Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Black Steel Mansion Suppression Operation

「The next day.」

Early in the morning, Wang Xi woke up before his alarm as usual, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

♪DING DING DONG—

"Good morning, citizens of Valley City. It is now Thursday, July 25th, 2045, 8:00 AM sharp..."

Wang Xi brushed his teeth in front of the mirror, silently listening to the morning news coming from his phone.

A sweet female announcer’s voice said:

"This is the Celestial Vault Signal Tower with your broadcast. Today will be cloudy with a chance of showers. The probability of precipitation is 70%, so we advise all citizens to carry an umbrella when going out. The high for today will be 32°C..."

"Rail Line 7 is undergoing emergency maintenance due to a signal failure. Speeds will be limited on the section from the Illusion Light District to the Rust Belt, with an estimated arrival delay of about 15 minutes... The municipal department reminds everyone that due to a lighting system upgrade, power to the lights on some sections of the Nest Capital District will be temporarily interrupted between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM tonight. Citizens out for an evening stroll, please be careful."

Amidst the broadcast, Wang Xi changed out of his pajamas, put on a face mask, and left with an umbrella in hand.

By the time he arrived at the Central District Century Trade Square, it was already a little after nine.

The sky was overcast, and the wind blowing against him was hot and muggy.

It wasn’t a holiday, but the foot traffic was still heavy. Even this early, you could see men and women in small groups, laughing and chatting as they shopped.

It was, after all, Valley City’s most prosperous and bustling commercial street.

Humanoid Dolls, some walking and some flying, wore the uniforms of various shops. They were either pitching products to passersby or cleaning the streets.

Everything was the same as usual.

But as Wang Xi walked further in, he quickly noticed something out of the ordinary.

Across from the giant screen at the commercial plaza, near the end of the street, a large crowd of people had gathered in clusters.

Some stood alone under trees, others sat in pairs or threes on benches or by planters. Still others had just come out of shops and stopped, whispering to each other as if discussing where to go next.

The crowd was loosely scattered, with each group keeping a distance of several to over ten meters from the others.

These people’s clothes and behavior were nothing special, but Wang Xi could tell at a glance that they were more than they seemed.

Valley City Public Security Bureau Officer (Plainclothes)

With a quick scan, he spotted no fewer than twenty plainclothes officers, all around the level of a Whiteboard Two Stars. A few of them were "Senior Police Officers," with the strength of a Whiteboard Three Stars.

’They’ve arrived at the designated location ahead of schedule and are starting to deploy their forces...’

The thought flashed through Wang Xi’s mind.

He turned his head and looked. About fifty meters away, sandwiched between shops, stood a tall skyscraper. It was entirely blue-black—the color of its glass exterior walls.

This was the Black Steel Mansion.

An old office building.

It housed dozens of small and micro-enterprises, all of which catered to the Century Trade Square, offering nothing more than food, drink, entertainment, and other services.

Wang Xi thought for a moment, then bought some soy milk and fried dough sticks from a nearby breakfast stall. Bag in hand, he walked a little closer to the Black Steel Mansion.

He found a stall in a perfect spot and sat down.

From here, he could observe the entire street, and it was only thirty meters from the entrance of the Black Steel Mansion.

"Boss, can you put a screen protector on this for me?"

Wang Xi said casually, handing his phone to the man wearing sunglasses.

The owner of the screen protector stall was also eating breakfast, holding a cup of instant noodles and slurping them down. Wang Xi glanced over; it was braised beef flavor.

He couldn’t help but think of Miss Xia Ling—another person who loved her instant noodles.

"Hey handsome, this phone screen is tougher than the protector itself. No need to get one."

The owner put down his noodle cup, took the phone for a look, and clicked his tongue, trying to talk him out of it.

Wang Xi hadn’t actually come for a screen protector; he was just using the spot as cover to observe his surroundings. So, he made something up on the spot:

"It’s fine, double insurance. I’ve got a lot of important study materials on this phone. Can’t afford to lose them."

The owner still didn’t get it and thought he was just wasting money for no reason.

Wang Xi explained, "Hey, Boss, think of it this way. It’s like those Professional Warriors. When you’re fighting monsters, you can never have too many defensive measures, right?"

"You’re a cautious one, handsome. Guess you really love to study."

The owner nodded in agreement, seemingly lost in thought. Then, as he started to clean the phone and apply the protector, he added with a laugh:

"But your way is too much trouble. It’s better if the phone just doesn’t break when you drop it, or if it can repair itself after it breaks... Same goes for Professional Warriors."

Seeing the surprise on Wang Xi’s face, the owner put on the air of a seasoned expert and explained:

"The Universal Card has everything imaginable. I’ve even seen someone with an immortal body. A powerhouse like that can fight monsters without any worries."

"Boss, you’re really knowledgeable."

Wang Xi praised.

The man in sunglasses chuckled, applying the screen protector with renewed vigor.

Just then.

Wang Xi heard a commotion.

He turned his head and saw the plainclothes officers, who seemed to have received an order. They split into several waves and entered the Black Steel Mansion one after another.

At the same time, the officers who remained outside began discreetly evacuating the crowd—they would approach pedestrians, show their credentials, whisper a few words while pointing in a certain direction, and the pedestrians’ faces would pale slightly before they quickly walked away.

Before long, waves of office workers also began to exit the mansion, all in a hurry.

"Hey handsome, the screen protector is on."

The stall owner’s voice pulled Wang Xi’s attention back. He glanced at the phone the man was offering but didn’t take it, adding:

"Uh, Boss, could you please put a protector on the back, too?"

"Cautious one. Alright."

