An hour later, in the Outer Ring, just a few hundred meters away from Blazewood.
Over a hundred of the Vanquishers' underlings blocked the road, each gripping a weapon and watching the front with sharp vigilance.
Several massive trucks were parked sideways across the highway, forming a makeshift steel barricade far sturdier than any ordinary roadblock.
Lucius stood at the front, riling his men up. "Brothers, the Public Security people have come several times before, and we cooperated with their investigations every single time. The innocent have nothing to fear. But this time, they've come again—and this time, they're the Sons of Calydon's hired help, trying to challenge our Vanquishers' dominance!"
He raised his arm high and shouted with all his strength, "Brothers, tell me—what do we do in this situation?!"
A devious and cunning youth, yet he managed to perform with the zeal of a hot-blooded gang leader.
One had to admit—he was really giving it his all.
"Teach them a lesson! Show them the might of the true Overlord!"
The underlings roared back in unison, their morale burning high.
They waved their weapons furiously, answering Lucius's fiery call with blood and rage.
"Good! That's the spirit!"
Lucius nodded in satisfaction. "But remember, Boss Pompey left clear orders—we don't pick fights for no reason. So just show your strength. If they have any sense, let them pass. If they don't… show them what the Vanquishers are made of!"
That was only for appearances—to keep up the image before Pompey.
In truth, he wanted a fight. The Tour de Inferno, which would determine the Outer Ring's next Overlord, was drawing near.
The messier things got now, the better. The more chaos he could stir, the more distracted Pompey would become—and the easier it would be for Lucius to fish in troubled waters.
"We understand, Boss Lucius! Don't worry!"
The underlings shouted with excitement. "If they won't drink the toast, we'll make them drink the punishment cup instead!"
Each of them clenched their fists, bloodlust and aggression—traits ingrained in every biker—boiling to the surface. They were eager to prove their strength.
"Good!"
Lucius looked upon his men with immense satisfaction.
With such seasoned fighters, the Sons of Calydon and those Public Security folks would surely leave beaten and humiliated!
Just as Lucius basked in his self-satisfaction, a large truck, four motorcycles, and three cars sped rapidly toward them.
Each vehicle showcased expert driving skill, drifting smoothly to a stop just in front of the truck barricade.
Tires screeched against asphalt, leaving several black streaks on the road.
The underlings stiffened, their eyes locking onto the approaching convoy.
A group of handsome men and beautiful women stepped out of their vehicles. Their styles varied, but every one of them exuded confidence and power.
Except for one silver-haired man and one blue-haired woman who looked a little weak, the rest were clearly no ordinary people.
The Vanquishers' men glanced down at themselves, then at their comrades—realizing they looked pathetically plain by comparison.
Facing such stylish opponents, they suddenly felt like cannon fodder.
Anger flared.
Who said rough edges made them villains?
They were the real Outer Ring tough guys! They'd beat these pretty city folk until they begged for mercy!
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Zhu Yuan, Captain of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team of New Eridu Public Security. We mean no offense—we're only here to investigate the whereabouts of the major criminal, Pearlman."
Zhu Yuan stepped forward, her voice steady and formal.
"I'm Caesar, leader of the Sons of Calydon. On our honor, I assure you—they have no hostile intentions. There's no need for tension."
Caesar also stepped forward, introducing both sides, hoping to resolve things peacefully. A fight was the last thing she wanted.
The Vanquishers' men, seeing such polite behavior, still kept their weapons raised—but their expressions softened slightly.
After all, these people looked well-off and civilized, more like privileged young elites from New Eridu than troublemakers.
Lucius, however, refused to let the mood ease. He sneered. "Heh. You can say whatever you want. The Public Security came twice before, and we cooperated both times. They found nothing. And now you're back again? You think the Vanquishers are some pushovers you can casually push around whenever you want?"
First move: incite the crowd.
The hundred-odd Vanquishers instantly turned hostile, glaring viciously at Zhu Yuan's group.
Zhu Yuan frowned. This man was clearly up to no good. "We don't think that way. Don't twist our words."
Lucius didn't listen. He pressed on, voice rising with false outrage. "There's no Pearlman here! Two investigations already proved that! I think today you're just the Sons of Calydon's hired muscle, trying to interfere with the Outer Ring's leadership!"
"The Tour de Inferno is coming soon! You must've realized you can't win, so now you resort to dirty tricks!"
Truth was, he'd heard how skilled the Sons of Calydon were behind the wheel—and it made him nervous.
But right now? Whatever. Just slap the blame on them.
"Get out of the Outer Ring! Go back to your fancy city!"
The Vanquishers erupted in fury, glaring daggers at Sol's group.
Lucius smirked inwardly.
Second move: distort the truth. Worked like a charm.
"The Sons of Calydon would never do such a thing!" Caesar snapped, keeping her anger in check. "Lucius, if you don't understand what's going on, then call your boss, Pompey, so we can talk properly."
Lucius didn't flinch. His eyes flashed as he shouted back, "So that's your plan—joining forces with the city's greedy powers to pressure us? You want to use the lives of our brothers to threaten Boss Pompey? I tell you now—the Vanquishers will never allow Boss Pompey to be insulted! We will never let your schemes succeed!"
No one knows how to frame you better than the one actually guilty.
As the true traitor within the Vanquishers, Lucius only needed to pin his crimes on someone else—and his lies would sound perfectly convincing.
"Boss Pompey!"
"We won't drag the boss down!"
"Take them out! No one insults Boss Pompey!"
The Vanquishers were completely riled up, ready to charge.
To them, Pompey wasn't just a leader—he was family, the living symbol of the Vanquishers' honor.
"…"
Zhu Yuan and Caesar exchanged grim looks. This guy really didn't understand words.
They were trying to reason, but he insisted on stirring hatred.
"Sol, I think there's something off about that guy," Belle muttered quietly beside him.
"Yeah. Just from his attitude, I'm sure he's the one hiding Pearlman," Sol said, crossing his arms confidently.
He'd transmigrated a bit early—he didn't know all the Outer Ring's details.
But judging by Lucius's face alone, he could tell this wasn't a good man. Killing him wouldn't be unjust.
"I think we should still have evidence before making arrests," Qingyi said softly, maintaining her professional principles.
Even if Lucius seemed suspicious, she couldn't act without proof. What if he was just hiding some other dirty business? They couldn't jump to conclusions.
At that moment—
Lucius once again whipped his men into a frenzy, fanning the flames to the peak. "Brothers! Attack! Show these traitorous Sons of Calydon and their city lackeys the strength of the Vanquishers! The Vanquishers are the one and only, invincible rulers of the Outer Ring!"
He raised his arm high, face twisted with zeal and rage like a berserker.
"Charge! Fight!"
"For honor!"
The Vanquishers' underlings—pure muscle and no brain—roared, charging up with weapons in hand.
Lucius's lips curled into a sly grin as he quietly retreated behind the mob.