HamHamPangPang.
"What the hell, Vanda? It's just a fast-food joint. Aren't you supposed to be loaded?"
"If you eat too much, Yuna, it's gonna mess with our infiltration later."
"Hey, hey! I never even agreed to pull a night shift with you. Can't we just chill and wait till tomorrow? What if we totally screw up Director Xiao's master plan?"
"Relax, our sector is just a tiny outpost anyway. It won't affect the big picture."
Yuna disdainfully pushed the complimentary bread and tea across the table, then raised a hand to order two colas.
While the crew was busy munching on fried chicken and chatting, Putato pulled out his communicator to check if Roland had finally sent over the intel.
[ Brandon:
- Olivier [100,000 Ahn ]: Seriously, this is the first time I've seen a puppet this expensive. Are we sure the price isn't a typo?
- Roland [100,000 Ahn ]: Well, an Urban Girl is one of a kind, ya know.
- Honglu [10,000,000 Ahn ]: Wait, can you just buy stuff like this? I was out shopping and noticed a ton of people staring at this.
- Don Quixote [100,000 Ahn ]: Whoa! My deepest apologies! I am completely broke!
- Lulu [100,000 Ahn ]: Why the hell are the Five Fingers doing a livestream? Ain't that way too sus?!
- Moses [100,000 Ahn ]: Why the hell is The City getting weirder by the minute?]
[ Putato:
To Olivier: Nothing's right or wrong in The City.
To Honglu: Just wait for The City's "gifts."
To Don Quixote: Just wait for The City's "gifts."
To Lulu: It ain't even the Five Fingers.
To Moses: You're literally living in The City, deal with it.]
To be fair, if Putato didn't have Unfettered, and people kept chatting nonsense like this all day, the Proxies from the Index would've probably kicked his front door in by now.
Putato sent a quick message to calm down the hyperventilating Don Quixote in his DMs. Gotta take care of a hardcore fan, right? Even if she was broke right now, her heart was in the right place to farm some cash, who knows, maybe she'd be rolling in dough later.
[ Obana: I honestly don't get this business logic. You can't even hype up hunger marketing with just ten pieces, it's not like it's a whole product line. ]
[ Putato: Shut up, sit back, and take notes. I'd advise you not to question the grind. ]
[ Obana: You got it, Boss!]
Right on cue, Putato received the compiled dossier from Roland. His eyes lit up instantly. Too lazy to deal with Obana's BS anymore, he tapped it open to read carefully. The details here made whatever Liu Association dropped look like absolute amateur hour.
The internal structure of Void Fist is split into three main divisions: the Rule-making, Modifying, and Rule-breaking Recording Division, the Enforcing Division, which handles territory management and maintenance, and the Judicature Division, which oversees and punishes anyone violating the rules.
Damn!
For a bunch of old war veterans, their corporate structure actually looks surprisingly legit. Plus, it doesn't feel like standard Syndicate behavior at all. Even the Thumb, which is obsessed with strict hierarchies, wouldn't set up two whole divisions dedicated purely to regulations.
Unlike the Thumb's rigid chain of command for foot soldiers, Void Fist refers to connected territories as "camps." Within each camp, three branch offices are set up to have absolute authority over everything, only needing to report upward and take orders.
Putato finally figured out what these guys were pulling. Turns out they reverted back to their corporate roots. This kind of bureaucratic, military-style logic was straight-up overpowered when dealing with small-to-medium Syndicates.
He immediately forwarded this solid intel to the other three. Beside him, Salvador's expression darkened as he stared at the screen, muttering with a hint of melancholy, "Medals, huh?"
Void Fist wields a specific type of specialized tech. As long as members fulfill their duties strictly according to the rules, their seniority accumulates over the months and manifests into medals. These medals grant members buffs that boost their authority beyond imagination, along with a certain level of defense.
On top of that, there's the "authority suppression" that the Liu Association mentioned. As long as members are actively executing their duties, it inflicts massive psychological dread on others, weak-willed people will even automatically obey their commands.
