Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Fang Zhou put down the communicator, not attempting a second call.

Lu Feilan's warning not to return to the apartment suggested that it had become a "danger zone."

Could it be that her identity had been exposed, targeting her?

Fang Zhou was clueless; her disguise was flawless, leaving no room for identity exposure. The second identity had never used the abilities of the first in public, ruling out discovery through ability matching.

As for the inspection when she left the Baijing District, she believed the Order Bureau wouldn’t have zeroed in on her so quickly.

Most people would assume that Joker's companion was already in the Tonghua District, focusing on the locals rather than considering someone who traveled from the Baijing District. Especially since many left for Tonghua District during the time she traveled from Baijing.

Being unable to reach Lu Feilan likely meant she was in danger.

He couldn't afford to be in trouble.

For various reasons, Fang Zhou didn't want anything bad to happen to Lu Feilan.

"How long until we arrive?" She glanced at the time and asked Fang Xunjiang.

"At least half an hour. Sister, has something happened?"

"I'm not sure if my identity has been exposed. My companion might be in danger now."

"Companion?" He tilted his head slightly.

There was no need to hide it from Fang Xunjiang. Fang Zhou straightforwardly said, "You know him; it's Lu Feilan."

"So he left with sister too." Fang Xunjiang's face remained expressionless. "His abilities are very useful, good for both destruction and construction. But destruction is his forte. Don't worry too much about him, sister. He can handle ordinary foes on his own."

"...Destruction?"

This was news to Fang Zhou. She had suspected Lu Feilan of hiding his ability level and some effects, but had never considered this. They never openly discussed such matters. Fang Xunjiang's words made it all clear to her.

"Reconstruction" was a phase of Lu Feilan's ability. As he said, he could understand the entire structure of any organism or machine just by touching it. If he could reconstruct them, he could also destroy them. Realizing this, Fang Zhou immediately understood why Fang Xunjiang said Lu Feilan excelled at destruction.

Once you understand the structure of something, destroying it requires targeting its crucial components. Conversely, restoring it to its original state demands much more precise manipulation.

"I remember his file in the shelter listed him as a 'C-class Reconstructor'."

"Yes, he said he didn't want his abilities to be officially recorded. I thought it was enough that he could help you, sister. It didn't seem like a big deal, so I agreed."

Knowing the specifics of Lu Feilan's abilities didn't ease Fang Zhou's mind; she had a feeling this situation might not be so straightforward.

After some thought, she contacted Leiqie, who answered quickly.

"Hello?" His lazy voice came through. "You've arrived? That was fast."

Fang Zhou got straight to the point: "Is anything happening in the Baijing District?"

"Now?" Leiqie sounded puzzled. "It's pretty peaceful."

"Any new movements from the Orderers? Especially near the center?" Fang Zhou wasn't sure if the trouble was from the Orderers, but without other leads, she had to start there.

Leiqie: "Why do you think I'd know about the Orderers' movements? You're overestimating me."

Fang Zhou remained silent, and after a few seconds, a compromising voice came from the other end: "...Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you. If there's any issue, I'll send a message."

He continued, "But you know, my information isn't free, even for 'companions', and only up to a limit."

Fang Zhou replied, "I'll repay you, companion."

With that, she ended the call.

Hearing her conversation, Fang Xunjiang asked, "Was that Leiqie?"

Fang Zhou nodded.

Receiving her affirmative answer, Fang Xunjiang fell silent for a while, with no follow-up. He seemed expressionless, as usual, but the atmosphere grew somewhat somber. It was then that Fang Zhou realized he was a bit upset.

"What's wrong? Why are you unhappy?"

"I don't really like him, Leiqie isn't easy to control," he honestly admitted. "I don't want him to be your companion."

In other words, he was worried Leiqie might betray her.

"Leiqie is very useful. He knows a lot about the Baijing District, and his extraordinary power is what I need," Fang Zhou calmly assessed Leiqie's value. "Our interests don't conflict and we have a common enemy. For now, there's no need to worry about him betraying me."

Not to mention the double assurance she had with the vine insects.

Fang Xunjiang didn't question her further, accepting her reasoning after a brief silence: "If sister says so."

Half an hour later, Fang Zhou and Fang Xunjiang's car entered the Baijing District, and a message from Leiqie arrived.

Leiqie: [Near Central Square. Seems 'Mad Dog' is in action, but it looks like it's just him and a few subordinates. Seems like personal vendetta. Aren't you in Baijing District?]

Fang Zhou: [Mad Dog?]

