[The Director's Dilemma]

Steel met steel.

Weapons clashed, scattering sparks.

Faced with overwhelming force, humans were always weaker than machines.

Ye Yun was sent flying more than ten meters by the tremendous force. His arm tingled with numbness, and an unprecedentedly grim expression appeared on his face.

He was already infinitely close to the level of a First Generation Warrior in the Divine River Universe, yet he'd still come up short against this robot in terms of strength.

No wonder Professor Hu Ming had said it was made in the image of a god.

He hadn't been exaggerating at all.

After all, to ordinary people, the First Generation Warriors of the Divine River Universe truly were godlike beings.

"This is getting more and more interesting."

Jie Xing glanced at Ye Yun in surprise, steadied himself, and charged again.

If he encountered a human like this, he had to kill him.

If he didn't, the man would surely become a disaster for the Intelligent Beings.

The rapidly spinning Spiral Blade cut through the air with a shrill whine, like a propeller beating against the wind.

Seeing the Spiral Blade sweep toward him, Ye Yun quickly dodged it. He pushed off the ground, and his whole body shot away like a bolt of lightning, vanishing into the darkness.

He wasn't a match for this Intelligent Being—not as he was now, anyway.

If only he were at his peak... No, what was the point of thinking about his peak now? The most important thing was to get out alive.

"A strong person shouldn't fear battle. That's what it means to be human."

Watching the young man flee at high speed, Jie Xing naturally wasn't about to let him escape. He chased after him like a whirlwind, an inscrutable red glow flashing in his Electronic Eyes.

Why could a species as cowardly and afraid of death as humans rule the Earth?

That was also why humanity's rule over Earth was about to end.

AIPs who didn't fear death would be the future rulers of this world.

Ye Yun didn't argue with Jie Xing. He fled in an erratic S-shaped path, dodging the other man's Spiral Blade.

Suddenly,

he spun around, dropped to the ground, and rolled aside to evade the Spiral Blade. Gripping the Laser Sword tightly in his right hand, he slashed diagonally at Jie Xing's legs.

"Thud."

A muffled sound rang out as Jie Xing's large Spiral Blade collided with Ye Yun's Laser Sword. The sharp clang echoed across the open grass.

Ye Yun was sent tumbling across the ground by Jie Xing's tremendous strength, rolling over and over.

"Rat-a-tat-tat."

A rumbling rotor sound came from the edge of the sky. Close-in Weapon Systems, once installed on aircraft carriers, had now been improved with advanced technology and could be mounted on vertical takeoff Transport Fighters.

The Close-in Weapon System's immense firepower formed a fiery dragon in the night, pouring down from the sky.

Its roar rang across the night, nearly drowning out the Transport Fighter's rotors overhead.

A torrent of fire swept toward Jie Xing.

Faced with such large-caliber weapons, even a powerful Intelligent Being like Jie Xing had no choice but to avoid the attack and retreat.

Ye Yun quickly got to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He glanced at the Transport Fighter overhead, then fixed his eyes on Jie Xing's retreating figure. With a leap, he disappeared into the darkness.

He had to get away while the authorities on Intelligent Island still hadn't noticed him.

If he didn't escape quickly, he might not get away at all.

Just as Ye Yun vanished into the darkness,

the Transport Fighter slowly descended, and the deafening roar of its anti-aircraft cannons finally stopped.

As the Transport Fighter landed, it whipped up fierce winds around it.

"Move, move, move! Check the situation!"

As the Transport Fighter touched down on the lawn, Qiao Hui, the future head of the Intelligence Hunting Bureau, raised her weapon and waved to the soldiers inside.

At her command, the soldiers rushed out of the Transport Fighter with their assault rifles and charged cautiously toward the villa. The rest took up defensive positions.

"Director, things don't look good."

Qi Yang, who had only just joined the police, surveyed the signs of a fight all around them and spoke to his immediate superior.

"We don't have time to worry about that now. First, we need to make sure Professor Hu Ming is safe. If we can't—"

Qiao Hui glanced at Qi Yang, leaving her words unfinished, then headed into the villa with her rifle in hand.

"Director, we haven't checked whether it's safe inside yet." Seeing Qiao Hui move forward, Qi Yang reached out to stop her.

You're the head of the police department.

What if something happens to you?

"Get out of my way! Plenty of soldiers have already gone in. Why can't I? I'm your chief. If even I'm afraid to die, then who's going to deal with these damned beasts?"

Qiao Hui shook off Qi Yang's grip and strode toward the villa in her combat boots.

"Director, Professor Hu Ming... didn't make it."

As soon as they entered the villa, Lin Ji's dejected voice rang out. He shook his head at Qiao Hui and said, "His neck was pierced by a sharp, spiral-shaped weapon. Blood was still streaming from the wound. According to our analysis, he's been dead for nearly fifteen minutes."

"What did you say?"

Hearing her subordinate's words, Qiao Hui's expression changed, and she stared at him in shock.

Professor Hu Ming wasn't just a great scientist who had made enormous contributions to humanity. He was also an extremely wealthy tycoon.

And you're telling me he's been murdered?

"Professor Hu Ming was murdered. We suspect the killer was Jie Xing, the mutant Intelligent Being who escaped from Green Valley Coastal Dock half an hour ago," Captain Lin Ji said.

"What? Jie Xing? That bastard again!"

At this, a shadow fell over Qiao Hui's eyes. Her face turned ashen as she said, "Go after him! Those damned beasts—bastards who think they can do whatever they want!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Lin Ji hurried off to pursue the Intelligent Being.

"Those damned bastards."

Qiao Hui came to stand before Professor Hu Ming's body. She looked down at the corpse lying on the floor, surrounded by blood, her face dark with anger.

This was the power of the Intelligent Beings.

They acted with utter impunity.

"Director, we found extensive signs of a fight outside. According to our analysis, it was likely caused by two Intelligent Beings battling each other."

Captain Xiao came in with a tablet and reported this.

"I already know." Looking at the cold body on the floor, Qiao Hui closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

This was serious.

She might lose her position over this.

Not only had an Intelligent Being mutated, but no fewer than one or two thousand police officers and civilians had died. And now, the most esteemed scientist on Intelligent Island, world-famous and unrivaled, was dead as well.

If she could still keep her position after all this, the big shots on the Security Committee would have to be blind.