The Rogue’s Scheme and Li Chunsheng’s Unexpected Strength

Outside the public restroom, a yellow-haired Rogue Man emerged and quickly walked away into the distance.

Suddenly, he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

“Someone ‘like me’ would still have a day when they’re short on cash?”

‘From the sound of it, this fellow seems to be quite wealthy, or at least he once was…’

A mocking smile played on the Rogue Man’s lips as he considered this. “Oh dear, I’ve overheard some interesting intel, but don’t blame me… I already gave a proper warning.”

“You simply assumed that once I left, you wouldn’t be overheard, didn’t you?”

“Brother, you’re still too green.”

For the Rogue Man, as long as the stench he left behind had not been diluted past a certain point, he could gather any information within the scent’s range, up to at least two kilometers away.

As the stench gradually dissipated, the information he received would become increasingly indistinct.

Consequently, the Rogue Man frequently used this public restroom to maintain a consistent level of his unique scent.

This was his means of livelihood as a [Wild Knight], and his source of pride.

Just then, the Man in Sunglasses, who had been observing from a distant vantage point, picked up his phone and dialed a number.

Moments later, the Rogue Man answered his mobile phone.

“Hello? This is the Ten-Mile Fragrance Agency. How may I help you?”

“What did the person you just dealt with say about you?” a voice asked from the other end of the line.

“Come on, do I look like the kind of person who would betray a client?” The Rogue Man chuckled.

“How much did that person pay?”

“I believe you might be misunderstanding me…”

“Thirty thousand!”

“…Are you insulting me?” The Rogue Man’s voice suddenly deepened.

The Man in Sunglasses raised an eyebrow. “What exactly are you thinking? Getting paid by both sides only benefits you, doesn’t it?”

“Rest assured, we won’t do anything to your client, at least nothing that would interfere with their transaction with you.”

“No, no, no…” The Rogue Man shook his head. “I think you’ve misunderstood…”

“What I mean is… you’ll have to pay more~”

“…Sixty thousand. Not a penny more!” The Man in Sunglasses gritted his teeth, doubling the amount.

It was absurd. He himself had taken this job from Investigator Liao, who had repeatedly stressed that there wasn’t much money to squander.

“Deal!” The Rogue Man’s eyes lit up, and he provided the other party with a discreet account number.

Once he felt the numbers on his Black Iron Card indeed increase, he smiled and recounted everything that had transpired between him and Li Chunsheng in the public restroom.

He particularly emphasized the intelligence suggesting that Li Chunsheng was likely a wealthy individual.

“I understand…” The Man in Sunglasses asked a few more questions, and after confirming there was no further information, he hung up.

Seeing that the other party had hung up, the Rogue Man whistled nonchalantly and strode away.

‘Heheheh… Brother, I hope you’ll still have a chance to make this deal with me,’ the Rogue Man thought, a smirk playing on his lips.

After all, he hardly believed that the person who had just called him wouldn’t do anything to his client.

He would still process the ID card; after all, with his connections, it wouldn’t cost him much time or resources.

Even if Li Chunsheng reneged, the Rogue Man wouldn’t lose much money, but if the deal went through, it would be immensely profitable.

****

Meanwhile, on the other side…

‘A wealthy individual, then… just as Investigator Liao suspected.’ The Man in Sunglasses mused, diligently recording the intelligence he had just acquired.

‘It seems… a breakthrough in the case will be difficult to achieve through Li Chunsheng.’

‘The real breakthrough should come from Liuxia’s side, and the matter of needing a new ID card is also highly suspicious.’

‘However, we still need to test Li Chunsheng’s true capabilities, ruling out the possibility that all previous intelligence was false.’

‘According to the recent intelligence, Li Chunsheng should be relatively short on cash soon—in that case, let’s proceed with the plan.’

Thus, as Li Chunsheng left the restroom, preparing to cross the shantytown to catch a bus home, he realized he was being followed.

‘Sigh… the suburbs truly are chaotic… I’ve been targeted.’ A sense of nervousness settled in Li Chunsheng’s heart, despite his physical strength having reached the peak of the Black Iron level…

Yet, he was still merely flesh and blood, unable to contend with a hundred foes like a Paladin.

Therefore, after walking for a while and realizing he couldn’t shake off this group of shantytown rogues, Li Chunsheng decisively stopped, waiting for them to catch up.

Soon, seemingly aware that Li Chunsheng had noticed them, the rogues openly encircled him, each wearing a malicious expression.

“No, gentlemen, I’m just a poor man… I don’t even have my Black Iron Card with me; there’s truly not much to gain from me!” Li Chunsheng pleaded helplessly, genuinely attempting to communicate.

“Heheheh… whether you’re poor or not isn’t for you to say, young brother. Don’t blame us; we’re just doing a job for money, and we want to test your mettle!”

The Red-capped Rogue Leader, a sinister smile on his face, spoke. As he subtly winked, a companion beside him immediately understood his unspoken command.

“Attack!” The man, holding a Bronze Rod, bellowed, pointing it at Li Chunsheng.

The sudden shout startled Li Chunsheng, causing him to instinctively adopt a defensive stance.

However, after a considerable moment, the rogues did not surge forward; instead, they merely watched him with eager anticipation.

