Who said this card is outrageous?

He was so engrossed in his research that his stomach, which had been empty for a day, began to protest.

The sound echoed clearly in the quiet card-making room.

Of course he had food with him, but now that he had finished his work, there was no need to deprive himself; going home to eat was the most important thing!

……

It was almost midnight when I left the Adventurers' Guild. It was wartime, and there were almost no pedestrians on the streets of Hezhou City in the dead of night. Only the streetlights cast dim yellow halos in the darkness.

Occasionally, the sound of patrol footsteps could be heard in the distance, before silence returned.

Thinking that Sister Xinran might still be waiting for him to eat, he quickened his pace.

A night breeze blew in from the end of the street, carrying the coolness of early spring and a hint of... indescribable flavor.

Zhang Che's pace unconsciously slowed down.

It's less than 100 meters from Wang Xinran's house.

The lights in the houses on both sides of the street were all off, with only a few houses having faint lights shining from their windows.

Wang Xinran's two-story house was just around the corner not far ahead, and Zhang Che could vaguely see the warm yellow light shining through the windows.

But just as he was about to reach his doorstep, a strange sense of crisis made Zhang Che subconsciously stop in his tracks.

Without hesitation, Zhang Che unleashed his spiritual power, and the three summoning arrays lit up almost simultaneously.

Ahri and Fizz appeared beside him at the same time. Ahri was radiating fiery red energy, her golden eyes filled with alertness; Fizz gripped his trident tightly, his fish-man body leaning slightly forward, like a fully drawn bow, ready to shoot at any moment.

Tailmon came to his feet, the golden ring on its tail glowing faintly, its divine power already gathering within it, ready to be unleashed.

The three summoned creatures formed a triangular defensive formation centered on Zhang Che.

Looking at the buildings not far away, brightly lit as usual, the frantic alarms in his mind made Zhang Che feel no warmth of home whatsoever.

Now, it looks more like an open mouth, waiting for him to come to it.

Click.

A very faint, crisp sound came from the depths of Zhang Che's consciousness.

Because he couldn't keep up with Zhang Che's strength, his [Sixth Sense], which he had long forgotten, shattered completely.

It completed its mission at the very last moment of today.

Something really happened at home!

Zhang Che's hands clenched unconsciously, his gaze fixed on the familiar two-story building in front of him, his palms already covered in cold sweat.

Uncle Wang and the others...

A night breeze blew by, stirring up a few fallen leaves from the ground.

Zhang Che took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He didn't know what was happening inside the house, nor what these people's purpose was.

But there is one thing he is certain of.

No matter who's inside, no matter what they're planning to do—

Anyone who dares to target Zhang Che's family should be prepared to pay the price!

Zhang Che had somehow acquired the Black Rhino Armor and the Harpy Girl Armor, but he wasn't in a hurry to use them.

Now that the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, and we have hostages in their hands, we must feign weakness to have a chance to rescue Sister Xinran and the others.

He is the only one who knows about the existence of the Black Rhino Armor and the Armor Set. He must make good use of this information to have a chance to turn the tide.

As long as the safety of the hostages is guaranteed, those guys who dare to cause trouble in the city will only have one way out: death!

Zhang Che took a deep breath and, under the protection of Ah Li and the others, slowly walked into the house.

Contrary to his expectations, he did not see Wang Xinran and the others who were tied up, but instead saw another familiar figure.

"Commander Zhao?"

Indeed, the person sitting in the living room leisurely sipping tea was none other than Zhao Lanzhi, the commander of the city guards of Hezhou City.

"Good evening, Mr. Zhang Che." Zhao Lanzhi greeted him with a smile, giving off a completely different vibe from her usual serious demeanor. "Excuse me."

Looking at the familiar scene before him, Zhang Che had already figured out the cause and effect.

"So, Commander Zhao, you're also a member of the Eye of Truth?"

"nature."

Zhao Lanzhi admitted her identity without hesitation.

Knowing the other party's identity, Zhang Che knew this time things probably wouldn't end well, but he still asked with a glimmer of hope, "Where are my family members?"

Chapter 200 Invitation

Having been betrayed by He Yuanzhou back in Binhai City, Zhang Che initially didn't think Zhao Lanzhi would admit to being a member of the Eye of Truth, but rather would continue to feign compliance with him as the commander of the city guards.

After all, in his mind, the best thing about lurkers is their disguise, so why would they expose themselves just because someone tricked them?

However, the other party's quick response sent a chill down Zhang Che's spine.

This is not a good sign.

Only when a person doesn't care about being exposed will they so readily tear off their disguise.

This is in the city. If we cause a commotion and attract other powerful figures in the city, Zhao Lanzhi's plans will inevitably be ruined.

