The Encirclement and Suppression

At the Xinbo Gongguan, on the main stage.

Martin Stein's face was flushed with excitement, the flashing lights making him look spirited as he spoke eloquently and ceaselessly about his understanding of controllable nuclear fusion.

"From ancient times to the present, people have always strived for energy. From the moment ancient humans obtained their first flame from trees struck by lightning, and through the discovery of fire by rubbing wood, controlling the flame that was born in their own hands..."

Suddenly.

Martin Stein's face, flushed with excitement, paused.

"Sir, according to the surveillance, by analyzing the fabric composition of the clothing Danton Black is wearing, we can confirm that he is wearing actual clothes."

The reporter was clever, not mentioning the original body, only the clothes. Their orders were to compare and analyze the fabric of Danton Black's clothing, not to do anything further.

Alex was satisfied. Unless Danton Black had deliberately dressed his clone in clothes, this must be the main body.

'Kaka-kaka-kaka-kaka...'

Xinbo Gongguan fell silent instantly, with only the continuous flashing of camera lights. Martin Stein's hand, raised in passionate speech, remained suspended, giving the impression that time had stopped for this great man.

The audience members were puzzled, looking at each other, their eyes filled with questions, their brows furrowed as they sought answers from those around them.

They had initially thought Martin Stein had merely stopped to take a sip of water, given his visible excitement at the event. It wasn't surprising for him to be so emotional; if they had achieved such a great feat, they would likely be even more excited than anyone else.

However, the pause was slightly too long, long enough to make the audience begin to feel uneasy.

Alex, through his reading glasses, saw over a hundred clones of Danton Black, holding numerous firearms, advancing towards the main entrance of Xinbo Gongguan with overwhelming momentum.

The fabric analysis began in his eyes, with red targeting boxes, like those on fighter jets, continuously sweeping over the army of Multiplicity clones surging outside the door.

The clothes simulated from skin had a slightly stiff feel compared to real clothes. While the human eye might struggle to discern the difference, in front of a computer programmed for early detection, their gait, the slight movement of their clothes, and their skin clinging to their bodies, all appeared flawed as they moved.

"One hundred and thirty-two Multiplicity clones."

In an instant, his earpiece delivered the conclusion.

All those who had come to Xinbo Gongguan were clones.

Alex stopped his speech, slowly lowering the hand he had raised in feigned excitement. His expression turned calm. He slightly tilted his chin, looked towards the entrance, and issued an order.

"Activate the sonar brainwave equipment! Annihilate them."

'Bang!'

A Multiplicity clone kicked open the door, pointing its M4A1 towards the sky, exuding arrogance. Their faces were wild, etched with a condescending smile of superiority.

The clones entered in an orderly fashion. In the time it took the audience to turn around and the reporters to shift their focus, the entering Multiplicity clones had formed a human wall, surrounding everyone with their firearms aimed.

The main body, at Starbucks, calmly took a sip of his cappuccino and smiled faintly.

"Ah..."

The venue erupted into chaos. The audience members stood up, some shouting defiantly at the Multiplicity clones, while others wisely crouched down, hiding behind chairs. Some remained frozen in their seats, their minds still unable to process what was happening.

The reporters' camera flashes went wild, capturing every fleeting moment, showcasing the numerous, identical, and dizzying figures of the Multiplicity.

If the Multiplicity clones hadn't been holding different firearms, the audience would have believed they were hallucinating or experiencing double vision.

How could there be a hundred identical twins?

'Bang bang bang bang...'

"Hahaha..."

The leading Multiplicity clone pointed its gun to the sky, the muzzle spitting fire as bullets shot into the ceiling, embedding themselves and causing a small shower of dust. Instantly, the gunfire silenced the panicked crowd, who were now covering their heads. The only sound of unrest came from the fearless reporters still flashing their lights, illuminating Danton Black's maniacal laughter.

In such a moment, the elites prostrating themselves at his feet made him want to laugh uncontrollably, completely satisfying Danton Black's humble, sensitive, and fragile ego.

Danton Black's attitude towards the reporters was outrageously accommodating. He allowed them to film him from every angle, capturing his every heroic pose. He permitted Central City Television to broadcast live, pointing their cameras at him, letting his handsome and extraordinary face be seen on television, reclaiming the spotlight he felt Martin Stein had stolen from him a few days prior.

The entire Central City, which had been watching Martin Stein's speech, was now utterly bewildered. A speech by a man who was almost a historical figure had been hijacked, with criminals storming the venue.