Leiqie: [One of the S-class transcendents from the Order Bureau. 'Mad Dog' is the nickname we gave him. He never lets go of his prey, really annoying.]

Leiqie: [Need me to help?]

Fang Zhou didn't reply to him, her brow furrowed in concern. She had thought Lu Feilan was in trouble because of her, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

She decided not to involve Fang Xunjiang and said to him: "You can't openly use your powers; it'll only complicate things if you're exposed. Go back to Liuli Street first, and I'll contact you after resolving this."

After all, there were two S-class Orderers in the Baijing District, along with sufficient weaponry. Often, humans couldn't withstand heavy armaments. If they got desperate enough to drop a nuclear bomb, no one would survive.

Fang Zhou didn't want to confront them head-on without any preparation.

Fang Xunjiang understood this logic, but he had only recently found Fang Zhou...

His hands clenched the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white, as if struggling with his thoughts. Finally, he said, “Even though sister no longer needs my protection, I don’t want to be separated from you.”

Fang Zhou appreciated his concern and reassured him with a smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t disappear again this time.”

Fang Xunjiang’s objections usually only lasted once in front of her. True to form, he conceded a second later, “...I understand.”

The car turned into a street near Central Square. As Fang Zhou got out of the car, she noticed that from a distance, it wasn’t apparent if any nearby areas were engaged in battle, indicating a limited range of impact.

Realizing she might directly encounter the Orderers, Fang Zhou didn’t bother to check the surrounding surveillance. If necessary, she could always change her disguise.

She hastened towards Central Square, enhancing her speed.

Reaching the location Leiqie provided, there were few people gathered, and surprisingly, everything seemed peaceful with no signs of disturbance.

Fang Zhou felt puzzled; either the fight had already ended and she was too late, or it was a minor scuffle that didn’t attract much attention.

She deployed her wire serpents to scout the area.

Before she could do more, the lights of the central mall suddenly went out, standing dark and silent. The abrupt blackout sent the shoppers inside spilling out, complaining. Fang Zhou sensed a shift in the air currents and noticed flashes of light flickering through the clouds.

Instantly, she realized where the main action was and headed into the mall without hesitation. Approaching it, the painful sensation from her communicator made her swiftly discard it, just to watch it spark and break completely.

It wasn’t just her; others who hadn’t left in time did the same.

“That hurt! What's electrifying me...”

“Damn, my communicator! What's happening!?”

Seeing this, Fang Zhou roughly guessed what “Mad Dog’s” transcendent power was.

The mall’s lights going out was likely the adversary’s way of clearing the battlefield, as the area was too crowded. While Orderers weren’t responsible for protecting civilians, they also couldn’t harm them indiscriminately.

As she entered the mall, looking up from the central atrium, Fang Zhou soon spotted a faint glimmer on the third floor.

She immediately used wind control to ascend quickly to the third floor, where the dim light was coming from an emergency exit. She swiftly enacted her confinement spell, centering it around the mall.

Although she knew using this spell would quickly alert the Order Bureau to their presence in Baijing District, she couldn't worry about that now.

Most people had already evacuated. The adversary's clearing of the battlefield made her task easier. With only a few people left, Fang Zhou quickly located the transcendent and Lu Feilan. They were close by, one on the third floor and the other on the second. Too close – her confinement wouldn’t hold him for long.

Fang Zhou immediately used speed enhancement to reach Lu Feilan, navigating through the pitch-black interior. Upon reaching him, she had no time for hesitation or thought.

"It's me," she said to identify herself, and quickly wrapped him in her wire serpents to escape using speed enhancement.

As expected, the S-class transcendent reacted swiftly, unleashing powerful electric currents throughout the mall, attempting to find and kill her.

Fortunately, by this time, Fang Zhou had already moved with Lu Feilan to the first floor. The moment they stepped out of the mall, her confinement spell was lifted, and a thunderous boom echoed as lightning struck the building, illuminating the surroundings.

Had she been a second later, she would have been hit by the lightning.

As the area lit up, Fang Zhou saw Leiqie not far away. He had come unbidden, which was just as well.

She immediately moved with Lu Feilan to his side. "Let's go."

Without a word, Leiqie used teleportation to take them away from the area.

By the time Fang Zhou regained her composure, they were already inside a house.

Once she was sure they were safe, Fang Zhou turned her attention to Lu Feilan's condition. "How are you?"

His face was pale, half of his body soaked in blood. His glasses were smudged with blood, and his body bore numerous visible wounds. Remarkably, his first action after stabilizing was to remove his glasses and clean them with a clean cloth from his pocket.

"Still alive."