Chapter Sixty-Nine: Racing Against Time

“He had a fast-acting lethal poison hidden in his mouth. My initial conclusion is that he took it when he was cornered.” The gentle man pried open the invisible man’s mouth with a stick he’d picked up nearby, sharing his findings with Qi Chen and Zhe Guang beside him.

“Should we inform Captain Fu?” Qi Chen thought it safer to at least let Fu Ying know about the attack that had just occurred.

But Zhe Guang dismissed the suggestion outright. “No need. Sister Fu should have already started her operation. If we try to contact her now, the people in the Supervision Department will realize we’re acting outside.”

Zhe Guang had long since received instructions from Fu Ying and was clearly well informed.

“Fu Ying is acting as our shield on the surface, attracting most of the attention focused on the Department of Anomaly Handling. What we need to do is take advantage of the time gap and quickly handle the tasks she gave us!”

“She said you had intel on those anomalous weapons, didn’t she? What exactly is going on?” the gentle man asked in a low voice.

“Maybe we should go somewhere else before talking,” Qi Chen interjected, pointing to the cooling corpse in the corner. “That assassin came for us—he must have ties to whoever’s behind this.

“The people pulling the strings likely know where he went. They probably have set check-in times, and by now they may have noticed he’s missing. If we stay here, what if more enemies show up?”

“Besides, the merchants we threw out just now have probably already notified the security bureau, and any moles inside could have caught wind of what happened in the black market. We shouldn’t linger here.”

Qi Chen’s advice was sound. Both the gentle man and Zhe Guang nodded in agreement, and the three quickly left the black market, speeding away in the gentle man’s off-road vehicle.

Zhe Guang also adjusted the vehicle’s reflective properties, making it less recognizable as the gentle man’s car.

...

“Let’s not waste time—tell us what you’ve found,” the gentle man said, one hand on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Qi Chen was just as eager to hear what Zhe Guang had uncovered.

“Take a look at this.” Zhe Guang pulled a folded map from his oversized coat and handed it to Qi Chen.

With a rustle, Qi Chen unfolded the map and quickly scanned it. It was a detailed layout of the interior of City No. 3, and over the original features, numerous places had been marked in red ink.

These were the locations Zhe Guang had identified as potential sites for anomalous weapons.

Many of these places were unfamiliar to Qi Chen, but the names alone made him realize how grave the situation was.

“Central Plaza… Eastside Security Bureau… Maternal and Child Health Clinic… Xingye Building…”

As he read off the marked locations, Qi Chen’s expression grew darker by the second, and the gentle man’s eyes filled with anger.

“These bastards put all the anomalous weapons in densely populated areas!”

Every site chosen for the weapons had one thing in common: high foot traffic. If an anomaly broke out in any of these places, the casualties would be catastrophic.

It could even trigger a chain of anomalous events. In the worst-case scenario, the entire City No. 3 would face a major disaster.

The effects of anomalies… they could spread like contagion.

“According to the intel I have, this rotten group plans to activate these anomalous weapons and spark chaos across the city the moment Elder Li leaves.

“But as for the reason behind their plot, I don’t know…”

“Don’t worry, let Captain Fu handle that. For now, let’s focus on finding and neutralizing these anomalous weapons!” Qi Chen tried to reassure Zhe Guang. He sensed that, despite being a senior, Zhe Guang’s temperament was rather like a sensitive young girl, blaming herself for not having more information.

“Then we’d better hurry,” the gentle man said, glancing sideways at his watch. “There’s just over fifty hours left before Elder Li leaves the city.

“Zhe Guang has identified nine anomalous weapons. We’ll have to split up if we’re going to deal with them all!”

Nine anomalous weapons—each one’s activation could have untold consequences.

The one consolation was that, since these were weapons designed by people, they had some controllable traits. For now, they should be stable, so they likely wouldn’t have to face the anomalies themselves—just the people guarding them.

“Don’t be too optimistic,” the gentle man said, taking on the tone of a true veteran. “Not all anomalous weapons are instant-triggered like the Guillotine of Confession. Some might be slow burners, and in another ten hours or so, some could already start brewing.

“Worse, we can’t be sure Zhe Guang has found every single one the enemy planted!”

In short, they were running out of time.

Fifty-eight hours remained.

...

Department of Anomaly Handling.

“Is Captain Fu about to begin the operation? You don’t mind if I share your car, do you?” Director Qiu of the Supervision Department blocked Fu Ying’s armored vehicle with a beaming smile, speaking to her through the passenger window.

“Open the door for Director Qiu.”

Clang!

The rear door swung open. Director Qiu briskly climbed in, glancing at the carful of heavily armed special agents before turning to Fu Ying.

“Captain Fu, could you clarify the objective and mission of this operation? I’ll need details for my report.”

Fu Ying didn’t even bother to turn around, her voice cold. “Xiao Liu, show Director Qiu the mission file.”

Director Qiu took the folder with a broad, insincere smile, his eyes revealing nothing genuine as he leafed through the pages.

“So, we’re off to eliminate the remnants of the Vertical Eye Society.

“Who would have thought those scum had so many agents hiding in the city? But thanks to Captain Fu’s efforts, those vermin would never guess we’ve already rooted them all out.”

Fu Ying gave no reply. Director Qiu didn’t seem to mind the cold shoulder, continuing to peruse the detailed operational plan, making his own comments as he went.

“This time the Department of Anomaly Handling is going all out, mobilizing so many special agents, even coordinating with the city guard.

“Clearly, you’re determined to wipe out every last member of the Vertical Eye Society.”

With that, Director Qiu closed the action file, then, with great ceremony, took out his headset and issued orders to his own people stationed in the department:

“The team from the Department of Anomaly Handling is beginning their operation. We must also fulfill our supervisory duties.”

...