IRCDM Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Work Injury, You Can

In the narrow alley, Li Yao walked ahead, head down, looking at his chip, while Liang Huan followed behind, studying the new functions after gaining access to the wristband’s permissions. The two walked one after the other, with enough space between them for ten Jinbaos.

Li Yao reached a fork in the road, turning his head to look at Liang Huan.

Liang Huan put down the wristband, meeting his gaze.

“This way.” Li Yao raised his chin towards the right.

“How are you so sure about Ling Zao’s location?” Liang Huan asked.

Li Yao tapped the virtual screen projected by the chip, slowing his pace: “The Eastern Third District Black Market and the Mercenary Base are the main areas, but neither are controlled by the Administrative Court. As long as the Black Market and the Mercenary Base pay their taxes on time, the three parties don’t interfere with each other. There’s not much else. He spends about twenty days a month hanging out in the Red Light District.”

Liang Huan looked at the marker on the screen.

“This is the largest nightclub in the Red Light District. Not only Ling Zao, but many other rich and powerful guys from other districts also frequent it,” Li Yao said. “You definitely won’t go wrong looking for him here.”

Turning through the damp, narrow alleys and dilapidated buildings, the architecture in front of them suddenly became brand new: a bright and shining building stood before them. Even though it was past power supply hours, it was still brightly lit. Many expensive and beautiful hovercars were parked in the parking area next to the building, some models that ordinary people might never have seen.

A couple got out of a cool black car. The man was handsome, wearing a dark striped suit. The woman was charming, holding his arm and giggling softly: “It’s really convenient to talk business here. Unlike District One, a little ripple and everyone knows about it… Mr. Jian, why don’t we rent a room here long-term?”

The man, called Mr. Jian, had a hint of impatience in his eyes, but still smiled and said: “That’s too much trouble. Besides, if they really investigate, they can find out. Why don’t I buy you a villa on the outskirts of District One?”

The woman playfully punched his shoulder: “I don’t care for it.”

Liang Huan looked at the entrance of the club. The guards there were human. Everyone entering had to scan an invitation and go through several security checks, very carefully.

“Do you have an invitation?” Liang Huan asked him.

“An invitation to KaAnsa Club costs ten million Condensed Coins,” Li Yao said gloomily.

Liang Huan understood: “Sneak in?”

“Unlikely. It’s all shady business inside, and the protective measures are very well done. It’s easy to get caught,” Li Yao said. “Even if you can fly, it’ll be tough.”

Liang Huan: “…What do you suggest?”

Li Yao pointed to the luxury cars in the parking area: “I don’t have ten million Condensed Coins, but I do have a little strength.”

Just then, a hovercar drove up and stopped. A man got out of the car with another man in his arms. Liang Huan and Li Yao exchanged a look. Just as they were about to make a move, the two men in front of them suddenly started kissing passionately. Seeing that they were about to burst into flames and couldn’t stop, planning to get intimate right there in the open, Liang Huan conveniently picked up half a screw from the roadside and hit one of them on the back of the neck.

The man swayed and passed out.

The other one, pinned against the car door, was quite frightened. Just as he was about to scream, Li Yao, who had gone over, knocked him out directly.

Li Yao looked at Liang Huan jokingly: “You hit him too hard.”

“What a disgrace.” Liang Huan looked down at him condescendingly. “Quickly find the invitation.”

“You really don’t understand romance.” Li Yao quickly got the invitation and very considerately threw them into the hovercar and locked the car doors.

With the invitation, the two passed through the gate very smoothly. The club employee who received them was a man in his early twenties. He was not tall, with a slender figure, wearing a backless shirt suit. His legs under the suit shorts were white and smooth, with a chip tied to his thigh. He stood barefoot on the soft carpet, smiling at Li Yao and Liang Huan: “Mr. Song, Mr. Wu, I am Shuangta, the waiter responsible for serving you this time. You’ve come at the right time. A large batch of newcomers has arrived today. There are many beautiful goods. After the gentlemen upstairs are done choosing, you two can choose whatever you like.”

Liang Huan glanced at him: “Choosing what’s left over?”

Shuangta smiled: “If the gentleman doesn’t like that, you can also participate in the auction, but everyone has to pay an admission fee of five million. I heard that the gentlemen upstairs will also be there. These are even better than the newcomers.”

Li Yao cleared his throat: “The gentlemen upstairs? Is Ling Zao there too?”

Shuangta was startled, and said with a dry smile: “I’m sorry, sir, the auction cannot reveal the identity of the participants.”

Li Yao looked at him with an unfriendly expression, and handed him a stack of tips.

“However… it’s possible to run into him.” Shuangta’s words were ambiguous, but the meaning was very clear.

The auction venue was located on the top floor. Only after buying a ticket could one enter the elevator leading to the top floor.

“Gentlemen, this is the menu.” After entering the room, Shuangta placed the light screen of the menu in front of them. “Including food and other services, what do you two need?”

“Let’s talk about it later.” Li Yao said impatiently, “We have something to discuss. Don’t come and disturb us unless we call you.”

“Okay.” Shuangta retreated very discerningly.

In the dimly lit box, Li Yao and Liang Huan faced each other.

“A dignified Black Market boss, doesn’t even have five million in his chip?” Li Yao frowned.

“The external chip I brought doesn’t have a transfer function.” Liang Huan was very calm. “What about your money?”

Li Yao sat slumped on the sofa, took out a cigarette from his body and put it in his mouth, looking decadent and lazy: “Combat equipment, treatment instruments, enhancers, and the maintenance and repair costs of Number One and Kunwu, which one doesn’t cost money? The basic salary is just a few pennies, not even enough to buy cigarettes. The tax fees for commissions and bonuses are outrageously high. It’s already a miracle that I’ve lived to this day.”

