Translator: CinderTL
The morning sunlight spilled down.
The floor-to-ceiling windows of towering buildings reflected the first crimson rays of the rising sun.
As the autumn wind blew, withered yellow ginkgo leaves rustled and fell, scattering on both sides of the asphalt road.
Cleaners in yellow-striped uniforms were sweeping the ground, while office workers, yawning, crowded at the bus stop. Private cars continuously drove by.
Taking it all in, Chen Feng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, quietly overlooking the entire Nanjiang city area.
This time, he had stayed in the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm for nearly four days.
But upon returning, only a single night had passed.
It was as if he had merely experienced a conscious dream, but Chen Feng knew very well that it was a real world.
Then, he lowered his head to look at his palm.
The dark serpentine pattern, though somewhat dim, was still deep and profound.
[Serpent Spirit Power: 100/100]
He still had one more chance to enter the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.
But after some thought, he wasn't in a hurry to use it immediately.
Instead, his gaze shifted downward, looking at the other information on the panel.
[Extreme Martial Arts Points: 6]
[Limit Breaking Points: 28]
[Extreme Martial Fist: Beginner (3%)+]
[Flame Tiger Force: Flame Tiger (1%)+]
Before entering the dream, he had ventured into a danger zone, successfully exploring an Extreme Martial Hall.
But to elevate the Flame Tiger Force to the Heavenly Flame level, he was still far short in both Limit Breaking and Extreme Martial Arts.
If he focused on improving the Extreme Martial Fist, relying on the special enhancement of the Extreme Martial light orb, he could break through to the Meteor realm.
"It's about time to have a trump card that surfaces."
His eyes flickered, Chen Feng hadn't forgotten his promise to Lin Hao.
Jin Wei was a Titanium-grade Cyborg from Utopia, equipped with Armament Modules that were far from ordinary, granting him explosive combat power.
And since he was to protect Lin Hao closely, it naturally wouldn't be convenient to activate the Azure Armor and use the identity of the Blue Demon.
So.
"Upgrade!"
In an instant, all six units of Extreme Martial Arts and the entire Limit Breaking stock were consumed, and all insights flooded in.
The solitude of practicing the fist, the persistence through days and nights.
Punch, sweep, slam, whip.
Fists like meteors, empowered by Extreme Martial Fist.
[Extreme Martial Fist: Meteor (10%)+]
The moment the panel's progress skyrocketed and broke through, a hazy white light appeared in Chen Feng's hand.
It seemed like Force, but not entirely the same.
According to the True Art Key and his careful perception.
Chen Feng knew that this was a form of condensation and compression of the internal energy within his body.
It was a special combat technique similar to the Explosive Fist, but instead of acting on oneself, it was directly externalized.
Although it didn't greatly enhance physical attributes, it had a certain level of growth potential.
The more internal energy one had, the more attacks they could release, and the power would correspondingly increase significantly.
It was precisely because of this that the Instructor Xu from the residual memories could continuously throw punches like a bomber.
"He must also be a Grandmaster."
A flash in his eyes, Chen Feng had a rough comparison in mind.
The hazy white light in his hand dissipated, and as he looked down at the city again, confidence filled his eyes, with a Flame Tiger silently coiled behind him.
He knew that from this moment on.
Having achieved the physique of a Grandmaster, he could protect some things.
---
At two o'clock that afternoon.
Below the Tian Hao Security building, a line of black vehicles slowly pulled up.
Several suited bodyguards with bulging waists, among them Silver-grade Cyborgs, opened the car doors, vigilant on both sides.
Passersby stopped, surprised at who could have such a grand presence.
Soon, looking over.
A young man could be seen stepping out from the main entrance on the first floor, surrounded by several suited bodyguards.
"Young Master, are you really going to take such a risk?"
A voice of opposition came through the earpiece. Lin Hao was dressed in a gray casual suit with an overcoat and sunglasses.
"Liu Bo, we have no choice."
"If we don't eliminate Jin Wei, our manpower can't be dispersed. If we keep dragging on like this, other companies will snatch away our security business."
Lin Hao whispered, his tone complex.
After much hesitation, he finally agreed to Chen Feng's plan, deciding to leave Liu Bo to guard the company building while using himself as bait to lure out the snake.
It wasn't just about trusting Chen Feng, but also out of helplessness.
During this period, to prevent Jin Wei from coming to kill, he had concentrated manpower and resources, letting go of a lot of security business.
It was manageable in the short term, but in the long run, it would certainly have a significant impact.
"That's the logic, but what if you get hurt?"
The elderly voice in the earpiece was worried and displeased. Lin Hao sighed, knowing Liu Bo wouldn't agree, which was why he had informed him at the last minute.
