Duan Qing, who had been searching for information before Tania set out, had stayed in the Free City for a long enough time. The long time walking around in the city and venturing outside the city also made him familiar with the inside and outside of the Free City.
He had enough understanding of the outside world, and in order to find out the famous secrets of the Free City, he also used various methods like other players, but even he did not expect that he had been pursuing
The key to a certain secret was finally in the hands of the police officer who met them before entering the city.
Although the police officer did not immediately put his promise into practice.
"The city lord doesn't just meet him whenever he wants. He needs to at least be notified and prepared. I don't know if this is related to what you suspect, but based on my experience... Go over now and find that guy who likes to be elusive. Most of the time he wants to meet you.
I'm going to be ignored."
After leaving a specific time and these words for Duan Qing, Ricas once again set off on his way to perform police duties after finishing cleaning up. He only left a few messages to the effect of "I'm busy too" and Duan Qing.
Qing's helpless sighing figure looked back and forth for a while like a hesitant traveler. Duan Qing, who was standing alone on the street, finally turned around unwillingly. Finally, outside the gate of the City Lord's Mansion in the center of the Free City, he received a message from
An emotionless reply from the guard.
"Lord City Lord, you don't see anyone now, go back!"
Could it be the Shadow City Lord...
With random speculations echoing in his mind, Duan Qing finally gave up the idea of exploring the city lord's palace again, and then as sunset gradually approached, he returned to the Vixis Tavern where his temporary residence was. The noise from various areas of the city also
Gradually rising in the corner of the ear, decorating the night that fell around this tavern with all kinds of slapstick and fights, Duan Qing was sitting on the bar waiting for his teammates to return, but the first thing he waited for was an unexpected one.
Other characters: "...it's you."
"It turns out to be Brother Lu." Duan Qing, who was playing with the wine glass, turned his head and glanced at the tall visitor: "Going out to do something?"
"A few low-ranking gangsters can't be counted as doing anything."
The boss of the Dongcheng Club, who stood beside him in silence for a while, finally chose this answer, and then took a meteor-like stride and sat on the seat to the left of Duan Qing: "But it is indeed a bit uneasy recently. If I travel...
…You better be careful.”
"Thank you for reminding me, I have been very careful."
Quietly taking a sip of the wine in the glass, Duan Qing smiled and shook his head: "On the contrary, you...the things that can make Brother Lu, who is busy with his busy schedule, go out to solve things, shouldn't be as simple as you said, right?
"
"...I'm not that busy, and you know my character."
Making a gesture towards the bartender, the tall Lu Bench lowered his eyes: "My heart is always full of competition for the strong. Several of my subordinates have suffered. As the eldest brother, I not only have to look at
At first glance, it can also be regarded as a pastime to spend this boring time...Thank you."
Nodding to the bartender who handed him a glass of wine, Lu Benben rotated the wine glass in his hand and continued to answer: "The result this time is disappointing. I didn't meet many who can fight. After all, you are as strong as Brother Qingshan."
Those...are rarely encountered nowadays."
"There are many decent masters among the savages, but they don't hang around here." Duan Qing sighed and replied: "For example... I met several masters in the battlefield dungeon in the past, and now I think they are all pretty good.
.”
"Oh?" Bench Lu's eyes lit up: "Are they all people who have entered the UEFA Cup?"
"Since they are savages, they are of course the kind of unknown people." Duan Qing shook his head: "Although there are many reasons why they did not participate in the competition, from my perspective... if they really fight against each other,
They may not be much worse than those professional players."
"I really hope that I will have the opportunity to meet such a person in the future." The tall Dongcheng Club boss raised his wine glass and said, "It's a pity... because of the gang, there are really very few opportunities for me to leave here."
"Dongcheng Club is also the most famous in the City of Freedom, so there is nothing to worry about." Duan Qing's eyes scanned the other person's face: "If you really want to leave, you can leave here.
Leave the matter to your subordinates."
"...It's impossible, their strength is too weak."
After simply making this comment, Lu Bencho, who didn't care about the eyes around him, drank the wine in his glass in one gulp: "Although the Dongcheng Club is very big, most of them are brothers I brought in from reality.
It may be very good in reality, but in a game full of fantasy, it is not so good. For the same reason, there are not many real outsiders in this so-called guild, so compared to a small team like yours...
Our Dongcheng Club doesn’t even have a few decent players.”
"Without me, they might be even worse off than they are now." Lu Bench, who put down his empty wine glass, exhaled a breath of alcohol: "Don't mention this city full of tigers and wolves, even if it's ordinary game rules, this gang can't
Very few of the guys who make people worry have a thorough understanding..."
"It does sound miserable."
Looking at the backs of several Dongcheng Guild members who were leaving sadly, Duan Qing replied with a wry smile: "But it should be a pleasure to have such a group of brothers supporting you. Dongcheng Guild can survive under such conditions.
Standing in the City of Freedom is enough to show your strength..."
"...We were not called Dongcheng Club before."
Staring at Duan Qing's face, Lu Benchi interrupted him in a low voice: "Do you... know why?"
"……ah?"
"We used to be called Jingdong Club, and the name Dragon of Jingdong started to spread from that time." Lu Bench said lightly: "At that time, we had a tough style and ruthless methods that ordinary players did not have.
We have enough discipline, so even if the second in the world came, we did not give up half of the territory of Freedom City... As the boss, I have worked hard to create a world that can allow the younger brothers to survive.
Until what happened in the UEFA Cup, this world has reached its peak."
"Then... we disbanded." There was no pause in his words, and there was no emotion in his tone: "Then the current Dongcheng Club was born."
