Before Song Jin could show his disdain, Li Xiao raised his hand to interrupt the old man, using leading questions. It took a long time, but he finally heard the name of a gang: the Qinghe Society.

“Qinghe Society?” After stepping out of the alley, Song Jin opened his terminal and asked his shadow guards for information on this gang.

Shadow Guard: 【There is currently no data on this gang.】

The shadow guards had begun investigating the area after obtaining that sample of blood from N2533, but they had focused on District 7, where the Fierce Tigers’ headquarters were located. If they couldn’t find data on this gang there, it indirectly meant the Qinghe Society wasn’t a major power.

The cold night wind tousled their hair, and the dim streetlights stretched their shadows long. Li Xiao stood by the roadside checking the map, leading Song Jin toward the city center.

“The old man likely meant that the train is in the hands of the Qinghe Society.”

Song Jin: “Are you sure?”

Li Xiao: “I’m guessing.”

“…” Song Jin shoved his hands into his coat pockets and said blandly, “I thought you knew everything.”

Li Xiao: “…The old man was mixing several different local dialects together.”

Song Jin turned his head to look at him: “Not convinced?”

Li Xiao kept a straight face: “Next time, let’s find someone younger.”

Song Jin chuckled with a hint of sarcasm: “I told you to find an office worker, but you insisted on not doing that.”

Li Xiao: “They were dressed too elegantly; they looked like outsiders at a glance.”

Song Jin: “…”

There was a residential area north of the business district, also featuring shopping streets and housing. The neon signs were scattered and messy, and trash could be found everywhere on the streets—chaotic, yet filled with the vitality of daily life.

Li Xiao specifically sought out a small, old, and seemingly dirty snack shop. Using a spare terminal, he bought two sticky rice cakes and chatted with the clerk on the roadside.

The clerk was a chubby, middle-aged beta. Having just passed the peak traffic hour, he saw that Li Xiao was tall and thin, and his manner of speaking wasn’t like the local “spirited youth” who were always ready to flex their muscles and start trouble. He was left with a good impression, so he chatted with Li Xiao while making the sticky rice cakes.

“You’ve been running this shop for a long time, right?” Li Xiao took a bite of a sticky rice cake. Knowing Song Jin’s fastidious habit of hating such things, he didn’t offer him one.

The middle-aged beta pressed the dough and meatball flat with fast, practiced movements: “Must be over forty years. My father fled here to open this shop back then, and now he’s passed it on to me.”

Li Xiao: “There are quite a lot of gangs around here, right? Isn’t it very dangerous usually?”

The middle-aged beta chuckled: “Protection fees are inevitable; treat it like tax. As long as you keep your head down and stay out of trouble, they won’t mess with you.”

Song Jin smelled the sweet fragrance and glanced at Li Xiao from time to time. Seeing the other eating mouthful after mouthful, he endured and endured until he couldn’t anymore, pushing Li Xiao with some dissatisfaction.

Only caring about eating yourself? Do you think I’m dead?

Li Xiao thought Song Jin needed a translation. Turning his head, he saw the little lion staring at the rice cake in his hand. Without thinking, he instinctively held it out to the other’s mouth.

By the time he realized and went to pull it back, Song Jin had lowered his raised collar and bitten into it, right from his hand.

He actually doesn’t mind the dirt? Li Xiao asked curiously: “How is it?”

Seeing Song Jin chew twice, he snatched the rest of the sticky rice cake from Li Xiao’s hand.

Li Xiao: “At least leave me the half you already ate.”

Song Jin pressed his face away with his hand, using his actions to show he wouldn’t give back a single bite. Even if it’s been eaten, it’s mine.

Li Xiao: “…” It seems he likes it.

Seeing Song Jin’s cheeks bulging as he ate, Li Xiao bought two more, acting casual as he asked: “I heard from a colleague that there’s a Qinghe Society nearby?”

The middle-aged beta handed over the bag of sticky rice cakes, answering offhandedly: “Yeah, they usually operate in the south of the city. These two days are the trading day for the markets; a lot of outside merchants have come, and there’s all sorts of weird stuff.”

Li Xiao nodded: “Right, that’s what my colleague said. How do you get there?”

The middle-aged beta glanced at him, gesturing to show him the route, then exhorted: “That place is messy as hell. You two are young; it’s best to find someone from the ‘streets’ to take you there.”

That was a blatant hint.

“Is it that dangerous?” Li Xiao’s tone was somewhat disappointed. “I thought I could go see the world, but maybe I’ll think about it again.”

