Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

In Lungmen, right under the noses of Wei Yanwu and the Rat King, a paramilitary organization disguised as an infected organization actually appeared?

What about Wei Yanwu's methods? What about the Rat King's informants? Aren't the slums under Lungmen's jurisdiction? Why are they turning a blind eye to this? Jiu didn't even dare to imagine whether she could get out of this dark alley today. If she couldn't get out, who would deliver this intelligence to the Guard Bureau and to Wei Yanwu?

What harm would a paramilitary organization existing in the Lungmen slums, hostile to Lungmen, pose to the current peace of Lungmen? What impact would this have on the citizens of the Lungmen slums? These were things that Jiu had to consider at this moment, and these concerns even surpassed her worries about her own situation.

"Hoshiguma, is it possible to break through?" Jiu asked in a deep voice.

“I’m afraid that won’t work.” Hoshiguma pulled her head back into the unfinished building. “I just roughly counted, and there are thirteen enemies within my field of vision. From my position, I can’t observe the entire unfinished building area. I don’t know if any enemies have already entered the unfinished buildings, or if there are any ambushes elsewhere. To be on the safe side, I estimate there are at least thirty people here.”

Facing a total of thirty opponents, and to facilitate infiltration and ascertain the true identity of "Rattlesnake," Kyu and Hoshiguma underwent a body search at the entrance and had their weapons removed. At this moment, Hoshiguma's only usable weapon was a small knife hidden in her sleeve, while the enemy's weapons were superior, including rare paralysis crossbows and repeating crossbows, and a small number of sorcerers. With such a disparity in combat strength, attempting a direct breakout would undoubtedly be tantamount to walking into a trap.

".....Tsk!"

Once again, Jiu clicked his tongue in amazement and fell into deep thought.

The two are currently in a desperate situation, but fortunately, Jiu has not been without a backup plan. She had arranged for Chen to wait in the Guard Bureau. If she and Hoshiguma have not sent any signal by 5 a.m., the Guard Bureau will immediately send people to surround the Third District and carry out an annihilation operation.

But the question is, how do you stay awake until 5 a.m.?

Nine glanced at her watch; it was 1:30 AM, still a long way from 5:00. She could continue hiding, but what about Hoshiguma? She was still surrounded upstairs, unable to break out. What if Rattlesnake discovered that Third Street was surrounded and, in a fit of rage, ordered the building to be blown up?

The fact that the infected rioters possess explosives is no secret within the Guard Bureau. If that were to actually happen, Hoshiguma's life could be in danger!

"Ninth inning..."

Just as Jiu was at her wit's end, Hoshiguma whispered on the other end of the communicator:

"Actually, there's no need to be too pessimistic, right? Maybe Old Chen will notice something's wrong and come to rescue us ahead of time?"

"...Chen is not a rule-abiding person."

Jiu smiled wryly. What Hoshiguma said wasn't impossible. Chen wasn't a rule-abiding person. Even though Commander Wei Yanwu had transferred her to the post of receiving Wayne and the others, she still kept a close eye on this case. If it were her, she might indeed make the decision to discover something unusual and then disregard orders, making a decision on her own to lead people to provide support.

But that's only a possibility, a very slim possibility. Have they really despaired to the point of pinning their hopes on something so rare?

"Hoshiguma, actually I have another idea."

After weighing his options for a long time, Jiu finally spoke.

Hoshiguma was taken aback, and asked expectantly:

"any solution?"

"I have an Originium Arts technique that can create an explosion within a certain range. If I use it, it might be able to temporarily distract them."

Hoshiguma frowned and asked:

"What does 'certain range' mean?"

"Approximately fifty meters in diameter."

So big?!

Hoshiguma opened her mouth wide, but immediately objected:

"No, at this point in time, we simply don't have enough time to conduct an emergency evacuation. The slums are densely populated, and this bomb could cause a large number of casualties!"

"really...."

Nine sighed helplessly. She knew Hoshiguma would say that.

All the young people who join the Guard Bureau are like this, including Nine and Hoshiguma; they all have an insurmountable obstacle in their hearts regarding justice.

