Chapter 188: Dark Boundless Realm 43
The people who needed to be dealt with have been handled, yet the mess on the ground left one wondering how to clean it up.
“We can call a cleanup crew,” He Kangshi suggested wisely.
“Do the cleanup crews still handle corpse collection?” Kui Xin asked curiously.
“Ordinary crews don’t offer that service, but in the Midnight District, ‘cleanup crew’ is more of a nickname than a profession,” He Kangshi scratched his forehead, “those who handle dirty work are the cleanup crew, because the Investigation Bureau rarely interferes here. When someone dies, nobody knows. The people living here take risks; they have no family or friends. Therefore, when someone dies, there’s no one to collect the body, leading to the emergence of the ‘cleanup crew’; they are responsible for tidying up the aftermath.”
“Are you talking about that?” Kui Xin pointed at a colorful flyer stuck on the street. The flyer contained a line of text written in letters, followed by a series of numbers.
The electronic eye scanned the advertisement and automatically translated it; the text read: “Professional corpse collection, professional blood stain removal, professional battlefield cleanup, affordable prices, the lowest in the entire Midnight District…”
Wow, a complete industry has developed surrounding murder and cleanup. Is this what the Midnight District is like?
He Kangshi quickly dialed the cleanup crew’s phone number, said a few brief words, and within ten minutes, a garbage truck rumbled over. Two people got out, working together to hoist the bodies into the back of the truck. Afterward, they took out brooms and dustpans to sweep away the glass shards and bullet casings on the ground, and used cleaning agents to wipe away the blood…
“Three hundred Federation Coins…” the cleanup crew said with a friendly smile at Kui Xin, “but it seems some of the corpses are equipped with high-value mechanical prosthetics. If you agree to let us deal with those, this job is free. If you want to detach those mechanical prosthetics for yourself, it will still be three hundred Federation Coins.”
This is how the cleanup crew makes money; some mechanical parts can be refurbished and sold for much more than that three hundred Federation Coins.
“I’ll leave it to you,” Kui Xin replied.
“Pleasure doing business. If you need further services, feel free to contact us again. Regular customers get a twenty percent discount,” the cleanup crew got back in the truck and sped away.
No matter what commotion broke out inside the store, no matter how many gang members arrived at the door, the other shops on this street remained eerily quiet, with some even pulling their shutters down, fearing the battle would spread to them.
The cleanup crew and the garbage truck came and went, and no one dared to show their face.
He Kangshi looked at the damaged shop door and said, “It feels like a dream… revenge was carried out this easily.”
“Do you want to add some complications to the mission?” Kui Xin walked back into the store.
He Kangshi quickly replied, “Forget it, forget it; it’s better to be smooth sailing. This is all thanks to you; you’re amazing!”
Kui Xin opened the store’s intelligence terminal, and the screen projected the inventory list.
“Stop being a runner in the bar; the organization needs manpower. I’m handing over management of these shops to you.” Kui Xin showed He Kangshi the inventory list, “Set the prices according to this; there’s a scanner nearby that gives you the price with a single scan, it’s as simple as doing cash register work in a convenience store.”
He Kangshi was astonished, “You’re really giving me the shop?”
“Temporarily,” Kui Xin replied. “From now on, this will be one of our strongholds, and you need to take responsibility.”
He Kangshi straightened his face, “Leave it to me! I promise to get the job done.”
“If anyone seeks trouble, ‘Ash’ will assist you,” Kui Xin added.
“Ash?” He Kangshi responded, “Is that a codename for someone? A colleague?”
“Ash, come out and let him see,” Kui Xin instructed.
A puddle of black mud split off from the shadow beneath Kui Xin’s feet and condensed into a humanoid form.
The Shadow Double extended its hand to He Kangshi, who hurriedly shook hands with it, exclaiming involuntarily, “We really have so many talented people in our organization! Thanks to Ash for saving my life; without you, I might have been shot!”
The Shadow Double shook its head, signaling that no thanks were needed.
“Find someone to fix the shop door. It’s best to replace the glass door with bulletproof glass, and the rolling shutter should be made from the strongest metal available,” Kui Xin instructed, then pulled a few gold bars from her waist pouch and tossed them to He Kangshi, “Here’s the funding; ask me for more if it runs out.”
“As long as the money is in place, the door can be installed overnight,” He Kangshi pocketed the gold bars, “Gold is a hard currency for transactions.”
Su Rong’s Shadow Double can attack and defend; it’s a reliable fighter. He Kangshi is sharp and streetwise, so Kui Xin feels somewhat at ease with their combination. After all, they are both Awakened. As long as the gangs that come looking for trouble don’t have heavy weaponry or other Awakened, those two alone are sufficient.
Kui Xin turned around in the store.
This was a large shop formed by merging three row houses into one. The first floor was primarily for storing goods, while the second floor had a rest and entertainment area stocked with food, drinks, medicines, and weapons. The weapons included smaller firearms and cold weapons like metal baseball bats and machetes, which couldn’t compare to Boris’s small arsenal.
The shop also had a sizable basement filled with goods, boxes upon boxes of mechanical parts piled haphazardly. With a bit of tidying, it could be divided into a safe house.
“Augus, scan,” Kui Xin ordered.
“You haven’t lifted the restrictions on the scanner. How am I supposed to scan?” Augus replied.
“Sorry, I forgot.” Kui Xin unlocked the permissions.
“Scanning… scan complete. Based on my city construction data, there’s a buried sewage pipeline less than a meter behind the wall you’re currently standing on,” Augus said, “When you said those two words, it felt like time was reversing, taking you back to when you were a security officer.”