The middle-aged beta laughed: “That kind of place isn’t for upstanding young men like you. Five hundred meters from here is Qingxi Street; you can take your little wife to stroll around there. It’s bustling and safer than the trading market.”

Li Xiao: “…” Little wife?

Sure enough, Song Jin, who had been focused on devouring his food, looked up. The murderous intent in his eyes as he looked at the middle-aged beta was so strong, it felt like he might demolish the stall the next moment.

Before Song Jin could make a move, Li Xiao quickly grabbed his hand and asked the beta, acting as if nothing was wrong: “On the way here, we saw a building floating in the air. It looked beautiful. Do you know how to get up there?”

The middle-aged beta confirmed that Li Xiao was talking about the Adesai Floating Building and waved his hand dismissively.

“You can’t get up there. It’s been abandoned for ten years; it’s not a good place, best not to go near it.”

Feeling the hand in his palm struggling, Li Xiao offered his thanks, grabbed the sticky rice cakes with one hand, and sped off with Song Jin in the other.

“No eye for detail,” Song Jin grumbled after finishing the last bite, cold snorting. “At his age, he can’t even tell who the wife is.”

Li Xiao: “…” I think you’re the one who can’t see clearly.

The Qinghe Society was in the south of the city; walking there was a chore, so they planned to go back and get the motorcycle.

After walking one block, they sensed three sets of footsteps following them ever since they left the snack shop. Song Jin and Li Xiao exchanged a look and ducked into a dim, narrow alley.

Five meters away, three small-time thugs saw the two “fat sheep” enter the alley, pulled out the electric batons from their waistbands, and followed silently.

There were no streetlights in the alley, only two rows of garbage cans that stank to high heaven.

The thugs didn’t see anyone at first glance and accelerated. Suddenly, everything blurred before their eyes, and before they could react, a massive force plunged them headfirst into the trash cans.

“Ugh! Gak!”

“Boss!”

The minion behind lashed out with his electric baton.

Song Jin didn’t rush, kicking his leg out. The minion collided with the one behind him, and both tumbled into the garbage cans, retching violently and struggling to climb out.

07: 【Initiating powerful purification and filtration mode.】

Although they couldn’t smell the stench, the sight was nauseating. Song Jin signaled to Li Xiao to leave quickly.

“Daring to strike us! You won’t get away with this!” a threatening warning came from the minions behind them.

Li Xiao found the noise annoying and kicked a stone near his foot at them. It struck the minion square in the forehead, and the world went quiet.

Just as the two stepped out of the alley, a group of modified hover-motorcycles swooped down from the air. The beta in the lead pointed at them, looking like they weren’t just passing by.

Seeing they were carrying guns, Li Xiao took a step back with Song Jin.

The swooping motorcycles flew right past them. At the moment they passed the alley entrance, the beta pulled his sidearm and aimed at them.

Before the beta could pull the trigger, Li Xiao kicked the back of the beta’s hand, grabbed the man from the bike, and jumped onto the vehicle in one smooth motion.

The beta only felt a numbness in his hand, and the next moment, the world turned upside down as he slammed into the wall and tumbled down.

“Ugh!”

Before hitting the pillar ahead, Li Xiao maneuvered the bike into a sharp turn in mid-air, dodging the bullets while using the body of the bike to ram the other vehicles.

Song Jin caught the sidearm that had been kicked away by Li Xiao and pulled the trigger on the wrists of those minions.

Bang-bang-bang—!

The minions’ wrists were pierced. The extreme pain caused their vehicles to lose balance, and they wobbled in the air, crashing into each other.

Li Xiao took the opportunity to return to the alley entrance and reached out a hand to Song Jin. Song Jin grabbed it, jumped on, and wrapped his arms around Li Xiao’s waist, pulling the trigger on the minions who had followed.

“Where are my sticky rice cakes?!”

Li Xiao: “…They aren’t lost.” Are you really concerned about the right things?

Li Xiao scanned the rearview mirror, dodged another wave of bullets, and lowered his altitude, speeding through various small alleys. Another group pursued them head-on. Song Jin ran out of bullets, threw the gun aggressively at them, and successfully knocked one out.

07: 【Master, use me, use me!】

Song Jin: “No need.”

09: 【You know I’m low on battery, right?】

Li Xiao: “…We don’t need you for now.”

After flying through five streets, they successfully shook off the thugs, and Li Xiao lowered his altitude again, taking a detour toward the south.

“Hold on tight; it’ll look ugly if you fall.”

Song Jin tightened his arms, whispering into Li Xiao’s ear against the cold wind: “Just say it if you want me to hold you.”

Li Xiao glanced at his proud face and chuckled languidly: “Stinky, arrogant brat.”

