The night was still, stagnant as a pool of dead water.
Within the detention block, Bai Hao spent his first night on S3, a night that felt somewhat drawn-out.
Early morning, not long after Bai Hao had risen, a staff member in blue uniform opened the alloy door to the detention room and asked sternly, "You two, which one is He Zhong?"
He Zhong remained perfectly composed, stepping forward calmly. "That would be me."
"Come with me. Someone has posted bail for you," the staff member said.
He Zhong nodded, glanced back at Bai Hao, and said, "Brother, I'm heading out first."
"Take care, Brother Chun." Bai Hao offered a faint smile. Though he had only known He Zhong for one night, a subtle sense of camaraderie had already taken root in his heart.
"We'll meet again soon," He Zhong said with a slight smile before following the staff member out of the room.
Clang.The detention room door was locked once more.
Standing somewhat dazed in the now-empty room, Bai Hao couldn't help but feel a pang of loss. He'd been confined for twelve days in the star-liner's detention cell. Now, on South Continent Star, he faced another ten days in this dull, tedious detention facility. This trip to S3 was proving rather unfortunate.
About ten minutes later, the alloy door opened again. It was the same staff member. "Are you Bai Hao?"
Snapping out of his gloomy reverie, Bai Hao quickly nodded.
The staff member replied stiffly, "Come with me. Someone has posted bail for you."
"Bailed me out?" Bai Hao was utterly bewildered. He had no acquaintances on S3. Who would bail him out? Moreover, from what he'd gleaned from the detention staff yesterday, bail required a deposit—one thousand Starfall coins per day. A thousand coins was no small sum; back on Planet B5, he earned around that much in a month. And he still had nine days of detention left. Bailing him out would cost nine thousand Starfall coins.
Nine thousand Starfall coins was a fortune to Bai Hao. He couldn't fathom who would do such a thing. Could the detention center have made a mistake?
"What are you standing there for? Come out, quickly," the staff member said impatiently, seeing Bai Hao rooted to the spot.
Bai Hao offered an awkward smile and followed the staff member. They passed through several alloy doors, exited the detention area, and were then led by another staff member to the property registration and storage office.
"Check your belongings yourself. If everything is in order, just sign here," the storage clerk said, retrieving a duffel bag based on the records and placing it before Bai Hao.
Bai Hao quickly rummaged through it. Finding nothing missing, he signed. Following the clerk's directions, he headed toward the facility's main gate, still puzzling over who could have bailed him out, when he spotted a middle-aged man waving at him from the entrance.
It was He Zhong.
'Could it be him? Did he bail me out?'Bai Hao was staggered. Their acquaintance was shallow—just a conversation last night. They could hardly be considered proper friends.
"I told you we'd meet again soon," He Zhong said with a broad smile as Bai Hao approached.
By now, Bai Hao was certain He Zhong was his benefactor. A touch of gratitude showed on his face. "Thank you, Brother Chun. About the bail money... I'm afraid I can't repay you right now."
"Brother, talking about money hurts feelings," He Zhong said, his smile fading, a slight frown forming. "If you look down on me, He Zhong, then forget it…"
Bai Hao's heart sank. He quickly explained earnestly, "Brother Chun, that's not what I meant at all."
Seeing this, He Zhong's smile immediately returned. He patted Bai Hao's shoulder. "Good, as long as that's not it. Come on, let's go to my place for a drink, wash away the bad luck. Oh, let me introduce you to my brothers first: Bai Xiaohua, Big Xiong, Quanzi."
The three men stood quietly a few steps behind He Zhong. Bai Xiaohua was a young man in his twenties with delicate, refined features, dressed all in white, which matched his name well. Big Xiong was tall and muscular. Quanzi was skinny, with sharp, darting eyes.
Bai Hao greeted each in turn. Big Xiong and Quanzi were quite enthusiastic, while Bai Xiaohua merely gave him a slight nod. Bai Hao found it hard to refuse He Zhong's invitation. After all, the man had just bailed him out; refusing now would seem terribly ungrateful.
Soon, Bai Hao followed He Zhong and the others into a black van. Once inside, he noticed the vehicle wasn't ordinary; it had undergone a series of special modifications. Of course, he didn't ask questions, simply sitting quietly. However, his mind was quietly reeling. Last night, He Zhong had told him quite a bit about the underworld. Bai Hao had thought he might just be spinning tales, but judging by the current setup, it seemed He Zhong had been telling the truth. Was he really involved in that world?
