The promised third collapse, where is it?!!

"Aiya? Did someone just say something they didn't really mean?"

She slinked over, her waist so slender it made one wonder if she'd had ribs surgically removed.

"You're full of crap!!!"

Fu Li refused to back down; he was determined to defend his aloof image to the death!

Then, they saw Mei walk out in a panda costume, making "plop plop" sounds.

Kiana, who had been longing for her, let out a drawn-out wail, "Mei! How could you wear that!"

"Because I have to consider the smell," Mei said, holding the panda's head. She defended herself weakly, "This costume is thick, it should block some of the smell, right? And it's warm too. The wind in March is really cold, and it's convenient for moving around..."

"I think it's great," Fu Li commented seriously, changing the subject. "At a critical moment, you can just put the hat on your head, and it'll help confuse people."

"Oh, come on!" Kiana nudged him. "There's only one panda walking around the entire street. You're telling me that's 'confusing people'?"

"Maybe Chiyou's revived and is riding his mount to conquer the Far East."

"I am Chiyou!"

"Riding Meiana, huh? That's a pun, you owe me money!"

While bickering with her, Fu Li placed a stack of Yukichi Fukuzawa bills on the counter of the clothing store. The store was closed for the day, which was why the girls had chosen to come in earlier.

"He's actually paying!" Kiana looked at the scene strangely, remembering how he'd tricked Susanna out of a lot of equipment before.

Oh, not tricked, she corrected herself, it was exchanged for merits. The only minor issue was that he hadn't gotten the girl's permission.

"One thing at a time." Fu Li was like that. He wouldn't cheat a buffet just because his appetite had suddenly increased, and he'd pay for any damage he caused to someone else's store.

Because they were ordinary people.

Susanna was different. No matter how innocent, good-natured, or harmless she seemed, she had already stepped into the realm of Honkai.

Since she had entered this inhuman domain with resolve, Fu Li would never show mercy.

"Sigh." Kiana stared thoughtfully at Fu Li, her lips parting as if to say something.

"Woof woof woof!!!"

The Paw Patrol arrived, fashionably late.

The three of them had been here for nearly twenty minutes. Fu Li had kept his Breath Concealment active the entire time; otherwise, Kiana wouldn't have been fumbling around him for so long without realizing he was a real person.

The other two didn't have that luxury. The dogs had tracked them by scent.

"Ahhh, this is so annoying!" Distracted by the Paw Patrol, Kiana accidentally forgot what she had wanted to say.

"The world is so beautiful, yet you are so irritable. Not good, not good."

"Annoying! You're not the one whose train of thought was interrupted!" The girl snapped back at Fu Li, who was making unhelpful remarks. Anyone who had experienced that feeling of being about to sneeze but being forced to hold it back knew how uncomfortable it was.

Mei drew her Galaxy Bat and a dagger, assuming a two-sword stance. Hearing Kiana, she soothed, "Let's talk about it after the fight."

"No need, we can talk now." As soon as Fu Li finished speaking, five Shadow Blades flew back into the store, each impaling a mechanical dog.

"These should be the vanguard. I haven't detected any coordinated units like Titan Mechs in the vicinity yet."

This was not good news. Mechanical dogs without supporting mechanical constructs were like tanks without infantry-armor cooperation.

Either the enemy was too weak, as pathetic as the "heavenly soldiers" of Israel.

Or the enemy was too rich, and wouldn't care if they lost some.

Fu Li suspected it was the latter. With ME Inc. at their disposal, and the scale of such a multinational corporation, as long as they had sufficient resources and their production lines were running, D-rank mechs could be produced endlessly.

Kiana's perspective wasn't as comprehensive as Fu Li's. The simple girl, who usually didn't bother thinking too much when forming a team, nudged his arm with her shoulder. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yes." Fu Li didn't disappoint her. He picked out the most intact mechanical dog from the five and extended his hand. "Give me Soth's chip."

"Woof!" Kiana instinctively reached for her pocket. Realizing what she was doing, she spread her legs and reached into her Fourth-Dimensional Skirt, rummaging around. The crude action made Mei's eyelids twitch.

"Here, it's here." Fu Li took the chip Kiana had dug out and inserted it into the hidden port of the mechanical dog.

The mechanical dog's dimming eyes flashed with a hint of red light.

After a moment of thought, the white fluffball raised its hands without warning, exclaiming, "Resurrect! My beloved dog!!!"

