It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Hearing the unusual noise coming from this side, the second in command of the gang immediately organized people to go upstairs. They surrounded Bai Lin with great pressure, and he took off his hat, bowed lightly, and said,

"You, don't you have anything to explain?"

"Explain? Why don't you explain? Why didn't you come and kill me after seeing your former boss fall out of negotiations? Is this the extent of your Runzhou Gang's loyalty?"

Bai Lin said provocatively. At first glance, she was surrounded, but once she stood up, if she didn't use sunglasses to slightly hide her sharp gaze, everyone would be scared. Even now, everyone couldn't help but step back a little. The second in command gritted his teeth and forced himself to push forward.

"Loyalty? That's between our own people. For the outside world, we only have rules!"

"Oh? Tell me, what are the rules?"

"Please come with us and go to the West to duel."

Western duel. In the early days, the rules of the western cowboy duel were that two people faced off and competed to see who could draw their gun faster. In a cowboy duel, the person who drew his gun faster was not necessarily the one who drew his gun first. If you drew your gun and killed your opponent first, it represented a shame, while if you drew your gun and killed your opponent later, it represented an honor.

Later, a new tradition of walking back-to-back and counting down developed. Much like Texas Hold'em, the rules change with each location, a bit like the village rules of mahjong. While it's a passionate game between men, if the rules aren't properly explained, there are countless loopholes that can be exploited.

Ultimately, it's a case-by-case discussion, and we'll listen to the locals' judgment. And, most importantly, saving your own life is paramount.

"Although I also want to fight you directly, out of my loyalty and hatred for my eldest brother's death, I will personally go forward, with the people behind me, and fight you to the death. But the rules are the rules. Those who kill the leader or cause trouble in the gang must be treated with the utmost respect. Do not easily attack or insult the fallen martyrs. Those who violate the rules will be annihilated by heavenly thunder!"

The second-in-command was furious, his words full of rules and his face full of benevolence. He was like a Japanese samurai asking for seppuku, a heroic step down from the throne. The younger brothers watching were all moved. They didn't expect the second-in-command to be so courageous and respectful at the critical moment.

"Of course, I have no reason to refuse, right?"

Amidst Bai Lin's contemptuous laughter, the duel began moments later. Her contempt grew stronger as the smoke from the gun barrel slowly dissipated.

According to the rules of the local gang, the boss has a special "gunman" to duel with. After the gunman dies, the big man needs to take the field himself. Now, the one playing against Bai Lin is the gunman.

However, there were two bodies that fell. This naturally did not include Bai Lin, who was standing there swinging her musket. She looked quite pleased. Bai Lin, intimidating everyone, walked straight to the second in command, who had been specially spared a breath by her.

"This guy is very strong. Even if we attack him together, we are no match for him. So we need to follow the rules and intimidate her and everyone else. If the gunman can really kill me, it's fine. But if he can't, he should just get away, right?"

"I even paid special attention to you. You were standing at the back of the crowd, but you were ready to run away the moment you started. You're always talking about morality and the rules of nature, but in reality, you're only doing it to benefit yourself... You're such a cunning old fox."

Bai Lin smiled, pulled out the hand holding the gun and tapped his back, not pointing the gun at the other party for the time being. She seemed to be in a good mood. Seeing that the other party did not seem to be completely belittling him, the second in command would never let go of this hope of survival. He even opened his mouth -

Then Bai Lin smashed it into pieces with one punch, leaving only debris on the ground.

Under the terrified gazes of the crowd, Bai Lin sighed deeply. She stroked her hair and opened her mouth slightly.

"That's a talent, but it's not my job to appreciate it. I don't think I have much use for someone like you. If you want to quibble, save it for the underworld."

"By the way, I see that everyone here is young and promising, strong and healthy. Now that I've killed both of your bosses, have you ever considered following me? Don't worry, as long as you listen to me, I guarantee that what you had before will never compare to what you will have later."

"Money, protection...even self-respect, you can have more. Of course, I have no evidence now, but if you have the courage to run, you can come and try, okay?"

Bai Lin said so.

Chapter 1090: Recognize the Face

He passed through the dense crowd and killed the second-in-command behind them with a single, accurate shot. Even though they didn't know what Bai Lin's other strengths were, no one present seemed to have the courage to come forward and suggest quitting.

Seeing this, Bai Lin smiled.

"Looks like everyone's okay with this. Then remember what your new boss looks like. If you don't recognize him, I'll really hit him."

