I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

Night.

Under the Purple Moon, the Outer City District was engulfed in darkness and silence.

In contrast with the distant Inner City District, this place seemed more like a stagnant pool of water at the moment.

Separated by a wide river, one could vaguely see many tall buildings in the Inner City District in the distance.

Their lights were brilliant, like stars in the night sky.

Reflected on the ink-black river were rivers of stars, the all-night revelry of the wealthy.

If one looked long enough, it seemed as if one could hear the clinking of wine glasses and loud laughter coming from over there.

Chen Lun had been standing behind a tree by the river for quite some time, observing a grand bridge through the railing.

The bridge was manned with checkpoints, five people per team, with several teams on rotation.

"By crossing this bridge, one can enter the Inner City District from the Outer City District..."

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Chen Lun thought to himself.

He had come here under the cover of night, intending to scout out the situation in the Inner City District in advance and prepare for the upcoming plan.

The separation between the Inner and Outer City was quite rigid.

To prevent people from crossing the river, railings five to six meters high had even been erected on both banks.

The metal railings, coated in black paint and spaced narrowly apart, were no wider than a palm, and their tops were as sharp as lance points. Anyone attempting to climb over the railing would risk disembowelment if they were not careful.

Moreover, on the surface of Amber River and along the shore of the Inner City District, police officers and Guardians patrolled in intersecting routes, leaving virtually no blind spots.

This was probably due to the chaos of the Outer City District.

The Inner City District was home to those at the upper echelons of power and money; if free passage were allowed between the two areas, it could pose a danger to the residents of the Inner City District.

The more noble a person was, the more they feared interacting with the lower classes.

The clear division that Amber City has formed today owes much to the influence of the elites on the council.

"This is indeed strict..."

Chen Lun sighed; infiltration seemed difficult under such conditions.

But he did not need to infiltrate.

"Luckily, I already have an identity proof, at most I'll just be questioned."

After a brief pause, Chen Lun moved quickly, like a swiftly gliding ghost, and disappeared from his spot.

In front of the bridge checkpoint, two Guardians who had just finished inspecting a merchant caravan's carriage were standing idly, and soon they saw a tall figure of a man approaching slowly.

"Sorry, please present your identity proof."

One Guardian, with a short sword slung at his waist, stretched out a gloved hand.

Chen Lun handed over a small leather booklet.

The Guardian opened the identity proof to check it, scrutinizing the black-haired young man in front of him under the light of the street lamps on both sides.

Seeing the well-dressed man holding a book, just as described in the identity proof.

The Guardian handed back the identity proof and touched his left chest with his right hand in a salute.

"Mr. Jack, may the Sun shine upon you."

He gestured with an open hand and then stepped aside to let him pass.

Chen Lun nodded his head and walked straight onto the bridge under the watchful eyes of several Guardians.

Walking on the bridge and overlooking the river on one side, he couldn't help but feel a sense of reflection.

Indeed, as he had expected, it would be extremely difficult to navigate the Inner City District without an identity proof, let alone get past this checkpoint.

Once he really entered the Inner City District, the first thing to do was to find a fixed residence to avoid being frequently questioned.

After crossing the bridge, Chen Lun arrived at an exceptionally wide street.

The view was quite astounding.

The streets were paved uniformly with greyish-blue stone bricks, with tall and orderly buildings on both sides.

Most of those buildings appeared to be various shops, among which Chen Lun also found a branch of the Silver Dragon Trade Association.

Unlike the Outer City District, electricity was widely used here, as if there were two completely different systems operating on their own.

Colorful signs gleamed in the night, with carriages and well-dressed pedestrians weaving through the streets.

In a daze, Chen Lun seemed to see the shadow of his previous life.

He walked along, following street signs to Viscount Manor located on Second Street.

Fashionably dressed women in groups were often seen on the streets. Some would even turn their heads to wink at Chen Lun, then leave with a giggle.

If at that moment Chen Lun approached them with his magnetic voice and said, "Beautiful miss, please give me the chance to invite you for a coffee,"

Then the likelihood of these women providing their contact information would probably be one hundred percent.

