Chapter 48: To Do It, or Not to Do It?

Old Zhou was forty-six years old this year. Though his official rank was nothing extraordinary, he had spent nearly half his life climbing within the system.

In his interactions with both superiors and subordinates, he had developed his own unique philosophy. In his eyes, any organization contained only two types of people.

The first kind were those burning with ambition and a desire to advance. Such individuals were comprehensible and controllable, whether they were subordinates or superiors.

The second kind were those who had abandoned all hope of promotion and decided to just let things slide. Yet, even these people typically wished to maintain the status quo, meaning that with a little thought, one could easily guess what was on their minds.

As for those who refused to play by the rules and acted with complete disregard for convention—they were extremely rare exceptions. In Old Zhou’s understanding, either such people possessed overwhelming backing, or they were absolute fools who wouldn't last long within the organization anyway, making them unworthy of attention.

Initially, Old Zhou believed that Yan Duoduo was comprehensible and controllable. After all, he had become the Star Official governing an entire city at a tender age and was a top-tier genius among Star Gate players. Someone like that surely desired to advance...

Anyone with ambition could be communicated with and negotiated with, because they all had stakes to protect.

However, the moment Yan Duoduo stepped out of the car, Old Zhou realized his judgment had been wrong. The young man's complete refusal to argue with him pointed to only one conclusion... This kid fell into the category of extreme exceptions—a madman who acted without regard for consequences.

And invariably, such madmen were impossible to reason with. If you tried to offer earnest advice, you would only end up rebuffed, and perhaps even met with utter contempt.

Sitting in the car and watching Yan Duoduo's retreating back, Old Zhou's first thought was: this kid definitely has connections that reach the heavens!

You cannot entirely blame him for being so worldly and cynical, for the vast majority of people in this world like to view problems through the lens of their own worldview. Old Zhou had clawed his way up from the grassroots. He was not a player; he had never witnessed the bizarre horrors of the Star Gates, nor had he ever experienced life-or-death trials... All he had ever seen were the machinations and subtle politics of the office.

He would offer no more advice, because it was futile.

Yet deep down, Old Zhou felt a surge of anger. He felt that the suggestions he had offered were entirely sound. He had not accepted bribes from the chaotic faction, nor would he dare to; his actions stemmed purely from a desire to maintain stability in Shanghai.

Therefore, he decided he would simply sit back and watch the show—he wanted to see how Yan Duoduo's gamble would play out.

Since you are so hell-bent on making a scene, let me see how you manage to clean up this mess.

……

Tongren Road, Southern Entrance.

The temperature in Shanghai plummeted sharply after the rain. A chilly wind swept across the street, sending ripples through the puddles on the ground.

Yan Duoduo stood alone at the bustling street corner, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, gazing quietly down Tongren Road.

Along the entire street, bars, performance clubs, chess and card rooms, and various other entertainment venues were bustling with activity. The chaotic faction players disguised as ordinary people all wore relaxed expressions.

They possessed supernatural abilities beyond ordinary comprehension, and each harbored a growing sense of superiority deep in their hearts, mingled with a lingering sense of dread and loneliness. Every time they entered a Star Gate, no one knew whether they would return to this world the next morning.

"Swish, swish...!"

After waiting quietly for five or six minutes, figures began to materialize behind Yan Duoduo. Many of them wore traditional, unadorned yellow robes with flame insignia embroidered on their chests. From a distance, they looked rather like a group of cosplayers from some ACG convention.

In mere moments, over fifty people had lined up behind Yan Duoduo. Everyone remained completely silent, gazing fixedly down Tongren Road.

"Screech!"

The sound of a braking vehicle rang out. Huang Wei arrived, accompanied by Ren Ye, Gu Nian, Xu Peng, along with the Keepers from the Huangjiang and Qingfu districts, bringing the total number of personnel to over forty.

By this time, more than a hundred Keepers had gathered, drawing the attention of various organizations along Tongren Road. The windows of numerous entertainment venues were pushed open, and pairs of eyes peered out toward the southern entrance.

