Starforce Warriors

Those words actually made Kong Xue laugh from anger. Although Li Xiaofei had always acted arrogantly before, at least it hadn't been completely outrageous. But this time, he dared to say something utterly absurd.

Who in Chongque City, aside from those few towering figures, could beat their chest and claim they could make a Deputy Director of a bureau kneel in public?

"Forget it. Everything is fate," Kong Xue sighed. She made up her mind. "Pack up. We're leaving Chongque City."

Once the decision was made, this strong-willed woman became decisive again. She said, "Li Qingchen, you're coming with us. We'll slip out of Chongque City and lay low for now. Wait until the storm passes before deciding what to do next."

"Leave?" Li Xiaofei replied, "There's no need. I really can resolve this."

Kong Xue's face turned stern as she said, "If it weren't for Little Xue, you— Stop talking. Bring every resource and piece of wealth you can carry. We're leaving tonight. I'll arrange the escape route and the ship. After all these years of working in Chongque City, I made a backup plan long ago. Once we're out, even if we can't become rich and powerful, we can at least live in peace."

"Auntie, it's really not necessary..." Li Xiaofei said with a smile, trying to reassure her.

Kong Xue snapped, "You're not afraid to die. You want to drag everyone down with you, fine. But have you thought about the child in Little Xue's belly? Do you want that child to be born fatherless?"

Truth be told, if it weren't for Si Kongxue's obsessive love for Li Xiaofei, Kong Xue would have long since set things in motion behind the scenes. She would have quietly gotten rid of Li Xiaofei and handed him over to An Daoqing as a peace offering.

Si Xingyun didn't say a word and immediately began preparing. Since he could see that none of them believed him, Li Xiaofei decided it was best not to argue any further. He turned and walked outside, then dialed a number on his light core.

"Hey? Big Brother, you finally called me! Is it because of that mad dog An Daoqing?" On the other end, Song Shiyan, the city lord's son, answered excitedly.

Of course, whether that joy was genuine or just an act remained unknown.

Li Xiaofei asked, "Can you handle it?"

"Of course. It's a small matter. Since you've spoken, Big Brother, even if it were my own father, I'd make it happen," Song Shiyan guaranteed without hesitation.

Li Xiaofei said, "I want that bastard An to kneel and apologize at the Fengyu Merchant Guild's headquarters within the hour."

"No problem. Leave it to me." Song Shiyan responded casually.

Clearly, in the eyes of a super-privileged second-generation official like him, even a Deputy Director of one of the Four Divisions was nothing to be concerned about.

Li Xiaofei ended the call without another word. He had dealt with a whole group of second-generation officials in the icy snowfields of Planet M73.

Aside from Song Shiyan, their 'king', there was Zhou Yifei, the 'little king,' along with a full set of J, Q, K, and A. He vaguely remembered one of them was a little bald guy named An Quan, who had spilled a lot of dirt. Some of it was related to An Daoqing.

Still, Li Xiaofei didn't contact An Quan directly. Instead, he chose to let Song Shiyan handle this matter. On the other end of the line, Song Shiyan let out a long sigh after the call ended.

After he returned, he had secretly sought several powerful figures and renowned physicians to examine his body and locate the Life and Death Talisman in order to nullify it. But all his efforts had ended in failure.

The famed miracle doctors of Chongque City could not even find the Life and Death Talisman, let alone nullify it. After many attempts, he finally gave up hope and realized that he could not escape from Li Qingchen's demonic clutches.

Since he could not resist, he decided to try and enjoy it. Thus, he gathered the second-generation official brothers who had been controlled together that day and repeatedly brainwashed them. He indoctrinated them with the notion that even if they betrayed their parents, they must never betray their big brother. Big brother was the sky, big brother was the earth and big brother was the miracle in their lives.

Thus, a tightly-knit and extremely cohesive second-generation organization was formed. Song Shiyan pursued pleasure, so he declared himself the Second Brother, and paraded through the city with his group of completely obedient subordinates. He was building up his prestige until he became the indisputable number one second-generation group.

