Chapter 24: Yu Zizi

A moment later.

Wang Xi was loaded into the ambulance that had just arrived. After some emergency treatment, his condition was stabilized, and he was ready to be transported to the hospital for follow-up care.

To his surprise, Inspector Yu actually boarded the vehicle to accompany him.

Halfway there, Yu Zizi held a translucent tablet, her fingers gliding across the screen as she spoke calmly.

"The navigation system of that black hover-car had been tampered with beforehand; the route was deliberately redirected to the abandoned factory. Furthermore, the disaster materials from Cupid Housekeeping were not sent to the Overlook Bureau’s branch in the Smelter District, but were instead routed to the headquarters for reception."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xi frowned. He knew this was likely the work of Lin Zhifeng, but he hadn't expected the man to be so calculating.

Working overtime, delivering materials, luring him to an abandoned factory, and then having "Black Mamba" seize the goods while silencing him in the process... He had been on guard against Lin Zhifeng passing the buck on business matters, but he never imagined the man was after his life. Perhaps even if he hadn't worked overtime, Lin Zhifeng would have found another way to lure him into the trap.

"As a new employee, you lack knowledge of many internal affairs, which made you the perfect target." Inspector Yu raised her striking eyes, glanced at Wang Xi, and continued, "Although there is no concrete evidence yet, it is highly probable that he was the one who contacted 'Black Mamba.' It seems the materials that 'occasionally went missing' at Cupid Housekeeping over the years were actually being stolen by Lin Zhifeng himself."

"I was initially confused as to why he would take such a reckless risk with such a foolish plan after being so careful for so many years... but seeing you, I think I understand."

Yu Zizi's calm gaze held a hint of wonder and curiosity. "Not to mention Lin Zhifeng, I doubt anyone would have guessed that a freshly graduated intern cleaner could survive an encounter with a high-risk fugitive, let alone turn the tables and kill him!"

Wang Xi felt the weight of her gaze through her lenses. His heart sank, realizing that his performance had been too extraordinary, sparking the suspicion of this high-ranking inspector. He collected his thoughts and offered a calm smile.

"My goal is to become a Federal Professional Brave. If I can't even handle a cowardly fugitive, how could I ever hope to confront labyrinths and disasters?"

"..."

Yu Zizi froze for a moment before letting out a light laugh. When she smiled, it was as if a glacier were melting. Even Wang Xi, who had high resistance to beautiful women, couldn't help but linger on her, praising her in his heart.

"You really don't understand, do you?" Yu Zizi shook her head with an amused smile, though there was a trace of deeper thought in her tone. "Do you know why 'Black Mamba' Park Hong was classified as a high-risk fugitive?"

"I don't know. I haven't paid attention to that." Wang Xi spoke truthfully.

Yu Zizi’s smile faded, and she said calmly, "Because he has already killed three Professional Braves."

"Oh?" Wang Xi was stunned. Having fought Park Hong himself, he knew the man was powerful. It was only due to an information gap and his own tactical advantage that he had barely scraped a victory. He had never imagined the fugitive’s hands were stained with the blood of three Professionals.

"The fact that you could kill Park Hong proves you already possess the strength of a Professional Brave. Even if you have weaknesses in certain areas, you have essentially crossed that threshold with one foot." Yu Zizi stared at Wang Xi, her voice firm. "You aren't going to tell me you were unaware of this, are you?"

"Huh?" Wang Xi murmured. "So I'm that strong, am I...?"

Yu Zizi paused. For some reason, she was reminded of the newly transferred "Section Chief Chu" from the Gucheng Overlook Bureau. As the elite combat unit of the Bureau, the "Disenchantment Section" was usually led by long-established Federal powerhouses. No one expected a newly graduated girl to be parachuted into the role. Even more shocking was that she had crossed the wilderness alone to enter Disaster Zone No. 6 near Gucheng. It took her only half an hour—no, 27 minutes—to destroy the disaster core that had been entrenched there. That was a disaster core of the yellow "Major Incident" level, yet it had been as fragile as a toy before her.

At the time, Yu Zizi and Ning Meng, captain of the Gucheng Defense Force, had been there to provide support, and they had seen the same look of confusion on that Section Chief’s face. It was identical to the expression on the young man’s face on the stretcher.

*Is this what a genius is like...* Yu Zizi couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. She knew some people were naturally sensitive to Wild Cards and could deeply tap into their potential, or were perfectly attuned to a specific card, easily bringing out its full effect, or progressed by leaps and bounds in cultivation techniques... In any case, their growth was startling.

*No wonder these two are childhood sweethearts; people of the same kind are often drawn to each other...* The Inspector reached her conclusion.

Just then, the ambulance arrived at a hospital in the Smelter District. As the vehicle stopped, the medical staff opened the rear door and worked together to lift Wang Xi’s stretcher, preparing to move him to a ward for treatment.

"Mr. Wang." Yu Zizi took two steps forward and stopped beside the stretcher. She leaned in close and whispered, "I know you took the cards from Park Hong, but you are smart enough not to have touched the most important ones... Those are the key pieces of evidence for the Public Security Bureau to convict him."

