Translator: AnubisTL
"Fucking hell..."
Hu Biao stood frozen, unable to process the scene before him. The sight was utterly overwhelming: towering skyscrapers collapsing like dominoes, transforming the once-thriving metropolis into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
One thing was now crystal clear: he no longer needed to worry about being hunted by Ash City's Law Enforcement Bureau.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, his name would rapidly ascend to the Orange Red Star Security Bureau's wanted list. The scale of their actions had far exceeded the Law Enforcement Bureau's jurisdiction; their names would be passed up the chain of command until they landed on the star lord's desk.
Only then would the Security Bureau issue arrest warrants and begin the hunt.
"Boss..."
Thorn Monkey stared blankly at the devastation, his voice hollow. "If things go as expected, we'll never have the chance to surrender."
If their chances of survival after killing the ship full of privileged children had been near zero, now they were completely wiped out.
Now, it was absolute zero.
Anyone witnessing this scene would be overwhelmed by an unbearable sense of shock.
They finally understood the true difference between themselves and Jiang Cheng Company. They were simply on different levels—the disparity was absurd. This wasn't some mere terrorist organization; it was a world-annihilating force.
Of course, they didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts.
Without a word, the four of them strode toward the ruins, ready to follow the newly cleared path out of the city. How to describe this feeling? At least Ash City would be too preoccupied to hunt them down for now.
What a ridiculous world.
"Tsk, that was expensive," Chen Jiang muttered, glancing at his account and sighing at the tens of millions of star coins spent.
Remote Space Teleportation Gates came in civilian and military grades.
The maximum width for civilian gates was 15 meters.
His turret caliber was 75 meters, far exceeding that limit. He had to borrow military-grade teleportation gate access from Black Europe Company, then personally pay to transport the barrel and deliver a "Crimson Light Pillar" strike to Ash City.
Hu Biao lacked military authorization, so Chen Jiang had to operate the gate himself.
As the width increased, so did the star coin cost. The price of a single shot far exceeded Hu Biao's entire haul.
"I wonder what Hu Biao's reaction will be when he realizes his entire fortune couldn't even cover one shot from this thing?"
Scar Dog spoke with a hint of sympathy, "No, this debt has to be charged to Hu Biao and his crew. We can't let this become a dead account."
Just then, a voice echoed in everyone's ears:
[Global Announcement!]
[The global event 'Blood Battlefield' has officially concluded.]
[The Blood War Shop is now open for 12 hours. Players can use their Blood War Points earned during the event to purchase desired items.]
"Finally, it's over," Chen Jiang sighed softly. He stretched his stiff limbs before turning his attention to the Blood War Shop, ready to spend his nearly 50 million Blood War Points.
Clearing out the entire shop would be an exaggeration, but clearing half of it shouldn't be too difficult.
This global event had indeed lasted a long time, likely due to prolonged stalemates on some battlefields.
Without further hesitation, he opened the Blood War Shop and began meticulously examining the items.
Naturally, he filtered the items from most expensive to least, immediately focusing on the shop's most expensive item.
"20 million?"
"Mm-hmm."
Chen Jiang nodded expressionlessly, saying nothing.
Excellent. The most expensive item costs 20 million. Aside from me, probably no one else can afford it.
Could this be another gift from his mother?
Mom is the best.
"Are you proud?"
In a hospital room, a man in uniform projected footage onto the white wall, his expression calm as he gazed at the old woman lying in the hospital bed.
"Are you proud to have a son who is more ruthless than any terrorist?"
"Even your daughter understands the Federation's paramount importance. Yet you, at your age, still lack the awareness she possesses."
"There's only one way you can atone for your son's crimes now."
"Come forward and persuade him to surrender. Your son is remarkably filial—I admire that about him. He may not be a model citizen, but he's a devoted son. Let him repent before the families of all his victims."
"After his death, the Federation will provide you with the finest medical care and your daughter with the best educational resources. The two of you will live comfortably for the rest of your lives. All you need to do is convince your son to confess and surrender."
"I believe you don't want a son like this either. I've reviewed your records—you have no criminal history whatsoever. This proves you're a good citizen."
The old woman lay quietly in her hospital bed, her eyes tightly shut and her expression unchanging, as if she were asleep. She remained perfectly still, offering no response whatsoever.
By now, darkness had fallen outside the hospital.
The uniformed man stood staring at the old woman, his eyes narrowing. After a moment of silence, he spoke when she showed no reaction: "Perhaps you need your daughter to talk to you."
He then strode out of the room.
Soon, a young woman in a vibrant dress rushed in, her face etched with worry. She leaned over the old woman's bed, gazing at her wrinkled, aged face, and whispered tremulously, her voice choked with tears, "Mom."
At the sound of her voice, the old woman's eyes fluttered open.
But she didn't look at the girl. Her gaze lingered on the girl's dress for a moment before she asked softly, "Where did you get that dress?"
"The federation awarded it to me."
"Go on."
"I..." Hu Yue couldn't bring herself to meet her mother's eyes. She lowered her head and clutched the hem of her dress, whispering, "Brother gave me the money to buy it, but it was dirty money. My education taught me I shouldn't wear it."
"I took it off and turned it in to the Law Enforcement Bureau."
"Then the bureau said my report was meritorious and rewarded me."
"Now the dress is clean, and I can wear it without worry. Mom, didn't you always teach us never to touch dirty money?"
"It's perfectly clean now."
The old woman nodded calmly, slowly shifting her gaze from the dress back to the ceiling. She closed her eyes and continued softly, "The dress is clean, but you're stained."
