20. Warning?

"Group Leader Lin, please enjoy your meal at your leisure."

Camel said with a grin, "We'll be on our way, not to disturb you further."

Lin Qing wiped his mouth and replied, "Wait a second, I've finished eating too, let's go together."

Camel's brows slightly rose, then he smiled, "Alright, we'll see you off as well."

"I'll pay the bill," Lin Qing said, deliberately slow as he picked up his phone, opened up the restaurant order, and looked at the man in the suit, "Mr. Ji, is there a promotional event today? Can we get a discount coupon for leaving a good review?"

A big group of Blue Scarf Gang members were waiting beside, the man in the suit managed a strained smile and said, "Group Leader Lin, consider this meal on me."

"I don't dine and dash," Lin Qing said, frowning slightly, "The full amount, no less."

"Clap, clap, clap, clap."

Camel started clapping beside him, insincerely praising, "As expected of an officer from the Patrol Department, true to justice. Iron Stone Street is fortunate to have such a patrol leader as you."

The gang echoed with applause, while the towering muscular man stared coldly at Lin Qing.

After Lin Qing leisurely finished paying the bill, he then stood up and said, "Let's go."

The Blue Scarf Gang members were already impatient, but since the boss Camel hadn't spoken, no one dared to say anything.

"Alright then, let's escort you," Camel said cheerfully, making way and being extremely polite.

Once Lin Qing left the restaurant surrounded by the Blue Scarf Gang, out on the street, Camel immediately smiled, "We have other matters to attend to, Group Leader Lin, see you next time."

"Wait," Lin Qing interjected, "Since I'm on a search mission today, I might as well join you all for a bit."

Camel's smile froze on his face.

The towering muscular man narrowed his eyes.

"Group Leader Lin, you must be joking," Camel said, with a renewed smile, "You want to join us?"

Lin Qing spoke calmly, "I've just been promoted in the Patrol Department. The routine patrol duties of Iron Stone Street are my responsibility. Is there a problem?"

Camel stared at Lin Qing, asking, "Are you planning to make trouble for us today, Group Leader Lin?"

"It's just work."

Lin Qing's voice was light, "Aren't you guys conducting business? Should you be afraid of me seeing? Then I definitely have to take a look. As a patrol, I can't just turn a blind eye, can I?"

The atmosphere seemed to freeze, followed by silence.

Camel narrowed his eyes slightly.

The towering muscular man's gaze turned even more menacing as he clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles making cracking sounds.

The Blue Scarf Gang members stared at Lin Qing with malevolent intensity, ready to pounce at their boss's command.

The tension escalated steadily, like a drawn sword about to strike.

Even the passersby around them didn't dare come any closer, fearful of being dragged into the conflict.

Lin Qing remained calm, as if he felt none of it.

"…Fine."

Camel suddenly laughed, saying, "Since it's Group Leader Lin's job, we, as good citizens, should certainly cooperate. Today I will give you this respect. We'll head back now. I believe you understand my meaning."

"Tie Wuluo." The towering muscular man furrowed his brow, unable to hold back, "A mere patrol officer, I just don't believe…"

He hadn't finished speaking when Camel gestured for him to stop and continued to watch Lin Qing with a smile, "But respect is mutual. This time we've given Group Leader Lin respect, and we hope that next time you will also be generous and extend the same courtesy to us."

"You sure expect a lot of respect for yourselves," Lin Qing said, looking mockingly at Camel.

Camel suddenly leaned in a step closer and lowered his voice, "Group Leader Lin, we respect the badge of the Patrol Department you wear, and indeed, you are somebody, but even patrol officers can have accidents, right?"

Lin Qing raised his eyebrows slightly.

"When a person is dead, they're nothing."

Camel said softly, "With a salary of only seven thousand a month, I don't think you need to risk your life, do you?"

At that moment, behind Camel, the towering muscular man suddenly threw a punch at the iron railing nearby. With a loud 'clang', the railing caved in deeply, yet he kept his gaze fixed on Lin Qing.

The terrifying display of brute force startled the surrounding thugs, who instinctively stepped back.

No one dared to imagine what the outcome would be if such a heavy and terrifying punch landed on them. Probably dead on the spot, right?

[Order Level decreased by 0.2 Level]

A line of blood-red text emerged before Lin Qing's eyes.

He couldn't help but glance at the muscular man.

Was it true that this man had a murderous intent?

"I've said what I needed to say."

Camel smiled again and took two steps back, "Let's go back. Today, we gave Group Leader Lin respect. I think you've got the message."

The Blue Scarf Gang hurried off.

Lin Qing stood quietly, suddenly flipping his hand revealing a black electronic access card.

He had taken it from Camel while he was close by.

The back door access card to the Iron Stone Bar.

...

Iron Stone Bar.

"Camel, this Lin guy seems to be trouble," said the towering muscular man as he grabbed a bottle of alcohol, casually breaking off the thick neck, downed a big gulp, then exhaled a breath of alcohol, angrily saying, "You know his home address, right? Tell me, and I'll take care of him."

"Tie Wuluo," Camel said with a slight frown.

