Volume 1, Chapter 59: The Free Young Master

"Didn't you see this document?"

"You must cooperate. Believe it or not, we can charge you with harboring a criminal..."

On the other side, the law enforcement officer who had initially approached Young Master Zheng at the bar counter was exasperated to the point of laughter.

What in the world is all this nonsense about freedom...

Cooperating with our investigation is every citizen's obligation.

Can you just brush it all aside by casually throwing out the word 'freedom'?

At that moment, the Red-robed Leader suddenly roused from her tipsy state. By now, the entire Corridor Bar was exceptionally quiet, countless gazes shifting back and forth between Qin Shang, Young Master Zheng, and the few law enforcement officers.

The Red-robed Leader casually rested her delicate chin in her hand and said indifferently:

"The highest leader of your Beijing Public Security Bureau is right here as well. Why don't you ask him if he's willing to leave?"

"Besides, I'd like to ask, since the top leaders of your Beijing Public Security Bureau are all present here, who on earth authorized and issued this document to you?"

Her clear and resonant voice echoed through the silent bar.

Ever since the lights had been switched on, the conversational hum in the venue had dropped drastically, with the majority of eyes focused squarely on Qin Shang, Young Master Zheng, the Red-robed Leader, and the others.

As for the gazes directed at Qin Shang, most people had already guessed that he must be the protagonist of this afternoon's trending event: 「Shocking! A Wanted Player Openly Defies Official Players」.

'Licking the Jade Feet of Cockroaches'.

The words of the Red-robed Leader instantly left the group of law enforcement officers dumbfounded.

Immediately afterward, at one of the tables, a ponytail-wearing man in a black suit stood up with equal detachment:

"I am indeed unaware of this operation. Which precinct are you from?"

As soon as those words fell, the complexions of those law enforcement officers changed drastically!

The ponytail-wearing man was also dressed in a suit, but his facial features surpassed even those of Young Master Zheng, looking as though they had been meticulously sculpted. His face was devoid of a single flaw, handsome to a degree that defied reason.

Qin Shang could already be considered fairly handsome among ordinary people.

Yet upon seeing that guy, Qin Shang had an inexplicable illusion of being completely overshadowed.

Standing 1.9 meters tall, clad in a crisp suit, with a meticulously tied ponytail and a pair of piercing, brilliant eyes—his pitch-black pupils seemed to contain the starry cosmos, drawing anyone who made eye contact with him into an inescapable abyss.

"A maiden killer!"

If this guy went into the entertainment industry, he would probably captivate countless fans all over again.

Qin Shang muttered inwardly, especially given the man's innate aura of someone born to a high station, which practically evoked an impulse to bow down and pledge allegiance.

Back in ancient times, this would definitely have been a devastatingly handsome disaster of a man who, relying solely on his looks, could charm the inhabitants of a pleasure house into forming an entire army of maidens.

"Young Master Yin!"

Someone in the crowd cried out in astonishment.

The others also began chattering among themselves.

"Holy crap, why is Young Master Yin here?"

"I heard the law enforcement officer who made the forum post today is from the Chaoyang District. Isn't he one of Young Master Yin's subordinates?"

"Could Young Master Yin also have rushed over here just to watch the drama?"

"There's a high probability he isn't that bored. Given his tier, aside from conflicts between Rule-tier players, nothing else could possibly catch his interest."

"Still, I didn't expect Young Master Yin to come to Corridor Bar today either. It seems the gossip about the Four Young Masters of Beijing not getting along has been self-refuted."

"Not necessarily. After all, Corridor Bar is a gathering place for free players and official players; the most clues can be gathered right here."

"Maybe Young Master Yin just wants to take this opportunity to mingle with the community of free players."

Young Master Yin!?

Hearing the surrounding discussions, Qin Shang widened his eyes in surprise.

According to the Red-robed Leader's description, both Young Master Yin and Young Master Zheng were young talents among the Divine Path player community in Beijing.

They were heavyweights within this circle.

He never expected that today at Corridor Bar, he would actually run into two of them sharing the same frame in one go.

He had heard that many local Beijing Divine Path players might not even get a chance to catch a glimpse of this high-ranking and powerful Young Master Yin.

"Mr. Yin, it—it was 'Eagle of Justice'. He claimed he wanted to hunt down a ruthless Divine Path player, so he told us to come here and find the target to cooperate with an investigation. The document was issued by him..."

