The atmosphere in the hall grew somewhat heavy for a moment.
Yet, under everyone's gazes, the old man's expression remained lazy, as if none of this concerned him.
"Young man, I've warned you. If you don't stop, you'll bear the consequences yourself."
His tone was like an adult coaxing a child, and many faces showed peculiar expressions.
The thin, small man, the party involved, was utterly furious.
He suddenly unleashed all his aura. That surge of inner strength, like an invisible field, instantly occupied the entire hall!
The faces of some weaker individuals changed drastically as they quickly channeled their own inner strength to resist.
At times like this, if one didn't promptly release their aura, it was easy for their own energy to become chaotic due to the opponent's aura, a situation commonly known as "qifachai" (气岔气 – a disruption of qi flow).
Therefore, not only the weaker ones, but also those of comparable strength and even stronger individuals, all subconsciously emitted their inner strength.
In an instant, the entire hall of freelancers became a ticking time bomb. The staff responsible for accepting missions promptly slammed shut the doors and windows, then locked them!
"Bang!"
Seeing even the General Bureau's staff choose to retreat, a cold smirk rose on the thin man's lips.
"So what if it's the General Bureau? If we all joined forces, is there anywhere in China we couldn't go?"
"Alright, I told you I warned you."
The old man's voice suddenly sounded in his ear. The thin man jolted, but before he could react, he felt a large hand press down on his head.
"You want to die!"
An aura, expanding to the verge of explosion, abruptly ceased in the hall.
The change was so rapid that some at a distance had no idea what had happened; they only felt the tense atmosphere suddenly dissipate.
"Huh? What happened?"
Those on the periphery wore confused expressions, while those inside were filled with horror.
"Damn it! It's him! Tie Shenzi!"
"Tie Shenzi is actually working here as a laborer?"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the old man who had helped Li Zhonglou with his mission progress, the old master Tie whom Lin Qianqian had spoken with at the General Bureau's entrance, was now holding the thin man's head with one hand.
It was unclear whether it was inner strength or pure brute force, but the thin man's eyes were rolled back, his limbs limp. He was held aloft like a toy.
"This time, consider it a warning. If any of you do this again, don't blame us for not showing mercy."
His words were still casual, but this time, no one dared to underestimate the old man before them.
What a joke! This was the top figure of the General Bureau for two generations past!
The leader of the previous generation's General Bureau was his subordinate. If not for that incident back then, this old man would likely still be a dominant force in the General Bureau!
As the thin man was dealt with, the others quickly retracted their auras. In less than ten seconds, the entire hall returned to normal, and everyone soon forgot about the incident.
"It seems the General Bureau is determined to crack down on these freelancer organizations."
"You know, the benefits here are truly much better than my previous employer!"
After this incident, not only did everyone present begin to accept this newly launched organization from the bottom of their hearts, but it also gradually spread wider within the circles.
Suddenly, the martial arts circles of Shangjing were abuzz with talk of the freelancer system.
Along with it spread the story of someone with badge number 001. Perhaps out of envy, as the story circulated, this 001 transformed from someone who got in on the ground floor to someone who specifically snatched benefits from them!
Many free agents even openly declared they wanted to challenge 001 to a duel, offering to yield the token if they lost...
As for the main subject, Li Zhonglou, he had already proceeded to the second mission location.
This target was also someone wanted by the General Bureau for espionage, also in Shangjing. However, this time, the target's strength was considerably higher than anticipated.
Li Zhonglou encountered the target right after arriving at the intel location. With the advantage of being the first to act after soul fusion with Wen Yi, he narrowly avoided a fatal blow from the opponent's counterattack!
If not for his quick reflexes, shifting a mere inch at the critical moment, a three-inch sword would have pierced his heart!
"It seems this job isn't easy either. Where did the General Bureau find these experts?"
After delivering a fatal blow, Li Zhonglou clutched his still bleeding chest with lingering fear. This was merely his instinct; another person might have already fallen to the ground, unmoving, filled with regret.
When submitting his previous mission, old master Tie had told him that for these mission targets, unless explicitly stated to be captured alive, only a head was needed to be returned for completion. However, bringing them back alive usually came with special rewards.
Thus, Li Zhonglou wrapped the corpse in something and slung it over his shoulder, returning the way he came.
Although this trip only involved travel time, totaling no more than two or three hours, the speed of it made Li Zhonglou realize the danger of this job.
The General Bureau didn't even care about life or death, which proved the opponent's strength was insufficient for capture without injury! Otherwise, wouldn't a live captive for interrogation be far more valuable than a corpse?
Returning to the freelancer agency behind the General Bureau, Li Zhonglou was now more cunning. He first changed his attire, not only concealing his appearance thoroughly but also hiding the mission target's corpse.
This way, unless the situation requiring notification occurred again, no one would be able to recognize him!
"They probably won't announce it if it's not a reward-level mission, right?"
With a touch of apprehension, Li Zhonglou entered old master Tie's studio again.
After receiving the corpse of the target, old master Tie looked at Li Zhonglou with a curious gaze and suddenly spoke.
"You are Li Zhonglou?"
Li Zhonglou blinked in surprise. He was certain he had reported his identity token when submitting the mission earlier, but why was the old man asking this question?
Moreover, his tone seemed as if he knew him? But I don't think I know anyone at the General Bureau?
Li Zhonglou was filled with confusion but didn't voice all his questions. Instead, he replied with curiosity, "Senior, didn't I give you my identity token just now?"
"Oh, I think you misunderstood. Our identity tokens only record your information within the freelancer system; they don't contain your real personal details."
Isn't this like pissing after taking off pants?
Li Zhonglou felt speechless. His identity had already been vetted before joining the freelancers, and this move now was undoubtedly redundant in some respects.
Old master Tie seemed to have perceived Li Zhonglou's thoughts and chuckled, "We are certainly afraid of scheming individuals arranging experienced operatives to cause trouble, so, you understand."
Li Zhonglou nodded. He understood, of course, but he was merely making a mental note.