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Chapter 511 Protecting Our VIP Clients, The Sword of Heavenly Punishment

Beneath the iconic archway of the Bridge of Helplessness.

Fang Cheng stood on the steps, gazing at the bizarre and dazzling metropolis before him.

Neon lights flashed, and mist swirled.

He reached into his pocket and touched the black card, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Those who are arrogant at first but obsequious later, and who offer unsolicited favors, are either treacherous or thieves."

Although he enjoyed VIP treatment, Fang Cheng did not let his guard down.

The Naihe Bridge, a ruthless and predatory interest group, would never be so kind to a newcomer for no reason.

The only explanation is that their demonstrated strength and value made them feel there was something to gain.

Or... they might simply want to use themselves to deal with certain forces.

Fang Cheng secretly became wary.

He waited so long to collect the reward in order to lay low for a while.

After all, who knows if those lunatics in "Utopia" will send people to lie in wait at the Bridge of Helplessness, waiting for you to walk into their trap?

Now that the storm has passed and his strength has recently increased dramatically, he feels more confident and dares to show himself so openly.

"However, now that we have the money, it's time to find a place to stay in the city."

Fang Cheng's mind raced as he quickly devised his next course of action.

"Having a place to stay will make it much more convenient to come to the Bridge of Helplessness for business in the future, without having to log on in the middle of nowhere."

"More importantly, according to Yuan Datou, this place is like an online game, where you can log in and out at will. This not only poses security risks, but also greatly increases the chance of losing virtual items obtained here."

"With a house, at least I'll have somewhere to store my newly acquired credit card..."

Looking at the otherworldly city before him, which seemed to be forever shrouded in darkness, Fang Cheng quickly made a decision.

The reason I didn't accept the luxury apartment recommended by Manager Wang was simply because I was instinctively more cautious.

Living on someone else's turf, with your every move under their watchful eye, is always unsettling.

He prefers to find a quiet place on his own.

I'm not short of money, I just want peace of mind.

Fang Cheng tugged at his collar, stepped into the bustling crowd, and walked toward the street ahead.

He left in less than a few seconds.

In an inconspicuous corner outside the gate of the Bridge of Helplessness, several figures slowly emerged.

Their faces were shrouded in black mist, their eyes cold as knives, staring intently in the direction where Fang Cheng had disappeared.

It seems they've been waiting here for quite some time.

....................................

The streets of Night City are always noisy and chaotic.

In mid-air, a giant holographic projection is playing an advertisement for some kind of hallucinogen on a loop.

The colorful light and shadow were projected onto the wet pavement below, and crushed by the footsteps of pedestrians.

One after another, extravagantly designed hovercars roared overhead, their exhaust trails leaving long streaks of light.

Fang Cheng, like a country bumpkin tourist who has just arrived in the city, strolled leisurely, looking around the bustling commercial district.

I paused for a moment at the entrance of "Meng Po Tea House" to study the cyberpunk-style electronic sign.

A moment later, he ran to a roadside stall and curiously examined the strange and unusual soul ornaments.

If it weren't for the faint golden light emanating from his body, which indicated his considerable strength...

His naive and unsophisticated demeanor made him look like a little lamb that had wandered into a pack of wolves, waiting to be ripped off by the locals.

Three shadows, almost blending into the darkness, stared intently at Fang Cheng's back.

They followed behind, their tracking movements extremely professional, maintaining just the right tactical distance from each other.

Whenever Fang Cheng stopped, they would blend into their surroundings with remarkable ease.

They might pretend to look at road signs or hide in shops to monitor others from blind spots.

Especially when the giant "all-seeing eye" in the sky slowly rotates, its eerie green beam sweeping across the streets.

The three of them immediately pressed themselves against the wall, perfectly avoiding detection by using the building's shadow.

"Tsk, is this the guy who killed Xuanzhen? He doesn't look like a master."

Twenty meters away, in a dark corner, a dark figure chuckled softly.

"Don't underestimate it, this is a big fish."

Another shadowy figure, in a low voice, warned his companion:
"The higher-ups have said that this person has an extraordinary background and must have a powerful force backing him up."

"Wait until he reaches a less crowded area, then we'll make our move. Remember, be quick, try to capture him alive, and don't let him log off and escape."

"clear."

The two people beside him nodded, a cruel glint flashing in their eyes.

Each of them held a black metal sphere tightly in their hand, with faint electric arcs flickering on the surface of the sphere.

It appears to be some kind of special tool used to block space or interfere with mental links.

Despite their deliberate tracking and patient waiting, Fang Cheng seemed completely unaware of the danger and continued strolling leisurely.

Before I knew it, we had passed through several bustling main roads, and the surrounding lights gradually dimmed.

This is the edge of Night City, surrounded by low, dilapidated buildings, and there are very few pedestrians.

