Anke’s expression remained firm as he shook his head.
“It wasn’t me.”
“Alright, I hope it wasn’t you either. If I can’t find anything in a month, the higher-ups will probably treat this as an accident.”
“Suit yourself.”
Anke was not grateful.
“Don’t relax too much. I won’t leave after a month either. I’ll stay here until the end of the year. The little piglets should keep begging as usual. No sneaking off. The tribute money can’t be less. Handle it yourself.”
“Understood.”
Anke walked into the house, no longer paying attention to the people outside.
Before he officially took his position, those outside were either sent from above or leftovers from the previous leader.
He couldn’t establish his own team in such a short time.
But once he sat in that seat, people would naturally come to submit.
These people had little loyalty and wouldn’t guard a grave for a dead man.
—
In the following days, the Gang investigator focused the investigation on the beggar children.
The situation inside the Gang compound had already been checked, but there were few clues—unless they tried using a Hypnotist.
—
On this day, Mel Carlo and the others were assigned to clear the sewers.
Someone had paid for the job, so the Gang took the money and naturally agreed to handle it.
Most of the time, sewer blockages were due to an excess of debris—small pieces piling up together.
Mel Carlo was clearly reluctant about the sewers.
These European-style sewers had walkways on both sides, with filth running down the middle.
But just stepping inside was enough to make the stench unbearable.
“It reeks.”
Mel Carlo felt miserable.
This was worse than the surface.
At least above ground, air circulated better.
Aside from residential streets, the commercial areas were usually fairly clean.
The group of children picked up their tools and began checking the blocked parts of the sewer.
“Mel, stop complaining! Hurry up and work. I don’t want to stay in this hellhole. If a rat bites me, I might get sick.”
“Mm.”
Mel Carlo followed behind slowly.
Rats, as level-one mobs in games, were perfect for newbies to grind on.
The problem was, getting bitten could mean poison, and this wasn’t a game world—there was also the risk of catching other diseases.
The rats in the sewer were as big as kittens, often seen leaping through the darkness.
“This really is uncomfortable.”
Mel Carlo worried about the surroundings.
In a place like this, catching some strange bacteria was entirely possible.
The only option was to finish the work quickly and get out.
If he slacked, he’d get beaten up.
With the Gang’s upper management sending people to investigate, he needed to keep a low profile.
A chubby kid pulled a cart for hauling away garbage.
The others held spears and tongs, and some carried torches for light.
Everyone just wanted to finish as soon as possible.
Screech!
Suddenly, a rat’s dying squeal rang out.
A beggar child stabbed a fat rat with his spear.
The rat’s limbs and tail struggled wildly, but it was already caught.
“Meat for dinner.”
The beggar child smashed the rat against the ground, killing it, then pried it off the spear.
The other kids quickly gathered.
For them, rat meat could fill their bellies, especially such a fat one.
If it were a field mouse, Mel Carlo might have had the courage to try a bite, but these filthy sewer rats were impossible to swallow.
He didn’t want to risk getting sick.
The day’s work ended quickly.
They emerged from the sewer, dumped the last cart of garbage, then began burning it.
This was their first time outside the city.
Compared to the city’s prosperity, the desolation outside seemed like another world—just a few scattered Villages dotted the outskirts.
The garbage was piled up and set ablaze.
The children ran to the riverbank to bathe.
The Gang Guards stood nearby, watching them.
The Gang Guards didn’t help; they only made sure the kids worked hard and didn’t run off.
Mel Carlo washed himself, the autumn river water cold but better than nothing.
He cleaned his body, then washed his clothes, drying them by the fire.
They would have to stay here for the night and return the next day.
Looking at the dark Forest, Mel Carlo had a bold idea.
This seemed like the perfect chance to escape—if he just vanished into the night.
But before he could move, a Gang Guard shouted,
“A piglet is escaping! Chase them! Leave some behind to watch the others!”
A beggar child stood frozen, staring into the black Forest.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one who had thought about running.
“Get back to work! If you try to run and get caught, you’ll die!”
The Gang Guard barked at the remaining kids.
Mel Carlo sat by the campfire.
Under the flames, his clothes dried slowly.
He had to adjust them to avoid scorching.
The kids who caught rats had already removed their heads and tails, cleaned the guts, skinned them, and placed them by the fire to roast.
They borrowed some Salt from a guard, sprinkling it cautiously on the rats.
Mel Carlo held half a piece of black bread, forcing it down.
There were quite a few children roasting rats.
After the first one skewered a rat with his spear, others imitated.
Mel Carlo tried it once, but found nothing special.
There was no way to check numbers on the panel—he couldn’t tell if killing the rat granted experience.
“Mel, aren’t you eating?”
Lily approached with a roasted rat leg.
“I’m not that hungry. You guys eat.”
Mel Carlo felt his stomach churn.
It wasn’t the taste—it was just a mental barrier.
It was like eating slop.
If you didn’t know, maybe you could eat it, but once you did, it became impossible.
The other kids had no such concerns, eating happily.
The rat meat was dry and tough.
Not long after, the child who had tried to escape was dragged back.
Then came a brutal beating—his screams echoed in the darkness.
Mel Carlo clenched his fists.
He couldn’t do anything.
That kid was just like him—he’d also thought about escaping.
If he’d tried, he’d be the one getting beaten now.
He could only curse these beasts in his heart.
Time passed.
The beaten child fell silent.
Everyone felt a chill settle in their hearts.
The Gang Guard’s voice echoed again:
“Enough. Go to sleep. Don’t think about escaping. Tomorrow we return to the city.”