Chapter 642: Why Didn’t You Use My Name

The moment he thought of his wife possibly being in danger, the man could no longer stay still. He immediately took his daughter and hurried home. Their home was a desolate rented unit in a remote residential complex tucked away deep within the slums.

The slums had been renamed Jingwu District after the rise of Jingwu Sect. For a brief period, it had even experienced a surge of prosperity. But when the great war erupted, countless lives were lost in the city’s defense, and Haijing City suffered catastrophic devastation. The district, too, quickly fell back into decay.

When the man and his daughter arrived at the entrance of their residential complex, they saw several men in City Management uniforms standing by the door, speaking in aggressive tones. Their demeanor was clearly hostile.

The moment they spotted the man and his daughter, the City Management officers strode toward them.

"It’s her," one of them pointed at the little girl from a distance. "She’s the little thief who stole military rations. We have surveillance footage—it’s all crystal clear."

The girl trembled in fright, shrinking behind her father like a startled rabbit.

The crippled man quickly reassured her, "Don’t be afraid, Papa’s here..."

Before he could finish speaking, the City Management officers had already surrounded them.

The City Management office, officially named the Wartime Urban Grassroots Comprehensive Management Group, was a temporary administrative body established six months ago upon the recommendation of Xue Xuanqi, the city leader of Haijing.

Its primary duties included overseeing food and water procurement, storage, transportation, and distribution within designated residential zones. It was also responsible for mobilizing manpower, maintaining basic regional order, sanitation, and other essential functions.

Since Haijing City was under siege from star beasts and the Yiggs coalition, nearly all government officials had been conscripted into the frontlines. Thus, urban governance had been handed over to the newly formed City Management unit.

The current wartime conditions had allowed the City Management’s authority to swell. They had full control over ordinary citizens' access to food, shelter, and daily necessities.

"Your daughter stole military rations meant for the soldiers on the city walls. We caught her on surveillance. Cripple, hand her over now!" Zhou Ding, the squad leader of the City Management team, strode forward and glared at the crippled man, his voice harsh and commanding.

"No, that’s impossible! Little Du Juan would never do something like that!" shouted the crippled man who shielded his daughter behind him. "You must be mistaken."

Zhou Ding didn’t bother arguing. He simply played the surveillance footage. On the screen, the little girl was clearly seen walking out of the military ration storage, holding three steamed buns in her hands. The image was crisp and unmistakable.

The crippled man was instantly stunned.

"I didn’t steal them!" The little girl hurriedly defended herself. She pointed at Zhou Ding. "It was him! He called me into the warehouse and gave me the steamed buns. He told me to take them home for my mother because she was sick and starving. I only—"

Zhou Ding sneered coldly. "Nonsense. Those were military rations, painstakingly secured for the warriors bleeding on the city walls. Why would I give any to a little thief like you?"

The little girl froze in shock. She couldn’t understand why this man, who had seemed so kind before and personally handed her food, was now denying everything.

"It was you! I’m not lying!" She pleaded desperately, turning to her father. "Papa, I didn’t lie! It was really him!"

The crippled man knew his daughter would never lie. He also understood, in that moment, exactly what was happening.

"Zhou Ding, you despicable bastard! You’re framing a child just so you can take my wife?! Are you even human?!" said the crippled man as he couldn’t hold back his rage.

Zhou Ding glanced around and, seeing no bystanders, dropped his facade. He chuckled coldly. "So what if I am? Heh, your wife is a beauty beyond compare. I’ve never seen a beggar like you with such good fortune in my life.

"Heh... I just want a taste. Be smart and hand her over, and I’ll let your daughter go. Otherwise—" His voice turned sinister. "Stealing military rations in times of war is no different from espionage and treason. No matter how young she is, for a crime this serious... she’ll be nailed to the river embankment for everyone to see."

The mere thought of the crippled beggar’s wife made Zhou Ding’s blood boil with desire. Who would have believed that this hideous, burned cripple had somehow married a woman like that? She must have been a refugee from another region.

