I'm living off a woman in Arknights.

Page 125

As a pawn who knows nothing, Gu Yanqiu can only provide so much useful information.

Having more important matters to attend to, Hoshiguma whispered a word of advice before decisively turning around and directing everyone to huddle together in the center of the booth to avoid the inevitable further chaos that was about to unfold.

As she gave the orders, she pondered to herself. The Nirvana's ability to conceal itself was beyond question, yet the Rat King could still command people to crash into it...

Hoshiguma's gaze sharpened; so that's how it is. The young lady's thought process had been deciphered.

So, is this a trap? No, that doesn't make sense.

Time slipped away quietly as Hoshiguma pondered, and before she could figure things out, the time she had agreed upon with Yunyi arrived.

The light band on Hoshiguma's wrist pierced through time and space, connecting her with Yunyi, who was in the cockpit. Light fragments fell rhythmically from the light band, like intertwined heartbeats.

Yun Yi stared blankly at the band of light, listening to the heartbeat in his ear.

It wasn't until her half-hour alarm rang and Feng Ti outside respectfully shouted, "Everyone's here!" that Yun Yi snapped out of her daze, her hazy eyes regaining their clarity.

"Very good." She murmured, then vanished with a wave of her hand.

In Feng Ti's office, all the middle and senior members of the gang, except for the few leaders who were presiding over the meeting, were gathered together but did not say a word.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, but surprisingly the atmosphere wasn't tense.

It wasn't until Feng Ti, in the name of the entire family, summoned everyone and demanded that they bring all the intelligence and incriminating evidence against others, suddenly shouted that the others realized something was wrong.

But they didn't react much, just blankly lowered their heads or closed their eyes, and not a single person questioned Feng Ti.

Yun Yi landed in complete silence, and an immeasurable pressure fell on the shoulders of everyone present, causing their already bowed heads to droop even lower, their bodies trembling, yet no one uttered a sound.

"?" Yun Yi tilted her head in confusion, then quickly dismissed the question, turning to look at Feng Ti, the only one who looked up and met her gaze. "What I want."

"Yes, yes, here you go!" Feng Ti nodded and wagged his tail like a lackey, ordering everyone present to hand over the documents and items they had brought.

Without any resistance, they gave it to them.

A dozen or so people, their faces blank, pulled out terminals, documents, and bags of various colors, and then stood up one by one to place them on the desk in front of Feng Ti.

Feng Ti carefully stuffed his own copy into the mountain of evidence piled on the desk, then cautiously gestured for the others to retreat with him.

Once it was pasted against the wall, Feng Ti swallowed hard and said with a fawning smile, "You, you see, I guarantee this is definitely our gang's latest and most comprehensive intelligence and criminal evidence!"

The usually obedient crowd suddenly raised their heads upon hearing this, and a dozen pairs of lifeless eyes suddenly lit up, all staring intently at Feng Ti:

The third-in-command...sold out, the gang?

PS:

Following a suggestion from a reader, the author plans to try shortening the length of the event and reducing unnecessary details.

I plan to try ending each event in fifteen chapters first, and then keep it as short as possible while still explaining things clearly.

At the same time, it's also necessary to accelerate the development of relationships with each of the female leads and increase the amount of intimate scenes.

Let's start counting from this chapter and see if we can finish the event within fifteen chapters.

Volume Two: Fireworks at Dragon Gate: Chapter 248 (Main Story) Turn to Ashes! (Part Two)

Feng Ti glared at them expressionlessly, and everyone immediately looked away, returning to their listless expressions.

Yun Yi watched this scene thoughtfully. With a wave of her hand, she sucked a pile of documents and evidence from the desk into the driver's space, then focused her attention on Feng Ti.

Feng Ti instantly felt the pressure around him suddenly intensify. Before he could feel fear or beg for mercy, his head slumped and he fainted.

He wasn't the only one; everyone present received equal care. Accompanied by a series of muffled thuds of flesh, "thump, thump..." and "slap, slap...", everyone in the room fell into a deep sleep.