"Clatter, clatter!"

Huang Wei trotted over eagerly, flashing a grin as he said, "Hey, Boss Yan, Ren Ye is here."

A group crowded around. Yan Duoduo turned his head to look at Ren Ye. After scanning him up and down, a faint smile touched the corner of his mouth: "You've got quite an attitude, haven't you?"

"......Reporting to Boss Yan, the only reason I have an attitude is because I have a powerful and righteous organization backing me up," Ren Ye replied with an utterly serious expression. "An organization that makes me fearless."

Hearing this, Huang Wei thought to himself that his mantle had finally found a worthy successor—it was clever, direct, and delightfully sycophantic.

Yan Duoduo possessed delicate, somewhat feminine facial features with exceptionally long eyelashes. Hearing Ren Ye's reply, a slight smile played at the corners of his lips.

In his heart, he desperately hoped that Ren Ye could develop a true sense of identity with the name "Keepers."

"You haven't officially donned the yellow robe yet, so your unauthorized vigilante stunt can be overlooked for now," Yan Duoduo paused, his eyes sweeping over Ren Ye with a discerning gaze. "Old Huang said your sister was attacked and your father kidnapped; if a man doesn't have an extreme reaction to that, he's no better than a beast. Do you agree with that statement?"

"I was the one who told that to the boss in the first place," Ren Ye replied, maintaining his deadpan seriousness.

"Good."

Yan Duoduo nodded with satisfaction, pointed toward Tongren Road, and said in a gentle tone: "Number 169, inside the manager's office on the third floor of the Road Dog Bar, there is a man with a lame leg and his strategist. These two provided a hiding place and intelligence to Mr. He and other members of the Bell Ringing Society... They are the masterminds behind the attack on your sister and the attempted kidnapping of your father. I am standing right here. Take your people in and drag them out. Do you dare?"

"If I don't go, I'm a beast," Ren Ye answered crisply and decisively.

Yan Duoduo abruptly turned his head and instructed Old Huang: "Tonight, all members of the Qingfu District team will give Ren Ye their full support. Notice I said support, not command."

"Understood!"

Old hand Huang Wei knew very well that Yan Duoduo was putting Ren Ye to the test—a formal interview that went beyond mere supernatural abilities.

Following the brief exchange, Huang Wei turned to look at the Keepers from his district and shouted: "Everyone get ready for combat! Follow me... No, follow Ren Ye inside!"

More than twenty people fell into formation directly behind Ren Ye, not uttering a single extra word.

With bright, resolute eyes, Ren Ye cast a glance down Tongren Road and stepped forward first: "Target location: Number 169, Road Dog Bar. Primary targets: the Cripple and the Strategist. Boss, assign the perimeter control; colleagues skilled in close combat, come inside with me..."

Huang Wei did not treat Ren Ye like a greenhorn, knowing that the latter had a background in anti-fraud operations and was undoubtedly well-versed in basic arrest procedures and tactical deployment.

"Gu Nian, Xu Peng, myself, Mingfan, Little Chestnut... follow Ren Ye into the target location and obey orders," Huang Wei commanded at a rapid pace. "Demon-Catching Squad, Heaven-Shattering Gang Squad, secure the front and rear exits...!"

With a flurry of orders, Ren Ye led the twenty-plus Qingfu District Keepers into the Tongren Road sector.

Meanwhile, Chen Hannian, who was observing the situation from the shadows, dialed Yan Duoduo's phone: "Letting a rookie lead the team—will that actually work?"

"......!" Yan Duoduo did not answer the question, asking instead from his spot at the entrance, "Is the perimeter containment set up?"

"Personnel have arrived from all sixteen districts, and deployment points are secured," Chen Hannian said, his voice carrying a trace of trembling, as if he were deeply nervous. "The commotion this time is simply too massive. Zhejiang and Jiangsu have already proactively contacted me to ask if we need assistance; they can dispatch personnel ahead of time. Several departments at headquarters have also been inquiring..."

