CHAPTER 145: CHAPTER 140: DETERRENCE! CYBORG SPECIAL ENVOY XUE

"Special Envoy Xue, do you see any problem with how I’m handling this?" Li Laoqi asked the cyborg beside him.

Special Envoy Xue nodded expressionlessly, approving of Li Laoqi’s method.

Receiving the affirmation, Li Laoqi let out a cold laugh. "Isn’t your mouth filthy? Today, I’ll show you the consequences of running that mouth of yours. Men, give this ’gentleman’ the service he deserves. I hope he’s still in the same state of mind after you string him up."

Li Laoqi was the type of man who didn’t waste time with threats; he had no intention of stooping to Wang Yujie’s level to trade insults. He was the quiet dog that bites. He issued Big Beard’s final sentence on the spot.

"How dare you, Li Laoqi! Aren’t you afraid of retaliation from the City of No Night?" Nightingale shouted, snapping out of her daze.

Unfortunately, her threat carried no weight. A sneer of disdain spread across Li Laoqi’s face. "Oh, our dear Captain Nightingale, how can you still be so naive? I don’t know whether to praise you or scold you."

His tone shifted. "But don’t you worry, you’re next. Did you really think I’d let a tiger escape back to its mountain just because I’m afraid of the City of No Night’s revenge?"

"Besides, after I exterminate all of you here, I’m leaving anyway. This mine is almost depleted. Only some low-grade white energy crystal ore remains, which I’ll graciously return to the City of No Night."

"I’ll be leading my brothers to seek allegiance with..."

"Cough, cough..."

Before Li Laoqi could finish, Special Envoy Xue coughed pointedly, cutting off his loose talk.

Hearing the deliberate cough, Li Laoqi hurriedly pretended to slap his own mouth. With only one arm, he had lost his former domineering air, cutting the pathetic figure of a crippled lackey. As for his mechanical arm, removing it had been easy. Reattaching it, however, would have to wait until he returned with this mysterious Special Envoy Xue to their headquarters, where he could undergo implant surgery.

Hearing Li Laoqi’s words, Nightingale fell into despair. For some reason, a thought suddenly surfaced in her mind. If someone could save me and my brothers right now, I would pledge my life’s loyalty to them.

The idea was ludicrous. It was impossible for anyone to save her now—unless it wasn’t a person, but a god. Even if it were a god, she would willingly devote her life to it.

Fate often has a melodramatic streak.

Chen Pingchuan had taken a slight liking to Big Beard. If this were his Divine Self running a simulation, it probably wouldn’t have bothered with whether Big Beard lived or died. But being here in his real body was different. Even knowing that death in a simulation had no real-world consequences, Chen Pingchuan still found himself sighing as he reluctantly spoke out.

"Wait!"

Chen Pingchuan’s voice wasn’t as loud as Wang Yujie’s, but the effect was completely different. The mine guards escorting Wang Yujie to the door froze in place, as if under a spell. They didn’t even turn around.

Indeed, these two were Chen Pingchuan’s parasitic puppets. This bizarre scene, however, stunned everyone else present. The others, unaware of Chen Pingchuan’s parasitic abilities, were astounded that he could immobilize opponents with just a single word.

Special Envoy Xue rose to his feet. He had learned from Li Laoqi the previous night about the strange events at the mine. Through a series of investigations, he had deduced that the Nightingale Squad was not responsible for the attack on Li Laoqi. If the Nightingale Squad had intended to attack Li Laoqi, they wouldn’t have needed to resort to subterfuge. In a direct confrontation, Li Laoqi’s side would have been wiped out long before he arrived. From this, he inferred that the killer with the bizarre methods must be hiding within an inconspicuous group. It couldn’t be someone from the mine’s side, which narrowed the scope down to one of the six high school interns.

The deduction sounded ridiculous. Could high school students who hadn’t even used genetic agents really awaken such terrifying abilities?

It wasn’t until Chen Pingchuan spoke that Special Envoy Xue was certain. The killer was indeed the handsome, boyish young man standing before him.

Special Envoy Xue pushed the table forward slightly, his voice somewhat hoarse as he asked, "Who are you?"

Hearing the question, Chen Pingchuan offered a disarmingly harmless smile. "I’m the type of person who prefers to offer a courtesy before resorting to force. So, before I introduce myself, allow me to present you with a small gift."

As he finished speaking, Chen Pingchuan turned his gaze to the cyborg next to Special Envoy Xue. This cyborg’s augmentations were different from the others. Half of his head was completely covered in an unknown metal. It was less like implanting machinery into a human body and more like attaching organic parts to a mechanical frame.

Just as the cyborg was wondering what trick Chen Pingchuan was about to pull, Chen Pingchuan had already used the "Phantom Hands" skill on him.

The scene that followed would be seared into the memories of everyone present for the rest of their lives, including his own companions like Feng Jiaqi and Ye Luo. In his hand, Chen Pingchuan now held a dripping, bloody head. A bone-deep chill swept through the room.

It turned out the murderous maniac who had appeared in the mine had been hiding among them all along. It was their classmate Chen Pingchuan, whom no one had ever suspected.

At that moment, only two people in the room were not stunned by Chen Pingchuan’s gory display.

One was, naturally, Liu Haofeng, who was already mentally prepared. The corners of his mouth drooped as he gave a bitter, internal laugh. So it really was him.

The other was Nightingale. The man who was a bloodthirsty demon in everyone else’s eyes was, to her, a hero sent from the heavens to save her. Otherwise, how could the timing be so perfect? She had just made a wish in her heart, and in the next instant, Chen Pingchuan appeared. Not a moment sooner, not a moment later. It had to be fate.

Nightingale’s gaze softened, her eyes seeming to brim with an emotion so intense that Chen Pingchuan could feel it directly. Unfortunately, he had no time to deal with the lovestruck woman.

Chen Pingchuan casually tossed the mechanized head in front of Li Laoqi and Special Envoy Xue.

Both of them stumbled back a step in alarm. Faced with such a bizarre act happening right before them, their scalps tingled with fear. They couldn’t even comprehend how he had done it, let alone figure out how to counter it.

Li Laoqi’s previous theories were blown to pieces. A restriction? What a joke. What kind of restriction would allow this maniac to slaughter a companion right before their very eyes?

Furthermore, the dead cyborg was a level-five powerhouse, a formidable fighter even among his peers. He had been the most ferocious combatant in last night’s battle, with a notable record of killing five members of Nightingale’s elite squad. For such an expert to die so inexplicably, without even a chance to defend himself... how could Li Laoqi and Special Envoy Xue not be terrified?

Chen Pingchuan hadn’t expected the "Phantom Hands" skill to be so devastating this time, killing his opponent in a single strike. The skill was truly god-tier; if the conditions were right, it could probably even slay a deity.

Then, Chen Pingchuan smiled slightly and spoke again.