“I said those words out of habit,” Kui Xin gently stroked the wall, “If we break through this wall and the soil behind it, we can create a secret exit to the sewer. We’ll remodel another day; there’s too much going on tonight.”
Returning to the first floor of the store, Kui Xin discovered the workers had already arrived and were busy installing the new shop door at the entrance.
He Kangshi was looking listlessly at the black mud hidden under the desk, seeming to want to say something but not knowing how to start.
“I’ve wrapped up things here; I’ll get back to business,” Kui Xin nodded to He Kangshi and the Shadow Double.
He Kangshi thought to himself: “That’s not how you should say it, sis! What you really mean is that now that these people have been killed, you’re off to kill the next wave, right?”
“The shop’s alarm system is linked to my personal communicator; press the alarm button if anything happens,” Kui Xin pointed at the red button hidden under the desk. “Of course, you generally won’t need this button; the shop’s surveillance system has an automatic identification feature, which will trigger an alarm in unexpected situations, and I’ll be notified promptly.”
He Kangshi replied seriously, “Understood! No problem!”
“Generally, there shouldn’t be any major issues,” Kui Xin said.
“With me and Ash here, it’s just… trivial matters that don’t need running away from, and big problems that can’t escape, right?” He Kangshi remarked.
“Very fitting,” Kui Xin said finally, “Be careful, don’t get killed.”
“Wish you good luck!” He Kangshi quickly added.
The Shadow Double waved at Kui Xin’s departing back as she went upstairs.
After going upstairs, Kui Xin opened a portal and stepped through to the next location.
She emerged from a concealed alley, contemplating the nearby car dealership.
“Is your next target Valeri’s Freedom Car Dealership?” Augus asked, “Why choose them? Is it because Valeri’s brother is gaining power?”
“Not entirely,” Kui Xin replied, her eyes filled with deep suspicion, “Freedom… Freedom… that name gives me very bad associations.”
“Mm?” Augus said, “It’s just an ordinary name. The atmosphere in the Midnight District is oppressive but also quite free; it’s an apt name.”
“No, that name reminds me of the Resistance Army,” Kui Xin asserted, “Don’t forget their motto is equality and freedom. While I think their organizational purpose is false, they’ve always operated under the banner of freedom and equality. Schalit’s memories show that the Resistance Army has members throughout various sectors of society; who knows if places like White Whale City might have their bases? The more chaotic the area, the easier it is for them to establish a foothold.”
“You might be being overly sensitive, but considering safety and long-term feasibility, taking action against Valeri’s Freedom Car Dealership is indeed a good choice. You can use it as a stepping stone; it may benefit our future development,” Augus suggested.
Kui Xin’s sensitivity stemmed from knowing that the Resistance Army would not let her go easily. Just because she avoided them now doesn’t mean they won’t come looking for her forever. The mental coordinates in her mind are something she can’t remove; she doesn’t even know how to delete them… hopefully, her B-class Mental Immunity will hold some effect.
Her instincts rarely failed her, guiding her away from one danger after another. White Whale City was an unstable place, and her future life here was unlikely to be peaceful.
Closing her eyes, Kui Xin activated Data Manipulation to hack into all the cameras and alarms at the Freedom Car Dealership, seizing control.
The shop’s cameras revealed Valeri was fueling a motorbike, with two of his assistants moving goods inside.
Few dare to cause trouble at the Freedom Car Dealership because everyone knows who is backing it.
During her last visit to buy a bike, the Investigative Eye found none of the people in the shop had Extraordinary Abilities, so this operation is likely to pose little danger.
Her target is to control the owner of the Freedom Car Dealership, Valeri, and obtain a sample of his blood.
Stepping out of the hidden alley, Kui Xin approached the dealership entrance, pushed the door open, and walked in.
Valeri, evidently a good memory, recognized Kui Xin immediately, standing up with a smile, “It’s you, my customer! How’s the bike I sold you last time? Shouldn’t be too many problems, right?”
“No issues, the bike is great,” Kui Xin replied.
“What brings you in this time? Looking to buy something?” Valeri asked.
Kui Xin raised her hand and tapped her mask, deactivating the voice modulation, speaking in her real voice, “Give me your best bike.”
Valeri momentarily appeared dazed, then enthusiastically replied, “Sure, no problem!”
Without hesitation, he went to the warehouse and brought out a meticulously maintained deep blue motorbike, slapping the keys into Kui Xin’s palm.
The two assistants, who had just come out from the warehouse, stared in shock, “Boss! Why did you give away your own bike?!”
Kui Xin looked at the two assistants and said, “Come over and help me check the bike, give it some oil.”
The assistants were startled but quickly walked over and obediently began inspecting the vehicle.
Kui Xin pulled a syringe from her waist pouch and said to Valeri, “Draw a vial of your blood for me.”
Ten minutes later, with Valeri’s blood in her waist pouch, she browsed leisurely around the Freedom Car Dealership, moving as if in her own backyard.
“Valeri is just an ordinary person,” Kui Xin pondered, “but the Freedom Car Dealership is a chain operation, protected by the largest gang in the Midnight District. Valeri might be fine; the real issue would likely be with his brother who runs the gang.”
“Your analytical approach is sound,” Augus commented, “I notice you seem to be getting better at shady business.”
“It’s become a habit,” Kui Xin sighed, “habit is a terrifying thing.”
Lowering her head in contemplation, she picked up Valeri’s communicator and said, “Call your brother and tell him you want to see him.”
