Vice Raid

The night veiled Battle God Isle in a hush, save for the docks.

Midnight had long since passed, yet it was precisely at this hour that the weary sailors, after a day of ceaseless toil, sought their favored repose. Along the waterfront, a continuous string of buildings glowed with inviting light, and within, under the dim, secretive lamps, men gathered in groups of three or five, washing away the day's fatigue in their own unique fashion. For sailors, the ultimate diversions were ever the same two: strong drink and alluring women.

Near an establishment known for its ‘special services,’ Du Chen, accompanied by a dozen or so senior students from the Department of Supervision, covertly lurked in a narrow alley, ears pricked for Director Louis’s stern instructions.

“The intelligence is confirmed; those damnable freshmen are undoubtedly inside! When we move, show no quarter! Teach them a harsh lesson!”

Louis’s venomous tone sent a shiver down Du Chen’s spine. He secretly prayed, “Please, don’t let Big Brother be in there! If he is, how in the heavens am I supposed to warn him?”

Unlike Du Chen, who harbored his own hidden agenda, Jason, another newcomer to the Department of Supervision, displayed an eagerness bordering on zeal. He inquired with feigned concern, “Director Louis, as a fresh recruit, I humbly seek your guidance. Are there any particular precautions we should observe during the operation? Furthermore, what is the extent of our authority? If those scoundrels refuse to confess, are we permitted to employ force?”

His barrage of questions earned him an approving glance from Louis. “Jason, an excellent line of inquiry! The academy regulations stipulate that we merely have the right to record transgressions and report them to the instructors. However, as Dean Ricardo’s nephew, I can personally assure you: as long as no one dies, you are free to act as you please!”

With that, he cast a pointed glare at Du Chen. “Francis, I can tell you now: your Big Brother, Steve, is also inside. Later, I shall keenly observe your performance!”

That bastard! Is this scoundrel trying to force me into sacrificing kin for righteousness?! To drag a patron’s own younger brother to raid a brothel… this brat must be a pampered imbecile, raised without a shred of common sense!

Du Chen’s anxiety surged. While his Big Brother might have indeed transgressed academy rules, wasn’t there an adage from his previous life? ‘A university life without failing a course, chasing girls, or breaking a few rules is an incomplete university life!’ Even if Steve was in the wrong, it wasn’t for Louis, that puffed-up cur, to throw his weight around! And to blithely declare, ‘act as you please, as long as no one dies!’

Du Chen nodded, feigning understanding, yet his eyes subtly scanned their surroundings.

Louis added, “Listen up, everyone. There are several Fourth-Year students inside. They are highly likely to resist arrest!” The Battle God Academy’s grading system wasn’t based on academic years, but on strength. For instance, Steve, a Two-Star Fighter, directly entered his Second Year upon enrollment. The system progressed similarly; as long as students advanced in strength, they could skip grades and move up. Furthermore, once they cultivated their Battle Soul, passed Level Six of the Battle God Language, and achieved Level Four in sacred artifact application, they would be eligible for graduation and employment.

“Don’t worry, Director!” the junior members enthusiastically affirmed. It was then that Du Chen spotted his target: a common weathervane near the brothel, one typically found on docks. To accurately indicate wind direction, it stood over a dozen meters tall, its base as thick as a wine jar! Big Brother was saved.

Seizing the moment while Louis and his cohort were distracted, Du Chen released a lotus. No larger than a mosquito, it went utterly unnoticed, swiftly darting towards the weathervane, burrowing into the pillar like a tiny drill. “Enlarge!” Du Chen mentally commanded. With a resounding “CRACK!”, the weathervane toppled directly towards the brothel’s main entrance, instantly pulverizing the gilded signboard above it. The momentum of a dozen-meter-tall pillar, as thick as a wine jar, plummeting from thin air, was far from spent. Unabated, it continued its destructive trajectory, smashing a gaping hole in the wall adjacent to the brothel’s main gate. At the same moment, Du Chen swiftly retracted the now-shrunken lotus.

