Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

They were even killing each other indiscriminately.

Perhaps the situation is similar in Terra. The tour guides in front of them are all beauties in terms of aesthetics. After being subjected to his unchangeable ideas, all they can feel is the difference in their physical structure and combat power.

Therefore, he had never had many questions about "why there are more female operators" or "why all the employees of Penguin Logistics are women".

He is now more concerned about why a dedicated combat bodyguard is needed when traveling in a prestigious metropolis like Longmen.

Exusiai, who is familiar with the area, needs to lead the way, while Croissant, who claims to be good at financial management, can reduce spending losses.

But Texas—Tomat still thought she was just a driver.

"You mean you're so strong that you don't need protection?"

Texas spoke for the first time, but as the first words of the entire journey, their overly confrontational tone was hardly a good sign.

They don't need bodyguards, so they question the purpose of their existence.

"Ah, the boss probably just meant to ask about the old street. Texas is overthinking it. Croissant, explain."

Exusiai immediately smoothed things over and then turned the topic to Croissant, who was standing to the side.

“Listen carefully, boss. Just like I described before, most of the shops in Longmen Old Street are privately owned. They've gathered together, creating a gray area that's impossible to completely control. Although it's become one of the tourist attractions promoted to the outside world, it's still quite chaotic.” Although Croissant is young, she's extremely sensitive to business-related matters. Even though Longmen isn't a place she frequents, given enough time, she can thoroughly investigate all aspects of Longmen's business. “Those in charge here are mostly gangsters or unlicensed merchants who hoard goods and speculate during peacetime. Of course, there are also many henchmen of local businesses who open their branches here under different names and secretly support them.”

"Many of the vehicles parked there have the logos of some underworld organizations in Lungmen," Texas continued in a calm tone. Taking advantage of the moment when the others paused to talk, she skillfully took out a chocolate chip biscuit like an old smoker taking out a cigarette. "Some of the people who passed by earlier also had the scent of their families."

“Normally this place is a lawless zone. Tourists from out of town are often ripped off or given other trouble, let alone at times like this. As one of the few places that supplies supplies, it’s even more chaotic than usual.” Croissant pointed to Tomat’s clothes, “Especially this outfit. He looks like a nouveau riche tourist from Siesta. All he’s missing is a pair of Columbia high-class sunglasses. Normally, I would have squeezed you dry until you didn’t even have enough money to go home… Just kidding, don’t look at me like that.”

"But if you get too close to me, you'll be more likely to get into trouble, won't you? A nouveau riche and his three women..."

Thomas stated his concerns directly, without answering Texas's earlier question.

He was interrupted halfway through his sentence by Exusiai:

"No, no, we're all wearing Penguin Logistics uniforms. Even in Lungmen, we have our own reputation. Who would know our identities and still come looking for trouble?"

Penguin Logistics is not just a simple "logistics and transportation" company. Their business scope is so broad that they are known to both the underworld and the legitimate world. From small-scale tour guide services to large-scale long-distance escort of weapons and ammunition, they do not pick and choose their clients. And no matter what the client entrusts them with, they always adhere to one principle.

Penguin Logistics: Delivering on its mission.

This similarity in the nature of their businesses actually gave Thomas a certain affinity for Penguin Logistics, because his previous work could be broadly described as harmless.

As long as their boss isn't a short, eccentric man who's quick to kill, Penguin Logistics might be more attractive to him than Rhodes Island.

Of course, now is not the time to consider changing jobs. Thomas just wants to buy some clothes, eat and shop around, and then leave for his next destination.

[Main Text] Dragon Gate Chronicles: Chapter Three - Good Brother Jie

"It may be chaotic here, but if you have the connections, you can buy good quality goods at reasonable prices. Compared to tourist areas that are just there to rip off tourists, the old street is pretty good." Croissant was clearly an expert on this information. "It's the same with food. Many stalls that have no place in the city center have gathered here."

Tomat and the Penguin Logistics team set off in the morning. Although it took some time to drive here, it was still breakfast time.

Although the memory was already vague, both the restaurant pictures and signs and the food displayed on the roadside stalls reminded him of Cantonese morning tea.

Steamed buns, rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings, shumai...

You don't need to go out of your way to smell it; the whole old street is filled with the aromas wafting from the shops.

