Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Yet, no one doubted the veracity of Shi Jian’s words. Only a matter of extreme urgency could compel him to risk exposure to deliver such a message.

Shi Cangfeng turned to his still-stunned adjutant: "Trust him. Issue joint military orders to all military districts except the First. Apart from the necessary border forces guarding against Mutant incursions, all other deployable units are to immediately mobilize. Proceed to the locations Shi Jian provided for clearance, search, and mine-sweeping operations. It is imperative to control public sentiment to prevent unnecessary chaos from mass panic. The troops stationed in the central zone will reorganize and follow me to the First Military District to assist Wen Yuan in apprehending Yu Wei and rescuing Shi Jian."

The adjutant snapped back to attention, responding with a resolute, "Understood."

Shi Cangfeng could not wait another second. He rose and strode out. Abis Norman, his psychic energy entirely dedicated to sustaining Gu Shiyun’s body, was unable to move. He could only watch Shi Cangfeng’s hurried departure, calling out, "General, please bring him back safely."

Without pausing, Shi Cangfeng’s voice was deep and steady: "Both him, and the Federation he protects, I will give my all for."

By the time the last word faded, Shi Cangfeng’s figure had vanished from the office. Abis Norman closed his eyes, observing the current situation in the First Military District through Gu Shiyun’s vision. He clasped his hands in the ancient prayer gesture of the Norman Royal Family, offering a fervent blessing for Shi Jian.

*May my beloved be eternal.*

*

Gu Shiyun had already arrived at the First Military District.

Shen Xingchuan led him to the rooftop of a hotel opposite the administrative complex. Wen Yuan was calibrating his sniper rifle, his hair whipped across his eyes by the wind.

"Our forces are all assembled nearby. Current intelligence indicates over twenty A-rank Alphas, and more than fifty B-rank Alphas—mostly assault-type AS users. Above S-rank, there’s Yu Wei and his two lieutenants. Furthermore, their administrative buildings have been reinforced, rendering conventional firepower ineffective. Most critically, they hold an entire military district’s civilians hostage. A direct assault would make these people the first innocent casualties of the conflict."

Wen Yuan focused intently through the small aiming scope. With his Hunter AS activated, he could discern details with his naked eye at distances even binoculars couldn’t resolve.

"They remain oblivious, going about their ordinary, mundane lives as if it were just another workday."

Gu Shiyun gazed at the ant-like throngs bustling on the streets below. It was for their sake that Shi Jian had repeatedly put himself in peril; he would never wish to see so many lives sacrificed merely to save his own.

"My father’s troops cannot enter the main city; they are engaged in containing the rebel forces and Mutants at the borders. Ultimately, the combat power available to us is limited to our own," Wen Yuan stated factually.

Gu Shiyun’s expression remained unchanged. "Is that not enough?"

Wen Yuan offered a brief chuckle but did not refute. Quickly regaining his serious demeanor, he outlined his plan: "Yu Wei has likely detected our movements, so speed is paramount. You are the highest-ranked among us; you will spearhead the assault into the administrative zone as the primary attacker. Shen Xingchuan’s advance team will conduct perimeter operations around the administrative zone, aiming to prevent civilians or enemy personnel from breaking out and escalating the conflict. I will provide overwatch and fire support from this vantage point."

Shen Xingchuan immediately responded, "Understood. I’ll move out now."

He turned to descend, but as he reached the stairwell, he paused. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the sub-rooftop, he saw a figure plummeting rapidly from outside, eliciting an involuntary gasp.

Wen Yuan stood nonchalantly beside the waist-high wrought-iron railing, the tips of his shoes already dangling half a centimeter over the openwork. With that mask-like smile, he gazed down at the twenty-story drop.

Just moments ago, Gu Shiyun had leaped without hesitation.

His intuition had been correct; even back at the First Military Academy, this ice-faced man had harbored designs on Shi Jian.

"I really can’t stand you flies buzzing around Xiao Jian…" he muttered under his breath, stroking his sniper rifle. "But if Xiao Jian likes you… I suppose there’s nothing to be done…"

Suddenly, he let out a small exclamation. Through his scope, he saw a group of people on the opposite rooftop, pushing three individuals tightly bound with shape-memory alloy handcuffs. Leading them was Yu Wei.

"This might get tricky now."

Yu Chen was still disoriented when his father’s personal guards began to move him—

His first thought was whether his father had abandoned that utterly unrealistic plan and was releasing both him and Shi Jian.

But that naive hope instantly vanished the moment he saw the battered and disheveled Lei Yu.

"Weren’t you in cahoots with my father? How could you…" Yu Chen trailed off, staring at Lei Yu in disbelief.

The other man grinned, revealing bloodstained teeth. Gone was his usual pride and superiority; now he looked like a drowned dog, bruised and scarred all over, held up by fully armed Alphas on either side, his eyes swollen and bloodshot.

