6: Don't let me see you take another step forward!

Xu Chang was stunned when he saw the person who kicked the door open, followed immediately by terror.

People from the “Scavengers”! And the one who came was “One-Eyed Iron Wall” Hofft!

He had borrowed the usurious loan from them the day before yesterday.

But the repayment date hasn't even arrived yet?

Why are they showing up now!

They were all staring at Xu Chang and his sister, as if they were about to pounce the next second.

"Little Xu, tell me, haven't we been very loyal to you?"

"Huh? Answer me!"

"Bang!"

That one-eyed man—Hofft—walked into the room and kicked the door frame. The old hinge let out a groan of distress, struggled twice, and then broke.

The door, bound together with steel bars and sheet metal, fell to the floor, and he stomped a large hole through it.

"Your sister was sick, so we sold you a Life Support Device,"

Hofft looked at the green-glowing machine nearby with his one remaining cloudy yellow eye.

"You needed credit points, so we lent you 1,000,"

"We only asked you to pay back 2,000. Who doesn't charge interest on a loan?"

As he spoke, he clenched his steel arm into a fist and slammed it hard onto the workbench beside him.

The immense force punched straight through the few-millimeter-thick metal tabletop, shaking the entire shanty.

"And you, kid? You're here packing your valuables, preparing to sneak off and run, aren't you?"

"Damn it, if that old cripple at the tavern hadn't told me, we'd still be completely oblivious!"

Xu Chang was forced to retreat step by step until his calf hit the bed where his sister was lying.

He glanced back at Xu Ling on the bed, knowing he had nowhere left to retreat. He took a deep breath, suppressed the fear inside him, and stepped forward to stand straight.

"Lord Hofft, I wasn't trying to run. I was hoping to try my luck at the dumps in other areas."

"You know how unreliable that old cripple's words are!"

"He even boasted before that he rode a Snow Leopard in the Upper City District. Do you think that's possible!"

"It's just baseless gossip!"

Listening to Xu Chang's rather unconvincing explanation, Hofft sneered.

"Hmph, who knows if what you kid are saying is true or false,"

"How many of you poor devils ever tell the truth?"

His gaze went past Xu Chang and settled on Xu Ling on the bed.

She looks pretty good, just half-dead. Plenty of people probably like this type, too.

He silently calculated what a reasonable price for one session should be.

The old cripple's words were just an excuse anyway. Did thugs like them care about truth or lies?

His trip today, hey, it was actually for Xu Ling.

Thinking this, Hofft couldn't help but lick his lips, and his smile turned lewd.

"Kid, you're pretty lucky. I'll let you off this time,"

"I'm giving you a chance."

Xu Chang's heart, which had just relaxed halfway upon hearing this, immediately stopped beating when he heard the next sentence.

"But to prevent you from running off, leave your sister with us whenever you go out from now on."

"The guys at Scavengers will take good care of her."

Watching Hofft walk towards him and Xu Ling, Xu Chang found courage from somewhere, picked up a steel water pipe nearby, and stood defensively in front of the bed.

"N-no way!"

"I will pay back the credit points I owe on time!"

"I absolutely won't let you take Xu Ling!"

Hofft sneered, raised his metal arm, and menacingly flexed his fingers.

"Kid, move aside before I get angry,"

"I am merely informing you,"

"I am not negotiating with you."

"So, get lost."

"Otherwise, I really will punch you to death."

Xu Chang stared at the mechanical arm, trembling all over.

What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?

In a daze, the corner of his eye caught sight of a Solid Hydrogen Battery with a damaged casing.

I've got it!

He fiercely threw the water pipe in his hand at Hofft.

Taking advantage of the moment Hofft's attention was diverted, Xu Chang lunged to the right, grabbed the battery, and simultaneously snatched a Welding Torch from the ground, aiming it at the breach in the battery casing.

"If you take another step closer, I'll ignite this battery!"

"Three kilograms of Solid Hydrogen exploding!"

"It's enough to flatten everything for dozens of meters around!"

"We'll die together!"

"Back off! Don't let me see you take another step forward!"

Seeing Xu Chang on the ground, red-faced and hugging the battery, Hofft cursed inwardly.

Damn! I wasn't paying attention, and he got me!

Dammit, this lunatic!

Why is he risking his life?

He reluctantly backed away, occasionally throwing out a few harsh threats.

"Hmph, consider yourself lucky today!"

"I hope you take that baggage of a sister with you wherever you go from now on!"

"Otherwise, hmph!"

After retreating to the doorway, he turned around, desperately coughed up some phlegm, and spat it viciously onto the ground.

"Damn it, bad luck!"

"Lads, let's go!"

"Don't look at that lunatic inside!"

However, the four people who had come with him were completely silent at the moment.

"What's wrong? Are you mute?"

The only response he received was an unfamiliar voice,

"Them? They've already become organic waste."

"As for you,"

"Do you think you can still leave?"

Just as cold sweat was breaking out on him, something even more terrifying made him feel as if he had plunged into an ice cellar—

A cold, hard object pressed against the back of his head.

Having been in the gang life for years, he naturally knew what it was.

—The Equalizer of All Beings: A Gun.