When he went on missions to other planets, he had visited some places with culinary cultures. However, due to racial differences, even if those civilizations had long-standing culinary cultures, the food they produced was not very palatable, and was even inferior to the Legion's nutritional supplements. But in Terra, most of the food tasted similar to his original taste, so there was basically no need to worry.

"Oh right, boss, have you had breakfast yet? A friend's stall has temporarily moved here because their original location was destroyed," Croissant, who was in charge of introducing the shop, suggested when she noticed that Tomat's gaze was mainly focused on the food stalls in Lungmen.

"Okay, I only ate a little bit this morning to fill my stomach."

—It's just a breakfast serving for fifteen people.

Croissant led the way, and the group gradually moved deeper into the old streets of Lungmen.

But the deeper you go, the fewer stalls you see on both sides, and even the number of passersby becomes sparse.

Instead of ordinary passersby dressed in old-fashioned clothing, you can now see suspicious individuals standing in the streets and alleys, wearing berets and overalls.

They stood in twos and threes in front of the alley, as if deliberately blocking the way and preventing people from entering. Some stood like doormen in front of shops with equally suspicious signs, flicking coins in their hands to pass the time.

Whenever Tomat and his group passed by, the gazes of those people under the brims of their hats would turn toward them, and after they passed, a swaggering whistle would emanate from them.

Among the figures strolling on the street, men and women dressed in suits or formal attire, there was absolutely no trace of goodwill.

"Don't tell me this is a gangster movie set. The streets we just passed are completely different from here."

A strangely named pharmacy, a street clinic with signs riddled with unexplained round holes, a neon-lit bar with a drunkard lying outside, and a closed building displaying billboards featuring scantily clad Carter girls...

—And the most conspicuous place, which occupies a lot of storefronts on this street with low foot traffic.

A casino.

The casino's gaudy yet tacky Lungmen Dollar logo and its light-polluting signs make it extremely eye-catching, while the suspender suits that are ubiquitous nearby draw attention to them.

Three women in work uniforms, and a man dressed as a nouveau riche from Siesta.

They would look like new customers to them no matter how you look at it.

“I’ve already planned the fastest way out of here without getting into trouble.” As the three of them looked at Croissant with suspicion or “I knew it” in their eyes, Exusiai, while explaining which way to go to avoid suspicious people, asked, “So, why don’t you explain what’s going on now? Is your friend even more of a shrewd businessman than you?”

"I'm almost full, do you want one... oh, I'm done, sorry."

Texas, who hadn't said a word and hadn't stopped talking, seemed to have never expected Croissant to recommend a good shop to them in the first place, and the chocolate cookie she had planned to give Thomas was now empty.

"Forget it, let's just eat at the restaurant. It looks suspicious, but it's better than starving."

Thomas suggested that he wasn't worried about being bothered by people nearby. Rather, he was annoyed that he had walked for so long and ended up at a completely unrelated place instead of a worthwhile restaurant.

He just wants to eat something right now.

"Wait a minute... Ah-Jie clearly said he set up his stall around here. I'll go check around! You guys wait for me!"

Croissant turned around and disappeared in a flash, going to find her friend who was buying things from a place that seemed completely unsuitable for setting up a stall.

As soon as Croissant left, other people gathered around.

That was also a man in overalls and a suit who was loitering around the casino. From his appearance, he was a Reberba who looked very much like a pug, a species with distinct canine features rather than being limited to animal ears and tails.

His face was contorted into a tight wrinkle, forcing a fawning smile that was barely perceptible, and he rubbed his hands together as he spoke:

"Hey boss, why don't you try your luck? ...The two ladies next to you can come in too. The one who just left, we'll let her know when she comes back. You're all inside."

"Don't go."

"Hey, don't say that. Our service is excellent, and we guarantee you won't have a wasted trip. Besides, I see you're glowing, which means you're about to have great luck."

A direct and firm refusal didn't deter the other party from their persistent attempts, and what's more, they said his forehead was glowing? Could it be that I'm developing M-shaped baldness?

"Get out of the way."

This time, Texas issued a warning, but it still had little effect.

"Why don't you consider it, boss? You finally made it all the way from Siesta to Lungmen, only to run into terrorists causing trouble. Wouldn't it be nice to relax here with us...?"

But after the pug Reberba finished speaking, his eyes, which were covered by the skin on his face, suddenly widened. It wasn't because he realized that the person in front of him had the Penguin Logistics logo, but because he saw something behind Thomas.

"Hey."

A tired male voice came from the direction he was looking.

