Forge a path to success

Chu Hengkong stomped out with his left foot, delivering a powerful Iron Mountain Strike to the side of the abdomen. In an instant, the force from his waist and arms exploded, delivering a heavy blow to the enemy!

Hugos's massive body shuddered, but he didn't fall; the scene resembled a giant mayfly trying to shake a tree. Chu Heng cursed inwardly.

Habits can be harmful; I forgot my left arm had turned into a tentacle!

The Iron Mountain Lean technique relies not only on the shoulder but also on the elbow joint. The flexible tentacles, however, lack joints and bones, meaning the previous strike was significantly less powerful. The overly supple Iron Mountain Lean put him at a disadvantage. The distance between the two has now further decreased, and Hugos's eyes are filled with smugness.

"Tentacle Boy, you're finished!"

Hugos raised its head high, its long fangs slamming down simultaneously. The demonized behemoth blocked out the space, leaving Chu Hengkong with virtually no room to dodge. This was the tactic of demon-possessed individuals; they didn't need any so-called technology, only their power to achieve victory.

As the shadow of violence rapidly loomed over him, Chu Hengkong remained calm. He had no interest in reflecting on himself during the battle, nor did he bother praising such a technically challenged enemy. The next step in the battle was already clear; all he had to do was achieve victory.

“I’ll be a little…violent too!” he said softly.

A silver trail flashed across the one-eyed man's vision as Chu Hengkong's tentacles leaped up like a python! The silver python coiled rapidly, actually binding Hugos's fangs during the battle. Chu Hengkong stomped heavily to the left, concentrating all his strength on his tentacles, and pulled forcefully to the side!

He had his grip on the tusk without the iron ring, which was located on the side that had been struck by the Iron Mountain Strike earlier. Being attacked repeatedly on the same side, Hugos's center of gravity immediately shifted. His right leg lifted off the ground due to inertia, completely disrupting the downward thrust of his tusks, and his top-heavy body was about to fall.

A relentless pull... Is that kid trying to use a throw technique? A shoulder throw with his tentacles?!

Hugos was startled; the enemy was too fast, and he absolutely did not want to fall at this moment. He quickly slowed his attack, straightened his back, and tried to regain his footing to continue the fight.

Chu Hengkong had been waiting for this opportunity. He suddenly loosened the grip on his hands, leaping into the air in response to Hugos's momentum. The tentacles, stretched from being bound, provided ample elasticity, making his previously steady figure as light as a bird. Chu Hengkong instantly soared into the air, higher than the elephant's head. He released the tentacles, retracted his right fist, and slammed his left heel down with tremendous force, striking Hugos's single eye.

Kyokushin Karate, Heel Drop!

This was a deadly move from Full Contact Karate, a style that emphasizes turning limbs into weapons, and Chu Hengkong's limbs were the sharpest blades. This ferocious strike shattered Hugos's single eye; blood mixed with the broken eyeball gushed out like a fountain, and the giant's screams could shatter glass. The surrounding thugs were completely terrified, but Chu Hengkong, who had made the move, remained expressionless.

There was no joy or excitement on his face; it was an expression of utter indifference. He was a skilled assassin; once he made a move, he was determined to achieve victory, and every strike he made was a sure win.

The severely wounded Hugos went completely berserk. He unleashed the power of the iron rings once more, charging wildly in an attempt to throw Chu Hengkong off. The immense violence shattered bricks and steps, sending the onlookers flying, but it couldn't shake the assassin on the demon's back. He tightened his grip on Hugos's neck with his tentacles, and with a powerful downward punch, struck the long fang with the iron rings.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

The sounds grew deeper and deeper with each blow, each punch heavier than the last. Hugos's fangs, hard and heavy, which he had used to shatter the skulls of countless men in the past, now trembled under the blows of a mere man. With the fourth punch, cracks appeared on the surface of the fangs; with the fifth, fissures appeared at the base. Hugos struggled desperately, but his strength waned, for the tentacles strangled his breath like nooses.

