Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun leaned back in his chair, his gaze lowered.

First-order baptisms.

Meritorious service.

"Alright, stop thinking about things that aren't even real."

Seeing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Quiro shrugged, took an oil paper bag from the drawer, and tossed it onto Xilun's table.

"Want to try some beef jerky from our hometown?"

Xilun took the bag, opened it, and a faint aroma of meat wafted out.

Thanks.

"Don't mention it, we'll be colleagues from now on." Quero waved his hand, covering his face with the newspaper again. "You've just taken office, there's nothing urgent. If you feel stuffy in here, go out for a walk and get familiar with the surroundings. I'm going to sleep a little longer."

As he lay down, Kui Luo muttered to himself, "I'm destined to be a foreman, yet I'm thinking about the position of the district governor. Isn't that like a toad eyeing a swan?"

Xilun picked up the bag of beef jerky, got up, pushed open the door, and went out.

The cold wind outside felt like knives slicing across his face. Xilun wrapped his somewhat thin old coat tighter around himself and slowly walked toward the greywater river not far away.

A towering stone wall stands on the riverbank, below which flows the turbid, surging river.

Because of the chemical plants and dye houses upstream, the river water has an eerie dark gray color.

Xilun found a sheltered corner and squatted down by the stone wall.

He took out a piece of beef jerky, put it in his mouth and chewed it vigorously, his eyes drifting on the river as he pondered quietly.

The meat is firm and chewy, and as you chew, the savory juices burst in your mouth.

Although Quero is lazy, he is not a bad person and is a know-it-all.

Although Ai Ping only said two sentences, one could sense that he was scheming and ambitious.

As for Losas...

While eating, Xilun sorted out the relationships between these characters in his mind.

Just then, he suddenly stopped moving.

His gaze was fixed on the river below.

In the shadow of the stone wall near the shore, the once calm, dark gray water suddenly rippled.

That wasn't blown by the wind.

The ripples on the water caused by the wind are fine and chaotic.

The ripple is circular and spreads outward from underwater.

It was as if some enormous creature was silently lurking beneath the surface of the water, having just taken a breath.

Xilun's back tensed instantly, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

illusion?

Without making a sound, he took out a small piece of meat that he hadn't finished eating and flicked it with his finger.

The piece of meat traced a parabola through the air and landed precisely in the center of the ripple.

"Smack."

The soft sound of the meat chunks hitting the water was masked by the sound of the wind.

Just as the piece of meat was about to sink into the murky river water.

The water surface cracked.

There was no splash, no loud noise.

A black, whip-like shadow, so fast that only its afterimage could be seen, burst out of the water in an instant.

The shadow precisely caught the chunk of flesh in mid-air, then instantly retreated back underwater.

The whole process took less than half a second.

The water surface returned to calm, with only a few barely perceptible ripples slowly spreading out from the oil slick.

Xilun remained crouched in the same spot, maintaining his original posture, without even changing the frequency of his breathing.

But the muscles beneath his coat were completely clenched, like a fully drawn bow.

He slowly stood up, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring intently at the seemingly lifeless body of water.

That's not a fish.

No fish can match that speed and precision.

It is a kind of intelligent predator that knows how to lie in wait.

We were just talking about that monster who killed the district governor in the office...

A serpentine mutant!

It didn't get far at all.

It's right here.

Beneath the bustling, vibrant White Crow Wharf, it quietly observes everything on the shore.

Xilun felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

Just as I was in a daze, a trembling yet respectful voice suddenly drifted into my ears.

"Sir...Lord Siren."

Xilun paused in his tracks.

He was still in the tense state of having just narrowly escaped death, his mind filled with the trajectory of that dark underwater shadow.

The sudden sound made him frown and instinctively turn his head to look.

Wearing mud-caked trousers and sporting a full beard, his once outspoken face was now filled with conflict, trembling, and unease.

It's Li De.

Li De noticed the gaze Xi Lun was casting at him.

That gaze was truly perplexing—indifferent, cold, and silent...

This silence made Li De feel suffocated.

He would rather Xilun curse at him or even beat him up.

"M-Sir, I..." Li De stammered, his legs shaking uncontrollably.

Xilun stared at him silently, his mind still reeling from what had just happened, as if the alien had just grabbed him by the throat.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

Li De gritted his teeth, raised his right hand, and slapped himself hard across the face.

He struck with extreme force, holding nothing back.

Half of his face instantly became red and swollen, with five finger marks clearly visible, and even a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Xilun remained expressionless and silent.

Li De became even more panicked.

Not enough? Still not enough?

He gritted his teeth and slapped her hard across the face again.

"Snapped!"

The blow was even louder, and Li De stumbled, almost falling to the ground. His cheeks swelled up, as if he had two steamed buns stuffed in his mouth.

Only then did Xilun come to his senses and look at Li De:

"Let's skip it."

These three words sounded like heavenly music to Li De's ears.

He let out a long breath, feeling as if his bones had been removed, and almost collapsed.

"I was blind and foolish before, and offended Lord Xilun."

Li De lowered his head, his voice muffled and choked with sobs, "From now on, whatever orders you give, I'll go through fire and water. If I even flinch, I'm a son of a bitch!"

Xilun shook his head slightly and smiled gently:

"We're all brothers, why say such formal things?"

Li De trembled, daring not to believe this nonsense.

He rummaged in his pocket for a long time, and finally pulled out three silver shillings with trembling hands.

"Sir, this...this is what I just picked up from the ground."

Li De held the three silver coins high above his head with both hands. "They look like they were accidentally dropped by Lord Xilun. You...you should take a look?"

Xilun lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the three silver coins.

Xilun reached out and gently picked up the three silver coins with two fingers.

"Um."

He nodded slightly, casually putting the silver coin into his pocket. "It was indeed mine that I dropped just now."

After saying that, he reached out and grabbed Li De's arm, and with a little effort, lifted the limp man up.

"Alright, let's put this behind us."

Xilun patted Li De's dusty shoulder and even straightened his crooked collar, his voice gentle, "We've been roommates for several years, so we're practically brothers. Work hard from now on, and I won't treat my own people unfairly."

"Yes...yes! Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

Li De was moved to tears, nodding vigorously. Only after Xi Lun turned and left did he dare to raise his head, wipe away a cold sweat, and find that his back was already soaked.