Lucky day

"Cheng Qi!"

"I searched this whole place!"

"Ain't anything worth taking. Most of it's empty!"

Foolish Boy walked into the office and saw the unfamiliar equipment in Cheng Qi's hand. "Hey, what's that?"

"The unfulfilled obsession of a scientist with a foul mouth... but a righteous heart."

"And his obsession was justified. The world was simply too ignorant."

Cheng Qi reassembled the pine tree on the Music Box. Inside, a Muon Ball Cage still shone with a beautiful luster.

If he ever had the chance.

Cheng Qi was willing to fulfill Professor Huo Linzhong's last wish and deliver the Music Box to his descendants.

Cheng Qi and Foolish Boy arrived at the entrance to the Muon Research Center.

The alloy doors before them were still shut. From outside came the howls of Killer Rats and the scrape of sharp claws against the doors.

The doors kept shuddering, their strength nearing its limit.

His expression grim, Cheng Qi operated the Access Control System from inside, and the alloy doors slowly opened!

Killer Rats had already packed the space outside. The moment the doors moved, they warily retreated several meters, their scarlet eyes watching the scene before them.

Cheng Qi took the lead and slowly stepped through the doorway.

The Killer Rats swiftly identified their target. It was the same creature that had trespassed on their territory earlier!

Piercing squeals rang out as countless Killer Rats opened their bloody maws and lunged!

Cheng Qi tightened his grip slightly on the First-Generation Muon Catalyst. His finger slid gently across its crystal-like casing, and a blue glow lit up.

As his finger moved, a progress bar appeared on the sword-hilt-like device. When it reached just 10%, Cheng Qi stopped his finger.

Humm-!

An uncanny pulse of energy spread out instantly like translucent ripples.

When instantaneous energy reached a certain intensity, it triggered a strange spatial resonance. This was also a precursor to an eruption, striking like an invisible iron hammer and instantly shattering the target creature's psychological defenses.

At that instant.

Every Killer Rat arched its back, every hair on its body standing on end.

Their intelligence was insufficient to understand what had happened, but the overwhelming sense of danger unleashed by their survival instincts instantly extinguished their bloodlust and madness.

Cheng Qi pushed the progress bar to 30%, releasing another wave of energy.

The terrifying spatial resonance invisibly doubled in intensity.

Countless Killer Rats had gone rigid as statues.

At that moment.

The Ultimate Warrior Powered Armor picked up those low-frequency sound waves again. Countless strategist rats were issuing orders in secret.

Rustle-!

A massive commotion erupted within the swarm. Many Killer Rats stood upright, clambering over one another to form a huge ladder.

The other Killer Rats scrambled up the "rat ladder" on all fours, swiftly climbing toward the surface.

Panicked and terrified, they fought to flee first.

Finally, the entire "rat ladder" withdrew to the surface as well.

Looking around at the empty space.

Cheng Qi gave a quiet chuckle and slid his finger backward. The light of the First-Generation Muon Catalyst slowly faded.

The Killer Rat strategists had made the right decision.

Had they not fled, their entire colony would have been annihilated.

The Turbojet Powered Shoes activated, and Cheng Qi and Foolish Boy slowly rose into the air.

As expected, there wasn't a single Killer Rat to be seen on the surface either.

"With Crow at the controls, you're in rock-solid hands!"

"This young buddy of mine is a total badass. Today's flight is on me!"

Cheng Qi and Foolish Boy boarded Crow's Ground Effect Aircraft and headed back to base.

Looking back toward the Muon Research Center, a trace of reverence appeared in Cheng Qi's eyes.

Before leaving, he had buried the entrance to the Muon Research Center again, allowing Professor Huo Linzhong to rest peacefully there.

As Crow piloted the Ground Effect Aircraft, he stole glances at Cheng Qi.

This young fellow had ventured deep into Kyoto and stayed there for a full forty minutes.

His body and scavenger's cloak were stained with foul-smelling blood-the blood of Carrion Rats.

He had encountered Carrion Rats and returned unscathed!

A badass!

Never ask what you shouldn't. That had always been Crow's rule, and it was also how he had kept his business going for so long.

"Hey, buddy."

"If you ever need me for anything, just say the word."

Crow turned back with a grin. "You're in rock-solid hands!"

Cheng Qi returned to B24 District, where he lived.

Even from a distance, he could see a massive transport starship hovering in midair, dumping tens of thousands of tons of technological waste.

"7-13-5."

Cheng Qi narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the sky.

The salvage rights to this shipload of trash had originally belonged to Cheng Qi. Just like 7-12-5, he had paid the corresponding fee a week earlier.

But a day ago, E Luo had brought his men, seized the resources, and struck to kill.

"Foolish Boy, we've let this grudge sit overnight already."

"That's right!"

A cold gleam flashed in Cheng Qi's eyes as he slowly walked toward the mountain of trash.

Countless pieces of technological waste fell from the sky.

Many scavengers charged onto the trash mountain, risking being crushed to pulp by larger pieces.

No other scavengers dared approach 7-13-5 now. These people were all E Luo's men.

A scavenger around thirty rummaged through the trash and found a sophisticated Technology Box. He pried it open with his bare hands, and his eyes lit up when he discovered an intact JI34 Nan Chip.

This thing could sell for 110 credit points!

Seeing no one around, his eyes flickered. He slipped the chip into his mouth and hid it beside his teeth.

Under E Luo's coercion, they had to hand over every valuable item they found, receiving only meager wages themselves.

Squelch!

At the sudden sound of something piercing flesh, his chest first went numb. Then excruciating pain spread throughout his body.

The scavenger looked down in terror and saw a sharp mechanical tentacle piercing his chest.

He turned back in disbelief. The tentacle was long, extending from a tent in the distance.

The tall, imposing E Luo approached the scavenger, a trace of weary indifference on his face. "Trying to pull something right under Lord Pig's nose?"

E Luo pried the scavenger's mouth open, retrieved the JI34 Nan Chip, then kicked him into the abyss of trash.

He weighed the chip in his hand.

E Luo slowly turned toward a huge white tent and bowed. "Lord Pig, we've had an excellent haul. Looks like today is your lucky day!"