Chapter Seven: Recruitment? Seeking Recommendations and Favorites

"..."
"Mr. Huang, are you alright? It was my negligence just now. I will definitely apologize to Mayor Liu when we return." The middle-aged man, who looked like a bodyguard, bowed his head in apology.
"Chenguo, this isn't your fault. The Tu family has gone too far. We never expected they would completely turn against our Liu family." The elegant woman, though her expression was grim, didn't lose her temper or blame anyone unfairly.
"Uncle Chenguo, are you okay? You're hurt!" The stubborn young man, himself bleeding from several scrapes, was shocked.
"It's nothing, just a minor injury. I'll recover once we get back to N City. It's my fault for letting Mr. Huang and Xiaoyu get hurt."
"Enough, Chenguo. This can't be blamed on you. Who would have thought the Tu family could hire such a formidable assassin—even you were injured. We simply weren't prepared for their arrogance and recklessness."
"What matters now is that we get back to N City safely, and then settle the score with the Tu family. Chenguo, your health really isn't a problem, right? When we return, I'll make sure Old Liu gives you proper compensation."
"It's nothing, just a scratch. It won't affect much. Just need some rest and I'll be fine. But to think the Tu family could really hire Dai Wu to assassinate Mr. Huang—isn't Dai Wu someone money alone can't buy?" The middle-aged man seemed to know the assassin Dai Wu's background.
"Uncle Chenguo, who was that black-clad man who suddenly appeared? How could he be invisible..."
"..."
...
Expert!
Seeing the extra bodyguard-like middle-aged man, Liang Jing couldn't help but think of that word. His sharp senses even felt the pressure from this man was as intense as the one from Dai Wu, the black-clad assassin.
The man stood about one meter seventy-five tall, his back straight like a spear, exuding strength. Under his tanned skin, his muscles looked as though forged from molten iron. His square face was full of tenacity, as if nothing could shake him, like a mountain unmoved by any weight. Yet, there was a hint of rigidity to him, and paired with his determined expression, Liang Jing suddenly thought of a word—loyalty! The perfect candidate for a bodyguard.
Rigid and unyielding, steadfast and unchanging.
But Liang Jing paid it little mind. For experts like the black-clad man, unless they had the ability to vanish or escape, if they faced Liang Jing head-on, he could take them down, even if it meant getting hurt himself.
Still, it was impossible to kill all three at once; at a certain level, experts had exceptional survival skills. If they were on guard, killing them wouldn't be so easy. This left Liang Jing frustrated. He had already provoked the Tu family and if he also tangled with the Liu family, it would be a disaster to leave loose ends behind out of a moment's anger.
Lacking the strength to act recklessly, Liang Jing could only grit his teeth and endure. If the enemy didn't fight him head-on, he had no way. His long-range attacks weren't strong yet, making his desire to reach the Victory Steel Ball Factory even more urgent.
At the same time, Liang Jing's keen hearing picked up the identities of those people—they were from N City's major families, who, over profit disputes, had turned against each other, even resorting to violence to eliminate rivals. Liang Jing was merely an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. Now that he understood who they were, he didn't want to get entangled further. If they left him alone, all would be well; if they came after him, he wouldn't submit easily.
But having suffered this disaster for no reason, and nearly losing his life, Liang Jing's mood was self-evidently grim.
The three, who had been speaking, noticed Liang Jing returning and stopped talking, clearly not wanting him to overhear certain things. But they didn't realize Liang Jing already knew most of what he wanted to know.
Liang Jing didn't approach them or speak. He tidied up his own things, then found a bag to collect the guns scattered on the ground. The trio wouldn't need so many, and even if they objected, Liang Jing wouldn't let go—he considered this his compensation for the ordeal.
"Excuse me, young man, may I know your name?" The elegant woman, though her face still flushed from her earlier embarrassment, had other intentions. Liang Jing's behavior from the start had truly made her unsure how to strike up a conversation.
"...", was all Liang Jing gave.
"Where are you headed, young man?"
"Why not come with us to N City? Our family has some business there. If you need anything..."
