Scorpion

"Boss, you're meddling too much. You're making my people look bad. What are you worried about?" I glanced at him, expressing my slight displeasure at his prying eyes.

"Boss, ten bullets!"

Cheng Shuang handed over a 20- Star Coins.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

The shop owner, with a look of "take the bait," picked up an air gun and gave me ten plastic BB pellets.

Load and aim!

My movements were incredibly skillful. The moment I assumed the shooting stance, the boss's expression turned somewhat grim. Having experienced so much in the Star Abyss World, the moment I raised my gun and aimed, I was already exuding a murderous aura.

Unfortunately, in my near-death and critically Severely Injured state, the effect of my Advanced Shooting LV10 skill was reduced by 45%. The moment I aimed, I felt a lack of confidence. At this point, my actual shooting level was probably around Advanced Shooting LV5. Overall, it was definitely enough to shoot down balloons, but some margin for error was needed.

Since I wasn't familiar with the gun's performance and didn't know its firing deviation angle, I needed 2-3 bullets to test and correct the error. After that, I could basically hit the target every time.

"Puff!"

The first shot went astray.

"Ha~~"

The boss couldn't help but laugh out loud. He looked at me, then at Cheng Shuang, seemingly thinking that such a pretty girl had indeed found a boyfriend who was just a pretty face.

"Puff!"

The second shot missed again!

"Um..."

I paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression on my face.

"It's okay..."

Cheng Shuang comforted him, "He's probably not feeling well because of his injury. We'll come back once he's better, and we'll even take over his stall!"

When this young lady from the Cheng Group gets ruthless, she's actually kind of cute.

"Fine."

I smiled and fired the third shot!

"Smack!"

A blue balloon burst open.

"Wow, I won..." Cheng Shuang exclaimed with delight.

I didn't stop. The feeling of being on the battlefield suddenly enveloped me, and I started Continuous Shooting, one shot per second. "Bang bang bang bang," each shot hit a blue balloon, and in the blink of an eye, eight of the eleven blue balloons on the shelf were popped, leaving only three.

"Cheng Shuang."

I turned around and said, "Buy three more bullets. I'll shoot down those three. Don't buy more; it'll be a waste."

I don't have any change.

Cheng Shuang took out her phone. "Boss, I'll scan your code for six yuan."

The boss's face turned green, and he mechanically pulled out three bullets.

With three consecutive "pop" sounds, the last three blue balloons burst open. These blue balloons represented the highest reward at this stall and could be exchanged for any prize.

"Boss, I want eleven archer turtles," Cheng Shuang said with a smile.

The boss's face turned a deep liver color.

He took out a large bag, filled it with adorable blue archer turtles, handed it to Cheng Shuang, and then bid us a reluctant farewell.

"Hey beautiful, your boyfriend's a good shot... buddy, don't come here again..."

"Cheng Shuang, what do you need so many archer turtles for?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Useful."

Cheng Shuang said, "I've been having nightmares lately. Sometimes I dream about my brother, sometimes about other people. Sometimes I'm chased by zombies or bitten by mummies. The dreams are terrifying. Some people say that these archer turtles represent light and justice, so I put them all over my bedside so they can protect me in my dreams."

"I see..."

I felt relieved and didn't ask any more questions.

In the afternoon, I continued to leisurely bask in the sun at the Cat Cafe.

A kitten was lying right next to us, fast asleep with its paws in the air, looking very comfortable.

Cheng Shuang took out a pen and sketched the kitten in her notebook, drawing meticulously. She did have some artistic talent. Then, she looked at the two fluffy spots on the kitten's rear end and poked them with the pen cap.

Meow~~

The kitten turned around and glared at her.

Cheng Shuang covered her mouth and laughed.

I laughed when I saw it, and silently thought of a nickname for Cheng Shuang in my WeChat: "Sister Egg," which would suit her perfectly.

"Ding Han, what would you like to eat tonight?"

She looked at me. "Want some hot pot? You're injured right now, so you can't eat spicy food, but you can have some mushroom broth."

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Okay~~

Cheng Shuang smiled and nodded, then leaned on the table and gently flicked the kitten's two fluffy hairs with her middle finger.

Evening.

Cheng Shuang pushed me to a food street and we went into Hot Pot Restaurant.

"Beauty!"

The Hot Pot Restaurant staff quickly came forward and helped push Cheng Shuang's wheelchair, saying with a smile, "Let me push it."

Cheng Shuang nodded with a smile.

Afterwards, the two chose a window seat, where they could sit and eat hot pot while watching the traffic and people coming and going outside.

We ordered quite a bit of beef, as well as some tripe, vegetables, and other dishes.

Cheng Shuang ate very little and put down her chopsticks early on.

I felt a strong craving for meat, so I finished all the dishes I ordered. But just as I put down my chopsticks, my heart skipped a beat. I had a feeling of being secretly watched, and then I heard a ding-dong sound!