The next moment, a trembling voice filled with terror rang out.

It was the law enforcement officer holding the document in front of the bar counter.

Any trace of his previous impatience was long gone upon seeing his supreme superior appearing right here.

It was probably just like a middle schooler playing truant to cause trouble at an internet cafe, only to discover that the net admin was his own father—fraught with panic and anxiety...

Innate suppression of bloodlines.

Using official authority to bully others, only to bump straight into his ultimate boss.

A three-thousand-word self-reflection essay tomorrow was probably unavoidable.

Who knows, if Young Master Yin got displeased and really decided to investigate their procedural flaws, it wouldn't be something a mere reflection essay could fix.

The few of them who had accompanied 'Eagle of Justice' to stir up trouble would probably all end up fired.

The next moment, Young Master Yin, clad in his black suit like a vampire emerging from the darkness, remained silent, quietly staring at his two subordinates.

Until their voices grew softer and softer, and they finally fell completely silent.

Just by standing there, this man exuded an overwhelming presence, pressing down on everyone so hard that they hardly dared to breathe.

Qin Shang quickly mentally slapped an 'unsmiling' label on the other guy.

It seemed that the personality flaws of the Four Young Masters of Beijing were all quite severe: one lunatic yearning for freedom, one deadpan expressionist, and the remaining two probably weren't much more normal...

After all, the Four Young Masters were Young Master Zheng, Young Master Yin, Young Master Qian, and Young Master Gou.

The last two didn't sound like decent people just going by their names.

The next moment, the deadpan Young Master Yin raised an eyebrow and said in a cool, detached tone:

"I know nothing about this matter. There's no need to clear out the bar!"

"Yes..."

The law enforcement officer holding the document gave a bitter smile and hurriedly put his paperwork away.

Just at that moment, Young Master Zheng inside the bar counter glanced over at Qin Shang.

He saw the young man making a throat-slitting gesture toward Eagle of Justice outside the window with a mocking expression on his face.

The provocation was palpable!

Young Master Zheng inside the bar was stunned for a moment.

Immediately afterward, a playful smile appeared on his face. He took the initiative to step out from behind the bar, and right under the gaze of everyone present, he spoke to Qin Shang:

"My guest, do you wish to leave, or do you wish to stay?"

"Those two guys are glaring aggressively. Obviously, even if I continue staying here, I won't have freedom. What's more, even if I leave the bar, they'll most likely restrict my freedom too, which makes me feel suffocated. Thinking about it this way, even staying inside the bar doesn't feel free to me."

"True freedom isn't about walking on eggshells, is it?"

Seeing that he had attracted Young Master Zheng's attention, Qin Shang silently marveled that the Red-robed Leader had not deceived him.

Sure enough, in the eyes of this Young Master Zheng, the status of a customer surpassed the heavens.

So he immediately began spouting earnest nonsense:

"If I lose my freedom after leaving, then I'd rather never leave the Corridor."

"But in that case, staying here and continuing to linger wouldn't make me free either."

Hearing this, anyone else would have started cursing.

Are you out of your mind?

To use a popular internet slang, are you just messing with me here?

Of course, Young Master Zheng was no ordinary person. As soon as those words fell, he immediately fell into a brief contemplation.

It seemed he had truly been struck to the soul by Qin Shang's words, and he furrowed his brows tightly.

"Then, my guest, what are your thoughts?"

Qin Shang pointed toward the window with a straight face:

"I want to cooperate with their investigation. After all, once the misunderstanding is cleared up, I can truly be free, but I'm afraid they'll restrict my freedom..."

Young Master Zheng wore an approving expression.

"You are someone who truly loves freedom."

"Then... my guest, I can help you."

Having said that, Young Master Zheng raised his chin toward a waiter:

"Can you temporarily manage the bar for me? Although refusing me is your freedom, firing you is also my freedom."

The employee's expression froze, and then he immediately scrambled into the bar counter.

A trace of approval flashed across Young Master Zheng's handsome face.

Qin Shang's mouth twitched.

My friend, you really understand freedom...

Are you sure this isn't a threat?

The next moment, Young Master Zheng patted Qin Shang on the shoulder:

"Then, my free guest, I am willing to accompany you to fulfill your wishes. If anyone attempts to restrict your freedom during this process, I will help you regain it."