Song Jin narrowed his eyes, reached under the hem of Li Xiao’s coat, pinched his abdominal muscles, and threatened: “I suggest you take those words back.”

Li Xiao frowned: “Your hands are freezing, take them away.”

The more he said that, the more Song Jin insisted on doing it, using Li Xiao’s stomach to warm his hands.

Fifteen minutes later, the bike flew to the Qinghe Society’s market area.

This bike belonged to another gang; riding it inside was too conspicuous. Seeing Li Xiao observing the surroundings, Song Jin tapped him and pointed to a quiet street below: “Stop there.”

If they didn’t dump the bike soon, it would invite more trouble. Li Xiao complied and landed at the spot Song Jin pointed out. Two streets away, the lights were densest—likely the market the rice cake owner mentioned. Li Xiao stopped the bike, tossed the sticky rice cakes to Song Jin, and prepared to head toward the market.

Catching a glimpse of something, Li Xiao looked up and saw that the building by the street had words in the Lin Yu tribe language of Danse: [Law Enforcement Bureau]. And the bike they had stolen was parked right in front of the building.

A dense sound of footsteps came to their ears. A group of people suddenly rushed out of the small door of the Law Enforcement Bureau, dyed with rainbow-colored hair, carrying modified firearms.

Li Xiao grabbed Song Jin and ran.

Song Jin frowned: “What’s going on?”

Li Xiao: “On such a wide road, they insisted on parking the bike at the front door of the Law Enforcement Bureau.”

This Law Enforcement Bureau clearly wasn’t official; it was highly likely a branch established by the Qinghe Society. Leaving other gangs’ vehicles right at their front door was a public provocation.

Song Jin: “…” The price of being illiterate.

Weaving through the small alleys, Song Jin pulled Li Xiao by the hand to hide in a corner. Having been chased all night, he would be furious if the sticky rice cakes went cold.

Song Jin and Li Xiao made a few attack gestures, listened for the footsteps to approach, and struck simultaneously.

Song Jin grabbed a gun, pressed it against a beta’s head, and hissed in a disguised voice: “This is a robbery! Hands over your heads, go to the corner and squat!”

Li Xiao was taken aback by his wild tactics.

Song Jin grabbed the beta and held him as a human shield, urging in Danse: “Hurry up if you want to live!”

The group of thugs looked at each other and retreated to the wall, hugging their heads and squatting down.

A moment later, Song Jin walked out, took off his jacket in the darkness, and turned it inside out. Li Xiao looked at the group of thugs knocked unconscious, tossed all the terminals into the garbage, turned his jacket inside out as well, and headed with Song Jin toward the market.

Their clothes were specially made for disguises; the two sides of the jacket looked completely different.

Li Xiao: “You’re very skilled at this business.”

Song Jin, eating a sticky rice cake: “When you’re out, your identity is whatever you make it to be. Who doesn’t know how to act like a thug?”

Li Xiao: “…”

The so-called “market” was completely different from what one would normally expect. Firearms were considered the most normal commodity here. Beyond that, there were horns and organs of mutated beasts, slaves, human organs, and all sorts of illegal drug trafficking.

You couldn’t buy things just with money; many items required trades or the exclusive currency of the Qinghe Society.

The two didn’t go to the most densely packed areas, walking only on the periphery to find someone suitable to ask for information. They walked to an area with street stalls. None of the stalls on this street had shops; everything was placed directly on the ground, mostly homemade weapons.

“Anyone who can set up a stall here is likely not a kind soul,” Song Jin whispered.

Li Xiao looked around and walked up to a weapons stall. The vendor, a beta man in his fifties, seemed relatively “cleaner” in his aura compared to those around him. Li Xiao picked up a military knife that was well-crafted.

The beta uncle was polishing gun parts. He took a glance and said in Dans with a heavy accent: “This one is 5,000 Danse coins.”

That accent—he’s a local, Song Jin mused.

He could understand a bit if they were outsiders, but he couldn’t understand a single word of the local dialect.

Song Jin asked 07 via thought: 【Translate for me?】

07 spat out a bunch of nonsense.

07: 【This language isn’t in the system database; it’s too difficult! QuQ】

Song Jin: “…”

Li Xiao compared the knife in his hand and said offhandedly: “The material cost is at most 300, labor is 500. This thing is worth at most 800.”

Never expecting Li Xiao, who looked so young, to be so knowledgeable, the beta uncle gasped and said irritably: “4,500 at the lowest. Don’t buy if you can’t afford it!”

Li Xiao: “I see you have no business here, and compared to other stalls, your goods don’t have much of an advantage. You probably don’t sell much all night, right?”

