Chapter 11 Hot Search

Chapter 11: Trending

Fang Ran woke up the next day to find himself trending.

He was at his desk, about to power on his system, but as soon as he opened his terminal, a news notification popped up.

He usually paid little mind to gossip, but the headline mentioned Zheng Mingyu.

"Guardian Attacked, Zheng Mingyu Fights a Blood-Soaked Battle"

Given that the protagonist was central to the world's unfolding events, Fang Ran paused, then clicked the link.

The accompanying image depicted a heroic, blood-streaked Sentinel cradling a Guide exhausted from purification.

Fang Ran recognized at once that the person in Zheng Mingyu’s arms was himself.

The photo was indeed well-shot—poignant yet with a touch of romance novel flair; it could easily be dubbed his "defining moment" in this world.

Unlike the legendary "mysterious hero" Fu Zhangzhou, Zheng Mingyu had always maintained a high profile.

Rumor had it he was the most likely Sentinel to reach 3S-level after Fu Zhangzhou.

The military clearly intended to mold him into a figure comparable to Fu Zhangzhou, even assigning embedded journalists to his team.

His public persona was typically upright, dignified, and reserved, yet in combat, he was ruthless and decisive, exuding an aura of cultured restraint.

His impressive abilities coupled with his handsome appearance indeed drew considerable attention.

The news article, released yesterday, quickly soared to the top of the trending charts.

Fang Ran searched for reports from other media outlets; most used the same photo. Fortunately, none had captured his face directly.

Fang Ran breathed a sigh of relief, though a bitter smile played on his lips.

These protagonists were truly best avoided.

Just a brief encounter had garnered such immense attention—what would happen with further interaction?

According to his original plan, he simply wanted to live a quiet, uneventful life in this world.

Running into Fu Zhangzhou was already bothersome enough; he had no desire to become cannon fodder in someone else’s story.

Fang Ran mentally reviewed the book’s general plot. Zheng Mingyu had already gained fame, but the main love interest likely hadn't appeared yet.

No matter, it was irrelevant now; they wouldn't meet again anyway.

He closed all news pages and activated the system on his terminal.

"Begin screening today’s purification requests."

"Understood, Guide Fang Ran."

......

"Fu Zhangzhou... Sentinel."

The weather was overcast today, with a biting wind sweeping along the Nisai River.

Zhou Chengkang stood in the cold, feeling utterly unlucky.

He had just transferred from District 2, having heard that District 4 was vast and challenging, and he was brimming with unspent enthusiasm.

Not to mention, the legendary 3S-level Sentinel was here—the thought alone was exhilarating.

At yesterday's combat briefing, he had eagerly volunteered to join Fu Zhangzhou’s team.

Director Jin from HQ had given him an approving look, praising his youthful drive, and immediately appointed him assistant squad leader.

Before setting out this morning, all the senior officers had given his shoulder meaningful pats.

He had thought it was encouragement, but who would have known...

"Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou, we've already located the monster. When will you finally—"

The Sentinel before him raised a hand, cutting him off.

He was sprawled casually on a large rock by the river, one arm propped behind his head, gazing at the gloomy sky. The sounds of distant fighting and energy bursts seemed utterly disconnected from him.

"Blocked me?"

"Why?"

The Sentinel muttered to himself, seemingly oblivious to his teammate’s presence.

Frustration welled up in Zhou Chengkang’s mind. Who would have thought this 3S Sentinel would be so... eccentric.

The river before them surged swiftly, stretching endlessly. They had finally managed to track down the monster.

He had no idea who the "he" Fu Zhangzhou referred to was, only that the monster had surfaced, its strength exceeding initial reconnaissance data. The team desperately needed support.

Rubbing his forehead, he took a shot in the dark: "Is it because of Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou’s Guide?"

Sentinels cared about two things above all else:

Advancement, and their Guides.

This man’s rank already surpassed everyone else’s, so the only thing left must be...

"A Guide?"

Fu Zhangzhou finally showed a flicker of reaction. His gaze shifted, landing on Zhou Chengkang. "You know?"

"I know."

Zhou Chengkang maintained a calm facade, thinking he had probably guessed correctly.

"You should check last night’s trending news."

Before leaving, Director Jin had mysteriously pulled him aside and told him that if Fu Zhangzhou refused to cooperate, he should show him the previous night’s trending topic.

Zhou Chengkang had been bewildered at the time, not understanding the connection.

He had also looked up the news on the trending list. The photo was striking, but it merely showed a sub-center under HQ performing an emergency purification for a Guardian.

Uncommon, but certainly not unheard of.