At this point, Yu Chen understood everything. Who else but his father could have inflicted such injuries on his honored guest within the First Military District’s government facilities?

Yu Chen then turned to look at the "Shi Jian" who had been with him—now wearing a different face.

Once he calmed down, it wasn’t difficult to piece together how they had pulled off such a deception.

He had found it strange earlier when Shi Jian and Lei Yu had suddenly started arguing, their friendship seemingly severed, creating such an ugly scene. He now realized that from the moment Yu Wei agreed to the video call, they had already reached an understanding through a secret code known only to them, staging a falling-out to deceive Yu Wei. This made Yu Wei believe that Lei Yu had fully defected to his side, which then facilitated the subsequent smuggling of the imposter under the pretext of extracting pheromones for targeted aphrodisiacs, allowing the fake to replace Shi Jian in the metal room.

The real Shi Jian, meanwhile, had long since escaped the A1 experimental building, hidden by the AS of the Omega beside him.

Thinking this, Yu Chen couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling happy for Shi Jian.

But his relief was short-lived. Yu Wei had clearly lost his mind, or perhaps he had always been this deranged. Under his own son’s horrified gaze, he grinned maniacally and ordered his men to drag all three of them to the rooftop.

Yu Chen couldn’t believe his own flesh-and-blood father would scheme against him. Even though he had previously learned that his father had brought him back from the central district, and that the daily injections were merely to inject Mutant genes into his body, that belated realization of the truth was far less terrifying than experiencing it firsthand now.

Yu Wei didn’t even look at him. "Tie them up and hang them. This height is sufficient, and the target is clear enough. If Shi Jian doesn’t appear within five minutes, throw the Omega down first to be smashed to a pulp. If he still doesn’t appear in the next five minutes, Yu Chen dies. And if he is heartless enough to watch his closest friend die in vain, then I must admit, Shi Cangfeng truly raised a son just like himself."

By the last few sentences, Yu Wei was practically gnashing his teeth, his expression so distorted that Yu Chen barely recognized him.

His eyes wide, Yu Chen murmured, "Father…"

Only then did Yu Wei seem to notice him, feigning surprise before smiling at Yu Chen. "Ah, my backstabbing son. Don’t worry, you can pray you still hold some small importance in Shi Jian’s heart. If he refuses to appear to save you, consider it your contribution to the great cause of the Mutants."

"Your father, and the Mutants, will remember your sacrifice."

Yu Wei mercilessly shattered the last shred of Yu Chen’s illusion. Yu Chen completely broke down, screaming, "FATHER!!! YOU’VE LOST YOUR MIND!!!"

Yu Wei’s manic grin had not yet faded, but his gaze toward Yu Chen slowly turned cold. "Fool, I was never human to begin with. And you—a mongrel tainted by filthy human blood—to be able to serve even this meager purpose for my cause is already the greatest value of your life!"

Yuan Xiu, who had been observing coldly, was also shocked by Yu Wei’s callousness. He sneered, "Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. If we’re talking cold-bloodedness, who could be colder than you! You are simply a demon crawled out of hell—a scourge in life, and an abomination even in death!"

Yu Wei’s smile vanished entirely. He looked at Yuan Xiu with a sinister gaze, his voice distorted. "Well said. Mutants are indeed the powerful and invincible demons in the eyes of lowly humans, destined to destroy the Federation."

He waved his hand, and his personal guards swarmed forward, hoisting the three high above the rooftop. The single rope connecting them was made of special metal, slender yet unbreakable, swaying precariously in the wind.

The three individuals hung like three flags of different colors, dangerously fluttering in the wind.

Simultaneously, Yu Wei’s recent threat was amplified and broadcast, echoing relentlessly through every corner of the administrative building complex.

Shi Jian, currently hiding in the administrative building’s water room, heard every word.

Contrary to the struggle and turmoil Yu Chen might have imagined, Shi Jian was calm enough to hear his own steady heartbeat.

He sat on a ladder, legs dangling, swinging gently like a child on a swing.

Shi Jian looked up at the pitch-black night sky through the shaft opening. Tonight, there wasn’t a single superfluous star; the darkness was so profound, so heavy, as if anyone daring to reach out and touch this sky would be instantly swallowed.

Yet, Shi Jian felt a profound quiet. He sat like this for four minutes and thirty seconds—

After all, Yuan Xiu had also harmed him. Wrongdoings always come with a price.

So, let him dangle in fear a little longer.

Only when the final countdown was about to begin did Shi Jian slowly ascend the ladder, lightly leaping onto the administrative building’s rooftop.

The next instant, countless beams of light converged on him. In the deep night, a luminous blue figure descended like a mysterious butterfly.

He softly uttered:

"I’m here. Let them go."