The beta uncle’s face darkened instantly: “What the hell does a layman know?! If you don’t like my goods, get lost!”

Song Jin, though he didn’t understand, could read the body language. He looked disgusted and said in Danse: “The goods are poor, and the attitude is even worse. Let’s go look over there.”

“I actually quite liked this one,” Li Xiao said, putting the knife down with some regret.

Seeing Li Xiao actually walk away, the beta uncle shouted to stop him: “Meeting is destiny; 4,000 at the lowest! Can’t go lower!”

Li Xiao held Song Jin’s hand and turned, unmoved: “Baby, let’s go.”

Song Jin: “…”

The beta uncle stood up abruptly: “3,800! …I guarantee you won’t find a better knife anywhere else. 3,500! Come back!”

Li Xiao paused, returned to the stall, and looked at the beta uncle who had chased after them for two steps: “If you can answer my question, I’ll buy it.”

The beta uncle frowned warily, eyeing him and Song Jin: “Why do you want to go there?”

Li Xiao chuckled: “I’ve never seen such a unique building. I wanted to go take a look.”

The beta uncle scanned the surroundings quickly, turned, sat back on his small stool, and fumbled with the parts: “I don’t know. Buy the knife or don’t, I don’t care.”

This cold attitude was completely different from a moment ago; clearly, he wasn’t ignorant, just didn’t want the trouble. Li Xiao tried to persuade him, but the beta uncle had made up his mind—he wouldn’t let slip a word.

“What do you want to find out?”

A relaxed, smiling, male bass voice sounded.

Li Xiao’s eyes flickered, and he turned to look behind him. An alpha who looked to be in his early thirties walked over—black hair, thick eyebrows, stubble, rugged features. He wore sunglasses even at night, and he was about the same height as him. He wore a wolf-skin hat and a rough-processed leather outfit, looking like a hunter.

07: 【Almost zero detectable pheromones from this alpha.】

The higher the aptitude, the more precise the control over pheromones.

Song Jin examined the alpha, his intuition telling him this person was dangerous. Dangerous, yet permeated with a sense of familiarity—a very strange person.

Seeing the awkward silence, the alpha smiled at them: “You were asking about something, right? My stall is just up ahead. Want to come over and look?”

Li Xiao had just taken a step when Song Jin reached out to stop him. Song Jin tilted his head, eyes warning him: 【This guy is wrong.】

Li Xiao placatingly took his hand: “Since we’re already here, let’s go look.”

Song Jin: “…” Looking for trouble?

He had assumed this alpha was selling animal skins or horns, but upon arriving at the stall, he saw only a piece of ragged cloth with a bamboo sign stuck into half a radish, reading: “Jianghu Informant—Only 9.9.”

Li Xiao: “…”

Song Jin: “…”

The alpha sat cross-legged in front of the cloth, casually tossing two tattered mats to Li Xiao and Song Jin.

“What do you want to ask?”

Li Xiao looked at him languidly: “Can I ask anything?”

The alpha: “Of course. As long as you pay enough, I can even find out what underwear the King of Danse is wearing today.”

Li Xiao: “…” Do I really need you to find that out?

The alpha tucked his chin and peered at Li Xiao over his sunglasses, pulling the corners of his mouth into a cheap, smirking grin: “So, how about it? 9.9 isn’t a loss, you won’t be fooled.”

Meeting those jet-black eyes, Li Xiao was certain he hadn’t misjudged. Wei Feng. In his previous life, after the war with the Meng family broke out, he had proactively sought him out and helped him resolve many problems.

This person’s movements were erratic, his identity mysterious; he only knew that he was well-connected in both the underworld and the establishment. After the civil war ended, he had wanted to arrange for Wei Feng to take an official post, but he could never be contacted. After sending many people to look for him, a year before he decided to be reborn, he received news that Wei Feng had passed away in an accident.

Never thought this brat would be here playing con man.

Li Xiao pulled out his spare terminal and transferred one million directly to him.

“Pack up. Let’s go outside to talk.”

As soon as Wei Feng saw the amount, he dumped the radish without hesitation: “Let’s go, Boss. I’ll keep you company for food, talk, or the night—whatever you want.”

Li Xiao: “…”

Song Jin watched this maneuver of Li Xiao’s, deep in thought. It seems Li Xiao knows some of this guy’s background.

Li Xiao and Song Jin weren’t familiar with the area and let Wei Feng find a place where they could talk. Ten minutes later, they were sitting in a massage parlor in Wei Feng’s beat-up old convertible.

