When Wen Yu arrived before Central City, the person he saw was his old acquaintance, Wang Zhigang. Ah, and also Zhang Wen, whom he had only met once.
"Long time no see."
Wen Yu hopped down from Cyclopsâs head and greeted Wang Zhigang.
"You, you are... Wen Yu?"
Wen Yu smiled and nodded.
His appearance had indeed changed significantly. Ever since leaving Chaihe Town, Wen Yu hadnât bothered to groom his hair or beard, nor had he found time to change his clothes. As a result, he currently looked like a wild man!
If Wang Zhigang hadnât seen the Soul Beast on Wen Yuâs shoulderânow several sizes largerâhe might not have recognized Wen Yu at all.
Seeing Wen Yu confirm his identity, Wang Zhigang burst out laughing. Ignoring the grime on Wen Yuâs clothes, he strode forward and embraced him.
"I thought Iâd never see you again in this lifetime!"
Then, Wang Zhigang turned his head and shouted to Zhang Wen, "This is Wen Yu! Remember? The guy who went with me to blow up the police station last time!"
Recognition dawned on Zhang Wen, and he nodded at Wen Yu.
"Letâs go, into the city. If Iâd known you were coming back, I would have had someone prepare food."
Wang Zhigang took Wen Yuâs hand, leading him toward Central City.
Wen Yu hesitated for a moment, then followed Wang Zhigang towards the Central City Assembly Site.
Wen Yu could tell Wang Zhigangâs happiness was genuine.
However, at that moment, a discordant voice rang out.
"Old Wang, what are you doing? This man hasnât proven his identity. If he causes any trouble in the city, can you take responsibility?"
Hearing this, Wang Zhigang stopped, turned, and stared intently at the uniformed young man who had spoken.
"This is my friend. Whatâs it to you?"
This was Wang Zhigangâs first interaction with the uniformed young man today, and it was hardly a pleasant one.
"Hmph, you think you can just bring any friend into Central City? Donât forget your position! If anything really happens, you, Wang Zhigang, wonât be able to bear the responsibility!"
Hearing Wang Zhigangâs retort, the uniformed young manâs expression soured, and he shouted back.
Old Wangâs explosive temper flared at the young manâs words. He strode right up to the uniformed young man, his eyes fixed on him.
Wang Zhigang was currently at Early Stage Level 3, with physical attributes around 60 points. The uniformed young man, however, was merely Early Stage Level 2.
If not for the young manâs background, Wang Zhigang would have already torn him to shreds and fed him to the dogs!
So, under Wang Zhigangâs overwhelming power and aggressive stare, the uniformed young man slowly lowered his head, hatred simmering in his eyes.
"Letâs go. Donât mind that idiot," Wang Zhigang said.
Seeing the uniformed young man back down, Wang Zhigang gave a cold laugh and turned to lead Wen Yu into the city.
The uniformed young man might have connections, but Wang Zhigang was not to be trifled with either. If the young man truly angered him, Wang Zhigang wouldnât hesitate to kill him and just disappear.
Screw this bloody leadership role.
Wang Zhigang could easily vanish into the mountains and forests; the military wouldnât go to the trouble of hunting him down just for a Level 2 professionist. Besides, if the young man truly had status and strong backing from the military, how could he only be Level 2?
Seeing the uniformed young manâs tightly clenched fists, Wen Yu slightly shook his head.
He understood these petty squabbles all too well. It was just the usual camp politics, a power struggle ignited by his appearance. Strictly speaking, none of this concerned him.
However, to certain fools, Wen Yuâs slight shake of the head could imply many things.
"Hold on!" the uniformed young man spoke up again.
Wang Zhigang whirled around. "When the hell will you shut up? Do you really think I wouldnât dare kill you?"
"Brother Wang, itâs not about that." The uniformed young man shot a smug smile at Wang Zhigang and Wen Yu, then said slowly, "Have you forgotten? Some time ago, headquarters issued an order for all bases to be on the lookout for powerful mutant creatures. If any were found, headquarters would send people to investigate. We reported Simba. But now, I think this... dog... is even stronger than Simba. Although I donât know why headquarters is looking for powerful mutant beasts, a Level 4 mutant beast would definitely meet their requirements."
"Since this man is your friend, Brother Wang, perhaps you could talk to him about handing this mutant beast over to the state. I believe the state will reward your friend generously."
"This isnât me deliberately causing trouble; itâs a directive from headquarters. And I will be reporting this to them."
Seeing the smug look on the uniformed manâs face, Wang Zhigang seethed with anger but couldnât refute his words. Because military headquarters had indeed issued such an order.
"Do whatever you damn well please!" Wang Zhigang gritted out, then turned to Wen Yu. "Little brother, letâs go. Just ignore him; heâs like a fart in the wind. As for your battle pet, Iâll explain it to the military. They definitely wonât make things difficult for you!"
With that, Wang Zhigang started to lead Wen Yu further into the city.
But Wen Yu didnât move.
"Is this man your friend?" a low voice rumbled from Wen Yu.
Wang Zhigangâs reply was blunt. "No, heâs a piece of dog shit."
Wen Yu nodded.
Then, his left hand rose slowly, and a half-meter-long short-barreled gun abruptly materialized in it.
Wen Yuâs movements were slow, almost gentle. Each motion was as if meticulously sculpted; the mere act of raising the gun possessed an uncanny aesthetic that captivated everyone present. The gun wasnât long, but its design was archaic, like a cherished antique.
But undeniably, an antique gun was still a gun. In the eyes of an ordinary person, a firearm still held considerable deterrent power.
So, when the muzzle aimed at the uniformed man, he flinched slightly but quickly composed himself. Because it was difficult to fatally wound a Level 2 professionist even with modern firearms, let alone with what appeared to be an antique gun.
Trying to regain some lost face, the uniformed man puffed out his chest and bellowed at Wen Yu, "Do you know who my fathâ"
BANG!
The gun fired.
As it turned out, Mad Medley was no antique. And its power was now revealed to humans for the first time.
A slightly blurred projectile struck the uniformed manâs torso. If any professionist of Level 5 or higher had been present, they would have seen that Mad Medleyâs projectiles werenât shaped like normal bullets. It was a somewhat disc-shaped mass of energy, flat, with the base of the disc acting as the warhead. A projectile of this shape would lack penetration power, but Mad Medleyâs true strength didnât lie in penetration.
The point of impact on the uniformed man seemed as if struck by a sledgehammer; immense force instantly ripped his body apart.
Then, the Annihilation Effect activated!
Half of the uniformed manâs body vanished instantly.
Then came the explosion.
Amidst a deafening ROAR, the uniformed manâs remaining torso couldnât withstand the explosive force and was instantly obliterated, leaving no trace!
Consequently, Mad Medleyâs third effectâTearingâhad no chance to activate.
Wen Yu slowly lowered Mad Medley. Amidst stunned expressions, he retracted the gun into his body.
"Letâs go, Old Wang."
Wang Zhigang, standing to the side, was clearly still in shock. He stared blankly at the spot where the uniformed man had utterly vanished, then turned to Wen Yu and stammered in disbelief, "Why... why did you kill him?"
"Oh, you mean that moron?" Wen Yuâs voice was calm in response.
"A moron like that? I wouldnât let him live past the first Chapter!"