17: Micro-loan manager: How dare you come back!

The Mohawk guy curled his lip, thinking Lin Fei must have just gotten lucky.

As for the others, they all secretly increased their assessment of Lin Fei by a few Ranks in their minds.

The three soldiers exchanged glances, and finally, the leader spoke: "No problem, we'll take it."

Lin Fei also nodded. Although hijacking a military vehicle was dangerous, the rewards were the highest.

Plus, being able to get a Gatling gun and heavy armor would make the loot distribution easier later.

What's more, he had absolute confidence in his current strength.

"Very good!" Ford clapped his hands in satisfaction. "The rest of you, decide for yourselves whether you're going to get speedboats, armored cars, or weapons and explosives."

"But don't worry, I know many of you are from out of town."

"My people will tell you the methods and sources for getting the goods."

Soon, the tasks were distributed.

The thug squad went to steal cars. The sisters in black would handle the boats.

As for firearms, everyone would handle their own, while Ford's people would find the explosives.

Ford pulled a stack of cash from his pocket, totaling ten thousand dollars. He gave everyone present one thousand dollars.

"This is the advance money for the operation. You can go replenish your ammo or buy things you need first."

"Remember, the operation time is tomorrow night! The military vehicle hijacking is set for midnight tonight; gather at the ambush point on this mountain road!" He pointed to a location on the map.

"It's ten in the morning now, so you all have over a dozen hours of free preparation time. Free City is just very free, after all. Dismissed!"

With Ford's order, everyone dispersed to prepare for their respective tasks.

"Only a thousand? They're really treating us like beggars!" The three thugs muttered as they walked away, following a few of Ford's subordinates.

The two girls in black looked at the map of the pier for a while, then quickly left as well.

"Mr. Lin Fei." Ford stepped forward with a sincere smile on his face.

"Tonight's operation is crucial. I've heard about your strength. My men and I are all very much looking forward to your performance."

"Alright, I'll do my best. Why don't you give me a bit more startup capital?" Lin Fei said.

In reality, it felt quite strange to have seen Ford get his neck pierced by gunfire and fall backward to his death just yesterday, only to see him standing right in front of him, full of life, today.

Ford gave an awkward laugh. "Well, if I had the money, I'd definitely give everyone a hundred thousand in startup capital. But, after all, I'm just a poor guy too; otherwise, why would I risk my life robbing a bank? Don't you agree?"

The logic was circular. It was truly an unassailable reason.

Ford exchanged a few more pleasantries and then left the warehouse.

"Lin Fei, what do we do now?" Lin Mengzi looked at Lin Fei and asked softly.

Lin Fei checked his watch; there were still a full fourteen hours until the midnight operation.

"Sister Mengzi, do you remember the Free City I told you about?"

Lin Mengzi's eyes lit up: "I remember! You said it was very prosperous!"

"But this place seems very similar to the western cities of Lighthouse Country, a bit like a city built in a vast desert."

Lin Fei said: "This place isn't great, but looking at the map, Kara Bay isn't far from the downtown area of Free City; it takes about an hour by car. The location for tonight's operation also requires passing through Free City. It's perfect; while we have time, I'll take you there for a tour. Don't feel pressured; we're here to experience things—we came here just to eat, drink, and have fun!"

Lin Fei took Lin Mengzi's hand. He had too much confidence in himself.

Never mind that military vehicle hijacking operation; even if it were robbing a bank, he could fight his way out on his own.

However, one thousand dollars might not be enough to spend, and this time the System didn't provide the initial three hundred! Lin Fei decided to go find those dozen or so old friends and borrow some more.

Lin Fei hailed a taxi. A few dozen minutes later, the taxi drove past the desolate suburbs of Kara Bay and entered that familiar jungle of steel and glass that was Free City.

"Oh my goodness!" Lin Mengzi looked at the metropolis, her eyes sparkling. It was like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden; everything she saw was new!

Lin Fei was very relaxed. He planned to revisit his old haunts and first go to those old friends to get some startup capital.

One thousand wasn't enough; he needed at least ten or twenty thousand dollars to really have a blast and enjoy himself in this city of debauchery!