That day, Zhou Ding had only caught a glimpse of the cripple’s wife, yet it had left him utterly restless. He thought about her day and night, unable to shake her from his mind. He had assumed that with his current status and authority, all it would take was a slight gesture. A small allocation of food rations slipping through his grasp would be enough to make that delicate woman willingly crawl into his bed.

After all, the war had drained the city’s food supply, and he had already used the same tactic to sleep with more women than he could count. But this cripple’s family was far more stubborn than he had expected. No matter what tricks he employed, neither the cripple nor his wife yielded.

Zhou Ding lost patience. So he set a trap: luring the cripple’s precious daughter into the warehouse, offering her three steamed buns, then deliberately recording surveillance footage to frame her for stealing military rations.

Fooling a little girl was the easiest thing in the world. She had even thanked him over and over after taking the food.

"Cripple, make your choice," Zhou Ding sneered. "Either you hand over your wife and let me enjoy her for a few days, or I’ll have your daughter strung up and hanged by the river embankment."

"You... Zhou Ding, don’t go too far!" shouted the cripple as his eyes burned with fury. "If you push me to the edge, I’ll take you down with me!"

"Hahaha! You?!" Zhou Ding laughed mockingly. "I’ve already looked into your family. You’re just a bunch of refugees from the northwest. You had a little money once, but it’s long gone. You have no connections in Haijing City or anyone to stand up for you.

"Take me down with you? What the hell can a worthless cripple like you do?"

He waved his hand.

"Grab that little brat!" Zhou Ding bellowed.

The City Management officers lunged forward. The cripple struggled to shield his daughter, but he was quickly punched, kicked, and sent sprawling to the ground.

"Stop! You... what are you doing?!" A disheveled young woman burst out from the courtyard, rushing to protect her daughter and standing in front of her. "Are you nothing but bandits? Thugs?!"

Zhou Ding’s eyes glimmered with greed as they swept over her figure, barely concealed beneath her coarse, worn-out clothing. Though she had grown thinner from hunger, it did little to diminish her graceful curves. Her fair skin and delicate, exquisite features made his throat go dry with desire.

There is no doubt—this woman must have been the daughter of some wealthy family. Otherwise, how could she possess such refined elegance? Even in her current misfortune, she is like a jade beauty.

"Your daughter stole military rations," Zhou Ding smirked, his voice dripping with mockery. "That’s treason. We’re simply carrying out the law.

"But..." His tone grew lecherous. "If you're willing to pay a price, I might be willing to look the other way..."

The woman stared at Zhou Ding with undisguised disgust, as if she were looking at a filthy, snarling stray dog. She knew exactly what kind of vile creature he was. He had been eyeing her for a long time. No matter how careful she had been, she hadn’t expected him to be despicable enough to frame her innocent daughter and force her hand.

"Well?" Zhou Ding stepped closer, his voice sickeningly smooth. "Three nights with me—that’s all it takes. Do that, and your daughter walks free."

He closed in on her like a predator who believed he had already won. There was no one else around. No witnesses. He didn’t even bother pretending anymore.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from within the courtyard.

"Aren’t you afraid of the law if you go around abusing your power like this?" A black-haired youth, dressed in plain clothing, stepped out of the residence.

Zhou Ding felt a flicker of familiarity when he saw him. But after a quick glance, he dismissed the thought. The boy showed no sign of inner qi. His attire was simple and unremarkable. Clearly, he was just some random nobody from the district.

Zhou Ding sneered, "I am the law in Haijing City."

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

He chuckled coldly, "And you, brat—who the hell do you think you are? Stay out of this, unless you want to lose your share of the relief porridge tomorrow."

The black-haired youth didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, he turned toward the cripple, who froze. His anger vanished, replaced by a dazed stillness. Then, his body trembled ever so slightly. A moment later, he lowered his head, his hands coming up to cover his face.

"So, am I not your brother anymore?" The black-haired youth frowned, his tone carrying a trace of discontent. "Even if I wasn’t in Haijing City, you still could’ve used my name. At the very least, you could’ve kept sister-in-law and Little Du Juan from suffering like this. Old Bai... What the hell happened to you? Did the name Li Xiaofei really become that hard for you to say?"