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591 Frame-up

Dure's stab was swift and vicious; before Pam could react, the blade had already pierced his wrist, and blood dripped down.

This sudden scene not only surprised everyone nearby, but even Wendy, who was standing next to him, was startled and stared at him blankly.

Pam, the instigator, clutched his wrist and let out a piercing wail; the excruciating pain sobered him up considerably.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, my hand... Tsk tsk, kid, you dare to stab me? You're asking for death!" Pam stared intently into Dure's eyes. He hadn't taken the boy seriously, thinking he was just someone who could only swallow his anger when bullied.

But now it seems he was wrong. This kid attacked so fast that he didn't even have time to dodge. Although he was drunk, Pam is a magic user with mid-level strength, which is a major reason why he dares to act so arrogantly.

Having spent so much time in the underworld, he had earned some respect, but now he had been stabbed in the back by an unknown teenager, and in front of so many people no less. This enraged Pam, and he was determined not to swallow this insult.

"Say one more word and I'll cut out your tongue!" Dure pulled out the sharp dagger, and blood splattered on his hand, making him look particularly ferocious and glaring. Wenli, who was next to him, immediately stepped forward and carefully wiped the blood off his wrist with a handkerchief.

"Fine, kid, you've got guts! You stay right here and don't run away, you just wait!" Pam shouted angrily, clutching his injured wrist. He wasn't the kind of person who would swallow his anger after being wronged; he was determined to tear this kid to pieces to vent his rage!

Dure did not stop him. After Pam pushed through the crowd, he quickly left, leaving a pool of blood on the ground.

“Hey, guys, you should hurry up and leave. Pam is not someone to mess with. Although he himself isn’t very capable and has a bad temper, he has an older brother named Dom, who is a tough guy and has a lot of influence here. He must have gone to his brother for help. You can’t afford to mess with him.”

Someone nearby couldn't help but offer some advice. These people were all long-time members of the underworld. Some were outright villains like Pam, while others were just trying to make a living and didn't have many wicked intentions. However, seeing the young man in trouble, they couldn't help but want to lend a hand.

"Thanks for the reminder, it's alright, I was worried he wouldn't come." Du Lei wiped the blood off the dagger and put it away.

Those who had initially disregarded them were forced to re-evaluate the young couple and unconsciously made way for them.

“Mr. Dure, I think we should leave. It wouldn’t be good to cause any more trouble here,” Wen Li whispered a reminder.

She wasn't afraid of trouble, but the prerequisite for not being afraid of trouble was having enough to rely on, and now the two of them were in the underground world.

All sorts of strange and monstrous people had gathered around, and since they were in a foreign land, not in the Land of Snow or the City of Frost, Wenli was very worried. If something really happened, she would only be a hindrance and unable to help in any way.

Thinking about this, she regretted it a little. Why did she insist on following along?

“Miss Winry, you don’t need to blame yourself. Even if Pam hadn’t come looking for trouble with me, I would have gone looking for him myself,” Dure said softly.

“What? Mr. Dure, what do you mean by that…” Wenli was taken aback. In her impression, Dure was a very steady person.

However, prudent people are usually cautious and will not take risks to do things they are not sure about.

“We are isolated and vulnerable in Rock City, and no one knows what might happen next, especially given the current unpredictable situation in Rock City. We need to acquire another identity and we need help,” Du Lei replied calmly.

“Help? What kind of help?” Wenli thought about it carefully but did not understand Durei’s intention.

“Miss Wenli, please rest assured, no matter what happens, good or bad, I will handle it.” Du Lei seemed very confident as he continued walking forward. The commotion they caused wasn’t too great, and many gamblers at the gambling tables were still gambling enthusiastically.

It was as if even if the sky fell, it wouldn't concern them. However, the gamblers who witnessed Dure's stabbing made way for him.

“I understand, Mr. Dure, I won’t cause you any more trouble.” Wenli nodded heavily and followed him closely.

Dure and Winry were quickly swallowed up by the crowd.

Meanwhile, at the Varan mansion on the other side of the city, Kotetsu and his companions encountered trouble.

Not long ago, they were guests at the Varan residence, where they received a warm welcome from the host, Varan.

But not long afterward, their roles underwent a dramatic change.

Suddenly, they became suspects in the murder of Valan, a fact that truly surprised everyone.

"What? Are you surprised? You could have acted even more convincingly. Lord Valan treated you with great hospitality, serving you the finest wines, but how did you repay him? You cruelly murdered him! What a heinous and depraved act!"

