Threat

"That's not the answer I wanted to hear," Lu Hongming said calmly.

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."

"Have you ever considered the people in this city? Once the order in Tianfu City descends into chaos, countless people will..."

Before Lu Hongming could finish, Sun Hang interrupted him again. "Moral blackmail doesn't work on me. If you had considered the people in this city, you wouldn't have planned that kind of event... or rather, there shouldn't have been so many 'Gears' participating in such an event."

Sun Hang paused for a moment and said with an almost mocking tone, "Is it really worth risking so much just to add a superfluous line to your resume?"

"No one predicted that such a thing would happen, nor did anyone wish for it to happen," Lu Hongming frowned slightly. "But it has happened... As an Anomaly Hunter, as a guardian on the front lines of human civilization, you should..."

"As an Anomaly Hunter, as a guardian on the front lines of human civilization, I should strictly follow orders – remain in position," Sun Hang said, enunciating each word.

"This behavior is dereliction of duty!" Lu Hongming's tone instantly became serious. "Yang Qi will be removed from her post soon, and we will find a more competent direct supervisor for you."

"But before Yang Qi is removed from her post, I will only follow her orders," Sun Hang raised an eyebrow. "Also, may I assume you are threatening me?"

"This is not a threat, I am merely stating facts," Lu Hongming said.

"Then, do you ever think that being this close to an Anomaly Hunter is actually a dangerous thing?" Sun Hang said nonchalantly.

With a "swish," the soldier sitting next to Sun Hang immediately tightened his grip on his weapon. Lu Hongming also straightened his body slightly, slowly exhaled, and asked in a deep voice, "Are you threatening me?"

"This is not a threat, I am merely stating facts," Sun Hang threw his own words back at him.

The soldier instinctively wanted to raise his weapon to aim at Sun Hang, but at some point, fine white mycelia had spread throughout the entire carriage. These mycelia spread upwards from under the seats, crawled over the soldier's knees, and then along his wrist to his fingertips, tightly wrapping his index finger and the trigger guard together.

Not only this soldier, but the driver and Lu Hongming's lower bodies were also covered in white mycelia.

"Don't move," Sun Hang reminded him softly. "If you resist with brute force, the mycelia might break your skin... I can't guarantee you won't be infected by the Anomalization Virus."

The soldier's face turned pale, and a flicker of struggle flashed in his eyes.

"Sun Hang! Do you know what you're doing? You are now assaulting a member of the Tianfu City Management Committee!! Do you know the consequences of this? No one can protect you! Your Hunter license will be revoked, and you will be considered an anomaly..."

The mycelia on Lu Hongming's body spread up a few inches, causing the "anomaly" part of "anomaly" to get stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.

"I will be considered an anomaly, will I?"

"Sun Hang, I can give you one last chance. Stop now and go to the South City Public Cemetery to participate in the search and rescue mission. I will not pursue this matter further..."

"Committee Member Lu, you should be aware of the characteristics of the 'Blood Moon,' right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Actually, Night Fiend isn't the only Hunter affected by the Blood Moon; I was also affected, just not as obviously... Since emerging from that anomalous zone, I've become very irritable, prone to anger, and full of aggression... As everyone knows, there's essentially no difference between Anomaly Hunters and anomalies; they are both dangerous things," Sun Hang said slowly.

"You..."

"Committee Member Lu, truly, you should be grateful for Miss Yang Qi's decision. If she hadn't made me withdraw from the mission area in time... If I had stayed in the Blood Moon for another half an hour, where do you think this mycelium, which is now three centimeters from your heart, would be?"

Sun Hang paused for a moment and continued, "If assaulting a committee member would get me hunted as an anomaly, then letting me execute missions exposed to the Blood Moon for an extended period... would be more than just 'being considered' an anomaly; I might actually become one."

After Sun Hang finished speaking, the white mycelia suddenly receded like a tide, but the three people in the carriage besides him remained frozen in their previous positions, not daring to move at all, not even daring to take a deep breath.

"Don't be nervous. Thanks to Miss Yang Qi's wise decision, I've maintained my sanity. I was just demonstrating to Committee Member Lu the dire consequences that could result from an Anomaly Hunter losing control... Committee Member Lu, you weren't startled, were you? I'm truly sorry if I accidentally frightened you..." Sun Hang said with a look of apology.

"I... I wasn't startled," Lu Hongming raised his hand and let out a long sigh.

"Then how do you think this matter should be handled now?"

"Perhaps Yang Qi's view is correct... I'm just saying perhaps," Lu Hongming said reluctantly. "The specific solution will be further discussed by the committee. Also, I hope that after the Blood Moon disappears, you will go to the anomalous zone immediately... I must emphasize again, every one of those missing people is very important to Tianfu City."

"Okay," Sun Hang nodded, but at the same time, he typed Lu Hongming's name into the search bar in his hand. "Committee Member Lu, I heard your wife works at an educational institution, and you have a son and a daughter..."

"You... What do you mean?!" For the first time since meeting Sun Hang, Lu Hongming's face showed a look of losing composure. "I've already promised you to remain on standby, what are you trying to do by bringing this up?!"

"Please don't overthink it. I just want to remind you that in last night's search and rescue operation, more than twenty Investigators and Peacekeepers sacrificed their lives. The vast majority of them also had wives and children... I hope you will take good care of the families of the fallen, ensuring their lives are secure. This is far more important than a flower-laying ceremony."

Sun Hang pushed open the car door and before getting out, he threw down another sentence: "You told me that Anomaly Hunters are the guardians on the front lines of human civilization... But aren't they also standing on the front lines, fighting anomalies with their own flesh and blood?"