579: Chapter 579 BOSS Style, Hound Appears

The traffic was like a paralyzed long Dragon, coiled on the expressway leading to Xiguan District.

The midday sun poured in through the front windshield, baking the car interior until it was somewhat swelteringly hot.

Fang Cheng rested one hand on the steering wheel, his fingertips gently tapping to the rhythm of the jazz music flowing from the car stereo.

Outside the window, the sounds of honking horns and complaints rose and fell.

Today was the weekend, and the citizens of Dongdu were like birds released from their cages.

Half flooded toward the scenic areas around Xishan, while the other half squeezed toward the Golden Beach in the east, blocking this main elevated highway road completely.

Fang Cheng's destination for this trip was precisely his maternal grandfather's home in Wanghu Town.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name, Taiwan Novel Network, which has a large collection of books and can be read at any time.]

Over the past two days, just like usual, apart from his unshakeable daily workouts, he spent most of his time at the base construction site, keeping an eye on the project's progress alongside Lin Chuqiao.

Occasionally, he would also find time to have tea and chat with the newly recruited members to increase their familiarity with each other, asserting his presence as the organization's big Boss.

Even the floor in his living room where he had stepped and made a hole had already been properly repaired by a renovation worker called by Fang Cheng.

Life seemed to be gradually getting back on track.

As for that unlucky bastard Huolong, his life was indeed tough enough.

Yesterday morning around six o'clock, he finally woke up from his coma.

The black market doctor responsible for his treatment immediately informed the Professor of the good news, and the Professor then promptly reported it to Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng had originally planned to visit the black clinic in Jinshui Fish Market today, and incidentally ask for the password to the Masked Man's overseas bank account.

In the end, before he could even head out, his grandfather's call came in.

Although the old man's tone on the phone pretended to be majestic, he couldn't hide how much he missed him.

He said that his uncle was rarely cooking today and had made Fang Cheng's favorite braised lion's head meatballs and stewed beef with potatoes.

Ordering him to come home for dinner no matter how busy he was with work; if he didn't come, it would be not giving him Face.

Thinking that Huolong had just gotten out of the critical phase and probably couldn't even speak clearly, Fang Cheng figured it wouldn't hurt to go two days later, so he readily agreed.

As his thoughts drifted, the traffic ahead ground to a near-total halt.

Fang Cheng rolled down the car window and poked his head out to look.

At the intersection a hundred meters away, yellow-and-black barricades were set up.

Several dark green military trucks parked across the middle of the road, completely sealing off the entire two-way, eight-lane highway.

Armed soldiers with live ammunition were stationed on both sides of the checkpoint, inspecting passing vehicles and personnel one by one.

Fang Cheng's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly understood the situation.

The television news over the past few days had been rolling out reports on the terrorist attack at the Silver Wing Building.

The military claimed that they had initiated a city-wide martial law and were doing their utmost to hunt down the fleeing terrorist leader.

Seemed this was not just a verbal threat, but they were playing for real.

The deployment of troops along the entire road and the layers of defensive security postures were clearly a massive dragnet-style manhunt.

Fang Cheng's gaze swept over the checkpoint, where the atmosphere appeared very tense.

Dozens of special forces soldiers holding submachine guns were scattered in position, their fingers always resting on the trigger guards.

Their sharp eyes scrutinized the occupants of every vehicle, as if they would not hesitate to open fire at the slightest sign of unusual movement.

Nearby, a communications soldier was reporting into a walkie-talkie in an urgent tone, seemingly calling for reinforcements.

The drivers and passengers in the surrounding cars were clearly frightened by this display as well.

The original complaints vanished in an instant, leaving only sporadic, anxious whispers.

Fang Cheng leaned back against his seat, his Face remaining calm, but his brain was working rapidly.

The "terrorist leader" the military spoke of, the culprit who caused the armed helicopter to crash, naturally referred to him.

"Has my identity been leaked?"

A thought flashed through Fang Cheng's mind, which he immediately shook his head to dismiss.

Impossible!

If the military had locked onto his true identity, what appeared here would not be checkpoint roadblocks.

But tanks and fleets of armed helicopters, knocking directly on his door.

From this perspective, the other party only possessed sporadic clues and was trying to use them to conduct a widespread screening to search for suspicious targets.

Perhaps someone on the street below the Silver Wing Building that night had caught a glimpse of him wearing a mask?

Various thoughts flashed through his heart, and Fang Cheng frowned slightly, staring at the scene outside the window.

Turning back now was absolutely out of the question.

Going against the flow of traffic on this completely blocked road was practically pasting the words "I have a problem" on his forehead.

It would not only immediately draw a heavy barrage of firepower but also drag innocent bystanders into it.

Fang Cheng's gaze passed over layers of car roofs and landed on a green-painted armored personnel carrier behind the roadblock.