Upon hearing his words, Fu Zhangzhou’s eyebrows lifted slightly, a hint of amusement entering his eyes. "Trending?"

"KABOOM!!!"

A massive explosion suddenly erupted in the distance.

Zhou Chengkang snapped his head around.

It was the direction where they had spotted the monster earlier!

"The Guardian team should have arrived too," he blurted out, quickly turning back to Fu Zhangzhou and taking a step forward.

"Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou, we—"

"Hah!" Fu Zhangzhou didn't even hear him. He simply lowered his head, staring intently at his terminal screen, and let out a cold, unreadable laugh.

Zhou Chengkang couldn't see his expression, but he could feel the oppressive aura around the 3S Sentinel growing stronger. The innate power disparity made Zhou Chengkang hesitate to move any closer.

"Fu—" He tried to speak again, but then saw Fu Zhangzhou suddenly look up, giving him a playful glance.

"The Guardian team is here?"

"Huh?" Zhou Chengkang was stunned. "Should be... yes."

"Good."

Fu Zhangzhou replied swiftly, his outline rapidly blurring before he vanished from the spot a few seconds later.

Zhou Chengkang stood there dumbfounded for two seconds before it finally clicked that it was the short-range teleportation ability of a high-level Sentinel.

Why did he suddenly change his mind?

The photos on the trending news...

He recalled the earlier rumors—that Guide the Guardian Captain was holding—could they be related to Fu Zhangzhou?

Zhou Chengkang scratched his head, his face a mask of shock, as if he had just stumbled upon a juicy secret.

A Sentinel's possessiveness...

That can be truly terrifying.

......

The Nisai River, a vital waterway spanning the Federation.

Since the onset of the apocalypse, this river has remained one of the few unpolluted water sources. The Federation has established monitoring points along various sections, particularly in this delta area near the estuary.

The water here is deep, and the vast accumulation of silt and sand provides an ideal hiding spot for monsters.

The Center Sentinels spent a considerable amount of time just to pinpoint the monster's approximate location.

The monstrous fish was enormous, with a pair of wings and a body covered in dark gray scales, layered like impenetrable armor.

Initial reconnaissance reports suggested the monster was likely near S-level, but those on site believed it had surpassed S-level.

Not only was the monster high-level, but it also seemed to have developed independent intelligence. For the better part of the day, it had been playing a game of hide-and-seek with them, surfacing to attack whenever it found an opportunity.

The weather was gloomy today, and the monster fish was fast, its water jets corrosive. Throughout the day, the Center Sentinels had taken numerous hits.

Just moments ago, when the monster fish erupted from the river, if it hadn't been for Zheng Mingyu of the Guardian team arriving in time, there would likely have been casualties.

"What the hell *is* that thing?!"

"Where's Fu Zhangzhou!?"

"Hasn't Zhou Chengkang brought Fu Zhangzhou back yet!?"

Some of the Center's Sentinels were growing agitated, but the more experienced ones remained unperturbed.

Everyone knew that the 3S Sentinel always acted erratically during missions. Sometimes he fought with reckless abandon, disregarding his allies, and many had been injured as a result.

Only the fresh recruits newly transferred to District 4 would willingly join his team.

"Gurgle~"

A gurgling rumble—bubbles began to rise across a large area of the water's surface, shadows shifting vaguely beneath. Everyone was on high alert.

Amid the tense atmosphere, a tall figure suddenly shimmered into existence mid-air.

He scanned the area, seemed to spot something, and swooped down.

Everyone's hearts leaped—what was happening?

Fu Zhangzhou's target was clear: the position where Guardian Team A was stationed.

He swooped down with blinding speed, and only Zheng Mingyu, standing at the forefront, reacted in time.

A Sentinel's instinct made him instantly erect a psychic shield in front of him.

A red energy coalesced rapidly in Fu Zhangzhou's right hand, and he flung it forward.

The red energy ball grazed Zheng Mingyu's shield, sending up a plume of white smoke, then slammed squarely into the monster fish that had just surfaced behind him.

"Boom!"

The monster fish, hit by the massive energy impact, arched violently, sending water splashing everywhere as it fully emerged from the water.

"Target spotted!"

Many yelled, a mix of shock and exhilaration.

That's a 3S Sentinel for you—he had located the monster fish!

Sentinels from both sides moved to engage, quickly converging on the scene.

Fu Zhangzhou continued his dive forward. Everyone assumed he would keep up the attack, but then they saw him swing a punch at Zheng Mingyu.

"Boom!"

Another deafening crash rang out.

The shield in front of Zheng Mingyu shattered instantly, and several lower-level Sentinels nearby were even sent flying.

Everyone: ????????