Lu Luo’s moves—ponderous with massive force and extremely powerful—it was almost certain that this man excelled in Strength.And after the exchange of punches, he stood as firm as a mountain, which probably meant his Constitution was also not low—though likely not as freakishly high as his Strength.So he needed to suppress Lu Luo with speed and mix Dark Energy into his force to defeat him. "Good, bring it on!" Lu Luo exclaimed, feeling vaguely excited. No one really knew the extent of his strength. Although he had only shown a part of it, that part already surprised many people. Not having the opportunity to fully unleash his strength was a regret for Lu Luo as well. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The fist-to-flesh confrontation was filled with a violent aesthetic. When the wind from the punches swept across, the other gang members couldn’t even get close. The floor and furniture around were completely shattered. Lu Luo still maintained a fighting style where he did not block or back down, only attacking minimally. He needed to have a clear concept of his offensive and defensive capabilities. When Ge Tuo’s first punch hit him, Lu Luo didn’t even use Qi He. He got this prompt: [Your chest has suffered a powerful physical impact. Dark Energy has invaded your body. Your Toughness has reduced some of the damage.] But this punch wounded Lu Luo. What surprised him, however, was that the damage was too light. His Constitution score of 20, the Robust effect granting a 40% increase in vitality, Toughness providing a 17% damage reduction, and a flat reduction of 4 to any final damage taken—all these defensive attributes and effects significantly mitigated the impact of attacks on Lu Luo. Ge Tuo’s rudimentary use of Dark Energy dealt limited harm to Lu Luo, which left him somewhat disappointed. Heh, a peak Second Tier? Wild men are wild men, after all. Dark Energy without any finesse is like the difference between gunpowder used as a firecracker versus in a bullet.