Tie Wuluo downed the rest of the bottle in one go, then crushed the bottle to crumbles, snorting, "You doubt my strength? This greenhorn with hardly any experience, just mastered the Four-Six Practice Method, it would take me no more than three punches to kill him!"

Camel shook his head, "Come to your senses."

"You think I can't do it?"

Tie Wuluo frowned, "Could it be that he has also learned Combat Skill?"

"From the information the BOSS gave, this Lin Qing indeed has learned Combat Skill," Luo Tuo said. "However, he has just started and is still far from mastering it."

"Isn't that just it?"

Tie Wuluo stared at Luo Tuo, "Then we should take care of him now! Otherwise, once he masters Combat Skill, it will be difficult to deal with him."

"It hasn't reached that point." Luo Tuo frowned. "Do you know how much trouble it is to kill a member of the Patrol Department? We can't take this step unless we absolutely must."

Tie Wuluo couldn't help saying, "As long as the investigation doesn't lead back to us..."

"Tie Wuluo!"

Luo Tuo shouted lowly, and sternly said, "Hasn't the BOSS said it? You just need to follow my orders, have you forgotten?"

Tie Wuluo fell silent.

After a while, he finally said in a low voice, "Fine, I'll listen to you. I'm only responsible for protecting you and killing."

"I don't mistrust you."

Luo Tuo shook his head slightly and patted Tie Wuluo's arm, "You survived the transformation, and your strength is much greater than mine. I believe even those veteran leaders of the Patrol Team might not be stronger than you, but we need to consider the consequences of our actions."

"Think about it carefully."

He sighed, "That Lin Qing, an eighteen-year-old young man, has just been promoted to the Patrol Department, in the prime of his life. We openly collected protection fees right before his eyes; naturally, he felt humiliated. If we step back publicly and give him enough face, he won't hold on to us anymore."

Tie Wuluo furrowed his brows and said, "What if he's still not willing to let it go?"

"No problem."

Luo Tuo smiled and said, "We've given him face in public, and naturally, we also need to warn him in private. Once he goes home, he will understand."

"If he still doesn't get it, then we can only..."

He revealed a hint of a cruel smile and made a throat-slitting gesture.

...

...

Dusk.

Lin Qing returned home, and as soon as he opened the anti-theft door with his fingerprint, his pupils suddenly constricted.

The scrap of paper he had wedged in the door gap was gone.

Someone had entered his house.

But the door lock was a new anti-theft lock that he had changed after passing through time, upgraded specially to prevent burglaries.

Not even his cousin's family knew the password, nor had their fingerprints been recorded.

Was it possible that he had encountered a more professional burglar?

The scrap of paper wedged in the door was a habit he had formed during the apocalypse, which had saved him several times.

Lin Qing prepared himself to instantly activate Combat Skill and withdrew a portable Retractable Knife from his pocket. He flicked out the sharp blade and hid it within his sleeve, then walked into his house as if nothing was amiss.

But as he entered, he frowned.

The coffee table in the living room was smashed to smithereens, the room in disarray, and four scarlet, blood-like words were spray-painted on the wall.

["Mind Your Own Business"]

"A warning?"

Lin Qing's frown deepened.

Naturally, he could guess that this was the Blue Scarf Gang's doing, meant as a warning to him.

The main door had not been forced, and the password lock was intact, yet the Blue Scarf Gang members could get in?

This gave him a strong sense of crisis.

If they could open his house's anti-theft door, they might as well hide and attack him. Although he was not afraid of ambushes, it was still a threat.

"The Blue Scarf Gang actually has such means... truly not ordinary, and today in the restaurant calling me leader so directly, they're also very well-informed..."

"Quite audacious, daring to threaten a member of the Patrol Department like this. It seems they really aren't afraid of me..."

"The Order Level has dropped again by 0.3, not only because of the Blue Scarf Gang's reformation but also because of that strong man of great stature."

"Report to the department? I'm afraid that won't be very effective..."

Lin Qing took a deep breath and silently retracted the blade of the Retractable Knife, "Forget it, just bear with it..."

...

"Swish!"

A streak of cold glint flashed past at a terrifying Speed, instantly creating a near-fatal gash across Luo Tuo's neck, and blood gushed forth.

In the noisy restroom of the Iron Stone Bar, Luo Tuo struggled to cover his nearly severed neck, staring in disbelief at the mysterious man who had suddenly appeared from a stall, staggering back several steps.

"Lin... Lin..."

In Luo Tuo's eyes were fear, unwillingness, and incredulity, as he strained his battered trachea to utter his final syllables.

Although the other man wore a duckbill cap and a mask, with a loose black coat, Luo Tuo still recognized those eyes.

He could not believe that an official Patrol member would dare to kill him?

They had no deadly enmity, and he had given the man plenty of respect, merely warning him, and now he was here to kill?

He hadn't even ordered Tie Wuluo to kill!

And wasn't the other a public servant, supposed to uphold justice and act according to the law?

How could he just kill like this??

You could recognize that? Lin Qing raised an eyebrow slightly.

He originally wanted to report to the department, but he held back. It was too complicated; killing directly was the simplest.

Otherwise, why would he Practice Combat Skill?