Scavenger's Tribulation; Arrived Just in Time

"Boom--"

Lightning streaked through the clouds, the roar of thunder spreading across the sky.

The rain intensified.

Neon lights crisscrossed the asphalt road, resembling a dark lake.

And deep within an alley, beyond the reach of the lights, a sudden battle was drawing to a close.

Or rather, it was a rout.

No need for [Light and Shadow Harmony], just the rise and fall of a short club, eighteen strikes in three seconds, eighty in ten.

This field team that unexpectedly encountered Bai Zhou in the city—

had been "annihilated"!

Just two novice Extraordinarys at the awakening command level, plus a few veteran Level 2 Commissioners.

Half a Section Chief Liu could have dealt with them.

—Let alone the current Bai Zhou!

They lay scattered on the ground, their groans drowned out by the rain and thunder.

Arms broken, legs twisted, all of them injured.

But none were dead.

"This... is me?"

Holding the short club, Bai Zhou squatted by the roadside, examining the Wanted Posters they had dropped, his expression complex and unreadable.

Infiltrating organization intelligence, assisting the Blood Worship Cult's invasion, killing Special Management Department cadres, inciting the Black Box riot, absconding with the Black Box...

Half a sheet of paper couldn't hold it all!

An A+ Fugitive? Ranked alongside a high-level Blood Worship Cult cadre?

A chill ran down Bai Zhou's spine.

He only now realized that, without him even noticing, he had become a "Big Shot"?

—Meaning, "someone burdened with a major case."

That Major was even more reckless than Bai Zhou had imagined.

Fortunately, Bai Zhou had gotten his new equipment in time.

Otherwise, once the surveillance locked onto him, and the Heavenly Net closed in, he would truly have nowhere to run, no place to hide...

"Snap"—

A shadow fell to the ground.

Bai Zhou stood up, raising his black umbrella over his head again, and looked down at the men.

"Are you the only ones nearby?" he asked casually.

"Bai Zhou, you can't escape!"

The leading Level 3 Commissioner lay on the ground, glaring at this traitor to the Special Management Department, this spy for the Blood Worship Cult.

Many of his close colleagues had died that night during the Blood Worship Cult's invasion.

And now, he knew he was going to die too.

Yet the other party deliberately kept him alive, tormenting him.

—A despicable Blood Worship Cultist!

"If the [Sword Bearer] who was originally here hadn't fallen for your diversion, and been sent to South City..."

He was so enraged by Bai Zhou's cunning that his teeth itched, "We wouldn't be the ones lying here now!"

...South City?!

Bai Zhou's expression remained calm, but his heart grew solemn.

—He hadn't diverted anyone!

It was just a coincidence, coming here to pick up equipment, that he happened to not be in South City.

It seemed Ya was right.

The more prosperous the district, the more surveillance cameras on the streets, the more easily Bai Zhou's movements could be tracked.

This was different from Evening City.

In this technologically advanced city, people couldn't completely erase their traces, no matter what.

But Bai Zhou hadn't expected the Special Management Department to narrow down the search area this quickly.

--Is this the efficiency of the "Authorities" mobilized?

They even directly dispatched the [Sword Bearer] squad!

The Special Management Department's signboard, a unit even Ya would mention with gravity...

The true elites cultivated by the Major!

Fortunately--

Southern City was mostly wilderness, with no surveillance to speak of.

It was unlikely they could directly pinpoint Bai Zhou's hideout.

Now that Bai Zhou had the intel, he certainly wouldn't walk into a [Sword Bearer] ambush.

--Only when unaware can prey be called prey!

"..."

Thinking this, Bai Zhou found the Commissioner on the ground much more agreeable.

"If I said I had no connection to the Blood Worship Cult... you definitely wouldn't believe me."

"In fact, no matter what I say now, you'll see it as heresy and deliberate provocation."

Carefully choosing his words, Bai Zhou faced everyone and said:

"But just as you suspect me, you can try suspecting anyone around you with the same eyes."