"Woof..."

The reactivated dog stood up, shook its head to adjust, then leaped to its master's feet, circling her.

"Woof!"

"Haha! Soth!"

Kiana happily picked it up and ruffled its head.

"Awooo!"

Soth licked her cheek affectionately, its tail wagging so fast it could have powered a helicopter.

Mei poked Fu Li, who was watching the scene with her, and whispered in his ear, "Envious?"

"Not envious."

The boy made a disgusted face. "Its drool got on my face, it's disgusting."

He preferred cats to dogs.

Preferably a white Persian cat with heterochromia.

"Uh..."

Mei found Fu Li's perspective incredibly biased. He'd turned a touching scene, like that of Hachiko, into something that made her sweat.

Her eyes darted around, and she continued to egg him on, "Are you jealous seeing Soth so close to Kiana?"

"Jealousy requires romantic feelings towards that paramecium."

He then put the panda mask on Mei's head and walked forward, saying, "We can talk about interactions later. I have something for Soth to do."

"Huh?"

"Woof?"

The person and the dog turned their heads in perfect sync.

Soth then looked at Kiana, seemingly seeking her permission.

"Listen to him, Soth," the girl said crisply. "Just consider A Li as another one of your masters."

"Awoo?"

The dog tilted its head and responded, "Woof!"

It trotted happily towards Fu Li, then flopped onto its back, exposing its belly.

Simultaneously, in its neural network, its status changed from [Suspicious High-Threat Unit] to [Kiana's Master's Male Spouse].

Fu Li patted its fluffy belly and said with satisfaction, "Good dog!"

"Awoo-awoo!"

"Alright, stop licking. Remember what I told you."

He wiped the drool from his face with his sleeve. "When those people arrive later, you'll do this, and then this..."

"Woof!"

This time, he didn't seem disgusted.

Mei put her hand to her forehead. She finally understood that Fu Li wasn't disgusted by dirt; he just didn't like dogs that didn't listen to him.

Look at him now, happily petting the dog because it was obedient and well-behaved.

Chapter 55: "Basically, Fu Li is going to be Longma's son-in-law!"

Shortly after the first batch of distressed mechanical dogs found the clothing store, ME Inc.'s mechanical army surrounded the area.

Behind them were over a dozen Anti-Entropy employees clad in heavy exoskeleton armor. They exchanged humorous glances, realizing no one was eager to lead the charge.

"So... should we just have the mechs blast it?"

"I think that's a good idea! To apprehend such a villain, some sacrifices are inevitable. I'm sure the shop owner will understand our good intentions!"

The first speaker glanced at his bulging pockets, stuffed with ill-gotten gains, then pursed his lips and gestured.

Upon receiving the order, three Titans, six spider-type mechs, eight Storm drones, and thirteen autonomous soldiers didn't hesitate, aiming at the clothing store to open fire.

Buildings would crumble, debris would fly, and the familiar scene would repeat before the employees' eyes.

Well, it should have.

"Woof-wooo!!!"

Just as the mechanical forces were about to fire, a loud bark echoed from inside the store.

A heroic-looking husky strode out proudly. It leaped up, landing on the head of a Titan more than ten meters high. It looked down at the crowd with a remarkably human-like smile and shook its head.

"Stop!"

The employee in the lead waved his hand, halting the mechs' firing orders, and looked up at the mechanical dog. "The person isn't here?"

"Awooo!"

Soth nodded its large head.

"Woof!"

Another mechanical dog accompanying the group expressed its displeasure. It clearly smelled the scent right here.

Idiot!

Soth leaped from the sky and swatted the other dog aside.

"Wuu?"

This sudden turn of events completely stunned the remaining two mechanical dogs. They stared blankly as their leader was knocked down with a single swipe, and when they turned to look at Soth again, their eyes had changed.

The ME Inc. employees were also bewildered. Why was this dog fighting amongst itself?

Soth ignored them, barked urgently at the crowd a couple of times, and then quickly ran off down another street.

No time to explain! Get in the car!

The mechanical dogs, whose original leader had just been taken down, instinctively started running to catch up with their new leader.

The employees exchanged glances.

"Let's go! Keep up!"

Carrying their firearms, they followed with the mechs.

For a moment, the street returned to its usual quiet.

A short while later, a small white head peeked out from the shop. "Whoa! They actually all ran away!"