Chapter Thirty-Six: Dressed to the Nines for Your Funeral (Second update, please keep reading!)

"Report! The electronic traps have failed."

"Report! Bunker A has been breached! Bunker B has been breached! We have lost contact with the entrance bunkers."

"Report... they are here!"

The Blood Worship Cult was coming in with overwhelming momentum.

The long passage leading from the surface to the underground, which the Special Management Department had built for itself and touted as an unbreakable fortress...

...was conquered by the Blood Worship Cult in the blink of an eye.

--But it was not a frontal assault.

No one knew what mysterious methods the Blood Worship Cult had employed, but the moment they appeared, they were already nearing the end of the passage.

It was only when they approached the Great Door of the base that they finally triggered the alarms.

A dense, endless sea of masked Black Robe Persons appeared like soldiers dropped from the heavens, charging in with assault rifles and machine guns.

Before even meeting face-to-face, they tossed two grenades as a greeting.

The Commissioners guarding the Great Door immediately opened fire and sounded the alarm that swept through the entire base.

Gunfire fell like rain. The burly garrison troops and the invading Black Robe Persons exchanged fire from behind cover, and with every passing minute, rows of men fell.

A squad wearing black tactical gear flashed out at high speed.

Their expressions were cold, and they were armed to the teeth. Their movements were devoid of any wasted motion, and even their firearms were different from the others, engraved with mysterious patterns.

Although their numbers were small, most of the Black Robe invaders were taken down on the spot the moment they appeared.

Their gear was quite special, completely ignoring the bullets fired by the Black Robe Persons opposite them, turning them into the most efficient Killing Machines, clearing out vacuums of space in a short amount of time.

--This was the Sword Bearer tactical squad.

As the official department, the Special Management Department had specially trained them as a signature unit to deter the wicked.

The sound of gunfire was deafening, and the explosions were incessant.

It was hard to imagine that in this day and age, beneath the peaceful city of Tinghai, there could be such an intensely fierce battlefield.

...However, they would not be the ones to decide the outcome of tonight.

This was not the true battlefield, either.

Three invaders draped in scarlet robes, each with a highly distinct appearance...

...had already snuck into the depths of the base, where they now stood in a standoff against the officers led by the Major.

"As expected, you already had intelligence that we would invade and set an ambush in advance."

A gaunt Red Robe Elder hunched his back. His hoarse voice, as he spoke, sounded like a viper flicking its tongue; the hissing noise was enough to make one's blood run cold.

"But, how did you know we wouldn't turn the tables and use your own plan against you?"

The Major remained silent for a moment.

Behind him were five officers; including him, there were six people in total.

Opposite them were three.

Six against three—on the surface, the advantage was his.

However...

"Three Red Robe Elders."

The Major adjusted his sunglasses, his neatly slicked-back hair gleaming under the overhead lights.

"You were certainly willing to pay a heavy price, bringing a lineup like this to deal with my branch, which is ranked dead last?"

"Because we weren't here to deal with you in the first place!"

Beside the red-robed elder, a Middle-aged Woman took over the conversation.

Her barrel-like waist was nearly bursting through her red robe. At this moment, she was sneering as she sized up the officers not far away, her gaze as if she were picking out pork at a market.

"Back when Branch Nine was annihilated, we were among those who participated."

"This time, while leveling Branch 36, we also plan to swallow the reinforcements coming from headquarters in one go!"

"You got one thing wrong..."

Her voice paused here.

"It is not three Elders."

"Outside the base, there is another Elder lying in wait with men, just waiting for those coming from the outside."

"We just wanted to see if we could catch a big fish tonight!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the officers changed drastically, and they looked at one another in dismay.

Besiege a point to strike at reinforcements!

Facing a base guarded by only five Level 3 Extraordinary officers, They had mobilized a full four Red Robe Elders, equivalent to Level 5 Extraordinaries...

This Blood Worship Cult was fishing!

Tonight, it seemed they were truly in danger.

"But..."

At this moment, the fat Red Robe in the middle, with a face full of flab and looking like a butcher, spoke in a muffled voice.

As soon as he spoke, the two Red Robe Elders beside him immediately fell silent.

"Kid, you are too greedy!"

He glared fiercely at the Major, "That pampered young master temperament of yours will be the death of you."

"Did you think that because you received intelligence in advance, you could set an ambush early and swallow the credit all for yourself?"

"You didn't even report it or request reinforcements?"

"--Stupid! Utterly stupid!"

He clenched his fists, spittle flying:

"Remember, kid, it is your stupidity that made us waste our time coming here!"

"And it is also because of your stupidity that everyone in your base is going to die!"

"...Hmm, are you finished?"

The Fat Butcher was stunned for a moment, "What?"

"If you are finished, then it is my turn to speak."

Finally, the Major spoke indifferently.

Even now, he remained polite and refined.

"You are right."

"I did indeed want to swallow the credit all for myself."

"Although I truly did not expect that four Red Robe Elders would come."

"But this only goes to show..."

The gaze behind his sunglasses brightened.

The Major's voice gradually rose with a hint of excitement, "The credit I can obtain—"

"Is even greater!"

Hearing this, the Middle-aged Woman frowned: "What do you mean?"

But the Major only shook his head.

"Everyone has their own value."

"And my mission in this world is to let everyone fully display their abilities and realize their value to the greatest extent!"

"...But unfortunately, the dead have no value in having their questions answered."

The Major's voice was exceptionally calm.

So calm that it brooked no questioning, as if he were objectively describing some objective truth of the world:

"The greatest value of your lives is to become one of my merits, to become an important Stepping Stone on the path to realizing my ideals!"