"For example... if you have time, why not go take a look at the Resting Mausoleum?"

"Seeing it with your own eyes will be more reliable than anything I say."

Bai Zhou slowly turned, his profile hidden by the black umbrella.

"But be careful--"

"It's best if no one knows about this matter."

A Third-rank Commissioner probably wasn't qualified to know anything.

They only needed to blindly follow orders from above and enjoy the benefits bestowed by those above.

Each of them was an unwitting beneficiary, nurtured by the Major.

Bai Zhou didn't want to kill them, because he wasn't a true Fugitive, nor did he want to become an enemy of the world later on.

Distinguishing the real enemies, those who deserved to die.

This was important.

--However, he didn't really expect these people to accomplish anything.

Whether they believed him or not was up to them.

Even if they knew the truth, their choices remained unknown...

But none of that mattered.

What mattered was planting seeds of doubt casually.

Once planted, they would spread.

Although, when people see one cockroach, there are definitely countless more behind it.

But similarly--

When people see a spark, The day it ignites a prairie fire, Might not be far off.

His footsteps receded without a trace of hesitation.

The Trench coat figure holding an umbrella disappeared into the pouring rain.

Large raindrops splashed down, pouring onto the ground.

The Commissioners, lying on the ground and soaked to the bone, looked at each other.

"He... didn't kill us?"

A Commissioner weakly whispered.

"And didn't do anything to us?"

"What did those words he just said... mean?"

"..."

The Commissioners began to discuss.

The leading Commissioner frowned, seemingly pondering something, but he only struggled briefly before his expression firmed:

"These are all common deceptive tactics of the Blood Worship Cultists, forget everything he said!"

"Then, report immediately--"

He reprimanded everyone in a stern tone, then tremblingly took out a walkie-talkie from his chest and adjusted the channel.

"We've encountered the fugitive Bai Zhou!"

"Alert all teams, hope the field teams can coordinate..."

"He is far more terrifying than we imagined."

"Hope the higher-ups change their investigation strategy. Bai Zhou is definitely not someone a single field team can handle alone!"

"Requesting higher-level support."

After a brief pause, the leading commissioner took a deep breath and finally reported:

"--In this engagement, C201 Field Team, fighting with all their might, has been wiped out!"

South City District, late at night.

Scavenger camp.

Three low-key bread vans blocked the building.

But as the car doors were pulled open with a "swish,"

out stepped a group of soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers, armed and loaded.

In front of the dark gun muzzles, the rusted steel rebar offered no sense of security.

The scavengers, hands clasped behind their heads, were driven from their warm strongholds to the open ground in front of the building, where heavy rain was falling.

The intense beams of flashlights shone unceremoniously into their faces.

Rain streaks were clearly visible in the light beams.

A machine gun was set up on the upper floor.

An officer in a second lieutenant's military uniform, with a face full of flesh, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the captain, who wore a gas mask and held a gun.

"Where is Bai Zhou!"

Standing on the stairs, the officer looked down at the crowd with a cold face.

Perhaps because he had to be on duty in the heavy rain, the officer's voice seemed to carry a lot of emotion.

The stern shout exploded in the downpour, making people's ears ring.

"Bai Zhou? What Bai Zhou?"

"How long has it been since we had any congee."

"Officer, are you here to provide relief? Thank you, thank you..."

The scavengers started discussing amongst themselves.

Everyone was genuinely bewildered.

"..."

Hearing this, the officer turned to look at the captain beside him.

The captain shook his head, his voice muffled from behind the gas mask.

"Bai Zhou must have been here."

In his hand, he clutched an ancient, mysterious compass:

"The ritual tracking shows there was a spiritual reaction from him nearby."

"--He must have done something in the vicinity using his spirituality."

"Excuse me..."

Old Qiao, the bearded man, slowly stood up.

As soon as he opened his mouth, rainwater poured in.