-

"I didn't expect that the one who could handle our problem would be a little girl like you."

The elderly man in a top hat sat down in front of Katie Pello. The other man raised his head, which had been gently lowered, and crossed his legs, which had been placed obediently. In an instant, a drastic change in his aura assaulted him. The old man's soul seemed to be drawn into the depth of those black eyes.

Countless thoughts, instantly evoked through Katie Pello's subtle changes, brought back memories. They weren't just the most important memories of his life, but also every detail he'd personally experienced, heard, plot after plot, the gradual collapse of organizations. A piece of wasteland lifted by a dead crow, a setting sun that threatened to plunge him into an abyss. Everything made him nervous.

"I didn't do anything big. I just shared what I knew with some people."

Before he could recover from his shock, Katie Pello had already spoken lightly. She was like a gentle and polite girl, reciting poetry with ease, saying,

"The second-in-command of the Digou Gang slept with the third-in-command's wife. My eldest brother collaborated with your Su San Clan and stole two hundred kilograms of goods from your warehouse. Solving internal and external troubles simultaneously... not everyone has the ability. Perhaps he could have, but unfortunately, I sent the wife and children of his top thug to a hot island vacation. It's a nice place."

"As soon as the Meister Gang heard the Rain City guys were coming, they cowered in fear. I spread the news that their boss had been killed by Chen Jing, and those little guys hacked Dinosaur Brother from Snail House Rolling Stone to death. It was truly a passionate outburst—and as for the smaller White Crow Society, they surrendered as soon as they learned my intentions. They're quite magnanimous and know how to handle the situation."

Once she spoke, though her words might have sounded dry to outsiders, in the old man's eyes, it was as if very clear images kept emerging. He suspected that he was under some kind of spell, like magic, but he had no idea which side of the girl before him was the most real.

Iron-blooded, cunning, profound... or innocent, endearing, gentle? But the only thing he could be sure of was that everything she'd said had been completely settled, the truth. Not a single scrap of what should have vanished remained, and what should have been a mess had already been shattered into a tangle. Even the usually spineless White Crow Gang was now actually confronting their own minions.

All of this happened too suddenly.

"Do you know how I got to where I am today, Miss El?"

The old man calmed his mind and skillfully opened the hoarse voice polished by time.

"I've been through so much, through so many trials and tribulations. From hacking people, to having them hacked, to not feeling anything about it anymore... I know best that everyone will die, and time is a person's greatest enemy. But it's also your most powerful weapon."

"I'm curious how you could accomplish so much in such a short time. But I'm also curious why you dare to sit in front of me when you clearly don't have such a powerful weapon."

The old man's aura of coercion was like that of an aged hawk. He could scratch blood on stone, fearless of being shattered to pieces. Once his sharpness diminished, he would truly descend into hell. Having held this position for years, he was naturally no incompetent.

"You seem to want to talk to me about confidence? No, no, no, I'm not as confident as you think. It's just that there are people behind me, and I'm just assisting."

Katie Pello chuckled softly, but it only filled him with terror. The thought of someone like him having someone else behind him—what kind of power could that be? Is Yucheng finally going to make a move? No, they won't do that. They're already squeezing us dry. It must be someone else who's got their eyes on this place, and they're not qualified. A remaining perfect person? Maybe even more terrifying than that...

Of course, Katie wasn't lying, but the old man wouldn't know. She was just casually pointing to her girlfriend, who didn't have much of a team to speak of. But her smile had already caused countless speculations. For a moment, the old man lost control of the topic again and fell into endless thoughts.

"There's no such thing as an impenetrable wall, Mr. Yoggs. You seem to be an exception, though. You're smart and calculating, and you haven't left any loopholes for people to exploit. Honestly, it's really hard to deal with you. You're worthy of being the most powerful gang in this area."

Another round of speaking, Katie Pello praised the other party,

"Time has indeed taught you a lot, but it seems that the long old times have also poisoned your brain."

"You're really rude. Are you still trying to negotiate?"

When Yugus heard this, he did not lose his temper. Katie naturally let go of her hands.

"I came here to negotiate, but you didn't give me a seat and even arrived after me. You've placed yourself in a superior position, and our negotiations aren't equal. During our brief exchange, not only did you refuse to yield, you even tried to pressure me... I admit this might work, but it seems you don't intend to give me the respect I deserve."

Katie put her legs down, stood up, and quietly stood by the window. She ignored Yugus, whose face was becoming increasingly gloomy, and looked outside and said,

"But I'm different. I still respect you. That's why I'm leaving your case to the future. Look, my people are coming. They're wearing so much black in the dark, it's really hard for you to see clearly. What if you can't count them..."

