Shadow's First Battle

"Ugh!!!"

Brother Hu felt his neck being squeezed by an arm. Struggling to breathe, he looked down and saw two completely black arms.

What is this?!

He had initially thought the person behind him was a police officer, but these two pure black, poreless arms looked more like those of a monster, definitely not human!

"Crack... cough!"

Brother Hu struggled desperately. In his fear, he used his right hand, which was wearing a knuckle duster, to punch the black arm, hoping it would hurt and let go.

However, how could he know that Shadow had no sense of pain at all? No matter how he hit it, Shadow's arms remained locked around his neck, refusing to release.

Guan Tong, sitting in the car, watched firsthand as the ferocious criminal was choke-slammed from behind by the Shadow he controlled.

This chokehold was a simple yet effective grappling technique he had seen on TV before, capable of rendering someone unconscious in a very short time. He hadn't expected it to be useful now.

In less than ten seconds, Brother Hu's face turned from pale to blue, then to purple. Finally, white foam seeped from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back as he completely fainted.

Guan Tong then got out of the car and looked at the unconscious thug on the ground, frowning slightly.

"This guy must be dangerous."

He had initially thought he would just wait in the car to identify Xu Xiaotian, but he hadn't expected such a vicious criminal to appear.

Guan Tong recalled his Shadow and went to check on the two police officers who had been knocked down by the thug. Just then, Li Meng rushed out of the construction site gate with several people. Upon seeing the scene, he was greatly alarmed.

"What's going on?!"

Guan Tong explained, "A criminal disguised as a police officer escaped and launched a surprise attack, knocking down two officers. When he tried to attack me, I luckily managed to knock him out."

Li Meng listened and first checked on his two colleagues, relieved to confirm they were not in life-threatening danger.

He then walked over to the unconscious thug, flipped him over, and was shocked to see his face. "Shen Zuohu!"

"Director Li knows this criminal?"

Li Meng nodded and said gravely, "This scoundrel was imprisoned over ten years ago for leading a triad. He should have been released late last year. I didn't expect him to go back to his old ways in less than a year!"

As he spoke, Li Meng seemed to recall something and looked up at Guan Tong in surprise. "Shen Zuohu is known for his ferocity and ruthlessness. I remember you're still a student, right? You actually managed to knock him out... It seems you're not as simple as you appear."

Guan Tong didn't engage with that remark and asked instead, "Director Li, what's the situation inside the construction site?"

Li Meng stood up and replied, "It's all over. A few who violently resisted arrest were shot, and the rest have been cuffed. The few who were tied up are fine, just unconscious and haven't woken up yet. One of them should be your friend; you can go identify them."

"Okay."

"I'll have someone escort my injured colleagues and a few victims first. As for Shen Zuohu..." Li Meng said with a cold smile, "If I don't interrogate him until he's stripped bare and reveal everything he's known since birth, I'll be unworthy of this uniform!"

Guan Tong heard this and realized that Director Li, despite his scholarly appearance with glasses, was actually quite passionate.

"As for you..."

Li Meng looked at Guan Tong and stroked his chin.

"Technically, you assisted in apprehending a major suspect, and according to the bureau's regulations, you're eligible for a reward from the Public Security Bureau. But money isn't of much use these days, and we don't really have gold to give out..."

Guan Tong shook his head. "No reward is necessary. I just hope Director Li can solve the case quickly and find out why Shen Zuohu kidnapped a High Mind Power User and what his objective was, as I'm also involved in this case."

Li Meng nodded. "Alright, that's settled for now. I'll have someone notify you to come to the bureau when there's news. You are both a victim and a crucial assistant in solving this major case. Once the investigation is complete, we'll let you know what's going on."

Afterward, Li Meng took all the apprehended criminals back to work overtime for interrogation. Guan Tong followed in a car with the unconscious Xu Xiaotian to the hospital.

At the hospital, after the doctor's examination, it seemed Xu Xiaotian had been given a sedative. He would likely not wake up for at least a few hours.

Guan Tong waited at the hospital. After more than three hours, Xu Xiaotian groggily woke up.

"Guan Tong...? Where am I?"

"The hospital. Did you forget about being kidnapped?"

As soon as the keyword "kidnapped" was uttered, Xu Xiaotian quickly regained consciousness. After hearing the events from Guan Tong, he became immensely grateful.

"Guan Tong, no, Brother Tong! It's thanks to you for notifying the Public Security Bureau in time, or my life would have been over! From now on, you're my big brother!"

"Alright. You need to be more careful in the future. Your Mind Power level and items should actually be kept confidential," Guan Tong said. "After all, one should not harbor ill intentions, but one must guard against them."

"Right, right! Right!" Xu Xiaotian nodded repeatedly. "I've learned my lesson this time. Sigh, next time someone asks random questions, I'll just pretend to be deaf and mute!"

Guan Tong checked the time. "If you're okay, let's head back to the hotel. Get some rest to calm your nerves. I expect the Public Security Bureau will want to take your statement later."

On their way back, Xu Xiaotian recounted in detail how he was kidnapped. He described being engaged in conversation, being tricked, the arrival of the criminal's accomplice, and his failed attempt to escape.

Guan Tong found it quite resourceful when Xu Xiaotian mentioned using instant noodles as a weapon. If the criminal driving the car hadn't dodged it, he might have actually escaped from them.

"It's too dangerous outside. I'm never going out carelessly again," Xu Xiaotian said, still looking shaken after returning to the hotel.

"Brother Tong, I've decided to become a shut-in like you next month before I apply to Capital Academy. I'll just stay in my room and not go anywhere!"

"...While you're in your room, you can exercise your Mind Power more and develop your instant noodle items," Guan Tong said. "This way, your potential can grow faster."

"Okay, I'll go back to my room and lie down for a bit. My heart is still pounding!"

Xu Xiaotian returned to his room, and Guan Tong swiped his card to enter his own room, 306.

He sat at the desk, reflecting on the day's experiences.

It wasn't exactly thrilling, but it was certainly exciting.

What satisfied Guan Tong was that "Shadow's" performance in its first real combat met his expectations, indicating that his chosen development path was correct.

"The functions of Shadow after it materializes are completely linked to myself. This means that if I want Shadow to become stronger in terms of power or speed, I also need to strengthen my own training in those areas."

"However, Shadow is superior to me in that it has no sense of pain, itchiness, or fatigue. And it's almost indestructible... As long as I can continuously supply it with Mind Power, it can recover quickly even if it's cut in half by a blade."

Based on these characteristics, Guan Tong gradually formed a vague plan for how to further enhance Shadow.