Yun Yi's eyes lit up as he actively tested his soul pressure for the first time. "Wow, that's amazing!"

Sure enough, soul power is the ultimate lawnmower, easily "wiping out" a bunch of seemingly strong people without any consumption—it's awesome!

Feeling refreshed and invigorated, Yunyi contacted Hoshiguma, "Hoshiguma! I'm all set here, shall I come find you now?"

“Great, come on over, I’m almost done here too.” Hoshiguma responded gently, “There’s been a slight change in the mission, the Rat King’s men are involved.”

"The Rat King?" Yun Yi, who had a poor memory for people he disliked and had no connection with, could only recall his own stereotypical impression of the other person. "That surveillance maniac?"

With both new and old grudges combined, she couldn't help but feel annoyed. "He's like a persistent ghost!"

Hoshiguma chuckled and reassured him, "Indeed, then let's vent our anger with a fight, without hiding—remember, if you're unsure, you can ask the young lady."

"Fight a match?" Yun Yi blinked, confused. "What do you mean by 'fight a match'? Against whom?"

"And the Rat King." Hoshiguma's words were calm and steady, as if she were stating an inevitable theorem. "Don't worry, it's most likely just a 'test'."

Yun Yi understood, and his displeasure grew exponentially. "Huh? He's testing me? On what grounds?"

She hasn't even settled accounts with the other party yet, and there's already spying, arresting, and secretly causing trouble—what right does the Rat King have to "test" her!

“Hmm…” Hoshiguma hadn’t expected Yun Yi to ask that. She pondered for a moment and then smiled, “Perhaps, it’s because he’s never seen you before.”

That's why he adopted this cat-and-mouse stance, under the guise of Zalak.

If the Rat King had ever met Yun Yi, it would never have been so arrogant as to deliberately leave things blank, allowing her to discover its existence and part of its intentions.

Of the trio, Hoshiguma, who had lived and worked in the Lower City, was the one who most respected the Rat King and had a direct relationship with him.

Perhaps for this reason, when the Rat King discovered that the person traveling with Yun Yi was her, it acted in a particularly straightforward and crude manner. It was a way of currying favor and also a way of telling Xing Xiong that it had no intention of confronting Yun Yi, but simply wanted to "see" and test the other party's worth.

This can be seen from details such as none of the people who asked Hoshiguma for help were injured, and no one disturbed Hoshiguma while she was asking questions.

Hoshiguma sighed, sensing Yun Yi's intense displeasure on the other end of the communication. After learning the result, she deduced that the Rat King really didn't hide anything this time.

Unfortunately, Yun Yi is not an ordinary variable, and the Rat King's attempt to test him this time is destined to end in disappointment.

Unaware of Hoshiguma's thoughts, Yunyi felt most of her displeasure dispelled by Hoshiguma's trusting smile, and couldn't help but smile as well. "Hmph, indeed, if that guy had ever met me, he should know who was testing whom—speaking of which, is Rat King Qiang strong?"

“Strong.” Hoshiguma answered affirmatively, then added, “Most rulers and authorities on this land possess the necessary military strength. I have never seen the Rat King at full power, but it is rumored to be on par with Wei Yanwu.”

Wei Yanwu is the ruler of Longmen, and his martial prowess is as strong as that of a traditional ruler.

Yun Yi frowned, further confirming, "How does it compare to the Imperial Guard?"

“The Rat King is stronger,” Hoshiguma answered quickly. “He puts more pressure on me than the Inner Guard. If I had to quantify it, he would be about twice as strong as the Inner Guard.”

Twice as strong?

Yun Yi felt a little unreal. She had dealt with the inner guards quite easily, and there were still a few of them locked in the driver's compartment without her having to lift a finger.

She didn't quite understand the strength of the Rat King, who was slightly stronger than the Inner Guard, but judging from her intuition, he should be quite weak.

But she vaguely remembered that the accumulation of combat power was not a simple 1+1=2, but rather an exponential increase?

