Chapter 318: Even More Excited

Feng Ling was stunned. She hadn’t expected He Xingluo’s train of thought to go in that direction—but on reflection, it was understandable. When an Inspector discovered something suspicious about a human, their first priority would be to consider if they had been taken over by an Alien Species.

He Xingluo used her Ghost Ability to snatch Fan Ze’s gun, pressing the muzzle to his forehead. Just as Feng Ling was debating whether to intervene, Fan Ze announced loudly, “Notify Captain Bai and the medical department. Deputy He is mentally unstable and showing symptoms of violent assault.”

Fan Ze’s tone was perfectly calm, devoid of panic or any other emotion.

BANG!!!

As if to intimidate him, He Xingluo shifted the gun a few centimeters. The bullet grazed Fan Ze’s hair and slammed into the wall behind him!

“I’m not mentally unstable!” He Xingluo seethed. “I am more clear-headed right now than I have ever been!”

She grabbed Fan Ze’s arm forcefully. “I recognize this tattoo! The owner of this arm… Yue Ning and I killed him not long ago! So why is it on you? How do you explain that?!”

He Xingluo grew more and more agitated. The mention of He Yue Ning’s name brought unbearable pain, and she pressed the gun to Fan Ze’s forehead again. “You must be an Alien Species!” she said resentfully. “The real Fan Ze died in last night’s battle! You’re a fake!”

Feng Ling glanced at the gun in He Xingluo’s hand. ‘This isn’t good,’ she thought. ‘Firing guns in the armory is incredibly dangerous.’

Just then, Fan Ze said to He Xingluo, “Captain Bai can judge whether or not we’re Alien Species. Or do you not trust Captain Bai?”

He Xingluo glared at him.

It was true that she didn’t fully trust Bai Lu right now, but Bai Lu was an Inspector who possessed a Card. In theory, it should be impossible for her to be taken over by an Alien Species.

Feng Ling finally spoke. “He Xingluo, if these people were Alien Species, the little Alien Species by my side would have warned me by now.”

He Xingluo faltered, slowly turning her head to look at Huangfu Miaomiao, who was standing next to Feng Ling.

Huangfu Miaomiao hunched her shoulders and gently shook her head.

Grief and rage warred within He Xingluo. “If he’s not an Alien Species,” she asked, her voice hoarse, “then why does he have an Alien Species’s arm? The real Fan Ze had a bandage on his finger, so why is it gone? This person—other than his face, which looks exactly like Fan Ze’s—his body isn’t Fan Ze’s at all! It’s not!”

Feng Ling pulled Huangfu Miaomiao in front of her and asked with mock seriousness, “Take a good look. How could he possibly not be an Alien Species? It’s so obvious.”

Huangfu Miaomiao was frightened by He Xingluo’s intense stare. She was already afraid of ghosts, and right now, He Xingluo looked like a vengeful spirit coming to claim a soul.

“If he were a player, I’d be able to see his forum nickname and prompts to add him as a friend or form a team,” Huangfu Miaomiao explained seriously. “But I don’t see any of those prompts on him. He’s really not an Alien Species.”

“Even if he isn’t an Alien Species, there’s still clearly something wrong. We should just lock them all up for now,” Feng Ling said, happily sowing discord.

As expected, He Xingluo completely agreed. She glared viciously at the Special Attack Team. “That’s right! You’re not going anywhere!”

A flicker of expression finally crossed Fan Ze’s stoic face. His brows furrowed. “We must head to Yongshan Tunnel immediately to eliminate a Pollution Body. This is an order from Captain Bai. Deputy He, your actions are delaying our response and putting Jinnan City in unnecessary danger.”

Before He Xingluo could respond, Feng Ling cut in, “I’ll handle things at Yongshan Tunnel. You all should find Captain Bai and clear up this misunderstanding as soon as possible. You’re all colleagues in the Inspection Bureau; holding onto grudges will only make it harder to work together in the future.”

She spoke with such high-minded righteousness that even Huangfu Miaomiao almost believed her.