Chu Hengkong roared and unleashed his sixth punch. The accumulated injuries from the previous five punches erupted simultaneously, and his long fang snapped at the root. He grabbed the broken fang and slammed it down on Hugos's skull for the final blow!

After a terrifyingly loud crash, Hugos's eyes rolled back, and he knelt on the ground. Chu Hengkong, sitting on his broad back, was about to deliver another blow as a safety precaution when his movements stopped abruptly.

He saw a colorless "image" fly out of Hugos's body. The shape of the thing was very similar to that of a jellyfish, with a single eye growing from the center of its body. Its presence was so illusory that it seemed like an illusion. In that eye, Chu Hengkong saw the same ferocity as Hugos, yet also a very strange, as if satisfied, feeling like he had just eaten his fill.

The one-eyed jellyfish and Chu Hengkong locked eyes for a moment, then vanished silently. At the same time, Hugos shrank like a balloon pricked by a needle, eventually becoming a one-eyed man with a missing arm.

Demon possession... Is this what a "demon" is? It looks a lot like seafood.

Chu Hengkong pondered for a moment, then realized he was still carrying the long tusk that had reverted to its severed arm. He slowly removed Hugos's iron ring, discarded the useless severed arm, and scanned the stunned thugs around him.

“Next,” he said.

There was no more, not even a scream; the strength and courage to speak had vanished from the thugs' bodies forever. They ran hysterically, writhing and crawling like worms, doing everything in their power to get away from the blood-soaked man. The man who had broken the long teeth with his bare hands, along with his tentacles, had become a symbol of terror, a nightmare more insane than the devil himself.

Only one person remained: the old man who had been swept to the back at the beginning. The old shopkeeper stared blankly at Chu Hengkong, his lips moving unconsciously, unable to utter a sound.

“Sorry, sir, we made a bit too much noise while enforcing the law.” He heard the tentacle man say, “This guy has a bounty of 100,000 Flowing Pearls. Is that enough to repair your shop?”

"Enough...enough..." the old man said instinctively, "Thirty thousand is enough..."

"The prices are quite cheap," Chu Hengkong chuckled. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his watch: "Let me see how long it took..."

·

"5 minutes and 31 seconds. Very good lad."

At the entrance of the Iron Paddle Shop, Old Man Huaisu finished the countdown, a look of approval appearing in his eyes.

Ji Huaisu, standing to the side, scoffed: "If it were me, I'd kill that stupid elephant in five seconds."

"Girl, you're already at point 2, why are you comparing yourself to a newbie who hasn't even made a move yet?" Old Man Huaisu said with a smile.

"None of your business," Ji Huaisu rolled her eyes at him. "Speaking of which, Dad, you were really unfair this time."

Huaisu's father feigned surprise: "Why do you say that?"

"We haven't touched Hugos yet, isn't it because he's from the 'Black Workshop'? It would be satisfying to kill him, but on his very first day here, he's offended the biggest evil force in the city. How is that assassin supposed to survive after that?"

"So from now on, you'll be looking after him," Huaisu's father laughed.

"……what?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Ji Huaisu reacted: "Hey Dad, are you serious? A demon possessed!"

"I've checked. The aura is similar, but it's not the imagined demon." Old Man Huaisu shook his paper fan. "Use your little brain and think it over carefully. If it really were a demon, why would your old man waste time talking to it?"

As they were talking, Chu Hengkong dragged Hugos out. The assassin was covered in blood, but he was all smiles: "Mr. Ji, I wonder if this pledge of allegiance is sincere enough?"

"What 'pledge of allegiance'? We're a legitimate organization; this is your entry exam!" Old Man Huaisu said. "From today onwards, you're a temporary member of the Resurrection Force! Your treatment is second to none in the city, and you'll have all the professional benefits you could want."

Chu Hengkong was overjoyed: "That's great! Is our unit's mess hall still open?"

For the first time since they met, Huaisu's father showed the same bewildered look as his daughter. Chu Hengkong's attitude was sincere and his tone was confident.

