ccnovels Chapter 530 - 348: Outsiders
Chapter 530 - 348: Outsiders
[Raphael: I can keep an eye out for you.]The trouble from the Owl Town Gang was left for Raphael to figure out.
The middleman would find a solution, add some personal interests into it, and finally send it back to the mercenaries.
The issue was temporarily put aside.
John mentioned the second matter.
He repeated the conversation with Old Harper, inquired about the liquor issue, and wanted the other party to provide some black market supplier contacts.
"Whose phone directory could be richer than the middleman’s?"
[Raphael: Sweet talk doesn’t earn discounts, John, but you’ve got good timing, the city’s chaotic now with gang wars, black market supplies change daily, chaos everywhere. If you’re willing to lend a hand, you’ll make new friends.]
"Great, any recommendations?"
[Raphael: Wait for a call.]
Call ended.
John spent the entire afternoon at the construction site.
He was on guard against the Owl Town Gang returning with people to attack, but the Wanderer had dismantled and sold all vehicles, yet no gang member was seen.
Night fell over Eden City.
A blue-black mist rose amidst the steel jungle.
John thought he wouldn’t have to "wait" too long, but lying in bed at the Dan Street Apartment, he still hadn’t heard from Raphael.
It was also quite normal.
Trouble and commissions weren’t tailor-made for anyone.
This city is a jagged grinder; wanting to hit the task you need requires luck and time.
John thought so and quietly fell asleep.
The call came in at dawn.
[Raphael: Sweet dreams, darling, hope there’s no lady beside you, even if there is, you better get up and get going, opportunities don’t wait, nor does the refrigerator.]
"Refrigerator... what? Who’s he."
John got up to pursue the question.
His bedroom was downstairs, connected to the workspace.
As he left the bed, all the sensor lights turned on, illuminating the walls filled with accessories and weapons ammunition.
John pulled the rifle, checking the revolver chamber.
The middleman continued speaking.
[Raphael: Refrigerator is a liquor dealer, well, okay, saying it like that belittles him; this guy is pretty capable, specializes in smuggling scarce drinks from Europe. In Eden City, he can get you everything related to liquor, listen, everything.]
Refrigerator wasn’t Raphael’s client.
He’s a big shot, like Oulos and the Farmer, a legend elsewhere, but came to Eden City for various reasons.
These people have their networks and channels, and do not need to cooperate with local middlemen.
"Sounds quite badass, so what trouble did he cause?"
[Raphael: Like many outsiders, couldn’t acclimate, gang wars led to his collaborator in the Owl Town Gang dying; the new leader wants to swallow Refrigerator’s business, and he was betrayed, took a big fall.]
The woman on the other end of the phone didn’t hide her schadenfreude.
[Raphael: The good news is Refrigerator is still alive, and very angry, forced to leave the city, can trust no one, so he turns to the middleman for help, you go help punish the traitor, protect him leaving.]
"Wait, he wants to leave?"
John frowned and looked up. "Then who do I get my liquor from?"
[Raphael: You fool, he returns to Europe to mobilize resources for a comeback, then the city’s liquor supply will resume, you get whatever you want to yourself, so I’m giving you the interview address, perform well.]
"Interview?"
[Raphael: Employer doesn’t trust me; he must inspect goods before paying. My last reminder to you, don’t ruin my reputation, and definitely don’t be late.]
Call hung up.
Address was sent to the email.
John picked up the bag with his gear and left the apartment.
[Mission Objective Updated]
[Reach the interview location. (Not Achieved)]
The windshield of Silver Rider 577 projected the navigation route, and some minutes later, crossing the district bridge, Japanese terms began to appear around the map.
John adjusted the vehicle system, activating the Crystal Car Cover.
The Izangberg Supercar rippled through the neon, then shifted to black-purple tones, diving into Sakura Cross Street.
This was the Eastern People’s turf.
On the street, he already spotted vehicles marked with the Owl Town Gang logo, occasionally having street kids on Glaives zipping past the supercar.
John needed to find trouble with them and also find a liquor supplier.
Could it be so coincidental?
John was well aware:
Eden City doesn’t revolve around him, only that Raphael, as the middleman, was capable enough to string together the chaotic mess.
Silver Rider 577 quickly left the downtown area, followed the coastline to the end, and plunged into a vast area of high-end warehouses.
[Sakura Cross Street - Gangbin Cold Storage H711]
The southern and western parts of Eden City are coastal, with several ports big and small.
Palmer, West District Industrial Park, and Sakura Cross Street all have warehouse zoning.
Warehouses John had seen before were just good-quality tin sheds, but these buildings now had refrigeration and sealing conditions, storing large quantities of high-end goods shipped by sea, as secure as a bank vault.
Silver Rider 577 boldly parked in front of [H711]’s yellow number.
Searchlights and unknown light sources shot from afar, illuminating an oily water puddle glowing faintly at the warehouse entrance.
The warehouse had a delivery door, very spacious, but tightly shut.
John walked around the building, found a pedestrian-only small door, and knocked on the metal surface a few times.
Several heavy echoes came from inside.
John stood at the door waiting.
He heard approaching footsteps, far away, with a distance, kicked what sounded like metal parts, clanging around, hauled tables and chairs, rubbing against the floor, with a gathering of mostly people.
Quite lively.
John’s gaze fell on the nearby puddle.
Far away, many transport drones were skimming over Gangbin Cold Storage, the distant sweeping lights lit a flowing blood stream from the side.
A gunfight had occurred here, and it was cleaned up.
Almost simultaneously.
The metal sliding door hissed open.
Cold air blew back, spraying John’s face.
His peripheral vision caught a tall shadow in black, flickering mosaic face armor, and...
Muzzle.
A large, angular modified pistol.
The opener was raising the weapon.
John didn’t react strongly, holding a gun for vigilance and defense was normal, thoughts flashed in his mind—was the other side the employer, what was the interview content?
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a stronger intuitive pressure emerged.
This guy wanted to shoot!
The opponent’s hand-raising motion wasn’t for caution but aimed at his leg, wanting to directly injure and lower mobility.
Bam!
A shot rang out!
John activated the Sianweistan, shifting slightly—the bullet brushed his knee and fell to the concrete ground.
No time to draw a weapon at this distance.
Time-stop filter made the surrounding lights distort.
In the slow-motion colorless world, John lowered his body, drawing a streak of red light from his waist, directly severing the opponent’s wrist, and immediately the trajectory turned back, slashing his knee.
The big man staggered, falling to his knees, the misfired pistol dropped.
Time-stop ended.
John still faced a pitch-black scene.
Behind the fallen man, another person stood holding a gun!
Ratatatat—
John rolled sideways away from the door, people inside came out, not only one but successively, with dense continuous footsteps.