Chapter 87 Did You Think We Were Out for a Stroll?

Chapter 87: Do You Think We're Just Going Out for Yard Time?

The Raiders’ attack on the 5th District headquarters sent shockwaves throughout the Federation.

The Sentinel and Guide Center had always had a reputation for being powerful and enigmatic.

As the earliest established Sentinel and Guide organization, it commanded over 80% of the Sentinel and Guide forces in the Federation. Although nominally subordinate to the Federation government, almost everyone understood that the Sentinel and Guide Center had long held more than half of the influence within the Federation government.

The 5th Security District held a middling status in the Federation, yet it attracted significant attention.

It bordered the 4th Security District, was backed by the behemoth Hua Yan Pharmaceutical Group, and, most importantly, served as the primary operational area and stronghold of the Guardians.

In recent years, Zheng Mingyu had been very high-profile, and the military had actively promoted him, making his name known throughout the Federation. Although Fu Zhangzhou and even Lu Wenshan had now overshadowed him significantly, his influence remained considerable.

With the Raiders’ success this time, how could other factions miss the chance to stir the pot?

Once again, numerous voices criticizing the Sentinel and Guide Center popped up online.

Some questioned the center’s management issues, others criticized its leniency in handling the Free Sentinels, and many more demanded to know whether the center could truly keep Guides safe.

Although the announcements from the Federation government and the center were evasive, the identities of the abducted Guides were quickly exposed after the incident. Not only were there Guides from the 5th District, but Wen Qi’s name was also prominently listed.

Wen Qi had recently caused a massive stir by publicly revealing himself as an Awakener. His trip to the 5th District was merely for an exchange event, so his disappearance naturally worried many people.

An overwhelming wave of pressure instantly descended upon the Sentinel and Guide Center.

While the leadership of the 5th District headquarters was busy dealing with the mess, the group from the 4th District found themselves with some unexpected free time.

Seeing the dog and cat playing a game of ball in the room, Fang Ran guessed that neither of them was on duty today.

The two furry balls, one black and one white, were chasing and fighting over a small red ball in the narrow hallway of the room, sending fur flying everywhere.

These two were really committed to this act...

They were, after all, two of the top-tier Sentinels...

To avoid being kicked out of the Guide’s room, they had completely abandoned any sense of shame.

Fang Ran sighed.

Fu Zhangzhou was one thing, but it seemed even Lu Wenchuan was gradually being led astray...

He glanced helplessly at Zhong Wan, who was watching with amusement, laughing continuously at the two little creatures on the floor.

“Fang Ran, look at them! Hahaha!” Zhong Wan laughed until tears welled up in his eyes.

“......”

Fang Ran moved his lips wordlessly but ultimately said nothing.

Whatever.

With employees like them, the center was truly blessed.

Just then, a distinct alert tone came from the terminal in his hand.

Fang Ran looked down and saw that it was an incoming voice call from Fang Liyu. He quickly pressed the answer button.

"Fang Ran, are you in your room?"

"Yes, Sister Fang. Is there something you need?"

"I’ve been knocking on Sentinels Fu Zhangzhou and Lu Wenchuan’s door for a while with no response, and there’s no reply from their terminals either. Do you know where they are?"

"......"

Fang Ran glanced at the cat and dog still chasing each other on the floor and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Fang Ran?" Sister Fang on the other end, having waited a moment without a response, called his name again.

Fang Ran had no choice but to answer.

"Sister Fang, I... don’t really know."

His words weren’t exactly hesitant, but his tone lacked conviction.

Sister Fang on the other end fell silent for a moment.

"Fang Ran, do you dare to switch to a full holographic video call?"

"......"

Naturally, he did not.

After a moment of silence, Sister Fang on the other end suddenly laughed.

"Just teasing you. It's fine to just tell you."

"I received a temporary notice this morning. Director Lu and I need to go to the 12th District and will be setting off soon. As for the bark... I’ll have to leave it to you."

......

About ten minutes later.

"Great! Finally, we get to go out for some fresh air!"

Zhong Wan stood in the elevator, stretching lazily, almost cheering with excitement.

After Fang Ran received Sister Fang’s call, the four of them had a quick discussion and decided to go out together.

Sister Fang’s original intention was for either Fu Zhangzhou or Lu Wenchuan to make the trip and deliver the bark to a Sentinel at the southwestern subcenter of the 5th District.