"I played games from afternoon to night, and I really wanted to eat a bowl of roast goose rice noodles."

Just released

In addition, I commissioned character designs for the protagonist, Akong, which will be attached to the chapter notes at the end of this chapter. I will also be commissioning illustrations for other characters in the future.

Chapter 7 Salary and Benefits

"It's delicious."

Chu Hengkong finished most of the bowl of noodles and looked up to praise it.

Back at headquarters, Old Man Huaisu disappeared without a trace, leaving only his two new partners to explore the canteen together. There were only a few pieces of roast goose left, but the head chef was very generous, not only adding extra fried tofu and goose liver to their noodles, but also preparing a large plate of grilled squid. The large chunks of squid, coated in a rich sauce, and the sizzling oil on the edge of the grill made Chu Hengkong feel as if he were back in his hometown's street food stalls.

He quickly devoured the rice noodles and squid, then dipped a plate of unidentified green vegetables in the squid sauce. The satisfaction from the high-calorie food effectively dispelled the fatigue after the battle. Chu Hengkong leaned back in the wooden chair in the cafeteria, happily squinting his eyes.

"The chef's skills are excellent."

Across the table, Ji Huaisu felt this person was like a large animal; after eating, he would squint his eyes as if he were about to fall asleep at any moment. She turned her head and called out to the kitchen, "Chef, the newcomer is praising you."

"Ah! As long as you're satisfied!"

The cook jogged over, wiping his greasy hands on his clothes. He was a somewhat disheveled man, in his early thirties, still wearing a dirty baseball cap, with a book titled "Miscellaneous Treatise on Zhengxuan Herbal Medicine" tucked under his arm, seemingly having been studying it not long ago. Chu Hengkong recognized him; he was the one who had brought late-night snacks to the interrogation room earlier.

It's a pity that the better bowl was snatched by Ji Huaisu...

"Let me introduce you. This is Jie An, the team's head chef and logistics manager. You can send him any rare medicines or ingredients you come across," Ji Huaisu said. "This is Chu Hengkong, a newcomer who just transmigrated today and has temporarily joined the team as a combatant."

"Taking down a wanted criminal on your very first day, you've got a bright future ahead of you!" Jie An stepped forward to shake hands. "Which Dust Island are you from?"

Dust Island—Ji Huaisu had mentioned this term before. Judging from his nonchalant attitude towards time travel, it might be a concept similar to a "world" or "plane"...

Chu Hengkong remained calm: "Just an ordinary Dust Island. There are no demons, no tentacles, and no dragons."

"My God! There's still such a peaceful place in this world?" Jie An exclaimed exaggeratedly, genuine sympathy appearing in his eyes. "Dude, you're really unlucky... You should be able to realize that the cost of living here is a little bit higher than back in your hometown..."

"Don't scare the newcomer." Ji Huaisu glared at him.

"But once you're in the team, you've found your organization! As long as you don't cause trouble, Captain Huaisu will protect you!" Jie An said with a grin. "Unlike me, a mere cook, this is the backbone of the team. She's fearless and invincible; even demons would call her a hero. Remember not to offend her when you're on duty; it'll be bad for your life."

Ji Huaisu pretended not to hear and didn't bother arguing with this glib-tongued fellow. Chu Hengkong listened with great interest and asked, "And who is Mr. Ji?"

"You mean her father?" Jie Anle laughed. "He's not exactly one of the team members; he's the renowned Lord of Huilong City!"

Chu Hengkong was genuinely surprised; he hadn't expected that the strategist-like man was actually the city lord. He turned and asked, "The city lord's daughter working as a frontline patrol officer?"

"There's no one left in the team. The city lord's daughter should still be doing her work!" Ji Huaisu said fiercely. "If we weren't really short-handed, we wouldn't have hired you."

"Looks like I can start looking forward to income. How will our team's salaries be paid?"