Yun Yi scratched his head in frustration, then gave up. Oh well, if I don't understand, I don't understand. Anyway, I'm not going to die. "So, Little Hoshiguma, you want me to fight the 2.0 version of the Inner Guard? Okay, I'll try to see if I can knock it away."

“I suggest you take this opportunity to demonstrate your strength. There are many forces watching Lungmen, and this demonstration could very well buy us a lot of room for development,” Hoshiguma said calmly.

If Yun Yi were in front of her, she might reach out and pat his head. "But this is just a suggestion. Do what you feel is up to you. I'll be waiting for you at the venue."

Hoshiguma's voice was extremely calm, like a gentle yet powerful hand that easily soothed Yun Yi's agitated emotions.

Yun Yi gave a soft "hmm," no longer dwelling on the feeling of being offended that welled up inside him. He made up his mind to give the Rat King, the source of this feeling, a good beating to relieve his discomfort.

Since they had already made up their minds, there was no need to contact Swire.

Yunyi recalled the inexplicable palpitation he felt when the other party hung up the call, and silently rejected Hoshiguma's suggestion to contact Swire.

With that, the two finished their communication, and their original plan could continue, except Yun Yi had an extra temporary task: Enjoy the battle! (Rat King Version)

After going through all this information in his mind, Yun Yi casually took the people lying on the ground back to the driver's compartment.

She hastily built a dark, dingy iron house and stuffed the dozen or so potentially useful guys inside. She then handed over the data and evidence that "she" had painstakingly collected to the AI ​​for processing and analysis.

Having made the above preparations, Yun Yi grinned and abruptly canceled the Nirvana's stealth and silence functions.

The silver-white mecha appeared out of thin air, its cold, hard luster gleaming in the light. Its shoulder armor was sharply defined, and ice-blue energy bars were faintly visible on its chest and shoulder armor. Its built-in giant blade was slung across its back, its edge gleaming with a ghostly blue light, exuding an aura of danger that was self-evident.

This is the Nirvana.

Under Yunyi's control, the Nirvana took a step forward, its toes scraping the ground and sparking metallic flecks.

Its body suddenly sank, and its core immediately emitted a deafening roar, while the hydraulic devices at its joints also emitted a low hum.

"Boom—" Accompanied by the eerie blue energy shooting out from the various exposed nozzles on its body, the Nirvana, trailing a cold, deep blue tail, flew majestically towards the venue:

Anything that stood in its way—whether it was machinery or impenetrable walls—was smashed and torn apart by the Nirvana, failing to hinder Yun Yi's progress in the slightest.

PS:

I just realized I have enough recommendation votes, so I'll update more chapters whenever I have time these next couple of days.

The mecha's appearance description happens to be one of those 100 free words~ Hehe

Volume Two: Fireworks at Dragon Gate: Chapter 249 (Main Story) Turn to Ashes! (Part Three)

The underground space is the venue for the auction.

After waiting for Yun Yi to stop talking, Hoshiguma turned around and strode to the edge of the booth, looking down.

Below the stage, the fervent shouts of battle gradually weakened as time passed. The passageways, stands, and ground were all stained with blood. The original three-way melee gradually turned into a two-way cooperation and a one-way fight to the death.

Many people lay on the ground, trampled underfoot by the killers, yet they were mostly from two cooperating parties. Clearly, their cooperation was not due to reconciliation, but rather to impending demise.

Hoshiguma was not surprised at all; the one who stood out was, unsurprisingly, the Rat King's subordinate.

Abundant resources, stable training, and excellent management enabled them to completely overwhelm the thugs trained by the other two ordinary gangs in terms of will, equipment, and ability. It would be strange if they didn't win.

Not far behind Hoshiguma, Gu Yanqiu, who had regained some of his strength, also saw his men retreating steadily and about to be wiped out. He couldn't help but reveal a withered and bitter smile, "We've lost... It's... exactly as expected... but unexpected."

Failure is normal. Even with the support of the sixth and seventh leaders, his power as the top leader is far smaller than the combined power of the other leaders. Otherwise, he, as the nominal boss, wouldn't have been so eager to orchestrate a desperate, all-or-nothing scenario as soon as he received assistance.

