Zhou Tianming and Wei Jun sped down the road in an unmanned car.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted behind them. Turning back, they saw towering dust clouds swallowing everything before flames erupted ten seconds later.
The inferno painted the artificial sky crimson. Though heavy rain soon fell, the fire from the unmanned car's battery continued raging undiminished. Soon, the area became shrouded in a murky mix of steam and ash.
"HAHAHAHA!" Wei Jun threw his head back laughing. "Brothers! See that? I'm sending the first batch to keep you company! Walk slowly—the rest will join you soon enough!"
Wei Jun alternated between laughter and tears like a madman while Zhou Tianming watched silently.
At that moment, Wei Jun's burner phone chimed—displaying over a hundred compensation claims for the unmanned cars. Simultaneously, their vehicle's interface turned red, clearly threatening: "Refuse payment and we detonate."
With a dismissive wave, Wei Jun paid the fines. The car's display immediately turned blue, flashing a smiley face. Remarkably, Wei Jun showed no resentment about the payment. "If they knew their money was spent like this, they'd cheer loudly. Tian Ming, thank you."
Zhou Tianming smirked. "Not calling me 'kid' anymore?"
"I acknowledge you're no child. What's next? I'll follow your lead."
"We'll hide at the secret base to recover. We're outnumbered—can't afford prolonged fights. First, we'll unnerve them, then strike decisively in one major move. No half-measures."
Wei Jun nodded.
As their unmanned car approached an intersection preparing to turn, Zhou Tianming tapped the screen to change course straight ahead.
"Abandoning the second location?" Wei Jun looked disappointed. "I wanted to kill more of them."
"Unnecessary. They won't fall for the same trap twice. Besides, someone's already there—could spark a fight."
Wei Jun blinked. "Who? Using them as pawns?"
Zhou Tianming nodded. "You mentioned my mom was harassed when she arrived. I investigated—that's their gang's hideout."
Wei Jun roared with laughter. "Brilliant! Watching those scum tear each other apart will be a pleasure."
...
Elsewhere in the Junk Guild, inside a corporate office.
Gregg listened to the phone report with a grimace. "Five elite squads wiped out? Impressive incompetence. Double the bounty—get those hyenas moving."
"Sir, the second location's in Mord Gang territory. They've worked for us before..."
"Just because he's worked for us doesn't mean he can't help Wei Jun? The man's sitting on 2 billion," Gregg said irritably. "Get someone to haul over a few crates of RPGs. I don't want to see anything left standing on that ground."
"But then we won't be able to confirm if Wei Jun is really dead. What if LOGOS holds us accountable?"
The corner of Gregg's mouth twisted into a sinister smile. "Don't we have the perfect bait right here?"
"And if the fish doesn't bite?"
A vein bulged on Gregg's forehead as he roared, "Then use every fucking method possible—flaying, slow slicing—make Wei Jun watch! Can't you think for yourself?!"
"Yes, yes, right away."
The call ended with Gregg slamming down the receiver. "Fucking morons."
Ring ring—
The phone shrilled again. Gregg's nostrils flared as he snatched it up. "Are you fucking stup—"
"Stupid what?" came a calm male voice.
Cold sweat broke out on Gregg's forehead. He shot upright, back rigid, then bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle. "My deepest apologies, Mr. Mokelberg. I didn't realize it was you."
"Trouble on your end?"
"None at all. Just... swatting some flies."
"I cannot afford complications. This is pivotal for my bid as alliance leader. You understand the consequences of failure."
"Understood. There will be no mistakes."
"See that there aren't." Mokelberg's voice remained even. "You'll be compensated for losses. My man arrives shortly—ensure the package is intact."
"Of course. The 2 billion means nothing compared to contributing to your cause."
"At least you grasp that much."
The line went dead. Gregg remained frozen for several seconds before exhaling sharply, fingers still clenched around the phone.
Junk Guild—Zhou Tianming's secondary destination.
The abandoned factory stood quiet, guarded by black-suited men with shades.
Nearby, soldiers shouldered RPG launchers, taking aim.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Dozens of rockets streaked toward the building, trailing smoke. The guards gaped—weren't they just a small-time gang? This seemed excessive...
BOOM!
The structure disintegrated in flames and black smoke, the ground now splattered with crimson patterns.
The soldiers reloaded without pause.
Another barrage.
BOOM!
...
Catching the distant explosions on the wind, Zhou Tianming smiled.
Wei Jun ducked his head.
Soon they reached Junk Guild's massive water treatment plant, its mechanical roar drowning all other sounds.
The deafening noise kept the area deserted. Slipping past the few workers, they entered.
"Your secret base is here?"
"There's another entrance outside, but decades of changes made this route safer. The plant's constant activity means someone's maintained access points."
Following memorized schematics, Zhou Tianming took the service elevator underground, navigating corridors until they reached a chamber crisscrossed with pipes.
The two walked along the massive pipeline, feeling the vibrations of water flowing beneath their feet.
After a few more minutes, Zhou Tianming arrived at a huge two-meter-tall fan that was roaring with powerful gusts.
"Don't tell me the secret base is behind this fan?"
Wei Jun was speechless but felt a surge of security—what normal person could possibly find this place?
"Just a bit further behind."
As he spoke, Zhou Tianming crouched near the fan, about two or three meters away, and probed a recess close to the ground with his fingers.
He quickly found the button mentioned in the notes. Pressing it, the fan beside them gradually came to a stop.
"Hurry, the fan only stops for one minute."
Slipping past the fan blades, the two sprinted down the passageway behind it.
Fifty meters from the fan, they spotted a small door on the wall, painted the same color.
Zhou Tianming pointed at an X-mark on the door: "Hit it hard. This mechanism hasn't been used in a long time—it might be stuck."
Wei Jun obeyed, delivering a heavy blow.
Zhou Tianming watched as the door remained unchanged and pointed again.
By then, the distant fan had begun rotating once more, stirring the air currents in the passage.
Wei Jun took a deep breath, twisted his torso, and struck the mark again with full force.
A sharp click sounded from within the wall, and a handle popped out from the door.
Zhou Tianming gripped it, pressed down, and the door creaked open with a piercing screech. The two quickly slipped inside.
After crawling forward about ten meters, they reached a surprisingly spacious area—roughly the size of two or three basketball courts when illuminated by the lights.
Dozens of piles, each as tall as small hills and covered with gray cloth, were scattered everywhere. Yet the air wasn't stale, lacking any strong odors, and the room wasn't particularly dusty.
The walls resembled patched-up clothing, layered with overlapping metal plates, while the hum of machinery echoed from behind them.
This place clearly hadn't always looked like this—it had obviously been modified by its previous owner.
"We can only rest here temporarily. Any stored food or supplies are definitely unusable."
"That's fine. Just having a safe place is good enough."
After tidying up a bit, both exhausted from their injuries and the ordeal, they simply found a corner, laid out some brown cardboard boxes as makeshift bedding, and used the cloth covering the piles as blankets before settling down to rest.