This attracted the attention of many people. However, when the city lord noticed, he did not reprimand his son. Instead, he felt that his son had finally stopped living a life of debauchery, ceased his obsession with women, finally learned to cultivate relationships and had learned to win people over. He was optimistic about these changes.

After a brief moment of reflection, Song Shiyan called An Daoqing.

***

Half an hour later, a squad of fully armed Internal Affairs Bureau guards from the Commerce Division suddenly appeared and surrounded the headquarters of the Fengyu Merchant Guild.

They were led by two captains, one primary and one deputy, both clad in gleaming armor. Their appearances were imposing, and their expressions were cold and stern.

"What's going on here?" Zheng San, the guild steward, hurried forward with a smile to greet them. "Captain Zhou, Captain Wei, what brings you two here personally? Please, come inside and have a seat. The guild just received a fresh batch of high-grade celestial jade essence. You two should come and appraise it."

Zheng San was an old hand in the guild. He was especially skilled at dealing with officials and had a wide network of connections. He was also old friends with these two captains from the Internal Affairs Bureau standing before him. Over the years, the Fengyu Merchant Guild had sent many 'gifts' to these two through Zheng San.

"Old Zheng, don't say anything today," Captain Zhou said, glancing at him. "We're just following orders from the Director to seal off the premises. Based on evidence discovered in other Fengyu Merchant Guild properties by our sister bureau, we have reason to suspect your guild of smuggling strategic materials, engaging in illegal profiteering, and being involved in several serious criminal cases involving fatalities."

Captain Wei added, "Don't blame us for being heartless. This matter is beyond what you or we can manage."

Zheng San's face changed drastically. He immediately realized that the Fengyu Merchant Guild was truly finished this time. Once the crime of smuggling strategic materials was involved, everything changed.

If the earlier investigations and closures of the guild's properties had merely been business-related punishment and warnings, then linking the guild to charges of smuggling strategic goods meant they were aiming to utterly destroy it.

The commotion drew the attention of countless onlookers. Soon, the area surrounding the Fengyu Merchant Guild headquarters was packed with people. News that this giant was about to fall had already spread, and many opportunists were watching closely from the shadows.

Many of the guild's former partners, those who once wore gentle smiles and nodded politely, now turned into vicious jackals. They were eager to tear into the juicy meat of the Fengyu Merchant Guild and bite it to pieces. One by one, they arrived at the scene, drawn by the scent of blood.

Moments later, Kong Xue and Si Xingyun, having received the news, had no choice but to appear.

"This is blatant slander!" Si Xingyun said angrily. "The Fengyu Merchant Guild has always operated within the bounds of the law. We've never engaged in any illegal trade. How could we possibly be smuggling strategic goods? Someone is clearly targeting us..."

Captain Zhou cut him off and said, "Whether it's slander or not, come with us. We'll discuss it at the bureau."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, signaling the guards to make the arrest.

"Wait." Li Xiaofei appeared.

"I advise you to wait a few more minutes," he said, staring calmly at Captain Zhou. "I believe you'll soon receive a very different order."

Captain Zhou recognized Li Xiaofei. He knew this was the man at the center of the entire storm. But he also believed this man was already finished.

So his tone was harsh as he said, "Get lost."

Li Xiaofei's eyes narrowed as he replied, "What if I don't? What makes you think that I wouldn't dare lay a hand on a mere squad captain like you if I dared to strike An Daoqing?"

Captain Zhou was stunned for a moment. There was some truth to that. But countless eyes were watching, so he couldn't back down. His pride was stoked and his anger surged.

"You dare defy the authorities?" Captain Zhou shouted. "Men, seize him!"

Li Xiaofei stepped forward. A powerful wave of life force burst forth, instantly flooding the area.

"Let me see who dares," said Li Xiaofei as he stared at Captain Zhou, his tone sharp and commanding. "You're just following orders. Earning a few hundred kgs of celestial jade a month. Is it worth risking your life?"

The standoff became tense in an instant. The air grew thick with the scent of gunpowder. Captain Zhou's face twitched. He was now stuck in a dilemma. Just then, the crowd suddenly parted for a lone figure.