“Heheheh… finally, we get to see a rich man fall from grace!”

“I bet once a rich man loses his money, he’s probably worse off than any of us, right?”

“?” Li Chunsheng’s expression turned peculiar. What were they talking about?

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he activated his [Gold Value] display.

The instant he saw the numbers, Li Chunsheng’s face changed dramatically.

10, -990… 10, -990… 10, -990…

‘Holy crap, why is my Gold Value constantly being deducted?’ Li Chunsheng was utterly aghast.

If not for his [Infinite Gold Coins], he would likely have already become a millionaire in debt.

‘Did they do this? This is far too insidious!’

Seeing Li Chunsheng’s expression shift, the rogues’ faces grew even more excited. “Heheheh… witnessing this scene makes even death worthwhile!”

“Have you finally noticed? Your money is being quietly drained away! Even if you’re wealthy, how much Gold Value can you afford to lose?!” The Red-capped Rogue Leader gloated internally, gazing at the Bronze Rod held by his companion. ‘Indeed,’ he mused, ‘there are no useless Bronze Artifacts, only those who don’t know how to use them.’

The object clutched in his companion’s hand was an unnamed Bronze Artifact, a discarded relic from the Sanctuary Research Institute that had found its way into civilian hands, having been long since deemed obsolete by the Holy Tower.

These so-called Bronze Artifacts were machines designed to simulate Bronze-level Authority.

The Authority embedded within this discarded Bronze Artifact, however, was an improved version of [Physical Enhancement], the original of which was intended to grant positive buffs to Paladins.

The improved version was for commoners, its purpose being to elevate Black Iron-level commoners to the physical combat prowess of the Bronze level.

Nevertheless, from the very beginning of its research, this Bronze Artifact revealed a critical flaw that proved impossible to rectify.

Simply put, it was far too expensive to operate.

Unlike the original [Physical Enhancement], which allowed for a one-time payment of Bronze Coins to gain a positive buff, the improved [Physical Enhancement]—designed for commoners to pay with Black Iron Coins—suffered from an unavoidable drawback, one that no amount of refinement could overcome—

It required continuous deductions of money to maintain the Bronze-level Physical Enhancement.

“Heheheh, young master! How long can the money on you last?” the Red-capped Rogue Leader thought with anticipation, already fantasizing about the pleasure of soundly beating a rich man.

The improved [Physical Enhancement] deducted 1000 Black Iron Coins per second.

In other words, using this Bronze Artifact consumed the equivalent of one novice Bronze Paladin’s worth of resources every second, merely to grant a Black Iron-level individual one second of Bronze Paladin-level power.

Furthermore, unless actively deactivated by the user, this Authority would relentlessly drain the recipient’s coins until they were completely depleted, even plunging them into negative amounts.

This was exceedingly dangerous, which led to the research-stage Bronze Artifact being abandoned. By chance, it found its way into civilian hands, where these rogues repurposed it as a weapon to debilitate their enemies.

After all, most men in this world, once their Gold Value plummeted into the negative, would not only find many of their ‘pay-to-win’ abilities inaccessible but would also fall into a state of panic, willing to do anything to replenish their Gold Value promptly.

“Hmm, a minute has passed. According to that gentleman’s intel, this man shouldn’t have any gold coins left on him now, right?” The Red-capped Rogue Leader checked the time, then stepped forward.

“Then, let me witness your true strength!” The Red-capped Rogue Leader roared, his muscles bulging, as he charged ferociously towards Li Chunsheng, his eyes ablaze with fighting spirit.

Li Chunsheng instinctively met the charge with a punch. Their fists collided, and in the next instant, the Red-capped Rogue Leader was sent flying ten meters like a rag doll, collapsing onto the ground and spitting blood incessantly.

“You…!” The Red-capped Rogue Leader’s face was etched with shock.

“Boss!” someone nearby exclaimed.

“Nani?! Was the intel false? No! How could he possibly be so rich? He must be faking it!” The Red-capped Rogue Leader cried out. “Everyone, attack together! He definitely can’t last much longer!”

The rogues swarmed forward en masse.

Li Chunsheng hastily responded to the rogues’ attacks, only to discover that they were astonishingly slow.

It was then that he made a startling realization: ‘What’s going on? How did I get stronger? Did I have a breakthrough in battle? No…!’

A few minutes later, all the rogues present lay groaning on the ground.

Li Chunsheng surveyed the scene, his expression shifting as he picked up the Bronze Rod that one of the rogues had previously aimed at him, deep in thought.

‘Could it be that my sudden surge in strength just now was due to being targeted by this Bronze Rod?’

‘…It seems to be an Authority machine that grants buffs, but it’s far too expensive to use. If not for my Infinite Gold Coins…’

Holding the Bronze Rod, Li Chunsheng noticed a button on it. He pressed it and tentatively pointed it at a non-vital part of his body. Sure enough, his Gold Value display stopped fluctuating.

‘This might just be perfectly suited for me…’

After pocketing the Bronze Rod, Li Chunsheng looked at the rogues on the ground, his expression gradually shifting to one of excitement.

“Heh… talk about perfect timing! You! All of you, hand over your money! Give this master some gold coins!”