A Father’s Desperation and a Dangerous Bargain

When Investigator Liao saw his own daughter, her hands clasped by Li Chunsheng, gazing at the man before her with a flushed face and a dazed expression, his heart sank. A terrible premonition struck him: his carefully nurtured ‘cabbage’ was about to be claimed by a scoundrel.

In truth, he had only himself to blame. Since her childhood, Investigator Liao had dedicated himself to raising his daughter into a girl worthy of marrying into the upper echelons of society.

This had become the family’s singular goal. Consequently, when the possibility of achieving it truly presented itself to Liao Xinyi, she found herself almost powerless to resist its allure.

Under normal circumstances, Investigator Liao would have been more than willing for his daughter to spend time with a talented young man like Li Chunsheng.

Yet, knowing full well that the woman accompanying Li Chunsheng was, in fact, a Goblin, his approach toward his daughter now seemed exceptionally suspicious.

[‘Damn it, what exactly is Li Chunsheng’s motive?’]

Investigator Liao watched from a distance, his heart pounding with anxiety, but he dared not make a move.

Against a Bronze-tier individual, he, a mere Black Iron-tier investigator, possessed a Black Iron Holy Emblem bestowed by the Holy Temple of Law, which granted him various enforcement Authorities. However, he was utterly incapable of simultaneously protecting his daughter.

Thus, he could only conceal himself and eavesdrop from afar.

To avoid being too close and alerting the Bronze-tier Li Chunsheng to his presence, he cautiously activated his investigative Authority from a distance, just enough to catch snippets of their conversation.

Fortunately, through the fragments of their talk, Investigator Liao discerned that Li Chunsheng was merely whispering some shameless flirtations to his daughter, and they seemed to be planning a future date. There was no immediate intent to harm her, which allowed him a temporary sigh of relief.

Seeing his daughter was safe for the moment, Investigator Liao followed Li Chunsheng back to the hotel lobby. His next objective was to eavesdrop on Li Chunsheng’s conversation with Liuxia.

“A secret meeting… deception… a plan… vulgarity… necessary sacrifices… playing nice, playing rough…”

Although he hadn’t heard the full conversation, these scattered words were enough for a criminal conspiracy, targeting his own daughter, to coalesce in Investigator Liao’s mind.

The moment this realization struck him, Investigator Liao was consumed by an uncontrollable rage.

[‘Damn it! Why, of all people, was his own daughter targeted?’]

[‘I’ve worked so hard to get her to this position!’]

He knew that the so-called Paladin class was not as righteous and glorious as they publicly proclaimed. Behind the scenes, it was rife with all manner of darkness.

While Paladins ostensibly upheld justice and order, occasionally, random, almost game-like crimes would occur, perpetrated by the upper echelons against those below them.

Sometimes, a powerful family from the upper class might set their sights on a commoner girl. After luring her in through various means and growing tired of her, simply being abandoned would be considered a fortunate outcome.

Other times, to protect their reputation, they might even resort to physical elimination.

Still others engaged in perverse hunting games, with innocent civilians as their prey.

…And countless other such atrocities.

As an enforcer at the very bottom of this system, Investigator Liao had encountered countless similar incidents throughout his life.

Often, he even had to personally clean up the messes made by those in the upper echelons.

Investigator Liao had always tried his best, in his own way, to keep the commoners in his jurisdiction away from such troubles.

This was precisely why Investigator Liao had found it so difficult to secure a promotion or a raise to this day.

He had offended far too many colleagues. The fact that he had managed to remain in his position until now was a testament to his considerable tact and diplomacy.

While Investigator Liao was certainly not a particularly obedient dog…

…at the very least, the upper class never targeted the middle-tier individuals who did their bidding. At least, that was what Investigator Liao understood.

Investigator Liao’s efforts to ascend to the middle tier were driven by a desire to shield his own family from these insidious dangers.

Therefore, when he discovered his daughter had become a target for upper-class criminals, a profound sense of betrayal ignited within him.

He had to protect his daughter.

However, his funds were rapidly dwindling. Through legitimate channels, he would undoubtedly be powerless against Li Chunsheng… and that Goblin.

So, Investigator Liao made the call—a call he had once believed he would never, ever make.

Yet, to protect his daughter, he resolved to cross his own moral boundaries.

–You’re saying you need Bronze-tier power now?– the voice on the other end of the line asked, a hint of interest in their tone.

–Yes, Godfather! …I need it because…–

–No, no, no… please don’t tell me what you’re going to do. I’m entirely uninterested.–

A chuckle echoed from the other side, refusing to hear his reasons.

–The Investigator Liao who has always been so upright, refusing any cooperation, actually coming to me for help one day? What a delightful surprise!–

–…–

–Of course, I can certainly give you Bronze-tier power. But do you truly have the capacity to wield it now?–

–…That’s also why I’m asking you… Besides the power, I need a sum of gold coins… enough to use this power…– Investigator Liao replied after a moment of silence.

–I can give it to you, but what price are you willing to pay?–

–…Loyalty.– Investigator Liao gritted his teeth, forcing the word from his throat.

–Hahahahaha…! Excellent, excellent! You’ve fallen into our hands at last… If only you had cooperated with us sooner, why would you be in such a desperate state now?–

–Money, status… everything those Paladins can offer you, we can too.–

–…– [‘Had he, after all this, finally stooped to colluding with the underworld?’]

A profound sorrow welled up in Investigator Liao’s heart.

–Very well then… I shall grant you this power!–

–Changheng Street, Number 41. Go to this location, and I will give you what you desire.– With that, the line went dead.

Investigator Liao stared at his now silent phone, then leaned weakly against the street wall, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Sigh…”

****

In an unassuming secret room within a bar, a refined-looking man held a glass of red wine, cheerfully sipping from it.

“Godfather… is it truly wise to just give him this power?” a middle-aged man beside him respectfully inquired.

“He’s asking for Bronze-tier power, so he must be facing significant trouble. Perhaps… it’s a Paladin?”

“What if it provokes a reaction from those above us? We could…” The middle-aged man’s face showed a flicker of worry.

“Uncle Long,” the refined man, who had been addressed as Li Qiuyu, chuckled and said, “I didn’t get to where I am today by being cautious. I got here by being ruthless and daring to gamble.”

“That Investigator Liao, he rose from the bottom to the middle tier, yet he never wanted to partake in the petty schemes and underhanded dealings of the upper echelons. He’s naturally at odds with those above him, which gives him value as someone worth helping.”

“It’s rare for him to be willing to turn to us. If he can seize this opportunity to climb higher, he might very well become an asset to us.”

“As the ‘black gloves’ for those above us, we’ve done countless dirty and laborious tasks. Yet, having come this far, we remain confined to this place.”

“District 13… it’s both a cradle and a cage…”

Li Qiuyu drained his glass of red wine in a single gulp, his eyes hazy and unfocused, as if staring into some distant realm.