"Just ask me about this; I'm in charge of the accounts too." Jie An shook his finger. "Regular team members usually receive a fixed salary, and after deducting various insurances and food and housing subsidies, they take home about 15,000 pearls a month. That's considered upper-middle class income in the city, enough for you to live a good life and save some money. However..."

Chu Hengkong perked up, knowing that the real action often followed the initial "however." Ji Huaisu chimed in, "Considering you're a semi-hired temporary member, you have another option. No basic salary, but a fixed 4,000 coins for taking down a small criminal gang; or the tax-deducted bounty for killing a wanted criminal like Hugos. What do you choose?"

“Of course, the second one.” Chu Hengkong didn’t hesitate. This kind of work-from-home arrangement was more in line with his lifestyle than a fixed salary. “The government is really generous. Here’s the 100,000 for today.”

“Taking the money is no problem.” Jie An smiled slyly. “Please hand over Hugos’s belongings according to regulations first.”

Relic?

Hugos was badly injured but still alive; he clearly had nothing left to lose. So what Jie An was referring to must be…

"This?" Chu Hengkong pulled out Hugos's iron ring from his coat. This thing was originally as black as cast iron, but now it had turned white for some reason.

"This kind of equipment is called a relic, an item that contains specific memories. Most relics are somewhat dangerous and must be handed over in a timely manner according to regulations," Ji Huaisu said.

Chu Hengkong immediately put away the iron ring: "A government official with a large family and business has no reason to covet my little spoils of war."

"Judging from your appearance, I don't know who's greedy." Ji Huaisu scoffed. "If they want to keep the equipment, fine! The cook will do the math for them."

Jie An pulled a dirty notebook out of his pocket and started doing the accounting on the spot.

"Alex's pendant is considered your own find, so we won't count it for now. Just considering the Hugos case, your base reward is 100,000 Flowing Pearls, which is enough for you to live a life of luxury for a limited time for a month. You'll have a city-state ham sandwich with fresh truffle scrambled eggs for breakfast, a swamp wood oven-roasted goose with shark fin for lunch, and a stone-baked cheese risotto for dinner, with a variety of fresh seafood sashimi to choose from..."

The cook described the food with such vivid detail that Chu Hengkong heard Ji Huaisu beside him swallow hard. He quickly interrupted before he himself could feel hungry, "What if we don't hand over the iron rings?"

Jie An shook his head: "That's different! I'll give you a friend's discount price of 50,000 for this iron ring, so you'll have 50,000 left..."

"I have 10,000 left," Chu Hengkong said. "Transfer 40,000 to the shop owner's account as compensation for the shop and his emotional distress."

Ji Huaisu raised an eyebrow: "You, who are usually so stingy, are suddenly being generous at a time like this?"

Chu Hengkong smiled and said, "I used to be in a gang. This is a family rule. If you break something, you have to pay more to make up for it until the neighbors are satisfied. Because gangs can survive entirely because of the support of the people in their territory. If they lose respect, even the strongest gang will fall apart, and the assassins won't get any jobs."

"The newcomer is very enlightened! It seems that the old customer was also a powerful figure!" Jie An praised. "Then you still have 10,000 Flowing Pearls left. Don't even dream about beef and mutton, but there will definitely be enough chicken, duck and fish to eat. If you get hungry late at night, you can ask the senior chef for a 'aged soy sauce fried frozen egg rice'. For drinks, you can choose 'Huilongcheng fashionable sparkling drinks'. Occasionally, you can even have a roast duck. Life is quite enjoyable."

"How can you describe street food fried rice with cola like that..." Chu Hengkong found this person quite interesting. "It's not bad, here you go."

Jie An changed her tone: "But! Every month, your salary has to have various housing provident fund contributions, insurance, and taxes deducted. After all that, your take-home pay is still..."

Jie An took out a small, transparent sphere and placed it on the table. Inside the sphere, a deep blue liquid swirled in tiny vortices. The so-called "flowing beads" looked somewhat familiar; those fanatical followers carried the same things, only slightly different in size.

“100 flowing beads,” Jie An said sadly.

