Two men in black leather jackets stood across the street from the Fat Intestine Noodle Shop, casually observing everyone inside.
Their right arms hung at their sides, seemingly ready to draw weapons at any moment.
At that moment, Xu Linsen and Zhang Mengqian inside the shop simultaneously grew alert, looking towards the two outside.
Zhang Qinghuan was paying the bill when he saw Xu Linsen disappear from his seat and approach the two men.
With a bang, he landed two punches on the abdomens of the two assassins, sending them sprawling like overcooked shrimp.
A-Class sixth sense is not something ordinary people can fathom. A mere glance, or a look with malice, will be sensed.
It's something mystical and profound, a sign that a Metahuman's mental will has begun to merge with the world!
Of course, the assassins didn't know this. They looked at their target with impunity, as they always did.
Who could have imagined that there would be an A-Class expert beside the so-called F-Class Gene Soldiers…
Little Seven had previously asked Luo Wanya whether leaving Zhang Qinghuan out in the open like that was dangerous.Luo Wanya's reply was: "Even if everyone in City 22 died, this guy wouldn't necessarily die."
At that moment, Little Seven thought Zhang Qinghuan was some hidden master.
Now, Zhang Qinghuan had just finished paying the bill when he saw Xu Linsen make his move.
He hurried over and helped the two assassins up, "Are you alright?"
The two assassins were too pained to speak, their eyes rolling back.
Zhang Qinghuan then looked at Xu Linsen indignantly, "Why did you hit them for no reason?"
Xu Linsen: "?"
Qing Chen laughed. Zhang Qinghuan wasn't entirely wrong; Xu Linsen had moved too fast, and he couldn't explain his sixth sense. In Zhang Qinghuan's eyes, Xu Linsen had simply punched two strangers for no reason…
Qing Chen felt like he was watching a modern-day version of Sun Wukong's three battles with the White Bone Demon, with Xu Linsen as the wronged Sun Wukong.
Xu Linsen silently searched the two assassins, finding two pistols. "These two were here to kill you. Take them in for questioning."
Zhang Qinghuan's expression changed at the sight of the firearms. Although firearms were common in the Lower Third District, not everyone carried them openly.
Moreover, Jiang Mubei found a picture of Zhang Qinghuan on them.
Zhang Qinghuan stared at the photo, took a deep breath, and after a long silence said, "Who took such an ugly picture of me?!"
Jiang Mubei rolled his eyes.
He called Little Seven, who arrived shortly after and took the two assassins away. "I'll find out who sent them. Also, go to Old Luo's place; the command center is ready."
Xu Linsen and Jiang Mubei exchanged glances. A command center?!
Zhang Qinghuan pondered for a moment and said, "Those few haven't been tested yet; they can't go to the command center, right?"
Qing Chen: "…"
Little Seven looked at him and said, "Old Luo said it's fine. Let's go."
…
…
Luo Wanya, Xiao San, and Little Seven stood in the newly established Arts Society command center, full of vigor.
The spacious command center projected a holographic map of the entire Ninth District, which Little Seven had created in a day using aerial photography.
The entire Ninth District was divided into fifty zones, labeled A01-A50. Each building was marked with its number of floors and height, the number of entrances and exits, and the gangs occupying it.
This was a standard tactical command map.
On the walls of the command center were monitors constantly switching between different surveillance feeds.
Warfare requires a warlike approach. The Leader said to change the old look in a month, so a complete plan must be formulated.
"Little Seven, you won't be involved in improving the infrastructure of the four buildings. Take a day to investigate the various gangs," Luo Wanya assigned tasks. "This must be done secretly, without alarming them, but quickly. I need to know how many people are in each gang, how many Firearms they have, and their relationship with PCE."
"Understood," Little Seven nodded solemnly.
"Xiao San, since you've just arrived, don't rush into battle," Luo Wanya said. "Continue with the interviews. Remember to thoroughly investigate their identities. Don't accept those who are seriously criminal, for example, those who broke children's limbs to make them beg, those who trafficked women to other cities to be slaves, or those who stole organs. Not only should we not accept them, but we should also secretly eliminate them. We must proceed step by step, without blindly expanding our ranks."
"Understood," Xiao San grinned. "We did this in City 10 and City 18, I'm familiar with it."
Luo Wanya nodded. "We need popular support. If these kinds of people infiltrate our ranks, how will the people of the Ninth District view us? You understand."
The Ninth District gangs probably hadn't considered that someone would create a military command center just to fight them – it's utterly dishonorable!
