Ren was currently in a vehicle belonging to the Special Forces Unit, accompanied by Officer Han. Texas, on the other hand, had said she would join Exusiai and the others first and ordered him to travel with the second special ops team instead, citing concerns for his safety.
Though Ren didn't quite agree with the decision, he ultimately followed Texas's order. He understood that she was worried about his well-being — after all, their current enemies were extremely dangerous, likely criminals of a national threat level.
Still... Ren couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened. It felt like Texas still didn't trust him, even though he was a part of the team, and he'd already defeated Blood Demon, the leader of their enemies. Why did she still see him as a burden?
"No… I can't think that way!"
What Texas did was the right call. Ren knew he lacked experience and often struggled to control his emotions. Any mistake from him could compromise the mission and endanger the others.
Recognizing his own flaws, Ren resolved to refocus on his mission — using his powers to help others as much as possible.
He thought that maybe this time, working with the L.G.D.'s Special Forces would provide him with some rare and valuable experience.
Twenty minutes later…
"This is so uncomfortable."
Ren sat stiffly in the large van with the silent, stone-faced Special Forces team. The suffocating silence made it feel hard to breathe.
"Um... Officer Han? Where exactly are we going right now?" Ren finally broke the silence, hoping to lighten the mood.
"You can just call me Han, Mr. Zhongli. We're heading to the slums in Lungmen's District 7."
"The Lungmen slums? Don't tell me that the abandoned building we're investigating is in the slums?"
Ren had heard many stories about the slums from Exusiai and Croissant, but he'd never been there himself. Even so, he knew it wasn't a great place.
Han shook his head.
"Not exactly. The building is near District 4, which borders the slums — an area essentially ruled by them. That's why we have to go to the slums first to report to the Rat King before we can proceed."
"The Rat King? Who's that?"
Ren looked surprised at the name. He vaguely remembered Exusiai and Croissant mentioning it, and if someone was called a 'King', they definitely weren't ordinary.
Han, understanding that Ren was relatively new to Lungmen, explained calmly.
"He's the supreme leader of the slums. If Wei Yenwu is considered the governor of Lungmen, the Rat King is the ruler of that region — particularly the underworld. Mafia protection, underground dealings — all of it must go through the Rat King first. That's why our agency has to contact him for certain missions before entering slum territory."
"Because L.G.D. officers aren't welcome in the slums?"
"Well… partly. But the main reason is to minimize potential harm to the people living there. If something goes wrong during a mission, the state can't do much. The slums govern themselves. And if the locals see uniformed officers like us wandering in unannounced, they'll definitely be unhappy."
"So basically, it's a gray area that even the police can't fully reach..."
"Sounds like a dangerous place. The Rat King must be pretty intimidating."
Naturally, anyone capable of governing an area the size of a main city — while keeping violent infected and criminals under control — had to be ruthless and much more cunning than Wei Yenwu.
"Actually... he's like a kind old man, especially to people he takes interest in. But when he's angry? Yeah, that's terrifying. Luckily, today we're negotiating with his daughter, Miss Yuxia. She and Ch'en were close since childhood, so the negotiation shouldn't be too difficult."
"...Are you sure about that?" Ren asked, doubtful. The thought of the hot-tempered Ch'en acting as a negotiator didn't inspire confidence — no matter how close they once were.
And it seemed Ren wasn't the only one worried. Even the supposedly stoic Special Forces members all turned to look at Han in unison. Though their faces were hidden behind full gear, Ren could feel their shared concern.
"W-Well! Officer Swire was supposed to handle this, but she's busy with a family matter in Victoria. So, unfortunately, Ch'en had to step in. Still, the negotiation shouldn't be too hard… but just to be safe, we should go with her. Especially you, Mr. Zhongli — maybe you can stop her from saying something... weird."
Judging from Han's expression, even he didn't trust his own superior.
"So... you don't trust her either, huh? I'm guessing she's caused you a lot of trouble," Ren muttered.
Suddenly, one of the Special Forces shouted:
"Not just trouble, Mr. Zhongli!!"
"Huh?"
"She made us work for 28 hours straight — no meals during shifts!"
"My wife calls me every day because I'm always doing OT! And the moment I requested emergency leave, she dumped a mountain of paperwork on me!"
"Ch'en is a monster of a woman!"
"A temperamental commander!"
"A heartless boss who never lets her subordinates leave work early!"
Humans are social creatures — gossip and venting are a universal bond. Even the previously stern and silent Special Forces erupted once someone brought up complaints about Ch'en, each one eagerly joining in.
The tense atmosphere in the van gradually lifted, and Ren grew closer to several team members through their shared trauma stories about Ch'en.
Not long after, the van came to a halt, and the driver called out from the front:
"We've arrived!"
Knowing it was time, Ren got ready to step out. But before he did, he turned to Han for one last question:
"What kind of person is Miss Yuxia, usually?"
