The Phantom screeched an alarm. Not only did this fail to deter the person outside the car, it made her even more aggressive. She kicked the car repeatedly.
"Bastard, what do you mean by leaving me behind?"
Luo Nan looked out the window, his eyebrows rising in surprise.
What he saw was a raised, snow-white thigh and the hem of a skirt that was nearly torn. His gaze traveled upward, scanning the face of the person who had just arrived. After a brief moment of recognition, he identified her.
It was "Long Legs"… or rather, Lian Yu. She had also participated in the club promotion event on the 24th as a representative of the Student Council.
In the early hours of the morning, she had almost been dragged into a car while he was holding Xie Junping. Yet compared to Xie Junping's political life, she had been abandoned like an old shoe.
Luo Nan wasn't one to pass moral judgment. He preferred to avoid entanglements. He simply pressed down the window and spoke calmly:
"Senior Xie is not here. Is something the matter, Senior Lian?"
Lian Yu stared blankly at the empty driver's seat, roused from her stupor by the sound of her title. Her eyes, still hazy, swept over Luo Nan twice before she suddenly moved through the car window.
Seconds later, the car window was pounded again.
Luo Nan shook his head and lowered it. Before he could react, two manicured hands reached in, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him out.
"Thief! Catch the thief!" Lian Yu's sharp voice cut through the night.
The nearby car owners, who had gossiped about the "long-legged beauty angrily kicking a luxury car," were now eager for a show.
Yet a rowdy group of still-drunk young people were faster. Ignoring police orders, they swarmed over from the back row of luxury cars, clearly ending their nightclub night at this location.
Being robbed of the limelight, the surrounding car owners stayed back, wary of these unruly youths.
The young group pressed against the window until they could fit no more. Then they screamed, striking the Phantom—a car worth five hundred million—with fists and feet, leaving marks without concern for the blaring alarm.
Someone even drummed on the hood, creating a frenzied nightclub rhythm.
"Noisy! Check the noise! Sneak, catch the thief!"
"Old Xie's tricks aren't bad—turned into a gigolo to scare me!"
"Even the thief won't steal the car. Shameful for Old Xie to lose it!"
"Look, look, look. Is there anything in the trunk?"
One bold youth tried to open it but was promptly kicked under the car by a companion.
The chaos left the car owners dumbfounded.
Though caught off guard by Lian Yu, Luo Nan's reactions were swift. He pulled back from the chair, located her pulse, and dispersed her energy. Lian Yu winced, losing balance, and fell back into the car. Their faces were close in an instant.
Her nightclub-style makeup made her features appear deeper, more three-dimensional, and undeniably seductive.
Luo Nan's eyes passed over the highlighter, blush, and false eyelashes. He noticed her swelling, the densely interwoven heterochromatic veins in her eyes, and the tense muscles under his fingers. Clearly, she and her companions were not just hungover—they had likely taken drugs during the party.
In the circle of wealthy youths, this was common, but no one considered the trouble unbridled behavior could cause in public—especially in the presence of an experienced police officer.
Relying on this group to think clearly was foolish.
Luo Nan wanted no part in it. He pushed Lian Yu away, but before he could act further, a middle-aged police officer returned, scanning the scene with heightened vigilance, his hand resting near his firearm.
The car's AI sounded again, a different tone this time:
"Attention. Receiving multiple methods of scanning. Risk of privacy exposure. Activation recommended..."
Before the warning finished, a buzzing erupted. Dozens of small vigilante drones swarmed above the congested street, their mechanical voices echoing coldly:
"All non-police personnel on the road, immediately get down with your hands on your head. You have already violated the provisions of Article 16, Section 5 of the 'Emergency State of Public Order Law.' You shall receive an inspection. I repeat…"
The young crowd froze at the drones, dissipating much of their previous chaos.
Not all were restrained. One 'warrior' raised his middle finger at the drones:
"Police dogs, get out of the way!"
An electric flame struck him. He didn't even grunt, his face falling to the ground with a muffled thud, sending tremors through the onlookers.
The Phantom's surroundings emptied. Anyone with a shred of sense immediately complied, lying prone with hands on heads. Even the numb were forcibly subdued by companions.
Reasoning with the vigilante drones was impossible.
Though AI law enforcement was criticized for lacking judgment, in chaotic situations it was the most efficient method: removing human error and making accountability clear.
The well-trained rich youths knew their privileges only mattered against live humans. Fighting was pointless—they'd go to the police station if necessary. Lawyers were irrelevant in the face of drones.
Lian Yu now lay outside the car. Luo Nan had quiet, but not the kind he wanted.
The middle-aged officer approached, scanning both the compliant youths and the car. The car's AI still warned of privacy exposure, which Luo Nan quickly silenced—he suspected the scans came from the officer.
