Chapter 274 - Lu Chen - Becoming the City Leader(1)
Lu Chen’s life did a complete turnaround after that day.
He silently watched Old Yang, along with his legal adviser reveal all the chairman’s dirty secrets one by one with corresponding physical evidences. Old Yang didn’t even try to argue and defend in a civil way with words, rather, he made the chairman cower in horror in front of him. He didn’t even hear a word of threat from him because all the evidences before them was enough to show Old Yang’s position.
It wasn’t just the chairman’s. Old Yang suddenly mentioned a string of names, some of which Lu Chen knew belong in the school administration board and other employees. He didn’t utter anything more than their names, but the chairman’s face turned even paler, almost paper white.
He watched how the chairman’s hand trembled while picking up the tea cup. And how his voice quivered as he revealed the truth of the matter of the issue relating to him.
Indeed, it was really because of his rival student and was suppressed because the board received a call from the congressman. The chairman revealed everything he knew, even the fact that they already knew that Lu Chen was innocent.
Lu Chen got furious but he was holding himself back. Contrary to the raging fire in his c.h.e.s.t, his expression stayed blank, calm and collected as if what he was hearing about was unrelated to him.
Why?
Probably because aside from rage, he felt humiliated. To be used by others and bullied into this point, like an ant that could easily be crushed by those who have authority. He finally, fully realized the truth that he was denying all along.
He was saying this not because he is being pitiful for himself or depressed or anything. It was a complete factual statement.
He was weak.
Reality is, the world is harsher than he thinks. And power and money are truly the most powerful thing that could be used to help a person or destroy their life.
As simple as that.
Lu Chen’s hunger to be better turned fiercer.
At that time, he was at a loss.
After leaving the chairman’s office, Old Yang brought him back to the car and talked to him alone.
He offered if he would like to turn stronger.
Lu Chen said yes.
Lu Chen honestly answered him.
"I don’t know."
What the future holds for him is a mystery. People change overtime, and even if he has his own morals and principles to upholds, who knows what might change in the future.
"But I hope, and I will strive to not become a monster. To not turn into someone who would take advantage of what I will have to destroy an innocent person’s life." Lu Chen, who was still a teenager by then, answered with his all looking like a m.a.t.u.r.ed a.d.u.l.t who already went through a lot.
Old Yang suddenly laughed. He was confused, watching Old Yang slapping his knees and laughing from the statement he said.
Did he answer wrong?
The man’s laugh abruptly stopped and with a lingering small smile on his face, he looked straight to his eyes and said in a serious tone, "Then do you have the guts?"
Guts? For what?
Old Yang didn’t wait for him to answer. He pulled him along to a place. It was a very unfamiliar road, and Lu Chen watched the car they were riding in enter deep into the forest.
It was the sound of something hitting the soil. Old Yang silently signalled him to shush with his hand then pointed forward.
Lu Chen followed where he was pointing at, and from afar, he saw three bulky men digging the soil. He couldn’t see very well what were next to their foot since they were afar, but his mind worked on a lightning speed and it already made its conclusion even without looking at it closely.
Dark.
Digging the soil.
Unidentifiable things.
They’re hiding a body. That was his scary conclusion.
Lu Chen was naive still. He couldn’t just stand there watching three men in the middle of a crime. He looked at Old Yang’s relaxed expression as if he was seeing something normal.
For a moment, Lu Chen couldn’t believe his eyes. It seems this mysterious man was more than what he thought he was.
A minute later, another person appeared behind the three bulky men. Everything happened too fast that the three men couldn’t react in time. They were all instantly knocked out by a single person, and after kicking the last person away, he tied all their limbs.
"Good job." Old Yang commented as he scratched his chin and looked at three passed out men with interest.
Old Yang: "Which ones?"
The man who knocked the three men: "The Seventh."
Old Yang: "Send the notice."
Man: "This is irritating. I could have easily slit their necks with my new knife. I was excited for nothing."
Old Yang: "That’s not your order."
The man tsk-ed loudly as he scratched his head.
Man: "Yeah, that’s f.u.c.k.i.n.g why I just knocked them out cold. Seriously. Why am I called a f.u.c.k.i.n.g assassins if I’m not allowed to erase this three dirty bags on the face of earth?"
Lu Chen stiffened. Did he just hear something he wasn’t supposed to know about?
Old Yang: "Don’t we still send you out for killing missions? It’s just that these three didn’t do something too big so instead of killing them, I’ll make use of them as a warning. You know I still need to push them to sign the agreement."
Man: "A lousy agreement. Old Man, you dream too big. I don’t even understand why I promised to work for you back then. I must have been blind."
Old Yang nust laughed off his sentence when the man looked at Lu Chen’s tiny figure next to him.
Man: "Who is this frail looking little guy with you? Your grandson?"
Old Yang looked at the man with a ridiculed expression, "Have you forgotten I didn’t marry? Besides, didn’t you hear the latest topic around the headquarters?"
The man’s face changed as if he finally had a realization."No shit! Are you talking this is the one?! He looks like he would faint at the sight of blood ah! That pretty face has more chances in those big screens, not leading a f.u.c.k.i.n.g assassin group."
Old Yang already expected his reaction. "I haven’t really convinced him yet. But once this one is toughened up, I’m pretty sure he’ll be stronger than anyone of you here. Oh, not only physically."
Old Yang patted Lu Chen’s shoulder. "This one here is a genius. Top scorer."
Man: "You kidnapping from schools now?!"
Old Yang: "Did you think he’ll be on his two feet in front of you if I kidnapped him?"
Lu Chen, who was caught in between the two was dumbfounded and speechless. His dilemma didn’t reflect on his face, but the two people could easily read his eyes.
Lu Chen suddenly had an intuition that he shouldn’t be listening in this conversation right now, or else, there’s going to be no place where he could run.
And he was right.
Old Yang formally introduced the man to be one of his too subordinates, and then he proceeded to explain that he was the head of an assassin organization and the city leader of the underground city.
.....Lu Chen thought he was being pranked.
Underground City? That black market? That place heaping with criminals?
He almost didn’t believe him if they weren’t standing in the middle of nowhere at night, with three men knocked down and tied up, and two mysterious looking bags that has a silhouette of a human body.
Yep, definitely bad news.
But Old Yang casually dropped the bomb. He explained how he was going to repay his parents’ good grace, which he briefly summed up into one sentence.
"I’m apppointing you as my heir, the next City Leader."
Lu Chen : .......
Of course, Lu Chen vehemently disagreed with Old Yang’s offer.
I mean, really? He spent his whole life following the rules and laws. He didn’t even steal the nearly expired lunchbox in the convenience store even if he was already starving and knowing that the manager wouldn’t notice it.
Then now they’re expecting him to take over and become a leader of a place bursting with crime and full of violent and scary people.
Heck, he couldn’t even defeat a mere rival student. How the hell are they expecting him to become the city leader of the underground city?!
Doesn’t that sound so ridiculous?!