"You're a beast, a heartless beast. Even calling you a white-eyed wolf would insult the term."
"Your brother worked for six years to support you, and I worked for thirteen—nineteen years in total."
"Nineteen years—even a wild dog would become tame in that time."
"But you can't be tamed."
"Your brother never married. He's much older than you, and he raised you like both a sister and a daughter."
"What a waste."
"I don't know if Biao'er will survive this ordeal. You'll face retribution—Heaven is watching."
"I won't! I did nothing wrong!"
Hearing her mother's insults, Hu Yue rose, her expression agitated, and said urgently, "What did I do wrong? Didn't you see the footage, Mom? My brother was a terrorist!"
"Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, are dead!"
"Was it wrong to report him? Many people will be grateful to me!"
"I've done this society a service!"
"Yes, I know you raised me, but I already promised to repay you with a high-paying job after graduation. My brother chose this path of no return himself. How can you blame me?!"
"If you want to blame someone, blame him! He destroyed our family's chance at happiness!"
Just then, the uniformed man outside the door entered and led Hu Yue away.
Standing outside the hospital, Hu Yue crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, fuming. It was her brother's fault, so why was she being blamed?
Growing angrier with each thought, she decided to vent to her best friend, who used to sit at the desk in front of her.
But when she tried to contact her, she saw:
[You have been permanently blocked by this user.]
Hu Yue froze, then instantly understood. Her best friend had blocked her because of her brother's terrorist act. But why was she being blamed for that too?
She then tried to contact her other friends, only to discover she had been blocked by everyone.
"H-how could this be happening?"
She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. Was she being ostracized by everyone because of her brother?
Just then—
A woman in professional attire approached. It was her political science teacher.
Accompanied by a man, the teacher strode effortlessly into the heavily guarded hospital room. To prevent Hu Biao from returning to seize his mother, no outsiders were allowed near the room.
How could my teacher get in? she wondered. Does this mean she has another identity besides being a teacher?
A spark of hope flickered in her eyes as she hurried over to greet her. "Tea—"
But the teacher didn't even glance at her, as if she were invisible. Her gaze remained fixed ahead as she strode purposefully into the hospital room.
"I—"
Stunned, she watched the teacher's retreating figure. Overwhelmed by emotion, she stomped her foot and shouted through tears, "I didn't do anything wrong! Why is everyone treating me like this?!"
"It's my brother who's at fault, not me! What am I supposed to do?!"
"Is this fair to me?!"
But the teacher didn't even pause, striding straight into the hospital room ahead.
"Auntie."
After entering the room, the woman gestured for the man beside her to stand guard at the door. She then slipped off her shoes, padded barefoot inside, and placed a bouquet of flowers on the old woman's bedside table. "How are you feeling?"
She had never met this old woman before, but she knew the general situation. Hu Yue's brother—the man standing guard—often brought her fruit every few days. He seemed like an honest, kind-hearted person, just a bit unlucky in life.
"I recognize you."
The old woman turned her head to gaze at the woman's face, a sudden smile lighting up her features. Her expression slightly dazed, she murmured, "You're Feng Xiao."
"You know me, Auntie?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Feng Xiao's eyes. She retrieved a hot towel from the bedside thermos, wrung it out, and gently wiped the old woman's arm. "How do you know me?"
"Of course. My son has been chasing after you for ages. How could a mother not know? I never expected you'd come to visit me."
"Huh?"
Feng Xiao froze, her voice tinged with confusion. "Your son Hu Biao has been chasing after me for ages? I had no idea!"
"But hasn't he been bringing you fruit all this time?"
"But he gave all the other substitute teachers for Hu Yue gifts too."
"Haven't you noticed? The fruit he gives you is always a size larger than what he gives the others."
"...Is he... courting me?"
Feng Xiao's expression turned strange, momentarily at a loss for words. Truly, Chun Feng's love is as gentle as a spring breeze, silent and pervasive. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room grew awkward, and the words she had prepared vanished from her mind.
"Don't feel pressured," the old woman said, lying in her hospital bed, her gaze sweeping approvingly over Feng Xiao. "You're truly remarkable—beautiful, kind-hearted, and with a promising career."
"If the Hu Family could have a daughter-in-law like you, it would be like their ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke."
"It's a pity. Hu Biao was never a good match for you to begin with—burdened with caring for both his elderly mother and young children, and barely earning enough to make ends meet. Any woman who married him would suffer. Now, it's even more out of the question."
"I..." Feng Xiao's mouth opened and closed slowly, unable to find the right words.
Meanwhile, not far from the hospital, in another room:
Wang Jili, his expression tinged with exasperation, surveyed the group of rough-looking men before him.
"Just a bunch of you little punks managed to make Jiang Cheng Company send me all the way out here? Do you even realize how far it is from the subhuman star to Orange Red Star?"
"Especially with so many people and equipment being smuggled in—that costs a fortune, you know?"
"The money you guys made from that one job wouldn't even cover my one-way travel expenses."
"For rookies, your methods are incredibly crude. Getting reported? That's just plain stupid."
"But—"
He suddenly stood up, slowly walked to the window, and gazed at the hospital across the street with a satisfied expression. He raised his wine glass, took a sip, and chuckled softly.
"Regardless, it was Jiang Cheng Company who contacted me first."
"I'll have to put on quite a show this time."
"Little ones, let me show you what true art is."
"Your methods are too crude, too lacking in artistry."
"It seems even Jiang Cheng Company knows my capabilities surpass Black Europe Company's. Otherwise, they wouldn't have bypassed Black Europe and come to me this time."
"As your senior, this is a free lesson. Watch closely."
(End of the Chapter)