Chapter 63

Chapter 63

After setting the departure time, Fang Zhou checked with Leiche about the recent movements of the Order Bureau.

"Any unusual activity? What's the situation with the exit routes?"

"Nothing as of now, but all the exit routes from the White Whale District are heavily guarded."

He had numerous informants in the White Whale District, keeping him updated on changes at the Order Bureau.

Just to be safe, Fang Zhou had previously deployed some D-class aliens she had retrieved from Tonghua District to lurk around the White Whale District, especially near the Order Bureau, to observe and report any abnormalities immediately.

Fang Zhou thought for a moment, then asked, "What’s the maximum limit for your teleportation when carrying objects?"

"Hmm... a car with four people?" A vehicle was much lighter and smaller compared to the submarine they used before.

"Right."

"Two kilometers."

A two-kilometer teleportation range with cargo, befitting an S-class supportive ability.

Leiche’s teleportation, like some spatial abilities, could ignore environmental materials. While spatial abilities required some preparation time before activation, teleportation did not, making his ability particularly unpredictable for ambushes or escapes.

Fang Zhou pondered with a thoughtful expression.

Seeing her reaction, Leiche quickly added, "Short-range teleportation has no limits on frequency, but long-range like this can only be done once a minute, with a maximum of five times. It’ll deplete all my transcendent energy, so any idea of continuously teleporting over long distances twenty times to get us out of the White Whale District is out of the question."

Her expression turned slightly disappointed.

Leiche, visibly relieved: "...you were actually considering the feasibility of that, weren’t you? Truly terrifying, woman."

"It's enough."

Fang Zhou reviewed the current information. Besides the vine bug and speed enhancement, her other abilities should already be known to them.

The abilities of Fang Xunjiang and Lu Feilan were also known to the Order Bureau.

So far, only Leiche had not entered the Order Bureau’s radar, which worked perfectly. The Order Bureau had no defenses against him, so if the Order Bureau's agents guarded the exits, they could use Leiche's teleportation to disappear right under their noses.

Considering this, Fang Zhou felt confident about leaving safely, the worst-case scenario being an unknown S-class from the Order Bureau who might counter Leiche's ability.

Their departure would be a surprise attack on the Order Bureau, and the enemy would need time to mobilize personnel. By then, they would have already left the White Whale District.

Fang Zhou had considered waiting for the Order Bureau to lower their guard before leaving. However, after learning from Ming Chan that the officials might already be aware of her abilities, she knew they had to leave.

Even if they didn’t leave, it wouldn’t be long before the Order Bureau came knocking. Waiting for them to prepare thoroughly would be highly disadvantageous.

Better to make a move from their end first.

The next evening, they dispersed from Liuli Street and met at a prearranged location outside the street, using a car parked there to drive away.

Near nighttime, when there were more people and vehicles moving, they chose this time for its convenience in concealing their movements.

With Leiche’s teleportation ability, he took the driver's seat, while Fang Zhou sat in the passenger seat for a better view of the surroundings. Fang Xunjiang and Lu Feilan were in the back.

As Fang Zhou expected, the weather was indeed good, with clear visibility that was higher than usual. Streetlights were already lit, illuminating each area under them.

She was pleased.

Shortly after they set off, Fang Xunjiang and Lu Feilan in the back started chatting.

"When I was not around, did sister get injured often? Was she pushing herself too hard?"

"…Why ask me, Commander? She's right in front, why not ask her directly?"

"She doesn't tell me."

In the few days since their reunion, Fang Xunjiang had indeed asked Fang Zhou about her injuries, only to be evasively brushed off each time.

Lu Feilan sighed deeply, dispassionately reciting, "If you're asking me, my response is—yes, as you thought."

"Every time I see her, she's covered in wounds, major and minor injuries are now the norm. In this period, I feel like my regenerative healing ability has been honed to perfection." Then, pushing his glasses, he added, "Commander, please persuade her not to always put herself in danger."

Fang Zhou, listening from the front: "..."

"Oh, looks like someone's holding a grudge." Leiche turned to Fang Zhou, "Your companion is quite displeased with you."

He and Lu Feilan had been at odds since their first meeting, always looking for opportunities to provoke. Hearing Leiche’s comment, Lu Feilan scoffed from the back seat.

"Sister..." Fang Xunjiang's faint voice came from the back.

He got anxious even seeing her hand get a minor cut. Fang Zhou knew his reaction without having to look; she felt a headache coming on: "It's not that exaggerated, Lu Feilan is exaggerating."

