Of Paradise City's four major factions, the Golden Ghosts ostensibly held the largest territory.
After all, the lords of the Upper City had no desire to govern the massive underclass.
The Golden Ghosts occupied the entire West District, along with Dirty Street, the Grand Bazaar, and other turfs. This behemoth had no need to lurk underground; above ground, it was the emperor.
Though this emperor's reputation was far from stellar—plummeting even further after the arrival of its new second-in-command—very few dared to cause trouble before Telephone Booth Square, the gateway to the Golden Ghosts' headquarters.
This circular plaza, resembling a Roman colosseum, was filled with hundreds of pitch-black telephone booths. Visitors stated their business through these public phones.
Seeking to join the gang, selling organs, smuggling banned drugs, human trafficking, trading resources...
Anything you could imagine could be realized here, provided you could pay a price that interested the Golden Ghosts.
It was just like the massive, solid gold statue of a one-horned demon towering over the square, its bloody maw stretched wide open.
Today, however, Telephone Booth Square welcomed a group of grim visitors.
Hundreds of heavily armed, elite Inspection Squad members wearing breathing masks aggressively blockaded the square's entrance, led by the Director of the Inspection Bureau.
Not far away, people in fine clothing, also wearing masks, watched the scene unfold in silence.
At the very front, a few inspectors with noticeably distinct uniform colors and exceptionally tall builds were driving away the bystanders.
The man standing at the forefront wore epaulets marking him as the captain of the Inspection Bureau's ace squad. Sporting a green buzz cut, he lazily raised a megaphone.
"Inspection Bureau business. Unrelated personnel, leave immediately."
"Listen up, suspect Sean. You are accused of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, reckless driving, theft, and intentional murder. Please follow us back to the Inspection Bureau for investigation immediately."
After shouting this several times, the green-haired man lazily turned around. His voice, filtering through the breathing mask, was casual and sluggish.
"Chief, the guy isn't coming out."
The Director's eyebrow twitched.
Marching out in a fury to make an arrest, he realized he had overlooked one crucial detail.
What if the target simply didn't show up? Was the Inspection Bureau actually going to storm the Golden Ghosts' headquarters?
Throwing his life away directly would be a quicker death.
To be honest, his mind was starting to clear, and regret was slowly creeping in—mainly because the fierce winds on the aircraft ride over had blown some sense back into him.
Losing his son was agonizing, of course, especially since he had already lost his ability to reproduce.
The problem was, he still had several illegitimate children out there...
Was it really a good idea to completely fall out with the Golden Ghosts?
He turned his head slightly and glanced at the crowd down the street. Representatives from the other three major factions had shown up to support him, which gave him some peace of mind.
After a moment of thought, the Director gritted his teeth and made a decisive call. "Lanco, keep shouting! If he still doesn't show his face, the Inspection Bureau will execute a search and seizure in accordance with Paradise City regulations!"
The green-haired man named Lanco shrugged. He didn't believe for a second that his Director actually had the guts to do that.
But he was just a grunt doing his job, so what did he care?
"Listen here, suspect Sean. If you don't come out..."
Halfway through his shout, the elevator platform inside the square let out a harsh, whining mechanical groan.
A man and a woman took the lead, stepping out from within.
The man's shirt was unbuttoned to bare his chest, his hair like blazing fire. Beside him, a blue-haired woman wore a seductive expression, drawing every eye with a generous high-slit qipao.
Lanco, who had been slouching lazily just a moment ago, instantly narrowed his eyes. "Red Ridge... Yinshan..."
The Golden Ghosts operated under five major departments, and their managers adopted the department codes as their own names.
Yinshan had a brisker pace. She walked up to Lanco and giggled. "What wind blew Captain Lanco all the way out here today?"
Lanco's expression shifted into a smile. "Miss Yinshan, we're here on official business today. Could we ask Mr. Sean to come out and take a trip with us?"
Yinshan pouted in coy dissatisfaction, rebuking him playfully, "And here I thought Captain Lanco came to catch up on old times with me."
This woman was hard to deal with... Noticing that the gazes of some men behind him were already turning strange, Lanco chuckled.
"Don't joke with me, Miss Yinshan. I prefer men."
