“May I know who you are?” Loren’s gaze did not change in the slightest.

“Call me Iron Hound. All the shops on this street are required to pay me management fees,” Iron Hound said hastily as he pointed at himself and raised his head.

Although he referred to it as management fees, they were actually protection fees that he had to pay to the local bully in the area.

Loren had been in Cloud City for a long time, so he knew such things well.

After all, Cloud City was considered an outskirt city. It was a great distance from the Imperial Emperor. Besides, plenty of soldiers gathered here. It was only natural for these dark and evil forces to bloom amidst the city.

However, his shop was different from the other wretched shops.

“Does that mean that you’re here to cause a ruckus?” Loren asked in an even tone.

“We never cause a ruckus, but if you don’t pay the management fees, someone might wreck your shop while you’re asleep in the middle of the night,” Iron Hound said casually without any signs of anger.

He seemed to be giving Loren a warning, but it also looked like he was talking to himself.

“Well, I’ll be here awaiting your men to grace my store with their presence,” Loren said softly.

“Fine. A stubborn man.” Iron Hound gave him a thumbs up. He did not stay any longer, immediately turning around to walk away.

Loren did not pay these people any mind at all.

They would have the chance to experience what the defense system mounted by the Host System was like.

“L... Loren, I saw Iron Hound going in just now. Was he here to ask you for management fees?” Just then, a slightly bald, middle-aged man popped in and looked about before entering the shop.

Loren knew this person. He was the owner of the shop beside his store. He operated a shop that sold herbs.

When Loren had just transmigrated into this world, he had to sell off the herbs that the parents of his original host had left for him, so he had asked this man to help him sell off the herbs.

This man had also scammed him of his money.

However, this man had also helped Loren a lot back then. He also had contributed a lot to the funerals.

Of course, Loren was not the person that he had helped now.

“Yes, Uncle Hall,” Loren said as he nodded.

“Sigh. Those d*mned b*stard. We don’t earn much in the first place, yet they still want to take some of our hard-earned money,” Uncle Hall sighed and said in a despondent tone.

“I didn’t give him any money,” Loren said nonchalantly.

“What? You didn’t give him any money? That’d be troublesome. Those men will definitely come over to wreck your shop at night.” Uncle Hall looked at Loren with a shocked expression on his face.

“I would like to see what they would use to wreck my shop,” Loren chuckled and said in a carefree tone.

“Loren, let me tell you something. Young people like you are overzealous. You don’t know how powerful Iron Hound and his men are,” Uncle Hall shook his head and said in a way that made it seem like he was teaching him a lesson.

He then said, “Back then, there was someone nearby who didn’t believe in their warnings as well.

“On that night, his shop was wrecked by Iron Hound’s men. After that, there were always people causing trouble at his shop.

“In the end, that person had no choice but to sell off his shop and stocks at a low price before leaving Cloud City.”

Uncle Hall shook his head in exasperation as he spoke.

He was enraged at Iron Hound and his men, but he did not dare to speak up.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Hall. I’m different from the others.” Loren knew that Uncle Hall was just being concerned about him, so he explained things to him.

However, he did not tell him much.

After all, the Iron Hound had built up a frightening reputation in the Cloud City for a long time. He could not dispel Uncle Hall’s worries with just a few simple words.

“Sigh. You’ll learn not to offend those people once you have gotten your lesson.” Uncle Hall sighed, looking at Loren like he was a foolish child, and walked out of the shop.

Loren remained sitting behind the counter. When the closing time arrived, he closed the door of the shop.

It was hard for him to believe that there had not been a single business transaction today.