On the Ark.

No one would have imagined that an ordinary person who seemed harmless could unleash such power in such a short time.

Swire didn't expect it, Watson didn't expect it, and neither did the thugs who attacked Lin Ye.

The moment the first thug's knife clashed with Lin Ye's right-hand knife, the outcome was decided. Lin Ye then used his left-hand knife to brutally slice the thug's body in two.

If you remove the thug's mask, you should be able to see that he maintained a look of astonishment until he died.

The second thug rushed forward, but Lin Ye beat him to it, precisely piercing the second thug's thigh with the left knife he had just used to cut open the first thug's body, pinning him to the ground like a nail.

The thug only screamed for two seconds before Lin Ye slashed his head open in the third second.

Although they were all fearless individuals, they were still slightly stunned when they saw such a scene. Having witnessed it all, Worson screamed and backed away as if he had seen a ghost.

At this moment, Lin Ye seemed to have transformed into a real vengeful ghost, staring intently at him.

But he wasn't in good shape; he felt like all his muscles were burning up.

This wave-jumping attack lasted less than ten seconds before his body was already exhausted. However, it was enough; the distance between him and Worson was now only…

puff.

An arm fell limply to the floor.

Watson pressed himself tightly against the wall; he had nowhere left to retreat.

Lin Ye dislocated his right hand and then placed the knife against his neck.

"It's over," Lin Ye said.

……

……

Author's Note: To put it simply, some people might find it absurd and unbelievable that Swire could do so much while so severely injured. But it's not unbelievable. Swire isn't actually "human"—in fact, the Arknights universe doesn't have humans; they're all subhumans. And subhumans have varying physical strengths due to their different races. For example, in the lore, very few people can harm Skadi. Swire is a "tiger," so having her fight even while severely injured isn't some kind of farcical "anti-Japanese war drama." After all, Swire is a five-star Guard operator in the game; it would be too much to expect her to die from a single stab.

Some might think the protagonist shouldn't possess such exaggerated combat power, but there's no need to worry. I won't make the protagonist invincible; at most, he'll be able to step up in crucial moments. Besides, the protagonist's current combat power isn't that outrageous; most caster operators haven't even appeared yet (just look at that girl smashing meteors). In my setting, these thugs are essentially the weakest kind, slightly stronger than ordinary people. At the top of the power scale are operators like Skadi and Shining.

Chapter 169 The Guard Bureau! All of you, get down before me!

They actually did it.

As Lin Ye held the knife to Wolsen's neck, a strange sense of unreality lingered in his heart, as if everything happening before him was not real. This was the first time he had used Wave Leap in actual combat, and in such a life-or-death situation at that. Skadi had once told him that the more desperate the situation, the more he could unleash the power of Wave Leap, and this time Lin Ye could truly appreciate it deeply; the power to cut through the waves was indeed indescribable.

However, the cost of using this power was slowly becoming apparent. Lin Ye felt as if all the muscles in his body were on fire, and the unstoppable force was rapidly receding.

This was indeed the most powerful display of his Leap Strike technique he had ever unleashed, but it was also the shortest-lasting. Lin Ye knew he would soon be suffering from the side effects of Leap Strike, and before that, he had to finish what he needed to do: ensure that he and Swire could leave this place alive.

This is also why he didn't kill Worson.

Lin Ye gripped the knife hilt and slammed it down hard on Worson's head. Worson screamed and fell to his knees. Lin Ye immediately used his knee to push Worson's back, then put the knife back to his neck, glaring at the thugs trying to rush forward, and shouted, "Make them back off if they don't want to die!"

"Aaaaaah!" The armless Worson screamed in agony. "Pretty boy! You little beast! I'll kill you! I'll make sure you die today!"

"If you don't make them back down, I swear I'll die before me." Lin Ye applied a little force, and blood seeped from Watson's neck. "Want to try?"

"Aaaaaah! What the hell?!" Watson yelled. "Don't you understand?! Back off, back off, get the hell out of here!"

The thugs who had already surrounded the area didn't expect the battle to turn so quickly. They exchanged glances and slowly retreated.

