novelraw Chapter 43: Strike First
Chapter 43: Strike First
“Two cases, please.”
Lu Caiyi tightly gripped the hem of her skirt, forcing the words out from between her lips.
As soon as she spoke, she quickly lowered her head, staring at her toes.
Ever since she saw the newly appointed Apostle Lin Xun blast the Engineer away with a single skill, Lu Caiyi had become even more certain—she was targeting the right person.
If Lin Xun agreed to transfer to the Armed Division, all she had to do was casually tell Team Leader Wang a bit about that battle against the Engineer. She was confident that Wang would thoroughly approve of her judgment.
As for the drinking? She harbored no indecent intentions—she simply thought that a little alcohol would help lower someone’s guard and open them up.
Two bottles of beer were nothing to an Apostle’s robust physique—barely more than fizzy soda. Far from enough to relax a person.
But after two cases of beer, when she brought up the Armed Division, it wouldn’t trigger any alarm bells.
‘Yiyi, you’ve truly gone above and beyond for Team Leader Wang’s recruitment mission…’
So she told herself.After what happened last time, when he witnessed a female Apostle’s alcohol tolerance firsthand, Lin Xun was convinced—he was just a weakling.
He couldn’t even outdrink Ye Xiaoqi. How could he, a self-admitted lightweight, possibly compete?
Flustered, he pulled out a paper bag with a perfume brand logo and handed it over with both hands, trying to act composed.
“Um, Miss Lu, it was wrong of me to invade your game. So I got you a little gift.”
The girl looked up, surprised, her willow brows raised. In a soft voice, she asked.
“A gift… for me?”
Lin Xun nodded, gaze calm and steady.
Her face reddened as she accepted the bag. Upon seeing it was a bottle of women’s perfume, she whispered, “Thank you. I really like it.”
Seeing her accept the gift, Lin Xun grinned. “Then how about… we don’t drink so much tonight?”
But Lu Caiyi bit her lip and firmly shook her head.
Lin Xun twitched at the corner of his mouth.
C’mon, sis. I already gave in. You’re still coming at me?!
Lin Xun was not the kind to swallow insults—he just got angrier the more he backed down.
Right then and there, he rolled up his sleeves and yelled at the server to bring two more cases of beer!
Ha! You think I can’t outdrink one soft, cutesy girl?! We’ll see about that!
—
“Waiter! Two more cases of beer!”
At another table, Wang Zhong—Team Leader of the Armed Division—was in the middle of reminiscing and drinking with old comrades when the shout caught his attention.
He turned his head.
There sat the darling of the Armed Division, her face flushed red as she sat in a corner booth.
The little girl had her lip tightly bitten, looking bashful and shy.
Across from her sat a tall, handsome pretty boy, over six feet tall. At his feet were two cases of beer—and he was calling for two more.
Clearly trying to get Lu Caiyi drunk.
You son of a—!
Wang Zhong’s blood pressure skyrocketed. His face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead as he clenched his massive, stew-pot-sized fists, ready to throw down.
“What’s wrong, Old Wang? Hey—isn’t that the girl from your Public Security Division?”
Outwardly, the Armed Division posed as a special branch of the Public Security Bureau.
Wang Zhong had always treated Lu Caiyi like a beloved niece. He’d even brought her to previous veteran gatherings, showing her off to his old war buddies.
The words “Public Security Bureau” snapped him back to reality.
‘Right—Yiyi was an Apostle in the Armed Division. With her superhuman physique, she wouldn’t be taken down by two cases of beer.’
Come to think of it, when she told him she had “personal matters” and couldn’t help with the paperwork today, she looked a bit… off.
Now it made sense—she’d planned this dinner with the pretty boy all along.
Wang Zhong slowly unclenched his fists and calmly picked up his glass. “Ah, young people’s business. I don’t get involved. Cheers—let’s keep drinking.”
But his ears were perked up like radar dishes, fully tuned in to the conversation from across the room. Every so often, he’d glance in their direction.
Even separated by more than a dozen tables, thanks to an Apostle’s enhanced perception, Wang Zhong could clearly hear every word from Lu Caiyi’s booth.
And the more he listened, the more he frowned. The two kept clinking glasses—clearly a drinking contest. Then he heard them talking about the Cultural Bureau this, the Public Security Bureau that…
Wait a second… Could this guy be from the Cultural Bureau?
His mind raced as realization struck.
Of course! That pretty boy must be the Apostle from the Intelligence Division who got in through his good looks!
That same pretty boy who flirted his way into Group Leader Li Xingyue’s heart, just to get into the organization—and now he was after the Armed Division’s sweetheart too?!
It all made sense now!
Unacceptable!
Wang Zhong had clearly warned Yiyi before—stay far away from that pretty boy. And yet she was young, easily tempted, and had fallen for it…
If it were any other decent guy dating Yiyi, Wang Zhong wouldn’t complain. But this pretty boy? No way!
He had to pull her out of this swamp before it was too late.
After a while, he saw the pretty boy stand up, seemingly heading for the restroom. Wang Zhong stood up too.
“You guys keep drinking. I gotta go drain the tank.”
On his way to the restroom, he carefully avoided Yiyi’s table. Staring at the pretty boy’s back, he grinned menacingly.
Heh heh… Kid, you’re about to learn a lesson tonight.
Lin Xun entered the restroom. It was empty.
The place wasn’t very clean, and the smell was pretty bad. After relieving himself, he was just about to leave when—
A burly man stepped in, quietly locked the door behind him, and blocked the exit.
He was a middle-aged guy with a thick beard, clearly drunk, and glared at Lin Xun with hostile intent.
Is this guy wasted and looking for trouble?
“Excuse me, I need to get through.”
Lin Xun reached out to push the man aside—but to his surprise, the man didn’t budge!
He frowned, and applied more strength. Still nothing. The man smirked mockingly.
But Lin Xun had enhanced strength since improving his soul talent. Even without a Shell, his raw body could take down a bull.
This man was an Apostle.
Lin Xun’s pupils contracted sharply.
Shit! A hostile agent!
“Pretty boy, I’m gonna—WHA—?!”
Wang Zhong didn’t even finish his sentence before Lin Xun manifested a sleek, high-tech firearm in his hand—blue arcs of electricity danced along the muzzle.
Without a word, he pulled the trigger.
They were so close there was no time for Wang Zhong to summon a Shell.
Zzzap! A surge of crackling energy hit him square in the chest.
Wang Zhong’s vision went black. A faint whiff of charred flesh hit his nose before he passed out.
His final thought before losing consciousness was: WTF?! This punk plays dirty!
Lin Xun looked down at the charred, unconscious man and let out a long breath.
The organization forbade public displays of in-game powers in front of ordinary citizens.
But this was a life-threatening situation. He couldn’t afford to hold back—so he’d used the low-powered “High-Voltage Capacitor Shock Gun,” hoping it wouldn’t draw too much attention.
Still… Why hadn’t this guy summoned a Shell to kill him?
Something felt off.
While the man was unconscious and completely helpless, Lin Xun thoroughly searched him.
“Special Office of the Public Security Bureau…?”
Staring at the ID in his hand, Lin Xun’s expression darkened.