Yinshan's expression froze for a second before she broke into a giggle. "Captain Lanco, that isn't a very funny joke."
Lanco looked dead serious. "I mean it. Lately, I've had my eye on my deputy."
Beside him, a tall man looked like he had just swallowed a fly, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Yinshan let out a soft laugh. "Well, isn't that interesting..."
This man sure was willing to throw himself under the bus...
Red Ridge stepped forward, interrupting the two. He spoke with a steady composure that stood in stark contrast to his fiery appearance.
"Everyone, there must be some misunderstanding here. Our Sean is young and ignorant, and occasionally pulls some pranks, but he knows where the line is. He wouldn't cross it."
Bullshit. Lying through his teeth. What kind of person was Sean? Tens of thousands of people had witnessed the farce on Dirty Street, and the Academy's airship had literally been flown back by their people.
The crowd silently cursed Red Ridge in their hearts.
The Director took a step forward, his tone thick with grief. "Red Ridge, stop covering for Sean! My—my only son died at his hands! Today, the Inspection Bureau must seek justice!"
Red Ridge put on a mournful look. "My condolences, Director. However, isn't it a bit rash for the Inspection Bureau to barge into the Golden Ghosts' territory to arrest someone without any proof?"
"Without any proof?" The Director laughed out of sheer anger. "What Sean did is obvious to everyone! Moreover, the Academy's airship is right inside your walls, and their personnel were taken captive. They are the best witnesses."
Red Ridge blinked in confusion. "But I heard the Academy gave that airship to Sean as a gift?"
"What a joke! Giving away an airship worth hundreds of millions of credit points for free?" The Director waved a large hand, looking as though he had firmly made up his mind. "Mr. Red Ridge, stop wasting time with nonsense. Whether Sean committed a crime or not, we'll know everything once he comes back to the Inspection Bureau with me. Call him out!"
Red Ridge frowned slightly. "But after Sean returned, he disappeared again. Who knows where he went..."
"You!"
At that moment, a cold voice rang out. "Red Ridge, if Sean truly didn't commit those atrocities, would the Inspection Bureau really dare to detain him?"
A man in fine clothes, wearing an energy-cube badge on his chest, walked over.
He held his head high, making no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes. "The Company is willing to act as a guarantor in this matter. Let Sean undergo the investigation—"
A representative from the Academy also stepped forward. "The Academy holds the same position."
A shriveled old man wearing a high-collared trench coat with a dim yellow tower embroidered on the lapel followed behind them, chuckling warmly.
"Since everyone is saying so, just let Sean undergo the investigation. If he didn't do those things, my Twilight Tower will guarantee his safety and force the Inspection Bureau to apologize. How about it?"
Red Ridge and Yinshan exchanged a glance, both seeing the solemnity in the other's eyes.
The Inspection Bureau was nothing to worry about, but for the other three major factions to jointly exert pressure—that was completely beyond their expectations.
Red Ridge smiled and was just about to say something else when an arrogant and cheerful voice rang out from behind him.
"I heard someone wants to arrest me?"
A handsome man in a gold-trimmed shirt swaggered into everyone's line of sight.
Red Ridge and Yinshan frowned simultaneously. The latter tried to pull back the approaching Sean. "Sean, go back inside. They're here for you today."
But Sean acted utterly oblivious. He strolled right into the gap between the two groups, casually playing with the golden shotgun in his hands.
"Who was shouting out here just now?"
The Director's eyes bulged with fury, blood rushing to his head. He pointed a trembling finger at Sean, his voice gasping through the breathing mask as if he were suffocating.
"Suspect Sean! Do you have any idea how many of Paradise City's laws you've broken?!"
Sean lazily dug at his ear. He swept his gaze over the crowd before finally landing on the megaphone in Lanco's hand.
"You were the one shouting?"
Lanco smiled. "Just following orders, Mr. Sean. Please..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his pupils violently contracted—Sean raised the golden shotgun without the slightest warning!
"Bang!" With a deafening roar, Lanco was sent flying backward.
"Hah—" Sean tossed the shotgun aside casually, his face twisting into a mask of pure savagery. "You dare cause a scene at the Golden Ghosts' front door?"