Further ahead lies the edge of pure darkness shrouded in mist.

Even the light of neon lights cannot reach this place.

Only the occasional eerie green beam of light cast by the giant eye overhead swept across the ground, casting an unsettling hue over the surroundings.

Fang Cheng paused, looked up and around as if he were lost.

Then, it turned into a secluded and dark alley.

"good chance!"

Seeing the target voluntarily enter the blind spot of the surveillance, the leader of the shadowy figures was delighted and made a hand gesture.

The three of them instantly sprang out of the shadows like cheetahs hunting their prey, forming a triangular formation to flank the alley Fang Cheng had entered.

However, just as they were about to launch a thunderous attack...

The leader of the shadowy figures suddenly stopped and raised his hand in a "stop" tactical gesture.

"Something's wrong!"

He keenly sensed something amiss and abruptly turned around to look behind him.

Suddenly, four more figures appeared at the alleyway behind them.

These four people were also dressed in black, acting suspiciously, and were clearly also after Fang Cheng.

Unexpectedly, a Cheng Yaojin appeared out of nowhere, looking at the three people with a bewildered expression.

In the narrow alley, the air seemed to freeze instantly.

The two groups stared at each other, the atmosphere extremely awkward.

"who are you?"

The leader of the shadowy figures asked in a deep voice, the dagger already sliding into his palm.

It was not a physical weapon, but a sharp blade formed from pure killing intent, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light.

"Shouldn't we be asking you that?"

Later, among that group of people, a burly man frowned and glanced at the three of them.

Suddenly, as if recognizing something, she asked in surprise:
"You're from 'Black Shark'? What are you mad dogs doing here?"

Upon being exposed by the newcomer, the leader of the dark figures changed his expression, revealing a murderous intent in his eyes.

Since we've been exposed, the only option is to silence them!

"Do it! Slaughter them all!"

He gritted his teeth and growled, launching the first attack.

"Damn it, you think you can scare me?! Brothers, let's get him!"

The two immediately began to fight.

The leading figure moved like lightning, the dark blue blade in his hand, imbued with killing intent, slicing through the air with a shrill whistle as it aimed straight for the burly man's throat.

The burly man, not to be outdone, let out a low roar. His previously translucent spirit body suddenly expanded, and a layer of thick, rock-like gray-white armor appeared on its surface, forcefully withstanding the attack.

Seeing this, the others nearby also quickly joined in.

For a moment, a strong wind howled through the narrow alley.

Sparks of clashing energy burst continuously in the air, and the muffled sounds of fists and feet colliding rose and fell.

These three "Black Shark" members were indeed exceptionally fierce, using deadly techniques that targeted the weaknesses of spirits, and their teamwork was impeccable.

Despite being outnumbered, they managed to overwhelm the four remaining opponents with ruthless tactics, forcing them into a series of defeats and perilous situations.

"This is a difficult idea! Calling for backup!"

Seeing that he was about to lose control, the burly man suddenly blew a sharp whistle.

"Beep——"

The whistle sounded particularly jarring in the quiet suburbs of Night City.

Almost simultaneously, the enormous "all-seeing eye" that had been slowly surveying the clouds overhead suddenly stopped, as if triggered by some mechanism.

hum!
A thick, eerie green beam of light, like a sword of divine punishment, descended from the sky in an instant, precisely enveloping the two groups of people who were fighting.

"Warning! Illegal fighting detected! Cease resistance immediately!"

An indescribable, terrifying pressure descended suddenly along with the pillar of light.

The feeling was like having your soul frozen instantly, and even your thoughts becoming sluggish.

The four newcomers were instantly immobilized, as if frozen in place, their faces filled with terror.

The three "Black Shark" members were clearly more experienced.

The moment it was locked onto by the beam of light, instead of surrendering, it tried to forcibly break the mental link and escape.

"Damn it! I'm locked! I can't log off!"

"What do we do, boss?"

The two shadowy figures screamed in terror.

"Fight!"

A glint of madness flashed in the leader's eyes. He bit his tongue hard, using the intense pain to stimulate his mind and forcefully break free from the oppressive aura.

"withdraw!"

He roared and slammed the metal ball he had been clutching tightly into the ground.

boom!
The metal sphere shattered instantly, bursting forth with a blinding burst of light.

Countless violent blue arcs of electricity spread wildly in all directions like a spider web, actually creating a vacuum area within the eerie green pillar of light.

That's a contraband specifically designed to interfere with rule-based locking—a "magnetic storm mine."

Stimulated by the electric arc, the other two Black Shark members were jolted and instantly regained control of the spirit.

Without the slightest hesitation, they all pulled out the same round balls and threw them around.

In an instant, arcs of electricity surged wildly, and light and shadow intertwined.

Using the chaotic energy storm, the three Black Shark members forced their way out of the beam of light and scrambled into the darkness.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared.

