Start with iron blocks, upgrade them into armor summoners.

"It seems they succeeded."

"It seems so." Zhou Hai took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, and put it in his mouth.

"Next time will be their official operation, Xing Yun, you need to be prepared," Chen Wan called out to Xing Yun.

"The fact that he found you today means he's already locked onto you."

Xing Yun took a deep breath and looked down at her handbag.

My gaze seemed to pierce through the fabric, revealing the summoning device inside.

"I understand," Xing Yun said, his voice somewhat low.

If it were just him alone, Xing Yun wouldn't care, as he had the summoner as a backup.

However, he has a fatal weakness: Yangyang's existence is destined to limit him.

Xing Yun did not continue speaking.

The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.

Zhou Hai took the cigarette out of his mouth, twirled it between his fingers, and glanced at him.

"Are you worried about your daughter?"

Xing Yun didn't speak, but her fingers tightened on her knee.

"If Bloodhand can find you today, he can find your house tomorrow." Zhou Hai's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "He ran away today not because he couldn't beat you, but because he wasn't ready. Next time he comes..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already quite clear.

Xing Yun lowered his head, staring at the wood grain on the table.

Yangyang's face flashed through my mind.

If Bloodhand finds her...

"I have a suggestion," Zhou Hai's voice pulled him back to reality.

Xing Yun raised her head.

Zhou Hai held the cigarette between his fingers and leaned back: "Bring your daughter to the Administration Bureau."

Xing Yun was stunned for a moment.

"The bureau has a special family settlement area," Zhou Hai said. "It's not big, but it's safe. There are dedicated people to take care of them, and there are schools they can attend. Outsiders can't get in, and insiders can't get out."

He paused, then added, "Of course, you can see her anytime. This isn't a prison."

Xing Yun did not answer immediately.

He turned and glanced at Chen Wan and Li Rui.

Chen Wan nodded: "The conditions in the family quarters are quite good. I've seen some of the team members' children living there before. There are teachers giving lessons and activity rooms, and it's safer than outside."

Li Rui pushed up his glasses: "The security system is the highest level in the bureau, even stricter than a bank vault."

Xing Yun lowered her head again.

Two voices were arguing in my head.

The left and right hemispheres of the brain start fighting.

"She'll be scared," Xing Yun said softly.

Zhou Hai paused for a moment: "Yes. But staying alive is more important than being afraid."

This statement is very straightforward, so straightforward that it's a bit harsh.

But Xing Yun knew he was right.

"I..." he began, then stopped.

Yangyang's smiling face flashed through my mind, as she ran ahead, holding Su Nian's hand.

If she were taken to the Administration Bureau, she would never see Niannian, Bai Zhiqing, or anyone she knew again.

But she survived.

"Let me think about it," Xing Yun said.

"Okay." Zhou Hai stood up, put the unlit cigarette back in the pack, and said, "No rush. Bloodshou was just injured and won't be back anytime soon. You have time to think it over."

He pulled an access card from a drawer and pushed it in front of Xing Yun: "This is a card for the family area. It only grants access to the main gate and the family area. If you've thought it through, just bring the child over."

Xing Yun took it. The card was white and had the words "S City Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau - Family Area" printed on it, along with a number.

He stuffed it into his satchel and placed it with the summoner.

"There's one more thing," Zhou Hai glanced at him, "your neighbor... Bai Zhiqing."

Xing Yun's fingers paused for a moment.

"We checked her background," Zhou Hai said. "She's a doctor at the First People's Hospital of the city, a surgeon, with five years of experience and a clean resume. Her husband passed away three years ago, and she's raising her daughter alone. There's nothing unusual about her."

He paused, then added, "But the timing of her appearance was a bit coincidental. It happened right after your first encounter with the alien beast, and she just moved into the building across from yours."

"You think there's something wrong with her?" Xing Yun looked up at Zhou Hai.

"I don't think it's anything," Zhou Hai pushed his chair back under the table. "I'm just telling you that there aren't that many coincidences in this world."

Xing Yun remained silent for a moment, then stood up.

"I see."

Xing Yun nodded and went out the door.

It took me a while to walk out of the management office and get on my electric scooter at the entrance.

"Let's take it one step at a time..."

Xing Yun suppressed all the trivial matters in her mind and focused on driving home.

……

The midday sun was high in the sky. Xing Yun gripped the handlebars tightly and sped through an intersection into the development zone.

Although the location is relatively close to the city center, it is surrounded by factories and industrial parks, making the area unusually quiet.

Xing Yun, who was already on high alert, suddenly saw a black SUV turn around the corner and follow him in his rearview mirror.

He frowned and turned into a road.

The SUV also turned in.

Xing Yun accelerated, and the electric car's speed increased again.

The SUV behind followed at a leisurely pace, like a cat toying with a mouse.

Xing Yun's heart sank. Was it a coincidence?

He made several more turns, but the SUV still hadn't left.

"Trouble is brewing." Xing Yun knew he couldn't escape this predicament.

He drove with one hand and unzipped his bag with the other, taking out a summoner.

"I was originally going to deal with you guys, but I didn't expect you to come looking for me first."

Xing Yun turned the car around and parked it horizontally on the road.

He jumped out of the car and turned to face the SUV.

At that moment, the SUV also came to a stop on the road.

The car door opened, and Blood Hand stepped out from the passenger seat.

He changed into a clean black coat, and the wound on his arm was no longer visible, but his complexion was worse than during the day, and his lips were a little pale.

"We meet again." Bloodhand's voice was still hoarse, but something else had changed. "I told you, I'd be more serious next time we meet."

The driver's side door was also opened.

A person got out of the car.

Very thin and very tall, like a bamboo pole.

She was wearing a long gray trench coat that reached her ankles.

His face was expressionless, and his eyes were pale gray, like two glass beads.

He stood beside Blood Hand, saying nothing, just looking at Xing Yun.

That gaze reminded Xing Yun of the snakes he had seen in the countryside when he was a child—a gaze devoid of any emotion.

"Let me introduce you, his name is Dry Bones." Bloodhand spoke casually, as if he were talking about what to eat today. "He's my partner. He heard you were interesting and insisted on coming along."

The skeleton didn't speak, but tilted its head and looked Xing Yun up and down.

Xing Yun's fingers touched the summoner.

Two executives.

He is alone.

Running away is the best option.

"Don't even think about running away." Bloodhand seemed to see right through him. "The skeleton's greatest skill is... keeping people trapped."

The skeleton raised its right hand, its five fingers spread wide.

The ground suddenly shook, and a crack appeared in the asphalt road beneath Xing Yun's feet. Several pale white bone spurs shot out from the crack, piercing straight into the soles of his feet.

Xing Yun rolled to his side, the bone spurs grazing the soles of his shoes.

The moment he landed, the belt appeared around his waist, and the summoner slid into the slot.

"Armor Combination!"