Pretending to Be an Expert

"Friend, as long as you can save all of us, I'm willing to pay five million!" Gao Bancheng cried urgently.

A strange glint flashed through Bai Ye's eyes. He had not expected this fat man, who looked like a crooked merchant, to be so righteous that he was willing to spend money to save everyone.

Moreover, the fat man claimed to be Gao Shanhe's son. In North Mang, almost no one had failed to hear Gao Shanhe's name. It was not because he was strong, but because he was rich enough—he was the acknowledged richest man in North Mang!

Even the wasteland folk living in the settlements had heard his name, because... the cockroach protein bars they ate every day were one of Gao Shanhe's businesses.

A family with five million was clearly one that could afford it.

Li You said coldly, "Deal!"

Then, without hurry, he began unwrapping the filthy bandages around his right hand. His expression was focused and solemn, as though he were doing something extremely important.

Gao Bancheng grew anxious. What was he doing? Hadn't they made a deal?

"Please, sir, lend us a hand at once!"

Li You did not even lift his eyelids. "No rush. Before my Magic Hand, no enemy can hide."

Bai Ye froze awkwardly. Seriously, bro, were you addicted to showing off? You were even making up your own moves and lines?

His original plan had been for Li You to pose as an expert, while he used Time Stop to cooperate with Li You in taking down the peregrine falcon. That would conceal Time Stop somewhat and reduce his own presence.

Although he was the god of the new era, he knew exactly how fragile his mortal body was.

For one thing, if someone fired a shot from behind him, he might not even have time to react and activate Time Stop.

Time Stop made him invincible in direct confrontation, but ambushes were what he feared most.

In a frontal fight, he would not fear even the Ten Kings. Yet an ordinary person with a gun attacking from behind would be enough.

This group of strangers before him was not weak. Naturally, he had to remain cautious while traveling with them.

That was why Li You, the superhuman, needed to stand in the spotlight and draw attention, while Bai Ye secretly covered for him. He just had not expected Li You's act to be both slow and painfully awkward.

Bai Ye hurriedly gave him a look, saying, Stop fucking showing off. If people die, who are we going to collect the money from?

Seeing Bai Ye's "approval" in his eyes, Li You immediately felt confident. Sure enough, Brother Ye approved of my acting. He became even more enthusiastic about putting on the act.

Because they were some distance away, Gao Bancheng and the others could not see the exchange of looks between the two. They could only see Li You meticulously unwrapping his bandages, with no intention of acting, and their hearts sank halfway.

Li Xiao snorted coldly. "At a time like this, you're still counting on two wasteland folk? I've temporarily restrained this beast, but my shadow cannot hold it for long. Have your maid carry you on her back later. I'll take you away first. Don't worry, with me here, you won't die. But you'll need to pay more afterward!"

Gao Bancheng glanced at the others beside him and clenched his teeth. "What about them?"

"Li only agreed to protect you. The others have nothing to do with me," Li Xiao said coldly. A classic high-EQ response—rather than saying he could not protect the others, he emphasized that his protection target was only one person.

Gao Bancheng hesitated even more. Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that the wasteland man unwrapping his bandages was walking straight toward him.

As he advanced, the bandages around his right hand gradually came loose before everyone's eyes. When the bloodstained strips fell to the ground like snakes, a pale right hand was revealed once more.

It was strikingly white, a shade paler than his own skin.

Hiss!

Li You discreetly sucked in a breath. Damn, I tied it too tight every day. The blood wasn't even circulating.

Having undone the "seal," Li You flexed his stiff right hand and strode into the peregrine falcon's attack range with the gait of a powerful expert, as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll.

The gunshots and the howling of shadow darts seemed like cheers welcoming his entrance.

"Sir, be careful! This beast is extremely fast!" Seeing him act so arrogantly without even a weapon, Gao Bancheng instinctively warned him.

"Oh? How fast?" Li You raised his right hand expressionlessly.

Bai Ye, whose toes were nearly digging out a three-bedroom apartment from embarrassment, immediately activated—Time Stop!

He truly could not bear to watch anymore. When was he going to cure this habit of feeling embarrassed on behalf of others?

A massive golden clock face appeared beneath Bai Ye's feet. He tapped the ground with his toes, and the gears of time gave a faint click, sending out a ripple of golden light.

Buzz!

Mysterious temporal fluctuations enveloped the world.

The wind froze among the trees. Fallen leaves hung in midair. Whistling bullets and shadow darts became suspended.

The once-living people now resembled a still photograph captured by a camera.

Naturally, the mutated peregrine falcon, like a bolt of black lightning, had frozen as well. Its half-meter-long body and black-gray wings were folded at its sides as it abruptly halted above everyone's heads like a cannonball, its sharp beak gleaming with metallic coldness.

Within this absolutely still world, a ragged wasteland youth moved through the cracks of time. He was the only one capable of interacting with all things through time.

Every step he took seemed to shatter a mirror beneath his feet, only for it to reassemble into complete stillness behind him.

Bai Ye approached the mutated peregrine falcon, took a short run, and leaped into the air. He easily seized the bird.

Looking at the peregrine falcon in his hand, frozen like a specimen, he directly snapped its wings and stuffed it into Li You's outstretched Magic Hand.

"Done!"

Bai Ye swiftly returned to his original position. Time... resumed!

Buzz!

The mysterious temporal fluctuations dissipated, and everything seemed as though nothing had happened.

Everyone's consciousness remained at the moment Li You had spoken those words.

"Oh? How fast?"

The next moment, everyone saw a black shadow abruptly freeze in midair. The intense gunfire came to an abrupt halt with its appearance.

Their pupils contracted violently as they stood rooted to the spot, as though petrified, as if they had fallen into Time Stop once more.

They stared dumbfoundedly into the air at the peregrine falcon clenched by an invisible giant hand. Its savage bird head thrashed constantly as it struggled, emitting sharp, agonized screeches.

Its struggles were so violent that many black-gray feathers fell away.

"How... how is this possible?!" The shadow-man Li Xiao was shocked. As someone who had personally fought the mutated peregrine falcon, he naturally knew full well that its speed exceeded the limits of vision.

It was so fast that even his shadow darts could not catch up. One had to know that shadow darts had no weight and could ignore air resistance—they were products of superhuman abilities!

A grave look flashed through his eyes as he silently adjusted Li You's evaluation, placing him among experts of the same level as himself.

The others were not as confident as Li Xiao. They only found it utterly inconceivable. None of them had expected this ragged wasteland man to restrain the mutated peregrine falcon in an instant.