Although Pengcheng's medical resources weren't as abundant as Goat City's, as a first-tier city, its top-tier medical facilities were nothing to scoff at.
At that moment, inside the municipal third-grade hospital, all departments except the emergency room had long ceased operations.
On the rooftop of the hospital, the night breeze carried a slight chill.
Lin Mo's figure blended into the darkness, yet his spiritual sense spread like an invisible net, enveloping the entire hospital.
"Quite strict, aren't they?" He smirked inwardly, his gaze piercing through layers of obstacles to lock onto a special ward in the inpatient building.
Two police officers stood rigidly at the ward's entrance, their expressions solemn.
A black sedan pulled to a stop downstairs, and a man and a woman stepped out.
The man in a suit was composed and efficient, while the punk-styled woman exuded an unrestrained boldness. Though their styles clashed, they walked straight toward the heavily guarded ward without hesitation.
They didn’t pause at the front desk, as if they knew every detail of the place.
The officers at the door raised a hand to stop them, but after the suited man flashed his credentials, they immediately snapped to attention, saluted, and stepped aside.
Inside the ward, the smell of disinfectant mixed with the metallic tang of blood was sharp and unpleasant.
All five of them were there.
Why was one missing?
Because one had his artery pierced by Lin Mo and was still lying in the ICU.
"Hmm, so this 'Yanhuang Awakening' group isn’t entirely hidden from the world—they still handle a lot of cases."
Lin Mo lounged casually on the rooftop, observing their every move.
The five criminals lay on their respective beds, each with one leg shackled to the frame to prevent escape.
Two more officers stood guard inside the room, ensuring nothing went wrong.
And yet, inside the ward, two additional officers kept watch.
Making sure these men couldn’t cause any trouble.
In reality, they were in no condition to cause trouble at all.
"The bullets all precisely hit nerve bundles. Even if extracted, the nerves can’t be repaired—they’ll just necrotize.
His understanding of human anatomy might be even sharper than a surgeon's."
The punk woman glanced around before extending a hand adorned with black nail polish, pressing it lightly against a criminal’s forehead.
A minute later, she slowly withdrew it.
"Interesting. Exactly as Qin Yu described—those bullets moved like they had eyes. Fascinating."
The suited man pulled out a notebook and continued jotting things down.
"Since we’re here, might as well wrap up the case. Let’s find out how these guys smuggled in heavy weaponry and who they’re working for."
"You think I’ve been watching this long for nothing?" The punk woman rolled her eyes.
Just then, from the bed behind them, Ruan Wenxiong’s eyes snapped open.
Bloodshot and filled with feral madness and desperation, they locked onto his targets.
The shackle on his ankle had somehow come undone. With a sudden burst of strength, his arm struck the bed frame with a soft clang.
He lunged like a leopard pouncing on the punk woman’s exposed back.
Though his arm was useless, his battle-hardened body still held one last chance.
There should’ve been two officers in the room, but the suited man had just sent them out.
So this was indeed Ruan Wenxiong’s best opportunity.
Drugged remnants still lingered in his system, but in his eyes, this was the perfect moment to strike.
He would take this woman hostage and fight for survival.
The instant he leaped—
The suited man didn’t even turn his head. His left hand holding the notebook didn’t waver, nor did the pen in his right.
He simply lifted his foot and kicked backward, his heel slamming squarely into Ruan Wenxiong’s chest.
THUD!
A dull impact echoed as Ruan Wenxiong’s body flew backward like he’d been hit by a speeding car. He crashed into the wall with a grunt before sliding down like a sack of wet cement.
The punk woman spread her hands, smirking down at him.
"Good thing Brother Xun was here, or a delicate talent like me would’ve been in deep trouble."
Zhai Xun shot her a glance before coldly observing Ruan Wenxiong’s twitching form on the floor.
"Focus."
He strode over and, under Ruan Wenxiong’s terrified gaze, raised his foot—then brought it down.
CRACK!
The crisp sound of snapping bone cut through the silent ward.
Ruan Wenxiong let out a strangled scream, clutching his broken leg as cold sweat drenched his hospital gown.
The punk woman crouched beside him, grinning as she ignored his struggles and forced her hand onto his head.
Her smile vanished, replaced by an icy, detached superiority.
"Mind Dive," she murmured, like a demon’s whisper.
"Don’t resist. It’ll hurt.
Oh, right—you’re already in pain."
—System: Demonic Whisper, Pour It On—
After observing the Yanhuang Awakening operatives, Lin Mo had gleaned a few things.
This world had its quirks, but nothing too impressive.
Monsters that ordinary people couldn’t defeat, ghosts that ordinary people couldn’t defeat, and humans who were just slightly stronger than average.
At least, Lin Mo hadn’t encountered any real powerhouses yet.
Or maybe the true experts didn’t make appearances so easily?
So Lin Mo simply went back to sleep.
The next morning, with the competition postponed, the Guangba group boarded the bus back to Goat City.
Lin Mo left spiritual markers on both the punk woman and Zhai Xun.
If that was the case, there were probably Yanhuang Awakening members in Goat City too.
As the bus rolled on, Lin Mo gazed at the scenery flashing past the window.
Beside him, Tong Dong was still studying the draft notes Lin Mo had left behind.
"You’ve been staring at that all night. Still at it?" Lin Mo couldn’t help but ask.
"Your problem-solving approach was unexpected, especially for the last question."
Ah, the habits of a top student.
Lin Mo didn’t press further.
The bus soon arrived at the school, and the competition participants dispersed.
As for yesterday’s incident, official news had been suppressed into silence, as if nothing had happened.
But the witnesses hadn’t been gagged, so by that evening, someone from Guangba had already posted about it on the school forum.
Fang Jun, a self-proclaimed 5G-speed internet surfer, spotted the thread almost instantly. He immediately called Lin Mo, confirmed his safety in a few words, then stirred up chaos in the class group chat.
His first move? Tagging Xue Zigui for details.
Xue Zigui delivered a meticulous account of the events.
Admittedly, his writing was far more polished than certain tea-obsessed individuals.
By the time his essay concluded, the class chat was buzzing with excitement.
Meanwhile, the other key figure in the incident stood outside his rented apartment, an involuntary smirk tugging at his lips.
Inside, a familiar, steady presence was sound asleep.
Instead of heading upstairs, Lin Mo turned and strolled toward the nearby market.
Amid the bustling stalls, he deftly picked out two pounds of lively shrimp.
Back at the apartment, he turned the key with a soft click.
The living room was empty, but the bedroom door was slightly ajar.
Peering inside, he found Xie Yuling sprawled across his bed, hugging his pillow, her cheeks flushed in deep slumber—utterly defenseless.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