What I never expected was that in the end, it wouldn't be those traitors who weren't really traitors, but rather...

"An accident?... Young friend Yanqiu, you still act so haphazardly." A deep, mature male voice, carrying the authority and composure of a superior, and a unique sense of vicissitude, roused Gu Yanqiu's scattered will.

The distinctive voice made him instantly realize who it was. Gu Yanqiu's first reaction was not to look at the owner of the voice or to respond, but to close his slightly red eyes and lower his head once again.

Immediately afterwards, the short, clear tapping sound of the cane hitting the ground filled the ears of everyone present.

It wasn't fast, but it was very rhythmic, each strike carrying weight. Though it hit the ground, it felt more like it was hitting everyone's hearts, exuding an aura of authority that brooked no disrespect.

Unknown source y/*ue-F has caused a dry and fierce sandstorm to sweep into the venue along with the knocking sound.

At that moment, whether it was the three groups fighting fiercely below the stage, the buyers sticking together to protect themselves in the distance, or the rescued people whispering on the stage, some people involuntarily shut their mouths, stopped fighting, and stood frozen in place.

They saw a man standing opposite Hoshiguma, leaning on a dragon-headed cane, after the sandstorm had passed. He was a big shot known to anyone involved in the illegal activities of Lungmen—the Rat King.

Of course, not many people actually recognize its appearance, but that doesn't stop the Rat King from silencing and stopping those who don't know it with just a glance, simply by virtue of its imposing presence.

The heated scene fell silent in an instant, and right in the center of everyone's gaze, Hoshiguma and the Rat King stood face to face.

The Rat King was dressed in a white fur coat, with an exquisite and formal inner layer. His triangular rat head, adorned with thick white eyebrows and a white beard, looked particularly solemn and handsome.

After forcefully silencing the noise on and off the stage with its imposing presence, it nodded slightly to Hoshiguma and greeted her familiarly, "Hoshiguma, it's been a long time. You look well. It seems you've been doing well these past few days, so I'm relieved."

"...Boss, thank you for your concern. I'm fine now, really fine." Hoshiguma paused for a moment before instinctively straightening up.

Her tone was respectful and familiar, and she spoke with a slightly relaxed air, "It's been a while since we last met. I think it was about half a year ago? I never expected that our reunion would be like this."

As she spoke, Hoshiguma's gaze habitually swept over the Rat King's face, a hint of barely perceptible concern in her eyes. "Are you alright? Governor Wei, he—"

"Hey, what could possibly happen to me? Old Wei can't do anything to this old man for now." The Rat King waved his hand casually, his fur-covered fingers sharp as thorns.

It sized up Hoshiguma, its eyes not so much scrutiny, but rather a gentle affection from an elder to a junior. "Hoshiguma, you're still so straightforward. Hmm, you seem more composed than when we last met. You must have been through a lot... It's a pity, if it weren't for now, I'd really like to have you come over and chat with this old man."

“Indeed,” Hoshiguma sighed, then gave a hearty laugh. “In that case, I’ll come and talk to you next time I come back. I’m sure I’ll be able to have a much longer conversation with you then. Please wait for me.”

The Rat King nodded, his fingertips brushing against a wisp of white beard near his lips. "Alright, if the person behind you can overcome this test, I'll wait for you."

"If you can't, then you should obediently go back with the old man."

The Rat King's tone suddenly changed, from amiable to domineering, and his eyes became sharp.

Hoshiguma, unsurprised and relaxed, raised her hand to scratch the back of her head, her smile unchanged. "Haha, it seems you really will have to wait for me. Little Yunyi... she's not simple."

"Oh?" The Rat King could see the genuine confidence in Hoshiguma and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

Its gaze softened again, but its look at Hoshiguma still carried a gentle scrutiny.

The two stared at each other for a long time before the Rat King slowly spoke, "Not bad, very good, I look forward to it."

Its condescending tone reveals an attitude of taking it for granted and confidence in its own strength.