Watching Song Jin with his messy hair and a complexion colder than the freezing wind outside, Li Xiao felt a headache coming on, mixed with a bit of amusement.

Song Jin tugged at his hair and asked in a low, frustrated voice: “Why must we come to a place like this? And who exactly is this person?”

Li Xiao: “He’s more reliable than the people we asked before.”

Glancing at Wei Feng walking ahead, Li Xiao added: “At least he charges a fee.”

Song Jin: “…” Don’t come crying to me if you’ve been scammed.

Inside a small private room, Wei Feng lay sprawled like a massive lump on the massage bed, eyes closed, receiving the diligent service of a massage robot.

“This is life.”

Li Xiao: “How much do you know about the Adesai Floating Building?”

Wei Feng: “You want to go up and sightsee?”

Li Xiao: “I heard you need a special train to get in?”

Wei Feng dragged out his voice, sounding as sleepy as if he could doze off at any moment. “Because magnetic field passwords are set, you need the right code, or the security system will be triggered. Normal hovercars will crash if they get too close.”

Li Xiao: “Do you know where the train is?”

Wei Feng: “Back then, Adesai ordered three special trains. One was scrapped, one disappeared without a trace, and one is stored at the Qinghe Society headquarters.”

Song Jin narrowed his eyes. This person really did know a few things, though whether they were true or false remained to be seen.

“Where at the Qinghe Society headquarters?” Song Jin took over the conversation, asking in Danse. “Is it still functional?”

Wei Feng: “It’s functional, but—I’m afraid it’ll be very difficult to drive away.”

Song Jin: “What does that mean?”

Wei Feng’s voice grew even sleepier: “They’ve repurposed it. They aren’t as easy to talk to as I am.”

Li Xiao: “Where is it? We’ll find a way ourselves.”

After he asked, there was no response for half a day. Li Xiao thought perhaps there was some taboo, or that the payment wasn’t enough, but soon he heard the sound of snoring louder than a pig’s. He had actually fallen asleep.

Song Jin snorted coldly, looking more and more displeased. He wanted to go over, hoist Wei Feng up, and beat him into a pulp.

Li Xiao stopped him: “We’re not in that much of a rush.”

Song Jin’s voice was cold: “So we just wait here?”

Li Xiao looked at the idle massage robot to the side: “Relax with a massage?”

Song Jin: “…”

A moment later, both of them were also pushed into a daze by the robots. This inconspicuous massage parlor actually provided quite good service.

Wei Feng slept until past 11:00 PM. Song Jin didn’t want to spend the night in this dump, grabbed Wei Feng’s collar, and shook him awake.

“Eat… eat dinner?” Wei Feng opened his eyes groggily, smacked his lips, and reached out to scratch his butt.

Song Jin tossed him away in disgust, using a blade created by 07 to press against Wei Feng’s throat: “Where’s the train? Take us there!”

Wei Feng jolted, instantly awake.

“Right away!”

The temperature late at night dropped significantly. 07 and 09 autonomously activated temperature control modes; they couldn’t bear to let their masters freeze.

Driving the car, Wei Feng looked at the colorful neon signs ahead and said to them: “There’s a legend where we’re from—anyone who goes to the Floating City to explore will have terrible luck. Are you tired of living, rushing over there to sightsee?”

Hearing the intent in his words, Li Xiao asked: “Many people went to explore in the past?”

“A floating building built at such a huge cost—that’s not something you see often around here.” Wei Feng took a moment to fish out a cigarette and stick it between his lips. “Shortly after Adesai went bankrupt, many gangs wanted to claim the floating building for themselves. They sent people up in busloads, but very few came back down.”

Li Xiao: “Killed each other?”

Wei Feng: “That’s one reason, but I heard there are a lot of lethal traps inside the building. Outsiders trigger them the moment they break in. After too many people died, no one dared to go up anymore. Mostly, there’s nothing there anyway—just a few dilapidated, abandoned buildings. Over time, the train fell into disuse.”

Song Jin and Li Xiao exchanged a look and asked offhandedly: “Have you been up there?”

Wei Feng: “I’m terrified of dying; I wouldn’t dare go up.”

The car circled the market and drove to another bustling area, pulling into an underground parking lot.

“We’re here.” Wei Feng signaled for them to get out.

The two followed him onto the street and soon discovered a love hotel in the shape of a train. They paused.

This couldn’t be that special train, could it?

Just as the thought flashed through their minds, they saw Wei Feng pointing over there, smiling brilliantly: “Look, that’s it. The bed is huge and soft; perfect for vigorous young lovers.”

Li Xiao/Song Jin: “…”