At this moment, a man drinking coffee, his glass suspended mid-air, stared blankly at the television.

A housewife, walking through the living room to take clothes to the laundry, stopped in her tracks upon seeing the scene on the living room TV, staring in stunned silence at the live broadcast.

Were TV broadcasts this sensational now?

Broadcasting a crime scene?

As for those at the venue.

Those who were not reporters could only obediently crouch down with their heads covered, awaiting the Multiplicity's judgment.

The only person still standing at the scene, who was not a reporter, was Alex on the main stage. His straight posture and the bowtie around his neck conveyed an unyielding scientific pride.

"Professor Martin, your great work has been destroyed before it even began!"

"Is that so!"

Alex's expression was calm, showing no sign of panic at the current situation. His placid, indifferent gaze made the Multiplicity clone extremely uncomfortable.

This was not the reaction he had intended.

"Kneel!"

The Multiplicity clone, his face dark, pointed his M4A1 at Martin Stein's legs. Anyone could imagine that if he didn't comply, he would shoot without hesitation, breaking Martin Stein's legs to force him to kneel.

Because his expression was so terrifying, and he was clearly not joking, a ferocious glint shot from his eyes. On the Central City broadcast, he appeared as a criminal devoid of any moral compass, demonstrating his brutality, ferocity, and sinister nature.

On Central City Television's live broadcast, the Multiplicity's cruel gaze was startling. Its ferocious expression, brimming with mad jealousy, was more genuinely brutal than any actor's, making people instinctively clench their hearts, gasping for breath they couldn't draw.

In comparison, Martin Stein's calm expression inspired admiration, yet also a pang of worry for him.

There were over a hundred armed thugs!

But, the unexpected often arrived faster than Danton Black's cruelty.

Danton Black, the leader, began to see his vision blur. Darkness seemed to envelop him from all sides, his ears buzzed as if exploding, and his mind felt like a chainsaw was cutting through his brain at full throttle, sawing and sawing madly.

Crash...

In an instant, the Multiplicity's clones dissolved into acid, wisps of smoke rising from where they stood. The M4A1 fell from his hand to the ground, landing on the soft carpet without making much noise.

However, the continuous sound of falling firearms still had a somewhat spectacular effect.

"Action."

Not all of the Multiplicity's clones immediately turned to acid. Over sixty of them collapsed to the ground, unable to grip their firearms. They clutched their ears, their heads feeling like they would explode, their eyes bloodshot and screaming. This pain was like having your head sawed by a chainsaw.

Alex acted like a cold executioner, giving the order.

From the crouching audience, nearly fifty people emerged swiftly from the reporters frantically taking pictures. It was like in the movies, where police hidden within a busy street suddenly appear, moving so quickly that people can't even react.

Without the slightest hesitation, the police who emerged from the crowd quickly drew their pistols from their waists and fired at the Multiplicity's clones writhing in agony on the carpet.

Gunshots rang out intermittently, and within ten seconds, the firing stopped.

There were no more Multiplicity clones on the scene.

Alex's eyes swept over all the acid on the ground.

"Sir, the Multiplicity at 5433 Xinbo Gongdong Road hasn't disappeared!"

Alex strode towards the backstage on the left, disappearing behind the stage in a spot not visible to cameras or the crowd.

"Surround them!"

"Personnel at point 5, evacuate the crowd. Shoot Danton Black on sight!"

Alex roared, his rapid and firm footsteps like an unquestionable dictator's stride, decisive and swift, like a resolute general as unyielding as a rock, marching forward with broad strokes.

His eyes immediately displayed the surveillance screen from Starbucks. Danton Black was howling in pain, clutching his head.

"Bring out my car!"

Alex pulled at the bow tie around his neck and casually tossed it to the side of the wall. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white shirt, turned off his projection mask, revealing his true face. With each step forward, his body rapidly grew taller with a 'crack'. His middle-aged paunch contracted, returning his original abs, and his tuxedo was strained to the point of tearing by his height and muscles.

Alex took off his tuxedo jacket and tossed it aside. With his dyed white hair, he exited the back door of Xinbo Gongguan. A police officer had already placed his motorcycle in position.

He mounted the Lightning Motorcycle with a blank expression. Amidst the salutes of the surrounding police officers, he engaged the nitro boost. The exhaust pipes emitted scorching blue flames, and the frenzied wheels ground against the ground, producing thick smoke. Like a rocket, he shot forward.