That vehicle's windows were covered with one-way privacy film, but this was no challenge for Fang Cheng.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a faint red glow flashing deep within his pupils.

His vision was instantly pulled closer and magnified.

The heavy metal body and bulletproof glass became nearly transparent in his eyes.

The scene inside the carriage then came into view with absolute clarity.

"This is..."

Fang Cheng's lips moved slightly, uttering a low murmur.

There were not only people in the carriage, but also a monster imprisoned inside?!

As he stared, his mind raced, and he instantly had an idea.

Then, he slightly closed his eyelids, magnifying the sensory power of his five senses.

Invisible ripples rippled outward, passing through the congested traffic and crowds, probing straight into the interior of that armored vehicle.

The clamorous honking, the roar of engines, and the conversations of pedestrians all receded like a tide.

All surrounding noise was completely filtered out, leaving only the faint sounds coming from inside the military vehicle in his ears.

...

Inside the armored vehicle, the air conditioning was running high, but it couldn't suppress a strong, rank stench.

Two fully armed special forces members sat facing each other.

The one on the left looked very young, his palms holding the gun drenched in sweat, adjusting his posture from time to time.

The one on the right was a scruffy middle-aged man, chewing gum with half-closed eyes, showing the unique relaxation of a veteran.

On the floor between them lay a humanoid creature bound tightly with heavy steel chains.

It was on all fours, its spine weirdly hunched, and its grayish-white skin was covered in dark blue veins.

It also wore a metal anti-bite muzzle on its mouth, and suppressed growls kept coming from its throat, with saliva dripping onto the floor through the gaps of the muzzle.

"Old Xie, this thing keeps growling. Does that mean that 'White Owl' is nearby?"

The young soldier finally couldn't help but break the silence, his voice tight as he asked.

The middle-aged man called Old Xie opened his eyes, glanced at the monster at his feet, and sneered:

"Little Wu, don't be so jumpy. This beast will go wild as long as it smells even a slightly unusual scent."

"Our task now is to cast a net and catch fish. With this cast, what we haul up could be shrimp, or it could be crabs. As for whether it's that big fish White Owl, who knows?"

"But... does this really work?"

Little Wu continued to stare intently at the hideous monster before him, his eyes filled with disgust and fear:

"Using a monster to catch a monster, no matter how you hear it, it sounds very bizarre."

"It's normal that you don't understand. This thing has an official name in the Inhuman circle: 'Search Hound'."

Old Xie spat out his chewing gum and patiently educated the newcomer:

"The staff officers up top analyzed that in the battle of the Silver Wing Building, the strength, speed, and that iconic mask shown by White Owl all conform to the characteristics of the 'Vampires'.

"It just so happens that several Vampires are imprisoned in Xishan Prison, so the higher-ups simply trained them into Search Hounds and assigned them to each search team. This naturally makes it easier to lock onto targets during screenings."

He paused, and seeing the newcomer's Face full of confusion, he chuckled and continued:

"Hounds are not literally dogs; they are monsters specially bred by our official organization, and they are extremely sensitive to the unique aura emitted by their own kind."

"Just like this 'hound' in our team, it's a low-grade Vampire captured the year before last. Because of physical and mental mutation, it has completely lost its sanity, leaving only an instinctive desire for food, slaughter, and the scent of its own kind."

"As long as there is even a tiny hint of a Vampire's or high-tier Inhuman's scent within a hundred-meter radius, it can sniff it out, hundreds of times more sensitive than a dog's nose."

Little Wu nodded in sudden realization, and after thinking for a moment, pressed further:

"Then the brothers outside using that laser pen to shine in people's eyes, is that also to find disguised Inhuman monsters?"

"Yes, it's called a pupil test."

Old Xie explained patiently:

"Inhumans can usually disguise themselves as ordinary people, but wildness is hidden in the genes of these monsters."

"Once that special spectrum shines on them, ordinary people at most find it glaring, but Inhumans can't stand the stimulation. Their pupils will instantly change color or deform, making it impossible to hide..."

As the two were speaking, the "hound" bound by chains suddenly began to struggle violently.

Clank, clank— clank, clank—

The thick steel chains were pulled taut, making a heart-stopping friction sound.

The monster suddenly raised its head, its bloodshot eyes staring fixedly in the direction of the carriage's back door.

Immediately after, an unprecedentedly shrill roar erupted from its throat, and it even began to frantically smash its head against the floor.

"Holy shit!"

Old Xie's Face changed dramatically, and he snatched the black submachine gun beside him:

"This reaction... Could we really have hit a big fish?!"

"Ah, White Owl is here? What do we do? This is the downtown area!"

Little Wu was scared pale, hurriedly switching off his weapon's safety.

Holding the cold metal gun body in his hand gave him a bit more confidence.

Loaded in the magazine were Mercury Explosive Bullets specifically designed for Inhuman monsters, capable of destroying body tissue structures.

