Chapter 148

Chapter 148: The Dark Boundless Realm Part 03

The two car thieves had fainted. Kui Xin unlocked the car and carefully put on his helmet before straddling the vehicle.

“Do you have any means of transportation?” Kui Xin asked He Kangshi.

“I don’t have anything…” said He Kangshi.

“In that case, sit behind me,” Kui Xin said. “But I don’t have an extra helmet.”

“Alright,” He Kangshi said carefully as he sat down on the motorbike. “Although the riding safety manual requires everyone to wear a helmet, nobody wears them here. The security officers don’t care, and if they find you, you just need to pay a fine.”

He seemed to indicate that the Investigation Bureau in White Whale City didn’t deal with much…

This was good; it allowed Kui Xin to use his abilities fully.

“Don’t call me ‘sister,’” Kui Xin replied with a sigh. “Let’s eat first.”

“Okay,” said He Kangshi. “We can eat at that cheap restaurant near where we’re going.”

Before he finished speaking, Kui Xin turned the handlebars, and the motorbike sped off, nearly throwing He Kangshi off. He steadied himself and managed to calm down.

The person known as Maotoufu seemed to be a swift and decisive type who didn’t like to joke around.

They arrived at a small street market quickly. Restaurants and shops with colorful signs crowded the street, and people of different races walked through the alleys.

Kui Xin parked the motorbike at the designated spot. He康时, adjusting his disheveled hair due to the wind, said, “It doesn’t really matter where we eat; the prices here are quite reasonable.”

After glancing around, Kui Xin entered a fast-food shop that was somewhat clean and only had outdoor seating. They placed their orders and paid with an anonymous account before sitting outside, waiting for the food.

While waiting, Kui Xin habitually activated his “electromagnetic scan” to check their surroundings.

These past few days on the road had been filled with vigilance. Both the Mechanized Dawn and the Resistance Army were too powerful; Kui Xin feared a single misstep could result in being targeted. Thus, he had taken extra precautions.

“A cool ride! Do you usually come to White Whale City by motorbike?” He Kangshi tried to make conversation.

“If it took several days and nights, I might not have made it here,” Kui Xin shrugged. “This was a car I just bought a little while ago.”

“Where did you get it from? Be careful not to get scammed,” He Kangshi said worriedly.

“I got it from a dealership called Free Man’s Ride run by Valeri. I paid him a forty-gram gold bar,” Kui Xin casually mentioned.

“Alright… The price isn’t bad. Valeri’s dealership in the Midnight District has a decent reputation. I’ve sold my old bike to Valeri before, and he offered a fair price,” He Kangshi said. “Valeri is one of the fewer ‘upright’ people in the Midnight District, although he is relatively upright compared to others. Many people go there for transactions.”

“Does he have any background?” Kui Xin asked.

“Without connections, one cannot run such a business so big,” He Kangshi lowered his voice. “It’s rumored he has a brother who deals in smuggling mechanical prosthetics. In the Midnight District, his influence is pervasive. He hesitated, then added, “I suspect some powerful gangs in the Midnight District may have ambiguous ties with those in the Poleward District, possibly benefiting from the protection or support of important figures; but for now, it’s all speculation. It’s best not to provoke them.”

Having lived in White Whale City for a long time, He Kangshi could pick up subtle hints, indicating he was more than just lucky to survive.

“Tell me about the Bounty Hunter Trading Post,” Kui Xin said.

“The process is straightforward. A friend introduces you, and once registered, whether you get work depends on luck. If you’ve been in this line long enough and know more people, you’ll have more options for getting jobs. Most often, friends introduce you to tasks, which typically involve smuggling, escorting, or killing,” He Kangshi explained. “You also need the skills and clearance required to take on these tasks. If your capabilities and permissions aren’t enough, you won’t even know about certain jobs.”

“It seems like the bounty hunter business requires connections…” Kui Xin remarked. “Are there any jobs that don’t require connections?”

“There are. Official wanted posters are posted on the official website. You don’t need proof of identity to claim the rewards, though being a blacklisted individual would exclude you from being eligible for reward money,” He Kangshi explained. “There are other listings called black lists, on which people post public information for those with vendettas. They specify whether the target should be alive or dead and what the payment will be. Finishing such tasks can earn at least a hundred thousand marks, which, if multiple people complete the task collectively, will be split among them.”

Kui Xin knocked on the table. “This feels a lot like a group activity in a game. You either get introduced through friends or compete through public bounties on black lists.”

“Exactly.” He Kangshi nodded. “I’m not that daring. Dangerous work is out of the question. As a bounty hunter, the earned money is often considered gray income. I’ve only completed a few transfer tasks so far.”

The café servant brought their meals to the table.

Kui Xin pressed a switch on the metal mask she wore, revealing a small mouth. She scooped some curry rice, expressionless, into her face plate.

He Kangshi looked puzzled.

“She really doesn’t take off her mask to eat…”

Maotoufu wore a custom mask that covered his entire face, from forehead to chin with a small slit allowing his blue eyes to be visible. The eyes had a cold, artificial sheen.

“Big sister, you’re so unique,” He Kangshi said, meaning no offense.

“Don’t call me ‘sister.’” Kui Xin repeated, her voice sounding different from before. She realized Maotoufu had been using a voice-changing device until she opened her faceplate.

“You remind me of Batman.” He Kangshi said. “His mask is barely noticeable.”

Since there were no bystanders around, He Kangshi felt comfortable mentioning the character from the First World comics.

“This disguise is necessary.” Kui Xin pondered. “I suggest you do something similar when you have the resources. It’s safer that way.”

“Oh,” He Kangshi whispered. “I don’t need to hide my face when I regenerate after I earn enough. For now, let’s focus on our immediate tasks.”

Kui Xin briskly finished eating, reattaching her mask. He Kangshi swallowed the last of his meal and said, “What kind of job did the boss set? Is there anything I can help with?”

“We need to establish a secret organization,” Kui Xin replied succinctly.

“That sounds tough.” He Kangshi frowned. “We’d need to find backing. We don’t have any roots yet.”

“Don’t worry. I have an idea,” Kui Xin thought and said, “Before, the boss told me there was another player who had the same coordinates as us, but he was mistakenly killed.”

“Ah.” His face darkened instantly.

“Who was responsible? Are they still alive?” Kui Xin asked.

“They are. Two of them were arrested by the Investigation Bureau. They belong to a small gang in the Midnight District controlled by someone with significant funds. This person bribed officials, and they were released after a week’s detention,” He Kangshi whispered. “They didn’t face any real consequences and were just released.”

“Where is their gang?” Kui Xin asked further.

He Kangshi caught on, “You mean…?”

“Don’t you want revenge?” Kui Xin probed, chin in hand.

He Kangshi was stunned, “I do, but…”

Kui Xin cut him off, “Forget it for now. Let’s prioritize our current mission.”

He Kangshi stood up dazedly, a few seconds later. “Okay.”

Kui Xin rose from her seat, and He Kangshi hurried to follow her, guiding the way to the Bounty Hunter Trading Post situated in the alley behind the end-of-the-street market.

The trading point was in an unassuming tea house.

The tea house had no windows; intricate wooden window carvings cast a dim light, and dust particles swarmed in the air. Few people frequented the place, and the seats had a layer of grime that gave it an old-time feel.

The owner of the tea house was an elderly man of Asian descent, who barely acknowledged visitors with a nod.

Unexpectedly, this unremarkable tea house owner was a B-class Awakened individual, possessing a weapon ability called Wind Blade.

He Kangshi approached and coughed twice, “It’s me, Hunter Falcon. Register my friend.”

“What’s your codename?” the old man asked.

“Maotoufu,” Kui Xin answered.

The old man nodded and pressed a button on the table. A floating display screen popped up. He typed in Kui Xin’s codename and clicked confirm. Complex codes appeared on the screen.

“Good, remember the code,” the old man instructed. “Have your friend teach you how to log into the dark net. The registration fee is two thousand, payable with gold.”

Kui Xin looked at He Kangshi reassuringly, and he pulled out a piece of golden nail-sized metal and placed it on the table. The old man examined it and confirmed, “A bit over six grams exactly.”

After receiving the gold, the old man passed a card similar to a chip to Kui Xin. “Keep it safe; replacing it costs two thousand.”

The registration process was surprisingly simple.

He Kangshi explained, “Insert the card into the communicator; it will automatically fetch the dark net address. Complete your personal authentication, and you can view the page.”

“Let’s look at yours later.” Kui Xin added, “Could I see your dark net page?”

He Kangshi removed the communicator and handed it to Kui Xin.

She tapped the communicator’s screen. A stark grey webpage rapidly appeared.

The webpage was crude and blunt. The homepage listed a series of Wanted posters in red, each followed by a row of zeroes, striking and impactful.

Seeing the top ten WANTED posters, Kui Xin’s face contorted strangely.

On the seventh rank, the bounty was marked at thirty million.

The content of the Wanted poster read: “Core member of the Mechanized Dawn—killing each gets you a bounty of thirty million, cumulative, unlimited.”

If the Mechanized Dawn members she had eliminated were claimed as rewards, her fortune could easily skyrocket above a billion.

Rubbing her chin, Kui Xin said, “It looks like I finally grasped the formula for accumulating wealth.”