Li Qinwu tightened his grip on the seven guns slung across his body as Lieutenant Rudolph finished speaking.
"I've marked your signal as friendly," Rudolph said calmly. "As long as you don't attack the PDF, don't fall to Chaos, and mention my name in the Northern Theater Command… things will go easier for you."
Li Qinwu nodded slightly, his eyes steady.
"I'll be going deeper into rebel territory," he replied. "I'll bring back your comrades' dog tags."
He paused for a second, then added with a faint smile,
"Just remember—you owe me."
Without waiting for a response, he waved and turned away, disappearing into the darkness.
---
Ten minutes later, he arrived at the forest near the ventilation duct. Nearby, an abandoned farm lay silent, scattered with wooden planks.
Li Qinwu didn't hesitate. He began hauling the planks one by one.
They were heavy—so heavy that the red weight warning flickered in his vision. Every step felt like dragging chains, his breathing growing rough, his shoulders burning.
Still, he pressed on.
Step by step, he carried the materials back to the extraction point.
Countdown.
Evacuation.
In a blink, he returned to his hideout—along with fertilizer rolls worth fifteen thousand.
The moment he landed, he dropped everything and collapsed onto his bed.
Sleep took him instantly.
---
When he woke up, his stomach growled violently.
He sat up, rubbing his face.
"No biscuits… no water either…"
He smacked his lips, annoyed.
"Guess I have to go shopping."
---
Before leaving, he got to work.
Using the planks, nails, and tools, he began assembling something new inside his hideout. Piece by piece, he built a small structure—simple, crude, but deliberate.
Finally, he placed the wooden Emperor statue inside.
A notification rang out.
Ding! Emperor's Shrine Lv.1 completed.
A faint, almost imperceptible warmth spread through the room.
For the first time, the hideout felt… protected.
Li Qinwu checked the shrine's function.
One slot.
Input candles and water… or oil…
Output: holy water… holy oil.
He exhaled.
"No candles…"
Looks like the market trip couldn't be avoided.
---
Half an hour later, Li Qinwu arrived at the Fertilizer Gang's territory, carrying a massive bag filled with guns.
His entire body ached.
"Damn… over 50 kilograms…"
Even so, he had improved—his strength had increased slightly.
The guards quickly recognized him and rushed over.
Li Qinwu dropped the bag on the ground with a heavy thud.
"Take it," he said, breathing hard. "Your boss's goods."
---
Inside the shop, the Nepalese black marketeer stared at the pile of weapons.
Seven rebel guns.
Three PDF-standard rifles.
He let out a low whistle.
"By the Emperor… my honored guest truly brings fortune."
He handed over a thick stack of fertilizer coupons.
Ding! Mission complete.
Thirty-three thousand.
Favorability increased.
New goods unlocked.
Cheap weapons. Armor. Gas masks. Crude explosives.
Li Qinwu slipped the money away, smiling faintly.
"Got more work?"
The black marketeer's smile widened.
"There is something…"
The Chemical Gang.
Kill them.
Three hundred per head.
Proof? Cut off their tattoo.
Li Qinwu nodded casually.
"I'll check it out."
---
From there, he moved toward the public area.
The deeper he went, the more crowded it became.
This was the "safe zone" of the bottom hive.
People everywhere.
Workers. Scavengers. Beggars.
All surviving off scraps dumped from above.
At the center stood the massive elevator—the only connection to higher levels. Around it, shops and guilds operated just enough to keep people alive… but never comfortable.
---
Li Qinwu joined a long line.
Water first.
Hundreds of people ahead.
No one spoke.
When his turn came, he immediately handed over the coupon.
Three liters of water.
No words exchanged.
---
Next line.
Food.
Even longer.
He waited.
And waited.
Then—
Someone cut in front of him.
Li Qinwu frowned and tapped the man's shoulder.
The man turned instantly, a dagger pressed against Li Qinwu's neck.
"Say a word," he snarled, "and I'll gut you."
The surrounding crowd barely reacted.
Li Qinwu blinked.
Calm.
Still.
The man sneered and lowered the dagger.
That was his mistake.
---
Li Qinwu moved.
A sudden punch slammed into the man's stomach, knocking the air out of him.
Before the man could react—
A gun was already pressed to his head.
A crude, heavy pistol.
No hesitation.
Bang.
The shot echoed.
The man dropped instantly.
Dead.
---
For a moment, the area froze.
Then… everything returned to normal.
The line didn't even break.
Li Qinwu calmly crouched, looted the corpse, and returned to his spot as if nothing had happened.
Minutes later, others came.
They stripped the body.
Clothes. Shoes. Everything.
By the time Li Qinwu got his food and walked away…
The corpse was gone.
Only faint traces remained.
---
Afterward, he entered a quiet shop.
A high-end one.
No queue.
"Incense. Three oils. One chili oil."
"Fifty-five."
He paid without hesitation.
---
As he stepped back into the shadows, bags in hand…
He felt it.
Eyes.
Watching.
From corners.
From darkness.
Several figures began to follow him.
Like wolves tracking prey.
---
Li Qinwu lit a cigarette.
Took a slow drag.
And walked calmly into the dark pipeline ahead.
As if he hadn't noticed at all.