"Don't bother the guests my friend brought."

A young man, dressed in a gray cotton robe and ripped jeans, with an ordinary appearance, warned Rebba in a muffled voice that was obscured by a mask.

In his left hand he held the remains of an unidentified creature whose shape was no longer discernible but which was still twitching, while in his right hand he held a kitchen knife stained with thick blood.

"Who...who are you? Trying to steal my business?"

Even if he was intimidated, he couldn't lose his composure, after all, this was still his boss's territory.

However, the man's seemingly unworn appearance revealed an air of someone who had weathered many storms. His half-open eyes and gray pupils seemed unable to reflect the person in front of him. He remained silent, yet one could tell that he had already uttered the words "None of your business" in Reberba's face.

“I am Jie, and people usually call me A-Jie.”

The man's round ears, characteristic of Ursus people, trembled slightly in the cold December wind of Lungmen.

"Ugh, that arrogant attitude reminds me of the boss." Before Exusiai could intervene, Je's intrusion caught her attention.

But Thomas felt that Zi was not arrogant.

Judging from his breathing, he was probably so exhausted that he couldn't even focus his gaze.

[Main Text] Dragon Gate Journey: Chapter Four - I Begin...

"You! You just wait! I don't care how many legends you have in Lungmen, this is our territory!"

When the group arrived at the stall run by Jie, they were still waiting for their food when they recalled Rebba's insignificant remarks before he left.

"Wow, Croissant, you're pretty impressive! You know such influential figures in the underworld? But why are you setting up a stall here?"

The open-air stall only had simple cooking utensils such as pots and stoves. On the shelves next to it were various kinds of braised or fresh food that had already been prepared for retail. There were only three tables for sitting down to eat, which seemed insufficient. However, with no customers coming, these few tables made Jie's stall look even more deserted.

“Of course! Let me tell you, Ah-Jie is the legendary shadow leader of the Lungmen underworld, the emperor of Lungmen's economic lifeline, a mysterious assassin and martial arts master. He just happens to love cooking, which is why he became a street vendor.” At this point, Croissant’s words flowed freely. “And it all started nineteen years ago on that stormy night…”

“I almost believed it.” Jie’s stall didn’t have a menu, but after seeing the large and small boxes of frozen seafood, Texas, who had no chocolate chip cookies to eat, ordered a Syracuse-style seafood risotto. At the same time, he looked at Tomart, who was sitting at a separate, rather shabby table—because he had ordered too much food and had to put it on another table.

"Boss, we're just having breakfast, is it really necessary for us to eat our lunch as well?"

Exusiai, chewing on pickled dried fish, complained.

Although I ordered the pre-made braised snacks first because the cooked dishes would take time to arrive, the portion size was far from breakfast-sized.

Rather, it's more like an appetizer compared to Tomat.

"The food at this shop is really delicious, especially this tentacle slice. I feel like it's still moving inside my stomach. I can't believe they can get such fresh seafood in Lungmen. This place must be very far from the sea."

"The goods are all from the Beihai Market. The uncles and aunties there are very kind to me, so they sell me some good stuff at low prices." Jie, who was cooking in front of the pot, explained while keeping an eye on the pot. "And Sister Croissant, please stop joking with me. It's all just a bunch of inexplicable misunderstandings, and it always causes trouble for people. Besides, I only set up my stall here to make room for the uncles and aunties... Sister Hoshiguma has arranged quite a few spaces for us so that our goods won't spoil and we won't suffer losses, but it's still not enough."

"Then you don't need to set up a stall in a place like this, do you?" Exusiai looked at the casino directly opposite her, and then at her own stall, which was completely different in style from the casino.

"Uncle Dong said I could come here, so I came. Although business is a bit slow, a few people still come to eat, and indeed no one is causing trouble." The dish was finished and plated in one smooth motion. "Guest, your risotto."

Resembling a local congee dish from Lungmen, this dish incorporates the essence of seafood, and the slightly firm rice core is a key feature of Syracuse seafood risotto.

Although there are all sorts of inexplicable rumors surrounding Jie Ru Croissant, her culinary skills are undeniably genuine.

"Thank you. I didn't expect there to be people here who are skilled in Syracusan cuisine."

Texas rarely utters such sentimental words.

"I don't know if the taste can compare to the authentic one. If you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to ask." After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jie returned to the kitchen counter and began preparing meals for the other people.