"You handle matters at the perimeter; I'll handle Tongren Road," Yan Duoduo replied softly. "If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame."

"We'll take it together," Chen Hannian replied and abruptly hung up.

Back in the car at the entrance, Old Zhou narrowed his eyes as he sized up the hundred-odd Keepers and Ren Ye, who had already stepped onto the street: "......It's over. Too extreme, completely over the line! If even a single spark flies here, who on earth is going to contain the fallout...?!"

With that, Old Zhou contacted the Supernatural Arbitration Tribunal and the Risk Committee, rapidly communicating the situation to them.

……

Tongren Road, on the second floor of a game-and-performance script-murder parlor, a middle-aged man rested his elbows on the windowsill, squinting as he watched Ren Ye, Huang Wei, and the others entering the main street: "What does he mean by bringing a bunch of raw recruits onto the street?"

"Ren Ye isn't even an official Keeper. Doing this, Yan Duoduo is probably leaving himself some breathing room," a young man standing beside him asked with his hands behind his back. "Boss, the Predators and the Cripple's people just sent word asking for our stance. If Yan Duoduo pushes this hard, are we really going to intervene?"

"Which establishment on Tongren Road is entirely clean? If you don't lift a finger when they take down the Cripple, next time they come for us, no one will lift a finger either," the middle-aged man replied indifferently. "If he wants to make a move, let him. We'll play it by ear!"

"Understood!"

Not far away, inside an ordinary five-star hotel, the head of the Predator Alliance in Shanghai gave a quiet instruction: "Protect the Cripple. At least on Tongren Road, we can't let the Keepers do whatever they damn well please."

"Understood," a woman acknowledged and departed.

High above Tongren Road, atop a signal tower over thirty meters tall.

A figure sat casually on the slender iron framework, dangling their small feet in mid-air with an expression of pure excitement. "Who would've thought that pet-keeper... actually has quite a temper!"

Nearby, Egg-egg of the Scam Merchants' Guild was hunched over with a rounded backside, tightly hugging a load-bearing pillar while staring in trembling terror at the hard ground far below. He desperately wanted to climb down, but didn't dare bring it up.

"......That Huang Wei and that Ren Ye... neither of them are any good!" Egg-egg muttered, holding onto his grudge as he watched the two figures. "Selling them info at the bathhouse last time, and in the end... I was the one who had to foot the bill."

"That Huang Wei certainly isn't a good bird," the shadow agreed with a nod.

……

Down on Tongren Road, as the Qingfu District Keepers swaggered toward the Road Dog Bar, numerous "spectators" emerged from the sides of the street. Their appearances varied wildly, their gazes filled with excitement, malice, hostility... or cold indifference.

Figures slowly poured out from storefronts and gathered, and in the blink of an eye, the entire street grew lively.

Ignoring the stares of the onlookers, Ren Ye walked briskly up to the entrance of the Road Dog Bar.

"Swish!"

A dozen men and women stepped out, one of whom smiled and said, "Are the Keepers here to unwind on Tongren Road too?"

"Clatter, clatter...!"

The two squads of Qingfu District Keepers instantly dispersed, blocking both the front and rear exits.

Ren Ye strode toward the bar and said coldly to the dozen people blocking his path: "Move."

"Swish!"

Another dozen individuals poured out from inside, completely sealing off the main entrance.

"We don't do business with Keepers," the opposing player leading the group suddenly found his eyes growing deep and hollow, while a wave of bloody stench emanated from his entire body. "Tonight is a dark-themed gathering, and the lights are out. Everyone inside is a madman, so I suggest you lot don't go in..."

"Flash!"

A flicker of light manifested, and an ancient yet luxurious heavy sword appeared in his hand.

Ren Ye, who currently possessed no class traits, abruptly raised his head and glared at the opponent: "Get lost!!!"

……

On the third floor.

The Cripple slowly stood up, having lost his former composure and calm, abandoning his cigar altogether. "Stop yapping! I'm asking you, did they respond or not? Are we fighting back or what?!"