But he had no time to flirt.

After taking nearly two hours and detours, Chen Lun finally found Second Street.

And by that time, it was already deep into the night.

The Inner City District is situated on elevated terrain, and it gets higher the further you venture inward.

Gazing out from over the railing here, one could see the broad Amber River and the pitch-black expanse of the Outer City District.

"No. 9, Second Street, Pompey Manor."

He had arrived at the perimeter of a vast estate.

The rustling sound of the wind stirred the lush trees within the manor, casting dancing shadows that swayed gently.

Peering through the elaborate floral black railings, one could vaguely make out a lawn and, in its deepest reaches, several villas with lights shining brightly.

Walking around the perimeter fence, Chen Lun mentally estimated the area's size.

"So large... how shall I search?"

Chen Lun couldn't help frowning.

As he was pondering, suddenly his expression changed, and he quickly hid behind a tree, concealed in the shadows.

The sound of footsteps followed soon after, as two Security Office officers with lanterns in hand, and a big dog on a leash, passed by.

"... Lately, the order from above has been to extend our patrols," one sighed. "I was hoping to spend more time at home with my daughter."

"Can't be helped, just endure it, buddy."

After the incident at the Garten Restaurant, even the son of Congressman Lawson died there, so strengthening security is inevitable."

The two officers chatted idly, with one of them complaining.

"Those damn extremists, to commit such a heinous act...!"

"You believe the explanation from the higher-ups? Forget it, I saw investigators from that secret department at the scene, this was most likely not the work of ordinary people..."

As they gradually walked away, the big dog at their feet seemed to detect something and stood still, refusing to move.

It stared intently at where Chen Lun was hiding, and let out a soft, low growl.

The officer noticed the tension in the leash and also became aware of the dog's abnormal reaction.

"What's wrong, Charlie?"

Following the direction of the dog's gaze, the two officers looked toward a tree outside the fences of Pompey Manor. Years of experience told them something was off in the shadows behind the tree.

They exchanged glances and, as if on cue, pulled out their batons, moving in a pinching motion and slowly approached Chen Lun.

One of them even put a whistle to his lips, ready to blow it at any moment to call for backup from nearby officers.

Chen Lun's heart tightened.

He didn't want to be discovered, as it would disrupt his plans.

His index finger glowed faintly, and he beckoned to the big dog.

The dog sprang free from its leash and raced over to Chen Lun, passing the officers.

"Charlie!"

Before they could react, the dog named Charlie ran back to their feet.

Wagging its tail, it presented a Silver Ducat it had held in its mouth.

"Huh... a Silver Ducat? Haha, what a good boy!"

"Since when did Charlie learn to pick up money? Buddy, I think we might get rich off of him..."

The two officers breathed a sigh of relief, kidding with each other for a few moments before leaving with the dog.

The big dog looked back and saw a thumbs-up emerging from behind the shadow of the tree.

Its tail wagged even more energetically.

After the officers had gone, Chen Lun stepped out from behind the tree.

"It seems I was too optimistic."

He glanced at Viscount Manor beside him, musing to himself.

His original plan was to find an opportunity to sneak in, locate "Philip's Legacy," and leave.

But now, the plan seemed rather unrealistic.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Pompey Manor was too large; even if he used animals to search inside, it would take a considerable amount of time. And he couldn't afford to be seen frequently in this area, as it would raise suspicions.

"Better use the alternative plan... infiltrate the manor first, then look for a chance to search."

Having made up his mind, Chen Lun prepared to leave.

As he passed by The Great Gate of Pompey Manor, two middle-aged maids happened to come out from inside.

They carried several parcels, apparently preparing to go out.

"... Miss Rebecca has been so temperamental lately, it's such a headache."

"No worries, the Viscount has already found a candidate for a family tutor, it seems to be a professor from the Iris Academy, who will be coming over in a few days... "

"Then Miss Rebecca won't be so idle, always teasing us for fun."

Chen Lun walked past them with an unchanged expression, but his heart sank.

Someone was chosen?

Was the alternative route blocked too?