Who would have thought that when faced with a life-or-death situation, Hoshiguma's first reaction would be to consider the impact on ordinary citizens?

In the end, the one who had the lowest expectations for justice was actually himself, the head of the Royal Guard.

Her Originium Arts, of course, came at a price. Explosions don't happen out of thin air; they require a suitable medium, and the best medium is naturally Originium. After the explosion, the area at the epicenter would immediately become a zone of high-concentration Originium radiation. Staying there for even ten seconds would be enough to inhale enough Originium dust to cause Oripathy. And Nine didn't have a gas mask.

She made this proposal because she wanted to trade her future and health for Hoshiguma's life.

But Hoshiguma refused without hesitation. Even without understanding the deeper meaning of "Nine," she still refused without hesitation, for the sake of the ordinary people in the slums whom Wei Yanwu regarded as worthless burdens.

Having followed Wei Yanwu for so long, have I subconsciously come to value their lives less?

Jiu couldn't help but reflect.

Hoshiguma rejected the plan, and they were once again in dire straits.

P.S.: There are still 3 days until the start of school. I might have to take leave on the day of registration because I'll be too busy. After that, during military training, I'll probably only be able to update at night. I will try my best to maintain a stable two updates a day. If the update is too late, you can check back the next day.

Chapter Sixty-Eight Wei Yanwu: You scared me awake

Lungmen, Block 3 of the slums.

There was not a single pedestrian on the dimly lit street. The faint light from the streetlights could only illuminate a radius of less than two meters. The garbage bins were overflowing and no one was cleaning them. Even the usual cries of babies were nowhere to be heard tonight.

An eerie silence fell over Block 3. Wayne walked down the street, holding Anso's little hand, as if they had entered an unknown space.

Is it like this here all the time?

Wayne noticed that Ansuo's little hands were clenched tightly. He lowered his gaze slightly and saw Ansuo's pale face due to fear. He then took the initiative to speak and ease the atmosphere.

An Suo quickly shook his head:

"No, how could that be? The neighborhood is usually bustling at night. There are people riding motorcycles with their engines roaring, people arguing loudly, and people gathering to play mahjong or cards all night long. Even at this late hour, there should still be people around..."

As she spoke, she glanced around fearfully and muttered softly:

"But there really isn't a single person here tonight..."

Wayne shrugged helplessly, thinking to himself, "Is that considered lively? Arguing, playing cards, and biker gangs and reckless teenagers late at night—that should be considered disturbing the peace, right?"

However, Ansuo's words confirmed what Wayne had sensed was amiss. The situation was indeed a bit strange.

Even if those who disturbed the peace had a change of heart today and kept quiet tonight, it shouldn't be like this, with every household not turning on a single light, leaving the entire Third Street completely dark.

This isn't some desolate wilderness; it's a densely populated slum. The eeriness of an entire neighborhood can't be without reason. What are those people hiding behind doors, peering out through peepholes and curtains, hiding from? What are they afraid of?

Wayne stopped in his tracks, his pupils turning golden. The night didn't hinder a feline's hunting abilities; he could easily spot several figures in grey robes standing beneath the unfinished building at the crossroads at the end of the street. However, seeing living people didn't put him at ease; instead, it filled him with a very bad premonition.

In a neighborhood where everyone is tight-lipped about certain things, and even has to hide in complete silence, the only people who dare to walk the streets now are either heartless lunatics or fear itself.

Wayne didn't want to deal with either of them.

He crouched down, gently rubbed An Suo's head, and said:

"Little Ansuo, how about this, you can stay at our hotel tonight and I'll take you back tomorrow during the day."

An Suo glanced at his home, which was still not far away, hesitated for a moment, and then obediently nodded.

"Then let's go."

Wien tried to keep his voice down, took An Suo's hand, and turned around, wanting to leave quietly.

But fate had other plans, and some people were still unwilling to let him go so easily.

"stop."

A cold, angry shout came from behind him, followed by the sound of a crossbow being nocked. Wayne clicked his tongue in surprise.

