Chapter 10: Service Fee
Early morning next day, the sun had yet to rise yet within the Zhang family port, the brother and sister duo were still awake trying to figure out how to escape their predicament.
"Can't we just give him half the ships? Would that not be enough? Does he really just want that ship?" Zhang Mingmei asked, unable to hide the anger in her voice.
That man had already been monopolizing the entire market, taking control over almost every other shipping company in the city! And now, he even set his eyes on them and their parents' ship!
"I think we should just go with our other plan. We give a third of each month's income to the commander of the city guards, its twice as much as he normally receives. At least, it can buy us some time." Zhang Wei sighed as he responded.
"But how will we…."
"We'll find a way"
"Mhm, we'll find a way," Zhang Mingmei nodded after looking at her brother.
They were both exhausted, this was all they could do for now.
"I'll go try to meet him now, hopefully he'll accept," Zhang Wei said before going to grab the gold and heading out. Before he left, he turned around and noticed the dark circles under his sister's eyes.
"Get some rest."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
The two smiled at each other before he turned to leave.
The morning air was chill as it blew in from the ocean, Zhang Wei could even see his breath a bit. Quickly he made his way towards the eastern district of the city, the city guard's main office was located there. It would take him roughly thirty minutes to get there by walking but glancing at all the gold he was about to give away he couldn't bring himself to charter a carriage. They made about five thousand gold a month, and now he had to give away a third!
Sticking his hands in robes he quickly began to make his way over.
What he failed to notice were the three pairs of vicious eyes in the distance watching him leave. They seemed to be snickering as the followed behind him quietly. They needed for him to go somewhere more private.
After roughly twenty-five minutes, Zhang Wei turned into a small back alley, once he made it out of this alley the city guards office would be within view. As he walked, he saw two young children huddled in an old blanket, a little boy and girl each about fourteen and thirteen years old, respectively.
Seeing these two homeless children saddened him but that was all, orphans and abandoned kids were an all-too-common sight. Still, as they were still sleeping Zhang Wei tried to keep his presence minimal as he passed by, he could at least afford them this bit of peace.
Just as he passed the two children, he suddenly heard some snickering from behind. Turning around his eyes quickly became weary as he clutched the gold in his robes.
"Hehehe, look at you Zhang Wei, who knew you'd be so considerate of some street rats," the six-foot tall bald man from the other day was staring at him with a hint of amusement.
"Did you really think we were that stupid?" he continued, enjoying the panicked look on Zhang Wei's face.
"What do you want? I still have time." Zhang Wei's eyes darkened.
"We said until tomorrow, it's tomorrow," one of the lanky men following behind said with a smile.
"Actually trying to go the city guards. Ha, you truly are a fool," the other lanky man chimed in.
As the four continued to stare each other down the little boy who had been sleeping opened his eyes slightly, he made no sound and just watched on.
Li Renjie was already in a bad mood from the night before, remembering how the system laughed at him for trying to sound cool only to end up sleeping on the streets.
He was grumpy and now these fellows actually came and woke him with their nonsense. Looking over his shoulder he noticed the Xueyue was still asleep.
'She must be exhausted.'
When he brought them here to sleep she hadn't complained even once.
Sighing, he slowly turned his attention back to the four men.
He continued to watch on quietly.
"Hand over the gold you're holding and follow us back to the White Lotus headquarters! Today you will sign the contract and give over all of your ships!"
'It's a hostile takeover!' Li Renjie marveled at the sight before him. Who'd have thought he would get a crash course in extortion so early in the game!
"Does Qiao Haoqiang think he own the city?! Does he think the laws don't apply to him?!" Zhang Wei began to see red; he knew he absolutely couldn't go with them.
'That must be the boss.' Li Renjie continued to listen with great interest.
"How dare you call the boss by his name?!" the bald man shouted before clenching his fist.
A faint white mist began to flow out from his pores!
This was the sign of a body cultivator of at least the seventh level!
A late-stage body cultivator!
Zhang Wei grimaced at the sight of the white mist.
Behind them Li Renjie's eyes quietly took in the sight before him.
With his left eyes first ability he could see a targets mirror image right above them. As if there were another version of them there, just standing upside down. They movements they made were identical to the original, everything was reflected perfectly.
The young man in black robes had no reflection to speak of.
