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T/N
Potaeto : oh no baby youdong :(
Glorious: ...he's a grown ass man
Potaeto: shhh...it's the sentiment that matters
Glorious: but-
Potaeto: SENTIMENTS!
Glorious: .....
"The Seven of Spades. What do you seek?"
"I need a quiet room."
"For what reason?"
"I've discovered a suspected fusioner and need to conduct an evaluation of calamity level."
The woman's eyebrows shot up. "Fusioner? Any chance of absorption?"
"Not affiliated with the Fusion Faction, but shows interest in joining the Enforcers. My assessment will determine their absorption potential."
"Got it." The woman reached under the counter and retrieved a key, "The quiet room is in the basement."
Chu Muyun took the key and vanished through the basement door.
The woman left the counter and stood at the door, discreetly observing her surroundings. Then, she flipped the "Open for Business" sign at the entrance to "Closed."
With a clunk, the door closed.
In the darkness, Chu Muyun lit an oil lamp and descended the narrow staircase step by step.
The dim light gradually descended, and at the bottom of the stairs was a space of about ten square meters. Chu Muyun bent down and placed the oil lamp in the center of the floor before pouring out the contents of the brown bottle.
Removing his glasses, Chu Muyun's eyes emitted a blue light, creating a strong pressure that swirled around the space.
"Diagnosis... begins."
Ice Spring Street.
Chen Ling's figure moved through the shattered ruins, carefully searching. He was grateful now to have been assigned to this place and tasked with finding clues. If Chen Yan had left any evidence here, he'd be the first to find it – and destroy it. Finding the broken peace charm yesterday himself was a close call. If another Enforcer had stumbled upon it... the consequences were too horrifying to contemplate.
But as it turned out, Chen Yan didn't leave anything else behind.
Chen Ling spent the morning turning the ruins of Ice Spring Street upside down. Apart from various flesh and limb remains, he found nothing else, not even a trace of the so-called "calamity domain" mentioned by Qian Fan.
Chen Ling couldn't help but speculate in his mind: What kind of ability does the calamity inside Chen Yan's body possess?
Lost in thought, Chen Ling noticed a figure approaching.
"Wu Youdong?" Surprise flickered across his face.
It wasn't unexpected for Wu Youdong to be in Ice Spring Street. However, the problem was that Wu Youdong was now walking with a metal crutch under his shoulder, one leg casted, and his body covered in wounds and bandages. His left eye was swollen and bruised, looking as dirty as if he had just crawled out of a trench.
Upon hearing Chen Ling's voice, Wu Youdong, who had been hanging his head low, finally showed a glimmer of light in his eyes.
"Chen Ling." Wu Youdong smiled bitterly. "I thought I wouldn't live to see you again..."
"What happened to you?"
"I'm not planning to be an Enforcer anymore."
Wu Youdong lifted his head, looking into the distance where the aurora was visible. A hint of sadness and desolation flickered in his bruised eyes.
"What happened?" Chen Ling pressed, remembering Wu Youdong's eagerness the day before. How could things have gone so wrong so fast?
"Neither the Enforcers nor Ice Spring Street is worth fighting for," Wu Youdong declared, his voice heavy with disillusionment.
"Who lives here, Chen Ling? Debt collectors, cultists, fugitives! This place is a cesspool of illegal activities – weapons, drugs, organ trafficking... everything imaginable! I went to gather intel from the survivors yesterday, and they mocked me! Kicked me into the toilet! Made me clean it! When I refused, they broke my leg!"
Wu Youdong's voice trembled with rage, his neck muscles straining. "They did it deliberately!"
"The Enforcers in Zone 2 know what kind of place this street is! None of them want to come here, so they asked for help from Zone 3! I don't know what deal they made with Ma Zhong, but he brought people from Zone 3's reserves here!"
"He knew we were newcomers, poor and powerless! If he doesn't bring us, who else could he bring?"
"Politely speaking, we're here to support, but bluntly speaking, we're just sacrifices given by the high-level Enforcers! I can guarantee this with my life! The high-level Enforcers must have connections with the underground transactions in Ice Spring Street!"
"Why?!"
"My parents sacrificed everything to send me to school! I became an Enforcer through my own efforts!"
"Why do they insult me like this?!"
Wu Youdong roared in anger, his eyes turning bloodshot, but even at this point, he still dared not speak too loudly... because the Enforcers from Zone 2 were not far away.
Under the gaze of the lion, even if ants were furious, they could only suppress their anger silently.
Wu Youdong's chest heaved violently, as if he would pick a fight with Ice Spring Street or the Enforcers in the next moment. However, with the sound of a voice, his body trembled again.
"Wu Youdong, Chen Ling? What are you talking about?"
Qian Fan, dressed in black and red uniform, walked over with his arms crossed, curious.
Wu Youdong's face turned pale instantly.
"Wu Youdong, didn't you say you're not going to be an Enforcer anymore?" Qian Fan spoke again. "Voluntarily withdrawing from the Enforcer exam means there's no chance for regret. This should be an opportunity to change your fate for people like you. Have you really thought it through? Or... if you think there's something the Enforcers are not doing right, you can bring it up, and we can discuss it..."
Wu Youdong's complexion changed several times, and he hesitated to speak several times... but under Qian Fan's gaze, he ultimately just shook his head.
"N-no... I voluntarily withdraw."
"What a pity."
Chen Ling looked at Wu Youdong in front of him, feeling a complex mix of emotions...
Wu Youdong dared to pour out his grievances against the Enforcers to Chen Ling, but in front of the Enforcers, he dared not say a word more.
But he couldn't say Wu Youdong was cowardly, because even if Wu Youdong didn't become an Enforcer, he would still have to live in Zone 3 or one of the other major districts of the Aurora Domain, where there would still be Enforcers.
For everyone living in the Aurora Domain, the Enforcers were like Gods.
Wu Youdong cast a deep glance at Chen Ling, then lowered his head again... He struggled to prop himself up with the cheap crutches, gritted his teeth, and limped towards Zone 3.
His figure grew smaller and smaller as he walked away, until it became a tiny speck of dust, scattered at the end of the road.
Chen Ling knew that from now on... Wu Youdong might never lift his head again.
"Well, actually, I think he's pretty good. Hardworking and has potential." Qian Fan sighed as he watched Wu Youdong's departing figure.
"Oh, by the way, now that Wu Youdong is gone, his job needs to be done by someone... From today on, you'll take over his duties."
Chen Ling was taken aback, turning to look at Qian Fan.
Qian Fan smiled as he met his gaze, his smile like that of a devil in the sunlight.