He struggled to lift his head and cautiously looked at the officer and the captain.

"Who exactly are you looking for?"

"We are willing to cooperate with the investigation... but it's raining so hard, can we go back inside to take shelter first?"

The officer glanced at him, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Slap--"

Immediately, a crisp slap landed on Old Qiao's face.

The commissioner next to him then kicked Old Qiao to the ground.

"When is it your turn to speak?"

"When I'm not asking you, just squat down properly!"

"..."

The Sword Bearer captain looked at the officer, his voice laced with worry:

"Outside, should we still pay attention to the department's image..."

"--Relax, with this heavy rain and such a desolate place."

"There's no one else nearby, only these scavengers."

The officer's tone was casual and dismissive.

He waved his hand and leaned closer, speaking in a low voice, "No need to be polite with them... Don't forget, the researchers need another batch of experimental materials recently."

"What could be more suitable for capturing and using as consumables than these scavengers who have no ties and no one cares about?"

His voice was very quiet, masked by the pattering rain, audible only to the captain.

The captain understood with sudden realization:

"Indeed... they are rare experimental materials.

"If we can't catch Bai Zhou, we won't come back empty-handed, and it might at least make the Major a little happier."

So "they" were "our people" after all, then there was indeed no need to pretend.

It was like going out hunting.

The expected fox wasn't caught, but a nest of wild rabbits was spotted.

Encountering such a group of settled scavengers was, for the Special Management Department, who rarely went out, at least a guaranteed harvest.

"Rumble..."

In the pouring rain of the deep night, the scavengers, huddled together and soaked through, were filled with unease.

Old Qiao's experience had terrified them even more, making them tremble like quails.

"Just received news, Bai Zhou appeared in the city center, and [Sword Bearers] have already rushed over."

Upon receiving the latest report from his subordinate, the officer frowned.

"Since people have already gone, we won't."

"I think we should thoroughly investigate the vicinity before withdrawing--"

"Search! Scatter! Conduct a carpet search! There must be traces of Bai Zhou nearby!"

The officer had just finished giving his orders, then slowly turned his head to look at the scavengers.

"This person, is Bai Zhou!"

He produced a photograph and had his subordinate, the commissioner, show it to the scavengers one by one for identification.

"Tinghai A-class wanted criminal, extremely vicious!"

"Anyone withholding information will also be severely punished, treated as complicity!"

Old Qiao was the first to see the photo.

When he saw the person in the photo, his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

But he immediately composed himself; in the torrential rain, it seemed no one noticed.

However, the Sword Bearer captain, who had been observing him all along, slowly raised an eyebrow.

"--Bring him up!"

His subordinates, like wolves and tigers, brought Old Qiao over.

"...Sir?"

In the rain, his beard and long hair were tangled, mixed with blood at the corner of his mouth, making him look particularly disheveled.

"Hmm?"

The flesh on the officer's face twitched twice.

He leaned closer, staring down at Old Qiao, and held up the photo to him:

"Take a good look!"

His rough voice whispered, carrying an imposing righteousness from above, and asked:

"--You know him, don't you?"

"Tell me properly, where is he..."

He lowered his voice, his gaze like a knife cutting into Old Qiao and the scavengers behind him:

"You will give me a satisfactory answer, won't you-- I think you know what you should choose."

In the distance.

A pair of eyes slowly opened in the bushes.

Silently watching everything that was happening in front of the unfinished building.

The carpet-style search that unfolded meant that commissioners carrying briefcases and fully armed soldiers would patrol past from time to time...

But no one noticed the abnormality of this patch of bushes.

Until Old Qiao was stumbled out of the crowd--

"Swish..."

The blinking bushes swayed twice.

A head emerged from within.

A face dripping with raindrops was illuminated by the flashing lightning.

His black trench coat made him blend into the rainy night, and the heavy darkness provided him with natural camouflage.

It seemed--

Bai Zhou had arrived at just the right time.