Chapter 176: Winning Before the Fight
Chapter 176: Winning Before the Fight
“Surrounded?”
Hearing Lu Xin’s words, the Old Man froze, then his expression turned confused.
A few seconds later, a woman in an extremely garish leopard-print coat suddenly sneered, “Are you messing with me?”
“Did you think I wasn’t paying attention to our surroundings?”
As she spoke, she glanced contemptuously toward the hotel entrance. Outside, chaos reigned; many people, hearing gunshots, had stopped to look in their direction from afar, while those nearer scrambled frantically in all directions. For her—or rather, the Ghost—this chaotic crowd was like a free, soaring ocean.
Clearly, the Ghost had already checked outside moments earlier. Whether the City Patrol Army was there was no secret to her.
“…”
“The encirclement… it’s not around this building.”
Lu Xin turned to face her, observing her arrogance and conceit. He spoke earnestly:
“It’s around this entire area.”
“To keep from alarming you and letting you escape, we surrounded three entire city blocks.”
Frowning slightly, he continued, “The reason we picked this area initially was its sparse population and favorable architecture, making it easier to lock down. While you were shouting all that crazy talk earlier, the City Patrol Army sealed this zone completely. I lost count of how many soldiers arrived…”
He shook his head faintly. “But judging by their style… nothing escapes, not even a mouse.”
The woman’s face visibly twisted with shock and fury. “So what?”
“You think numbers can trap me?”
“More people just makes it better for me…”
“Hah…”
“…”
She appeared about to erupt into that insolent, triumphant laughter and hurl more threats.
“Is that why you refused to leave Qinggang?”
Lu Xin cut her off, his voice low. “True enough. Your ability… it weakens out there in The Wilderness.”
Then, sounding genuinely reasonable, he explained: “But the encirclement is more than that. Every soldier locking this area down outside is wearing Spiritual Contamination Protective Suits. Plus, another two thousand suits are on their way. Everyone within the cordon will put one on, one by one. I don’t know how long it takes you to invade a mind, or what your range is…”
“But the suits… even if they don’t fully block you, they’ll slow you down, won’t they?”
“Whether you’re a ghost or a spirit… if you depend on human minds as your soil for survival…”
“Then that soil… will steadily shrink.”
“Until you’ve nowhere left to run!”
“So…”
Amidst the flickering overhead lights, he lifted his gaze toward Leopard-Print Lady and smiled gently. “Now… you’re finished.”
His smile radiated confidence.
This rogue Ability User had clearly never received formal training.
One of the three core principles for Ability User confrontations stated:
Victory isn’t decided by the fight itself, but by the preparation beforehand.
Shhua!
Upon hearing Lu Xin’s words, the Leopard-Print Lady’s expression abruptly changed.
Her face instantly became dazed, as if the Ghost had departed and possessed no one else present in the lobby.
Lu Xin knew where “it” had gone. He felt no urgency.
“Everyone, stay calm…”
He turned toward the panicked crowd inside the hotel. “This is… a planned exercise. Generous compensation will be provided afterward… Wait, is it really? Oh… Everyone, please maintain as much distance as possible from others to avoid injury. Do not panic and run. If you do…”
He spoke with unnerving calm, relaying the instructions Han Bing conveyed through his earpiece:
“…the City Patrol Army stationed outside will shoot you on sight.”
Chaos still gripped the lobby. Shocked cries and murmurs refused to cease.
“Shut the fuck UP!”
A furious bellow ripped through the noise, instantly silencing everyone.
Lu Xin himself flinched slightly, turning to see who’d shouted. It was the Police Officer who’d been possessed moments before.
His face held shock and confusion. His eyes met Lu Xin’s, and his tone instantly shifted, turning plaintive: “Boss…”
“What… what just happened?”
“…”
Lu Xin hesitated for a beat. “Well, you see…”
He never got to finish.
The Police Officer suddenly understood, cutting him off: “Don’t bother.”
Facing Lu Xin’s confused expression, he lowered his voice and said, “I remember now. I saw you at the Guard Bureau. I know you’re a… professional. Brother, just tell me directly, what… what should I do now to cooperate with your work?”
