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Chapter 289 Lack of Martial Morality (22, Bonus Chapter, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Fang Cheng reviewed the battle from the previous night.

The reason I didn't choose to fight the Special Investigation Team to the death was...

On the one hand, they felt it was unnecessary; on the other hand, they were indeed wary.

The transformed strength of that officer surnamed Gao was enough to pose a fatal threat to me.

As an official special search team, the fact that they dispatched such a high-ranking investigator suggests that there must be other team members nearby, or even reinforcements.

If a few more experts of this caliber were to appear, or if the opponent were to use even more powerful weapons and equipment...

Given the unclear situation at the time, if things had dragged on, it would have been difficult to predict who would emerge victorious.

Although Fang Cheng was confident, he was never arrogant; on the contrary, he was always cautious in his actions.

Moreover, there have been too many and too sensitive events recently.

Although the treasure hunt in Misty Mountain has come to an end, its aftereffects are clearly still unfolding.

In addition, the several conflicts with the Noah Organization before the New Year, as well as the ghoul king "Jiang Chen" who seemed to have vanished into thin air, are like swords hanging over our heads, posing a hidden danger that cannot be ignored.

More importantly, it is now clear that someone is secretly investigating him.

Fang Cheng had no idea who this person hiding behind the scenes was, or which force he belonged to.

However, some basic judgments can be made from the attitude and words of that high-ranking officer.

The other party mistook him for someone called "White Owl" and claimed that he had followed Xu Hao here to work for the Noah organization.

Therefore, the changes that have occurred in Xu Hao are absolutely related to the Noah Organization.

Further reasoning from this, the purpose of the special investigation team's overnight kidnapping of Xu Hao and secretly taking him away should also be related to this mysterious organization.

The problem is, someone is secretly investigating me.

Could it be the Noah Organization that we speculated about before?

Or was it the special investigation team we encountered head-on last night?

Or perhaps there are other hidden forces that have not yet surfaced?

Various possibilities intertwined in Fang Cheng's mind, making him feel as if he were surrounded by a thick fog, unable to see things clearly.

Just as he was deep in thought, a whooshing sound accompanied by the wind suddenly came from behind him!
Almost out of fighting instinct, Fang Cheng didn't even turn his head. His body reflexively shifted slightly to the side, and his right hand shot out backward with lightning speed.

Snapped!
It caught the incoming object with precision and stability.

However, it feels soft and bouncy to the touch.

Fang Cheng looked closely and saw that it was a blue and white striped soccer ball.

He then turned around and saw several seven- or eight-year-old boys running towards him from a distance.

The children were visibly stunned when they saw the ball being caught so easily, and they stopped in their tracks.

He seemed startled by the older brother's sudden and swift reaction.

Fang Cheng weighed the soccer ball in his hand, casually tossed it into the air, and just as it fell, he precisely tapped it with his right toe.

The ball drew a perfect arc, traveling over ten meters, and landed squarely on the sand in front of the children.

"Wow--"

"Brother is so awesome!"

"I know, he must be a star player on TV!"

The children were taken aback at first, then burst into excited cheers and applause, discussing the topic animatedly.

After getting the ball, he ran off laughing and joking.

Fang Cheng watched their carefree figures as a faint smile appeared on his lips.

This little incident temporarily interrupted his thoughts, but it also dispelled some of the gloom in his heart.

Amidst the gazes from all around, Fang Cheng calmly turned around and continued his stroll.

But my gaze was unintentionally drawn to a scene not far away.

On a flat sandy area near the shore, a girl in a white dress with waist-length hair is struggling to stand up from her wheelchair.

She looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, with a tall and well-proportioned figure and a pure and beautiful profile, but her complexion was slightly pale.

The girl gripped the armrests of the wheelchair, her legs trembling.

After finally managing to stand up, I carefully took a step, but before I could even take the second step, I lost my balance and fell to one side.

Just then, a tall, handsome young man who was standing nearby rushed over quickly and caught her steadily.

"Slow down, don't rush."

The man's voice was gentle and concerned.

After being helped up, the girl seemed somewhat unwilling, stubbornly pursing her lips and shaking off the man's hand.

Then take a deep breath and try walking independently again.

Her eyes were bright, revealing a tenacity that belied her delicate appearance.

It seems that this girl has experienced some misfortune, injured both legs, and is currently undergoing difficult rehabilitation training.

Fang Cheng watched silently for a while, then looked away, his mind returning to calm.

Life is always so unpredictable; no one can completely control their own destiny.

But no matter who is secretly watching them, and no matter how the future situation changes, one thing is certain—

Until the situation becomes completely clear, keeping a low profile, quietly accumulating strength, and improving oneself is the safest choice.

Thinking about improving his strength, Fang Cheng naturally thought of the special effects of the new skill he had acquired.

The actual combat effectiveness and ultimate power of the "infinite combo" move, which has great potential, remain to be verified.

However, such a powerful move is obviously not suitable for testing in a room or a busy beach park.

We must find a sufficiently remote and safe place to thoroughly test it and figure out how to use it.

Only then can it truly play a role at critical moments and become a reliable trump card in one's hands.

As his thoughts raced, he recalled the promise made by the officer surnamed Gao.

If the special investigation team's purpose in kidnapping Xu Hao was indeed to handle some "internal affairs".