He raised his hand and lit the cigarette: “Now I still owe the Mercenary Base two million in car repair fees. If I don’t go to the outer districts to get some supplies, I won’t even be able to afford food.”

Liang Huan: “…”

Although he didn’t owe money, all the money in his account had been used to subsidize the Black Market. He hadn’t gotten it back yet. The situation was not much better than Li Yao’s. Even more cruel was that before Yu Wan Yao’s downfall, the entire Black Market owed the Third District Administrative Court and Dawn Bank a lot of foreign debt. When he took over the Black Market, he also took over these foreign debts, not to mention the protective equipment he gave away for free when the functional disorder broke out.

His Majesty the Emperor found it hard to accept that he had worked so hard for so long and was still broke.

He pondered for a moment: “I heard that Ling Zao is very rich?”

Li Yao blew smoke rings at the ceiling, squinting his eyes and said: “Filthy rich, otherwise why would he live in this money pit every day.”

A hand broke up the smoke rings, taking the cigarette from his mouth.

“Hurry up and arrange things to invite District Chief Ling Zao over.” Liang Huan twisted out the cigarette, stood behind the back of the sofa and looked down at him. “If things are done, I’ll pay you this month’s bodyguard fee.”

Li Yao looked up and smiled: “Will there be a bonus?”

“It depends.” Liang Huan looked down at his smooth neck and the exposed, undefended vital points, and reached out to hold his neck.

Li Yao’s neck tightened unexpectedly, grabbed his wrist and slid down, twisting his waist and flipping over, one leg kneeling on the sofa, his eyes slightly shocked: “What are you doing?”

Usually, when he made this move, he was planning to break the other person’s neck.

“Smoke less.” Liang Huan said calmly. “The enhancers in your mercenaries’ cigarettes are stronger than ordinary cigarettes. People with a mind to can smell it.”

“Is that so?” Li Yao released his hand, raised his arm to sniff, but did not smell anything different. “Are you a dog nose?”

Liang Huan threw the cigarette in his hand into the trash can: “I tasted it.”

Li Yao: “…”

—

The top floor lounge of KaAnsa Club.

Ling Zao was flipping through the holographic image album in front of him. Whether male or female, everyone in it was very beautiful, but for an old hand like him who frequented District Four, these faces had become a little boring.

After looking at only a dozen, he closed the light screen, his greasy face full of annoyance and impatience: “Picking and choosing, they’re all vulgar things. I give you so much money every year, and this is how you provide service?”

The boss of the club was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. He was very well maintained. Under his gray-white hair were a pair of amber eyes. The tuxedo made him look elegant and refined. He smiled and said: “Mr. Ling, this time’s goods were carefully selected from all districts. It’s just a little boring to look at them like this, but after training, you will definitely be satisfied.”

“Stop fooling people.” Ling Zao snorted, the fat on his stomach trembling slightly. He squinted at the other party, smiling lewdly and greasy: “Cen Weng, how about you serve me?”

Cen Weng smiled: “I am naturally happy to, but I promised Mr. Yi before that I would no longer provide services to guests. If you can convince Mr. Yi, I can accompany you tonight.”

The expression on Ling Zao’s face was like he had eaten a fly. He sneered: “Yi Yuan can’t even protect himself now, how can he take care of you, you bitch? If he really cared about you, would he let you stay in District Four for so many years? A rotten piece of trash like you dares to threaten me!”

He picked up the wine bottle next to him and swung it at Cen Weng’s head. Cen Weng did not dodge or avoid it, letting the bottle hit his head. Blood flowed down his cheeks, but he still maintained a decent smile: “Mr. Ling, you’re drunk.”

Ling Zao didn’t expect him to dodge. His brain, corroded by alcohol, finally sobered up a bit, and he cursed: “I’ll let you off today, call that little thing who’s following you over here for me!”

Cen Weng wiped the blood off his face with a handkerchief and ordered the people next to him: “Call Shuangta over.”

The choking smell of smoke filled the room, but the expression on Ling Zao’s face became more and more irritable, until the cigarettes could no longer calm him down. He simply stood up and paced back and forth in the room, driving away the people around him: “Get out, all of you!”

He didn’t notice that in the vents on the ceiling, two pairs of eyes were staring at him.

“Are you sure you want to talk to him face to face?” Li Yao asked in a low voice.

Liang Huan frowned slightly: “Doesn’t your Administrative Court here have minimum standards for selecting officials?”

“Be considerate, the population is sparse in the post-apocalyptic world, and there are even fewer normal people.” Li Yao gently unscrewed the screws on the vent. “You should stay here obediently.”

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang. The suite had a wall separating the rooms. Ling Zao was about to walk out from the inner room when he saw the mercenary standing in the living room. His eyes went straight. He stared unblinkingly at the handsome and strong man in front of him: “Are you new here tonight?”

Li Yao instantly felt like worms were crawling all over him. He grinned and beckoned Ling Zao with his fingers.

Ling Zao couldn’t wait to pounce on him. The next second, his face slammed heavily onto the sole of a boot covered in mud and moss. The bones made a sour sound after being heavily hit. Mr. Ling Zao flew out with twisted and deformed facial features, snot and tears flowing.

Li Yao rubbed the sole of his boot on the carpet, looked up at the dark vent above, raised his hand and arrogantly beckoned with his fingers in the same way.

Liang Huan jumped down from the vent.

Li Yao stared at him with lingering fear, painfully rested his hand on his shoulder and took two breaths of fresh air: “This counts as a work injury.”

Liang Huan generously let him rest on him, smiling and said: “I’ll give you a raise.”