"Young man, we are from N City's Liu family. The people you killed were from Tu family, and since one escaped, they won't let you go easily."
"Why not join us? If you need anything—money, women, power—just say the word, and we..."
The elegant woman kept talking, but Liang Jing continued packing guns and ammo, ignoring her completely, as if he couldn't hear.
She was frustrated. With Chenguo injured, their strength was compromised. If the enemy returned, the consequences could be dire. From Liang Jing's battle with Dai Wu, she had seen that he was even stronger than Chenguo, and hoped to recruit him. But Liang Jing was impossible to approach, harder than the proverbial stone in the latrine—at least that was foul and stubborn; Liang Jing was simply desireless and unyielding.
Chenguo, the middle-aged man, stood guard with a grave expression, protecting the mother and son. From what the Liu mother and son said and the carnage on the ground, he knew this man was dangerous—at least on par with himself. Most importantly, Liang Jing had just brutally killed without warning, which made Chenguo feel like he was facing a venomous snake ready to strike. He was tense, fearing Liang Jing might suddenly lash out at them.
"Hey! My mother is talking to you! Are you deaf or mute? How rude!" The stubborn young man, still bleeding from many scrapes, couldn't help himself.
Liang Jing turned and glanced at him, his cold eyes silencing the youth instantly. Suddenly reminded of those men Liang Jing had killed, the boy shivered. Despite his stubbornness, he wasn't stupid. Liang Jing had switched from polite conversation to murder without warning—what if he did the same now?
In the newborn sunlight, warm as winter sun, the atmosphere grew ever stranger. The elegant woman seemed unwilling to give up—this was a rare talent. In this world, if her family was to survive and thrive, they needed people like him, and more...
"Young man, in modern society, connections are essential for a future. Talent alone isn't enough—without ties, you'll always hit walls. We could even help your family emigrate, overseas..." The woman's words became more and more addictive, unconsciously repeating the old arguments from before the world's transformation.
She didn't notice Liang Jing's face darken. What he despised most were those who preached equality while acting superior, who amassed wealth in their homeland only to emigrate and then boast as foreign citizens, still claiming to support their "motherland."
Chenguo, who had been watching Liang Jing closely, immediately sensed something was wrong and signaled the woman to stop.
Liang Jing finished packing, his cold eyes sweeping over the woman—Mrs. Huang—and finally lingering on Chenguo, whose left shoulder was still bleeding but who stood guard, watching Liang Jing intently.
"You're impressive! Pity you followed the wrong people. If things don't work out for you someday, come find me..."
He looked seriously at Chenguo, ignoring Mrs. Huang's ugly expression. Standing over one meter eighty, clad in russet leather, Liang Jing shouldered his bag and set off, as before, but now with an extra pouch at his waist, including a pistol taken from Hong Bin, making thirteen guns in total.
In the sunlight, burdened with hundreds of pounds yet walking as if on a leisurely stroll, he moved quickly and soon vanished from the trio's sight.
Yes, Liang Jing had genuinely tried to win over Chenguo in front of Mrs. Huang. He knew he had no chance now, but why not try?
His resentment toward the mother and son was deep. He'd been dragged into this whirlpool for no reason. Even if it wasn't intentional, and perhaps he'd forced himself in, Liang Jing never believed he needed to change his nature to fit others. He couldn't kill them to cover his tracks, so he considered himself unlucky, but that didn't mean he couldn't vex them for his own amusement.
Mrs. Huang's words reminded Liang Jing—why not recruit some subordinates? They would be useful later and make others wary.
With his own strength, he might lose some of the freedom of being alone, but a person can't remain solitary forever. Eventually, he'd need people he cared about, family and friends to protect. Alone, he'd be stretched too thin. There were things he didn't need to do himself, and running everywhere alone would be a lifetime of toil, half the results for twice the effort.
So, from now on, he'd start recruiting followers. Even if not aiming to rule, at least no one would dare provoke him, and there would be many benefits—like now, he wouldn't have to carry everything himself...
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Begging for votes and favorites, is there anyone out there...