Fang Xunjiang remained silent. She glanced at the rearview mirror; he was hanging his head, his expression hidden.

They had now driven out of the central area of the White Whale District. The road by the side led to Hong’an Wharf, where the dark waters rippled with small waves under the wind. Ahead was an upward bridge, approaching one of the exits of the White Whale District.

This route had been scouted by Leiche and her earlier. Like other locations, it was guarded by Orderlies, but they could easily slip past unnoticed.

Fang Zhou paid closer attention to her surroundings, watching the distance.

Because of her wind control ability, she was unusually sensitive to wind directions and felt something was off about the wind flow in this area.

Before she could fully assess the situation, she instinctively used the wind to lift the car off the ground from its current position.

The very next instant.

"Crackle—"

A blue lightning bolt struck down right beside them. Fang Zhou heard the ground cry out in agony as the spot where they had just been split open like a knife-cut.

"Wuhu! I saw her using her ability, it's wind, right?" Someone stood atop the coastal road barrier, loudly speaking into a communication device without any caution: "Hahaha, Sister Meng, looks like it really is this car!"

Fang Zhou peered through the windshield and saw a young man in the blue uniform of the Orderlies. His hair was unkempt, and the neatly designed uniform hung loosely on him. The top buttons of his collar were undone, revealing his bare chest marked with a ferocious scar.

Fang Zhou recognized him as the person who pursued Lu Feilan earlier, one of the S-class transcendents from Shelter 004.

From their previous encounter, she already knew his power – a direct, wide-range, highly destructive force, difficult to handle but not unbeatable.

The situation worsened as combat planes and helicopters began circling overhead following his attack.

This was beyond Fang Zhou's expectation; it seemed the Orderlies had been waiting for them here for quite some time.

No, that's not right.

Something's off.

Her extraterrestrial creatures within the White Whale District hadn't sent any unusual alerts, and neither had Leiche's informants.

If it were just a few Order members here, Ark would have thought they were simply stationed everywhere. But the force present was too great, including one of the two S-class Order members.

This is no coincidence…

It was as if they knew in advance exactly when she would leave, laying in ambush here with their significant forces.

Ark couldn't believe that any of her companions would collude with the Order to leak information. How did they find out?

Why? What had she overlooked?

What kind of entity was in the enemy's team?

Ark's brow furrowed deeply, utterly clueless.

They were too close for Ark to feasibly escape using her 'Imprisoning Ground' ability, especially since it required so much energy that it would be hard for her to use other abilities.

The vehicle, under her wind control, landed steadily on the other side of the cracked ground. Without hesitation, Ark turned to Lei Qie and said, "Lei Qie, we leave now, immediately."

"Roger, Boss, just waiting for your word," Lei Qie grinned. "Let's go then."

As his words fell, the car instantly vanished from Wei Siyuan's view, giving him no time to react.

He blinked at the empty road, realizing they had disappeared, and howled into the communication device, "Ahhh, Sister Meng! They just vanished!"

"Sister Meng! Did you hear that?!" Wei Siyuan kept shouting, and if they hadn't disappeared without a trace, he would have pursued them immediately.

"Quiet, I saw it." The communicator was filled with the buzzing of helicopters. Meng Xihen, at that moment aboard a helicopter above, spoke impatiently, "Be ready."

"Got it!"

Reports from other nearby helicopters and fighter jets continuously came through the communicator.

"This is D-452, no vehicle traces found."

"This is D-467, no vehicle traces found."

……

The car was at least a kilometer away from them, making it virtually impossible to catch up under normal circumstances. It seemed the other party had not planned to leave without being fully prepared.

Meng Xihen walked to the pilot's seat, pointing to the spot where they had disappeared, instructing the pilot, "Drop a bomb here in three seconds, then open the door."

"But..." But they had already vanished, hadn't they? What use would dropping a bomb there be?

Under the somewhat cold gaze of their superior, the pilot swallowed his words and began silently counting down in his mind.

Three.

The helicopter's door opened, instantly letting in a rush of wind.

Two.

Meng Xihen narrowed her eyes and gestured a "cutting" motion towards the spot where Ark and the others' vehicle had disappeared.

One.

On the last count, the pilot, following her command, dropped the bomb at the spot she had indicated.

The oval-shaped bomb plummeted swiftly, and just as it was about to touch the ground—

The vehicle, which had long since left, suddenly reappeared at its previous location!

It was as if a segment of time had been sliced away, and it returned to that spot, replicating the movement it had made to avoid Wei Siyuan's ability.

"Boom—"

Warm-colored flames and blue electricity burst forth together at that location.