197: Chapter 197 He is Bai Xiao

Chapter 197: He is White Owl

After the earth-shaking flash of fire and loud explosion.

The trembling building returned to peace once again.

Gunpowder smoke churned in the air, continuously spreading in all directions.

The barrel of the infantry fighting vehicle creaked as it turned, still scalding hot and emitting white smoke.

The sound of rotor blades echoed in the air as the helicopters, having completed their combat instructions, adjusted their postures and continued to remain on standby.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

All around was silent; someone opened their mouth, but was choked by the thick smell of gunpowder and began to cough repeatedly.

Soldiers behind the defense line poked their heads out one after another, casting their gazes toward the Rehabilitation Center building not far away.

They saw that the originally flat concrete ground had split open into ferocious, wide gaps, with bullet casings, rubble, and bricks scattered everywhere.

The window glass on every floor was almost completely shattered, and parts of the walls were even completely overturned, exposing the charred steel bars inside.

Especially within the tens of meters around the main entrance, it had completely turned into a shocking ruin.

As for that heinous, terrifying monster, it was buried under rubble and glass, looking completely motionless.

Smelling the pungent gunpowder smoke, the tense nerves of the crowd relaxed slightly.

"Cough, cough."

Colonel Deng, hiding behind the armored vehicle, also couldn't help coughing a few times, reaching out to pat the dust off his military uniform.

He raised his head to scan the battlefield situation, then grabbed the walkie-talkie and issued a series of orders:

"All units listen up, the first and second squads will clear the battlefield, eliminate hazardous conditions, and confirm whether the target has been killed. The rest will hold the defense line, stand by in place, and maintain a high degree of vigilance..."

Upon receiving the combat instructions, the soldiers quickly paired up in groups of two and dispersed in a fan shape, cautiously searching and advancing toward where the missile had hit.

Having finished commanding, Colonel Deng turned his head to look at the two Special Investigation Team specialists who had previously escaped from the building.

At this moment, the white-haired man and the burly man holding a shield were also observing the movements in the battlefield with lingering fear.

"You two, what is the situation at the Rehabilitation Center? Are there any monsters left inside?"

Colonel Deng strode forward and asked with a hint of anxiety.

"Colonel Deng."

The white-haired man greeted him and explained:

"The situation in the building is still within a controllable range. The key is that Ghoul leader from just now. As long as it can be successfully dealt with, the rest is nothing to worry about."

Then he described what had happened on the fifth floor earlier, as well as the battle process of how Jiang Chen ran amok and brutally slaughtered everyone.

"If it weren't for the officer arriving in time and lending a helping hand, the two of us would have already perished inside."

The burly man with a shield subsequently added a few more sentences; with an injured leg, his face was full of gratitude for having survived a disaster.

After listening to what the two described, Colonel Deng couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief, feeling quite fortunate in his heart as well.

"That was close..."

If not for the assistance of the experts from the Special Investigation Team to pin down the unexpectedly powerful Ghoul leader, the assault team sent in just now would probably have been completely wiped out.

Then right now, he wouldn't be able to stand here so easily commanding the battle and discussing subsequent cleanup matters.

Thinking of this, Colonel Deng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked further:

"Which officer are you talking about, and where is he now?"

He was prepared to properly express his gratitude to that mysterious Masked Man.

You must know that he did recognize a few senior investigators from the Special Investigation Team; perhaps it was an old friend.

"Huh?"

The white-haired man and the burly man with a shield were taken aback upon hearing this.

Immediately, they looked around in all directions, but did not find the figure of the person mentioned in the conversation.

That respectable officer had actually disappeared.

Most crucially, they hadn't even asked clearly about the other person's name and position!

Unwillingly, the two continued to search among the crowd.

At this moment, the soldiers clearing the battlefield transmitted information via walkie-talkie confirming the target's death.

Colonel Deng temporarily couldn't care about that much, and quickly asked the two how to handle the corpse of the Ghoul leader.

After all, the Special Investigation Team was the expert department for handling such supernatural events.

The white-haired man considered it and said:

"Chen Lei and I will stay here to guard it. We'll notify headquarters later, and someone should come over to take over very soon."

Colonel Deng nodded with satisfaction, then walked toward the front line with high spirits to continue commanding the battle.

First, he ordered the assault squad to enter the building to sweep up any remaining fish that slipped through the net, and then had the medical team follow along to speed up the treatment of the wounded.

Gunpowder smoke still lingered, but the crisis was finally lifted.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including the onlookers in the inpatient department, as well as someone far away in the country park a mile away.

The night was as dark as ink, and the wind blew with a wailing sound, causing the branches and leaves to sway and shake, rising and falling like rolling waves.

Fang Cheng stood quietly on the treetop, overlooking the scene in Renan Hospital.

The soldiers began to systematically clear the battlefield and rescue survivors.

Stretcher after stretcher carrying wounded personnel were lifted out and sent into ambulances.

When he saw that among them was the female doctor who had fainted in the laboratory, a stone in Fang Cheng's heart finally dropped.

The backpack containing the blood collection tubes was dropped right beside Professor Zheng's corpse; he believed it would soon be discovered by the soldiers cleaning the battlefield.

With the female doctor's testimony, plus the evidence in the backpack, the attention of the investigators from the military and the Special Investigation Team would inevitably be distracted.

No matter what happened in the future, suspicion wouldn't fall on him.

After all, the blood collection tubes labeled with Fang Cheng and Wen Xin's names remained "safe and sound" in the blood testing laboratory.

"Hummm—"

Two armed helicopters spun their rotor blades, ascended into the higher night sky, and flew around the periphery of the Rehabilitation Center building.

The high-intensity floodlights under their bellies pierced the darkness like sharp swords, sweeping everywhere and shining into the distance.

It seemed they were searching for something.

Seeing this scene, Fang Cheng's heart couldn't help tightening, and he quickly jumped down from the tree.

This place was not suitable for a long stay.

Having just experienced the power of modern weapons up close, even a guy with abnormal defense like Jiang Chen had suffered defeat and perished with regret.

He couldn't compare to that hard bone of his; at least for now, he hadn't reached the point of crushing helicopters with bare hands and resisting missiles with his Physical Body.

Since the situation had already subsided and wouldn't affect the inpatient department where his mother was.

He should hurry back to Jiuchang Street as soon as possible to avoid exposing his whereabouts.

Fang Cheng lowered his head to look at the tattered hoodie and sweatpants on his body.

Then he took out another brand-new set of casual wear from his cross-body bag and nimbly changed into it.

Fortunately, he had gone out that night and bought a few extra sets of clothes and pants for changing.

Before the operation today, he had also been extra cautious, preparing to imitate agents in movies by changing out of his old clothes after completing every assassination operation to eliminate all criminal evidence.

Therefore, a set of clothes was always hidden in the backpack on his back as a backup.

Otherwise, going out to hail a cab wearing this tattered outfit would probably get him reported as a madman; it was simply too conspicuous.

A few minutes later.

Fang Cheng put on the new business-casual clothes, took off the ferocious-looking mask, and put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

Having completely transformed, he became a miserable corporate slave returning home late at night after working overtime.

Listening to the faint sound of helicopter rotors, Fang Cheng quickly used the "Scavengers Eye" to carefully inspect the scene.

Then he took a deep breath, his expression turning calm and composed, and strode toward the twinkling city night sky in the distance.

...

"What? A man wearing a white mask?"

Outside the Rehabilitation Center building, a tall middle-aged man in a black suit blurted out in surprise.

His thick eyebrows were tightly knitted into the shape of the character "chuan", and his eyes stared firmly at the white-haired man and the burly man with a shield.

His gaze shot out like substantive sharp arrows, causing the two to feel a wave of palpitation.

Especially watching the helicopters constantly taking off overhead for reconnaissance, they felt even more baffled.

"Xu Fei, Chen Lei, the two of you describe the whole process of encountering that person again carefully."

Xu Fei was the white-haired man's real name.

The middle-aged man speaking before them was Gao Jin, a senior investigator from the headquarters of the Special Investigation Team, who held the title of "Human Bear".

Seeing that Officer Gao was so concerned about the identity of the other officer, Xu Fei's heart stirred slightly, so he weighed his words a bit and said:

"It's like this, Officer Gao. At that time, Chen Lei and I joined forces to deal with the Ghoul leader, but our strength was lacking and we quickly fell into a disadvantageous position."

"Because the bone spurs of the Ghoul leader could both attack and defend and were too sharp, Chen Lei's thigh was accidentally pierced. When I wanted to save him, it was already too late."

"Fortunately, that officer suddenly appeared behind us, blocking the incoming bone spur attack in time and saving Chen Lei..."

"Uh... Right, right, that's how it is. Xiaofei is right."

Feeling his back lapel being gently tugged, Chen Lei, who had years of tacit understanding, instantly caught on and immediately chimed in.

"He took the initiative to help you out?"

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Gao Jin's eyebrows remained tightly knitted as he stroked his chin and pondered aloud: "This is strange..."

His tone was filled with doubt and astonishment, and he seemed very interested in this person of unknown identity.

Moreover, under repeated questioning, it was as if he regarded the other party as a criminal with malicious motives.

Chen Lei, who had rather thick nerves, couldn't help raising a question:

"Officer Gao, what's so strange about that? We're all colleagues from the Special Investigation Team; isn't it only right to help each other and solve difficulties?"

Gao Jin glanced at him sharply and replied:

"Who told you he is one of us? He is an important figure on the danger list of our Special Investigation Team, a murderer codenamed 'White Owl'."

"Ah?!"

These words exploded beside the two of them like a thunderbolt without any warning.

Chen Lei opened his mouth wide in utter astonishment, unable to close it for a moment.

Xu Fei had already vaguely sensed where the problem lay, but still wore a look of bewilderment.

Seeing the two behave so shocked, Gao Jin let out a cold snort and then explained:

"A few days ago, a Ghoul murder case also occurred in Jiangbei, and at that time, a mysterious man wearing a white mask appeared at the scene, which was witnessed firsthand by many."

"Impossible, that officer is definitely not a murderer..."

Chen Lei was stunned for a long time, and then shook his head like a rattle-drum, completely unwilling to believe it.

Xu Fei swallowed half a mouthful of saliva and cautiously raised an objection:

"If he is a monster, why would he help us wipe out other Ghouls?"

Gao Jin's gaze flickered, and he said with a hint of reprimand:

"As a task specialist, do you not even know that Ghouls can rapidly increase their strength and accelerate evolution by devouring their own kind?"

These words instantly choked Xu Fei completely.

Gao Jin continued:

"Whether he is a Ghoul or not is not the main focus we need to pay attention to; the main problem stems from the mask he wears on his face."

Hearing this, Xu Fei and Chen Lei looked toward Officer Gao with a hint of hope.

"That mask is not simple."

Gao Jin's gaze was cold; he suddenly took a deep breath, looking at the surrounding military soldiers and the helicopters hovering in the air.

Then he explained in an unusually solemn tone:

"As you also know, the archives of the Special Investigation Team preserve many precious secret historical materials passed down from the imperial family of the previous dynasty, among which there are records of ancient objects shaped identically to this white mask."

"It is said that similar masks can be traced back to the primitive tribal period thousands of years ago, and their initial purpose was to prevent blood from splashing onto the face when sorcerers used knives to slit throats and kill during sacrifices."

"And in history, figures wearing similar masks with clear records were without exception brutally bloodthirsty and wanton killers. It can be said that every time this mask appears, it stirs up bloody storms and causes immense panic."

"The last mask owner before this had appeared in Europe three hundred years ago and was imprisoned in the Bastille by the French king until all traces were erased after his death."

"Since that person has put on this mask again, they have obviously obtained some kind of Legacy..."

After listening to the explanation, Xu Fei couldn't help saying:

"Could it just be a coincidence? The two masks are just somewhat similar."

"I also hope it's a coincidence."

Gao Jin did not refute this time, and instead asked:

"During your contact with him, did you identify what special ability he used?"

Chen Lei looked toward Xu Fei.

Xu Fei shook his head and replied:

"I couldn't tell. I only know that his physical fitness far exceeds ordinary people, his speed is extremely fast, and his fists are very hard."

Gao Jin nodded slightly, then instructed another subordinate beside him to retrieve the surveillance cameras for confirmation.

He had originally come on a special trip to deal with the Ghoul riot incident, but after learning about the Masked Man, he instead seemed even more concerned about another matter.

Seeing this, Xu Fei subsequently changed the subject and said:

"Officer Gao, should we bring the remains of the Ghoul leader back to headquarters, or destroy them here?"

Gao Jin shook his head:

"I've observed the remains carefully; that old Ghoul probably isn't dead yet."

Hearing this, Xu Fei and Chen Lei couldn't help their hearts skipping a beat, and they simultaneously raised their heads to look at this officer who loved making startling remarks.

...

The neon-glinting night sky enveloped the entire city.

Jiuchang Street had no bustling human voices nor the noise of honking cars, remaining as quiet and peaceful as usual.

Cheng Leyi held a telescope in her hand and stood in front of the windowsill.

In the deep night, the outline of a building with grayish-white exterior walls was presented.

A few sparse lights were still lit, shining faintly through the windows as if pointing the way for those returning home at night.

She was biting on a refreshing mint candy in her mouth, making a crunching sound.

Tapping her fingertips lightly, she switched to thermal imaging mode.

The image in the lens was instantly stripped away, replaced by bright or dark, colorful thermal induction images.

"Everything is normal, there's not much movement on my end..."

Cheng Leyi said into the headset, almost as if talking to herself.

Then the lens moved upward, landing on a window on the ninth floor.

Through the tightly blocked glass and curtains, one could vaguely see a blurry thermal shadow of a human figure inside the room, seemingly sitting in front of a desk.

"Still studying hard, what a diligent and progressive good boy..."

Cheng Leyi smiled slightly.

Having failed to detect any abnormal movement for a long time, she had been a bit sleepy and wanted to slack off for a bit.

It was only after receiving a phone call just now that she perked up and continued to observe carefully.

After another moment.

Suddenly, a commotion was heard coming from the other end of the street.

It seemed a few drunkards had just returned from the night market and were acting wildly drunk, shouting while singing.

Seeing this, Cheng Leyi shook her head speechlessly.

However, almost at the instant she turned the lens away.

A figure flickered like a phantom, instantly darting out of the dark alley and arriving beneath the exterior wall on the east side of the Tubular Building.

Immediately after, the figure's toes gently tapped the wall, leveraging strength to ascend, instantly shooting straight up several meters high.

Then both hands gently grabbed a protruding part of the wall, making use of a little leverage, and then soared into the air once more.

Every kick and tread was like a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving only the faintest trace on the wall.

Moving at a rapid pace, the sleeves fluttered softly, as if merging into one with the sound of the wind.

In the blink of an eye, it had already swept past several floors, arriving at the ninth floor.

Then, with a "swoosh", it slipped into the half-open window.