Forge a path to success.

Chapter 4 Full of Water Power
Assassins make a living by taking on jobs; they need someone to assign them work so they have a stage to showcase their skills. However, earning money from one employer means offending rival businesses and earning a negative reputation in the eyes of others. Therefore, choosing an employer is a crucial matter that requires careful consideration. In a large city, all sorts of people inevitably mingle; so who is the best candidate to work for?
Is there even a question? Of course, sticking with the government is the most promising path!
No matter how prestigious a local gang's name may be, it's still just a local tyrant; the government, however, is the undisputed master of that territory. When the master chases away rats and snakes from his house, he doesn't worry about whether he can win; he only worries about whether the reward is worthwhile. Even the most arrogant triad godfathers of the 40s, who claimed connections even to the White House, were still chased by the police during meetings. And weren't the seemingly invincible "bosses" and "big shots" of Kowloon Walled City ultimately uprooted when the time was right?

Chu Hengkong's former boss was the godfather of an old-school mafia family. Having been in the underworld for so long, he understood the ins and outs of the game perfectly. Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse; aside from a few chaotic regions where mafia warlords also held sway over the ruling class, official power remained the most formidable ceiling. Therefore, the moment he met Ji Huaisu, he was prepared to offer himself up: seizing this opportunity to connect with officials was the easiest way to rise in the ranks.

This time, Ji Huaisu's reaction was exactly what he had expected. The blonde girl tossed the goose leg bone into the soup bowl and sneered, "I say, Mr. Assassin, are you still thinking straight? Our Resurrection Force is a law enforcement agency directly under the city lord, specializing in fighting against demons, madmen, and evil forces. We are the proper guardians of the city. How could we possibly hire you to commit murder?"

“First of all, an assassin is not a serial killer. Just because I make a living with my fists doesn’t mean I only kill to silence witnesses,” Chu Hengkong said. “Secondly, your unit is in dire need of manpower right now. Having another combatant like me can solve your immediate problem.”

If he had thought his idea was impractical, Chu Hengkong would have found a way to escape long ago. But what he had witnessed along the way only emboldened him: the high-ranking shaman openly summoning "gods," the wanted posters covering an entire wall of the resurrection unit headquarters, the seriously wounded team members, and the dilapidated cityscape he witnessed firsthand from his vantage point…

All indications suggest that the local ruling class is gradually losing control of the city, and they desperately need combat power, especially skilled fighters to deal with those vicious wanted criminals. And what better way to deal with a newly transmigrated assassin from another world with a "clean" resume than that?

Ji Huaisu fell silent for a moment; she clearly had similar thoughts. Chu Hengkong spread out one hand, adding the final push to the young captain.

“I’m a capable man,” he said. “You can assign me the most difficult tasks. That way, your men will suffer far fewer casualties!”

Ji Huaisu's expression changed, and Chu Hengkong knew she was interested. He hadn't missed Ji Huaisu's reaction when he encountered the seriously injured team member earlier; he knew then that this girl was a good captain who cared about her subordinates. The matter was half settled, but to make a final decision, he ultimately had to consider her father's opinion.

“You’ve come up with a good idea,” Old Man Huaisu said with a half-smile. “Indeed, if you work under Huaisu, we can easily monitor you, and you won’t have to have the amputation surgery for the time being. However, when it comes to business, we have to consider the ratio of reward to risk. Allowing someone who seems to be possessed by a demon to operate in the team is a huge risk.”

He gave Chu Hengkong a deep look: "Do you have the corresponding value?"

Chu Hengkong said confidently, "As long as you are willing to give me a chance."

Old Man Huaisu strolled out the door and returned with a wanted poster in his hand. He gestured for it to be swept across the long table, revealing a fierce and imposing photograph of a one-eyed, burly man to Chu Hengkong.

Hugos, the "One-Eyed Elephant"

Bounty: 10 Flowing Pearls.
-
Demon-possessed, possessing relics -
The "Iron Paddle Shop" located at 67 Green Lane has more than 60 employees.
-
Water pressure is high! Watch out for gunshot wounds!
Chu Hengkong grabbed the wanted poster: "Do you want to live or die?"

"Since it hasn't come to the point of death, if you have the guts, teach him a good lesson," Ji Huaisu said. "How long will it take you?"

Chu Hengkong extended his right index finger and crossed it with the tip of his tentacle, making a cross shape.

"Hey, it's been ten days already?" Ji Huaisu frowned.

"Ten minutes is enough," Chu Hengkong smiled.

·
Chu Hengkong swaggered out of the Resurrection Force headquarters, knowing that his every move was being watched, both openly and secretly, but he didn't care. He held a simple map (drawn by Captain Huaisu himself) pointing directly to his destination, but didn't look at it immediately. Instead, he looked up at the wondrous "sky." Only after arriving at headquarters did he belatedly realize that the initial point he had crossed was actually the highest point in the city, while the headquarters was located in the "middle layer" of the city's longitudinal axis. By then, it was late, and the dome formed by the water curtain turned deep black with the night, appearing as distant as the real sky. The swords dancing wildly in the current seemed tiny at this distance, like a school of fish endlessly patrolling above the city.

