Li Wei didn't even swing his knife, and Hu Wei spilled everything he knew.
All because of Li Wei's eyes.
Those crimson eyes, adorned with a jade hook, had already scared the killer out of his wits.
He exclaimed, "Elemental! You're actually an Elemental powerhouse!"
Li Wei was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted.
The so-called "Elemental" referred to a type of extraordinary ability.
After the apocalypse, it was evident that humanity had embarked on an evolutionary path entirely different from the pre-apocalyptic era.
For a human on the path of evolution, the first step was to push the body to its limit. Those who could achieve this were already rare. However, the next step was even more challenging – breaking through the limits and unlocking the genetic chain.
Once the genetic lock was opened, one officially became an Evolver. The initial Li Wei was abandoned by the Supernatural Academy because he was deemed lacking in evolutionary potential during genetic testing.
As for the term "Elemental," it referred to the step-by-step development of the genetic chain until reaching a deep state, with a chance to exhibit some special extraordinary abilities.
This was the genetic element, or simply the Element – a power exclusive to advanced Evolvers. Any Elemental powerhouse, within any faction, deserved respect.
In the entire Seventeenth District, as long as one could push their body to the limit, even without breaking through the genetic lock, they could be considered a prominent figure, let alone an Elemental powerhouse.
For a small faction like the Skull Gang in a corner of the Seventeenth District, an Elemental powerhouse was an unattainable figure.
Of course, Li Wei was not an Evolver, let alone an Elemental powerhouse. However, he thought about it and found some similarities between the Sharingan he obtained from the Book of Myriad Laws and the legendary Element.
He certainly wouldn't waste time explaining anything to Hu Wei, and he leisurely listened as the guy fearfully revealed everything he knew.
Then, Li Wei killed him.
...
Wisdom City, Lower Zone, Seventeenth District, Wild Delicacy Tavern.
The Upper Zone basked in the precious sunlight of this era, while the Lower Zone, shrouded by the Upper Zone, remained in darkness throughout the day. Except for dim streetlights, there was no other source of illumination.
Here, one couldn't see the sunrise or sunset. People calculated the end and beginning of a day solely by the clock tower in the middle of the district, which rang every hour.
It should be nine o'clock in the evening. Li Wei was sitting in the tavern, drinking with Irene.
Irene lounged in her chair, putting her feet on the table, lazily stretching. She paid no attention to how alluring her appearance was.
After hearing Li Wei's request, she said, "You understand the rules, Li Wei."
"I understand, I understand. I owe you money for at most a month, and I'll definitely repay. It's not much, right?" Li Wei's expression showed some helplessness.
Irene shrugged her shoulders, raised a finger, and shook it, saying, "No, in the business of intelligence, there's no concept of overdue payments."
Li Wei spread his hands helplessly, leaned back, and the old red leather sofa made a creaking sound.
His predecessor in this body had been cornered into a dark alley in the Lower Zone, beaten to death with a club. Then, Li Wei had his second chance at life.
Clearly, his predecessor had offended someone he shouldn't have. They were after his life.
After the rebirth and time travel, Li Wei naturally took this matter seriously. If the other party found out he was still alive, they probably wouldn't let him off the hook.
In the past month, he conducted a detailed investigation and basically figured out who those people were who killed him – the Skull Gang.
This was a gang composed of hooligans, and they were much more reckless than the solitary bounty hunters. In the chaotic Lower Zone, where law and order were insufficient to combat these gangs, they became even more rampant, to the point where public murder was not uncommon.
A week ago, Irene, the bar owner he had a good relationship with, informed him that the Skull Gang had discovered he was still alive and was looking for him. When he learned this, he knew there had to be a resolution to the matter.
The day before yesterday, he intentionally appeared in front of a few lackeys of the Skull Gang, waiting for trouble.
Sure enough, he attracted the Skull Gang's gunman, Hu Wei.
After killing Hu Wei, he finally figured out what was going on.
The one who wanted to kill Li Wei was Hu Wei's boss, the leader of the Skull Gang in the Seventeenth District, whose real name was Zhang Xi, nicknamed "Brother Xi."
Li Wei's predecessor had encountered a young girl being chased by a group of thugs during a bounty mission. Driven by a sense of justice, he saved the girl, gave her some food, and helped her escape.
Hu Wei didn't know who the girl was, but he knew that she was someone Brother Xi valued greatly. Li Wei obviously disrupted an operation of the Skull Gang, and Brother Xi didn't want too many people to know about the girl. Therefore, he instructed his subordinates to send an assassin to silence Li Wei.
After discovering Li Wei was alive, Brother Xi sent Hu Wei with a gun to eliminate him.
However, Hu Wei's knowledge was limited.
Li Wei felt that Brother Xi wouldn't let the matter rest. With two failed attempts and the loss of a thug, a mob boss wouldn't just let it go.
Li Wei had no intention of letting him off either.
However, dealing with a mob boss alone was slightly difficult. He wasn't a true Elemental powerhouse; although the Sharingan looked like it, and with the unpredictable growth potential in the future, not to mention the Book of Myriad Laws, which could develop more extraordinary powers.
But for now, his physical strength didn't even qualify him to unlock the genetic lock.
Facing a killer sent to him with a gun, it was clear that the Skull Gang had quite a few firearms. Charging in foolishly would likely result in being riddled with bullets.
To kill Brother Xi, he needed a reliable plan.
A plan wasn't something one could come up with off the top of their head. Support from intelligence was essential.
Thinking of intelligence, Li Wei thought of Irene. Someone who could release various gray and illegal bounty tasks in the dark world of the Seventeenth District couldn't be an ordinary person.
This woman must have access to a considerable amount of information. To understand Brother Xi's situation in the Seventeenth District, she would be an excellent starting point.
Indeed, Li Wei's train of thought was correct, and Irene did have the information he wanted to know.
But this information required money.
For an underground world bar owner, selling information for money was entirely normal. However, it made Li Wei feel a bit troubled. He had spent all his money a few days ago to exchange for a vial of genetic replenishing liquid and injected it to gain the "Steel Cutting Flash" skill. Where would he get money to buy information now?
Just as he was feeling distressed, he suddenly heard Irene say, "However... there may be another way. I have a mission here that has been lingering for a long time. If you're willing to take it, I can consider Brother Xi's information as a reward and pay you in advance."
"What mission?" Li Wei raised a slight alertness. He didn't believe in windfalls, even if Irene mentioned it.
He didn't want to be fooled in this matter.
Irene gave him a charming look and said, "Don't worry, Li Wei. This mission aligns with your goals."
Rolling his eyes, Li Wei completely ignored Irene's charm. This woman wasn't as easy to deal with.
The bar owner stood up, circled around the bar counter, searched for a moment under the liquor shelf behind the bar, took out a roll of paper, returned to the table, and handed it to Li Wei.
Li Wei spread it open and saw a conspicuous title:
"Assassination Commission."
"Challenge Level: C."
"Target: Lesser Vampire, Kondorov."
"In the 442nd year of the New City Calendar, on December 21st, the Lesser Vampire Kondorov escaped our pursuit. Intelligence indicates that he has hidden in the Seventeenth District of the Lower Zone. This assassination commission is hereby transferred to the Seventeenth District branch for handling. We hope that Ms. Irene can resolve this matter as soon as possible."
"Commissioner: Hunter Guild, Iron Cross Avenue Branch."