This is troublesome. I should have known better than to bring An Suo back. Wayne had initially thought that Wei Yanwu had inexplicably leaked the secret code and was now thoroughly investigating the mole. Having An Suo stay in a hotel at this time felt like a blatant attempt to cover something up. To prevent the young girl from getting involved in Wei Yanwu's mess and to protect her safety, Wayne decided to send her home.

But before they could even get rid of Wei Yanwu, another problem arose here.

It's really strange. With so much trouble happening to you guys in Longmen, how come you haven't died out yet?

Wien gestured for silence to Ansobi, then unleashed the full power of his Mandate of Heaven, slowly turning his head to look at the grey-robed man behind him.

"Sir, let's talk this out, there's no need for... hiss—"

Wayne jerked to the side, a sharp crossbow bolt narrowly missing him. Had Wayne not been constantly on his guard, the bolt would likely have pierced his throat.

This person had no intention of listening to me at all; he had no intention of leaving anyone alive!

Seeing that he calmly reloaded the crossbow and aimed it in Wayne's direction, Wayne's face turned cold, his golden eyes flashed, and he spoke directly:

"Aim the arrow at your own temple!"

The next second, the gray-robed man holding the crossbow suddenly changed his expression, his arm bending in an incomprehensible way as he aimed the crossbow bolt at his temple.

The crossbow was much longer than a handgun, and there was generally no such thing as aiming a crossbow at the temple. However, under Wayne's command, the gray-robed man completed the order at the cost of self-harm.

Wayne reached out and covered Amsor's eyes, whispering:

"Pull the trigger."

"Mmm!"

A crisp twang of the bowstring rang out, and the crossbow bolt pierced the skull. The gray-robed man let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground.

Having done all this, Wayne took a deep breath, stopped looking at the black-robed man's corpse, turned around, took Darkseid's hand, and ran quickly towards Darkseid's home.

There was no way he could go back to the hotel. The enemy had clearly noticed him; they were ruthless and had no intention of leaving anyone alive. If Wayne hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been killed by that sneak arrow.

Wayne's strength lies in his mental fortitude, not his physical body. A king can learn and practice martial arts, but doesn't need exceptional physical prowess; that's how his adoptive father, the King of the North, taught him. Therefore, Wayne's physical strength, in some ways, might not even be comparable to that of Vina, the former mob boss and current queen who survived street brawls and lives a comfortable life.

If Wayne were to rashly return the way he came under these circumstances, he could very well be caught off guard and injured by an unexpected attack.

Therefore, it would be better to head to the Darkseid family immediately, secure a temporary safe base, contact Theresa and Vina, and then make further plans.

"*Longmen profanity*, who is actually acting against me?"

He hurriedly ran up to the apartment building where An Suo lived, skillfully took the key from under the flowerpot, opened the door, threw An Suo onto the sofa, locked the door, and peered through the peephole to observe the activity in the hallway.

Sure enough, a short while later, a noisy commotion came from downstairs.

Someone is knocking on doors, one by one!

Wayne's judgment was correct. Sure enough, these grey-robed men had planted spies in Block Three, and they had probably spotted him as soon as he entered the area. Why did they wait until I got here to make their move? Were they afraid I had someone behind me, or were they planning to lure me in deeper?

Wayne wasn't sure, but he knew that he didn't have much time left.

He pulled out his phone and instinctively tapped on Vina's number. But after a moment's hesitation, he exited Vina's chat.

This isn't Victoria. Even if I call Vina, she can't possibly mobilize 100,000 troops to personally lead an army to rescue me like she did when I was trapped in the North. At most, she'll mobilize 100,000 troops to march to Lungmen and send me off when I'm already dead.

At this point, you need to call someone else.

Wayne found Wei Yanwu's name, pressed dial, and put the phone to his ear.

A few seconds later, Wei Yanwu, who was fast asleep, picked up the phone looking exhausted. When he saw that it was Wayne calling, he was furious.

This guy came to Longmen, ate and drank my food, had my niece act as his guide, and not only did he not help me, he also threatened me for revealing my secrets. Now he's calling me in the middle of the night? What are you trying to do, disturb the peace? Do you think I, Wei Yanwu, am someone who doesn't have a temper?

You can decide whether I answer or not, that's all.