Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Dark Boundless Realm 04

“What should we do next?” asked He Kangshi.

“Find us a safe house,” Kuixin replied.

“That would be quite difficult. I can find a place to rent, but for a safe house… It needs to ensure both concealment and safety, with all facilities in place,” He Kangshi hesitated as he said, entangled in his thoughts. “I am still staying with others too.”

“Don’t worry. Take care of yourself first,” Kuixin looked at him and said, “You know more about the forces here. Tell me which gang in the Black Market of the Midnight District is powerful, which has money, which has ties with the ‘upper class’ of the Poleward District…”

He Kangshi’s look towards Kuixin changed. He had thought that Maotoufu’s arrival to White Whale City by She Black Snake was driven merely by a long-term development plan, laying foundations in a steady stream. But from Maotoufu’s demeanor… it wasn’t as simple as he originally thought.

“You wouldn’t be thinking…” He Kangshi stopped halfway through his words.

“Go on,” Kuixin glanced at him.

“Do you really want to wipe out all the gangs in the Midnight District?” He Kangshi softly said, “That would not be realistic. I’m just guessing.”

How could one person possibly sweep away the entire power structure of the Midnight District? Maotoufu was no superhero. Frankly speaking, the players had only been in Crimson Soil for about four weeks. In four weeks, how could they grow to such vast strength? Even those who were veteran beta testers had just moved past being newbies; most were barely scraping by, with almost no one daring to initiate aggressive moves.

Kuixin casually said, “Your strength isn’t good enough. Just act as my guide. I won’t let you do dangerous things.”

“I understand,” He Kangshi scratched his head, “I’m a novice, and having the boss protect me is already much appreciated. Now with your presence in White Whale City, it feels like I have a safe haven… Sometimes I contemplate how vast the gap between people can be. While I was still struggling, the boss was planning ahead.”

They ended their conversation there.

He Kangshi and Kuixin found a secluded location and started sharing intelligence on the various criminal organizations in the Midnight District. He had been in this area for a few weeks and had gathered all necessary information and uncertainties, ensuring every detail was highlighted to Kuixin.

Half an hour later, Kuixin rode her motorbike back to the bar where He Kangshi lived, and she exchanged contact information by giving him a spare communicator.

Just as He Kangshi was about to wave goodbye to Kuixin, she revved up the throttle and vanished instantly down the street.

“This sister really doesn’t waste time with unnecessary words…” He muttered under his breath, thinking, “Still, the boss is easy-going.”

…

On the first day arriving in White Whale City, how could they not have a safe house? Without a secure place, how could future actions proceed? After a fight, where would they heal and rest? Where would they obtain weapons and medication?

Establishing a safe base required money, so did procuring weapons and medicines. Sometimes even money alone wasn’t enough; connections and relationships among people were also essential.

Kuixin lacked all these resources, so she planned to take advantage of what was already available.

With just one gun at the start and reliance on plunder for gear.

Kuixin organized the intel she received from He Kangshi and had Augus pull up case files related to the Investigation Bureau of White Whale City, confirming general conditions in the Midnight District.

Her final gaze locked onto a medium-sized organization in the Midnight District.

“Hm, the boss, Boris… is ordinary, not an ‘Awakened’, runs a mid-sized nightclub…,” Kuixin studied the details. “Because of a previous indecent offense, he became a tier five citizen, forbidden from entering the Poleward District, but some relatives run businesses in the Poleward District, making him someone with some influence… That’ll be him.”

Running a nightclub meant having money; he employed henchmen, had connections to procure weapons and medicines.

Kuixin didn’t plan to kill Boris, but rather control him, turning him into a puppet that would operate at her front, providing her with funding and a current base of operations.

Always efficient, once the target was confirmed, Kuixin immediately rode her motorbike straight for it.

She parked three blocks away from her target, locked her bike, then walked to the nightclub.

It was daytime, far less lively than at night, with both bars and nightclubs almost empty — this suited Kuixin’s plans perfectly.

Being active during the day was oddly uncomfortable for Kuixin, accustomed to nighttime… habits were truly terrifying.

She blinked once, triggering data manipulation. Her electronic eye transmitted a clear view of the surroundings to her brain. Locations of endpoints and lines linking doors and routes were evident.