"You...disbanded?" Duan Qing asked in surprise: "Why?"
"Of course it was broken up. It was the result of joint pressure from several throne holders." Lu Bench grinned: "It was the end of the League Cup and the gang's development was at its peak. A man in black found me.
Ask me if I want to work for them..."
"Wait a minute, man in black?" Duan Qing interrupted the other party hastily: "What kind of man in black is he?"
"Of course it's the man in black I don't know, he's an NPC." Lu Bench replied calmly: "At that time, he asked us if we could join them and work together for some great cause. He also said that if we didn't agree, the consequences would be serious.
...Hmph, of course I kicked out such an arrogant guy, but not long after that...that incident happened."
"The general situation is like that. Our Dongcheng Association has suffered a great disaster." Lu Bench lowered his head deeply when he said this: "Now we can still survive here and fight against opponents like the Red Lotus Gang...
…We are already lucky.”
"As expected, he is a member of a mixed society, with strong tenacity and willpower." Duan Qing clapped his hands instead: "If it were an ordinary guild, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to get up long ago, right?"
"Thanks to the love of so many brothers, we are still a group of guys who can barely hang out and eat and drink together." Lu Bench shook his head: "But... there are fewer players who can be called players now."
"This is related to your guild's operating model, and it is also your style." Duan Qing replied with a smile: "The current situation...it can be said that each has its own pros and cons. If you are a pure player...I am afraid that you are not willing to accompany you.
You are doing this kind of losing business."
"Huh... That's right." Lu Bench put down the empty wine glass in his hand: "I also considered whether to train them to become players who can adapt to this game world, but then... I just let nature take its course."
"You have to believe in them. Since they can follow you till now... they must have their own way of survival."
"I don't plan to take them with me forever. After all, this is a world where the weak eat the strong, and the weak are not suitable to play here..."
"Strength and friendship are difficult to balance in many places. Even in those systematic professional teams, it is difficult to find a loyal guy like A Niu..."
"Speaking of which, I haven't formally expressed my gratitude. I heard that you took A Niu out of Novice Village and took care of him for so long..."
"Uh...it seems like we just went out and took an adventure together. It's no big deal..."
The atmosphere in the tavern gradually became more relaxed as the conversation between the two changed. Finally, with the departure of a tall and strong man, it completely returned to its former liveliness. Duan Qing, who still did not move much, sat there and sighed.
But a woman's long-awaited laughter came to my ears: "Why, you two are good friends now?"
"We just met occasionally and chatted for a while." Duan Qing replied helplessly: "You little girls will never understand the friendship between men."
"I'm too lazy to understand this kind of thing."
He waved his hands in a gesture, murmuring and shaking his long hair, and sat on Duan Qing's right hand. He originally pretended to be disgusted, but the next moment he turned into a curious expression: "What are you talking about?"
"... It seems that what Likas said is true." Duan Qing said thoughtfully: "The guy who once threatened Lu Bench... is probably a member of the Restoration."
"...What are you mumbling about?"
"Of course I'm talking about the future."
Placing the two gold coins in his hand in front of the bar, Duan Qing jumped down from his seat, then made a gesture to follow and walked towards the room where the temporary residence was located: "It seems..."
"We face many more enemies than we imagined."
****************************
The next period of time became Duan Qing's time to wait for Licas. However, waiting agonizingly was not in line with his style at all, so some daily activities were still very necessary.
In the name of visiting places, he visited many places in Liberty City.
"Jewelry stores... Jewelry stores in Liberty City should be very dark, right? Hey, hey, how do you sell this scorching light stone? What, fourteen thousand gold coins? Go, go, go..."
"Dark alley? Is there such a strange street name in the City of Liberty? Hmm... Judging from the map, this street is also connected to Oaks Street. Isn't it an extension of the black market?"
"The Land of Gold and Jade? What kind of place is this? Let me ask someone... What? The mansion of the Tristan family? It turns out that not all the Twelve Thrones live in the same place..."
"Hey, is there anyone? Is this Old Joel's house? I'm Mo Shang Qingshan, and I want to pay a visit to the adults... Hey, hey, who are you? Don't push me, don't push me, can't I go on my own?
"
After finding the residences of many throne owners one after another, Duan Qing used this method to completely circle the City of Freedom, and then returned to the safer Dongchenghui territory before the hustle and bustle of night came again.
During this process, he also had "friendly and cordial" interactions with every force in the Free City, so some troubles that kept coming to him also appeared on him from time to time.
For example, some assassinations appeared around him.
"Although I don't know which side you are from, guys of this level are not enough to stop me."
After cutting down the last enemy that emerged from the shadows, Duan Qing put away his weapon, and then walked out of the alley with the same light steps as the previous few days. The changes in the season changed the appearance of the alley.
The extremely cold sea breeze blew in his face, making him shiver, so he crossed his arms while walking to the warehouse and the dock full of sails: "It's the third time... but this place
I haven’t done much sightseeing yet.”
"Can you come without so much trouble? Our guests will be unhappy."
An old voice appeared in his ears, drawing his attention back from the sea breeze: "Oh, isn't this Mr. Gal? How is the recent business?"
"Thanks to your previous advice, the recent business has been quite good." Speaking of his recent profits, the slightly hunched old man became friendly again: "The business of adventurers is indeed easier, they are generous and reasonable.
Yes, with the help of your subordinates, I have finally made up for many of my previous shortcomings..."
"My subordinates?" Duan Qing asked in surprise: "What subordinates do I have?"
"Why, aren't they your subordinates?"
Pointing at the figures of several players running back and forth in front of a warehouse not far away, the old man asked with a smile.
This chapter has been completed!