Based on his extremely limited experience with Xueyue, it probably meant he wasn't a cultivator.
However, when he looked at the others, he soon he noticed something strange.
He could see the reflections of the other three men, but they seemed far brighter and considerably clearer than the reflections of those two from earlier and the chicken that attacked him.
They were flawless reflections!
'This…' his eyes began to shine as he seemed to understand something.
A devious smile quickly formed on his face as he looked at the three men.
'You shall be my lab rats! Maybe you might be lucky enough to see the second ability of my left eye!'
Then he quickly turned to the young man in black robes
'And you shall be my first victi… client!'
He quickly began to formulate a plan in his head.
What he failed to notice was that Xueyue had woken up and was staring at his slightly creepy smiling face.
Zhang Wei hesitated no longer and quickly turned and bolted, as long as he made it out in the open, they wouldn't dare act wantonly, not this close to the city guard's main office anyway.
However how could a mere mortal compare to a cultivator?
Even the first realm of body cultivation created an insurmountable chasm.
The two lanky men quickly shot forward and blocked his path!
They must have been going at least thirty or forty miles per hour!
'What the hell? Are they cheetahs?!' Li Renjie's eyes popped once he saw how quick those two gangly figures could move.
The chicken he had 'fought' prior seemed stronger than these three but also didn't seem to take him seriously, all he had seen was a golden claw before he reacted. Yet now, he saw these two weak looking men move with superhuman speed, it made him marvel and opened his eyes to the strength of cultivators. Strangely though, his smile became even wider.
Xueyue continued to watch him curiously.
Compared to the fight she had witnessed before; they didn't seem that impressive. She was more interested in what the silver eyed boy was up to.
Zhang Wei clutched onto the gold for dear life before turning around to face the bald man, his only way out was to reason with him.
"I'll give you half the gold I have if you just pretend you didn't see me," he said through gritted teeth.
This was his only option.
He cursed his weakness.
"Who do you think you are to negotiate with me? I'll take all the gold and you'll still follow us," the bald man said without sympathy.
Zhang Wei stared at the bald man before looking at the two lanky men behind him. He gently removed the hold he had on the gold before clenching his fist and getting ready to fight!
Enough was enough!
He'd rather be beaten and robbed than just willingly follow them and hand over everything his parents had given him and his sister!
The three paused for a moment before starting to laugh uncontrollably.
"Hahahaha! Brothers I think I may have hit him a bit too hard yesterday, he thinks he can take us! Hahaha!" the bald-headed man found it hard to breath as he watched Zhang Wei.
Just then, a gentle clap came from behind his back.
The bald man suddenly stopped laughing only to turn around and see the little boy who had been sleeping on the street looking at him.
When he saw the boy's eyes he froze.
He could see himself.
He could see the alley.
He could see everything.
A perfect reflection.
Li Renjie began to slowly get up, trying his best not to wake Xueyue. However when to turned to glance at her, all he saw were two big blue eyes looking back at him.
"..."
[You suck at this.]
A yawning voice suddenly echoed in his head.
'Were you sleeping? Systems sleep now?"
[Huh? Why can't systems sleep? I need rest too you know!]
Li Renjie ignored the cranky woman before smiling at Xueyue.
"Give me a second."
Xueyue stared at him before nodding slowly and watching on.
She was very curious to what he would actually do.
After saying that he slowly got up and began to approach the four men.
Zhang Wei and the others stared at the young boy curiously.
His eyes were truly bizarre.
However, the bald man soon got frustrated and began to walk towards the boy.
"Little rat, hurry up and get lost or I'll pluck out those strange eyes of yours!" he shouted.
He didn't need any witnesses in the area.
To his surprise the young boy didn't show the slightest trace of fear. In fact he seemed to be ignoring him!
Just as he was about to lash out the young boy spoke up.
"Fighting even though you're outmatched and outnumbered, commendable but not enough."
His words directed at Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei seemed stunned that this silver eyed child would speak so eloquently and nonchalantly.
"A quarter of the gold," the little boy said with a smile.
"Huh?" Zhang Wei was at a loss after hearing what the boy said.
"Give me a quarter of the gold, and I'll take care of your problem," the boy continued.
"Think of if it as a service fee."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
WithTheWind
WithTheWind Updated art for chapter three.
Thanks for reading.
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