I got stronger—but I didn't go bald!
Xiao Yang cracked a mental joke as his eyes landed on the scene before him.
What he saw first—
A ridiculously long leg, clothed in custom camo pants, and a combat boot planted firmly on someone's face.
The face… belonged to a kid. Maybe ten years old.
Xiao Yang glanced at the unconscious child and the dagger in the kid's hand.
His mouth twitched wildly.
"I was almost killed… by a child?"
Embarrassing.
Thinking back to when he'd been observing the hostages earlier, trying to pick out the terrorists—
He'd completely overlooked women and children.
Reality is brutal.
Carelessness can get you killed.
His gaze shifted again.
This time—to a woman in military uniform.
Short-cropped hair framed her head, accentuating a delicate yet striking face.
There was a wild sharpness to her features—cool, beautiful, indifferent, and unshakably resolute.
Eyes deep as frozen lakes in winter.
Like a snow lotus blooming at the peak of a mountain.
Xiao Yang stared.
He would've never guessed—
She was the source of the system's top-tier skill. A living war goddess.
And more than that—her height stunned him.
She looked close to 1.8 meters tall.
Even accounting for 5cm of boot sole, she had to be at least 1.75.
But wait… this doesn't add up.
Snapping himself out of it, Xiao Yang forced his gaze away from her dangerously handsome face.
Why would a soldier be here?
TV shows often make people believe that special forces are the default solution for every crisis.
But in reality?
That's bullsh*t.
What, like the SWAT and armed police are all dead or useless?
Top-tier tactical units are more than capable of handling even major terror threats.
There's no need to send in military personnel—let alone someone like her.
So if a soldier like this shows up… it must be a really big deal.
Suddenly—
"Xiao Yang?"
The woman looked at him.
Her black eyes shimmered with something unreadable.
"Huh?"
Xiao Yang blinked. "You know me?"
The woman didn't answer. Instead, she said:
"Chu Dongchan."
Who?
Xiao Yang stared like she'd just said she was an alien.
The name sounded vaguely familiar…
Then it hit him—
Wide-eyed, like he'd seen a ghost.
"My… blind date?"
That's right. His blind date.
The original Xiao Yang had been killed.
That's how he ended up in this body, in this world.
And the reason he'd come to this hotel restaurant in the first place?
To meet his date.
Chu Dongchan was the woman he—or rather, his predecessor—was supposed to meet today.
Xiao Yang's expression twisted between epiphany and utter disbelief.
The epiphany?
Now he understood why a soldier was here.
He'd misunderstood the entire situation—it wasn't some grand national threat.
The disbelief?
He never imagined his blind date would be a freaking war goddess.
Before either of them could say anything else,
A group of heavily armed SWAT officers stormed in.
They secured the area, disarmed the bombs, and arrested the surviving terrorists.
They even pulled a corpse out of the ceiling vent—along with another bomb.
---
Outside, in the hotel parking lot.
Chu Dongchan stood with several senior officers, reporting the incident.
Xiao Yang sat nearby with a few blood-stained bandages stuck to his forehead.
He had a mouthful of sarcasm but didn't know if now was the time to let it out.
Being alive felt damn good.
But still…
His expression darkened.
Was it really over?
"Sorry to interrupt—"
Xiao Yang turned toward the group of officers.
"I'm afraid you might be out of time. In fact… you might already be late."
Huh?
Everyone looked at him, including Chu Dongchan.
Those seeing him for the first time were briefly stunned.
He looked… too perfect.
Around 1.87 meters tall.
Model-like proportions.
Strikingly handsome face.
A sunny, confident demeanor.
And those eyes—like twin stars in the night sky.
Many people couldn't help but think:
What a waste of looks on a civilian.
But to the ranking officers, he was just a kid. Too young.
So they were curious—
What did he mean by "you're out of time"?
"You guys don't think these terrorists—or rather, these so-called terrorists—"
Xiao Yang's voice turned serious.
"—don't you think their actions were… odd?"
Some narrowed their eyes. Some looked thoughtful. Others scoffed.
A middle-aged officer in a white police shirt smiled.
"Oh? And what did you notice, young man?"
"In all the time I was held hostage," Xiao Yang said quickly, "these people never once tried to talk to the police. No demands. No negotiation. Nothing."
He continued, "Every action we take has a purpose.
You eat because you're hungry.
Drink because you're thirsty.
Work because you need to pay rent.
Even crime—it's always goal-driven."
"So how does a terrorist attack… happen with no clear goal?"
Faces started to shift.
Brows furrowed. Expressions tightened.
Of course they understood that logic.
These were smart, seasoned professionals.
Some of them had already considered that question…
But now that the immediate crisis was resolved, they thought it didn't matter anymore.
Until this kid—this random hostage—brought it up again.
And suddenly… it did matter.
"You think the crisis is over?"
Xiao Yang didn't hold back.
"I'm thinking… maybe this was just bait."
The group froze.
Bait?
Some officers visibly paled.
A few even broke into cold sweat.
One sentence. That's all it took.
But now the gears in their heads were spinning.
A group of fake terrorists.
No real purpose.
But enough of a show to attract every police unit in the district.
What if the point was never the bombs… but to pull all the cops away?
Diversion.
A tiger trap.
"Fake a terror attack. Draw all the police to one spot. Leave other targets unguarded."
Xiao Yang pressed the point.
"In a situation like this, the entire jurisdiction's law enforcement mobilizes.
And once that happens—the station's left wide open. Vulnerable. Exposed."
He could've walked away.
Could've kept his mouth shut.
It wasn't his job to care.
But Xiao Yang had one serious character flaw:
He holds grudges. And he doesn't let things go.
Someone messed with him?
He will mess you up right back.
He'd nearly died right after transmigrating.
And he wasn't the type to just brush that off.
Someone orchestrated this mess.
And Xiao Yang wasn't going to sleep until that person was dealt with.