This scene brought Lin Ye a slight sense of relief. If Watson were truly the kind of person who had lost his mind, or rather, was willing to die for someone, Lin Ye would most likely be injured here tonight. Fortunately, although Watson talked a tough game, deep down he was still a cowardly coward who was terribly afraid of death. Even at this point, he was still willing to compromise with Lin Ye. This was enough to show that he was not the kind of person who could be a big boss; he was just a cowardly and treacherous thief. Just as Swire said, this guy was at best a rich second-generation bear.

Speaking of Shihuai Ya…

Lin Ye looked up at Swire and found her staring at him blankly, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

"How...how could this be?" Swire murmured. "Aren't you a doctor? Why would you..."

Lin Ye didn't want to explain to Swire right now. Everything could wait until they got out of there alive. The primary goal right now was, of course, to get out of there alive.

Watson was still shouting, "I've already told them to stop! Let me go!"

Lin Ye was almost laughing in exasperation at Watson: "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I promise, if you let me go, I will absolutely not let them kill you!" Watson shouted. "I swear in the name of the Watson family..."

Swire calmed down a bit. After all, she was a senior superintendent, even if she had paid her way in… bullshit, she hadn’t paid her way in. After a brief breakdown of her mental defenses, she regained her composure.

“Your family is dead,” Swire coldly replied to Watson. “Even if it weren’t, you and your father were both people with no integrity.”

Watson was furious: "You bitch, how dare you insult my father?"

Lin Ye plunged another knife into the ground in front of Worson, whose expression changed.

“Let him curse me, I also think he has no credibility.” Watson changed his tune readily. “But I’m different from him, I’m a man of integrity. I sent men to ambush you, you cut off my hand, and now everyone wants to live, so why not cancel each other out? It’s better for everyone this way. If I die, you won’t live either.”

It must be said that there is some truth to what Watson said, but no one with an IQ over fifty would believe him.

“I can let you go,” Lin Ye said, “provided that you escort me and Superintendent Shi away.”

Actually, Swire didn't like being called Miss Swire or Superintendent Swire, but there was nothing else to complain about right now. She covered her wound, gritted her teeth, and struggled to stand up from the corner.

Then she was surprised to find that Lin Ye's hand holding the knife was trembling slightly.

But how could that be? How could a swordsman who killed two thugs and subdued the target in an instant have a trembling hand?

Could it be...?

Swire looked at Lin Ye's face and noticed beads of sweat on his forehead.

Lin Ye was exhausted.

The backlash from this Leap Strike was far too great and too fast, completely catching him off guard. The reason he held the other knife in front of Worson wasn't to threaten him, but because he could no longer control both knives. He now had to desperately conceal the fact that he was about to collapse from exhaustion, and he absolutely couldn't let Worson or the thugs notice. So he bit his tongue, trying his best to concentrate.

Unaware that Lin Ye behind him was nearing his limit, Watson said, "How could I possibly send you out? If I leave this theater, I might as well die."

You have no choice.

"If you insist on forcing me like this, what difference does it make whether I die outside or here?" Wolson said through gritted teeth. "Then I'll choose to die here. Anyway, once I'm dead, neither you nor that bitch will escape!"

"Fine." Lin Ye nodded, then increased the pressure on his hand once more. "Then die now."

"Stop, stop, stop, stop! Why the hell aren't you playing by the rules?!"

Watson was terrified of Lin Ye, that madman. He had no intention of trading his life for that pretty boy Lin Ye and that bitch Swire. He wanted to leave alive and rebuild the Watson family. His was a hundred times more precious than Lin Ye and Swire combined!

"Tell your men to get back!" Lin Ye shouted.

"Fine! Get out of the way, all of you!" Wolson glared at the thugs. "Can't you hear me?! You bunch of trash, get out of my way right now?!"

The thugs exchanged glances again, but none of them moved.

Lin Ye suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Watson, oblivious to the commotion, continued yelling, "You bunch of useless trash! I hired you here not to watch me die! Get out of the way, get out of the way!"

The thugs finally moved, but instead of retreating, they walked straight towards Lin Ye and Watson.

Watson was immediately horrified: "What the hell do you want to do?!"

The thugs didn't answer, but swung their knives at Lin Ye. Knowing he couldn't withstand the attack, Lin Ye quickly grabbed Worson and used him as a human shield in front of him. He thought the thugs wouldn't attack his employer, but he was wrong. The thugs swiftly swung their knives, severing Worson's left arm as he couldn't dodge in time.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Having had both arms severed in five minutes, Watson was nearly driven mad. "You bunch of useless trash! What are you doing?! You're cutting me off, you're cutting me off!"