That Sentinel had been transferred from the 4th District to participate in another task and happened to be someone Sister Fang trusted. She had entrusted him to take the bark back to the testing department of the 4th District center.

But Fu Zhangzhou insisted on keeping Fang Ran within sight at all times. If Lu Wenchuan went out, Zhong Wan would want to follow, and he simply couldn’t refuse. After discussing it, they decided everyone would go out for yard time together.

"Ding." The elevator doors opened, and the four of them arrived at the rooftop.

It was already August, the height of summer, and the sunlight was brilliant.

The 5th District headquarters had acted quickly. The environment around the rooftop had been largely restored.

The hovercars that had crashed into the rooftop garden were long gone, the scattered debris had been cleared away, and even the plants blackened by smoke had been replaced with new flowers.

There weren’t many Sentinels on site either, only a few scattered individuals standing guard. Most of the personnel had likely been reassigned to search for Wen Qi and the others.

Under the sunlight, the entire rooftop garden looked revitalized, with none of the tension from the previous night.

The four of them walked toward the hovercar docking area.

When they went to retrieve the bark earlier, Sister Fang, seeing all four of them standing neatly outside the door, had guessed they were planning to go out together.

Fang Liyu could understand why young people get restless and want to go out for some fresh air. Though somewhat resigned, she thoughtfully prepared a hovercar for them, only reminding them to be safe.

As they walked, Fang Ran recalled Shen Ke’s condition and asked Zhong Wan beside him, "After Shen Ke came out of the treatment pod last night, did he say anything?"

Zhong Wan shook his head. "No, his mental state was still poor. I didn’t feel right pressing him at the time. Later, based on his condition, the medical team arranged for him to go back into the treatment pod. He hadn’t left by the time we did, so I imagine he’s still in there today."

"Really? I thought his condition wasn’t that serious."

"It is. Even though Shen Ke only sprained his ankle, he looked completely drained and mentally unwell."

"......"

As the two spoke, hurried footsteps sounded behind them.

"Lu Wenchuan, where are you all headed?"

An icy tone seemed to pin them in place.

Fang Ran turned and saw Lu Wenshan approaching with several Sentinels from District 4.

"Where else would we be going?" Lu Wenchuan retorted.

He remained as cold and aloof as ever in front of others, even toward his own older brother.

"Naturally, we’re on a mission," Lu Wenchuan stated matter-of-factly.

"A mission?" Lu Wenshan frowned, clearly skeptical. "What kind of mission requires bringing a Guide along?"

"Besides, Guide Wen Qi is missing now. He’s a Guide from our District 4. Even though District 5 hasn’t made an official request, we should be joining the search—"

"Sentinel Lu Wenshan," Fu Zhangzhou cut in abruptly.

Dropping his usual careless demeanor, he spoke to him with unusual seriousness. "Please don’t waste our time. This is a classified mission handed down from the higher-ups."

Lu Wenshan was taken aback.

He had never seen Fu Zhangzhou look so solemn before.

Could it really be an important mission?

Although he was responsible for coordinating the actions of District 4 Sentinels, some special missions were indeed communicated directly to individuals, especially top-tier Sentinels like Fu Zhangzhou.

He glanced at Lu Wenchuan behind Fu Zhangzhou and saw his brother hesitating, looking grave and nodding solemnly.

He might not know Fu Zhangzhou well, but Lu Wenchuan, despite having defied family expectations to transfer to District 4 first, had always been serious and responsible in his duties, never slacking or messing up.

Could they actually be telling the truth?

Seeing Lu Wenshan’s expression shift, Fu Zhangzhou immediately stepped closer and said earnestly, "The safety of Guide Wen Qi is in your hands. An outstanding Guide like him naturally deserves to be rescued by an outstanding Sentinel like you."

He frowned, speaking with apparent difficulty. "Bringing a Guide along is also to throw people off."

"Surely Sentinel Lu Wenshan doesn’t think we’re just going out for some fresh air?"

......

But that was exactly what they were doing.

Though only half-convinced, Lu Wenshan still let them board the hovercar without further interference.

The hovercar Fang Liyu had arranged had only four seats—two in front, two in the back—and required manual terminal connection for operation, more like a small flyer.

Zhong Wan burst into laughter as soon as he got in.

"Hahaha!"

He patted Fang Ran’s shoulder. "Your man is really... quite the smooth talker. My stern, serious older brother was completely fooled by him."

Seeing his friend so amused, Fang Ran laughed along.

