The reason Caius did not mention the Lunla Orphanage was because he knew that there were always some fools in this world—tell them not to do something, and they would do it anyway.

  If he brought up the Lunla Orphanage, it would become the target of public scrutiny.

  Perhaps because of him, no one would dare to touch the orphanage, but better safe than sorry.

  So Caius simply expanded the scope, using land transactions as a cover to protect the Lunla Orphanage.

  After all, the only valuable thing about the Lunla Orphanage was that piece of land.

  As long as no one had the idea of seizing that land, the orphanage would be safe.

  Soon, Caius arrived outside the garden, where a crowd of enforcers had already gathered.

  "Stop!" an enforcer commanded, preventing Caius from proceeding further.

  Caius immediately put on a harmless smile. "Are you kidding me, officer~?"

  "I’m just a law-abiding passerby. If you want to arrest someone, arrest them—it has nothing to do with me~"

  Enforcer: "..."

  You’re covered in so much blood that three buckets wouldn't wash it off, and you’re telling me you’re a law-abiding citizen?!

  "If you don’t believe me, ask him. Isn’t that right, Sean?" Caius looked over at Sean.

  Sean immediately nodded and waved a large hand. "This is a matter for the Crab Gang. It has nothing to do with this gentleman who was just passing by. If you want someone, take us!"

  "That’s right, take us!"

  "We did it all!"

  The group of Crab Gang members behind Sean raised their weapons and shouted loudly, making the enforcers tense up, fearing that these bloodthirsty thugs might charge at them.

  The lead enforcer furrowed his brows.

  Standing at a height of 1.8 meters, he had a handsome face, sharp eyes like an eagle, and an imposing stance. He exuded the aura of a seasoned soldier, a stark contrast to the enforcers who flinched at the sight of gang members.

  Judging by his attire, he seemed to hold a high rank.

  "See? I’m innocent." Caius grinned, holding a cigarette between his lips.

  For a moment, he felt as if he was back on that sand-choked wasteland.

  Damn, it felt good!

  The enforcer stared at Caius for a long moment, then tilted his head slightly, signaling his men to clear a path.

  Caius chuckled and walked straight out.

  As he passed the high-ranking enforcer, a deep voice reached his ears.

  "You better not fall into my hands."

  "Heh." Caius smirked, patting the enforcer’s shoulder, casually wiping the blood off his hand in the process.

  "Then you’d better be a good cop."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  With that, Caius strode away, not sparing a glance at the enforcer, whose chest rose and fell with suppressed fury.

  "Take them all away!"

  Listening to the enforcer’s furious orders behind him and the defiant laughter of the gang members, Caius felt quite pleased.

  Soon, he returned to the orphanage.

  Seeing him covered in blood, Granny Lunla was startled, but the little girls didn’t seem to care at all.

  "Here, the teeth you wanted." Caius opened his hand, revealing a dozen freshly cleaned teeth.

  He had yanked them out of the mouths of a few unlucky bastards.

  "Wow!" Tina gleefully took them and, together with the other little girls, gleefully examined them, making Granny Lunla’s eyelid twitch.

  Caius, however, burst into hearty laughter.

  Tina would make a great mercenary!

  Of course, he wasn’t keen on her taking that path, but who knew what the future held?

  Afterward, Caius returned to Hailan No. 11 to take a bath.

  He could bathe at the orphanage, but the facilities were still rather basic. The bathing area was too low, forcing him to crouch and scoop water over himself, which was hardly comfortable. So, he opted for the mercenary tavern’s bathhouse instead.

  In the future, he’d renovate the orphanage properly and move in comfortably.

  As soon as Caius walked in, still covered in blood, Yvlan rushed over, bombarding him with concerned questions. Only after confirming he was unharmed did she let out a sigh of relief.

  "What were you up to?" Yvlan asked.

  "Nothing major, just wiping out a gang. They messed with me." Caius said casually.

  "Which gang?"

  "The Serpent Gang."

  Yvlan: "..."

  The Serpent Gang was one of the four major gangs in the outer city, yet Caius spoke of it as if it were some small, nameless group.

  But judging from the way he looked, things weren’t looking good for the Serpent Gang.

  It wouldn’t be long before the news spread.

  "Oh, right. The temporary pass for the inner city is ready." Yvlan said.

  Caius nodded. "Thanks. I’ll be heading to the inner city soon, probably won’t be back tonight."

  Yvlan nodded, then seemed to realize something. She pouted. "Fine, don’t come back, why are you telling me…"

  "I just didn’t want anyone to miss me so much they can’t sleep~" Caius grinned, leaning in close to her face.

  Yvlan pushed him away, crossing her arms and turning her back on him. "Who? Who would miss you, big guy? Tell me."

  "Heh, I don’t know, just something I heard. Apparently, she’s very beautiful."

  Facing away, Yvlan smiled slightly, a hint of anticipation in her voice. "Oh? How beautiful?"

  "The kind of beautiful that appears in happy dreams."

  Yvlan pondered for a moment. "Happy dreams…"

  Then she realized what he meant. Her face instantly turned red, and she turned around angrily—only to see Caius dashing upstairs, laughing as he escaped.

  Yvlan chuckled in frustration but didn’t chase after him. Instead, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, looking particularly gentle.

  ...

  After a bath, a change of clothes, and a quick chat with the Boss Lady, Caius left with Kiki.

  His little cat was his trusty assistant—wherever he went, she followed.

  Yvlan clearly understood this as well, thoughtfully getting two temporary passes.

  The registration process for entering the inner city was much stricter—at least compared to the outer city. At the very least, names were recorded.

  Passing through the checkpoint into the inner city, Caius felt like he had stepped into Grilla City.

  No wonder it was the rich district. Compared to the chaos of the outer city, this place was much cleaner and better maintained.

  Of course, it was all just a facade.

  Caius knew the truth—many rich people indulged in more debauchery than the poor, as they had both the time and money to seek out new thrills.

  For example, right now.

  He had barely walked a few steps when a plump noblewoman approached him, accompanied by several other well-dressed ladies, all smiling flirtatiously at him.

  Their eyes frequently wandered to Caius’s well-built muscles, unashamedly admiring them.

  This displeased Meow.

  Big Guy liked beauties, and while these women weren’t ugly, they hardly qualified as beauties.

  In Meow’s opinion, only women like Holan and Yvlan deserved that title.

  Big Guy couldn’t just like anyone, meow!

  So Meow glared at the noblewomen, flashing the small dagger at her waist protectively, making Caius chuckle.

  But his little cat deserved to be spoiled, so Caius clearly stated that he was a performer, not a courtesan. Disappointed, the noblewomen eventually left.

  Kiki immediately brightened up, perching on Caius’s shoulder and wrapping her tail around his neck, lightly brushing his cheek.

  It tickled a little, but also felt nice.

  "Oern's Smithy…" Caius recalled the address Yvlan had given him, scanning the area.

  First, he would visit Oern’s Smithy to settle some business, then go find "Iron Fist" Raymond.

  Caius had an excellent memory and soon found Oern’s Smithy.

  Looking at the soot-streaked smithy, Caius pressed his lips together and nodded.

  Then, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

  A wave of heat greeted him as a stocky figure came into view, speaking in a gruff voice.

  "We’re closed today."