“…”
Lu Xin was momentarily stunned. “Don’t call me brother.”
Then, focusing his gaze on the officer, he said, “Just help me maintain order.”
“Yes, sir!”
The police officer instinctively snapped to attention and immediately ran toward the lobby, shouting, “Move back, everyone move back! Keep your distance… quiet!”
His uniform, the gun in his hand, and his fierce-looking face were all highly intimidating.
The chaos in the lobby immediately subsided considerably.
“You… you…”
Li Mengmeng, who had been lying nearby, had now opened her eyes. Trembling, she looked at Lu Xin, unsure whether her trembling stemmed from fear or curiosity.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Lu Xin gave her a slight nod and offered a gentle smile. “We’re the people here to protect you, after all…”
Then he turned to look outside the hotel. Li Mengmeng watched his profile and, surprisingly, felt a strange sense of security wash over her.
A man looked incredibly handsome when serious.
Meanwhile, Lu Xin quietly breathed a sigh of relief: “Phew… good thing my Motorcycle wasn’t bumped in all that earlier chaos…”
…
…
Swish, swish, swish, swish
Lu Xin wasn’t lying. Beyond the hotel, just three blocks away, rows of fully armed soldiers from the City Patrol Army were advancing. Moving in teams of three, they held their guns ready while wearing special Glass Helmets on their heads. They pressed inward inch by inch.
Within the entire blockade perimeter, many panicking citizens remained.
Seeing the imminent approach of these heavily armed soldiers, some crouched down fearfully, while others scrambled in all directions.
“Attention everyone! You are currently within the area of a temporary military exercise. Please cooperate with our operations…”
“Put your hands on your heads! Get down and hold that position! Show us your hands!”
“Any attempt to charge at the City Patrol Army personnel will result in us opening fire. However, the bullets are Tranquilizer Darts; refrain from panic…”
…
Under the repeated broadcast of the loudspeaker, more and more residents crouched down in fear, hands clasped behind their heads.
But there were still those seemingly paralyzed by terror who suddenly bolted forward.
Pfft… Pfft… Pfft
Every time someone did this, shots were immediately fired.
However, the projectiles were indeed small syringes, and the sound of their discharge was suppressed to an extremely low level.
This precaution was to prevent gunshots from causing unnecessary panic.
“Prepare Phase Two of the operation.”
At the same time, seeing the situation was now largely under control, the Commander forcefully waved his hand.
Wooom…
One after another, imposing Trucks drove in, stopping at predetermined locations. Their brilliant lights cleaved through the district’s darkness.
Rows of personnel dressed in bulky white Protective Suits, yet appearing thoroughly professional, jumped down from the trucks. Working in teams of three—two rushing ahead and one following with a large backpack—they entered the cordoned area. They approached the residents who were crouching obediently with hands on heads. Two members would secure the person while the third produced a Mask.
It was a Glass Helmet identical to the protective masks worn by the City Patrol Army; it could be placed directly over the head.
“You’re alright. It’ll be over soon. Stay right here and don’t move!”
After placing the helmet on the resident, they offered this reassurance before sprinting towards the next person.
As everyone within sight was fitted with the special helmet and the Blockade Line held firm, a dedicated team rushed over. Armed with thermal imaging devices, they meticulously scanned the surroundings inch by inch, determined to miss not a single person, nor even an animal…
Pfft!
Team leader Captain Cheng Hui drew his gun swiftly and fired. A rat attempting to scurry through a corner disintegrated instantly. While the intel team hadn’t explicitly mentioned that this Ghost possessed the ability to inhabit rats, birds, or even flies and mosquitoes, erring on the side of caution was paramount. It was better to kill by mistake than to let it escape.
He holstered his gun smoothly and issued a serious order: “Team One, maintain vigilance and control the perimeter. Team Two, begin advance procedure…”
Swish, swish, swish
Team Two, fully armed, surged forward, tightening the Blockade Line one more circle inward.
Step by step, every action executed with painstaking thoroughness.
In stark contrast to their calm efficiency, a single face in the crowd watched all this unfold in abject terror.
He felt it—an overwhelming, utterly unstoppable force. A force that filled him with despair.