When Zhong Yan learned that the upper management of New Eridu had actually refused to send people to investigate Canvas Street just because of the upcoming municipal elections, he fell into silence.
Those guys in high positions really are unreliable.
Since they weren't going to send anyone, he'd have to be the one to get the message out.
As for Zhao Anmen, he had to stay in Canvas Street. The Hollow Collapse would soon attract the attention of the Vision Corporation.
When that happened, if they sent people to investigate, there was a high chance they would massacre all the residents of Canvas Street, then demolish the place to destroy the evidence—silencing the witnesses and covering everything up.
Zhao Anmen staying here might be enough to stabilize the situation. He held a fairly high position in the New Eridu Public Security. If he were to die in Canvas Street, it would surely prompt an investigation.
At that point, the Vision Corporation wouldn't be able to clean up the mess so easily.
Zhong Yan had actually considered launching another massacre like the one against the Red Fang Gang, but the Vision Corporation was an official entity tied to New Eridu, with far too many tangled interests behind it.
Weighing the pros and cons, Zhong Yan, who didn't want to stir up even greater trouble, eventually suppressed the killing intent within his heart.
"I really appreciate you putting aside our enmity for now. I'll leave the task of getting the word out to you." Zhao Anmen said this while comforting a frightened little girl, expressing his gratitude to Zhong Yan.
Though the two of them were enemies, their shared goal had brought about a temporary alliance.
Zhao Anmen didn't know whether Zhong Yan would kill him once their cooperation ended. But for now, all he cared about was whether the residents of Canvas Street could make it out alive.
Zhong Yan ignored Zhao Anmen's thanks and activated Kamui, instantly teleporting out of the Hollow.
...
Not long after, at the old site of the Black Swan construction zone.
The Bear Thiren workers of Belobog Heavy Industries were hauling heavy construction materials. With their robust physiques, they were perfectly suited for such labor.
However, their expressions as they worked weren't very pleasant.
It wasn't that they didn't want to work, but because the Vision Corporation had snatched a project that they were guaranteed to win.
Losing that contract had plunged the entire company into a heavy atmosphere—no one could bring themselves to smile.
Their president had even thrown a massive tantrum over it, cursing the Vision Corporation for having no shame and vowing to expose the shady methods they used behind the scenes.
"Come on, don't look so down! Let's give it everything we've got!"
At that moment, an energetic young man entered the scene. He carried several hundred pounds of construction materials on his shoulder. Despite the weight, he wasn't tired at all. Instead, he used this as a way to inspire his disheartened colleagues.
That was Anton Ivanov, the site supervisor of Belobog Heavy Industries.
Seeing a regular human like him carry such heavy materials sparked the competitive spirit in the Bear Thiren workers, and they immediately began trying to outdo him.
The previously gloomy construction site was suddenly reignited by youthful energy and the scent of sweat.
"What a passionate scene. Now let's see, next is connecting the control panel..." At the same time, on a massive piece of machinery, Grace—the Lead Tech of Belobog Heavy Industries—was inspecting the internals of her "baby."
This step was the most critical. Once it succeeded, the entire project would be near completion.
But because Grace was an absolute perfectionist with machines, if nothing went wrong... then something was bound to go wrong.
Sure enough, after she connected the control panel, the machine went haywire due to some unknown malfunction.
The spider-like machine flung Grace off its back with a violent jerk, then started rampaging around the site like a headless fly.
Anton reacted instantly. He dropped the heavy materials he was carrying and, without even wiping the dust off his clothes, sprinted forward, trying to subdue the machine with brute strength.
However, he was just a normal human, and no matter how strong he was, he couldn't possibly overpower a machine crafted by Grace.
After grabbing one of its legs with both hands, it didn't take long before he too was flung into the air like Grace.
Just when it seemed like the machine would remain unchecked, a towering figure suddenly dropped from the sky, landing squarely on the rampaging machine.
As smoke billowed out from the impact, the immense force brought the machine to a grinding halt, leaving it limp and motionless on the ground.
Then, that massive figure emerged from the smoke, carrying a heavy, unidentified tool on his shoulder.
Ben Bigger—a Bear Thiren with incredible strength. His paw could easily crush an adult's bones, but up until now, the thing he used that paw for the most... was a calculator.
He was Belobog Heavy Industries' Head of Finance, in charge of the books—and occasionally, collecting debts. He'd never once made a mistake.
Ben's meticulousness was legendary—like Zhang Fei Threads a Needle1, only his embroidery was somehow more beautiful than anyone else's.
"Miss Grace, this is already the sixth case of machinery going haywire this week. Could you please be more careful? I'm really scared your precious baby will get crushed one of these times."
Ben scratched his head awkwardly as he looked at Grace slowly climbing up from the ground not far away.
He knew just how terrifying his strength was, so most of the time, he tried not to use it to hurt anyone.
What kind of evil intent could an accountant who only presses buttons on a calculator possibly have?
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, a vibration came from his pocket. Ben pulled out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, this is Belobog Heavy Industries. How can we help you?" Ben answered in a gentle tone.
The person on the other end didn't respond immediately. After a brief silence, a deep voice came through.
"I'm looking for Koleda Belobog."
Upon hearing the name, Ben immediately turned to glance at a crane deep within the construction site.
"Watch it! These materials cost a fortune! Even if we don't use them right away, make sure they're properly stored!"
A young girl with fiery red hair was directing the workers in front of the crane.
She was the youngest person on the site—but also the one with the highest authority.
President of Belobog Heavy Industries, she'd taken charge of the company at an early age... the max-level elementary schooler—Koleda Belobog.
"President, you've got a call." Once Koleda took a break, Ben finally dared to call out to her.
Upon hearing someone was calling for her, Koleda immediately showed a look of irritation.
"Who is it now? We didn't even land any major contracts, so why are there so many calls?"
Grumbling, she walked over and took the phone from Ben's hand.
"Hello, this is Koleda Belobog. What do you want? Please keep it short, I'm really busy here and don't have time for long conversations."
Her tone was casual and a bit impatient—understandably so, given how the Vision Corporation had stolen a critical project from them, leaving her in a foul mood these past few days.
But the next moment, the voice on the other end made her eyes light up.
"I have an opportunity to take down the Vision Corporation. I wonder if the president of Belobog Heavy Industries..."
"Would be interested in a little cooperation?"
* * *
TN1: Comes from the Chinese idiom "張飛穿針—粗中有細" which is based on a story which translates to "Zhang Fei threads a needle, coarse yet with some finesse". This idiomatic, two-part expression is often used to describe people who are crude in most matters, but subtle in some others or who are usually careless, but mindful at times.