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墨書 Inktalez
The sound of the police siren grew closer, like a death knell, pounding against Park Bucheng's heart. He squinted, his mind racing through possible escape routes. The Bald Man and his crew were in disarray, darting around like headless flies, muttering, "Damn it, how did cop get here so fast!" "Shit, we're done for!"
"Don't panic!" Park Bucheng adjusted his glasses, his tone light as a feather, as if the earlier ferocity had been nothing but an illusion. "Follow me!"
He led a few of them, crouching low like a group of frightened mice, quickly slipping into the back alley of a clothing store. The dimly lit alley was filled with the nauseating stench of rotting garbage. Yet Park Bucheng seemed unfazed by the odor, moving steadily through the maze-like passage while the others stumbled behind him, fearful of losing their way.
Finally, after several twists and turns, they arrived at an abandoned warehouse. The police siren gradually faded into the distance, and they collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat as if they had just emerged from water. The Bald Man clutched his chest, his heavy breaths echoing in the silent warehouse like a bellows.
"You little brat..." The Bald Man glared at Park Bucheng, his expression a mix of awe, confusion, and a hint of wariness. "What was that skill just now? A COS Monk? Flying around like that!"
Park Bucheng shrank back slightly, reverting to his timid demeanor with eyes flickering like a startled deer. "Uh? I... I don't know. Maybe I learned it from watching TV..."
"Shut up!" The Bald Man slammed his hand on the ground, sending dust flying. "I've watched TV my whole life and never seen anyone fight like that! Stop pretending with me!"
Park Bucheng lowered his head in silence, enduring the scrutinizing gazes from the other two men. Their looks were akin to those examining a wolf in sheep's clothing—full of curiosity and caution.
"Forget it; let's go back and report." The Bald Man stood up, brushing off the dust from his pants with an irritated expression. "The boss is probably anxious; we’ll definitely get scolded when we return."
Upon returning to their hideout, the air was thick with the pungent smell of cigars that made one’s throat itch. Li Zhenghao sat behind a large desk, puffing out clouds of smoke with a face as dark as thunder.
"Did you complete the mission?" Li Zhenghao squinted his eyes, his gaze cold as a snake's, sending chills down their spines.
"Yes, boss!" The Bald Man answered eagerly, puffing out his chest as if seeking praise. "Thanks to..." He glanced at Park Bucheng but swallowed his words at the last moment, as if hiding something unspeakable.
Park Bucheng quickly lowered his head, pretending to be timid. "It was... it was the brothers who helped. I was just watching from the side, didn’t do anything..."
Li Zhenghao's gaze lingered on Park Bucheng's face for a few seconds, a half-smile that was hard to decipher. "Oh? I heard that Zhang Hu's people went too? Why haven't we seen them back?"
"Yeah, boss!" one of the younger brothers couldn't help but interject, excitement written all over his face. "If it weren't for Park..."
Park Bucheng reacted swiftly, stepping hard on the young brother's foot. The young man winced in pain, letting out a muffled grunt and swallowing his words mid-sentence, rubbing his foot with a look of grievance. The Bald Man noticed and wisely kept quiet, creating a subtly tense atmosphere.
A glint of amusement flashed in Li Zhenghao's eyes as he pressed further. "So how did Zhang Hu's people get dealt with? Where did they go?"
"They... they left on their own," Park Bucheng stammered, his gaze evasive like a child caught in wrongdoing. "Maybe they were scared because we had so many people..."
"Ha." Li Zhenghao scoffed, clearly unconvinced by this explanation. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Hello, Lao Zhang? I heard your people caused some trouble for us today. What's going on?"
A roar of anger came from the other end of the line, mixed with several curses. Li Zhenghao's expression darkened as he furrowed his brow, resembling storm clouds before a tempest. He hung up the phone and shot a piercing look at Park Bucheng. "Interesting. Zhang Hu says all his men ended up in the hospital, bruised and battered, some missing limbs. What do you think happened?"
Park Bucheng shrank back slightly, his eyes darting around. "Maybe... maybe they got into a fight among themselves? I’m not sure..."
"Ha." Li Zhenghao stood up and walked over to Park Bucheng, looking down at him from above. "You kid have some tricks up your sleeve, hiding your talents well!"
From that day on, Park Bucheng found himself assigned more tasks—everything from collecting protection fees to debt chasing, a wide variety of duties. Each time he acted clumsy and pushed the credit onto others, even deliberately creating minor troubles to give others a chance to shine.
Gradually, those who had initially looked down on him began to warm up to him instead, viewing him as honest and reliable without ulterior motives. They often invited Park Bucheng to join their operations and even entrusted him with some important tasks. On the surface, he remained meek and compliant while secretly reveling in this outcome—it was exactly what he had wanted.
However, Li Zhenghao seemed to grow increasingly interested in him, frequently finding various excuses to challenge him and probe into his background. On one occasion, Li Zhenghao even deliberately arranged for him to clean up a gym run by a boxing champion. Park Bucheng continued to play the role of the passive observer, but he knew that Li Zhenghao's suspicions were deepening, and time was running out for him.
One month later, late at night, Park Bucheng sat alone on the rooftop of their hideout, gazing at the starry sky, lost in thought. A cool breeze brushed against his face, bringing a hint of chill. He pulled out a notebook from his pocket, densely filled with information he had gathered during this time: the distribution of power among various factions, the network of relationships among key figures, and the defensive layouts of each hideout...
“Having fun?” Suddenly, a cold voice echoed from behind him, like a snake hissing its warning, sending chills down his spine.
Park Bucheng stiffened, quickly closing the notebook as his heart raced violently, as if it would leap out of his chest. He slowly turned around to find Li Zhenghao standing behind him, having appeared without notice. Li Zhenghao's predatory gaze fixed on him, a cold smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
“B-Boss,” Park Bucheng stammered, forcing himself to remain calm. “I just came out to look at the stars and get some fresh air…”
Li Zhenghao let out a cold laugh. “Oh really? Then let me see what you’ve written in your notebook. It wouldn’t be anything embarrassing, would it?”
Park Bucheng’s hands trembled slightly as his heart pounded like a drum. Just as he prepared to use Graceful Wave Steps to escape, a sudden commotion erupted from downstairs, mixed with shouts and sounds of fighting.
“Not good, Boss! The East District people are coming!”
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