The Hunter's Path: Starting as a constable, ascend to the Old Ones.

Chapter 142 Bounty in Hand, Officially a Bounty Hunter

On a Hong Kong Island afternoon, the damp sea breeze, carrying the hustle and bustle of the city, seeps into the glass windows of office buildings in Central.

"Hong Kong Island is getting more and more chaotic. I don't know what those British guys are doing. They waste so much of our taxpayers' money every year, but they can't even handle basic security issues."

Revenge Fund Manager Martin sat in his leather executive chair, his fingertips tracing the bold headline "Hong Kong Police Strike with Lightning Force, Terrorist Group Annihilated" in the newspaper, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

In his view, the so-called "thunderous strike" was nothing more than a fig leaf for incompetence.

True security should be about prevention, nipping terrorist plots in the bud, rather than waiting until citizens are gripped by panic before taking credit.

However, the British leadership in Hong Kong did the opposite, allowing gangs to run rampant and foreign forces to infiltrate, turning the city into a powder keg that could explode at any moment.

On television, the Governor of Hong Kong was addressing the camera, promising to "increase police presence and restore a safe environment for citizens."

"However—" Martin snapped the TV off, a greedy smile spreading across his face, "Thanks to their inaction, I was able to rake in so much profit from the revenge fund." Thinking of the huge sum of money that was about to be in his hands, he couldn't help but rub his hands together and burst into laughter, his excitement overflowing.

He opened the drawer, inside which lay an encrypted document detailing the official conclusion of the death scene report of Tsukamoto Ichiro and his son: "family fire." But he knew this was not the truth; the so-called power struggle within the wealthy family was nothing more than a carefully crafted drama.

"Wealth is a powerful motivator. In an international metropolis like Hong Kong, where gold is everywhere, countless people come here to make their fortune. These people are a mixed bag, and with local triads entrenched in the area, coupled with the inaction of the British government, various security problems naturally arise."

Just as Martin was sitting in his leather chair, gesturing wildly at the air, a hoarse voice suddenly rang out in the room, as if it came from hell.

He was taken aback, jumped to his feet, and looked around frantically. "Hero, is that you?"

"As agreed, I've come to collect the money."

As these words fell, Martin finally realized that a masked man, dressed in a concealed manner and whose figure and appearance were obscured, had appeared in the room at some unknown time. It was none other than the masked man who had sneaked into his office without anyone noticing last time.

Martin knew perfectly well that the man in front of him was the real culprit who assassinated Tsukamoto Ichiro and his son.

But that's not important; what's important is that they can split the $100 million revenge fund together.

"Great, great hero, I've finally been waiting for you!" Martin instantly put on a fawning smile. "I've already taken care of your share of the money!"

He strode behind his desk, opened the safe, and took out a thick document: "Look, all eighty-three million US dollars were used to buy Coca-Cola stock. This stock has tripled in the last five years, appreciating by more than twenty percent annually."

Holding it is definitely more cost-effective than cash, and I've already laundered the funds through an offshore company, so the source is completely untraceable!

He explicitly told Lu Ming that he had helped him launder the entire $100 million from the revenge fund to buy Coca-Cola stock. If Lu Ming needed cash, he could sell the stock at any time. If he wasn't in a hurry to use the money, he could deposit it in the stock market like a bank.

Coca-Cola's stock price has been soaring for years, and in his view, this upward trend will continue for a long time to come. Therefore, buying Coca-Cola stock is definitely a brilliant investment.

Lu Ming took the equity agreement without question. He didn't care much about the stock price fluctuations; he was more concerned about receiving the reward.

Shasha~

He took the document and quickly flipped through a few pages. The equity agreement was flawless, even taking into account tax planning. However, he astutely noticed a hidden clause in the document: if he made a move against Martin, the agreement would automatically become invalid, and all the equity would be transferred to an anonymous account.

"You're quite shrewd." Lu Ming looked up at Martin, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"In business, integrity is fundamental!"

Martin rubbed his hands together, but cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He was certainly afraid of the killing machine in front of him, but greed overcame fear—what was a little risk if he could get the remaining twenty million dollars?

Lu Ming didn't say anything more. The contingency plan Martin left in the equity agreement wouldn't affect him much. Martin was a sensible person; unless he could confirm that Lu Ming and his group were all dead, he would never dare to make a move on this money.

Moreover, Lu Ming will transfer the money immediately, leaving Martin no chance.

"Let's work together again next time."

He left those words as a mark on Martin, his figure already blending into the shadows. By the time Martin realized what was happening, he was the only one left in the office, the windows wide open, the sea breeze rustling the documents.

"Finally, we've gotten rid of this killing machine."

After watching Lu Ming leave, Martin slumped into a chair, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, grabbed the whiskey on the table, and took a big gulp before realizing that the back of his shirt was already soaked.

He pulled open the bottom drawer, took out a suicide note, and carefully put it away.

Even when he was negotiating with a tiger for its skin, he was already prepared to be silenced. Fortunately, this "hero" was a man of his word and truly only took the money and did not kill anyone.

