Chapter 778: Chapter 2: Outstanding People and Spirit Penglai Realm, Simple Customs Jin Baoshan (8k Monthly Tickets)_4
As soon as he entered, the hall’s style was dark, but it was no longer a bathhouse—it was more like a bar.
Inside, numerous burly middle-aged men, their strong muscles visible on their bare arms, wearing uniforms marked "Jin Baoshan Mine," were huddled with either young or mature ladies, engaging in leisure activities like playing cards and pool, their waists bulging with what were clearly hidden firearms.
On seeing Xu Shu and his companions enter, the mine workers cast scrutinizing glances before nonchalantly continuing with their entertainment.
It would be more accurate to call these mine workers enforcers.
Next to the hall was a wall covered in posters.
Xu Shu glanced over and noticed that the posters were all bounties; some were for wanted criminals, and others were missing persons notices, leaving him slightly startled.
"There are even bounty missions..."
"This means that our small town is supported economically by the Supervision Bureau, then managed in collaboration with gangs?"
"Yes, judging from the content of the bounties, it could be similar to the Hunter Guild here..."
Xu Shu pondered thoughtfully.
"The guy you’ll meet later is our Third Chief from Jin Baoshan, nicknamed Sister Qiangwei. Kid, don’t say I didn’t help you, be clever when you speak, say some flattering things, got it?"
The blond young man leading the way spoke menacingly, rubbing his fingers for emphasis.
Xu Shu chuckled inwardly.
Third Chief? Does any respectable company use such a title? Just call it Third Boss, simple and easy to understand.
The local Supervision Bureau really is demeaning itself by collaborating with such gangs...
Well, but if you look at the living standards of the civilians, it seems there’s nothing to complain about...
They say it’s easier to deal with King Yan than small devils; since Xu Shu needed their favor, he casually handed over a thousand bucks, saying, "Alright."
Pleased with the benefit, the blond young man’s mood visibly softened, and he walked with an exaggerated swagger, snapping his fingers like an overactive Ghost Fire youth.
They mentioned that the Supervisor was on the second floor, heading through a corridor by the private rooms toward the stairs.
Passing by a room with a half-open door, Xu Shu glanced inside and saw a young girl, dressed fashionably yet revealingly, being held by her hair and kneeling in front of a fat man sprawled on a couch, crying out, "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Sister Yu, I really can’t do this, we agreed I’d only sing, I don’t want this, I don’t want it!"
Next to her, a heavily made-up middle-aged woman spat and said, "It’s just a little knife scar, and you think you’re a treasure? Brother Gao spent a lot of money calling for you, you’re just supposed to take a sip, you’d sip from a bottle anyway, what’s the difference?"
"I can’t, I really can’t, I have a man, I can’t."
The woman continued crying, shaking her head persistently.
"Ungrateful bitch, right?"
Annoyed, the middle-aged woman made a face, and the two muscular men beside her immediately grabbed the young woman and gave her a fierce slap, her screams echoing through the corridor.
SMACK! SMACK!
Nearby, several rooms with doors not properly shut promptly closed them, continuous singing resounding as if nothing had been heard.
Xu Shu halted, his gaze falling on the beaten girl’s slender, pale split legs and supple waist, causing him to frown.
Standing by the doorway, his presence naturally drew the attention of those inside.
Seeing this, the blond young man quickly went over with a placating smile, helped lock the door, and turned back grumbling, "I thought you were sharp, why are you being nosy now, can’t watch this kind of scene?"
Xu Shu made a weird face, "No, it’s just that girl..."
"Cut it out, just mind your own business, stop poking your nose into others’ affairs, what are you trying to be, a hero? It’s just a bar girl, doesn’t need your pity. If she’s out there doing this, why should you care? You think she’s some innocent maiden?" The blond young man scoffed with a worldly-wise air.
Xu Shu glanced at him side-eye and after a moment said, "Oh, alright then."
"That’s better."
The blond young man flashed a knowing look and led Xu Shu upstairs.
Indeed, there were quite a few people around, just in the lobby there was a table of five burly men smoking and playing cards.
The blond young man went up, handed them a cigarette, and after a few deferential words, turned back to Xu Shu and whispered very quietly, "Buddy, when you meet Sister Qiangwei, sweet-talk a bit, okay? Sister Qiangwei has a bit of a temper but is very straightforward with her affairs, be smart!"