"Isn't Fengzi here? And he promised me that the Blue Demon would send a Cyborg friend to help."
"Moreover, I've communicated with the Joint Council, and they will provide support at any time to deal with Jin Wei."
"Rest assured, I'm not ready to meet my father so soon."
He said it as if joking, but the voice in the earpiece suddenly fell silent.
The atmosphere quieted, and Lin Hao stopped at the car door.
The sunlight reflected off the black car windows, and flying cars zipped across the sky above.
Zhou Cheng, dressed in a loose suit, was vigilant on both sides, while Chen Feng in the passenger seat was composed, dressed in a black and white suit, pretending not to have heard anything.
"I understand."
The elderly voice on the phone sighed for a moment, then said no more.
"Young Master, please make sure to protect yourself."
Beep!
The earpiece's communication was temporarily disconnected. Lin Hao shook his head with a smile, then stepped into the back seat of the black car.
All the bodyguards boarded the cars, and the sound of doors slamming shut echoed one after another.
"It's settled, my life is in your hands now."
He glanced at the burly figure in the passenger seat, half-joking and half-serious.
"With me here, no matter who it is..."
Without finishing the sentence, without turning his head.
But Lin Hao clearly felt his strong confidence.
Feeling inexplicably more at ease, a smile appeared on his face, and he stopped overthinking.
"Alright, let's get crazy."
"Let's have a wild time for once."
---
"The target is on the move!"
In the operational deployment room of the City Joint Council.
On both sides of a long black table sat over a dozen people, mostly middle-aged with serious expressions.
The red nameplates on the table bore their names, clearly showing they were part of the Safety Bureau and City Defense Department's Joint Council members.
Following their gaze, a huge projection floated on the wall ahead, displaying multiple split screens.
Upon closer inspection, it showed various angles of the Tian Hao Security building's surveillance footage.
A slender young man in a gray overcoat got into a car, and the line of vehicles slowly departed, seemingly heading to some corporate office for a meeting.
Seeing this, Chu Shihong, with gray hair and sitting at the head of the table in a dark suit, frowned slightly.
"Director Zhang, how did Tian Hao Security communicate with you?"
"With such a small number of personnel, can they hold off Jin Wei?"
He even spotted the beloved disciple of his friend among them. If something went wrong with this reckless move, how would he explain it once the other party woke up?
"Chairman Lin didn't reveal much, only that he was confident he could lure out Jin Wei."
The middle-aged man Zhang Zhengtai, now acting director of the Nanjiang Safety Bureau, sat at the left head of the table. Upon hearing this, he straightened his expression and quickly explained, "This person has always been rational and is quite cared for by several other council members. He shouldn't act recklessly."
"Moreover, he expressed a desire to contribute to the public security of Nanjiang and the eradication of Utopia, willing to take the risk..."
Zhang Zhengtai hurriedly finished his explanation. Chu Shihong remained silent for a moment.
"Quite a remarkable young man."
Although this matter originated from him and his words might be exaggerated.
Being willing to take such a risky action is commendable.
"Since he is willing to make such a sacrifice for our City Joint Council, we must not slack off."
"Is Mr. Qin on the scene?"
"Yes!"
Zhang Zhengtai quickly nodded, then instructed his subordinates to switch the communication.
"Hello!"
A nonchalant voice, sounding around thirty.
The screen switched to show a robust man in a black hoodie, seemingly strolling on the street.
Wearing a baseball cap, half his face showed some stubble.
"Mr. Qin, Councilor Chu wishes to speak with you."
"Oh, sure."
The man nodded, and Chu Shihong began to speak.
"Mr. Qin, we're counting on you this time."
"Tian Hao Security is one of Nanjiang City's renowned large security enterprises, and we're at a crucial moment for investment attraction... If something goes wrong, it might affect the Provincial Joint Council's strategic deployment..."
"Alright, I get it."
Before Chu Shihong could finish, the thirty-something man interrupted in a low voice, "I don't care about the rest, but that person named Lin Hao, I'll do my best to protect him."
"But let's be clear, since Jin Wei's reboot, no one knows if he's equipped with new Armament Modules."
"All I can say is, I'll do my best."
Chu Shihong wasn't surprised. After all, this was no small matter. Unless the Provincial Joint Council was willing to send those few people, no one could have absolute certainty.
As for the military side.
The Suro Nation has been quite chaotic recently, and it's even less likely they'd divert resources to help with this mess.
"Alright, that's it then."
Beep!
The communication was cut off. Chu Shihong's expression remained unchanged.
Beside him, Zhang Zhengtai felt awkward but didn't dare to speak up.
He could only brace himself and start deploying other arrangements, occasionally communicating with various armed squads.
"I wonder if Jin Wei will show up."
