Mechanic endlessly amassing troops in the apocalypse

The air behind the counter suddenly froze.

The smile on Boss Zhang's face vanished completely, replaced by an awkward expression. He instinctively tried to avoid Li Fei's gaze, but those bright black eyes seemed to stare him in like black holes, leaving him nowhere to hide.

"Brother, what do you mean by that?" Boss Zhang chuckled dryly, but couldn't hide his guilty conscience. "Those local thugs from the Sand Wolf Gang are very well-informed; they might have found out on their own..."

"They can't find out," Li Fei interrupted him. "I've only been in this town for half a year, and I rarely go out. The only time I might have been exposed was when I sold that crystal core. Besides you, Boss Zhang, I can't think of anyone else who knows my background."

Upon hearing this, Boss Zhang avoided eye contact and remained silent.

Li Fei tapped the counter lightly with his finger: "I understand the rules of Guicang Pavilion. No questions asked about origins, no questions asked about background, payment made on time, and no questions asked."

"That was the reason I came here to exchange crystal cores in the first place."

"But..." Li Fei's voice suddenly turned cold, "Boss Zhang, you've broken the rules."

The last five words pierced Boss Zhang's ears like icicles.

Breaking the rules of Guicang Pavilion is not as simple as just resigning.

"No! Absolutely not!" Boss Zhang denied it vehemently, sweat beading on his forehead. "Brother, this is a huge misunderstanding! That day, I might have just... just been a bit drunk and mentioned to my men that 'Luo Jun's undocumented apprentice is quite something,' and who knew some bastard would spread it around... I, Old Zhang, swear to God, I never intentionally sold you out!"

"Talkative after drinking?" Li Fei repeated, sneering, "Boss Zhang, the price you paid for your loose tongue was that I almost got skinned alive by the Sand Wolf Gang. Do you think a simple misunderstanding can make it all go away?"

He ignored Boss Zhang's flushed face and pointed to the parts list: "I need these urgently. Give me the actual prices: industrial-grade core, three thousand; hound-type motor, two hundred and seventy; alloy, eight hundred. That's the first thing."

Upon hearing the price, Boss Zhang felt he was losing money hand over fist, his lips twitching with pain, but he dared not object and could only nod repeatedly, "Okay, easy..."

"The second thing," Li Fei interrupted him, his gaze piercing like an icicle, "tell me, why is the Sand Wolf Gang targeting me? Besides being an undocumented immigrant who's easy to manipulate, what else could it be? I've heard of Jackal; he's greedy, but not stupid. Doing something like this for a few thousand star coins isn't like him."

Boss Zhang's face turned completely pale, and his eyes darted around. Li Fei's question had hit the nail on the head.

"I... I'm just a businessman, how would I know about their gangs..."

"Boss Zhang." Li Fei leaned forward, meeting his gaze across the counter, and said in a deep voice, "Guicang Pavilion is a chain group with a powerful background. But right now, their reputation... rests entirely on your lips, Boss Zhang. If I feel you haven't given me an explanation for what happened today, I won't need to make a fuss about it after we leave. I can just casually mention to a few of the brothers who regularly deal in counterfeit goods that you... aren't very discreet. Then the news will spread like wildfire, and it won't be able to be controlled."

He watched as Boss Zhang's face turned deathly pale, then slowly added his final sentence: "Do you think those people who have murdered others and carry filthy goods will have any scruples now? Can your shop still survive in this desolate place? To put it bluntly, do you think the board members of Guicang Pavilion will let you off the hook?"

Mr. Zhang trembled all over and dared not harbor any more illusions.

"It's...it's Jackal!" he practically spat out the words. "I sold the crystal core to Jackal, and he specifically asked who sold it to me, and...he even inquired about all sorts of information about you!"

Li Fei's eyes narrowed. These bastards really did come because they were attracted by the scent of crystal cores!

Boss Zhang let out a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, or perhaps he was simply throwing caution to the wind. His speech quickened: "The Sand Wolf Gang has been expanding like crazy lately, and they're short on cash. Jackal has been looking for quick money. He probably thinks... he thinks that you, an unregistered person, suddenly possessing crystal cores, a form of hard currency, either got incredibly lucky, or... you know a clue that no one else knows. He wants to capture you and pry your mouth open!"

Everything suddenly became clear. No wonder that Saidar man wanted him to go back to the gang with them. If he had really gone with him back then, he probably would never have come out alive.

"Anything else?" Li Fei pressed. "What do you know about the Sand Wolf Gang's weaknesses?"

Boss Zhang looked hesitant.

Li Fei knew it would be difficult to get him to honestly reveal the Sand Wolf Gang's secrets, so he coaxed him, "Sheriff Lawrence is gathering evidence of the Sand Wolf Gang's illegal activities. If the clues you provide are useful, even if I don't get the temporary job, I can still pass them on for you, and the credit will be yours. With the police station's protection, do you really need to worry about gang retaliation in this wilderness?"

A slap followed by a sweet treat. Using coercion followed by enticement is often the most effective tactic.

Boss Zhang's eyes darted around in a fierce struggle. Finally, he sighed heavily, leaned close to Li Fei's ear, and whispered rapidly:

"They...they set up a small casino and a warehouse for contraband under those abandoned warehouses on the east side of town. They ripped off a lot of people, and many died, but the matter was covered up at the time. ...Jackal values ​​that place very much, and the security is extremely tight. It's impossible for ordinary people to get in."

He took a breath. "Also, they've been in big trouble lately with the Rust Gang over control of the eastern junkyard, and people have died on both sides. That's all I know, I really don't know anything else!"

Li Fei memorized this information and nodded. Contraband, casinos, gang conflicts... all were extremely valuable intelligence.

"The goods, at the price I stated, I want them now." Li Fei took a step back, resuming his normal tone, "Also, regarding the content of our conversation today..."

"No, that's not true! Brother Li, you just came to sell some jewelry and bought some parts today. The transaction is complete!" Boss Zhang quickly chimed in, then immediately turned and darted into the back room, his movements ten times more efficient than before.

A moment later, he brought out a metal box with energy patterns, inside which was a precision-grade psionic core worth three thousand, along with motors, alloys, and miscellaneous parts, which he piled on the counter.

"The core, the motor, the alloy—it's all here! As for the other small parts, consider it my apology; they're yours for the taking!" Boss Zhang said with a beaming smile. "Brother, I was confused before; it will never happen again! Please... please be lenient and don't let this get out of hand."

After Li Fei inspected the goods and confirmed that everything was correct, he counted the remaining money and handed it over to him.

"Boss Zhang, despite the disagreements," he said with a smile before leaving, picking up the heavy box of parts, "it was still a pleasant transaction with you."

Watching Li Fei disappear into the sandstorm outside the door, Boss Zhang's legs went weak, and he slumped into his chair, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

He glanced at the plaque of Guicang Pavilion at the entrance and breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as Guicang Pavilion didn't find out about this, his life was safe.