Han, pausing as he stood, scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Well… she's a bit cold and sharp-tongued, but she's actually quite kind to people she cares about. People often call her the Princess of the Slums — though, just a tip… don't say that in front of Ch'en."
"Why not?"
"Because Ch'en's always referred to as the Princess of Lungmen. So Miss Yuxia might take offense — it sounds like you're comparing them."
"Oh… so that woman's a princess too," Ren muttered.
"No wonder everyone bends over backward for her…"
Ren and Han stepped down from the vehicle, and the first thing they saw was Ch'en arguing with a pink-haired woman in black.
"What do you mean 'no'?! Do you not understand how serious this situation is for Lungmen?!"
"I don't care how bad it is. I'm not letting your officers into my territory unless you give me a proper explanation first."
"You brat... are you trying to pick a fight with me?!"
"Of course not. But if a goody-two-shoes like you wants one... I'm happy to oblige."
Their glares clashed with fiery tension, backed by armed Special Forces on Ch'en's side and a gang of thugs behind the pink-haired girl, all ready to draw weapons at a moment's notice.
"This doesn't look like a normal negotiation at all..."
Ren sighed and turned to Han, who was trembling beside him.
"This is what you meant by 'they're close'?"
"I didn't think it'd be this bad! Mr. Zhongli, please! Stop Officer Ch'en before this gets worse!"
Han pleaded — he definitely didn't have the guts to step between the two princesses of Lungmen.
So now, all hope rested on this skinny young man — the same one that even Wei Yenwu had shown respect toward.
Ren didn't have many options. He needed this handled quickly. So, he stepped forward.
"Officer Ch'en… is this really the time to be arguing? If you can't handle the negotiations, just let someone else who can."
"…Why are you here?"
Ch'en looked surprised to see him. But when she noticed Han and the Special Forces vehicle behind him, she seemed to piece things together.
"That old man sent you, didn't he?!"
"Nope. Texas told me to come with them. Maybe because she knew this would happen," Ren grumbled, annoyed by her unprovoked irritation. He then ignored her and turned to the pink-haired woman watching him.
"Apologies for the late introduction, Miss Yuxia. I'm Officer Zhongli from Penguin Logistics. Officer Ch'en may have already informed you — we need to carry out an operation in your district. I can't share too many details, but one of my colleagues has been kidnapped. I'm desperate to save her. If it's not too much trouble, could you please hear us out? I promise I'll find a way to repay you someday."
"You said your name is Zhongli?"
Yuxia's eyes widened. That name... it was the same as a character from a mobile game she'd played the night before…
"You've heard of me, Miss Yuxia?"
"Miss Yuxia, do you know me?"
Yuxia paused for a moment before nodding with a more sincere smile.
"Of course… My intelligence network is quite extensive. Even the commotion caused by Penguin Logistics yesterday is still a hot topic around the slums here. It's not surprising that we'd learn about a new officer showing up at such a dangerous company."
Ren flinched at those words, but with his loyalty, he didn't hesitate to defend his company.
"I'm really glad that you know about Penguin Logistics, Miss Yuxia. But in truth, we're just an ordinary logistics company. Everything we do is strictly within the bounds of self-defense. So let's set that topic aside and return to the main issue."
Feeling the intense gaze from Ch'en, Ren quickly changed the subject.
"Miss Yuxia, would you be willing to give us an answer now?"
"Of course… I'm glad to finally be speaking with someone who communicates like a real person, unlike someone around here," Yuxia grumbled, not forgetting to throw shade at a certain person.
"But I can't grant that request so easily. There's already a big problem happening in the slums right now, and we don't want to add more trouble. I hope you all understand."
"I told you, this problem is connected to—" Ch'en started to speak, but Ren raised his hand to stop her.
"Then… if we can resolve the issue you're facing, will you help us with our request, Miss Yuxia?"
Yuxia smiled with clear delight.
"Finally, someone who speaks sense. I like how quickly you grasp the situation—very different from someone who relies solely on the prestige of her family name."
She looked at Ch'en with disdain, and this time it clearly got under her skin.
"You—!" Ch'en raised a finger to snap back, but Ren turned to her with a polite smile.
"Officer Ch'en… Could you please be quiet?"
"…"
Ch'en opened her mouth, but in the end, she fell silent and turned her face away in displeasure.
That image earned a silent thumbs-up from the members of the special unit and Officer Han, who inwardly praised the young man with a thousand compliments.
Even Yuxia showed a surprised expression, seeing the proud princess—who never took orders from anyone but her uncle—actually listen to someone else…
'Interesting… Just like that old man said, this guy really is someone worth watching closely.'
'But sorry, old man… I'm going to make him mine instead…' Yuxia gave a secretive smile.
Just then, a system notification appeared.
[Lin Yuxia [Codename: Lin]'s affection toward you has significantly increased. Affection +1,000]
'Hmm? Looks like big sis Yuxia is actually quite sweet'
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