“Damn it, what in the blazes is happening?!” Chaos instantly erupted within the brothel, with a few unfortunate souls seemingly injured by the falling debris. “Everyone, please do not panic! This is merely an unforeseen accident. Our sincerest apologies, but all expenses for tonight shall be waived. Gentlemen, please return home; we must attend to repairs on our main entrance!” Business owners, ever keen on auspicious omens, would never dare operate after their main entrance had been so thoroughly shattered.

Watching the patrons trickle out, one by one, Du Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Louis, however, slammed his fist against the wall, raging, “To hell with it! Seize them now!”

“Director, we didn’t catch them in the act—”

“Silence your prattle!” Louis snarled, pointing at Steve, who was emerging impeccably dressed alongside his cronies. “They came out of *there*, and that’s enough! I say he was whoring, and who dares to gainsay me?!”

With a wave of his hand, he led the students to encircle Steve and his group. This debacle on his first assignment leading newcomers? Where was Louis to put his face now?!

“Hey, what’s going on?” Steve exclaimed in surprise. When Louis declared their identity, Steve replied, “My dear comrades from the Department of Supervision, I merely came here for a drink. See? Do we look like men who’ve been whoring? Oh, Francis, you’re here too?” Du Chen gave a wry smile and an awkward nod. “I just joined the Department of Supervision today.” “Oh, congratulations, my dear younger brother!” Steve said, about to pull Du Chen into a bear hug, but Louis stepped forward and seized his wrist. “Steve, academy regulations state that whoring incurs a fifty-point deduction from one’s conduct score!”

“No, no, no, Director Louis, I distinctly recall merely coming here to drink. You see, I’m a newcomer, still unfamiliar with the customs of Battle God Isle. My friends and I mistook this establishment for a tavern and simply walked in. At most, you could charge me with accidentally entering a brothel! But who, pray tell, actually witnessed me whoring? Indeed, I have at least twenty witnesses who can attest to my innocent drinking. How many witnesses do *you* possess?!” Big Brother, ever the rogue! Du Chen chuckled inwardly.

But Louis flew into a furious rage. He was a Director; how could he lose face before these newcomers?! Grabbing Steve’s hand, he sneered, “Argue all you want, but if I say you are guilty, then guilty you are! Seize them!” “Hey, you can’t do this! I’ll complain to the Dean!” “The Dean is my uncle! And now I say you’re resisting arrest and assaulting an officer of the Department of Supervision! What are you waiting for? Move!”

The students of the Department of Supervision swarmed forward. Louis was a Fifth-Year student, and the Department indeed boasted several skilled individuals among its ranks. The moment they moved, Steve and his companions were swiftly apprehended, leaving Du Chen to fret inwardly!

“Damn it! Ptooey!” Louis spat savagely, glaring at the captured Steve. He then beckoned Du Chen closer, thrusting a whip into his hand. “You handle this fellow. Even if he’s your Big Brother, you are still an officer of the Department of Supervision!” “Damn you! You dare to sanction extrajudicial punishment?! And order me to strike my own Big Brother?!” Du Chen’s fury erupted. “Director Louis—” “Silence your insolence!” Louis sneered, his gaze playful as he stared at Du Chen. “Strike him, or get out of the Department of Supervision!”

Bound and trapped, Steve merely chuckled. “Francis, it’s nothing! Big Brother’s hide is thick!” *CRACK!* Du Chen met his Big Brother’s gaze, a small smile playing on his lips, then defiantly cast the whip to the ground.

“You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, you damnable Lanning man!” Louis raged, glaring at Du Chen, yet an undeniable glint of satisfaction betrayed itself in his eyes, as if some unspeakable agenda had been fulfilled. “Lanning man, I now possess ample grounds to petition the instructors to expel you from the Student Council! Guards! Seize this accursed Lanning man, Francis, as well!”

No, something was profoundly amiss! This Louis wasn’t some imbecile bringing a younger brother to apprehend his older sibling! He seemed to be deliberately seeking fault, aiming to deal with Du Chen himself! He had purposefully brought Du Chen to capture his own Big Brother, then waited for him to be caught between a rock and a hard place, ready to seize a pretext!

“Oh, dear, dear! Our Louis is once again abusing his power for personal vendettas!” At that moment, Professor Mina emerged from a nearby alleyway.