He had to let Sister Mengzi, who had taken care of him since he was little, washed his clothes, and played with him, properly experience the charm of this city that never sleeps.

He arrived at the door of the "Quick Cash Loan" company with the gaudy sign, feeling quite familiar with the place. Lin Fei pushed the door open and entered, a trace of nostalgic smile even on his face.

However, what greeted him was not the greasy fat man's hypocritical smile, but a roar filled with shock and rage.

"Holy shit! Lin Fei! You motherfucker, you actually dare to come back!"

The fat man behind the counter stood up abruptly. The fat on his face was trembling, and with his bared teeth, he looked like a rabid yellow dog.

A few tattooed men who had been lounging on the sofa instantly surrounded him, their eyes unfriendly.

"Kid! You disappeared for a full two months! We thought you died in some gutter somewhere! What? Are you ready to come back and pay up now?!" The fat man spat as he yelled.

Lin Fei was stunned. Two months? He had clearly only spent a few hours in the trial world, and counting the time in the Node Tower, it was only a day and a night.

It seemed that after leaving the trial world, the time flow here and in reality was not consistent. Perhaps it was the time difference between the two missions.

Moreover, what surprised Lin Fei was that it could actually retain some records. It felt more and more like a large-scale game, just like how if you kill a chicken in a village in Skyrim, no matter when you come back, the villagers will attack you like crazy.

This world had also recorded the fact that he had borrowed money before. In that case, he couldn't keep repeating the borrowing trick!

"Pay back money? When did I owe you money?" Lin Fei frowned.

"Bullshit!" The fat man slammed the table. "Two months ago! You brought two chicks and borrowed three thousand from us! With interest, it's now twenty thousand! If you're short a single cent, neither of you is leaving here today!"

The compound interest of loan sharks was truly terrifying! If other players tried this, they might be in trouble. But Lin Fei wasn't afraid. Who was he? Five-times Hulk.

Lin Fei was a bit impatient: "What are you baring your teeth for? Believe it or not, I'll send you to Pan Hong. I don't have money to pay you back today; besides, give me another twenty thousand."

"Oh, holy shit! No money?!" The fat man laughed in extreme anger; he hadn't expected the kid in front of him to be such a hothead.

He gave a wink to the thugs on the side. "If you don't have money, leave your girl behind! We'll sell her to a strip club; that should get us back fifteen thousand!"

"Hehe! A beautiful girl, her face is so tender it's dripping water!" "This is definitely the best of the best!" "So white, and that kind of pinkish white, white with a rosy tint, tender enough to drip water!"

A few tattooed men immediately approached Lin Mengzi with sinister smiles. Lin Mengzi gripped the gun she had taken from her safety bag. She wasn't afraid; instead, she stood in a line with Lin Fei.

Lin Fei had been relaxed just a moment ago, but his expression quickly changed. His eyes turned cold. He looked around at these guys who didn't know life from death.

"It seems you've made a mistake." Lin Fei's voice was calm. "I didn't come here to borrow money this time."

He paused, his white teeth outlining a cruel smile. "I came to rob you."

Then, Lin Fei moved! His figure flickered like a ghost in the narrow space!

Those tattooed men didn't even see his movements clearly; they only felt an irresistible, tremendous force strike them! Bang! Bang! Bang! Dull thuds of impact rang out one after another!

Everyone felt like they had been rammed by a fully loaded hundred-ton dump truck.

The first man was punched in the chest by Lin Fei, his sternum instantly collapsing, and he flew backward like a cannonball, smashing through the glass counter behind him.

The second man tried to draw his gun, but Lin Fei was faster; with a hand strike, the force of the Monument Breaking Hand drove his head directly into his chest cavity.

The third and fourth had just raised their submachine guns. Lin Fei swept his leg, and all the firearms shattered instantly.

Lin Fei was like a tiger in a flock of sheep; every strike carried the force of a thunderbolt!

"This punch is called 'We are all living with all our might'." Bang, bang, bang! Every punch had the force of five hundred tons. Wherever his fists and feet landed, bones shattered and flesh flew!