Colonel Ruff looked furious; he was convinced these men were the murderers of Lord Varan.

“No, we didn’t kill that fat man. There must be some misunderstanding!” Leopard Tail shook his head heavily.

Not long ago, they were worried that they would become the target of an attack, and they were taking precautions carefully.

But then he realized that their target wasn't them at all, but was heading straight for Varan in the mansion!

"Misunderstanding? Whether it's a misunderstanding or not isn't something I can just believe whatever you say. Come with us, or are you planning to rebel here?" Colonel Ruf sneered, his smile carrying a chilling undertone.

"Listen to my command! If these people dare to resist, kill them on the spot!" Colonel Ruf roared, issuing the order.

"Yes!" Under his command, dozens of dark gun barrels were aimed at Hu Che and his men, putting them under great pressure.

"Boss Hu Che, what should we do? These people are too arrogant and unreasonable. Should we fight our way out?" Leopard Tail clenched his fists and cautiously asked Hu Che for his opinion. He had already sensed that something was wrong.

"No, if we do that, we'll be confirming the crimes they've pinned on us." Kotetsu shook his head.

At first, he was also shocked by Valan's death, believing that the purpose of setting the fire was to assassinate Lord Valan.

But now, seeing Colonel Luffy's reaction, he understood.

The other side was targeting them directly; killing Valan was just a tactic to frame them!

.vertex

592 Pamdorm

Dure's stabbing of Pam didn't cause much of a stir; at least it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the many gamblers in the casino. They continued to bet frantically, their eyes glued to the chips in front of them, their legs seemingly rooted to the spot, refusing to move until they ran out of chips.

The boy, who had just been arguing with someone, started lingering around the various gambling tables after exchanging some chips. He placed bets frequently and didn't stay at any table for long, as if he was looking for something. Wen Li followed closely behind him, almost never leaving his side.

“Mr. Du Lei is really amazing. He has won quite a lot in such a short time. But... when are we leaving here?” Wen Li looked at the chips in Du Lei’s hand. He had exchanged thirty silver coins for chips in total, and in such a short time, he already had fifty silver coins.

This is almost double the amount. You should know that the annual expenses of an ordinary family are only twenty silver coins.

“No need to rush, we haven’t met the person we’re waiting for yet.” Du Lei shook his head gently, looking very patient.

"Waiting for someone? So, Mr. Dure, who exactly are you waiting for?" Wen Li asked uneasily, glancing outside from time to time.

Not long ago, Pam was stabbed by Durree and went to get reinforcements. It had been more than ten minutes, and he should be back soon. People nearby kept advising them to leave, telling them that Pam's brother, Dom, was an extremely powerful and ruthless character.

But Dure didn't take it to heart at all, and continued to place bets calmly at the gambling table, his methods just like those of the most experienced gambler.

"Judging by the time... they should be here soon, and they really are here." Dure said slowly, glancing at the entrance. At that moment, a noisy commotion came from the doorway, and Wenli, who was already holding Dure's arm, suddenly tensed up.

"Where is that kid? Did he run away? How dare he stab Boss Dom's own brother? I'm going to chop him up today!" A large group of people rushed in through the door. They were menacing and hostile, and started shouting as soon as they entered.

“Brother, you have to teach that kid a lesson. I told him I’m your brother and asked him to give you face, but he said something like, ‘Dom is nothing, he’ll beat me if he comes.’ That’s why I got stabbed by him.” Someone said angrily.

Upon hearing the voice, Wenli, who was already very nervous, immediately grabbed Dure's arm because she recognized who it was.

Isn't this Pam, the guy who provoked Dure not long ago and got stabbed in the wrist by Dure? He actually brought people with him!

"Get out of the way, get out of the way, you gamblers all get out of the way! Brother, it's him, it's that kid!" Pam looked around the casino, grabbing each of the nearby gamblers and examining them closely. Before long, he spotted Durei, who was still sitting calmly, and pointed at him, shouting.

"Slap!" Just as Pam's voice fell, a man next to him with a tense face and a terrifyingly gloomy expression slapped him.

"Big brother, why did you hit me?" Pam felt wronged; his injured wrist had already been bandaged.

However, you can still see the bright red spots; Du Leici didn't hold back with that stab, he really went all out.

"Useless thing, you can't even handle such a small child, and you even let him hurt you? How can such a piece of trash be my own brother?" It was clear that Dom's man grabbed Pam and raised his fist, ready to hit him. He was very disappointed in his brother.

