Celestial Human Diagram-Chapter 45 - 36: The Old Camp

The Tuotu sedan continued along the highway. Soon, it reached the outskirts of the East Castle District. This area was adjacent to the National Path, a major road that led to other cities and even directly to Central City.

These were military-grade highways built back when Yangzhi City served as a logistics hub. Not only were they solid and wide, but you could drive a tank on them.

The area beyond the road was a bit desolate, however. In the distance, a few hills were visible to the front left of the road, with simple, shack-like buildings scattered on their peaks and at their bases.

An old watchtower stood on one of the hilltops. As the sedan approached, someone inside watched it through a pair of binoculars, then swapped out the flag on top.

As the sedan drew closer, a small encampment came into view. Sporadic guard posts were positioned around it, manned by young men and women with their jackets unzipped. They all held crossbow mechanisms, and five bloody claw marks were spray-painted on their clothes and chests.

The sedan pulled up to a roadblock at the entrance and stopped. The arrowheads of the crossbow mechanisms at the guard posts shifted, subtly aiming at the vehicle. A bald woman with a fit physique, chewing gum, walked over, knocked on the window, and asked, "Where are you from?"

Wei Chang’an rolled down the window and handed her a Name Card. "The Land Commission Office has an appointment with your boss for this morning."

The bald woman took the Name Card and scoffed. She turned to a subordinate behind her and said, "Go tell the boss his appointment is here."

After a moment, someone in the back waved them on. The bald woman stepped aside and yelled to the others, "Let them through!"

The roadblock was moved aside, and the two sheet-metal gates of the encampment were pulled open.

Wei Chang’an saw that the ground ahead was riddled with potholes and muddy puddles. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he suppressed his dismay for his car and drove on.

Once inside the camp, he kept his eyes on the road while instructing Chen Chuan, "Junior, when we see Fatty Guo—that’s the boss here—try not to speak. I’ll do the talking."

Chen Chuan said, "Okay, Brother Wei."

Wei Chang’an glanced at him again and smiled. "But don’t be nervous. We were hired for this, and we have the backing of both the commissioning company and the Blood Mark Gang’s Upper Layer. Fatty Guo won’t dare to do anything too crazy. Still, I suspect he’ll try to pull some tricks. We’ll just have to play it by ear."

The car pulled into an open space. Inside the camp was a large field that had probably once been a drill ground.

Nearby stood a dilapidated, barred phone booth, and at the edge of the field were piles of hollow concrete sewer pipes, where several members of the Blood Mark Gang were sitting around.

They all wore yellow and red plaid shirts. Most had brass knuckles and daggers tucked into their belts. As the sedan drove past, they eyed it with ill intent.

In the middle of the camp was a large two-story barracks. In front of it sat a fair-skinned, clean-shaven fatty who looked to be over two meters tall even while seated. He was bald and wore a tight tank top that squeezed his flesh, with five jagged claw marks painted across his chest. A man in a white lab coat and a face mask stood beside him.

Not far from them, several small white lambs were tethered by ropes. Bells hung from their necks, and their wool was neatly groomed, clean, and soft. They looked like pets.

Wei Chang’an said, "That’s Fatty Guo, one of the leaders of the Blood Mark Gang."

Chen Chuan sized him up, noting that the man’s breathing was very steady; he had likely trained in a Breathing Technique. What was particularly striking were the glittering silver tips fitted onto all five fingers of his right hand. They were very eye-catching.

When the car stopped in front of them, the two men opened their doors and got out. Fatty Guo rose to his feet, spreading his arms wide. "Men from the Land Commission Office. I’ve been waiting for you."

After getting out, Wei Chang’an stood a short distance from the front of the car and held up his Name Card. "Mr. Guo, I’m the commissioner, Wei Chang’an." Chen Chuan stood by the car door, one hand shoved into his pants pocket, where two small, prepared stones were waiting.

Fatty Guo said, "Ah, two young men. Why don’t you come in for a drink first?"

Wei Chang’an refused. "Mr. Guo, sorry, but we’re not here to socialize. The Land Commission Office should have made things clear. Hand the person over to us, and we’ll leave immediately. We won’t disturb your business."

Fatty Guo’s eyes darted around. His face was so fleshy it made his eyes seem especially small and shifty. He grunted in agreement. "I did say I’d hand him over, but if you just take him away like that... I’ll lose face with the gang."

Wei Chang’an said, "Oh? Mr. Guo, are you thinking of going back on your word?"

Fatty Guo waved a fleshy hand. "Not at all. I, Guo, am a man of my word. However..." He took two steps forward and looked down at Wei Chang’an. "I’ll give face to the Land Commission Office, but that doesn’t mean I have to give face to you. If you want to see him, you’ll have to prove you have the skills."

Wei Chang’an knew this was coming, which was why he hadn’t been friendly from the start. The nicer you were in these situations, the more they saw you as a weak-willed pushover. He sneered, "Mr. Guo, this is just your style. Go on, what do you want?"

Fatty Guo seemed to grow excited. He stepped back a bit, rubbing his thick arms together. "Simple. I hear you’re a student from Wuda. Fight one of my men. How about it? You win, I let you take him. Fair, right?"

Wei Chang’an frowned. Although he was from Wuda, he didn’t actually like fighting in front of a crowd. He found it undignified.