The exact science behind this phenomenon is still fuzzy, but rumor has it that it might be the classified output of some research lab out in the Outskirts.
Salvador gazed out the window with a complex look at the bustling cityscape. "Medal authority, rules... Looks like they're still trapped in the smog of yesterday. But honestly, I can only look out for myself right now."
Amidst Philip and Yuna's stunned gazes, he silently stood up and walked toward the restroom.
It was Philip's first time seeing his master lose his composure like this, and he instinctively followed, full of worry.
Yuna took a sip of her bubble tea, then looked over at the expressionless Putato. "Master looks totally heartbroken. Who knows, he might even bump into some old war buddies inside Void Fist. Looks like wiping out the main forces of that stronghold is gonna fall entirely on your shoulders, huh."
Putato chuckled and shook his head. "You're underestimating Salvador. A commission is a commission. There are too many pathetic people in The City, hesitate even a little, and you'll die right here."
"Ha, and here I thought you weren't the type to drop cold-blooded truths. Didn't you literally risk your neck after finishing a commission just to save some randoms from the Kurokumo Clan?"
"Well, yeah. Because I'm built different. I do whatever I want."
Putato stood up, cracking his neck. As he watched the night outside grow heavier and thicker, he geared up to head over to Cina District and check out the situation firsthand.
"Yuna, I'm kinda hurt. As my apprentice, you don't even trust my professional ethics as much as Vanda does."
Salvador was back to his usual casual smile, appearing out of nowhere and startling Yuna so badly she almost dropped her bubble tea. Then came the master's "punishment."
"Vanda's treating this time. You're footing the bill."
With a pained expression, Yuna could only glumly cough up the cash. "Master, I was just worried about you..."
"I'm old, not senile. Let's head over to Cina District for some recon right now. Who knows, maybe I'll actually run into an old friend."
Suddenly, Putato's communicator chimed. It was Mo calling. Putato immediately excused himself and walked over to the shop's deserted back alley to answer.
"Mo, how's the delivery service treating you? Comfy?"
"The payout is way higher than expected. Gotta hand it to ya, you keep your word. Wonder where you found all those loaded suckers, though. Hey, when's your birthday anyway? I'll swing by the commercial district and pick up a five-layer fruit cake for ya!"
"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
Putato was instantly confused. Plus, Mo wasn't the type to just throw money away like that.
"Ah, well, I just accidentally remembered how that blonde chick in a dress brought you a cake last time, so I figured I'd casually ask if that day was your birthday or somethin'."
Has she lost her mind?!
"Did you catch a virus? Why are you wasting time caring about useless nonsense like that?"
It made sense for Shamisen to ask about the Urban Girl's birthday, but Putato couldn't wrap his head around Mo doing it. What was she gonna do, throw him a birthday party? Total waste of time.
"Stop yapping so much useless crap and just tell me, dammit!"
After pondering for a second, Putato just gave her a random date to shut her up. He figured Mo definitely needed a core system upgrade, otherwise, her chip might be glitching out with some kind of split-personality bug. At least they had the cash for it now.
Suddenly, he heard a faint, complaining voice from the other end of the communicator.
"Big Boss, is Putato actually coming to handle this or what? These rabid fanboys have been chasing us forever and it's getting super annoying. If we throw hands, making deliveries later is gonna be such a pain."
"Otherwise, how are we supposed to outsource the workload to other people?"
"You two idiots, shut your traps right now!"
Ah, so they got cornered by the Urban Girl's superfans.
"Here's the deal, Mo. I'll set you three up with an exclusive, authorized delivery Office. From now on, I'll have the Corporation's guys drop the shipments right at your Office. That way, you won't have to worry about anyone tailing you."
Putato glanced down at a corner near the wall where a gray Rat popped its head out, blinking up at him.
"That's basically the same thing! What if those sickos track us all the way to the building? You think we could still live there?"
"Don't worry, I'll handle it."
"Oh, and one more thing!"
"Who the hell is this Obana chick, and why is she acting like she's giving me orders?! You, go chew her out right now, I wanna hear it!!!"
