"Not talking? Think you can pretend it wasn’t you who attacked me just because you’re silent?"


    Tao Yu was holding both of their necks, incessantly shaking them, almost rattling Bru and his pals apart.


    "Gonna talk or not? Speak up, will you?"


    "Ah, still giving me the silent treatment? Commendable courage..."


    The three that Tao Yu had slapped away were now rolling into a ball; as they shook their heads and came to, they witnessed the scene before them and trembled, not daring to make a sound.


    It was Panda who managed to suppress the shock from behind, speaking with a hint of embarrassment,


    "Um, Tao bro, they might not be able to talk. How about we put them down first and ask?"


    "Oh, is that so? You couldn’t speak and didn’t say it earlier; I thought you were harboring resentment."


    Tao Yu released his grip, and the two nearly out-of-breath guys fell to the ground, kneeling and gasping for air with their hands clutching their necks.


    "Ah? Still not talking?"


    Tao Yu tilted his head and glanced at them; his flat tone made Bru, who was gasping for air, truly shed tears.


    But even though he was in pain, he forced himself to speak in a raspy voice,


    "Sorry... It was our fault before."


    Even after being beaten, still having to apologize—that’s the power of strength!


    Even as Bru was pitifully shedding tears, now he could only bow his head in contrition.


    What kind of fierce character had Panda found?


    This was way too out of line!


    But then again, there really wasn’t much you could say against it.


    Such trivial matters, the security team couldn’t be bothered to deal with them—they weren’t crossing any line, after all.


    What if the real security team came? What would they say?


    A scuffle born out of a dispute, and if your side loses, who can you blame?


    If you can’t win, don’t talk back!


    A smack or two didn’t cause any injuries!


    This has always been the way things are done in the Inner City!


    The weak who provoke the strong are at fault!


    If you’re weak, don’t give anyone an excuse...


    Now, this gesture made it entirely clear what was meant!


    Gang Qi...


    Bru felt a heaviness in his heart.


    Theoretically, if someone who pursued the path of kinetic strength owned Gang Qi, only then were they considered to be on the same starting line as those who underwent mechanical transformation or foreign body implantation!


    Before that, their comprehensive abilities at the same level were inferior, but the unique properties of kinetic strength might allow you to burst the internal organs of the latter two and achieve a kill with impressive offensive power.


    Truly, in a one-on-one fight, they wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.


    But their ability to take hits, their margin for error, and capacity to handle emergencies were far inferior. In an environment like the Abyss, they just weren’t as reliable as the latter two, until Gang Qi appeared—that’s when they were truly on an equal footing!


    "I don’t care, you did it before."


    Tao Yu utterly disregarded the other party’s explanation.


    Then he turned his head to look at Panda and said,


    "Panda, you agree with me, don’t you?"


    Hearing Tao Yu’s words, Panda immediately understood, despite not having rehearsed, and hesitantly said,


    "While that’s true, it indeed seems a bit unfair to always have them stand guard for us..."


    Upon hearing Panda’s words, Bru felt a surge of excitement; he had not expected his former opponent to speak on his behalf.


    "How about this, we provide a portion of the profits as payment for their guard services."


    Panda always valued harmony and wealth. With Tao Yu playing the bad cop over there, he naturally followed suit, playing the good cop.


    Having chased Bru away today, there might be another wave tomorrow. The problem now was that Dada Company’s territory was simply too lucrative.


    Their own strength and profitability were stretched to the limit, especially since the major shareholder Tao Yu was always fishing around elsewhere.


    But if they continued to draw people into their partnership, that would reduce the earnings; they couldn’t just recruit everyone they saw.


    If they outsourced some of the guard duties, that wouldn’t be unacceptable; all parties could accept that.


    "Is that so?"


    Tao Yu asked as if questioning further.


    He usually didn’t manage affairs, which allowed him to act as an unaccountable and willful expert, making solving some issues even simpler.


    People were used to Panda’s smooth persona, and a sudden change would seem inappropriate.


    But it was different for Tao Yu. A display of strength by him also made it convenient for Panda to exert influence in his daily management.


    Many things could then be passed off as, "It’s not what I want, but our major shareholder has a terrible temper..."


    "Let’s just do it this way, we are all Pioneers of the same Development Zone, we see each other all the time."


    "Ah, then let’s just do that, after all, you’re the one who handles things."


    Tao Yu showed off his strength and dominance, along with some irrationality, first cornering several big players.


    Later, with Panda smoothing things over through relationships, the trouble at hand was quickly appeased.


    The impact on the establishment was minimal. Aside from the serving girls who ran off at the beginning due to the proximity of the conflict, everyone else was purely there to watch the commotion.


    After seeing Gang Qi, no one dared to say much, only whispering among themselves quietly.


    Ultimately, Bru signed an agreement, albeit reluctantly. He would be responsible for any security issues in the three zones currently occupied by Dada Company.


    In effect, Panda had strong-armed a highly cost-effective insurance policy.


    "We will also announce our partnership officially when we get back. Our strengths are not to be underestimated in the new Development Zone. After announcing our alliance, those who won’t get good profit won’t dare to take any risks..."


    Bru voiced his plans, bearing the humiliation.


    "That’s your business, and I can’t be bothered with it. Don’t trouble me for no reason, I’m very lazy and I’ll get very angry if you make me take action."


    Tao Yu glanced at Bru and saw the latter sadly nod his head.


    It was clear to him now, the temper really was bad...


    ————