In the line of black cars moving between tall buildings, Lin Hao sighed.
Although he told the City Joint Council he was confident, when it came to actually trying it, he wasn't so sure.
After all, at such a critical moment, anyone would think it was a trap.
"You said Jin Wei is proud, didn't you?"
"The prouder one is, the more stubborn... If I were him, even knowing it's a trap, I wouldn't easily miss the opportunity."
Chen Feng sat in the passenger seat, holding a tablet with detailed information about Jin Wei.
Or rather, information about him before his consciousness was replicated from the deep sea and rebooted.
[Jin Wei, Suro Nation, thirty-two years old... Born to the same mother as Utopia member 'Silver Wolf,' they are half-brothers]
[Titanium-grade complete Cyborg, equipped with missile modules, precision strikes, Tier-4 Energy Device...]
As he browsed through the information, Lin Hao in the back seat shook his head and added, "I'm not sure."
"People change, and Suro is in chaos. Utopia is being attacked by other forces. Maybe he's lost patience and run back."
"Perhaps."
Chen Feng responded, his gaze lingering on the Tier-4 Energy Device.
"What level is this Tier-4 Energy Device?"
"It's the pinnacle of civilian technology, capable of granting a complete Cyborg high-power energy support in a short time, enhancing strength, firepower, neural reaction speed—everything gets a exponential boost."
"So, it's a device that enhances power and boosts explosiveness?"
"Right."
Lin Hao nodded, also somewhat uncertain, "But my main concern now is whether he's installed a Force Field Device after the reboot."
"If he really has one, we might be in trouble."
"Force Field Device?" Chen Feng was puzzled.
"Similar to the Flying Dragon Cyborg, it grants him force field protection, making him immune to ordinary firepower attacks."
Knowing his lack of knowledge in this area, Lin Hao patiently explained, "Like the Energy Device, it's part of the Armament Module, starting from the lowest level, with each higher level exponentially increasing in power and effect."
Chen Feng recalled the Flying Dragon Cyborg he had seen during the Yue Mountain battle.
It had relied on a force field to delay the Holy Shield Colossus, neutralizing its brute force impact without suffering any injuries.
"How many levels does this device have?"
"Previously, it was seven. In recent years, the military, the Platinum Federation, and several major corporations have been researching it... But Tier-4 is the civilian peak, also the maximum limit a Titanium-grade Cyborg can handle."
Lin Hao didn't hide anything, "Each higher level requires a massive investment of money and resources."
"Even just a Tier-3 Force Field Device would cost nearly ten million, with terrifying protective power. Ordinary bombs and missiles would hardly harm the target."
"Anyway, let's hope he hasn't installed one."
The sighing voice made Chen Feng's eyes flash, memorizing this knowledge.
Then, the convoy continued.
To avoid too much of a stir, they deliberately took a route around the city's outskirts, near the suburbs.
Time passed, half an hour, one hour, two hours.
The convoy circled the city at a steady pace, but no accidents or attacks occurred.
The sky turned increasingly crimson, with bits of evening glow rising.
Unnoticed, it was already dusk, approaching night.
The convoy reached a crossroads. Looking out the window, pedestrians were scattered on the street, and various restaurants and hotpot places were bustling, filled to the brim.
Lin Hao's tense mood relaxed a bit, leaning back on the leather seat, somewhat enviously watching a child holding an adult's hand, buying snacks at a roadside stall.
"Sometimes, I really wish I could be an ordinary person."
He suddenly spoke. Chen Feng was slightly taken aback.
This was the first time he had heard the other speak with such weariness.
Buzz!
Soon, his phone vibrated, interrupting their thoughts.
Lin Hao glanced at the message, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"A message from the City Joint Council."
"They said that at the city defense checkpoint, Jin Wei was confirmed to have left, around four in the afternoon..."
Hearing this, Chen Feng's eyes flickered.
Gave up?
He felt an unreal sensation.
Even taking Lin Hao's phone to look, there was indeed footage of Jin Wei appearing in the suburbs.
"Let's just head back, I'm getting hungry."
Lin Hao also felt it was somewhat unreal. Although he remained cautious, he couldn't help but ease his tense emotions.
Chen Feng didn't object, as they couldn't keep wandering outside aimlessly; they needed a place to rest.
Whether Jin Wei's departure was real or not, as long as they remained vigilant...
"Hmm?"
His heightened senses suddenly stirred, Chen Feng's thoughts halted, narrowing his eyes to look into the sky.
A figure stood atop a tall building.
The fierce wind made his long hair flutter as he coldly gazed over.
Like a lion looking down, his intensely oppressive gaze met across the distance.
In an instant, without hesitation.
He sensed his surroundings and immediately shouted.
"Stop the car!!"
(End of the Chapter)
---
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