At this moment, the old man could no longer bear it. He pointed out the window and made a gun gesture. A clear gunshot rang out from outside the window, breaking the silence of the night.

Katie smiled and looked back, also making a gun gesture. Then, she took out two round objects that had been blown apart at the neck from behind the curtains next to her. She threw them at Yugus's feet and said,

"Recognize it. Times have changed, and you have to believe it. If you want to see more, I can show you more—including letting you look at yourself in the mirror with only your head left."

Chapter 1091 It’s Time

"Isn't it about time, leader?"

"Ah."

In a dark room, a man with shifty eyes but well-dressed was saying flatteringly,

"You're very thoughtful. Since the lawyer won't give in, and it seems we can't handle it, we can bypass some of the procedures and make it smoother."

"After that lawyer comes a few more times, we'll directly disclose to the public what only he and that rat from the bottom city know. That little rat will never know what we know, so he will only doubt himself and the people around him in anxiety, and we will completely erode his remaining trust—"

He stared at the bottomless shadows and spoke slowly to the impenetrable wall.

"Oh, right, Holy Son. She probably doesn't know either. We should know her identity. After all, her coming alone shows that she underestimates us. We are not a city that can be easily manipulated by her. As a matter of principle, we must deal with those who shouldn't be there without mercy."

"Cough cough."

The man called the leader coughed twice in the darkness, and the man outside immediately corrected his statement.

"Yes, we're asking the people of the House of the Rising Sun to return to where they belong. We must follow a constructive, conservative, stable, and disciplined path of development, with the wealthy gradually supporting the poor, and systematically move toward a community of shared future for society, achieving win-win cooperation. I'm well aware of what's going on in the city. Even if the Saint Son stirs up trouble in the city, it won't mean anything. Presumably, she can't really change anything there, and by the time she returns, everything will have been settled."

The leader did not respond. A sealed document bag was pushed out from the shadows. The man suppressed his lustful eyes and politely took the document into his arms. His smile became even more flattering.

"Thank you for your kindness, Leader. If I ever become a resident of Yucheng, I will never forget your kindness. So, without further ado, let's quickly implement the final step of our plan."

-

Hans knelt in an equally dim room, the sealed-off basement where he lived. It was a deserted place, and he had taken the risk of coming here. But he did nothing but kneel.

Before him was a spirit platform. Above it sat two spirit tablets, one lower, one higher, one for a man and one for a woman. The man bore some resemblance to him, though much older and similarly lifeless. The woman, on the other hand, appeared much more docile.

"That day, I was wearing your newly sewn jeans, and before I decided to stay here by forging a college roster, I killed that bastard who only knew how to drink, gamble, and beat you and your sister. At that time, I thought to myself, since he was unwilling to get on the truck, pick up his luggage, and leave this place, then I at least couldn't let him hurt you."

Hans's tone was steady, but his breathing was a little hurried. He looked haggard, as if he hadn't slept well in days. The red lines in his bloodshot eyes seemed to foreshadow his restlessness. It was the nagging feeling of knowing what to do, a flood of ideas, yet not knowing what to do. It was as if, just like the day he'd murdered his father, he'd reached a point of desperation, a desperate choice.

But now, the people who can be killed no longer appear in front of him, and he can no longer solve the problem by killing anyone.

"Your age was beyond my expectation. I didn't get to see you for the last time, and I heard that the money I sent back couldn't alleviate your pain... But I never felt I was wrong. But now, I don't know."

"Have I really been doing this for nothing? I don't want to go back there, but they insist on digging up everything about me, trying me according to the rules, and sending me back to that place, the home where I grew up but never loved."

After saying that, Hans laughed bitterly.

He witnessed with his own eyes the Son of God, who had come to his aid, being dragged into court, tried, and beheaded. The entire case took only two days, and a life was lost without a trace. He knew his friends had betrayed him; otherwise, they wouldn't have had the evidence to convict him.

Hans looked at the appeal application in his hand and threw it into the fire pit in front of him. When the basement door was illuminated by the pale light, he did not resist at all. Instead, like a powerless child, he drooped and floated to his feet.

This court has tried the defendant, Hans, for allegedly falsifying procedures, bribing officials, and engaging in illegal transactions twenty years ago. While these multiple crimes warrant a more severe sentence, considering he is a native of the Rising Sun House, this court will refrain from harsh sentencing and deport him, banishing him from his homeland for life.