Hearing her whisper, Wang Xi’s heart tightened.

He then heard her add, "Don't worry, I can turn a blind eye to such a small matter... In light of your heroic performance, the Public Security Bureau will also provide you with appropriate commendation. Get some rest; I’ll come by tomorrow."

The purple-haired inspector smiled slightly, gave a few instructions to the medical staff, and turned to walk away. Her tall figure in a trench coat gradually disappeared into the dim twilight.

…

Night. After the bustle, the ward returned to silence.

Wang Xi, wrapped in bandages and wearing a striped hospital gown, sat on the bed looking out at the night sky. Unlike the sun-and-moon-at-once view during the day, at night there was only a slightly smaller moon, no different from his previous world.

*I didn't expect that working overtime would lead to so many unexpected situations.* Wang Xi pulled his gaze back and shook his head.

Recalling the day's events, he still felt a lingering fear. During the fight with "Black Mamba," the surge of adrenaline had masked the terror and pain, but now that the hormones were fading, they were beginning to claw back, surging in the depths of his heart like a dark tide.

Feeling the stinging pain in his calves, back, and chest, Wang Xi couldn't help but twitch his mouth.

*If I were a First-Class Citizen, none of this would have happened today; Lin Zhifeng wouldn't have dared to target me. If my strength were greater, I wouldn't have been injured today and could have killed "Black Mamba" Park Hong instantly. If I had enough money... But there are no "ifs"!*

Wang Xi lowered his eyes, squeezed his hand into a fist, and muttered, "Get stronger, then become a Professional Brave!"

He picked up his phone, opened an online shopping platform, and painfully spent 500 Credits to buy an electronic version of "Summary of Knowledge Points for the Professional Brave Written Exam." He took a look, but soon felt sleepy.

"Ah..." Wang Xi yawned, his eyelids growing heavy. "I recognize every character, but when they're put together, why can't I understand any of it?"

*Ding.*

A message notification popped up on his phone. Wang Xi tapped it to find it was from the work group. It was already in chaos, with over a hundred unread messages.

"@Wang Xi: Handsome, were you in a car accident?!"

This message was from Zhu Yuhe. Wang Xi scrolled up and saw that his colleagues in the Second Group were mostly discussing the arrest of Lin Zhifeng, the deputy director of the Cleaning Department. That evening, several hover-police cars from the Dawn District Public Security Bureau had arrived, and dozens of officers had stormed the Cupid Housekeeping building to arrest Lin Zhifeng.

This had shocked many in the company. Even though the higher-ups were trying to suppress it, the news was spreading faster than expected; almost every employee at Cupid Housekeeping knew by now.

Wang Xi prepared to reply, but decided against it. Let them keep thinking he was in a car accident.

*Ding.*

Another notification. Wang Xi thought it was a mention in the work group, but when he opened it, it was from Chu Nai:

"Brother Xi, what are you doing?"

"Reading and preparing for an exam," Wang Xi typed back.

*Ding.*

"So diligent. (Goose worship)"

"I can't compare to your heaven-defying intelligence, so I have to make up for it with my own sweat and effort."

"It's not that exaggerated..."

The two chatted back and forth. Suddenly, Chu Nai sent another message:

"Brother Xi, can you take a photo for me to see? (Expectant)"

Wang Xi looked around the ward with his phone, then looked at his hospital gown and bandages.

He replied, "It's not very convenient."

"Oh. (Goose disappointment)"

Wang Xi smiled and typed, "Xiao Nai, you take a photo."

At this moment, on top of an electrical tower in the central district of Gucheng, under the moonlit night sky and flickering neon lights, the girl standing on the tower held her phone in a daze. She wore a high-tech blue and white tight-fitting uniform with a grey-black trench coat, her waterfall of silver hair dancing in the night wind. However, the bloodstains on her outfit ruined the aesthetic.

Chu Nai tucked a strand of messy silver hair behind her ear, wiped a drop of blood from her cheek, and bit her lip as she typed a reply:

"I'm still working overtime, so it's not very convenient either."

After sending it, she hesitated, then added a "goose-feeling-aggrieved" emoji.

*Ding.*

"Then when you're on break, we'll go out and play."

Looking at the message from the only contact on her chat app, a smile blossomed on Chu Nai’s tired face.

"Okay! (Happy)"

…

Early the next morning, an officer from the Public Security Bureau came to the ward.

Yu Zizi brought one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. The good news was that Lin Zhifeng had confessed to orchestrating the attack on Wang Xi, and admitted that the materials lost by Cupid Housekeeping over the years were all stolen by him through abuse of power. He would be facing the death penalty. As for Wang Xi, he would be rewarded with 100,000 Credits and a medal for his "assistance" in helping the Public Security Bureau eliminate the high-risk fugitive "Black Mamba" Park Hong.

As for the bad news...

"I checked your file. It seems you signed up for next week's Amateur Brave Assessment as an employee of Cupid Housekeeping," Yu Zizi said, standing before the hospital bed. "But the doctor says your injuries won't heal in the short term. I'm afraid you'll miss the assessment."