"Obana's just a new hire I brought on. Don't sweat it, I'll dock her pay later."
Putato realized he seriously needed to restrict Obana's permissions, otherwise, she was bound to cause all kinds of chaotic nonsense.
Knock, knock, knock.
The back door was gently tapped. Putato immediately knew this was probably Salvador reminding him that it was getting late. If they dragged this out any longer, they might literally run into Night in the Backstreets.
"I'm heading out right now! You never know when you'll end up recruiting that blonde broad into your crew either. God knows what shady stuff you've got them doing behind the scenes!"
"You aren't just making me run around out here while you kick back and chill at home, are you?! Turn your camera on right now!"
Putato sighed and flipped the camera on, panning around to prove he was indeed out and about. Dealing with Mo felt like taking care of a digital pet frog that wouldn't stop nagging over text. It took a solid minute of coaxing before she finally shut up.
Straightening his jacket, Putato finally opened the door again. The moment he stepped out, he almost bumped straight into Yuna, who was plastered right against the back of the door. Instead of looking embarrassed at getting caught eavesdropping, she just grinned and nudged him gossipingingly, "Was that your kid on the line?"
...
Cina District.
Over half of the barren wasteland had already been cleared out. Cargo containers and canvas tents were neatly stacked across the open ground, and the outer perimeter was strictly cordoned off with a double-layered barbed wire fence. Soldiers clad in black, low-cut knitted sweaters could be seen patrolling the area at regular intervals.
Hiding behind a stack of corrugated sheet metal, Putato was slightly taken aback by how fast these guys moved. They had literally torched the place to ash just a day ago, and already they'd rebuilt it into something that actually looked like a proper base.
"According to the Liu Association's intel, the number of Void Fist personnel stationed here shouldn't exceed thirty. It's basically a small-scale camp, but our objective requires us to completely wipe them out."
"My plan is to take Philip and Yuna in through the front to negotiate. Vanda, you'll sneak in from the back. I just asked some locals loitering around the perimeter earlier, and it turns out Void Fist was holding a recruitment drive yesterday. The rookies on patrol probably don't have much situational awareness."
"We'll do a pincer maneuver from the inside and outside."
"Got it!"
Watching the three of them march straight toward the front entrance, Putato instead squatted down, quietly observing the perimeter from the shadows.
Flanking the barbed wire gate were four male and female operatives, all staring down the incoming trio with dead-serious expressions. The only exception was a guy in a leather jacket sitting on a wooden supply crate nearby, yabbering endlessly about which local restaurant served the best food.
"Executive Haase, we're on duty here. Could you maybe not be so loud and reckless?"
"Tch, this is called being free-spirited, you know? Back in my day, I got shot right through the artery, stuck in a hospital bed, and I still had to sit there chatting with Gandao. If you don't talk, you go crazy, killing time on your own is just too exhausting!"
Haase hopped down off the wooden crate, cracked a wide grin, and slapped the young operative right on his exposed chest, which was adorned with a row of five medals.
"You kids know what seniority looks like? Look at me, I used to have sixteen medals pinned to my chest. And yet a little punk-ass executioner like you has the nerve to lecture me? You want me to stay here and spar with you to teach you some manners?"
"Executive, we have visitors. Also... medals are non-transferable."
"Ugh, such a buzzkill. I seriously wanna swap places with Judge Phuket and go babysit the new recruits instead."
BANG!
Haase, wearing a pair of fingerless black tactical gloves, suddenly threw a punch forward. The air right in front of him compressed so hard it sent a visible shockwave rippling outward, forcing the three members of Dawn Office to halt their advance.
"You guys trying to cross through here? Well, stopping you happens to be my job description."
"No need to be tense. We were just hired by a client to pop in and look for something."
Salvador replied calmly, but on the opposite side, while Haase was still smiling, his feet hadn't shifted so much as a single millimeter.
Seeing this, Putato immediately turned around, using the cover of the ruined debris to sneak his way toward the rear of the camp.
