C34 Coincidence

Watching Tieh Gaang clutch the gold card with excitement, Zhang Ze was itching to confront him about his betrayal. But before he could act, he caught sight of someone emerging from the derelict building.

A middle-aged man in his forties, his face obscured, brandished a dagger.

Tieh Gaang, alerted by the footsteps, spun around, his face registering shock. "Who are you? Stay back!" he stammered, fear creeping into his voice. The sight of the dagger seemed to trigger a realization, and panic washed over him.

The masked man remained silent, his pace quickening. In just moments, he closed the gap between them and stood before Tieh Gaang.

With a yell, Tieh Gaang swung at the masked man. He was no weakling; his Strength Value was just a point shy of Laoba's, and his punch packed a hefty five to six hundred kilograms of force.

But his fist never made contact. The masked man seized his wrist with lightning speed.

"Ow!" Tieh Gaang winced as if his wrist had been caught in a vice. His cry of pain was cut short when the dagger pierced his heart.

"You have no honor!" Tieh Gaang's eyes bulged as he collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.

The masked man stooped to retrieve the golden Consumption Card from Tieh Gaang's corpse, tucking it away into his pocket. Humming a folk tune, he dragged Tieh Gaang's body deeper into the building, until both were out of sight.

Zhang Ze had captured it all on video, too terrified to utter a sound. The masked man's formidable strength, especially the burst of speed, reminded Zhang Ze of the masked woman he'd encountered in the Fallen District.

"This has to be the work of a Devil Domain Expert," Zhang Ze surmised.

Clearly, not all Devil Domain Experts were benevolent. Some had strayed, choosing a darker path filled with misdeeds—and the masked man before Zhang Ze was undoubtedly one of them.

Zhang Ze slipped out of the abandoned construction site unnoticed.

For Zhang Ze, Tieh Gaang's demise was inconsequential; he had brought it upon himself. Zhang Ze's concern was how to ensure Boss Lee compensated Lu Kai and the others for their losses.

After all, those were two lives lost. Zhang Ze couldn't stand by and let their deaths be in vain.

"I need to go back and fill Lu Kai in on what happened, get his take on it."

Zhang Ze retraced his steps. Upon his arrival at Lu Kai's home, he found Uncle Wang had already dressed Lu Kai's wounds. Lu Panpan was tending to a pot of herbal medicine. Their faces registered shock as Zhang Ze reappeared.

"Lu Kai, I just encountered Tieh Gaang!" Zhang Ze announced gravely. He then played the video he had recorded on his phone for everyone to see.

"That scoundrel Tieh Gaang betrayed us!" Lu Kai exclaimed, seething with rage, his face flushed. In his agitation, he tugged at his wound, causing him to cough up blood once more.

"Tieh Gaang got what he deserved! But we're no match for someone like Boss Lee." Lu Kai took a moment to regain his composure, his face weary. Shaking his head, he lamented, "Zhang Ze, we've been duped by Boss Lee. He got what he wanted without spending a dime. It's my fault for trusting him too much."

Zhang Ze remained silent, but Lu Panpan spoke up, her voice tinged with fury: "Are you just supposed to take this lying down? Did Laoba and Madman die for nothing? We can't just let this slide! Why don't we go to the police and have them arrest Boss Lee?"

"If we go to the police, Zhang Ze and I will be the first ones they lock up," Lu Kai replied with a wry smile. He continued, shaking his head, "We broke the rules by entering the Fallen District without authorization and took things from there. Our offenses could land us in jail!"

"Besides, with Boss Lee's connections and clout, even if the police did investigate, they're unlikely to uncover anything substantial."

Lu Kai sighed deeply and concluded, "Ordinary folks like us stand no chance against someone as powerful as Boss Lee."

Lu Panpan knew her brother was right, so all she could do was stomp her feet in frustration. She was out of options.

"Zhang Ze, thank you for sharing all this with me. I didn't make you any money today; instead, I nearly got you killed alongside me. I'm truly sorry. Please don't hold it against me. I owe you one, and I'll make sure to repay the favor whenever I get the chance," Lu Kai expressed earnestly to Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze shook his head and replied, "Brother Lu Kai, don't talk like that. You were taken advantage of, that's all. If there's anyone to blame, it's Boss Lee and Tieh Gaang."

After saying goodbye to Lu Kai and his sister, Zhang Ze made his way home, where he happened to run into his neighbor. As the neighbor was about to lock up and leave, he noticed Zhang Ze and greeted him with enthusiasm.

"Hello, was that your sister with you yesterday?" asked Zhang Ze's neighbor, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man who now offered Zhang Ze a friendly smile.

Zhang Ze returned the smile and nodded, "Hello, and thanks for the apples you gave us. We'd like to have you over for dinner sometime."

"I appreciate the invitation," the middle-aged man said with a smile, pulling his key from the door. Zhang Ze's eyes inadvertently caught sight of the man's hand, and he was taken aback—his pupils constricting in shock.

The middle-aged man was missing his right pinky finger.

"I've got to run, but I'll see you later. Goodbye," said the man, and with a quick wave, he hurried down the stairs.

Watching the man descend, Zhang Ze's smile faded, and his brow furrowed in concern.

"What a strange coincidence," he mused, a bit uneasy. While not everyone missing a pinky is a fugitive, it was an uncanny match to the description of a wanted criminal.

"Still, this man doesn't resemble the criminal at all. It looks like I'll need to do some digging into his background. If he's not the wanted man, then there's nothing to worry about. But if he is, my sister and I could be in real danger," Zhang Ze thought to himself.

If an average Joe discovered that a fugitive was living right next door, chances are they'd be too anxious to get any sleep.

"He just mentioned he had to run an errand, so maybe I can check out his place," Zhang Ze mused. The idea struck him out of the blue.

After getting back home, Zhang Ze noticed Zhang Feng wasn't there. Knowing that his sister typically went to the market to shop for groceries around this time, he left her a note cautioning her to be wary of the neighbors.

Next, Zhang Ze stepped out onto the balcony. With a firm grip on the clothesline, he effortlessly hopped over to the adjacent balcony.