The detention center was located in a relatively remote suburb of Nanzhou City. The road into the city was quiet, with few other vehicles in sight. Inside the van, the men chatted casually.
"Boss, I think we've got a tail. Two black cars have been following us since we left the detention center," Quanzi, who was driving, suddenly said, his expression turning grim and alert.
He Zhong, who had been talking with Bai Hao, looked grim. He peered intently through the rear window. Sure enough, about a hundred meters back, two black cars were sticking close. "Quanzi, speed up. Shake them off."
"Got it, Boss." Quanzi immediately floored the accelerator, the van's speed surging forward.
Bai Hao also glanced back cautiously. Just as Quanzi accelerated, the two black cars behind also sped up, their velocity even more ferocious than the van's.
"Boss, they're gaining," Quanzi reported, taking a sharp breath and pressing the accelerator even harder. But from the rearview mirror, it was clear the pursuing cars were significantly faster.
"I see them," He Zhong said, his face darkening. A cold snort escaped him. "Who dares cause trouble on my turf? They've got a death wish. Quanzi, slow down. Let's see what game they're playing."
"Alright." Quanzi immediately eased off the gas, and the van's speed dropped. The other men in the vehicle grew tense. Big Xiong, sitting nearby, clenched his fists, a fierce light in his eyes, ready for a fight.
Bai Hao felt a twinge of alarm. From He Zhong and Quanzi's exchange, the two black cars speeding toward them seemed hostile. He instinctively linked them to He Zhong, silently speculating: 'Could this be the legendary underworld conflict?'
Screech! Screech!
As Quanzi slowed, the two black cars pursuing from behind became even more aggressive. The distance between them wasn't great to begin with, and in mere seconds, they had closed in on the van. One of them accelerated, overtook, then executed a sharp, braking turn, skidding its body sideways to block the van's path, tires screeching harshly.
"Damn it!" Quanzi slammed on the brakes, barely bringing the van to a stop. Everyone inside jolted violently forward; Big Xiong in the passenger seat nearly hit his head on the windshield.
Simultaneously, the other black car also swerved and braked hard, positioning itself behind the van, effectively trapping it from both front and rear.
Inside the van, He Zhong's heart sank a little, though his expression remained relatively calm, showing no trace of panic. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the black car blocking the road ahead. As soon as it stopped, its doors flew open, and four men in black suits leaped out, each brandishing half-meter-long clubs, their demeanor vicious.
Bai Hao's face tightened. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other car also disgorge four black-suited men, also armed with clubs.
"Out! Big Xiong, Quanzi, you take the front. Xiaohua, you're with me for the four behind. Bai Hao, stay in the van," He Zhong issued orders swiftly.
The men in the van reacted quickly. At his words, they yanked the doors open and sprang out.
The eight men in black wasted no time. The moment they were out, they charged toward the van, clubs already raised.
Seeing He Zhong and the other three had disembarked, Bai Hao didn't wait inside. He swiftly followed them out. When it came to fighting, he had some confidence. Besides, He Zhong kept calling him 'brother'; hiding like a turtle now wasn't his style. Also, the man had paid a hefty bail for him—he owed him some gratitude.
Just as Bai Hao stepped out of the van, another man emerged from the black car behind. He wore a white suit and a mask over his face. His gaze swept over He Zhong, Bai Hao, and the others before finally settling on He Zhong, a barely concealed venom and malice in his eyes.
He Zhong's expression didn't change. He glanced at the men in black charging from front and back and warned, "Be careful, brothers."
"Don't worry, Boss. Watch me teach these sons of bitches a lesson," Big Xiong from the front growled. Surprisingly, he charged forward empty-handed.
Beside him, Quanzi let out a cold laugh, pulling a black baton about thirty centimeters long from his clothes. He quickly pressed a small button on one end. An arc of electricity flashed—it was a stun baton.
Bai Xiaohua fixed his gaze on the four men charging from behind the van. A cold glint flashed in his pupils as he drew a silver knife, about ten centimeters long and resembling a scalpel, from his jacket pocket.
Bai Hao quickly assessed the situation front and back, finally settling his attention on the rear. After all, including the masked man, there were five people back there.