"Darling, how was my performance just now?" Fu Zhangzhou, sitting in the front row, squeezed through the gap between the seats and leaned halfway over.

He looked at Fang Ran, his eyes sparkling like flickering flames.

"Fang Ran, can I get a reward... and stay with you for one more night?"

He tilted his head like a puppy, wearing an ingratiating expression, a complete contrast to his earlier persuasive demeanor with Lu Wenshan.

Fang Ran was stunned.

He should have known.

This man always had 800 tricks up his sleeve.

So this was what he had been plotting.

The Sentinel waited for his response, a smile spreading in his eyes—those affectionate eyes that always made it easy to lose oneself.

His friend’s laughter grew even more unrestrained beside him, clearly egging them on.

Fang Ran felt his face grow warm but couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh. He could only push the Sentinel firmly back into the front seat. "Sit properly. We’re about to take off."

He turned to look out the window, trying to calm himself, when he suddenly heard Zhong Wan exclaim:

"Fang Ran, but I want to agree!"

Fang Ran was startled.

He turned to his friend. "What do you want to agree to?"

Zhong Wan glanced at him somewhat sheepishly, then looked toward Lu Wenchuan in the driver’s seat up front. His gaze wavered, and the blush spreading across his face was even more obvious than Fang Ran’s.

"My cat’s fur hasn’t been fully brushed yet..."

"Let’s get one thing straight: even though Sentinels aren’t allowed in Guide dormitories, there’s no rule against pets."

"I’m a very fair person. If you’re coming, you have to come together."

"So if your dog doesn’t come, how can my cat... possibly come?"

Perhaps Zhong Wan knew he was spouting complete nonsense with no logic whatsoever, as he gradually averted his gaze from Fang Ran while speaking.

"......"

Fang Ran was speechless and reflexively retorted:

"Can a spiritual body be considered a pet?"

"Why can’t it?" Fu Zhangzhou turned around again, looking at him with smiling eyes.

"If I remember correctly, someone once took me to a vet for a check-up."

"That doctor said, if it's got a temperature and a heartbeat, it counts as a real dog."

[silence]

"What does that mean?"

Zhong Wan's gaze shifted between the two of them. "What do you mean, you took him to the vet for a check-up?"

"Wait!" Zhong Wan seemed to recall something. "Fu Zhangzhou... is he the stray dog you mentioned you picked up before?"

"Uh..." Fang Ran responded reluctantly.

"Well done!" Zhong Wan patted Fu Zhangzhou on the shoulder. "When pursuing a Guide, you have to pull out all the stops like this."

"Ahem." Lu Wenchuan, sitting in the driver's seat, said solemnly, "I just checked the center's system, and it really doesn’t say no pets allowed in the Guide dormitory."

[silence]

Fang Ran was getting a headache.

Wasn’t this clearly working the system?

Whatever.

It seemed it wasn’t just Lu Wenchuan—Zhong Wan had also been corrupted by that guy Fu Zhangzhou...

But one against three, he didn't stand a chance. He could only nod reluctantly in agreement.

Zhong Wan smiled when he saw him agree.

The two Sentinels in the front seats were clearly pleased too. Fu Zhangzhou sat up straight, and Lu Wenchuan started the driving system.

The hovercar began to ascend.

The cityscape of the 5th Safe Zone was truly unique.

Fang Ran leaned against the window. He had only seen the night view before, but now, seeing it from above during daylight, it gave him a completely different feeling.

This Safe Zone seemed to have been built right into the mountains.

The buildings in the central area rose and fell with the mountain slopes, interconnected and blended together.

Whether tall towers or low houses, all were built following the mountain’s shape, adapted to the terrain. The rugged landscape created a fantastical 3D effect, like a massive castle from a fairy tale.

Fang Ran also noticed a vast area to the northwest of the city, with farmland and grasslands ascending step by step.

Could this be the growing fields and breeding grounds that Chen Yang mentioned, belonging to Hua Yan Pharmaceutical?

That area was vast, occupying almost one-fifth of the 5th Safe Zone’s land. No wonder people said Hua Yan had huge influence in Zone 5—they practically held the economic lifeline of the entire zone.

However, Fang Ran didn’t see any rivers or large lakes from the air. Where was the water supply for the 5th Safe Zone?

"Fang Ran," Zhong Wan suddenly asked beside him, "where is our destination?"

Fang Ran looked down and checked his terminal.

"Sister Fang said the Sentinel she arranged for us is waiting at a café near the Southwest Subcenter."