"How would I know? That's because B2 sold you out, of course!" Chu Bamboo said with a grin. "No way. You can't be telling me you'd be so reckless as to rob a bank without even thinking about an escape route or other possibilities? You guys are dumber than pigs!"
"B2 has three different plans, you know. To him, you're nothing but bait."
"As long as you get the item he wants, then the final result will be..." Chu Bamboo formed his hand into a gun, aimed at the dog-headed man, and made a sound with his mouth. "PEW."
Chu Bamboo was telling the truth.
It had happened once before. After the dog-headed man's team had pulled off a job, they went to meet with B2, only to be completely wiped out. As for how Chu Bamboo knew—it was because he had infiltrated the dog-headed man's team for that mission, so he ended up "ascending to heaven" right alongside the robbers.
Hearing this, the dog-headed man's pupils contracted.
"Alright, now I'll need you to be quiet for a moment!"
The dog-headed man fell silent. He was racking his brain but couldn't think of a way out of the situation. At the same time, he was deeply confused. He didn't understand why Chu Bamboo, with a gun in his hand, didn't just put a bullet in him and Big C—who could still fight—and instead leisurely explained the conspiracy to them.
Finally, on the other side of the room, the people inside the bank came to their senses and the place erupted into an uproar.
With panicked expressions, many people fled the bank, scattering like a disorderly mob.
Many of the bank's staff were still inside, gripped by chaos and fear. After a long moment, one of them finally managed to summon his courage.
"...S-Sir!" The bank's security guard, legs trembling and baton in hand, cautiously shuffled to a spot not far from Chu Bamboo, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. "W-what are you..."
"That's enough, don't bother him!" Lu Muxue's voice cut through the noise. She was standing at the bank's entrance, gazing at Chu Bamboo with a complex expression. "If it wasn't for him, we'd probably all be dead right now... so let's not get in his way!"
Lu Muxue pulled a black card from her shoulder bag and flashed it at the guard. "Stand down!"
The guard saw the black card and immediately understood. He nodded gratefully and hurried back inside the bank.
Lu Muxue studied Chu Bamboo again, hesitating. Ultimately, she decided against voicing her questions and turned back toward the bank. 'Just as I told the guard,' she thought, 'questions can wait. While this isn't over, the only thing we can do is stay out of the way of the person who's actually getting things done.'
"Bro..." the dog-headed man suddenly spoke up. "I don't get it. Why would a talented guy like you go out of your way to wait for us? I'm guessing you're not with the cops, are you?"
Chu Bamboo didn't answer, which only seemed to encourage the dog-headed man. "Forget B2 and his schemes! With your skills, you should team up with us for a real score! We won't go after that commissioned item B2 wants, we'll just grab cash. I've got an escape route... and you'll get the biggest cut..."
"Enough..." Chu Bamboo said, his expression blank as he aimed the gun again. "Stop blabbering about that carriage behind the bank. If you don't know how to be quiet, then I happen to be a decent shot!"
The dog-headed man said nothing.
In just over ten minutes, a steam car with flashing lights came to a CLANGING halt at the bank entrance, spewing thick vapor.
"...What is all this!" Li Kang got out of the car, his expression complicated as he stared at Chu Bamboo, at a loss for words.
"Uncle Li, wouldn't you say I've performed a meritorious service here?" Chu Bamboo flashed a carefree grin and hopped down from where he was sitting. "How about a spot as an auxiliary officer? I want to join you guys... Oh, and by the way, I believe I've reached the First Realm of Body Refining."
'It wasn't that Chu Bamboo actually wanted to be an auxiliary officer. The main reason was that the title would let him freeload at the base long-term. Plus, since it was such a minor position, it wouldn't cause any issues later whether he decided to resign or take the exam to become a full-fledged officer. It was a perfect strategic move, leaving him free to advance or retreat as he pleased.'
Li Kang was speechless.
There was too much to process. For a moment, Li Kang didn't know what to say.
"...You, sir!" A portly man stared sternly at Chu Bamboo. "I think you'd better start by explaining..."
"Guan Fei," Chu Bamboo said softly. "I get the feeling you don't respect me. You won't even call me Mr. Zhu."
"Mr. Zhu? How dare you call your... hmm?" Guan Fei's anger flared for a moment before he began to scrutinize Chu Bamboo's face, his expression turning to one of shock and doubt. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he forced a smile. "Ah, so it's you! My apologies, I didn't recognize you... I've been terribly rude! Hahahaha."
Guan Fei had made his way out of the shantytowns, though not Chu Bamboo's specific district, but an adjacent one. The "shantytowns" were a collection of scattered redevelopment zones throughout the city, not a single connected area.
So, while Guan Fei had never met Chu Bamboo personally, that didn't stop him from knowing *of* him. He knew of the great deeds this man had accomplished and what he meant to the people of the shantytowns...
'To put it bluntly, if I dared disrespect Chu Bamboo, I could forget about ever going home again. My dad, my mom, my grandpa—all of whom were indebted to Chu Bamboo—would take turns whipping me like a spinning top!'
'Even the neighbors who'd watched me grow up would probably spit on my front door whenever they walked by...'
Guan Fei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his smile growing sycophantic. "No, that's not right. Sir, an auxiliary officer position is beneath you... With your background and power, why, I'd say you're more than qualified to be the General Captain of the Jinghai City Captain's Office! If you were to run for the position, I'd be the first to vote for you."
"..." Li Kang's face darkened. He smacked Guan Fei on the back of the head. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he smacked him again, muttering, "General Captain, General Captain... I'll give you a 'General Captain'!"
Li Kang was only the captain of the Third District's Captain's Office special forces team. And here Guan Fei was, trying to make Chu Bamboo his boss's boss.
"Linglong, long time no see! Look how much you've grown. You really should have a talk with Brother Ning!" Chu Bamboo turned his head and sighed dramatically. "Last time I was drinking with him, he got wasted. One minute he was cursing out his superiors, the next he was cursing the Officials. Then he started crying to me about how you were never going to get married... He even tried to set us up on a blind date! I mean, honestly. We're friends despite our age gap, and he wants to be my father-in-law!"
Ning Linglong: "???"
'You... Could it be... Wait!' A shiver ran through Ning Linglong. Her thoughts were a mess, but it felt like she was on the verge of a realization.
Finally, Chu Bamboo's gaze landed on a young man. The man's expression was rigid. He glanced cautiously first at Li Kang, then at his two senior officers. A moment later, understanding dawned, and he quickly raised both hands. "I will resolutely obey all orders from my superiors!"
"Go on, Captain. Give the order." Chu Bamboo nodded in satisfaction, grinning at Li Kang. "If we put it to a democratic vote, it looks like everyone on your team is in favor! I'm guessing you won't be using your veto, will you...?"
"You... I... This!" Li Kang felt the situation was utterly absurd, and he was completely baffled. 'Where am I? What am I doing? What just happened? How did I space out for one second and suddenly all my men are on Chu Bamboo's side?'
'Looking at the situation now, why do I get the feeling that this group of my own subordinates would rather listen to Chu Bamboo than to me?'
'If I really let Chu Bamboo join... even as a mere auxiliary officer, wouldn't he be able to sideline me completely?'