"An eighty percent chance." The Plague Doctor leaned back against the sofa, meditating quietly. A calm voice emerged from beneath his mask. "Although he’s a Tier One Ascender, he feels very strong to me. Killing Green would be effortless."

"That’s rare. I’m surprised someone could earn such high praise from you," a blond man said in amazement.

"It’s simply a fact."

"Does that mean we can get ready to make our move?" a burly man asked, suddenly energized.

"It’s still too early." The speaker was a thin, bespectacled middle-aged man. He pushed up his glasses. "Without the Fierce Tiger Gang, there’s still the Evil Ghost Gang, the Blazing Fire Gang, the Black Hand Gang, and the Chizuru Gang... We can’t begin our operation until they’re dealt with. We need someone to draw the Government Army’s fire."

"Damn it, this is a pain in the ass. We have over ten Ascenders, so why do we still have to be so damn cautious..." the burly man cursed in frustration.

"Ah Man, be patient."

The Plague Doctor spoke patiently, "The Government Army is looking for us. This is precisely the time when we must not expose the Poisonous Sore Gang’s true strength. Once the North Carolina Government learns of our personnel, the next to arrive will be the ’Hand of the Empire.’ Not only will we be in danger, it will also affect the entire pla..."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A series of urgent knocks suddenly sounded from outside the private room. A waiter in a black suit burst through the door, bearing astonishing news:

"The leaders of the five major gangs have been killed!"

Everyone in the private room froze. Even the Plague Doctor was caught off guard.

"The intel came from our informant inside the Fierce Tiger Gang," the waiter said, panting heavily. "Green secretly gathered the leaders of the other gangs for a meeting, but Siegfried killed them all... Now, the five major gangs are erupting into internal chaos."

The Plague Doctor shot to his feet. "Is that true?"

"Absolutely true, Boss. Our time has come!" The waiter nodded excitedly, his eyes shining with a sharp light.

·

When Zhou Chen returned to the bar’s black market carrying a blood-stained sack, he found the atmosphere had become exceptionally strange.

The Plague Doctor and a dozen or so other Ascenders had come out of the private room. The fugitives from the international wanted lists were gone from the black market. In their place were many ordinary people, all of whom were staring intently at him.

Zhou Chen tossed the sack onto the floor, and a heavy thud came from within. "I’ve taken care of Green. And I took care of a few other problems for you while I was at it.

This will cost extra."

The Plague Doctor stepped forward, opened the sack, grabbed a corner, and gave it a shake. Five human heads rolled out.

Everyone recognized them as the heads of the five major gang leaders.

’He really killed them...’ A storm raged in the heart of the woman with auburn hair. ’Those five didn’t become gang leaders by being pushovers. Yet Siegfried was gone for less than half an hour, and he wiped them all out?’

"The money is no issue," the Plague Doctor said, looking at him. "What else do you want? Just name it, and I will do my best to fulfill your every request."

Zhou Chen paused, then said in a low voice, "I have no intention of joining the Poisonous Sore Gang."

"This is your additional reward," the Plague Doctor said.

For such a powerful Ascender, it was better to be on good terms than to be enemies.

"I want to see the Black-robed Man," Zhou Chen stated his demand directly.

"Fine. I will help you make contact," the Plague Doctor agreed with a nod.

’This time, he’ll probably really do it...’ Zhou Chen could clearly feel the significant shift in the Plague Doctor’s attitude. ’Sure enough, your own value is the most important bargaining chip.’

"Transfer one hundred thousand US Dollars to Mr. Siegfried’s dark web account," the Plague Doctor immediately ordered. A subordinate beside him took out a satellite phone and complied. A few minutes later, Zhou Chen’s satellite phone received a notification: one hundred thousand US Dollars had been deposited into his dark web account.

"The money has been transferred. Now then, Mr. Siegfried, are you interested in accepting another commission from the Poisonous Sore Gang?"

"What’s the job?"

In an instant, the entire black market fell silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All eyes focused on the Plague Doctor as everyone held their breath, waiting for the proclamation.

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, in that solemn silence, the Plague Doctor spoke in a grave voice:

"A revolution!"