But he knew if he refused, this could drag on for who knows how long. So, without any nonsense, he started unbuckling his watch. "Fine. Where’s your man?"

"Excellent!"

Fatty Guo quickly added, "But I get to choose the fighting location."

Wei Chang’an paused and stared at him. "Where? Mr. Guo, don’t push it. If this ends badly, don’t blame me for not showing you any respect."

"Of course, of course. You’re from the Land Commission Office, after all. We have to consider their reputation..."

Fatty Guo grinned, pointed to the dilapidated, barred phone booth nearby, and said playfully, "In there. How about it?"

Wei Chang’an’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t refuse. He began taking off his jacket, then walked over to the car and tossed his things inside.

Fatty Guo clapped his hands to the sky with a "WHOOP!" At the edge of the field, a drummer immediately began beating a drum with both hands. To the powerful rhythm, a lean man of about thirty, covered in scars, walked out.

He first gave Wei Chang’an a venomous glare, then snorted a glob of snot onto the ground in his direction. After wiping his nose on his pants, he grinned and stepped right into the phone booth.

Wei Chang’an looked disgusted. He said to Chen Chuan, "Junior, I’ll take care of this. Remember to play it by ear."

Chen Chuan’s expression was calm. "Okay."

Wei Chang’an gave him an appreciative look. He had been a rookie himself, and he’d trained them too. It was inevitable for newcomers to be nervous their first time in a place like this. Someone as naturally composed as Chen Chuan was a rare sight.

He walked over and squeezed into the phone booth. Someone came up, pushed the door shut, and fastened a lock on the outside. This was usually done to prevent the two fighters from bursting out while shoving each other.

Chen Chuan glanced over. The phone booth was tiny, forcing the two men to stand almost face-to-face, less than half a foot apart. Wrestling Takedowns and kicks were impossible. Barring short weapons, fists and elbows would be the most effective tools in there.

But it was also extremely difficult for either man to dodge or generate power. It would all come down to who was more vicious and who could punch faster. Even someone stronger than their opponent would likely get hurt and be at a disadvantage. It was an added handicap.

After a moment’s thought, however, he unbuttoned his own jacket, took it off, and tossed it into the car as well.

Once Wei Chang’an was in place, his eyes became cold and indifferent. He showed no reaction to his opponent’s filth or foul breath. It was as if the clean, respectable urban elite from moments ago had vanished, leaving only a pure Fighter in his place.

Just then, the drumming paused. Fatty Guo raised both hands high and roared, "BEGIN!!!" The drumbeat immediately picked up again, faster this time.

The lean man reacted instantly. The moment the word was out, he swung a punch.

As the shout rang out, Wei Chang’an simply tilted his head back slightly, then suddenly slammed it down in a vicious headbutt!

His legs seemed firmly nailed to the ground, his entire body like a whip. In that instant, his head became the tip of the lash. Despite the small range of motion, power surged up from his feet, through his knees to his waist, from his waist to his spine, and from his spine to his neck. As the force cascaded upwards, his speed became incredibly fast.

His head actually broke through the blur of the punch, striking his opponent’s head first. With a dull THUD, the entire phone booth shook. The lean man’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he slid to the floor like a sack of wet mud.

The cheers outside died abruptly. Even the drummer, unable to stop in time, struck a few extra beats. No one had expected the exciting show they were anticipating to be over so quickly.

Wei Chang’an even had the leisure to straighten his tie and take out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. He called out, "Mr. Guo, can you hand over the man now?"

Fatty Guo stared at him for a moment with his beady eyes. "Of course, of course." He turned and shouted to someone, "Go get him."

Before long, a short, thin man of about forty with a full beard walked out, flanked by three bodyguards. One of them scanned the surroundings with a menacing gaze.

"What is it, Boss Guo?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Fatty Guo chuckled. "Moustache Chou, it’s not that I don’t want to protect you." He pointed at Wei Chang’an and, on the other side, Chen Chuan. "The Land Commission Office sent these men to take you back to the Patrol Bureau for questioning."

Moustache Chou’s face changed. He cursed, then said to the two bodyguards beside him, "Stop them." Then he turned and bolted. He was running toward a parked sedan.

Seeing this, Wei Chang’an’s expression shifted. He slammed a hand against the door. "Fatty Guo?"

Fatty Guo spread his hands. "I said I’d give you the man. I’ve brought him to you. Whether you can take him back or not is your business."

Wei Chang’an knew that if Moustache Chou reached that car, he’d be hard to catch. He took a breath and slammed a fist into the door. The entire phone booth shook, but the door didn’t open.

Fatty Guo chuckled sinisterly.

The moment Wei Chang’an was locked inside the phone booth, Chen Chuan had felt that things might take a turn, so he was already mentally prepared. Seeing the situation unfold, he didn’t hesitate for a second. With a light push of his foot, he shot forward, chasing after the fleeing Moustache Chou.

Wei Chang’an saw him move and yelled urgently, "Hey, don’t go! That’s Zhai Wu from the Black Arena with him!" But Chen Chuan was moving too fast and didn’t slow down, seemingly not hearing him.

A sense of urgency gripped Wei Chang’an. He glanced at the door. With a person crumpled at his feet, it was even harder to generate any force.

’No other choice.’

He sighed in resignation, leaned back again, and slammed his forehead into the door.

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