This was a special train, and Hans had one foot on the platform and one foot inside the train. The people around him all had expressions of anguish and disgust, because they were about to go to the House of the Rising Sun, a dilapidated place that was destined to make people live in poverty and be destroyed by sin.

He accepted his chains and shackles, and with his remaining savings, he rented a shabby house. Like all the men here, he drank heavily and went to the card room. Every day seemed exactly the same as the previous one, and he didn't know what he was living for.

Gradually, he began to laugh. While drinking, he didn't know if it was a bitter laugh at the reality before him, or perhaps it was just like the joy represented by the spicy bitter wine, he was really immersed in the reality of the rest of his life. Until one day -

"Your name is Hans, right?"

A tall and strong man with a fierce aura, or rather a centaur, appeared in front of the table in the tavern, carrying a brand new broadsword.

"You're such a loser! It's only been a few days and you're already like this?"

"Who are you? Do I know you? What's wrong with you? Are you looking for trouble?!"

Once provoked, Hans ignored all the etiquette he had practiced for decades. His fragile dignity was no longer protected, and his angry voice was completely useless in measuring the current situation.

"I don't know you, but someone does. She said that if she told you it was the Son of God, you would know."

As Firas spoke, he opened his mouth. And Hans asked,

"How is that possible? Isn't that a dead person?"

"Who said she's dead? Oh, I heard that there was indeed such a drama in Yucheng. Many people here are talking about it, but after that, everyone has seen her and knows the truth. However, she herself doesn't seem to want to clarify, so you may not know yet."

"Really? She's not dead..."

Hans muttered these words to himself, and suddenly, as if he had seized an opportunity, he sat up abruptly and squeezed the other person's hand.

Chapter 1092 Are You Listening?

"Where is she? Tell me now! I...I haven't given her anything yet, and there's something I haven't asked her to do yet—"

"Stop getting so excited, okay? She's gone, but she left something for you."

Filas ignored Hans, who seemed to be treating Bai Lin as a lifeline, and shook off his hand. Then, Filas walked out the door on his own. Hans quickly grabbed the clothes on the coat rack and chased after him.

"Wait a minute, hey, where are we going——"

This time, it seemed like Firas was the one showing off. Perhaps because she had been with Bai Lin for a while, she looked very skilled in this matter. When she came to her senses, she had already stood still. In front of Hans, she made way for her tall body, leaned sideways, and said to him,

"Come and see your hometown. It has changed a lot."

Firas smiled, and Hans's expression suddenly changed. Before him lay a school. Though small, beyond the doors lay a complete campus. The graceful singing of hymns stained the sky even more azure. Even the crows had ceased their flight, emitting their unpleasant howls, as if the building itself were still somewhat dilapidated.

Everything seemed to have not changed, and yet everything seemed to have changed.

He was unconsciously attracted by it and looked at the students inside through the window. A teacher with a simple smile was standing inside, making subtle gestures towards him.

If there was anything discordant, it was the presence of security guards all over the campus. They were all fully armed, looking unusually stern, yet here, they seemed normal.

"Don't worry, there are a lot of big bosses' children here, so it's not impossible that we don't have someone to help watch over us. At the beginning, there will always be some ignorant people with bad intentions. Besides, having them here will make people feel safer."

Firas walked in with Hans and spoke lightly.

Hans, on the other hand, was lost in his memories. As far as he could remember, he had never attended school in the House of the Rising Sun. All the talented children were taken away to Rain City after a single exam. There, too, it was a shabby class. Although it was in Rain City, their treatment was vastly different from that of other students. Because of this, the bullies they faced made them study harder and become more united...

However, Rain City didn't need diligent individuals to stay. He simply wanted to preserve the beauty of unity, the feeling of moving towards the future, so he chose to stay regardless of the consequences. However, all of that soon vanished with everyone else. The people who entered Rain City began to change, becoming increasingly indifferent to their hometowns in society, completely losing the sense of belonging and unity they had at the beginning.

It seems that he himself is one of them.

"…Are you listening, Hans?"

Firas's voice pulled him back to reality. Hans came back to his senses and asked,

"what?"

"I say, get your lazy ass off and move into the teachers' quarters. Soon, you'll be a teacher here."

"Me? How can I teach? Besides..."

"Don't you have a good reputation over there? Don't worry, the salary will be sufficient. You don't have to worry about running out of business here. Your second half of life will be very stable. Just let go and teach. Just slowly teach what you have learned."