Chapter 304: Shadow in the Heart
Chapter 304: Shadow in the Heart
At nine in the morning, Zhao Qian was allowed to leave the Processing Bureau, but he had to return for questioning over the next few days.
This treatment did not cause him much personal harm, but it was enough to damage his reputation within the company, especially after the recent incident.
Zhao Qian exited the bureau with a composed expression and headed towards his armored vehicle. His assistant had already opened the car door for him, and after taking his seat, the door was closed, and the assistant sat in the front.
The car slowly started, and after leaving the square, the accompanying security personnel drove their protective vehicles, one in front and one behind, guarding his car in the middle.
Inside the apartment, Wu Bei sat within the Resonance Nest, borrowing the Boundary Point to keep an eye on this convoy.
There was no doubt that Union Victory Heavy Control Company had Resonance Nests and Resonators, but those individuals were responsible for the company's field defense and would not accompany Zhao Qian on his missions.
However, this did not mean that Zhao Qian was without protection. One could see that he was followed by a Resonator who was always on standby, so today's operation also needed to target this Resonator. He discovered that the route the convoy took was quite intricate. Instead of taking a direct, straight path, they detoured through some streets, all of which were bustling streets in Central City. The security forces in the bustling areas were also sufficient, ensuring maximum safety.
Fortunately, all of this was within his prior considerations. He spoke to Chen Chuan through the Boundary Token, "Chen, I'm about to start here. I'll send you the field signal in a moment, and we'll begin in about two minutes."
On the other end of the Boundary Token, Chen Chuan replied, "Okay, I'm waiting."
Two minutes later, Zhao Qian's vehicle arrived at an intersection. After the security vehicle in front passed through, the traffic light flashed, turning red, so his car had to slow down and stop.
As Zhao Qian waited, he glanced across the intersection. It was just a casual glance, but in that instant, his gaze froze.
Right there, a tall and handsome young man with a bright, sunny disposition was walking out of a high-end clothing store by the roadside. He carried a bag, seemingly filled with clothes, and as he exited, he politely nodded to the doorman who opened the door for him.
Even though the young man wasn't wearing a training uniform and his facial features seemed a few years older, slightly different from before, Zhao Qian was all too familiar with his aura.
How could this be?
He straightened his body, but just as he wanted to take another look to see more clearly, the young man turned and walked towards the other side of the street. The green light turned on, and Zhao Qian's car moved forward, blocking his view as it turned the corner.
He averted his gaze and sat there, his mind restless and his face filled with gloom.
He had witnessed that person's death with his own eyes; it was absolutely impossible for him to be mistaken. He kept telling himself that the person couldn't possibly be alive, but...
A thought surged in his mind, urging him to confirm it again.
After driving for a while, Zhao Qian instructed, "Turn around ahead and go back to the previous intersection." As he spoke, he marked the location with the Boundary Token.
The driver checked and followed his instructions. At the next intersection, they turned back, and after seven or eight minutes, they returned to the previous intersection] and stopped across from the high-end clothing store.
Zhao Qian looked around from the car but couldn't see the figure from before. He remained silent, and the others dared not speak.
After a while, Zhao Qian instructed the assistant in the front, "Go inside and check who was buying clothes just now. Ask what kind of person it was."
"Yes."
The assistant opened the car door and stepped out.
Zhao Qian used the Boundary Token to instruct the Resonator in the other car, "Get me the field record from inside the store just now."
The Resonator replied, "Zheke Corporation highly values privacy. The field signal is very secure. Give me five minutes."
Zhao Qian leaned back in the car. The April weather wasn't hot, but he felt stuffy and irritable. He opened the storage compartment in the car and took out a bottle of Blood Wine, pouring himself a cup. As he brought it to his lips, his gaze unintentionally shifted to the rearview mirror, and his hand trembled.
A young man was striding towards him from the other end of the street.
His hand trembled slightly as he recognized the face—a face he was all too familiar with and despised. He would never forget that during their time at Wu Yi Academy, in every public competition, he had never once emerged victorious, not even seeing a glimmer of hope.
Even now, having reached the Third Limit, he thought he had overcome his psychological shadow due to the other's death. But when he saw the figure appear before him, his eyes instantly reddened with blood.
His rational mind told him that this person was already dead, that it was impossible for him to stand before Zhao Qian again. But when he saw that figure, his heart was instantly filled with uncontrollable anger and hatred.
You're not dead? How can you not be dead? How could you survive?
As the figure approached, he took off his top, revealing intricate patterns on his fist and forearm, spreading towards his neck and cheeks. With each step, his hair fluttered in the wind, and the patterns became clearer.