Qin Shang's heart settled.

It's in the bag!

He had finally dragged this heavyweight into the muddy waters.

Although he kept a calm exterior, a wave of wild joy swept through his heart.

Waiting was precisely for these words of yours...

He had to admit, although this free bro's speeches on freedom were a bit unhinged, Qin Shang inexplicably liked him quite a bit.

Compared to the ethereal and tight-lipped Young Master Yin, Qin Shang preferred Young Master Zheng, who constantly had freedom on his lips.

The Red-robed Leader had told him that Young Master Zheng yearned for freedom and appreciated freedom.

The Red-robed Leader's House of Myriad Treasures was rooted in Beijing, and although it was a well-known private organization, it clearly lacked the strength to openly clash with the authorities.

If she openly sheltered Qin Shang, there was a high probability she would sour relations with the official authorities.

As a place trading in information and props, the House of Myriad Treasures made friends widely and embraced the more-the-merrier philosophy. Her smooth, tactful businessperson nature meant she couldn't afford to help Qin Shang maintain fairness.

But Young Master Zheng was different. With Young Master Zheng's immense wealth, let alone the Public Security Bureau—

If they really drove him to extremes, he would go completely mad for the sake of freedom.

That really proved the saying: this world belongs to madmen...

Who could have imagined that a 6th-tier Order-tier ceiling player whom he had met purely by chance would take a stand for Qin Shang just to shelter him as a guest?

One had to understand that Order-tier players were already in the first echelon of the Divine Path player community.

They were absolute powerhouses among powerhouses, let alone a 6th-tier Order-tier like Young Master Zheng.

Normally, inviting an Order-tier player to act required not just points, but also connections.

Otherwise, without sufficient benefits, why would anyone risk their lives and the peril of offending the authorities for your sake?

Yet this Young Master Zheng happened to be a rare eccentric...

Thinking of this, Qin Shang found himself growing more and more fond of this eccentric high-tier player!

From now on, Corridor Bar could practically be treated as his own sanctuary!

The next moment, Young Master Zheng took the lead in walking ahead. The figure in white had one hand shoved into his pocket while the other waved to greet familiar customers passing by, strolling leisurely out of Corridor Bar.

Qin Shang stared at this imposing back from behind, unable to help murmuring in his heart.

What a pretentious show-off.

If this were back in school days, a guy like this would probably be the type who was quite popular among girls, yet drove teachers up the wall for being a massive troublemaker!

After all, if Young Master Zheng fell asleep during class and the teacher called on him to answer a question, Young Master Zheng would most likely wave his hand in refusal and drop a classic line.

"Calling my name to answer a question is the teacher's freedom, but whether or not to answer the question is my freedom..."

Or if he got caught skipping class, he would nonchalantly explain to the teacher:

"Catching students who skip class is your freedom, but not wanting to attend class and wanting to go out and play is my freedom."

Brimming with personality.

Tsk tsk, put that way...

If placed in a different setting, this Young Master Zheng really was a bona fide problem student in every sense of the word.

On the other side, when Qin Shang left Corridor Bar, he exchanged a glance with the Red-robed Leader.

The Red-robed Leader bit her red lips and quietly gave him a thumbs-up.

Qin Shang grinned and followed closely behind Young Master Zheng.

As soon as he stepped outside, he found Young Master Zheng waiting for him right in front of the main entrance.

Qin Shang was just about to ask why he hadn't gone out first.

Suddenly recalling his personality...

He silently nodded at Young Master Zheng, then walked past him out of the bar.

He could already guess Young Master Zheng's reply...

"Walking in front of you is my freedom, following behind you is also my freedom, and you have no right to interfere with my freedom."

What a pity, he couldn't give Eagle of Justice a fright now.

If he had walked out right behind Young Master Zheng and pulled off a fox pretending to be a tiger by saying:

"You're done for, a champion of freedom and justice intends to help me deal with human scum like you."

Eagle of Justice would probably have been frightened out of his wits, wouldn't he?

On second thought, however, Qin Shang felt that line was far too chuunibyou.

Besides, 'Eagle of Justice' was an official player and might not necessarily recognize Young Master Zheng, who had a high reputation among the free player community.

Moreover, such chuunibyou lines didn't suit his persona as an avenger, so he swallowed the thought back down.