In just a few breaths, besides Lin Fei, Lin Mengzi, and the terrified fat man, there was no one left standing in the room!

The fat man collapsed in his chair, his crotch wet, shaking like a sieve, looking in terror at the Superman-like Lin Fei.

Except for not wearing his underwear on the outside, the fat man could hardly tell what the difference was between Lin Fei and Superman.

Being able to smash a person to pieces with one punch—was this still a human from Earth?

"Spare me, Big Brother! You're so powerful, why come to our little temple to rob money? You should go rob a bank!" His teeth chattered, and he couldn't speak clearly.

Lin Fei didn't look at him. He noticed that on several of the corpses that had been beaten beyond recognition, several books flickering with a faint light had popped out with a "poof."

【Skill Book: Vehicle Driving Lv3 x1】 【Skill Book: Precision Shooting Lv3 x1】 【Skill Book: Vehicle Driving Lv3 x1】

Lin Fei's heart stirred. So, killing these elite monsters in the real world could drop skill books! No wonder some players' basic skill Ranks were so high!

He picked up the skill books without hesitation. 【Do you want to learn 'Vehicle Driving Lv3'?】 "Yes!"

A wave of knowledge and muscle memory regarding vehicle operation instantly flooded his mind, as if he had been driving for over a decade.

He handed the remaining two skill books to Lin Mengzi. "Sister Mengzi, you learn these two."

Lin Mengzi looked at the skill books, then at the mess all over the floor; her little face turned a bit pale, but she still took them and chose to learn them with her mind.

After finishing all this, Lin Fei walked up to the trembling fat man. He no longer needed any weapons to intimidate him, because he himself was the most terrifying weapon.

"Transfer all the money in your company's account to this account, now, immediately, right away." Lin Fei recited a temporary virtual account generated by the System.

How could the fat man dare not to comply? He operated the computer with trembling hands. Soon, over two hundred thousand dollars was transferred into Lin Fei's account.

【Funds Obtained: 218,500 USD.】

Lin Fei nodded in satisfaction. Having solved the funding issue, he was in a great mood. As for the fat man, Lin Fei was afraid he would be too grief-stricken over the death of his brothers, so he sent him to join them as well.

"Sister Mengzi, we're rich now!"

For the rest of the time, Lin Fei completely let himself go. He took Lin Mengzi to the largest amusement park in Free City. Roller coasters, drop towers, merry-go-rounds, and super-realistic haunted house adventures. Lin Mengzi's face was beaming with a bright smile she had never had before. Seeing his sister happy, Lin Fei was happier than he had ever been.

By evening, Lin Fei threw money around lavishly and went to the top-tier revolving restaurant in Free City. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was the brilliant night view of the entire city, like scattered stars.

Lin Fei and his sister sat at the table; Lin Fei didn't even look at the menu the waiter brought over. He ordered directly. "Forty Australian abalones!" "Very well." "One forty-pound lobster." "I'm sorry, we don't have one that big." "Whatever size you have, bring me the biggest one!"

Lin Fei curled his lip; it's not like he was short on cash. "And this Alaskan king crab, French foie gras, caviar, and whatever else—bring me ten thousand dollars' worth!" "Understood, understood."

One hundred thousand dollars meant they would get over ten thousand in tips; the waiter was practically treating Lin Fei like his own father.

However, Lin Fei's appetite was huge now, and he really did need to replenish some high-quality protein. Soon, the table was filled with various delicacies and seafood.

Lin Mengzi looked at the dreamlike scene and the food in front of her, her eyes wide, her little mouth slightly open, not knowing where to start for a moment.

"Eat, Sister Mengzi! Oh, don't eat the carbs; you can get full on seafood." Lin Fei smiled and placed a large piece of peeled lobster meat onto Lin Mengzi's plate.

"These are so expensive." "Hey, money is a bastard; if it's gone, we'll just scam more." Lin Fei laughed. "No, we'll rob more." Lin Mengzi smiled.

She carefully took a bite and happily squinted her eyes: "Ooh... this is so yummy."

While the other squads were racking their brains trying to get money and equipment, the two were enjoying the stunning night view while tasting top-tier delicacies. The atmosphere was warm and romantic.