At this moment, one of the thugs finally spoke, his voice hoarse: "Mr. Watson, the employment is over. We've done your job, now it's time to send you to hell."

Watson's eyes widened as he stared intently at the thug who had spoken: "You...the Reunion Movement, how dare you..."

Before he could finish speaking, the thug swung his knife again, this time severing Worson's head.

Watson's head fell to the ground, bounced twice like a ball, and blood splattered everywhere.

It’s over.

Lin Ye hadn't expected such a turn of events. He gripped his knife tightly, staring at the thugs who had turned their attention to him, preparing for a final desperate attempt.

Then, a familiar female voice boomed behind him like thunder.

"Guards! All of you, get down on your knees!"

Chapter 170 Aftermath

It was Chen who arrived.

She cleared a path with her distinctive voice, instantly drawing the attention of all the thugs. They attacked her, but were no match for her. Unlike Lin Ye, who needed to use his Leap Strike to kill these thugs, Chen exerted pressure on them the moment she drew her sword. Chen had two swords, one red and one black; she was currently drawing the black one. The outcome of the battle was essentially decided the moment the blade was unsheathed. Lin Ye couldn't even see her sword; he only felt a flash of black light, the blade cutting through the air with a series of buzzing sounds, and the thugs who tried to stop her fell, bleeding profusely.

"I told you!" Chen shouted, "When the Guard Bureau is handling a case, you all get down on your knees!"

Whether they had heard of Chen's name before or were shocked by his strength, all the thugs took a few steps back. Unfortunately, they were wearing masks, so their expressions couldn't be seen.

"You gossips!" Swire gritted her teeth and said, "Why are you wasting your breath talking to them? Let's fight!"

"Shut up, you char siu cat." Chen had already seen Swire and Lin Ye and said coldly, "You've been beaten up like this. I'll settle the score with you later."

Shi Huai-ya was furious with Chen.

Chen turned his gaze away from Swire and then saw one of the thugs suddenly kneel down on the ground, clutching his own neck with both hands.

"What's going on?" Chen's brows furrowed tightly. "Hey, what tricks are you trying to pull?"

The thugs did not answer. Soon, all the thugs present knelt on the ground, desperately choking themselves. One of the thugs' masks fell off, and Lin Ye could see the face that was flushed red with pain.

Wait a minute... isn't this blushing a bit unusual?

Lin Ye suddenly realized something and shouted at Chen, "They're infected, they're going to self-destruct!"

Chen and Shi Huaiya's expressions both changed.

"Hey, you!" Chen pointed a knife at one of the infected people's faces, "Don't explode! Hold it back!"

"You old hag, are you crazy?! Chop him up already!"

"Don't tell me what to do." Chen immediately unpacked his backpack, intending to take out the handcuffs, but instead pulled out a bottle of makeup remover. He paused for a second before realizing what he was doing, and then smashed the makeup remover onto the infected person's head. He then turned around and picked up Swire, saying, "You little brat, you're really more trouble than you're worth."

Before Swire could respond, Chen picked her up and ran outside. As he ran past Lin Ye, he said to him, "What are you still standing there for? Are you waiting for me to carry you away?"

Lin Ye gritted his teeth. Although his body was on the verge of exhaustion, he still mustered the last bit of strength to keep up with Chen in order to survive.

The three hadn't run far when a series of explosions erupted in the room behind them. Although the explosions weren't large, the explosions of infected individuals released gases capable of infecting ordinary people. So the three covered their mouths and ran out of the theater as fast as they could. As soon as they exited the theater, they saw dozens of riot control vehicles parked in front of the gate. Agents from the Guard Bureau got out of the vehicles, led by a tall, green-haired woman with horns on her head, whom Lin Ye had never seen before. She carried a triangular black shield.

As soon as she arrived, she asked Chen loudly, "Chen, what happened? What's wrong with Swire?"

“We’ll talk about that later. There are no survivors inside. Multiple infected individuals have self-destructed,” Chen said quickly. “Seal off the scene immediately.”

Lin Ye had no idea what happened after that. Running out of the theater with Chen had exhausted all his strength. After running a few more steps, he could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.