The city's night sky was devoid of stars and moon, while the urban landscape itself was awash with watermarks, much like the sky above. A network of azure waterways crisscrossed, forming orderly waterways. Wooden boats, resembling ancient Viking warships, sailed along these waterways, silently stopping at fixed markers to ferry passengers aboard, much like the city's public transportation. The city's architectural style reminded Chu Hengkong of his homeland at the turn of the century: neatly planned blocks lined with orderly rows of gray residential buildings, behind which lay a tangled web of wires in the alleyways. Beyond many floors, flamboyant billboards gleamed with a decadent light.

However, these buildings were dilapidated, even ruined. The roads were a mix of new and old, and many buildings bore cracks from massive impacts. Further away from headquarters, numerous partially collapsed ruins could be seen. This place had likely been ravaged by war not long ago, but it was unclear whether their enemies were other humans or so-called "demons."
Chu Hengkong didn't think too much; the mission was paramount. He stretched out his silver tentacles, which coiled around a protruding billboard. The tentacles secreted a sticky substance that held them in place like glue. Chu Hengkong relaxed his "muscles," letting the elasticity lift him off the ground. He stood on one foot on the billboard, the tentacles quickly retracting and then springing out again, coiling around the next landing spot. He continued to leap in this bizarre manner, like a nimble and agile ape darting through the night.

Even while traveling, you can still use the time to train your new arms. The more control you have over your strength, the more confident you'll be.

After a dozen or so leaps, the building where the target was located came into view. "Iron Paddle Shop" was a brightly lit three-story building, surrounded by barbed wire and high walls for defense, like an iron fortress in a modern city. Strangely dressed thugs patrolled the area with guns, their clothes disheveled as if they had been stolen from various places. Some wore tactical vests on top and tight pants on the bottom, while others wore sandals but a whole set of rusty armor.

Using his tentacles, Chu Hengkong leaped over the rooftops of nearby buildings, observing the target structure from various angles with his exceptional eyesight. The defenses appeared tight but were actually lax; the thugs patrolling outside were distracted, and the curtains inside the building weren't even fully drawn. Several thugs were secretly smoking through open windows, which allowed Chu Hengkong to spot several guns and daggers.

This bunch of amateurs have their armory scrambled up on the middle floor by the window... without even a barbed wire fence... Damn, these days any kind of scum dares to hang around in the underworld. The boss would probably have a stroke if he saw this kind of gun-handling...

The rooftop was unguarded, a weak point; such common concrete structures could be easily punched through with a single punch. He planned to infiltrate from the rooftop or windows, seize the armory, and if possible, shut off the power, then eliminate the intruders one by one. Normally, Chu Hengkong would have chosen this method, but for this important debut, he intended to use a more "powerful" approach.

Chu Hengkong released his tentacles and landed lightly at the entrance of the large house. Ji Huaisu, who was observing from afar with binoculars, was taken aback: "What's this guy doing all of a sudden?"

The two thugs guarding the gate had the same question. The gatekeeper, wearing a tactical vest and tight pants, raised his pistol and shouted, "You want to die?! Do you know whose territory this is?!"

Chu Hengkong smiled, then delivered a powerful elbow strike to his chest. The terrifying impact shattered ribs and stopped his heartbeat; Guard Number One collapsed instantly. Chu Hengkong used his tentacles to coil up his pistol, then grabbed Guard Number Two's head and gently shook it. Before he could even realize what was happening, Guard Number Two screamed in agony from the intense shock. He felt dizzy and his brain felt like it was about to crumble into a pile of tofu.

"vomit!"

He collapsed to his knees, vomiting uncontrollably amidst his shattered thoughts. Chu Hengkong picked up a second pistol, but instead of advancing, he fired repeatedly at the ankles of both men!
The trigger was pulled, but instead of bullets, a swirling stream of water shot out of the muzzle. The water bullet carried immense force, breaking the leg bones of both men on the spot, and sending them flying through the air.

"Is it really a water gun?" Chu Hengkong chuckled. "No wonder it's so powerful."

Chu Hengkong crushed the pistol with a single squeeze of his palm, the badly shattered weapon becoming a metal ball in his hand, from which colorless water gushed. He hurled the metal ball at the tightly closed iron gate in front of the house, a deafening sound echoing through the air. The ball smashed into the heavy doorway, causing the gate to fling open instantly!

A dozen pairs of eyes inside stared at the doorway, where a young man was waving his silver tentacles, a smile in his eyes.

"Hands up, weapons down, you are under arrest."

(End of this chapter)