"Waaah, brother, it's all my fault. I'm the one who damaged your reputation. But that kid, it's him! We absolutely can't let him go! And that little wench next to him, she's in cahoots with him!" Pam shrank his neck, even though he was very tall.

He was even more robust than his brother Dom, but he was terrified of Dom; it was a fear ingrained in his very being.

He pointed at Du Lei with intense resentment. He was determined that even if he got beaten up by his brother, he would make that kid suffer a terrible death.

Otherwise, he simply couldn't swallow his anger. If he didn't show the underworld what happened to those who offended him, Pam, how could he continue to live here? Would he be able to trample on everyone he met? If no one was afraid of him, where would he get money to spend?

"Get out of the way, leave this to me!" Dom shoved Pam forward, and the latter stumbled and fell to the ground.

However, he quickly got up, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light as he stared intently at Durei like a venomous snake.

He knew the kid's retribution was coming soon, because Dom had already turned his attention to him.

"Kid, what's your name?" Dom squinted at Dure with a sinister look, his teeth gleaming white.

"Among the many rules of the underworld, I don't recall one that requires answering someone's name. Or are you, like your brother, one of those people who consider themselves to be following the 'rules'?" Dure remained seated, raising his head to calmly look at Dom.

“Kid, you’ve got guts. I’m not like my brother, that good-for-nothing. I’m not so arrogant as to think I can be above the rules. But you injured my brother today, and you have to give me an explanation.” Dom was somewhat surprised by Dure’s answer, and he scrutinized the boy again.

But apart from those calm eyes, he gained nothing and could not discern the boy's true nature.

"An explanation? What kind of explanation do you want?" Dure looked at Dom with amusement. Even though Dom was vicious and surrounded by a large group of people, he remained calm. This calmness came from his confidence, and even Winry next to him couldn't figure out the source of his confidence.

"I'll give you two choices. First, hand over that woman. My brother was injured by you because of her, wasn't he?" Dom looked at the girl next to Dure. Although both the boy and girl were wearing masks, he could tell from his experience that they were wearing masks.

That girl was absolutely stunning. Trading his brother's arm for her was definitely a good deal.

“If I were going to do that, why did I just stand by and do nothing in the first place?” Dure asked him in return.

He could clearly feel Wenli gripping his arm tightly, and she seemed a little scared.

"So it seems you've chosen the second path?" Dom's eyes held a chilling glint that sent shivers down one's spine.

"What is the second road?" Dure asked slowly and deliberately.

"You injured my brother's arm, so you'll pay with one of his arms too!" Dom said through gritted teeth.

.vertex

593 Let's make a bet

Dom was no stranger to trouble. Pam's ability to run rampant in the underworld for so long, and the fact that few dared to provoke him, was largely due to his older brother. Although Dom was not good-looking and not tall, he was not as strong as his younger brother Pam.

But Dom's ability to make a name for himself in the underworld is certainly due to his exceptional qualities. Anyone with a bit of inside information knows that when Dom first emerged in the underworld, he didn't have much of a reputation. At that time, there were many big names in the underworld, and Dom was not even in the running.

However, on one occasion, his younger brother Pam unintentionally offended a powerful figure. At that time, Pam was not as arrogant as he is now; he was still a naive young man. It is said that Pam was so frightened that he wet his pants and was severely humiliated by the powerful figure, not daring to utter a single word.

After Dom learned of this, he went to the big shot alone to ask for his brother. Since there were very few people present, and although there were many different accounts of the battle that made Dom famous, very few people actually witnessed it.

The only known outcome is that Dom took his brother Pam back, and three days later, the big shot was found hanged at the gate of his own mansion. To this day, the case remains unsolved, and the police have been unable to find the suspect for a long time, ultimately closing the case as a "suicide."

People didn't believe that the death of that important figure had nothing to do with Dom. It was from that time that people gradually realized two things. The first was that Dom was a ruthless character and it was best not to provoke him. This was also proven by Dom's rapid rise to power.

The second thing is that Dom loves his younger brother Pam very much, so before messing with Pam, it's best to refer to the previous point.

Without a doubt, that arrogant young man triggered the second rule, which is definitely one of Dom's taboos.

“My arm is right here. The question is, do you dare to come and get it?” Du Lei remained unmoved, sitting firmly in place.

Even though Winry beside him was already unable to sit still and her arms were trembling slightly, he remained unmoved.

"Kid, there's a limit to how arrogant you are. Do you think I wouldn't dare chop off your arm?" Dom roared in fury. He suddenly pulled out a dagger and slammed it heavily onto the table. His fierce appearance frightened the people around him, causing them to take two steps back.

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