Kuixin disabled surveillance cameras in the night club. Corridors, entrances, offices—every corner monitored, now aiding her search.

Quickly, in an office on the third floor of the club, she located Boris through a slightly rotated camera lens. Boris was counting gold bars, methodically stacking them, while cautiously opening a hidden safe behind a bookshelf, placing the bars inside.

Kuixin grinned inwardly and deactivated all cameras, walking confidently through the back door.

She traversed the corridor, her leather boots echoing in the silence. The henchmen noticed movement and held various weapons alertly facing her.

Perhaps due to her composure, no attempt to hide, the henchmen couldn’t determine if she’d come to cause trouble or negotiate business. Hence, they didn’t attack right away.

One thug scrutinized Kuixin’s attire and asked, “Do you have an appointment? State your name.”

Kuixin lifted her hand and turned off her voice modulator.

Speaking in her natural voice, she said, “Drop your weapons.”

Her voice carried an eerie power; immediately, stun rods, firearms, metal pipes clattered to the ground.

“Sleep for ten minutes. Forget everything after meeting me,” Kuixin commanded.

As they spoke, the thugs dropped to the ground together, eerily synchronized in their actions.

A few seconds later, soft snores echoed in the hallway. They were truly asleep.

Kuixin glanced at them, stepped over their bodies, and slowly ascended.

Arriving on the third floor, she politely knocked on Boris’s office door.

An unalarmed voice called out, “Enter.”

Kuixin pushed the door open, then closed it behind her.

“Why are you here? Is the ledger problematic again?” Boris assumed it was his secretary, annoyed, but suddenly froze when he saw her.

“Who are you?” His hand moved subtly toward an alarm button under the desk.

“Don’t move,” Kuixin mouthed lightly.

Boris halted abruptly.

Activating “Electromagnetic Detection,” Kuixin confirmed nothing suspicious and scanned the room. The office had massive wooden shelves, leather sofa, furniture made from raw wood, a bronze antique chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Satisfied, Kuixin smiled, “Nice, I appreciate this office setup. From now on, these will be mine.”

She casually commanded, “Stand aside.”

Obediently, Boris stood up, moving away from his desk.

From her thigh strap, Kuixin drew a sharp dagger. “Roll up your sleeves.”

Boris unbuttoned his red gem-studded blazer and undershirt, exposing his arm.

Kuixin stabbed his skin with the dagger’s point, drawing a drop of blood.

Returning the dagger to its sheath, she opened her mask, extending her tongue to taste the blood.

Huge memory streams surged, nearly drowning her.

Born rich, Boris led a pampered life in his childhood, becoming a wild character in his youth. His crimes included violent brawls and eventually, imprisonment for rape. His family paid off the Investigation Bureau, reducing his sentence to lesser charges. Exiled from the Poleward District, he moved to the Midnight District, where his wealth allowed him quick success.

His life, though polished, was rotten beneath, reeking visibly of corruption.

Kuixin recovered from the overwhelming memories, feeling dizzy. She grabbed the edge of the desk, bent over retching violently, nearly expelling the food from her lunch.

Using “Blood Spirit” often caused vertigo, but more critically, it impacted her mind, as if quickly living another’s life. In severe cases, self-cognition could be disrupted.

The sudden influx of memories felt unsettling, causing mental chaos, muddling Kuixin’s thoughts.

Shaking off the discomfort, Kuixin finally looked at Boris.

“Give me the card to your villa,” she said, “Take some gold bars from your safe too.”

Boris slid open a drawer, retrieved a black access card, and handed it to Kuixin. From a hidden safe, he extracted a few gold bars.

Kuixin examined them, instructing him, “If I don’t visit, keep everything normal.”

“Yes,” Boris nodded submissively.

Satisfied but irritated, Kuixin took the gold bars and left, suppressing her urge to strike Boris.

Reading Boris’s memories was nauseating to her.

She had already accessed the bartender’s and Red’s memories on her way to White Whale City. Scharheit’s and her own remained unread.

The bartender’s memory read unsuccessfully because his blood was contaminated—he had taken blood during healing.

Contaminated blood limited what she could access; Kuixin extracted only a few scattered memories.

Due to the significant mental impact each memory extraction caused, she was disciplined, not attempting total absorption.

Scharheit’s and her own memories were vital. She needed a secure place before fully exploring them.