Chapter 85: Scheming
Chapter 85: Scheming
Within Lingwater City, riots erupted in various locations. At this particular street intersection and elsewhere, all sorts of robots suddenly appeared and attacked both humans and other beings.
For a moment, the city descended into chaos.
About five kilometers away, in the open-air parking lot of an old residential complex, an off-road vehicle parked in a parking space suddenly came to life.
The vehicle's movement was completely unexpected, and there was no one inside.
However, the absence of a driver did not mean that the residential complex was unoccupied.
Inside the complex, a middle-aged couple witnessed this scene. The husband, after seeing what had happened, wore a look of astonishment.
"This... honey, take a look. Am I seeing things? That vehicle seems to be moving," the husband said, rubbing his eyes and turning to his wife standing beside him.
Hearing this, the wife glanced at her husband without much concern. "So what if the car is moving? It's not that surprising."
"But there doesn't seem to be anyone inside that car..." the husband continued, his tone still filled with surprise.
The wife remained unperturbed, even showing some impatience as she waved her hand dismissively. "It's not unusual for a car to be empty these days. With the level of automation cars have now, the owner can remotely unlock the car with a key fob, and it will automatically drive out of the parking space."
"Remember when we bought our daughter her car? The salesgirl introduced us to a model with this very feature. You even said..."
As the wife continued her rambling, the husband suddenly raised his voice, interrupting her. "Wait..."
His eyes fixed on the parking lot, his voice now tinged with fear. "Something's not right. That car seems to be standing up."
"Honey, are you sure you're not seeing things? How can a car possibly stand up..." The wife, thinking her husband was hallucinating, was about to respond when she saw the car transform into a robot. Her voice abruptly halted.
"Ahh! Run for it!" She screamed, quickly reacting and pulling her husband along as they fled.
Just as they escaped, the car robot extended its arm, forming a black cannon barrel. It fired in the direction of their escape.
The projectile flew towards the couple at an incredible speed. They were already some distance away from the parking lot, having reached the corner and hidden from view by an apartment building.
Boom!
The projectile pursued them, eventually hitting the apartment building and blasting a hole in it.
Inside the building, numerous residents felt a violent shake at the moment of impact.
Many of them reacted immediately, thinking it was an earthquake. They rushed out, some even riding flying companion beasts out through the windows.
Others, wearing only their underwear, burst out of the neighboring house where the male owner was away on a business trip, their panic evident in their hurried escape.
As they fled the building, they witnessed the car robot wreaking havoc.
Those who lacked confidence in their abilities quietly moved further away, increasing their distance.
Meanwhile, those confident in their skills summoned their companion beasts, ready to fight the car robot to the end.
Soon, the residential complex descended into chaos, with explosions erupting from the ongoing battle.
Similar attacks occurred throughout Lingwater City, with over a dozen incidents causing significant disruption.
In a short time, emergency, security, and fire department hotlines were flooded with calls.
The hospital and the Security Bureau immediately sprang into action, with several ambulances and Security Bureau vehicles speeding off in different directions to provide support.
Inside one of the Security Bureau's vehicles, Zhou Weiping was at the wheel, and he slapped the steering wheel in anger, "Damn it, are those bastards from the Machinery Drought Sect crazy or what?"
His eyes were sharp, and he also had a hint of confusion, "What are they trying to do? Destroy the entire Lingwater City?"
"They're digging their own graves!" The deputy driver, a security officer, echoed in agreement, his tone equally indignant.
In the back seat, Peng Zhongyan, the director of the Security Bureau, frowned in deep thought. After a moment, he joined the conversation, "Let's not worry about whether they're digging their own graves or not. We need to consider that if we let the riot continue, can we even survive..."
The situation was so chaotic that it was impossible for the director to remain calm and uninvolved.
Moreover, he himself was a formidable fighter, and at this moment, he was undoubtedly heading to the front lines.
"Boss Peng, what do you mean...?" Zhou Weiping sensed that his director's words had a hidden meaning and asked with a heavy heart.
The security officer in the deputy driver's seat also picked up on Peng Zhongyan's hidden message. He felt a little aggrieved, "The Machinery Drought Sect's attack is so massive, and we in Lingwater City have such limited security forces. Even if we deploy everyone, it's like a drop in the bucket. It's not fair to blame us, is it?"
Unconsciously, Zhou Weiping pressed the accelerator deeper, heading towards a riot location. According to the readings on his energy wristwatch, the energy intensity there was at its highest, reaching the Overlord Ninth Rank.
As he received and relayed information from all sides to Peng Zhongyan, he furrowed his brows in deep thought, "The most critical thing is that we have no idea what they're trying to do."
Peng Zhongyan smiled faintly upon hearing Zhou Weiping's words, "What are they trying to do? Haven't we already figured it out?"
After a moment of thought, Zhou Weiping quickly realized what his director was hinting at, "Figured it out? What do you mean? Are you saying they're targeting the Chu, Niu, and Zhu families' management of that rift?"
But the next moment, he dismissed this idea, "No, even if they're targeting that unstable rift, it shouldn't be..."
Before he could finish, a sudden realization struck him, and his thoughts took a sharp turn, "Wait, no, could it be to tie up our forces?"
Peng Zhongyan chuckled, his laughter filled with helplessness, "Maybe not just us."
"What do you mean?" The security officer in the deputy driver's seat scratched his head, puzzled.
Peng Zhongyan thought for a moment, then decided not to hide his suspicions anymore. He shared his guess, "You don't think the Machinery Drought Sect's unusual activity would go unnoticed by the higher-ups?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a Flame Wolf's howl could be heard not far from the vehicle.
According to the readings on the energy wristwatch, this Flame Wolf had reached the Overlord Eighth Rank, far beyond the Bureau's companion beasts.
Peng Zhongyan pointed in the direction of the howl, then shrugged, "See, they've made their move!"
Zhou Weiping was furious, "But this is exactly what they want, a decoy to lure us away!"
Peng Zhongyan shook his head, "This is a bold and open plan. Unless we disregard the lives of the citizens, we can't stop them."
The security officer in the deputy driver's seat looked grim, "Then we can only rely on the Three Major Clans' guard forces?"
Zhou Weiping slammed the steering wheel and agreed, "Let's hope they can hold out for a bit longer."
(End of Chapter)
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