"Don't panic, stay calm."

Old Xie barked in a low voice to soothe the newcomer, then pressed his earpiece, reporting at an extremely rapid pace:

"All units attention, the hound's reaction is extremely violent. Attention, extremely violent!"

"The target is highly likely in the current inspection sequence. How much longer for air support?"

"Damn it, tell those pilots to hurry up. I must see the fire support unit within five minutes, otherwise all of us will be in danger!"

...

Inside the Land Rover SUV, Fang Cheng slowly opened his eyes.

The golden light faintly flickering at the bottom of his eyes quietly faded away.

So that's how it is.

First using the monster in the carriage to sense the aura, and then using a special spectrum to stimulate the pupils for identification.

This combination of moves could indeed drag the Inhumans hidden in the crowd out.

Fang Cheng recalled the conversation he had just eavesdropped on, remembering that Cheng Jiashu had also explained the official methods of searching for Inhumans to him when he was a newcomer.

He just hadn't expected that he would personally run into this screening process today.

At this moment, the congested traffic crawled forward slowly.

At the checkpoint ahead, only two vehicles remained before it would be his turn to be inspected.

Through the windshield, Fang Cheng clearly saw a female inspector holding a silver-white pen-like instrument, aiming it at a truck driver's eyes to shine light.

He quietly watched the entire process of the pupil test, already understanding it in his heart.

Under strong light, a normal person's pupils would only make a constant physiological contraction response.

Once an Inhuman Awakened a special ability, the energy circuits in their body would be reflected and revealed through their eyes.

That special spectrum was precisely the fuse that triggered this reaction.

For ordinary Inhumans, this detection might already be an insurmountable obstacle.

But to Fang Cheng, it was not a difficult problem at all.

He reached out to open the glove compartment in front of the passenger seat and took out an exquisite glasses case from inside.

Then, he took out those gold-rimmed non-prescription glasses he had recently gotten and gently rested them on the bridge of his nose.

With just this single minor action, the temperament about him suddenly changed.

The coldness and sharp edge hidden in his bones were completely restrained, replaced by a gentle and refined scholarly air.

Combined with his already handsome Face, he looked exactly like a university lecturer on campus, or an Advanced manager of some large conglomerate.

Within his refined manner lay a harmless elite vibe.

Soon, it was his turn.

Fang Cheng slowly rolled down the car window and poked his head out.

Before the other party could even speak, he first revealed a slightly apologetic smile:

"Excuse me, Officer, is there some emergency ahead? I'm in a hurry to go to my grandfather's house for dinner. The old man has urged me several times already."

The person in charge of the inspection was a young female officer, probably just transferred from logistics, with a hint of childishness still on her Face.

Seeing Fang Cheng's Yingjun Face, coupled with his gentle and elegant smile, her originally tense expression clearly softened, and two red clouds flew up her cheeks.

"Hello, comrade. Routine inspection. Please turn off the engine and show your ID."

The female officer's voice softened unconsciously, even—

Fang Cheng nodded with a smile, then fished his ID card and Driving license out of his bag and handed them over with both hands.

"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up!"

A male soldier holding a submachine gun nearby urged impatiently, a sour taste in his eyes.

He obviously had no good feelings toward this "pretty boy" Driving a luxury car.

The female officer glared at her colleague reproachfully, turned to look at Fang Cheng, raised the silver instrument in her hand, and said somewhat apologetically:

"Sir, please take off your glasses. We need to check your pupils. It might be a bit glaring, please bear with it for a moment."

"No problem, cooperating with your work is only right."

Fang Cheng took off his glasses and hung them casually on his collar.

A pair of deep black eyes quietly gazed at her.

Then, a blue-violet beam of light instantly shot into the depths of Fang Cheng's eyes.

This feeling was indeed as the female officer said—it was truly very uncomfortable.

As if a red-hot needle were piercing into his retina, trying to trigger his defensive instinct and evoke the hidden desires in his heart.

If it were an ordinary Awakened, their pupils would probably have turned into beast pupils by now.

But Fang Cheng merely squinted his eyes slightly, the depths of his eyes resembling a dead, silent abyss.

No matter how that beam of light provoked them, that pair of black pupils still maintained the warmth and stability that a human should have, without the slightest sign of abnormal change.

Seeing this, the female officer clearly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned off the instrument:

"The test is normal. Thank you for your cooperation. You may..."

"Roar—"

Just then, an extremely violent roar penetrated the armored car's iron walls, clearly echoing at the checkpoint.

That voice was filled with a certain extreme longing and madness, making one's scalp tingle.

"All units attention! Level one alert, the hound seems to have lost control!"

"The target might be in these few cars nearby. Block the intersection immediately!"

The roaring voice coming from the earpieces instantly made all the soldiers present turn pale. (End of Chapter)