Chapter 24: Democratic Vote

"How would I know? Well, that's obviously because B2 sold you out!" Chu Zhu said with a beaming smile. "No way, don't tell me someone actually came to rob a bank this carelessly without considering an escape route or other possibilities? You guys have less brains than a pig!"

"B2 has three different plans, and to him, you lot were nothing more than bait."

"As soon as you got your hands on what he wanted, the final outcome would be..." Chu Zhu made a shooting gesture, aimed at the Dog-Headed Man, and mimicked the sound of a gunshot: "Pew."

Chu Zhu was telling the truth.

There had been an incident before where the Dog-Headed Man's team, after successfully pulling off a heist, met up with B2 only to be completely wiped out by him. As for how Chu Zhu knew—it was because he had infiltrated their team during that heist, and ended up going out with a bang along with the robbers.

Hearing this, the Dog-Headed Man’s pupils contracted.

"Alright, now do me a favor and be quiet for a while!"

The Dog-Headed Man fell silent, racking his brain to find a way out of this predicament. At the same time, he was confused; he didn't understand why Chu Zhu, who held the gun, didn't just put a bullet in him and the still-capable Big C, but instead lazily explained the truth behind the scenes.

Finally, on the other side, the people inside the bank realized what was happening, and a wave of commotion broke out.

Many people fled the bank in a panic, scattering like a disorganized mob.

Quite a few bank staff members remained inside, filled with chaos and fear. After a long while, one finally mustered the courage.

"...S-sir!" The bank security guard’s legs trembled as he clutched his baton, shuffling cautiously toward Chu Zhu while prepared to bolt at any moment. "W-what are you doing..."

"Alright, don't bother him!" Lu Muxue’s voice rang out. She stood at the bank entrance, staring at Chu Zhu with a complex expression. "If it weren't for him just now, we might all be dead... so don't cause him any trouble at a time like this!"

Lu Muxue pulled a black card from her bag and flashed it at the security guard. "You may step back!"

Upon seeing the black card, the guard immediately came to his senses, nodded gratefully, and hurried back into the bank.

Lu Muxue scrutinized Chu Zhu repeatedly. After much hesitation, she ultimately didn't ask the questions weighing on her mind and turned back into the bank. Just as she had told the guard, questions could wait; for now, with the situation still ongoing, the only thing they could do was not get in the way of the person actually handling things.

"Brother..." the Dog-Headed Man suddenly spoke up. "I don't understand. Why would a talent like you specifically wait for us? But I suppose you aren't with the police, are you?"

Chu Zhu didn't answer, but the Dog-Headed Man pressed on: "Regardless of whether B2 has a conspiracy, with your skills, why not team up with us and pull off a real job? We can forget about the item B2 wanted and just take the cash. I have an escape route... and most of it will be..."

"Enough... stop babbling about that carriage behind the bank!" Chu Zhu aimed the gun at him again, expressionless. "If you don't know how to be quiet, I happen to know a little bit about marksmanship!"

The Dog-Headed Man: "..."

Less than half an incense stick of time later, a steam-powered vehicle flashed its police lights, puffing thick clouds of steam as it clattered to a stop at the bank entrance.

"...What is this!" Li Kang stepped out of the vehicle, staring at Chu Zhu with a complex gaze, words caught in his throat.

"Uncle Li, I’ve done a service here, haven't I?" Chu Zhu jumped down from the vehicle with a carefree smile. "Give me a spot as an auxiliary officer! I want to join you guys... Oh, and unless I'm mistaken, I should have reached the first stage of Body Refining."

It wasn't that Chu Zhu really wanted to be an auxiliary officer! It was mainly because having that title would allow him to mooch off the base long-term. Plus, because the position was low-ranking, it wouldn't matter whether he resigned later or took the exams to become a regular official—it was an advanceable and defensible position.

Li Kang: "..."

The amount of information was so overwhelming that Li Kang didn't know what to say for a moment.

"...Sir!" A stout man stared solemnly at Chu Zhu. "I think you should explain—"

"Guan Fei," Chu Zhu said softly. "I feel like you don't respect me. You won't even call me 'Mr. Bamboo'!"

"Mr. Bamboo? How dare you call yourself... hm?" Guan Fei’s anger had only just begun to flare when he scrutinized Chu Zhu’s face, his expression shifting to one of shock and doubt. Cold sweat broke out instantly, and he forced a smile. "So it is you, sir! I apologize, I didn't recognize you... that was quite offensive of me! Hahaha."

Guan Fei had come out of the shanty towns, but not the same one Chu Zhu lived in—it was the one next door. "Shanty town" was a general term for the scattered slum districts throughout the city; they were not connected.

Therefore, Guan Fei hadn't met Chu Zhu in person, but that didn't stop him from knowing who Chu Zhu was, what kind of feats he had accomplished, and what he meant to the people of the shanty towns.

To put it bluntly, if he dared to show disrespect to Chu Zhu, he could forget about ever going home. His father, mother, and grandfather—all of whom had benefited from Chu Zhu's kindness—would take turns spinning him like a top!

Even the folks who had watched him grow up would spit at his front door if they passed by.

Guan Fei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his smile becoming increasingly sycophantic. "No, wait, sir, being an auxiliary officer is too beneath you... Given your status and strength, I think even a position as the General Captain of the Jinghai City Constabulary would be a perfect fit! If you participate in the election, I'll be the first to cast my vote for you."

"..." Li Kang’s face darkened. He slapped Guan Fei on the head, then the more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and slapped him again. "General Captain, General Captain, I'll give you a General Captain!"

Li Kang was only a captain of a special operations team for the Third District Constabulary. Guan Fei, on the other hand, was trying to make Chu Zhu his immediate superior.

"Linglong, long time no see! You've grown so much. You should have a nice chat with Brother Ning!" Chu Zhu turned his head and sighed, raising his hand. "Last time I drank with him, he got drunk and started cursing his superiors, then the officials, and finally cried to me about how you couldn't find a husband... he even wanted to drag me into a blind date with you! Honestly, we’re close friends despite our age gap, and he actually wanted to be my father-in-law!"

Ning Linglong: "???"

You... could it be... wait! Ning Linglong’s body stiffened, her thoughts in turmoil, as if she had realized something.

Finally, Chu Zhu’s gaze landed on a young man. The young man looked stiff, cautiously glancing at Li Kang and then at his two seniors. Once he realized what was happening, he immediately raised his hands high. "I strictly follow all orders from my superior!"

"Captain, give the order." Chu Zhu nodded with satisfaction, grinning at Li Kang. "If we put it to a democratic vote, everyone on your team agrees! I don't think you would use your veto power, would you..."

"You, I, this!" Li Kang felt it was all absurd and confusing. Where was he? What was he doing? What had happened? Why was it that after he had just zoned out for a moment, all his subordinates had been won over by Chu Zhu?

And in this situation, why did it feel like his team was listening more to Chu Zhu than to him?

If he really let Chu Zhu join... even if it were just as an auxiliary officer, he feared he might be sidelined completely...