Over the past month, Zhang Che has already gained the absolute trust of many high-ranking officials in Hezhou City. Even without the same video evidence as last time, he is confident that he can get Zhu Yunge and others to stand on his side.

However, Zhao Lanzhi's continued recklessness suggests that she may possess a trump card that she cannot afford to lose!

Zhang Che's gaze swept quickly across the living room, countless possibilities flashing through his mind.

However, what he cares about most right now is the safety of Wang Xinran and the others.

in case……

A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Che's eyes, and he looked at Zhao Lanzhi as if she were a dead person.

"Don't look at me like that, I didn't do anything." Zhao Lanzhi waved her hands repeatedly, pretending to be scared, and then pointed to the top of her head, "Your sister and the others are sleeping soundly on the second floor. You can go and see for yourself if you don't believe me."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Che took a deep breath and, disregarding the situation on the second floor, strode towards the stairs.

The confirmation process is not complicated.

Several room doors were opened one after another, and Zhang Che could tell that Wang Xinran and the others were indeed just asleep.

However, judging from the fact that the noise I made when I went upstairs didn't affect the sleep of the others, someone must have used some "sleep aid" methods.

Zhang Che stood in front of Tuan Tuan's crib, looking at the little guy's peaceful sleeping face, remained silent for a moment, and then turned and walked down the stairs.

……

Back downstairs, Zhang Che's gaze fell once again on Zhao Lanzhi.

His eyes flickered slightly, and he was already calculating in his mind how likely he was to be able to capture the person if he used the [Black Rhino Armor] and [Harp Lady - Armor] now.

At this moment, Zhao Lanzhi's voice rang out again.

“Mr. Zhang Che, I think we have shown enough sincerity. Don’t you really want to sit down and have a chat?” Zhao Lanzhi turned around, smiling at Zhang Che and the several summoned cards that were firmly protecting him.

No, that fox-human demi-human is missing; it should have been left on the second floor.

They're really cautious.

Zhao Lanzhi added another thought to herself, but her smile deepened—this proved that Zhang Che valued his family members highly, which would be beneficial for the progress of subsequent plans.

Upon hearing the other party's words, Zhang Che temporarily abandoned his intention to take action immediately. He silently walked to sit opposite Zhao Lanzhi, looked at her calmly, and signaled that she could begin her performance.

"Tsk, she really is aloof..." Zhao Lanzhi pouted with a hint of resentment, her expression like that of a neglected wife, completely different from her usual iron lady demeanor in the city hall.

But the next second she smiled again: "But I like it."

This time it was Zhang Che's turn to speak up: "How do you usually manage to put up with this?"

In his mind, Zhao Lanzhi was clearly a quiet, efficient, and strong woman.

He speaks the least during meetings, gives the most decisive orders, and always has that indifferent, "business as business" expression on his face.

Aside from their similar appearances, the two women were almost identical.

If it weren't for the fact that the fluctuations of a person's mental energy cannot be faked, Zhang Che would have suspected that she was Zhao Lanzhi's twin sister.

"A hobby."

When Zhao Lanzhi spoke this time, she transformed back into the iron lady that Zhang Che knew.

Unfortunately, it only lasted a few seconds before the style of the scene changed abruptly.

Suddenly, the woman stood up and smoothed her hair with a fluid motion. Then, she sat sideways on the coffee table, leaning slightly forward, closer to Zhang Che, revealing a captivating and alluring smile.

His fingers traced lightly across the coffee table, as if playing a silent melody.

“But I’ve heard that young boys like charming, mature women,” she said in a low voice, with a hint of huskiness, “What do you think of someone like me?”

As she spoke, Zhao Lanzhi tried to get even closer to Zhang Che, bringing her face closer little by little...

The next second, a semi-transparent barrier appeared out of thin air between the two of them, blocking her at a distance of twenty centimeters from Zhang Che.

Hold on!

"Sorry, I don't like fickle women." Zhang Che waved his hand, and his mental energy materialized, pushing the barrier and squeezing Zhao Lanzhi back off the coffee table, just like pushing away a tactless female cat.

Zhao Lanzhi was pushed backward by the sudden force and almost fell off the coffee table, but fortunately she managed to brace herself with her hands in time.

Her expression froze for a moment, but she quickly smiled again.

"I have no interest in playing your game of transformation." Zhang Che's voice turned cold. "Considering you didn't harm my family, I can spare your life."

Zhang Che did not want to start a war at home.

Even the aftershocks of a battle between mid-level transcendents are something Wang Xinran and her group cannot withstand.

Moreover, there is an elderly person in their sixties and an infant under two years old. If a fight breaks out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But Zhao Lanzhi clearly had no intention of accepting this favor.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside.