174: Chapter 174 Jiang Chen: This is... performance art, don't take it seriously.

The air at the entrance of the shopping mall felt as if it had been frozen by liquid nitrogen.

The police revolver in Old Zhang's hand was aimed steadily at the center of Jiang Wanqiu's forehead. Although his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his professional instincts as a veteran criminal investigator prevented him from retreating in the slightest. Opposite him, a sneer of disdain played on the corners of Jiang Wanqiu's lips. Her right hand moved slightly, and the dagger that had just sliced through the armored vehicle seemed ready to be drawn again.

In this second, life and death hung in the balance.

"Snap!" A crisp sound broke the standoff.

It wasn't a gunshot, nor was it the ringing of a blade.

It was a small, dark red booklet, still warm from body heat, that had been slammed forcefully against Old Zhang's wrist by a hand.

"Don't shoot! We're on the same side! Absolutely on the same side!"

Jiang Chen seemed to have popped out from a crack in the ground, positioning himself between the two. One of his hands held down Jiang Wanqiu's restless right hand, while the other held up the identification, almost shoving it into Old Zhang's nostrils.

"Old Zhang! Open your eyes and look! What is this!"

Old Zhang was startled by the sudden movement, subconsciously lowering his muzzle to take a closer look.

The gold-stamped national emblem on the booklet shimmered under the streetlight.

Opening the inner page, beside Jiang Chen's photo, a line of red text was strikingly printed: [National Special Security Consultant (TS-001)]. Below it was the steel seal of the Central Military Commission.

Old Zhang froze, his hand holding the gun trembling slightly.

He had worked in the system for thirty years; he had never seen such a high-level credential in person, but he had heard of it during internal confidentiality training.

It was the legendary "license to kill," a privileged class that walked on the edge of the law.

"Mr... Mr. Jiang?"

Old Zhang swallowed hard, the wariness in his eyes instantly replaced by confusion and shock. "Are you... carrying out a mission?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

Jiang Chen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, seizing the opportunity immediately. His expression changed so quickly it rivaled the face-changing art of Sichuan opera:

"Old Zhang, you came just in time. You almost accidentally injured friendly forces."

He pointed at Jiang Wanqiu, who still wore a murderous expression behind him, and then at the armored cash transport vehicle next to them, which had been split in two and was still smoking. He began the most outrageous impromptu speech of his life:

"Actually, we are conducting a... national-level secret test."

"A test?"

Old Zhang looked at the armored vehicle with its mirror-smooth cut, feeling as if his intelligence had been insulted. "Using a cash transport vehicle for a test? Did you... cut this vehicle?"

"How could that be! I don't have that kind of ability!"

Jiang Chen waved his hands, wrapping an arm around Jiang Wanqiu's shoulder and forcibly making her retract her sharp aura:

"Let me introduce her. This is... my specially hired special effects artist, Ms. Jiang."

"We are filming a... well, a sci-fi promotional video about future soldiers! Yes, a promotional video!"

"Filming a movie?"

Old Zhang pointed at the mess on the ground. "Where are the cameras? The director? The film crew?"

"Concealed filming! We are pursuing a sense of realism!"

Jiang Chen remained unfazed, pointing at the cash transport vehicle, his tone as certain as if it were the absolute truth:

"As for this vehicle, Old Zhang, look closely. It's actually a prop vehicle!"

"A prop vehicle?"

Old Zhang walked over and touched the fractured metal surface. It was scalding hot, sharp, and he could even see the bulletproof fiber layers inside. If this was a prop vehicle, how hard must a real one be?

"Mr. Jiang, do you think I'm blind?"

Old Zhang had a dark expression as he pointed at the parts on the ground. "The engine is cut open! The oil is still flowing! You call this a prop?"

"High-tech prop!"

Jiang Chen bit the bullet and continued to make things up. "This is the latest... molecular pre-cutting technology! It looks complete, but it was actually pre-cut and held together by powerful magnets. That move Ms. Jiang just made was actually a switch. Once pressed, it just splits apart on its own!"

"This is what we call—performance art!"

"It really is performance art!"

The surrounding onlookers listened, dumbfounded.

"Holy crap? Pre-cutting technology? That's so awesome?"

"I knew it! How could a human split an armored vehicle with one strike! So it was magic!"

"No wonder that young lady's pose was so cool just now, she must be a trained stunt actor!"

Seeing that public opinion was starting to shift, Old Zhang wasn't so easily fooled.

He sneered and was just about to say something.

"Ring, ring—"

The police communication phone in his pocket suddenly rang.

The ringtone was unique; it was the direct line for the Municipal Bureau Chief.

Old Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He quickly answered and stood at attention: "Chief! This is Old Zhang! The situation at the scene is under control, the suspect..."

"Control my ass!"

The voice on the other end wasn't the Chief's, but a more imposing, unquestionable voice.

It was General Qin Weiguo's voice.

"This is General Qin Weiguo of the Southeast Theater Command."

"What just happened was a special military exercise, codenamed 'Break Formation.' Consultant Jiang is assisting us in testing data for a new type of individual exoskeleton."

"All damages at the scene will be compensated double by the military."

"As for that... person who split the vehicle."

General Qin Weiguo's voice paused, as if he too were struggling to organize his words to round out this outrageous lie:

"That is our... specially hired instructor."

"Old comrade, you should understand the confidentiality regulations, right? Don't ask what you shouldn't, and don't look at what you shouldn't. Disperse the crowd, and withdraw the team!"

"Beep—beep—"

The call hung up.

Old Zhang stood holding his phone, left in the wind, feeling completely bewildered.

A military exercise?

In a downtown area?

Using a cash transport vehicle for practice?

Who the hell would believe that!

But what could he say? Commander Qin had called personally. He had to take the fall for this, whether he liked it or not, and he had to do it convincingly.

"Hoo..."

Old Zhang let out a long sigh, feeling as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

He holstered his gun, turned around, and waved at the crowd of onlookers who were still craning their necks to watch, his tone weary and helpless:

"Everyone disperse! Disperse!"

"Nothing to see here!"

"This is a film set! Everything just now was special effects! Someone... get that guy lying on the ground (Tattooed Man) to the hospital quickly, don't delay the film crew's schedule!"

He looked again at the few bewildered security guards:

"Don't just stand there, either. If the vehicle is broken, report it to the insurance company, say it was... say it was struck by lightning. Someone will pay for the damages, double."

After handling all of this, Old Zhang turned his head and gave Jiang Chen a deep look.

That gaze contained the resentment of "Although I know you're spouting nonsense, I can't do anything about you."

"Mr. Jiang."

Old Zhang lowered his voice and leaned into Jiang Chen's ear:

"Next time you do this kind of 'performance art,' can you give us a heads-up in advance?"

"I have a weak heart; I can't handle being scared like this."

"Also, tell your 'special effects artist' to put the blade away. That murderous aura from just now made my neck feel cold even from five meters away."

After speaking, he shook his head and led the group of police officers away in a rush, just as they had come, leaving behind a mess and a group of excited "fans."

Crisis averted.

Jiang Chen felt as if he was about to collapse from exhaustion.

He wiped his face and turned to look at the culprit beside him.

Jiang Wanqiu was curiously watching the departing police cars, the dagger still spinning on her fingertips. She clearly didn't understand why the enemies who had been pointing guns at them just a moment ago had backed down after answering a phone call.

"Father God."

She blinked, looking innocent. "They left? Were they scared away by my dominance?"

"Dominance my foot!"

Jiang Chen knocked her on the head, annoyed. "They were scared away by money! Do you know how much money I have to pay for this one strike?"

"Money?"

Jiang Wanqiu curled her lips in disdain. "There's plenty of gold in the Wasteland; just pay them. A bunch of greedy mortals."

Watching her display this "why don't they eat cake" attitude, Jiang Chen sighed helplessly.

This was the root of the problem.

Although this girl had come to Earth, her mind was still stuck in the "might makes right, decisive killing" logic of the Wasteland. In her worldview, whoever had the biggest fist was right, and if she didn't like someone, she would just cut them down.

With this personality, she was an Empress in the Wasteland.

But on Earth... she was a nuclear bomb that could detonate at any moment!

Today, cutting the armored vehicle could be smoothed over with an "exercise," but if she cut a tank, a plane, or even a person tomorrow...

Even if General Qin Weiguo shouted until his voice went hoarse, he wouldn't be able to cover for her!

"No."

Jiang Chen grabbed Jiang Wanqiu's hand, his expression becoming unprecedentedly serious.

"Wanqiu, you need to understand one thing."

"This is Earth, not Dawn City."

"The rules here are different. You can't just draw your blade whenever you disagree with someone like before."

"And..."

Jiang Chen looked her up and down.

Although the JK uniform was beautiful and her silver hair and red eyes were striking, walking down the street like this made her a "person without household registration," with no ID, and liable to be investigated by the authorities at any time. And...