"This is your honor."

"--Do you understand?"

In the end, the Major did not even forget to ask, as if he were teaching a lesson to a child.

Exceptionally...

Condescending!

It was as if even the act of him killing you was a form of charity.

The three Red Robes were naturally furious; the Middle-aged Woman's bucket-like waist swayed as she prepared to strike on the spot.

But in the next instant—

"Who goes there!"

The Fat Butcher, who resembled a butcher, was the first to react, his fierce gaze turning toward a spot not far away.

Someone was watching them.

A terrifying, inexplicable sensation crept up his spine.

The person was nowhere to be seen.

"Click..."

Faint footsteps echoed.

Then, a human head came rolling along the ground, gulu lu.

It was...

"Old Li?!"

The Middle-aged Woman's eyes widened.

The flesh on all three of their faces trembled.

None of them had expected that the Red Robe Elder, who had been guarding the outside, would appear here in such a form.

"Perhaps you understand the Special Management Department."

"But your opponent is not the Special Management Department; it is I."

The Major slowly stepped back, surrounded and protected by several officers.

Only then did he shake his head slightly, offering a detached assessment:

"You, regarding me, regarding the power of the chaebols..."

"Know nothing at all."

The front line was a raging inferno, intense and fraught with tension.

Yet in the rear, Deputy Han, carrying two large dolls, arrived at the silent Resting Mausoleum with several burly men in suits.

One was a cute and playful Hello Kitty, the other a Mickey Mouse with a wide, joyous grin.

He carefully set the two heavy dolls down.

Deputy Han bowed to the forest of tombstones, pressing his palms together with a pious expression—

He bowed earnestly three times.

"Heroes who once sacrificed for the base..."

"Bless us once again to march toward victory this time!"

The prayer concluded.

Deputy Han straightened up, turned to look at the Baldy and his subordinates, and resumed his cold demeanor.

His effeminate voice drifted out calmly:

"Begin."

...Having gained experience from last time, the Baldy was much more proficient now.

The new transaction was completed quickly.

"I picked up some scraps early this time."

Before leaving, Deputy Han gave further instructions, "It is only after tonight that things will truly get busy."

"Come back at this same time the day after tomorrow, and bring more men, understand?"

"--Consider yourself lucky to have caught this."

"Once this is finished, you'll likely be able to get promoted just like your predecessor!"

After sending off the delighted Baldy and his subordinates, Deputy Han pulled a notebook from his breast pocket to record the accounts.

Once finished, he prepared to leave this place and head to the front lines to find the Major.

"Click, click..."

Suddenly, an inexplicable Knocking Sound reached his ears.

"What is that sound?"

Deputy Han looked up in confusion and turned to his subordinates.

The tall, burly subordinates looked at one another, all shaking their heads.

"Click, click..."

Another clear Knocking Sound followed.

This time, everyone heard it clearly.

It was...

From Section Chief Liu's grave?

"Crack, crack—clatter!"

Then, under the horrified gaze of everyone, as if they had seen a ghost, In front of Section Chief Liu's Silver White tombstone, the concrete slab covering Section Chief Liu's "Ash Urn" began to tremble incessantly.

Finally, the concrete slab simply shifted itself aside!

A hand reached out from within!

Then, a figure everyone was familiar with sat up and poked its head out.

A Black Suit, a Thermos in one hand, and a Mechanical Briefcase in the other...

That man stood up from the grave!

"Ah! Section Chief Liu!"

Everyone was startled.

One burly man's teeth even began to chatter, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

--Section Chief Liu, has he risen from the dead?!

Has he come... has he come to take revenge on us?!

"No! You aren't Old Liu!"

Deputy Han let out a shrill cry, bringing everyone back to their senses.

They observed closely and realized that this person was indeed not Section Chief Liu.

By comparison, he was much thinner and much younger.

His delicate face looked familiar; those overly clear eyes were one of a kind.

Even that briefcase was just a simple briefcase, not a "Mechanical Briefcase."

"Bai Zhou! Why are you here!"

Deputy Han asked in a sharp, piercing voice.

"And wearing..."

The words trailed off, and Deputy Han stopped speaking.

Still wearing Section Chief Liu's clothes?

But in truth, everyone in the Special Management Department dressed this way.

Suits, briefcases.

It was just that Section Chief Liu often carried an extra Thermos.

It was precisely because Bai Zhou was holding a Thermos, and appeared in this manner, suddenly crawling out of Section Chief Liu's grave at this ungodly hour...

That had scared the wits out of everyone.

However...

The more pathetic and embarrassing they had been just a moment ago, the more hostile their gazes became now that they had realized who the culprit was.

"Sorry, sorry..."

Bai Zhou smiled apologetically at the group, while raising his hands to "clap-clap" loudly, brushing the dust off his body.

At this moment, the clothes could not be dirty.

They were still useful.

Dust billowed and hung in the air.

Bai Zhou kept his head lowered, his voice carrying over along with the "clap-clap" of him brushing himself off, "Actually, the reason I came here, dressed specifically like this..."

"Is not without cause."

As his clothes gradually became clean, Bai Zhou slowly looked up and straightened his back, holding the Thermos.

His slender figure stood tall.

The neat, well-fitted pure Black Suit looked as if it were formal wear.

This was the second time in his life he had dressed like this, as if he were about to attend some important event.

And the last time he had done so was...

The expression on Bai Zhou's face gradually faded away; he simply looked earnestly at Deputy Han's face...

Earnestly and word by word, he softly explained his purpose:

"I have come dressed for the occasion—"

"For your funeral."