After speaking, he pointed out the third room down the hallway to Xu Shu then headed downstairs with the others.
Xu Shu watched their servile attitudes with a silent laugh and then proceeded to the designated room, pushed open the door, and closed it behind him.
Inside, the setup resembled an ancient government office tribune, with a large red lacquered desk at the forefront and neatly arranged guards on both sides.
These men stood upright, their training obvious, and were of a much higher caliber than those downstairs.
Besides the holsters, they also carried short-handled axes at their waists, staring down Xu Shu as he entered, their eyes fierce—clearly hardened individuals familiar with bloodshed,
each glance intimidating to the average person.
Unfortunately for them, Xu Shu had seen far more blood than any of them, and these few men, way too inadequate even to be a challenge for the Little Primordial Spirit.
He calmly looked ahead.
He looked at the young woman sitting on the boss’s chair, her legs crossed, wearing a black dress that revealed too much, pretty and mature, quite sexy, counting stacks of money.
He looked at the man wearing a white suit, glasses, and sporting a Mohawk, who humbly massaged her shoulders deceivingly, seemingly an accountant.
He looked at the middle-aged man kneeling in front of the boss’s desk, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, standing tall, presumably a businessman.
He looked at the three girls next to him, wearing pretty floral dresses, bound in Turtle Shell Binding, with their mouths sealed with tape, unable to speak, looking to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old.
"Uh..."
Xu Shu was momentarily baffled, struggling to understand the relationship between the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground and the three girls.
Were they here to redeem someone?
Or were they selling flesh?
Had he unwittingly stumbled upon their dark deeds?
The people in the room, of course, also noticed Xu Shu, this uninvited guest, and each turned to look at him.
The whole room became as silent as death.
As the atmosphere grew more and more tense, just then, Xu Shu looked away, with an innocent face, and very politely said, "Hello, sorry to disturb, I’m here to buy a train ticket, could you please help me? Thank you."
The dead silence in the hall lasted for a full half-minute.
The man in the white suit shrieked, "Young man, you really have no manners, don’t you know to knock? Now you’ve seen everything you shouldn’t have... forget it, just chop him up and throw him out to the dogs, maybe he’ll grow some eyes in his next life!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the two strong men beside him made the first move.
They simultaneously pulled out short-handled axes and powerfully aimed them at Xu Shu’s head!
If everything had gone as expected, these sharp blades would have accurately split Xu Shu’s forehead, and his head would have been cleaved into three.
Unfortunately, the world is always full of surprises.
Thus, these two axes, along with two forcibly torn-off arms, fell directly to the ground.
Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth...
Thud, thud, thud!
One after another, the strong men groaned as they lay on the ground, rolling around like soybeans.
As the saying goes, misfortune fosters fortune, and this gang had stumbled upon a miraculous adventure, each suddenly possessing the nascent potential to become great heroes riding divine sculptures.
The man in the white suit also lay on the ground, as Xu Shu crushed his glasses underfoot, deformed his face against the floor, and knocked his jagged yellow teeth out. Then he slapped Sister Qiangwei on the left cheek.
"I told you I’m here to buy a ticket, can’t you understand? Why not just give me the ticket first?"
Slap! A slap landed on her pretty right cheek.
"Why does it have to be such a hassle to buy a ticket?"
Slap! Another slap on her left cheek.
"What’s the big deal if I stumbled upon your wrongdoing? You dare act it out but can’t face being seen? Why must you provoke me?"
Slap! The right cheek.
"Tell me, why?"
Slap! The left cheek.
"Has the cat got your tongue?"
Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap!
Xu Shu launched blows from both sides, and amidst the continuous crisp sounds, his slaps fell like raindrops, quickly swelling both sides of Sister Qiangwei’s cheeks.
Her eyes instantly turned crimson like blood, her complexion turned deathly pale, as if all her blood had surged into her eyes.
She desperately tried to move her head away, barely dodging the ensuing storm of slaps, her cheeks puffing high, and then she opened her mouth.
"Ahhh!!!!"
She let out an ear-piercing, head-splitting, blood-curdling scream.
"Corpse driver" Stage Two: "Impermanence!"
"Deathly Shriek!"