From his hiding spot behind a pile of sheet metal, Putato could clearly make out the crude watchtowers built from shipping containers, fitted with heavy crossbows. There were even three guys with rifles scanning the area below using high-powered searchlights, leaving him no choice but to keep hunting for a weak spot.
"Sir, I, I didn't mean to! Who's supposed to memorize all these rules instantly? Please, give me another chance!"
"Executioner. I have already stated that all titles must be explicitly included while carrying out official duties. You have once again defied the regulations set by the Chief Archivist. Once this matter is settled, I will take disciplinary action against you in accordance with the code."
"Judge Phuket, he just made a minor mistake at the end of his patrol route! Besides, you saw it yourself, his foot literally touched the boundary line, he was just too lazy to step clean across it."
SQUELCH!
Peeking out from the rubble, Putato watched as a stone-faced man with a slicked-back pompadour neatly sliced off a screaming rookie's lower lip and right foot. Then, he calmly drew a military knife from his hip and ruthlessly severed the kid's head without an ounce of pity. The two rookie members standing nearby hurriedly lowered their heads in sheer terror, staring fixedly at the tips of their own boots.
"Unless a direct superior has issued explicit, overriding orders, even if you are marching straight into a sea of fire, you will walk through it step by step, turn around, and continue your patrol."
"Executioners, do you understand?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
Watching that slicked-back judge named Phuket order someone to drag the corpse away, leaving just the senior executioner and one traumatized rookie on patrol, Putato immediately knew this was his golden opportunity.
Judging by the guy's demeanor, they were pathologically reliant on their so-called rules. If he used a decapitation strategy on their leadership, it might just yield miraculous results.
Putato, who had originally planned to just brute-force his way in, instantly pivoted to a stealth approach. He scrambled up a high mound of trash and surveyed the interior of the camp.
The three-story corrugated metal shacks formed a circular defensive wall. Meanwhile, the canvas tents were clustered in the open yard at the center, connected by a maze of red iron staircases running down into the lower levels. The whole place had been retrofitted to look like an ant farm, chaotic yet strictly orderly.
"Though, I wouldn't really call this place a residential zone. How are they even planning to fend off Sweepers with a setup like this?"
Putato muttered, eyeing Void Fist's defensive fortifications in confusion. Suddenly, he noticed the judge turn around and leave, leaving only a single executioner on guard behind the chain-link fence.
Seizing the moment, Putato gently rattled his Lucky Can three times, then crept forward on his belly. Fortunately, the entire area had just been scorched by a massive fire, leaving the ground caked in ash. Unless someone was staring right at the floor, he was practically invisible.
SWISH!
A projectile zipped through the air like an arrow, landing deep inside the left side of the camp. Spotting it instantly, the disgruntled executioner let out a loud shout. A blinding searchlight snapped onto the descending object, and BANG, a dense plume of smoke detonated, throwing the entire camp into a state of high alert.
CREAK!
Jamming both bare hands into the gaps of the chain-link fence, Putato heaved with all his might, instantly ripping open a gaping hole. He dropped low, rolled right through, and slipped straight into the camp. At that exact moment, the executioner was still staring up at the smoke cloud illuminated by the searchlight. The second the guy turned his head back around, his entire world started spinning wildly.
SNAP!
Putato casually let go of the snapped neck and immediately slipped down the exact same path Phuket had just taken. But right as he rounded the corner, he spotted three shadows rapidly approaching. All three of them were sprinting in a rush toward the smoke billowing on the left side.
Reaching out to grab a metal ladder, Putato scrambled up in a flash, jamming himself into the gap behind a shipping container and hanging suspended just in time to avoid being spotted.
"Anomaly detected! Incident Code 1-0!"
A piercing alarm siren instantly echoed across the entire camp. The automated loudspeaker kept repeating the alert, making the shipping containers and canvas tents feel almost alive as Void Fist operatives scrambled to assemble with grim expressions.
"Enemy sighted! Incident Code 1-1-2!"
The sudden shift in code numbers made Putato's heart skip a beat. He immediately figured the trio at the front gate must have started their coordinated assault; otherwise, there were no other enemies inside the camp. He had to locate the camp leader ASAP!