He Xingluo demanded of Fan Ze, “Where is Captain Bai?!”

Fan Ze said, “You can call Captain Bai.”

“I want to see her!” The hand holding the gun trembled violently, as if she might pull the trigger at any second. “I need to ask Bai Lu in person! How did my sister die!”

Watching from the side, Feng Ling suspected He Xingluo was about to collapse. ‘She’s already injured,’ she thought. ‘And now, with these extreme mood swings on top of activating her Card Ability, the mental and physical toll must be immense.’

Fan Ze finally relented. “Captain Bai isn’t here.”

“Where is she?!” He Xingluo pressed.

Fan Ze glanced at Feng Ling. He knew that the willpower of the injured was often weak; if a medic were present to calm her down, He Xingluo wouldn’t be so persistent. But with Feng Ling standing there, the situation was much harder to de-escalate.

“Put the gun down, and I’ll take you to Captain Bai,” Fan Ze said.

He Xingluo watched him with suspicion.

Then she slowly lowered the gun.

Fan Ze turned, waved a hand at his team, and walked toward the armory exit.

A flicker of delight went through Feng Ling, and she hurried to follow. Just as she reached the door, she heard a dull THUD behind her.

She turned back to see He Xingluo collapsed on the floor, limbs twitching. Her very cells seemed to be in flux, constantly switching between states of dissolution and cohesion, flickering unstably like a short-circuiting light.

“Are you all right?” Feng Ling asked.

He Xingluo didn’t answer, remaining prone on the ground, gasping for breath.

Feng Ling gave Huangfu Miaomiao a meaningful look.

Huangfu Miaomiao, not sure what would help, took out a handful of syringes and Little Jellies and tossed them in a heap in front of He Xingluo.

Feng Ling said, “The syringes will heal your wounds quickly, and eating the Jellies restores stamina. Use what you need. I’m going to Yongshan Tunnel to help you all with the emergency.”

After one last glance at He Xingluo to confirm she wasn’t about to die, she pulled Huangfu Miaomiao away.

Huangfu Miaomiao hurried to catch up. “Shouldn’t we comfort her?”

“I’m not good at comforting people. Besides, coddling just makes them seem more pathetic and wastes time.” Feng Ling broke into a short run, sticking her hand between the elevator doors just as they were about to close.

Inside the elevator, Fan Ze stared at Feng Ling, his face expressionless.

Feng Ling walked in nonchalantly and saw that the button for the first floor was already lit.

“Oh, by the way, Captain Fan,” Feng Ling said without batting an eye, “give me the keys to a patrol car. I’ll drive over. You all should hurry over too, once you’ve handled things here. The city’s safety is the top priority, after all.”

Fan Ze was silent for a moment before taking out a car key and handing it to her.

The elevator quickly reached the first floor. The reporters were still gathered outside.

The moment Feng Ling and the members of the Special Attack Team appeared, they were swarmed by the reporters. Cameras flashed endlessly, and microphones of all shapes and sizes were shoved through the turnstiles as a barrage of questions began—

“Could you tell us what happened last night? Nearby residents reported hearing intense gunfire and explosions!”

“Was heavy weaponry deployed because the Inspection Bureau encountered an extremely dangerous Alien Species?!”

“Has the Alien Species been eliminated? What is the Inspection Bureau’s next course of action?”

Fan Ze walked past the turnstiles with a stony expression, heading for an elevator on the far side of the Supervision Building.

Feng Ling recalled that there was only a freight elevator over there. ‘Some rooms in the building are only accessible via that elevator,’ she remembered.

She pulled her gaze away and turned to the reporters, who were hungry for a story. She stopped and addressed them with a serious expression. “A large-scale Pollution Body has been discovered in Yongshan Tunnel. The Inspector involved is still recovering from her injuries, and the Special Attack Team is in urgent need of reconstitution. Therefore, I will be personally taking charge of today’s operation. Please disperse and do not crowd this area, so as to avoid obstructing the Inspection Bureau’s work.”

This only made the reporters more excited.