[You have been secretly investigated by the Dark Tide Psionic Officer "Scorpion," triggering the daily quest "Scorpion's Grasp" (Rank A quest)! Quest details: After the countdown ends, Dark Tide Psionic Officer Scorpion will launch an assassination attempt on you. Try to escape and kill Scorpion in return. You will receive generous rewards, including a large amount of character experience and a chance to obtain additional rewards!]

Here we go again!

My brow furrowed, but the assassination attempt by the Dark Tide was something I had expected.

In the Battle of Creek City, the Gray Bug Regiment, one of the twenty-one Dark Tide Legions, was completely annihilated. General Vega, the legion's commander, was personally killed by me, the so-called "traitor." Therefore, the Dark Tide organization must deeply resent me. However, being able to infiltrate the territory of the Crimson Dragon Country and arrive in Jiangning City, the capital of Jiangning Province, is quite an achievement for this agent.

"Drop!"

During the mission, a countdown appeared: 6:00:00!

In six hours, Scorpio will make its move and attempt to assassinate me.

"What's wrong?"

Cheng Shuang put down her phone, seemingly noticing my unusual behavior.

"Fine."

I smiled and said, "Cheng Shuang, have you ever heard of a food called 'tea fried dough twists'?"

"I've heard of it, and I've eaten it."

Cheng Shuang asked with a smile, "Want to eat?"

"Yes, I want to eat breakfast tomorrow."

"All right,"

Cheng Shuang said, "I can try frying it, but I'm not sure if I'll succeed. There are quite a few steps involved... I need to go home early today to prepare, so I won't be able to stay with you at the sanatorium tonight. What should I do?"

"It's alright, it's only for one day. Just arrange a nurse. Besides, I'm recovering very well now, so I don't actually need a caregiver at night."

Actually, my purpose was to get Cheng Shuang away. If something unexpected happened during the Scorpion assassination, and it brought any risk to Cheng Shuang, how could I face Cheng Feng in the afterlife?

"Good!"

Cheng Shuang readily agreed, smiling, "Then get a good night's sleep when you get back, and you can look forward to breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Thanks a lot!"

"You're welcome."

Afterwards, Cheng Shuang paid the bill, pushed me back to the sanatorium, and then drove away to prepare the materials.

Lying in bed, I silently opened the team system and confirmed that I could add Cai Cai and Kou Mei to the team.

"Drop!"

The two joined the team at the same time.

"Brother Han!"

Cai Cai asked, "Why the sudden team formation? Is something wrong?"

"Um."

I nodded. "I just received a mission. Tonight at midnight, the Dark Tide's Psionic Officer codenamed 'Scorpion' will attempt to assassinate me. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but now all my attributes have been weakened by 45%, so I'm afraid I'm no match for him. Therefore, I would like to ask the two of you for help. Let's be prepared and take down this Psionic Officer."

"Ah?"

Kou Mei said, "Boss, Cai Cai and I are on our way!"

"Well, there's no rush. It's very likely it won't make a move before the countdown ends."

I hesitated for a moment, then said, "We just need to be prepared here."

"Damn it, the Dark Tide is truly a vengeful spirit..."

Cai Cai said, "We've already joined the Crimson Dragon Country's camp, yet they still managed to send some kind of Psionic Officer to infiltrate. We absolutely cannot let him get away this time; we must strive to kill him!"

"Um."

I nodded. "However, how you two will sneak in is a problem. If you come in a big show, I'm afraid the Psionic Officer will cancel the operation, which will be quite troublesome."

"Rest assured."

Cai Cai said, "Last time I went there, I carefully studied the sanatorium's underground drainage system. Kou Mei and I can just sneak into the sanatorium through the sewers, and then find a way to sneak into the room without anyone noticing. It's okay, we have a plan."

"Okay, then I'll wait for you."

Time passed by little by little, and before we knew it, it was around 11 p. m.

"Rustle..."

Amidst the footsteps, two figures quietly slipped into the room. One was Cai Cai, and the other was Kou Mei. After I turned off the lights beforehand, the two climbed over the wall and went up to the second floor.

"What do you mean?" Kou Mei pointed the pistol at the ground, a hint of excitement on her face.

I pointed at the other person. "Cai Cai is hiding in the closet, Kou Mei is hiding in the bathroom."

Then, glancing at the window, he said, "Cai Cai, close the window."

"OK!"

After closing the window, Cai Cai left the wardrobe door slightly ajar, holding Submachine Gun, and stood quietly.

The Kou Mei door was slightly ajar, and the entire ward was quiet, without a sound.

The clock ticks away, the time is drawing ever closer.

I switched directly to Combat Form, clutching the Explosive Gun, and lay quietly on the hospital bed.

Shortly after, at exactly twelve o'clock.

"Sizzle~~~"

Suddenly, a soft sound came from the window, followed by the entire pane of glass being severed in mid-air and lifted to the ground by a force. Then, a person dressed in a black robe appeared outside the window, narrowing his sinister eyes and laughing, "033, I've come to take your life!"

As he spoke, he pointed!

A Mental Power in the air instantly straightened, transforming into a blood-red thread that sliced straight towards the hospital bed!

[Battle Warning: Please note that the Scorpion (Blue BOSS) is attacking you using Soul Thread (lv7)!]