Chapter 125: Under the Dome (Seeking Recommendation Votes)

Nanming City.

"Stone, could you have your guys look into something for me?" Lu Kun said into the receiver.

"What is it? Don't you have your own intelligence department?" Stone, likely having just woken up, yawned and mumbled groggily.

Lu Kun glanced out the window at the bright, sunny day. By a conservative estimate, it was already past ten o'clock. He couldn't help but feel speechless. "How is it that you're only just waking up at this hour again?"

"If you've got something to say, say it. If not, stop yapping," Stone said with a long, drawn-out yawn.

"The target I want you to help me investigate is from the underworld. My own people aren't well-versed in that area," Lu Kun said, his eyes flickering as he spoke vaguely.

Stone was silent for a long time before asking, "Is this a thorny case?"

"If my predictions are correct, it’s going to be extremely thorny." Lu Kun bit his lip, hesitated, and then answered truthfully.

"Tell me the details. What’s going on?" Stone finally perked up, asking seriously.

Lu Kun let out a long sigh. What he feared most was Stone rushing into this blindly, diving headfirst into a trap he couldn't escape. This was an organized, premeditated, and focused criminal syndicate. Its leader was a man who moved comfortably and successfully through both the underworld and the legitimate world.

"Xie Biao? Are you sure?" On the other end of the line, Stone stood up abruptly, his voice filled with disbelief.

Xie Biao, known in the underworld as "Third Master Xie," was publicly the CEO of a trading company and a famous, wealthy philanthropist in Angui. He was the figurehead behind every charitable donation in the province, a true pillar of the Angui philanthropic community. But who would have known...

"You can never judge a book by its cover," Stone said angrily after hearing Lu Kun out.

"Don't be impulsive," Lu Kun cautioned. "We have to plan this carefully. Whether it's manpower, resources, wealth, or political protection, he is no weaker than us. If we clash head-on, one wrong move and we could both be finished."

"Are we just going to let scum like him continue to run wild?" Stone raged.

"Calm down! Anger won't solve anything," Lu Kun said, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"How won't it solve anything? I'll go and take him out!" On the other end, Stone kicked out, snapping the wooden bench he was sitting on with a sharp crack.

Lu Kun's eyebrow twitched. Without another thought, he quickly gathered his men to go and stop him. Knowing that ordinary people couldn't hold Stone back, he hurriedly called the brothers Cheng Yuan and Cheng Hao, telling them to bring the rest of the crew and intercept Stone at all costs.

"Hey, hey, Boss..." Sun Bowen, hearing the commotion next door, hurried over to see what was happening.

"This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it!" Lu Kun untied his necktie, tossed it along with his suit jacket to Sun, and bolted out like an arrow, leaving a stunned Sun Bowen standing in his tracks.

Stride after stride, Lu Kun ran for his life. If he ran fast enough, everything could still be salvaged. Sweat dripped down his hair, soaking his clothes. He felt like he had gone mad; he should have just called his driver to take him. But there was no turning back now—it would be too embarrassing to double back.

As he ran, Lu Kun muttered to himself, "You stubborn blockhead, don't you dare get yourself killed! I worked hard to be reborn and bring you along to enjoy a life of ease. If you die like this, I'll have to dig you up and whip your corpse!"

This wasn't just him being paranoid. Stone might be great at fighting, but no matter how good his martial arts were, he couldn't dodge bullets. Xie Biao was no pushover, and he certainly wasn't the petty thug Stone was used to dealing with. He wouldn't follow any "code of honor." Swarming someone and using superior numbers was the standard way to fight. Besides, given how long the man had been in the business, he likely had plenty of "hardware" at his disposal.

By the time Lu Kun reached the alleyway leading to Stone's house, he found that the six brothers, led by Cheng Yuan and Cheng Hao, were already engaged in a scuffle with Stone.

"You brats, getting bold, aren't you? Daring to disobey me! If you know what's good for you, get out of my way, or I'll beat you until your heads are full of bumps!" Stone fought and cursed, moving with ease.

The others were trembling, clearly intimidated, but only the brothers Cheng Yuan and Cheng Hao stood firm, meeting his attacks head-on and blocking his path. And that was only because they weren't going all out. They had been ordered by Lu Kun to intercept Stone, not to hurt him.

Stone was feeling frustrated. If it had been just the other "Vajras," his chances of breaking through the encirclement would have been nearly one hundred percent. But against these two freaks, Cheng Yuan and Cheng Hao, he could only manage a draw at best. The current stalemate was entirely because the brothers were holding back.

Lu Kun crouched down, clutching his knees, gasping for air. After catching his breath, he decided to step in personally to break the stalemate. Stone saw Lu Kun lurking, waiting for an opportunity, and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Why does he look just like he did when he used to ambush those thugs?" Stone swallowed hard, and after a few feints, he decisively conceded.

Since he couldn't win, there was no point in risking a kick to the crotch just to keep fighting.

In the alley, Lu Kun and Stone leaned against the wall side-by-side, while Cheng Yuan, Cheng Hao, and the others kept watch at the entrance.

"What's your plan?" Stone asked, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.

Lu Kun: "..."

*Damn it!* Could you be any more vague?

Lu Kun’s face darkened. He tugged at his pant legs, fanning them to cool off as sweat trickled down into his socks.

"We really can't act recklessly on this. That man, Xie Biao, has been in the business for nearly twenty years. When he was making waves in Angui, the two of us were still wearing split-crotch pants!" Lu Kun wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, panting heavily.

"Stop with that useless talk," Stone said, his own face darkening. "Just tell me your plan. Don't hide anything!"

Lu Kun: "..."

In truth, there wasn't much to say. Catch a thief with the stolen goods, catch a cheater in the act. No matter the situation, everything comes down to legal principles and a chain of evidence. Even in broad daylight, there is no one who can completely cover the sky with one hand.

"Will this really work?" Stone asked, looking skeptical.

"Of course not, but you just need to do your part. Leave the rest to me!" Lu Kun rolled his eyes. The key was to find a way to dismantle the protection shielding the criminal syndicate. For that, he needed the right moment—and that meant waiting.