Ye Qi called John's phone but was told the latter had switched off his phone.
"Old man, you have to be careful out there!"
Reading the note in his hand, the memories Ye Qi had shared with John cropped up in his mind. Ye Qi silently prayed for John's safety. At the same time, Ye Qi made the decision to go look for John after he finished this quest given by Old Walter.
After that, Ye Qi started to unload all his equipment on the table—Revolver 500; The Magic Short Sword given to him by John when he went on his first solo mission; the Holy Water he purchased from Old Walter; Spirit Dust that could prevent ambushes from evil souls; Electromagnetic Sensor E that could be used to detect spirits and apparitions.
Ye Qi wiped each of them down carefully. This was a habit John had instilled in him when he gained his first weapon—A demon hunter had to ensure his weapon was in the best shape at all times!
This was because you could never expect what would happen next!
Initially, Ye Qi was only doing this because if he didn't, John would smack him on his head. However, as the time moved on, Ye Qi realized the icy touch these items had on him gave him a sense of security and relaxation. After that, cleaning and oiling his weapons became part of Ye Qi's daily schedule before he retired to bed—He would use this time of relaxation to revise and conclude the day that he had had.
After cleaning everything, Ye Qi put the weapons away at the spot that was reachable by hand. He checked all the small traps in the room one more time before removing his coat to lay down for the day.
As the moans from throughout the building drifted into his ears, Ye Qi fell into sleep.
The night was winding down and the despicability and depravity shrouded by its shadows followed its departure. The men and women fainted either from assault or alcohol by the road started to regain their consciousness. Humans in presentable shells took over the streets and a new day had begun.
Ye Qi who had a good night departed from the hotel alongside the "night workers". After rejecting a few offers by the gals, Ye Qi headed straight for the abandoned factory at Lauren Street. The place was a famous housing spot for those wishing to peddle illegal drugs and pills.
These people that called the old factory home slept there or wandered in its compound during the day and thronged towards a few specified nightlife spots like Old Timer's Bar at night to make their business. Other than Old Walter, they were the most extensive source of information that coursed through the city. The reason the young Demon Hunter was there was of course to meet up with the Black Market Dealer to complete their trade—these pill-pushers were part of a group attached to the Black Market Dealer.
"Hmm, what do we have here? A pretty little young boy. Hey, yellow-skin monkey, this is not a place for you!" Just as Ye Qi stepped into the abandoned factory, two guards surrounded him. One of them started provoking and mocking Ye Qi while the other ruffians gathered in the area started to laugh.
"If you do not wish to have a hole between your eyes, I suggest you bring me to your big boss Marley," Ye Qi who did not have the time to entertain the low level ruffians pulled out his Revolver 500 and pointed it at the man's forehead. Instantly, the ruffian's face blanched and his legs started to shake. The rest of them stopped laughing and stared with deep concentration and anxiousness at Ye Qi and the gun in his grasp.
"Hey, man, it's just a fake gun…"
The leader of the gang of ruffians stood up to glare provokingly at Ye Qi. Before he could finish, Ye Qi fired a shot into the sky. The sound of the gunfire sent a tremor throughout the factory and the leader shrunk back down into his seat like a little chicken.
"Don't make me repeat myself twice!"
Ye Qi warned. The shot was definitely useful because the ruffians all ran towards the garage at the back of the factory. Ye Qi trailed slowly behind them.
Compared to the appearance of the factory that was falling apart, the décor of the garage was decidedly luxurious. Soft wool carpet, crystal chandeliers, real leather sofas, it had the whole shebang. The leader of the pill-pushers, Hampton who was in the middle of an aerobic exercise with a blonde woman on the sofa was rattled by the sudden appearance of so many people. Perhaps Hampton's little guy suffered from stage fright because while seconds ago, it was doing a standing salute, it was slowly starting to bend over. He was just about to scold his men when he saw the gun-wielding Ye Qi walk in. Hampton shoved the girl off him and bend over to search beneath the sofa.
Before he could reach for the gun, Ye Qi's cold barrel was already on his temple. Hampton froze instantly, he did not dare to move even a muscle. Unlike his underlings, Hampton could tell a fake gun from a real one in a glance. When Revolver 500 touched his skin, he knew he was dealing with the real thing. Hampton immediately smiled at Ye Qi in an attempt to placate, "Hey, friend, don't act too rashly! I'm sure there is some sort of misunderstanding here."
"Misunderstanding? I'm afraid not, I'm looking for Marley!" Ye Qi moved his gun away and pulled over a small sofa to sit across from Hampton.
"You're looking for boss?"
After the initial shock washed over, Hampton scanned Ye Qi from head to toe, and he asked cautiously, "You're Mr. Ye?"
"Yes!"
"Dear Mr. Ye, Hampton at your service! Please wait for a moment!"
After Ye Qi nodded, Hampton pushed the half-naked and shivering blonde woman beside him towards Ye Qi. Even though the woman was obviously quaking with fear, under Hampton's wrathful gaze, she obediently crawled to Ye Qi's feet and offered an ingratiating smile, acting not unlike a kitten.
Hampton grabbed his pant and picked up the phone beside his sofa and started making calls.
Just as Ye Qi who had been abstinent for a whole month was about to lose his control on the account of the woman squeezing his leg with her ample bosom and had been working it like a pole, a dark elongated Rolls Royce drove into the factory. Marley in a new suit strode in through the door held open by Hampton.
"My dear Ye, sorry for making you wait!"
The Black Market Dealer who smiled at Ye Qi had lost his distress from the night before, not even a hair was out of place. Ye Qi noticed the nicks from yesterday night had been taken care of, he could see no signs of wounds.
Two large men followed Marley out of the car. They stood closely to the Black Market Dealer. Ye Qi with his sharp eye could tell these people were the new bodyguards Marley had hired from the rectangular shapes protruding out of their suits around their waists.
Ye Qi kicked the blonde woman away and cut to the chase, "It's okay, I haven't been here long. Where's the thing?"
With a look, one of the guards behind Marley pulled a case from inside the car and placed it in front of Ye Qi.
T2 Rifle, 72-Style Grenades, flash grenades, all the stuff in his life were packed into the case. Ye Qi lowered his head to do the inventory. The Black Market Dealer sat across from Ye Qi, when he saw the satisfied smile appear on Ye Qi's face, Marley extended his hand.
"Happy trading, Ye!"
"Happy trading, Marley!"
Ye Qi shook the Black Market Dealer's hand and both parties smiled from having concluded a deal. Ye Qi pulled the case to rest beside his feet and he looked at the Black Market Dealer and said, "Marley, do you wish to have some information on 'Mad Dog'?"