The man in sunglasses chuckled. As long as there was money to be made, he was certainly willing to stay busy.

Wang Xi’s gaze returned to the front of the mansion.

A dozen or so police drones appeared from out of nowhere, hovering in front of the mansion’s entrance.

Several police Hovercars arrived, and a police cordon was set up around the area. The nearby crowd no longer dared to approach, watching the commotion from dozens of meters away and murmuring among themselves.

Soon, Wang Xi saw some familiar faces.

There was Yu Zizi, with her wavy purple hair, high-collared trench coat, and an inspector’s badge hanging from her chest. She stepped out of a Hovercar, her expression grave as she gave quiet instructions to the officer beside her.

Besides her, Yu Jiali and Lin Xin’Er were also on the scene. It was the first time Wang Xi had seen the former in a police uniform, looking sharp and heroic, while the latter was in her usual blue and black form-fitting combat suit.

"Hey handsome, protector’s on."

The owner’s voice came again.

Wang Xi inwardly marveled at the owner’s superb skill, but he was also a little too efficient. He said casually:

"Uh, Boss, why don’t you go ahead and do the side and camera lens protectors, too?"

"Handsome, you... are way too cautious. Alright."

Not finding it a bother, the man in sunglasses continued applying the protectors.

Wang Xi’s gaze sharpened.

He saw Chu Nai.

The silver-haired girl was wearing a blue and white form-fitting combat suit, with a matte gray, high-collared laser-etched jacket over it.

Xiao Yuzhe got out of another black Hovercar that had just arrived and hurried over to Chu Nai’s side.

"Section Chief Chu, the Valley City Council has specifically called for your impeachment over inter-departmental enforcement. The Overlook Bureau has received numerous complaints... The Director told you to stop meddling in this matter."

The long-haired young man said in a low, anxious voice.

However, the silver-haired girl paid him no heed, her expression remaining as impassive as ever.

"Mm, got it. You can go back first."

Chu Nai said softly, then turned and walked straight into the Black Steel Mansion.

"..."

Xiao Yuzhe opened his mouth, but no words came out. Gritting his teeth, he made a phone call but remained at the scene, not leaving after all.

"Handsome, they’re really all on this time. There’s no more space to put another one even if you wanted to."

The owner said with a sigh of resignation as he handed over the phone.

"Alright, thanks." Wang Xi coughed once and took the phone. "How much?"

"400 Credit Points."

"That expensive?!" Wang Xi was shocked.

"My protectors are air-freighted from the Eastern Continent. Top quality. You won’t find anyone in Valley City with my skills... Who even does this kind of work anymore? That’s just how it is with skilled labor."

The man in sunglasses picked up his noodle cup again and explained cheerfully.

Wang Xi’s heart was bleeding, but he had no choice but to scan the code and pay.

"Boss, you’re making so much, you should treat yourself to a better life."

He sighed.

Unexpectedly, the man in sunglasses didn’t mind. He had just finished the last of the broth and replied with a casual laugh:

"Back when I was a soldier, everyone on my squad liked this stuff. You really think I don’t have money for food?"

After saying that, he actually started packing up his stall to leave.

Wang Xi could no longer sit there, so he stood up.

"Looks like a storm’s about to hit..."

The stall owner pushed his small cart, his gaze seeming to peer through his sunglasses and linger for a moment on the umbrella in Wang Xi’s hand. Before leaving, he offered a piece of well-intentioned advice:

"An umbrella can block the rain, but it can’t block the wind. Be careful not to catch a cold, handsome."

Wang Xi thanked him and watched the owner’s retreating back, thinking the man was a bit strange.

He scanned him with Kaos:

Gu Li (Friendly)

...

...

After that little interlude, when Wang Xi looked back at the Black Steel Mansion, he saw that Chu Nai, Yu Jiali, Lin Xin’Er, and the others had already led their teams inside.

Only Yu Zizi and some of the police force remained outside.

Soon, two plainclothes officers started walking toward Wang Xi.

The evacuation perimeter was gradually expanding.

However, before the plainclothes officers could take out their police IDs and speak, Wang Xi took the initiative and unfolded his Hero Certificate in front of them.

The two officers froze for a second, then their eyes widened in astonishment—a Four-Star Hero?!

Wang Xi was wearing a mask, so the two hadn’t recognized him at first. It was only when they saw the certificate that they understood.

The two plainclothes officers quickly saluted.

Wang Xi nodded in acknowledgment and made a subtle gesture for them to carry on. Then he strode past them and continued forward.

As he crossed the police line and walked toward the mansion’s entrance, Yu Zizi and the others couldn’t help but look his way—the area had already been cleared, and Wang Xi was the only one walking against the flow, making him extremely conspicuous.

Inspector Yu’s gaze was scrutinizing, but then her eyes flickered, and she gave Wang Xi a slight nod.

She had obviously recognized him.

BANG! BANG BANG!

Gunshots suddenly erupted from inside the building. Mixed in were the dull, rapid shrieks of laser weapons, the furious shouts of a crowd, and the clang of cold weapons clashing.

BOOM—

Wang Xi stopped and looked up just as a massive explosion rocked the top floor of the mansion. The floor-to-ceiling windows shattered outward, sending fire, smoke, and metal fragments flying everywhere.

A shower of debris rained down with a RATTLE, and gasps and screams could be heard from the distant crowd.

Wang Xi opened his umbrella.

A fine layer of Ice Crystals coated the surface of the umbrella. Glass shards and pebbles landed on it, pattering noisily.

Just as Yu Zizi and the other officers raised their guns and looked up, ready for anything...

A deafening roar was heard:

"GET OUT!!"

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