The remaining four people were not so lucky.

Before they could recover from being blinded by the bright light, several streaks of light descended from the sky.

Those were several Night City patrol officers dressed in black uniforms and carrying laser weapons.

"Don't move! Hands behind your head!"

The law enforcement officers shouted sternly, pointing their guns, which glowed with a dangerous red light, at the crowd present.

The burly man became obedient this time, quickly raising his hands and pulling out a token engraved with a spider lily pattern from his pocket:

"Don't misunderstand! Don't misunderstand! We're on the same side! We're from the Naihe Bridge Security Department!"

He pointed in the direction they had fled, and explained with a gloomy expression:
“We received a tip that a few ‘Black Shark’ assassins were stalking our VIP clients, so we followed them here to protect their safety. We never expected to run into these bastards committing a crime…”

Upon seeing the token, the leading law enforcement officer's expression softened slightly, and he sheathed his weapon, but his tone remained serious:
"So you're from the Bridge of Helplessness. But rules are rules. Since you've already started fighting, you still have to come with us to the City God's Office to give a statement."

"We understand, we understand, we will definitely cooperate."

The burly man bowed and scraped, his face full of obsequious smiles:

"But you see, this matter has gotten a bit out of hand. I need to talk to the company leadership and report the situation. That's the procedure, you know. Could you please be lenient?"

The law enforcement officer nodded noncommittally.

The burly man felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He took out his communicator and beckoned to his men, who obediently followed the law enforcement officers away.

As everyone left, the alleyway where the fierce battle had just taken place returned to deathly silence.

After a while.

In a dark corner piled with clutter, the air rippled slightly, and a pale golden figure slowly emerged.

Fang Cheng crossed his arms and looked at the empty alleyway, his expression a complex mix of emotions.

He originally planned to lure these flies here, wipe them out in one fell swoop, and stretch his muscles while he was at it.

As it turned out, before I could even make a move, the two groups started fighting like dogs, and in the end, it even attracted the attention of the "urban management officers".

"What the hell is going on..."

Fang Cheng shook his head helplessly and muttered a complaint under his breath:
"Are stalkers these days so incompetent?"

However, this farce wasn't entirely without its gains.

Judging from the conversation and confrontation between the two groups just now.

The group that followed was clearly sent by the Bridge of Helplessness to secretly track him and gather information.

The group that made the first move was most likely a henchman of "Utopia".

They might want to get revenge on you, or try to pry some crucial information out of you.

"It seems this pool of water is even muddier than I imagined..."

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment.

He looked up at the enormous eyeball above him, which had resumed its patrolling function, and a hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

The power of that green beam of light was truly terrifying.

This not only represents a powerful restriction, but also signifies that the top forces in Night City possess absolute power sufficient to crush ordinary S-class individuals or even stronger ones.

Before we are confident in confronting such a rule-based force, it's best to keep a low profile in this fantastical and dangerous city.

Fang Cheng didn't linger. He turned around, quickly crossed the alley, and walked back to the brightly lit main street of the commercial district.

His figure quickly disappeared into the bustling crowd, blending into the flashing neon lights, as if he had never existed.

....................................

The top floor of the Bridge of Helplessness, in the monitoring room.

After listening to his assistant's report, Shen Shuhuan's lips curled into a cold smile:
"Heh, I never thought that the top-tier assassin organization 'Black Shark' would become a peripheral force of 'Utopia' and willingly serve as its lackey."

The assistant stood to the side and added in a low voice:
“Recently, Black Shark has indeed been quite restless, making frequent small moves and taking on assassination missions targeting specific individuals.”

"Now it seems that they are very likely clearing obstacles for the 'ideal world'."

The Black Shark organization is considered an old rival of the Bridge of Helplessness.

Although it cannot compare to the deeply rooted Naihe Bridge in terms of overall power, it is superior in its ruthless methods and disregard for rules, which makes it favored by some special clients.

Not only in Night City, but also in the real world, they wield considerable influence, and the two sides often clash over business issues.

"It seems that 'Utopia' is indeed secretly planning something big. They are extremely short-handed and have not sent their core members to deal with the enemies who have disrupted their plans. Instead, they have outsourced it to 'Black Shark'."

Shen Shuhuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:
"In that case, we should also give them a piece of our mind."

"Pass on my orders: take advantage of this illegal brawl to work with the City God Bureau to put pressure on Black Shark, preferably by reducing their share in the black market, so that these guys won't always be competing with us for distribution channels."

"Yes, son."

The assistant accepted the order, and then asked:

"Over there with that Mr. Xiaobai..."

"There's no need to send anyone to keep an eye on him for now, lest we offend him."

Shen Shuhuan looked at the signal source that had disappeared on the screen and said calmly:

"Just let me know as soon as he comes to the Bridge of Helplessness again."

(End of this chapter)