Now that the matter is settled, Xu Hao should be released, right?
Regardless of the special investigation team's true intentions, he needed to obtain accurate information from Xu Hao as soon as possible regarding "who was investigating him." This was the reason he initially approached Xu Hao, and it was also the most pressing issue he needed to resolve.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed, and he had already made a decision.

It's time to get in touch with Xu Hao again.

However, before that, we need to address a very important issue: image.

Although I can cover my bald head with a hat, it's still too conspicuous in the city and easily attracts unnecessary attention.

Especially after the recent conflict with the official special search team, it's possible they've memorized the physical characteristics and are already searching everywhere.

It seems I need to get a suitable wig first, and then do some other disguises.

Having made up his mind, Fang Cheng didn't linger on the beach and turned to walk towards the city.

The sea breeze still blows, and the waves still surge.

Fang Cheng walked steadily and quickly blended into the increasingly bustling city crowd.

....................................

During the day in Dongdu City, sunlight struggles to penetrate the clouds, but is fragmented by the towering buildings, creating dappled shadows.

The "Midnight Forest" bar is located in Wenchuan District.

The gate was closed at the moment, with a wooden sign hanging on it that read "Closed for the Holidays," making it exceptionally quiet.

It seems that nothing happened here last night.

However, the atmosphere in a lounge on the second floor of the bar was far from relaxed.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

Xu Hao was shirtless, lying on the sofa, his body covered in bruises, and his arms and head were wrapped in new gauze.

Xiao Qing was carefully treating a cut on his back with a cotton swab.

Her movements were gentle, but her eyes were slightly red, and tears seemed to be welling up in them.

Last night, I watched helplessly as Xu Hao was attacked by those two menacing men in jackets, while I was knocked unconscious.

After waking up, she was extremely anxious and stayed here all night without sleeping.

The cotton swab, soaked in alcohol, touched the open wound, causing a sharp, stinging pain.

Xu Hao didn't even frown, he just grinned and said in a nonchalant tone:

"Alright, alright, stop acting like you're doing embroidery. This little injury is nothing. Hurry up and finish it, I'm waiting to get things done!"

His voice was still rough, but he didn't blame Xiao Qing. Instead, it seemed to be emphasizing that his injury was nothing serious and there was no need to make a fuss about it.

Xiao Qing's voice trembled even more after he said that:
"Brother Hao, you've lost so much blood..."

"Hey, a man without a few scars on his body is too embarrassed to even greet people when he goes out!"

Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively, and when his gaze swept over Xiao Qing's worried face, a hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes.

But he immediately reverted to his fearless demeanor and urged:

"Hurry up, be quick, don't delay things."

Xiao Qing then bit her lip and focused even more intently on disinfecting and applying medicine to him.

In the room, only the faint sound of cotton swabs rubbing against skin could be heard for a moment.

The lights were dim, and the two were very close together.

Xiao Qing's faint fragrance mixed with the smell of medicine made Xu Hao's nostrils itch and he felt like sneezing.

Just then, a slightly rude voice broke the brief silence.

"Brother Hao, you're finally back! What happened last night? We brothers were all worried sick!"

The speaker was Xu Hao's trusted henchman, a burly man with a buzz cut and a scorpion tattoo on his neck.

Only after he spoke did Xu Hao look up at the door of the lounge, as if he had just noticed.

A dozen or so burly men, their faces painted with dragon and tiger motifs, stood outside, peeking out with serious expressions.

With so many eyes watching, Xiao Qing's face flushed bright red instantly. She quickly lowered her head and sped up her work.

Xu Hao raised an eyebrow, his face immediately reverting to its arrogant expression. He deliberately coughed and said in a loud voice:
"Damn it! Don't even mention it, it's all because of those blind bastards from the East City Gang, they played dirty tricks!"

"Those bastards have no sportsmanship! They ambushed me when I wasn't looking, without even asking who I am! They think they're invincible just because they outnumber me? Bullshit!"

He certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal the special investigation team's activities.

Those official violent institutions are simply not something that gangs like theirs can mess with.

By blaming their arch-rival, the East City Gang, they could explain why they were injured and missing, and also unite the people in their hatred of the enemy.

Sure enough, as soon as they heard that it was the East City Gang that did it, the surrounding underlings immediately went wild.

"Damn! Those bastards from the East City Gang have got some nerve!"

"Dare to touch anyone from our Red Tiger Gang? They're asking for trouble!"

"Brother Hao, give the order! Let's lead the brothers over there and wipe them out."

"Yes! Crush the East City Gang!"

The crowd was immediately agitated, and shouts rose and fell.

When the leader is humiliated, the entire gang's reputation is humiliated, and no one can swallow this insult.

Xu Hao looked at his roaring subordinates, but felt somewhat embarrassed.

If we actually fight, won't my lie be exposed?

He quickly waved his hand, feigning magnanimity:

"Alright, alright, all of you shut the hell up! Stop yelling! Revenge isn't urgent, let's put that aside for now, let's discuss it for now!"

The trusted henchman didn't shut up immediately, but took a step closer and whispered:

"Brother Hao, I hadn't heard from you all night. I was worried something terrible had happened to you, so I immediately sent the brothers to search for you everywhere and reported it to the gang leader..."

His expression carried a hint of flattery, and his words were quite boastful.

Upon hearing this, Xu Hao's heart skipped a beat.

　Happy Labor Day everyone! Have fun! I'm adding an extra chapter today to ask for your monthly votes. Thank you all for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)