Chapter 25 - Wild Cat, No Comment...

 

[Day 39]

Inside Old Sol's small house. 

A small gathering of Grandmaster-level personage started in a low-key manner.

The host today was Old Sol, also known as Swift Thief Sol. He would preside the gathering as Third Party and Neutral Force.

The member of the gathering was the Boss of East District—Sword Madman Andre, Boss of North District—Black Widow Madam Sari, Boss of West District—Rock Barbarian Untung. They sit on an old chair with a small round table before them.

By the side, two cats become a witness of the chance of power balance in Shrimp City.

On the table, there is a cup of cheap coffee and a few packs of snacks, the main reason for today's event—Crispy Saltfish.

Andre puffed his cigar before to a piece of saltfish.

Crunch!

This is... Seaweed flavor? Is this the new flavor they prepare to launch?

He shamelessly took another flavor beside his plate.

Crunch!

With a bite, his eyes lit up as he found his favorite flavor. It was a lingering Corn BBQ flavor. Since young he loved eating corn barbeque, even now he frequently orders a bulk of corn every week.

So, he took the plate directly put it before him and start to enjoy his snack.

At his side. Boss Untung and Madam Sari were speechless, they were equally shocked by his advance. How could a dignified Boss of Underground Force be so low to the point of snatching other's plate?

This... Is this snack really that amazing?

Both of them only heard the news and as their status made it hard for them to taste the snack offered by their subordinate, they never truly felt the taste of Crispy Saltfish, simply knowing from the rumor.

Madam Sari forced herself to take the saltfish. She never eats saltfish, it smells really stink your nose. But...

Sniff! Sniff!

There is no such stinky and smelly aroma instead, it was ridiculously appetizing. How? Because the water he uses is filled with spirit energy, the salt he uses is exposed to spirit energy, the saltfish he dried absorb some spirit energy.

How could such saltfish have a strong stinky smell? Instead, it had an appetizing aroma after being processed into Crispy Saltfish. 

Very healthy, Very delicious, Very miraculous...

Her eyes also lit up. The warm current circulating within her body made her body heat up a bit. Suddenly, a rosy countenance spreading from her face exuding indescribable charm.

On the opposite seat, Boss Untung started to drool over before gulping down. It was unknown whether he drooled over her body or the crispy saltfish.

He extended his arm to take the crispy saltfish. 

Pa!

But, an exquisite delicate hand smaller than his smacked his hand from grasping the crispy saltfish. It then took the whole plate, move it before her.

Boss Untung could only sigh while shaking his head. Without choice, he took the last plate that have fewer pieces after Andre and Madam Sari took one for tasting.

His mouth gaped but he couldn't say a word out. 

Unfortunately, this time before he extend his hand. Someone took the last plate and placed an empty plate in place.

Eee?!

Enough you guys! Don't bully me like this!!

"Andre! Give it back to me! It was my share!"

"Huh?!" Andre gives him a slight response before continuing to delve on his plate.

Shameless! Really shameless of you! 

Tap!

He actually wanted to smack the table with a loud 'bang', but thinking about how terrifying Madman Andre and the unfathomable Old Sol, his hand ends up with a small 'tap' at the side.

He has never been bullied like this!

As the Host, Old Sol felt ashamed for them. Is there no delicious food in their own home?

On the other hand, the little tigress raised its chin, feels proud when it looks at how they fight each other for a snack made by them.

Meow~

Cough!

"There is one more here. You could have it."

"Oh... Thank, thank you very much..." he nearly cried from being moved so much.

"Umn... This, this is amazing! Brother Andre, this tastes amazing! Madam Sari..."

He started to rattle like how he had been. If you say, there is one of most honest between underground force. Then, he should be the answer, all he had was brawn no brain.  

Old Sol took a sip on black coffee before coughing at them, "Ehm, could we start our topic now?"

Uh!

Three of them were shocked by these words. 

Right! They were here for discussion not eating a snack!

Cough! Cough! Cough!

They put down their plate and sip on a cup to hide their embarrassment.

"Yeah, we should start the main topic now..."

"Of course..."

Mn.

"So. May I know for what reason three esteemed Jawara from three districts coming to my humble house with such a big formation?"

Somehow his word carried some pressure pressing down at them.

Madam Sari and Boss Untung could only look at Boss Andre.

"Ehm. Let me introduce myself. My name is Andre Pangestu. I am sure you know about my circumstances be it from rumors or just by reading some newspaper. Our underground force isn't built for just doing some criminal and dirty job. Our main duty was to protect the territory of the City..."

"More or less I understand about it. But what does that have to do with me? I am just an old retired martial artist 'failure'." He emphasizes the last word to remind them of his state before.

He doesn't want to have anything to do with them. He understand it wasn't hard to maintain subordinates under him with just his strength alone, hundreds even thousands of subordinates would bow down at him.  

But, the dispute between cities was different. It caused a lot of bloody battles, and this only at level of cities going further there is a dispute between islands or between alliance. 

Even if you said there is World's Martial Conference every year, it only lessens the dispute not erasing it.

It could be said, the matter following the end of the Conference is more terrible than an ordinary day. 

Fortunately, the law of order that stipulates every underground matter never touches the commoners still held by them mostly. So, there is not much damage done to public facilities.

The most threatening matter is those who lose their rationality in pursuit of strength and wealth and secret organizations like Order Cultists.

They never put the law of order in their eyes. They did as they wish, loot as they wish, destroy as they wish. Even regional agreement wouldn't matter to them.

They are tumors of society.

At this matter, Wild Cat once made a comment. "Why don't they let commoners learn something so they could protect themselves." 

He added, "Ah... If you fear the chaos that might be brought by themselves, just made a register and build an anti-skill organization that controls the permitted usage of such extraordinary power. Make a grading system and moral code to be published widely. Tell them the news of most danger caused by those irascible bunch and how anti-skill deal with them... Haha, forget it I am just grumbling myself." 

Old Sol couldn't hide his shock when he heard this. Such an idea was worth more thought and refining to be established but once it was established, the society would be able to withstand many storms and stress.

He would never think that the last sentence 'forget it, I am just grumbling myself' is actually a realization from the Wild Cat side about how terrible the outcome if the whole society turned into a bunch of extraordinarily. 

It was also a reminder from Her Majesty Queen of Spirit Pixie. Once the balance of that control by anti-skill is broken, it would definitely cause a devastating result. But... Hey, what it has anything to do with him, he was just a Wild Cat.

After that one time of contemplation. Wild Cat tried so hard with sealing his own big mouth and always uttering a 'no comment' for every opinion asked by Old Sol.

...

"No, no... Don't put yourself so low like that. You're the strongest person I am ever meet to this date. Even my half-step Supreme-level still far from you..." 

He indirectly tells the two guys beside him this old thief before them was on a higher level than him, at least he surpass half-step Supreme.

Andre smiled as he says, "You see our City has been stagnant at the development toward a smart city. It never had enough funds to pool as a foreign investor never want to be surpassed by local..."

He starts to introduce the latent danger of foreign invasion at their territory in all aspects matter. Two Boss district also nods in agreement. But different from their expectation, Old Sol gave them a rather short opinion.

Then influenced by how Wild Cat reacts when asked an opinion on such matters, he says, "No comments."