Chapter Thirteen: Transactions

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  The kitchen knife grasped the big man's left hand and with a burst of strength, the big man's neck emitted a crisp cracking sound, already being twisted to death. He casually threw the big man's corpse on the ground, then helped me up. The black bear had his left arm wrapped around the big man, while his right hand grasped a handgun, leading the way forward towards the outside of the office. The kitchen knife supported me tightly as we followed closely behind.

  As soon as I pushed open the office door and walked out, people outside automatically made way for me, trying to keep their bodies as far away from us as possible. After all, most of them are still afraid of death.

  Suddenly, several big men holding guns rushed out of the rooms in front and fired at us without saying a word. Hei Xiong held up one of the big men to block the bullets, while I and Cai Dao hid behind them. The bullets all hit the big man who was being held up. As soon as the gunfire stopped, Hei Xiong threw away the big man who had become riddled with bullets and fired his gun along with Cai Dao. Several of the big men groaned and fell to the ground, and I couldn't help but secretly exclaim: "What accurate marksmanship!"

  He quickly swapped out another magazine and excitedly shouted at me, "See that? That's the life of a mercenary, haha..."

  Seeing them kill several people in an instant, I looked at the bloodstains on my body and the ones on the ground, caused by me, and couldn't help but feel a surge of nausea.

  The black bear and the vegetable knife took me to the first floor hall, although a bloody battle had taken place on the fifth floor, but the people downstairs didn't know anything about it, still dancing wildly with DJ music. The two hid their handguns in their bosoms, sandwiched me into the entertainment city, and got straight into a taxi.

  The car started, and I, who had safely walked out of the amusement park, could no longer resist the dizziness that came in waves, losing my sense of direction.

  I don't know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes, after the initial dizziness passed, I found myself lying on a very large bed, with nothing on my body except for a pair of underwear. The wound had been bandaged. I struggled to sit up straight, feeling a burning pain in my back and shoulders, and couldn't help but take a sharp breath in. It was then that I suddenly remembered what happened last night.

  Where is this?

  It's pitch black all around, nothing can be seen. On the opposite side of the bed, there is a very large table, vaguely visible are Black Bear and Vegetable Knife each guarding a laptop playing CS against each other.

  I cleared my throat, which was a bit dry, and let out a small cough. The two of them were wearing headphones and were in the midst of an intense gaming session, so they didn't react. I had no choice but to grab a nearby pill bottle from the bedside table and toss it over, hitting Black Bear's computer screen right on target. Only then did the two of them snap out of their gaming trance, shut down the computer, and walk over.

  "Hi, how are you?"

  The black bear poured a glass of water and handed it to me as I sat on the bed, my throat was parched to death, so I took it without hesitation and drank the water in one gulp, handing over the cup and said gratefully: "Thank you, it still hurts a bit."

  "Hehe." The black bear chuckled: "The injury isn't too severe, the bullets and knife didn't hit any bones, you'll be able to move around after a few days of rest."

  I nodded again in gratitude, the kitchen knife touched my twisted arm standing at the head of the bed, and said gloomily: "Kid, now you understand this society! Any place that seems peaceful and safe in the world hides bloodshed and violence. This is war! People have always lived inside, but they don't know it, and we just face it more directly! The complexity of this world is not something we can understand or discuss!

  I lowered my head and looked at the gauze wrapped around me, saying nothing.

  The saber looked at me, who didn't say a word, and continued: "Do you know how crazy you were last night? The most primitive blood of men is flowing in your bones, this is the law of nature! You don't belong to this world, you belong to war, join us!"

  To be honest, after what happened last night, their identities are no longer in question, but my mindset has definitely changed from before. As for what Caidao said, I couldn't possibly agree or disagree with it, but it did reveal the darkest side of this world. Having gone through a baptism by blood, no matter how you look at it, the original me who could be called simple will eventually undergo a fundamental change. But after twenty-some years of peaceful life, how can I suddenly accept such a bloody lifestyle?

  And is it a life of opposition from an early age, learning to oppose from childhood? War...

  I almost subconsciously shook my head and said, "No, I was forced to do it. They hurt my friend, and I had to teach them a lesson. Practicing martial arts is supposed to be for strengthening one's body and cultivating one's character, but I ended up using it to kill people! That's all in the past now, and I don't want to mention or get involved in anything similar again!"

  "Hmph... Do you think this matter will end just like that? There's an old Chinese saying, 'an eye for an eye', and you went straight to the headquarters of their underworld organization and killed so many people. Even their boss was taken down by us! Do you think their brothers will let it go?"

  "Uh..." I opened my mouth but couldn't say anything. Yeah, how could they just let it go? Does this thing really have to keep going on? My heart felt a bit heavy.

  The butcher looked at my expression, secretly pleased with himself, and decided to add an even bigger chip, continuing: "You are now very safe here with us, absolutely safe, they will never find you in their lifetime! But your friends in the hospital, however, will be in trouble."

  What!

  I was shocked after hearing that, and I tried to get out of bed, but Hei Xiong pressed me back down. The intense movement pulled on my injured shoulder and back, causing me so much pain that I broke out in a cold sweat. I gritted my teeth and shouted at Hei Xiong: "Let me go! I want to see them! Damn it, I'll fight with them!"

  The black bear looked at me and said in a cold voice, "With your current physical condition, even walking is a problem. How can you go to rescue someone? You'll just be used as a scapegoat when you get there."

  I collapsed onto the bed, enduring the pain of the wound on my back as I pounded the bed with my fists, feeling a sense of helplessness rising up in my heart that I had never felt before. I muttered to myself: "What am I supposed to do? Just hide here and watch them suffer for me? Is this what it means to be a man?"

  The black bear smiled slyly at the kitchen knife and winked at me, saying: "How about we make a deal?"

  "Trade? I stood up, looking at the black bear with a suspicious face, my intuition told me they were plotting against me: "What trade?"

  "Join us and we'll take care of this for you."

  As expected! Hearing their conditions, I hung my head in silence. How... can't escape after all? The black bear looked at me hesitantly again and said: "You'd better think quickly, you've been asleep for a day and night already. Who knows what the situation is now, if it's late who knows what will happen!"

  Lao Niu, Ah Kun, their smiling faces appeared in front of me, as if laughing and shouting: Hui Zi...!

  "Good!" I raised my head and stared with my eyes: "I promise you!"

  "Alright, deal!" The black bear nodded in satisfaction and snapped his fingers, beckoning the chef to follow him out.

  "Wait!" I was stunned and hastily called out to the two people walking away: "How are you going to solve this?"

  The kitchen knife smiled and pulled out a handgun from his waist, releasing the safety: "Cut the grass and eliminate the roots, everyone who knows about this matter will be killed!"

  He turned and the black bear disappeared into the darkness, accompanied by the sound of a door closing, and the room fell silent.

  Cutting grass and eliminating roots? Today, this city is destined to have another bloody storm!