Meanwhile.
Inside Sain Mechanical Prosthetics Company.
A furious argument erupted inside the general manager's office.
Inside the general manager's office.
Oppressive!
An extremely oppressive atmosphere filled the brightly lit office.
At that moment, General Manager Xia Jinbao, a burly man covered in flab, widened his furious eyes and glared fiercely at the subordinate standing before him. He said coldly, "Dr. Zhao Ku, didn't you guarantee that even ordinary anesthetic agents like these could control those [Half-demons] for three days?"
"But now, on only the second night, you came to me personally and told me that a [Half-demon] codenamed [Witch] had escaped from the laboratory!"
"So tell me, what are we supposed to do?"
As he spoke those final words, Xia Jinbao's eyes widened sharply, and an icy glint suddenly surfaced within them.
At that moment, the killing intent Xia Jinbao had suppressed for so long was on the verge of erupting.
Standing before the desk was a frail, skinny old man in his fifties, with thinning hair and a white lab coat.
The most striking feature of this old man in the white coat was the deep grooves on his face. They looked like a patch of parched rice fields, making him resemble a weathered old farmer rather than a scientist engaged in research.
This old man in the white coat was named [Zhao Ku].
Not only was he a geneticist who studied gene science, but he was also a doctor skilled in surgery.
"How bitter!"
Dr. Zhao Ku stood before the desk. Seeing Xia Jinbao, who usually gave him some face, showing such fury, he bent even lower. "I'm sorry, General Manager Xia. I didn't know that test subject would develop antibodies to the anesthetic agent and escape from the laboratory while our staff weren't paying attention."
As he spoke, he seemed to realize something was wrong and hurriedly tried to make amends. "Rest assured, give me one night, and I'll definitely bring that test subject back."
"Fine. I'll give you one night. If I don't see that test subject by eight tomorrow morning, you can report to headquarters yourself."
After a moment, Xia Jinbao stared coldly at Dr. Zhao Ku and said expressionlessly, "You know how headquarters deals with useless trash. When that time comes, it won't just be you who suffers. Even your relatives and friends will suffer..."
Hearing those threatening words, Dr. Zhao Ku's face turned even more bitter. He bent slightly, his face filled with fear. "General Manager, rest assured. I... I'll definitely find that escaped test subject..."
In the center of the city.
On a bustling street.
A white-clad girl with a panicked expression limped toward several residential buildings near the street, blood streaming from her feet.
However, when the white-clad girl reached the entrance of one residential building, she stopped. Then she tore two strips of cloth from her clothes and wrapped them around her bleeding feet...
After doing all that, the white-clad girl quickly reached the building's back entrance. Then, she crawled into the grass beside it and made her way through the grass toward the neighboring residential building...
Only after crawling through the grass around seven residential buildings did she stand up and limp toward a more distant street.
Yet upon closer inspection, some faint bloodstains along the road she had traveled seemed to have been erased by some kind of power. A dense layer of filthy dirt covered the traces of blood.
Telekinesis!
Telekinetic manipulation!
Less than four or five minutes after the white-clad girl left...
Crackle! Crackle!
A group dressed in black trench coats followed the blood trail to the residential building where the white-clad girl had first stopped.
"The blood trail disappears here. It seems that test subject is nearby..."
"Search the nearby residential buildings!"
At that moment, a trench-coated man with metallic gleaming hands stepped forward from the crowd. After examining the area around the residential building, he suddenly waved his hand and issued a harsh command to his subordinates.
The next morning.
Around six o'clock.
Ring! Ring!
Ring! Ring!
A crisp phone ringtone suddenly woke Wang Zhong from his sleep.
"Smart, who's calling me?"
Under the blankets, Wang Zhong rolled over and asked [Smart] with an irritated expression.
"Master, the caller ID is [Captain Li Ying]."
The next second, [Smart]'s cold electronic voice sounded beside Wang Zhong's ear.
"Ugh!"
With no other choice, Wang Zhong poked his head out from under the blankets and said weakly to [Smart], "Smart, connect Captain Li Ying's call..."
Captain Li Ying: "Wang Zhong, are you up yet?"
Wang Zhong: "No! Captain, it's not even seven yet. Are you calling because there's some special mission?"
Captain Li Ying: "That's right. Did you notice anything unusual last night?"
Wang Zhong: "No! But I didn't notice anything. Um, maybe that [Bionic Patrol Crow] noticed something? Captain, should I bring this [Bionic Patrol Crow] back to the station for you?"
Captain Li Ying: "No need. I'll send you a document shortly. Memorize the information inside, then keep an eye out for the person in the photos around the Slums..."
Captain Li Ying: "Also, if you find the person in the photos, do not act rashly. Call us immediately, understand?"
Wang Zhong: "Understood, Captain."
Captain Li Ying: "Also, your surveillance assignment with Manni has changed. Instead of one person per group, it'll now be two people per group. Tonight, from eight until eight tomorrow morning, you'll be paired with Manni. You don't need to report for duty so early..."
Wang Zhong: "Huh? I have to stay up all night again?"
A moment later.
After ending the call, Wang Zhong received a document and several photos on his [Mechanical Phone A10].
Sitting up, Wang Zhong reached over beside the cabinet and picked up the [Mechanical Phone A10]. After taking just one look, he widened his eyes and said in astonishment, "Damn, this is really a flood washing through the Dragon King Temple. The captain actually sent me to arrest myself?"
At that moment, following Wang Zhong's gaze, a profile image could be seen on the phone screen in his hand.
[Name (Codename): Passing Dark Knight] [Strength Level: Level 3 Psionic Warrior] [Charges: Suspected vigilante? Suspect possibly possessing offensive capabilities?] [Remarks: All colleagues are requested to keep an eye on this person. Do not act rashly, and do not attempt an arrest.] [Image, image]
Looking at the all-too-familiar photo on the phone screen, Wang Zhong's mouth twitched, leaving him speechless.
"Looks like I need to get started on finding a second clone as soon as possible."
"Otherwise, once Manni and I patrol together, I really won't be able to handle everything!"
Coming back to his senses, Wang Zhong narrowed his eyes at the photos displayed on the phone screen. An idea immediately surfaced in his mind.
Before you continue