Calm, Luo Nan asked, "Officer, what's the matter?"
Since he cooperated, the officer—Xue Weilun, over fifty yet deceptively youthful—followed procedure. He saluted and showed his ID.
Negotiations had been calm until Xue requested Luo Nan open the trunk.
Xue retrieved a translucent box, nimble armored fingers revealing small sealed bottles. Unscrewing one, he sprinkled white powder from a capsule. His waist-mounted red scanner lit up, and he regarded Luo Nan with suspicion.
Luo Nan's eyes twitched. Years of experimental work had made him sensitive to such substances. He immediately realized the situation: Xie Junping had caused trouble.
Another thought struck him—perhaps this could be leveraged later.
Xie Junping sneezed, the tip of his nose glowing red. Clearly, he was suffering the consequences of a 'resentment virus.'
Settling things with Mangzhong was already hard. Then the Xia City incident had nearly terrified him, and now there was still the 'True Fate' bottle in the car.
The one who informed Xie Junping was Zhang Yingying of Hidden Indigo Firm.
With AR technology, they communicated as if face-to-face.
Xie Junping, who often called Zhang Yingying a 'telephone operator,' had to admit she was striking. Only eighteen or nineteen, medium-short hair draped casually over her shoulders. Bright, generous features gave her a subtle boyish aura, yet her figure was unmistakably feminine.
In autumn attire—a sleeveless camisole and short denim skirt layered with lace—her snow-white shoulders and legs drew attention. Roman-style strappy sandals swayed casually, a picture of effortless poise.
Xie Junping had no thoughts of taking advantage of her; he paced, restless and impatient.
Everyone knew psychotropic drugs ran rampant among the wealthy. The political consequences of exposure were severe—instant annihilation with no chance to explain.
In some ways, this was more serious than sneaking off to parties. The actions of Xie Junping's reckless companions had made every outcome worse.
"Lian Yu, you slut. Li Xuecheng, I'll remember you. Liu Tao, you bastard…"
Xie Junping felt trapped, a beast in an invisible cage. He worried about Xia City—had he been implicated?
"What the hell are you raising lawyers for? Let them go!"
Zhang Yingying, with an expression of disdain, showed signs of slacking off.
Xie Junping's mind was clear; she treated him like a sheep again. Panicked, he smiled apologetically:
"These are extraordinary times. It's more reassuring to hire experts like you. Of course, the pay is sufficient."
Zhang Yingying spread her hands. "Then what? Go snatch people from the military transport ship?"
"Military transport ship? Why the military?"
She raised three fingers. "The government, military, and Quantum Corporation jointly operate this R&D base. Now a nuclear bomb has 'exploded'…"
"Nuclear bomb?" Xie Junping turned green.
"Just an analogy," Zhang Yingying said casually. "Still, no one can accept this outcome. Natural disaster? Terrorist attack?"
All parties demanded answers, especially the government and military, who realized they knew nothing about the laboratory. If they didn't intervene, how could they explain it to higher-ups?
"But it doesn't go as far as putting them on a military ship, does it?" Xie Junping asked.
"You don't understand the gravity." Zhang Yingying's words crushed half his spirit. She extended her five fingers. "This intelligence costs this much."
"You're ripping people off!" Xie Junping said.
She laughed. "It's our long-term relationship. Otherwise, I'd…" She flipped her palm earnestly.
"I… accept!" Xie Junping swallowed, pale but resolute.
Zhang Yingying blew him a kiss. "Relax, it's worth it. Anything related to the 'Burner' is worth the price."
"Burner?"
"A high-end lab studies the 'Burning' mechanism, neuroanatomy focus…"
"Human body? Living body?" Xie Junping's imagination ran wild, recalling Luo Yuandao's experiments.
Zhang Yingying didn't clarify. "The project lists the subject as a 'Mutant.' As for the rest, who knows. What matters: the lab conducted a large-scale experiment this morning. Energy was forcefully shut down, the subject went out of control, causing casualties. The suspect stole a key prototype…"
"Deep Blue Walker?" Xie Junping blurted.
"Impossible! A new Quantum Corp product, in drug form. Xia City under martial law. Failure would cause chaos."
"Wait… and that's why they're on the transport ship?"
Zhang Yingying remained relaxed. "The culprit is on the run. Whoever causes chaos won't be polite. They're standing there, all eyesores. Capturing them under the military saves time."
"So that's it… F*ck!" Xie Junping realized he'd be used as a pawn.
Zhang Yingying circled back. Luo Nan and others had merely been caught in the crossfire. It wasn't as dire as imagined.
Xie Junping wanted to slam the table. Virtual room remembered; he refrained, expression sour.
Zhang Yingying shook her head. "People like you are incurable. Forget gratitude. The important thing is the drug—do I need to spell it out?"