Xu Linsen and Jiang Mubei stood silently behind Zhang Qinghuan, looking at this regular-army-like command center…
Shouldn't gang warfare be about yelling and charging in to fight? Why are they making plans?
At this moment, Luo Wanya casually said, "Everything is ready, only waiting for the east wind. Now we just need to wait patiently for an opportunity for chaos in the Upper Sixth District, and while PCE is distracted, we'll take over the Ninth District."
Xu Linsen and Jiang Mubei exchanged glances, seeming to have made a decision.
As they pondered, cries came from upstairs in the command center. Xu Linsen curiously asked, "What's going on upstairs?"
Luo Wanya, with a harmless look, smiled and explained, "Nothing, team building."
…
…
Late at night, Luo Wanya and Little Seven guarded the command center, while the Home Families sat on the floor of the corridor outside, closing their eyes to rest.
It was three in the morning, but no one had gone back to their dorms to sleep, because Luo Wanya had said: The Leader said tonight is the opportunity to act.
No further explanation was needed. Just mentioning "Leader" was enough to make the Home Families willingly wait here.
Perhaps the Guardians' Union was a relatively loose organization before, but not anymore.
For some time, Luo Wanya had been engrossed in the joy of building the Guardians' Union, until Qing Chen ordered him to stop the boundless expansion and then conveyed the organizational principles.
Organizational principles, while seemingly ethereal, are the core essence of an organization. Without them, no matter how much flesh and blood you have, you lack the skeleton to support it.
Now, the Guardians' Union aims at poverty alleviation and mutual assistance. Although the expansion has slowed down, its cohesion is far stronger than before.
At this moment, in the Black Swan Restaurant, Qing Chen and Shendai Yunluo teamed up again to knock out a group of drunkards.
For some reason, those drunkards, knowing they couldn't win, seemed even more willing to come and drown their sorrows.
The Black Swan Restaurant has launched a cocktail called "Year After Year Peace,"
"Year," of course, refers to Chen Sui's "year."
This cocktail has been a huge seller. Consider that the profit margin for premium whisky is only 20%, but for cocktails it's 80% or more!
After the drinking session ended, Shendai Yunluo looked at Qing Chen, "Have you teamed up with Black Spade?"
Qing Chen shook his head, "I don't even know anyone from Black Spade. What kind of teamwork is that?"
"Then why did they help you kill the Time Traveler?" Shendai Yunluo asked.
Qing Chen calmly said, "That really has nothing to do with me."
"Could it be revenge for Takahashi Taisei?" Shendai Yunluo chuckled. "City 22 is becoming more and more interesting. At such an interesting time, drinking and observing every day is pretty good. I'm leaving!"
With that, Shendai Yunluo slowly walked out of the Black Swan Restaurant.
The next second, Qing Chen saw a figure like a thunderbolt flashing past outside the window. The figure was so fast that simply passing by the window shattered all the glass in the Black Swan Restaurant!
With a boom!
Shendai Yunluo and the figure crossed paths. In an instant, a several-meter-tall Ma-mian Luosha (demon) appeared between them, and a powerful gust of air sent the tables and chairs in the Black Swan Restaurant, as well as the snow outside, flying everywhere.
However, the fierce Ma-mian Luosha couldn't withstand the incoming punch!
The terrifying and shocking Divine Ox Dharma Image burst forth behind Xu Linsen. The Divine Ox snorted, and with a headbutt, the Ma-mian Luosha and Shendai Yunluo were sent flying backward!
Qing Chen was stunned. He had previously thought that the Fire Pit Dharma Image and the manifestation of Tut were merely substantial momentum.
Now it seemed that this Fire Pit inherited Dharma Image could actually materialize after reaching A-Class!
At this moment, another figure leaped from a tall building, and a Shikigami Bone Woman appeared out of thin air to intercept the blow!
From beginning to end, Shendai Yunluo didn't use Hyakumegami, even in the Face[-] of mortal danger.
He didn't want people to see how many eyes he had collected!
Shendai Yunluo slowly got up, brushed the snow off his white hunting robe, and said with a wry smile, "What the hell is going on here?! Xu Linsen, you live up to your reputation."
He then looked into the Black Swan Restaurant.
Qing Chen didn't run, he just looked at him innocently, meaning, it's not my fault.
The city's early morning was awakened by the violent fight, and chaos began.
In the Ninth District command center, Luo Wanya stood up after receiving a message. He went to the corridor, put on a red scarf, "Act! Areas A12 to A41, within three hours, before dawn, level everything!"
In the corridor, the Home Families silently wore red scarves, each following eight C-Class members, forming eight teams and setting off.
Downstairs, some Ninth District residents were waiting to guide them.