If given the chance again, he would like to work with such a generous and trustworthy "knight-errant" again.

"Inspector Chan, Li Jie, come out when you have time. The final payment has arrived."

After receiving the stock agreement from Martin, Lu Ming called Chen Guojun and Li Jie, inviting them out to divide the spoils.

Same old place.

The three met up.

Lu Ming handed them the agreement and joked, "You two are now billionaires."

Chen Guojun picked up the document, looked at the numbers on it, and a look of shock flashed in his eyes: "Goodness, I never thought that killing Tsukamoto Ichiro and Tsukamoto Eiji would bring such an unexpected surprise."

He'd been working as a Seraph for so many years, and it had always been a losing proposition. He never expected to make all his previous money back in one go this time.

Li Jie glanced at it and pushed the document back: "Inspector Lu, I can't accept this money. You keep it."

"Hmm?" Lu Ming was somewhat surprised.

Li Jie said calmly, "This matter has nothing to do with me. It was you, Lu Sir, who brought me into the team and allowed me to participate in the revenge against a scumbag war criminal like Tsukamoto Ichiro. I am already quite satisfied. You don't need to include me in the revenge fund."

He was actually very grateful to Lu Ming. In the Jundu Hotel kidnapping case, it was Lu Ming's help that gave him the opportunity to personally kill the doctor who killed his wife and children.

Later, he even brought him into the team and participated in the plan to assassinate the World War II war criminal Tsukamoto Ichiro.

It can be said that Lu Ming directly helped him settle both personal and national grudges. One can only imagine how happy he felt after completing these two tasks, and how grateful he was to Lu Ming from the bottom of his heart.

Besides, he's all alone now and doesn't need much money at all.

He worked as a bodyguard and stunt double for the big star Lung Wai, and his monthly salary was already high in Hong Kong. With his frugal lifestyle, he had saved a lot of money.

His savings to date are enough to buy a car and a house on Hong Kong Island, with a large sum of money still left over.

There's more money than you can spend.

Lu Ming asked in surprise, "Li Jie, you really don't want to take this money?"

"Keep it, I don't need it."

Li Jie shook his head.

Lu Ming nodded and didn't press the matter further: "Okay, then you can keep this money in Coca-Cola's stock market. According to Martin's prediction, Coca-Cola's stock value will increase by more than 20% every year. You can take it out when you need it."

Chen Guojun said with a smile, "To be honest, I don't really need money right now either. I might as well keep it in the stock market like Li Jie does and take it out when I need it in the future."

"Actually, I also intend to put this money in the stock market and wait for things to calm down before taking it out."

When Lu Ming saw that the two of them had chosen to invest their money in Coca-Cola stock, he chuckled. He also didn't plan to withdraw the money immediately.

The ten million he snatched from Ye Guohuan is still being laundered slowly. If he suddenly has to produce another twenty million US dollars, Serena, who is in charge of money laundering, will probably collapse.

Instead of doing that, it's better to hold onto Coca-Cola stock and wait for it to appreciate slowly.

From Lu Ming's perspective as a time traveler, Coca-Cola's stock price was rising just as Martin had predicted, continuing to climb and making it suitable for long-term holding.

"Perfect timing, everyone should save their money for a rainy day."

Chen Guojun said with a smile, "By the way, I have something to tell you. I'm planning to resign and quit being a policeman."

"Inspector Chen, are you resigning?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Jie's eyes.

Lu Ming wasn't surprised by this. He smiled faintly and said, "I also have something to tell you. I've resigned."

"What?"

This time, both Chen Guojun and Li Jie were taken aback. "Officer Lu, are you joking?"

"Genuine or genuine."

Lu Ming answered with a relaxed expression.

"Inspector Luk, are you crazy?!" Chan Kwok-kwan urged anxiously, "I resigned because my career had already reached its peak, and there was no way to advance further. In addition, my brother has retired, and he has cancer and is taking care of my little niece, so I wanted to resign to take care of my brother and his daughter. But you are different. Everyone in Hong Kong knows that you have a bright future and a promising future. Don't do anything foolish."

Li Jie frowned. "Inspector Lu, is something wrong at home? Or have you been wronged in the police force?" He was once a promising officer in the military, but after his wife and children were killed by a doctor, he resigned from all his posts in despair, giving up his bright future, and went south to Hong Kong Island to collect all the clues about the doctor, intending to avenge his wife and children.

Judging others by his own standards, he mistakenly assumed that Lu Ming had also experienced some kind of family crisis, which was why he suddenly resigned.

Looking at the two people's concerned eyes, Lu Ming chuckled, "I just want to change my lifestyle. Being a policeman is too restrictive, so I'm going to become a bounty hunter and be free."

"A bounty hunter?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Guojun gasped and couldn't help but say, "You wouldn't have chosen to become a 'Seraph' because of this assassination attempt on Tsukamoto Ichiro, would you?"

If that's the case, then his sin is enormous.

The bad influence directly led a rising star in the police force astray.