·

A revolution!

Although Zhou Chen had long known the Plague Doctor and the Poisonous Sore Gang were up to something, it was only after truly understanding it that he realized things were far from simple.

The Plague Doctor told him, "The class divide in North Carolina is severe, filled with oppression, discrimination, and inequality against the lower class. Yet everyone treats this as natural and just. The upper class doesn’t see the lower class as human, and the lower class doesn’t see themselves as human, either. Even if their entire family were slaughtered before their eyes by the elite, they would still greet them with a smile. It is a pathological, twisted value system, one that has seeped into the very marrow of the people.

"Historical precedent proves that North Carolina’s class system is already deeply entrenched. Resolving it is almost impossible. The only way is to achieve political independence, break away from the North Carolina Government, establish a completely new culture and system, and use several generations to bring about change.

"I know you probably think we’re overestimating our abilities, but this is what we have to do. This is a wrong that needs to be pointed out and corrected. If no one stands up to say this is wrong, then it will never change.

"You don’t need to join the Poisonous Sore Gang, nor do you need to agree with our ideals. I just want to hire you to fight a war."

After hearing these words, Zhou Chen’s perception of the Plague Doctor, and even the entire Poisonous Sore Gang, changed.

He had originally thought the Poisonous Sore Gang was just like any other gang, wanting to take advantage of the chaos to carve out their own territory and become local warlords. He never expected that the Plague Doctor and the Poisonous Sore Gang would actually possess such lofty ideals.

Changing North Carolina’s class system... In a way, the difficulty of this task was on par with becoming a Crowned King.

Because North Carolina has a Crowned King. To change the class system would inevitably shake the authority of the North Carolina Government, which the King of North Carolina would never allow. At a time like this, it all came down to who had the bigger fist.

In other words, for anyone who wasn’t a Crowned King, this was tantamount to suicide.

And yet, they were still going to do it.

Zhou Chen saw determination on the face of every member of the Poisonous Sore Gang. Even the ordinary people showed no fear.

He thought for a moment and accepted the Plague Doctor’s commission.

There were two reasons. First, he was the type who enjoyed a good spectacle and didn’t mind stirring up trouble. Plus, he agreed with the ideals of the Plague Doctor and the Poisonous Sore Gang, so he decided to help them wreak some havoc. Second, by sticking with the Poisonous Sore Gang, he would be able to meet the Black-robed Man who held the Wish Box.

"When does the operation begin?"

In the private room, Zhou Chen asked his question. He only now realized that all the Ascenders here were members of the Poisonous Sore Gang; he had previously assumed it was just a secret gathering.

"It’s already begun. The Poisonous Sore Gang is absorbing the remaining members of the five major gangs."

The Plague Doctor continued, "Tonight, I will leak information to draw the Government Army in to wipe out those gang members. Meanwhile, the main force of the Poisonous Sore Gang will seize the opportunity to storm the city center and capture Rusted Iron City."

Zhou Chen thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "You trust me that much? What if I’m a mole? Wouldn’t the Poisonous Sore Gang be facing annihilation?"

"Don’t use those you doubt; don’t doubt those you use. I trust my judgment of character," the Plague Doctor chuckled lightly. "Of course, I have my precautions."

Zhou Chen fell silent, lost in thought.

The others were either meditating or chatting in low voices. The woman with the long auburn hair wanted to strike up a conversation with him several times, but seeing that he was deep in thought, she didn’t disturb him.

After several moments of silence, Zhou Chen looked at the Plague Doctor.

"What if I could just go and take out the mayor and the top officials of Rusted Iron City directly?"

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he clearly sensed the Plague Doctor raise an eyebrow beneath his beak mask.

"That’s impossible," the blond man spoke up, a displeased look on his face. "The mayor and the top brass are holed up in the municipal government building. They have three Tier Two Ascender bodyguards, plus a ’Hand of the Empire’ squad on watch. They are North Carolina’s most elite troops. All of us here combined could only hope for a narrow victory. For you to go alone is suicide.

"You just killed a few pieces of trash. Don’t get so arrogant."