Chu Hengkong accepted the pitiful reward and pondered for a moment: "What can 100 Flowing Pearls eat?"

"Forget about roast goose; you'll only get 'purely natural boiled organic noodles.'" Ji Huaisu grinned mischievously from across the table. "Think about it again. Are you really going to stick to that iron ring?"

"At worst, we'll just do a few more deals. I won't let you go!" Chu Hengkong's attitude was firm.

"Tch!" Ji Huaisu stretched out his hand. "Hurry up and give me the iron ring pendant and that book with long eyes."

Chu Hengkong shrank back warily: "If you can't reason with them, you just rob them?"

"What are you thinking? I'll take it to the workshop for a unified appraisal. You dare to carry things of unknown origin on your person? Aren't you afraid of being cursed and killed?"

Ji Huaisu raised her claws, baring her teeth in a threatening gesture, her two small tiger teeth gleaming coldly. Chu Hengkong was amused by this behavior, and for a moment he couldn't tell whether the person speaking to him was "Captain Huaisu" or a quirky female college student.

He handed over the spoils and the Silver-Eyed Book. Ji Huaisu stuffed the three relics into a paper bag, yawning as she packed them up. Seeing that she seemed sleepy, Chu Hengkong suppressed his urge to ask about the relics. He stood up and reached out to the blonde girl.

"Please take care of me in the future, Captain Huaisu."

Jie An, standing to the side, gave a subtle look, and Chu Hengkong cursed himself inwardly. He had made his habitual mistake again; he had been enjoying his meal too much, and with a bit of oil on his right hand, he subconsciously reached out with his left, forgetting that his left arm was now a tentacle…

"I'm happy to protect you as long as you don't cause trouble, but if you dare to make any underhanded moves, I'll be the first to take you down."

He immediately tried to retract the tentacle, but the blonde girl casually grabbed the tip. She was wearing fingerless leather gloves, and her long, slender, white fingers inevitably got covered in the slime from the tentacle's surface, leaving them sticky.

Chu Hengkong was unusually embarrassed: "I have some paper here..."

"Do you usually wipe your hands after shaking hands with someone?" Ji Huaisu asked.

"This is not."

"I don't have that habit either." Ji Huaisu turned around nonchalantly. "Let's go! Taking you to the dormitory will call it a day."

"Thank you, Captain." Chu Hengkong immediately changed his form of address. He waved to Jie An, then followed behind his captain obediently, looking every bit the loyal follower, and seemed quite adept at being a bodyguard.

Jie An remained seated, watching the two leave the canteen. He was a veteran of the Resurrection Army, having worked for the city lord since before the army was even formed. The longer he stayed, the more people he met, and he could get a general idea of ​​someone's personality in just a few words.

This is an arrogant newcomer with his own set of logic for dealing with people, completely unwilling to conform to other people's rules. He even plans to bargain with Ji Huaisu—where does he get the audacity? It's too strange; how could such a proud person want to join an official organization? This kind of person is self-centered and stubborn, absolutely intolerant of being restricted by others; those gray-area businesses or pure black gangs are more suited to his personality.

But after all, Jie An was just a cook, and the city lord had a much sharper eye. He decided to remind Huai Su, that naive child, later, and slowly cleared away the dishes and turned off the canteen lights.

·

Snapped!

Chu Hengkong turned on the dormitory light. The standard single dormitory room had a bedroom and living room, fully furnished, though a faint musty smell lingered in the air. He looked around the room and noticed the chair in the bedroom was a bit shaky, and the corner of the bathroom was leaking. It wasn't exactly luxurious, but it was better than sleeping in the open.

He found a basin and placed it over the leak, turned off the light, and lay on the bed listening to the dripping water. He played with his phone with one hand for a while, confirming again that there was no signal and he couldn't connect to the internet. The moment his phone ran out of battery and went into sleep mode, he suddenly felt a strange sense of weightlessness, as if he were on a ship far from home, watching the familiar coastline gradually disappear into the distance.

That familiar world is gone; you've come to a new place.