Lu Ming glanced at Chen Guojun and sneered, "Chen sir, stop being so conceited. When I was killing people behind their backs, I never even heard of your title, 'Seraph.'" He paused, then added, "Besides, I resigned long ago after the Jundu Hotel kidnapping case ended. I was just waiting for approval. It had nothing to do with the assassination of Tsukamoto Ichiro."

"You resigned so early?"

When Chen Guojun and Li Jie first heard about this, they were surprised to learn that Lu Ming had already planned to resign and start his own business.

"Although I don't know why you resigned, it is indeed a pity."

Chen Guojun sighed. Like the director and Uncle Biao, he couldn't understand why Lu Ming would give up a bright future to become a bounty hunter.

Lu Ming smiled calmly, "It was my own choice, and I don't regret it." Compared to the insignificant future of the police force, his path as a hunter was a bright future.

"Sigh, what a waste of a good cop." Chen Guojun sighed, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Since you're no longer a cop, how about I pass on the title 'Seraph' to you? In Southeast Asia, that title is worth a lot of money!"

"I would call you the next king of assassins in Hong Kong."

After resigning, he will be busy with family matters and responsibilities, and it will be impossible for him to go out and participate in activities as before.

"Not rare."

Lu Ming refused outright, "I don't want to have anything to do with you, you 'bird roaster'."

The title "Seraph" sounds just like "roasted bird man," it's awful.

"What roasted bird man? You don't know what you're talking about."

Chen Guojun's face darkened. He never expected that the "Seraph" title he had worked so hard to earn over the years would mean "roasted bird man" in Lu Ming's eyes.

This is incredibly insulting.

"If you don't want it, I'm not giving it to you right now." He said to Li Jie with a dark face, "Li Jie, I'm giving you this famous Seraph title. From now on, when you go out to take on missions, mentioning this title will triple your commission!"

"I don't like being a Western birdman."

Li Jie resolutely refused. As a traditional mainland soldier, he had always looked down on Western culture.

Chen Guojun was so angry he wanted to curse. Was his name really that disliked?

"Inspector Chen, if you really want to pass on your 'Roasted Bird Man' reputation, I can introduce you to someone." A figure flashed through Lu Ming's mind, and he said with a smile, "When the Revenge Fund held its last meeting, Crocodile brought a young man..."

Go and attend. I think that young man is quite good. If you're willing to mentor him, perhaps he could be your successor.

He was referring to Xiao Fu, who had served in the military in the Golden Triangle.

"Oh, really? Since you recommended him, I'll have time to observe him. If he's suitable, I wouldn't mind letting him inherit my title of 'Seraphim'."

A glint flashed in Chen Guojun's eyes.

"He's a bird roaster."

Lu Ming emphasized this again.

"Damn it!"

"Sequence 8 Bounty Hunter Promotion Ceremony Completed!"

"Promoting to Sequence 8 Bounty Hunter ————"

Huhu~

Lu Ming sat on the soft sofa at home, a warm current rising from his dantian and instantly spreading throughout his body. He felt as if he were in the midst of a storm, experiencing waves of wind and waves within his body, which caused tremendous changes in his physique.

At the same time, it was as if countless books were stuffed into his head: fighting skills, firearms proficiency, weapon proficiency, explosive principles, disguise techniques, hacking skills, vehicle proficiency, language proficiency—all kinds of information flooded in, making him dizzy.

He closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and let the information blend and be processed in his mind.

After an unknown amount of time, when he opened his eyes again, his gaze had become even more profound, as if he could see through people's hearts.

At the same time, his body underwent a tremendous change. He gained unprecedented control over his body, making it as supple as a snake and as light as a feather, allowing him to scale walls and rooftops. He was also proficient in various techniques such as hand-to-hand combat, firearms, and hacking.

These skills seemed to be innate to him; he could use them with ease.

He has now been officially promoted to Sequence 8 Bounty Hunter.

"Ding! The panel has been updated. Please check it!"

Just then, another prompt appeared before his eyes, and he silently recited in his mind:

Extraordinary Being: Lu Ming, Sequence 8: Bounty Hunter. Skills: Hunting, Marking, Auto-Aim, Eagle Eye — Survival Space: Personal Space (Upgraded Backpack, 10 cubic meters), Stable

Summoned creature: Bloodhound. Role-playing mission: Accept ten bounty missions and earn a bounty of 100 million (0/10).

(0/100 million)

Your role's code: People die for money, birds die for food. You are a money-worshipper, and you only care about money, not people.

The panel hasn't changed much, but a brand new skill, Survival, has appeared in the skills section!

Looking at the "Survival" skill on the panel, Lu Ming smiled.

This skill was practically tailor-made for him—survival skills not only allowed him to push the limits of life, but also enabled him to survive in polar regions,

It can survive in extreme environments such as the deep sea and volcanoes, and can also heal itself quickly, and even adapt to the environment, allowing it to adapt to any climate in a short period of time.

With this skill, his ability to survive has increased by more than one level.

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