The short-haired man in a military-green uniform standing behind Gu Chen froze when he saw the masked intruder readily admit he had been exposed.
An intruder who had sneaked in should have put up a fight or at least tried to explain himself. Instead, this one calmly asked how he had given himself away. Were spies really this brazen now?!
"Hmph... Since you know you've been exposed, I suggest you surrender. Don't struggle needlessly. You're under arrest for stealing state secrets. Put your hands on your head and lie facedown on the floor."
The other Research Personnel standing there paled at the sight and hurriedly backed away, while the nearby security guards reacted at once, watching the intruder like hawks.
Surrender? Hands on his head, facedown on the floor?!
Gu Chen sized him up. His vital energy had reached the Hidden Strength level. He was probably one of the elite special forces members Fang Xiu had said the authorities had cultivated with Peiyuan Pills.
Anyone else might have surrendered without a fight. But Gu Chen had already mastered the Five Organs Chapter of Human Immortal Martial Dao. Even back when he had only reached Pill Embracement, he could have crushed this man.
"Surrender? Sorry, but at your current level, I don't think you're a match for me..."
Gu Chen sighed and gave the short-haired man in the military-green uniform an apologetic look.
The man bristled. He had been selected from over a thousand candidates to become an elite special forces soldier, yet this intruder looked down on him. He would make him regret it.
"So you'd rather do this the hard way. Remember this: the man who captures you is Wang Hong, squad leader of the Divine Blade Special Forces..."
With that, Wang Hong struck. One step carried him five or six meters, and both hands shot toward Gu Chen like eagle talons. His movements were swift, ruthless, and precise.
As those clawed hands rushed toward him, curiosity flickered across Gu Chen's face. He wanted to know how strong a Hidden Strength fighter produced by modern technology really was, and how he compared to the National Martial Arts System brought into reality through Refine Falsehood Into Truth.
He stood still and let the claws come. Wang Hong faltered for an instant. He had never faced an opponent like this. Did this man think his body was made of steel? How dare he underestimate him!
"How arrogant! Let's see how tough you really are!"
Wang Hong laughed in anger. Determined to make the intruder pay, he drove his Hidden Strength harder. The muscles in his arms tightened, adding even more force to his strike.
Smack!
His clawlike hands landed on Gu Chen's shoulders. Hooked fingers gripped the shoulder blades and the muscles above them as vicious Hidden Strength surged inward. This was a military grappling technique, known for its simplicity and effectiveness: subdue the enemy as quickly as possible.
Wang Hong sneered and wrenched hard, intending to dislocate both of the intruder's shoulders. To his astonishment, his Hidden Strength vanished into Gu Chen like a stone sinking into the sea. It had no effect at all. Gu Chen did not even move.
Wang Hong's eyes widened. Thinking he must be imagining things, he tensed his muscles again and pushed his Hidden Strength to its limit.
At his current level, he could exert more than eight hundred pounds of force with one hand. With Hidden Strength behind it, the force he released in an instant could twist a steel bar. An ordinary person's shoulders would already have been crushed.
Yet he still could not affect the man before him. The gap between them was enormous. Who was this intruder?!
"Not bad force, but you're still a little short of a Hidden Strength practitioner who trained his way up step by step..."
Gu Chen gave his assessment and shrugged. The muscles in his shoulders loosened, then snapped taut, releasing a terrifying jolt like a drawn bowstring suddenly let loose. Wang Hong's expression changed. Gripping Gu Chen felt like gripping a dragon; the violent shock ran through his hands like electricity and numbed them on the spot.
Thud, thud, thud...
Wang Hong staggered back five or six steps before stopping. He stared at Gu Chen in horror and said in disbelief:
"Why would a National Martial Arts Master like you stoop to sneaking in and stealing? It's disgraceful. Why not join the Central Province Official and serve your country?"
Gu Chen shrugged. "Sorry, but I've always loved my freedom. I can't stand being controlled. I only came to see what the authorities have accomplished with their research..."
Seeing Wang Hong at a disadvantage, the other security guards drew their stun batons and guns without hesitation and aimed them at the intruder.
"Don't move! Hands up!"
"Move and we'll shoot!"
Gu Chen showed no sign of nerves. He drove one foot into the floor, and in the next instant, he vanished from where he stood, leaving only a blurred afterimage.
Wang Hong's pupils contracted. "Get out of the way! You're in danger!"
His warning came too late. In the space of a few seconds, Gu Chen struck each guard lightly on the back of the neck.
Thud, thud...
Six guards collapsed unconscious, one after another, unable to resist.
The Research Personnel at the scene stared wide-eyed. They had no idea what had just happened. This intruder was terrifying!
Cold sweat broke out on Wang Hong's forehead. He watched Gu Chen warily and cried, "A Pillaring Grandmaster?!"
Amid the chaos, one of the Research Personnel nearby had a flicker in his eyes. He yanked the data storage device free behind him, then turned and sprinted for the exit.
Everyone was caught off guard. None of them had imagined there was another spy hidden among the Research Personnel—one who had seized the confusion to steal the most important data storage device.
Before you continue