Zhao Qian's eyes narrowed suddenly.
Enigmatic Force!
As the figure was still dozens of meters away from the vehicle, their steps abruptly quickened, and they began to run. With a final leap, they jumped up and descended from above, landing on the side of the armed vehicle.
Zhao Qian stared intently, certain of what he saw. The posture, the way the figure moved, it was identical to that silhouette from before, but faster and more ferocious!
Do you think I'm still the same as before?!
He let out a low growl from his chest, pushed open the door, and instantly appeared outside. He gazed at the figure backlit by the light, descending from above. He kicked upwards, aiming at the figure! Two shadows swiftly converged, and as their fists and feet were about to make contact, it seemed as if time itself collided in that instant.
But in the next moment, Zhao Qian's foot passed through the other person's body. His powerful kick landed in thin air, leaving him off-balance for a fleeting moment.
However, his solid foundation in the basics of combat allowed him to react swiftly. As he sensed something amiss, his altered organs twisted and pulled, enabling him to quickly regain control and retract his kick.
Inside Gao Ming's apartment building, Chen Chuan opened his eyes.
Success!
At this moment, his hand remained in a punching posture. That punch had been his doing.
Even with a photo of Shen Zheng, it was possible to create a virtual image of his appearance. However, a mere shadow would not fool Zhao Qian, so along with the photo, there were also drawings depicting Shen Zheng in various combat stances.
This was undoubtedly Chang Ba's handiwork, likely under the guidance of He Xiaoxing. It ensured an accurate representation of Shen Zheng's true abilities.
But this was not enough. Wu Bei was not a fighter and had no knowledge of combat techniques, so from the start, his Boundary Token had been connected to Wu Bei's Resonance Nest. This allowed him to accurately portray the actual moves.
In just one move, they perfectly recreated Shen Zheng, several years older and undoubtedly a Tier Three Combatant!
He slowly lowered his fist.
Zhao Qian had attacked his domain, so it was as if he had attacked him. The first condition for the ritual had been met. Now, all that was left was to find the right opportunity and a suitable offering to unleash the Monster Tale.
On the other side, Wu Bei also heaved a sigh of relief.
He wiped the sweat from his brow. The process had gone relatively smoothly, as Zhao Qian had not closed his Boundary Token from start to finish.
It was no easy feat to infiltrate and interfere with an implanted Boundary Token. If Zhao Qian had closed it, he would have had to use a disruptive interaction technique in coordination with the Resonance Nest, buying him only one or two seconds of delay.
Although Chen Chuan had told him that even a one or two-second delay would be enough, such an action might cause him to faint due to the intensity of the resonance. This could render him unable to help later on, even with prior preparations. The current outcome was ideal.
Zhao Qian stood in the empty street, surrounded by security guards whose expressions were stern and focused straight ahead, yet their eyes held a hint of curiosity.
They had just witnessed Zhao Qian inexplicably leap out of the car and kick towards the sky. If it weren't for their knowledge of Zhao Qian's minimal implants, they might have thought he was suffering from Functional Disorder Syndrome.
Zhao Qian's face darkened as he surveyed his surroundings, now certain that someone had used an illusory domain to target him.
The previous situation had felt so real, as if Shen Zheng had truly appeared before him. The mannerisms and the Enigmatic Force conveyed through their movements were something only someone intimately familiar with both Shen Zheng and the Enigmatic Force could replicate.
Who else could it be but Shen Zheng?
No, there was one more person.
And this person posed a significant threat, one he had been wary of until now.
But if this person truly intended to harm him, they wouldn't have used such an intimidating and ineffective method, nor would they have alerted him in this manner.
"Supervisor?" At this moment, his assistant emerged from the clothing store, looking around at the surroundings and the street on both sides, perplexed.
Without a word, Zhao Qian turned and walked towards the car. The assistant hurried ahead and opened the car door for him.
As Zhao Qian bent to enter the vehicle, the assistant asked, "Did you find out?"
The assistant replied, bending over to speak to Zhao Qian inside the car, "I asked, but the store clerk initially refused to talk. I bought a piece of clothing and gave a tip, and I learned that a robust young man had come to the store, bought something, and left. But I don't know where he went."
At this moment, the Resonator's voice sounded, "Supervisor, the domain record of this store has just been deleted."
Zhao Qian's eyes turned cold. Without saying a word, he waved his hand, and the assistant quickly took the front passenger seat. The security guards returned to the vehicle, and the convoy slowly started moving again.
Zhao Qian contacted someone through his Boundary Token, "Go back to Yang Zhi City and investigate something for me..."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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