Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The little brat panicked for a moment, but he very quickly recovered with an innocent smile. “Big Brother, I can tell you’re a nice person. I’m doing it for your sake. That sort of place is dangerous, there are hooligans and mafia…”
Wang Zheng lifted up the little brat. He had no intention to quibble with the kid. Perhaps just shake him up a little. But when he looked at the kid up close, Wang Zheng realized an issue. For this guy to be cheating someone of a hundred bucks meant that his family had to be in dire straits. But although this guy was dirty, he was clean below the neck, and his eyes shone with the light of nobility. After all, Wang Zheng had seen many of his like at Elite Academy X. Although this kid was in a bad place, his past must have been good.
“Keke, little man, what’s your name?” Wang Zheng decided to talk it out with this boy.
The kid said wretchedly, “Everyone calls me Piglet. I’ll return the hundred bucks to you. Don’t hit me, okay?”
“Are there pigs as skinny as this?” Wang Zheng patted the kid’s head. He was full of his own doubts as well. What was he doing with this kid? “Sigh, here’s another 200. Brother’s a poor man as well. Take care now.”
Wang Zheng smiled. He felt that he looked super cool at the moment he turned away. D*mn, he just couldn’t quell his heroic heart.
He heard a yelp from behind him. Wang Zheng knew in his heart that it was because he had been too cool.
Closely following, a laser streaked past his head. From the other end of the street, a few people with laser guns were sweeping this way.
Wang Zheng scooped up the little kid and scrambled away.
F*ck, what the hell was going on? Even pros were afraid of boards and bricks, let alone laser guns.
“The window.” At this moment, the kid was still calm.
Of course, Wang Zheng had no intention of leaving through the door. He directly launched through the window, closely followed by the kid.
This kid was still pretty calm. He must have been in many similar situations. He ordered Wang Zheng here and there, and they were soon free of the pursuit.
Wang Zheng wondered what sins he had committed. He had spent 300 bucks and almost lost his life as well.
After recovering their breath, he eyed the little guy. “Kid, you look like you’re from fine stock. Smooth skin and good body. Say, do you owe the mafia, or are you a runaway slave?”
Although Wang Zheng put on a fierce countenance, the kid’s reaction was pretty composed. He lightly moved Wang Zheng’s foot aside, looking at him with puppy eyes.
And Wang Zheng’s heart melted.
He knew that this was his own weakness. In such a ghastly place, he had a mission he could not talk about. This kid was of unknown background. Someone was chasing them, and it was an organized someone, from the looks of things. It was not looking good.
Wang Zheng had a good eye. Those chasing him were wearing blue curved sword symbols. Chances were, it was the Bill family that Old Xiao had mentioned. Who were the meanest of the mafia here. But… this was like an access point.
“Big Brother, they’re the bad guys.”
Wang Zheng laughed. “I’m no good guy either. Forget it. Take it as my good deed today. We can part now.”
Wang Zheng said, straightening his clothes and preparing to leave. But this kid was following behind. Wang Zheng sweated. D*mn, he was good at attracting followers.
“What are you doing following me?” Wang Zheng hollered on purpose.
A pity that Wang Zheng was no actor. This boy was agile and unafraid. The moment Wang Zheng stopped, he clutched his clothes. And Wang Zheng really could not bear to shrug a kid off.
D*mn, it was said that undercover work needed cruelty. It was not a good fit for Wang Zheng.
“Kid, don’t follow me, really. I’m a miner. Holiday today. I have to go back to continue mining real soon. I can’t even feed myself, let alone you. And I can’t afford to offend those guys.”
Wang Zheng counselled him. But the kid was holding on even more tightly. Wang Zheng sighed deeply. He must have done something wrong in his past life.
Just like that, Wang Zheng returned early, and now with a little tail. Zuckerberg did not care. As long as Sunday Zhao’s work was unaffected, he would turn a blind eye. Besides, a soft-hearted person was easy to control.
Those in Fallen Paradise were used to the rules of the place, but it did not mean that everyone was evil. Many times, people were just trying to survive. Of course, Zuckerberg did not let Wang Zheng off easy. He simply warned him that if Wang Zheng’s work suffered, the kid would immediately go.
In Fallen Paradise, there were too many vagrants. Other aspects could be managed, but not this one. They would live or die on their own. These kids either never grew up, or entered the gangs. It was nothing new, and people’s hearts slowly hardened.
Wang Zheng had come back, but Old Xiao had not. It looked like he was tangled up with his old buddies.
“Right, this is where I stay. You can see that it’s not much better than the streets.” Wang Zheng tossed a ragged blanket to the kid.
On the way back, the little guy had been quiet. He docilely received the blanket and found a corner. Before long, he was asleep.
Wang Zheng shook his head with a bitter smile. He could tell whether the kid was feigning sleep. He had gone a little overboard, to quibble with the kid.
He put the kid on the bed. He was just not cut out to be a bad guy.
Well, this trip had not been completely meaningless. Fallen Paradise had been volatile recently, and this possibly stemmed from the contention between the three great powers.
The three great powers had been very balanced. The Julian family dealt with the outside, the Bill family maintained order, and the Hong Lirong family was in charge of the city’s business. But as the Bill family’s power continued to grow, they were clearly not content being equal partners. Especially the current family head, who was full of ambition. After tolerating things for more than a decade, he was finally starting to flex, creating instability in Fallen Paradise.
From the perspective of the Milky Way Alliance Council, water that was too clear supported no fish. Whether in ancient times or today, or in the future, this would not change. Especially since mining stability was something the Alliance needed. This place was a cauldron that stood on its three legs stably, and in its stability was unquestionably in the interests of the Alliance. If the place was ruled by the Bill family’s curved knives, then things were in question. Just looking at those louts, one knew how things would go.
The hot-blooded Bill family must definitely challenge the Alliance once they dominated. This was something the Alliance was unwilling to see. Crucially, the Alliance Council had to maintain regional security. Whether the Bill family ventured out to other planets was one thing, but to the Alliance Council, this could not be allowed to happen.
Suddenly, Wang Zheng was shocked. What he could think of, others could as well. Nobody was a fool. Which meant that there must have been undercover agents before him. Even now, this city had to be crawling with agents for various factors. And some might already have been eliminated.
What a headache. D*mn, this life was not easy to live. Sometimes tackling it head-on was, in fact, the easiest course of action. Wang Zheng was very good at dealing with those changes, even confident that he could find an opportunity to turn the tide. Back then, Hail Cloud Alliance had met with pirate attacks, and that was not as serious as this. Currently, the situation was not something that force alone could resolve. And seeing the gadget on his hand, he really wanted to think of a way to be rid of it. Otherwise, he would die without even knowing it.
On the bed, the little guy slept very peacefully. This dirty and dark hole was actually the most peaceful place around.
Wang Zheng smiled and walked out. He took two bottles of beer and went to find Zuckerberg. Perhaps he was just a section head, but in this place, he could secure him many conveniences. And what Wang Zheng wanted to know was if this mine belonged to the Bill family’s purview.
