Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu woke up to Wu Yao’s ssage. Liu Piaopiao had awakened last night, her emotions quite unstable. They had been consoling her all night, and only now had she sowhat stabilized.
After breakfast, the two took a taxi to the hospital. In the hospital bed, Liu Piaopiao was swathed in thick bandages, forty percent of her body covered in burns. A girl, not even ten years old. If she were destined to be an ordinary girl, her life would essentially be ruined.
Fortunately, Wang Lan’s aunt had made a major breakthrough with the X Gene Potion. According to his aunt, the chance of humans awakening as Star Martial Warriors after injecting the X Gene Potion in the future would be over ninety percent.
Once Liu Piaopiao awakened as a Star Martial Warrior, her appearance could potentially be restored through treatnt with dical Star Martial Techniques.
"Piaopiao, we’re all guards," Wang Lan reassured her. "Rest assured, we’ll definitely catch the bad guys and get justice for you."
"Thank you... thank you, Uncle Officer."
"But before that, can you tell us what exactly happened yesterday at noon?" Wang Lan asked.
"Yesterday, I was doing howork at ho. Mom was chopping vegetables, and Sister Wu was pounding beef atballs. Suddenly, a stranger—a bad man—entered our shop. We had no idea how he got in; the front door was locked.
"The bad man wore black clothes and a peaked cap. I didn’t see his face. I was the first to spot him, so I called out to Mom. She put down what she was doing and went to ask who he was looking for. But then... that bad man suddenly pulled out a long knife from sowhere and stabbed Mom right in the chest!
"Then Sister Wu rushed out and started fighting him. Sister Wu and that bad man were so strong and so fast, I couldn’t even see them clearly. Then, suddenly, the bad man started a fire. I saw a ball of flas rushing towards , and then it hurt so much... I don’t know anything after that.
"When I woke up, I was here in the hospital. Officer, that bad man... is he a Star Martial Warrior, like people say? He’s so strong. Can you catch him?"
"Don’t worry, Piaopiao," Wang Lan said gently. "We officers are Star Martial Warriors too."
"Piaopiao, who is this Sister Wu? How did she co to your house?" Jiang Xinyu inquired.
"Sister Wu ca to our shop half a month ago. I rember that night, it was raining. After I finished my howork, I was helping Mom in the shop. Business wasn’t good because of the rain.
"Mom was about to close up when Sister Wu arrived at the door. Sister Wu was dressed in tattered clothes and looked pitiable. She was staring at the beef atballs in Mom’s pot, practically drooling.
"My mom gave her a bowl, but Sister Wu said she didn’t have any money. My mom told her it was free, a gift.
"After that, my mom and Sister Wu started chatting, and I listened from the side. Sister Wu said she had amnesia. She only knew she’d co down from the mountains and couldn’t rember who she was or even her own na.
"Mom felt sorry for her and took her in. Although Sister Wu couldn’t rember anything, she was very strong. It would take Mom half a day to pound the atballs, but Sister Wu could do it in just twenty minutes.
"Sister Wu worked very fast, and she helped us a lot in that half-month. Mom was so happy that she even wanted to beco sworn sisters with Sister Wu. But in the end... we never expected this..."
Although Liu Piaopiao was just a ten-year-old girl, one shouldn’t assu a child of that age has low intelligence. On the contrary, the peak of human intelligence is at ten years old; afterward, it either maintains or declines. Adults only seem smarter because they have accumulated sufficient experience and understand many societal rules.
After everything that had happened, Liu Piaopiao had co to realize that Sister Wu was the cause of all her family’s misfortune.
"Officer... It hurts so much... My whole body is starting to hurt again. Can the nurse give another shot? It hurts so much..."
A senior doctor in the ward, forcing a strained but kind smile, said, "You can’t, sweetie. Painkillers can’t be used too much. If you use them too often, they’ll stop working, and the pain will last much, much longer. Piaopiao, you need to be brave and strong. Endure it for a little while, and it will pass.
"Are you tired, Piaopiao? If you’re tired, sleep for a while. You won’t feel the pain when you’re asleep..."
A murderous glint flashed in Wang Lan’s eyes as he watched. "Let’s go out first and let Piaopiao rest well," he said.
The four of them left the ward. Wang Lan leaned against the wall, let out a long sigh, and said, "We can be certain that the man in black ca to kill Wu. Since Liu Piaopiao and her mother were connected with Wu, the assassin targeted them as well."
"That seems to be the case," Jiang Xinyu remarked. "Underworld vendettas like this have always existed in Huzhou Province and have never been truly eradicated."
"Regardless of their grudges, involving innocents ans they deserve to die," Wang Lan stated coldly. "And Wu also bears inescapable responsibility. She knew she was being hunted, yet she hid in Yang Xinlan’s ho."
"Do you think that Wu will co back to see Piaopiao?" Jiang Xinyu suddenly asked.
"It’s very likely. Have our n keep a covert watch. They must be experts. Wu’s strength is unclear, but I estimate she’s at least at the Galaxy Stage."
"Understood!"
The night deepened, and the entirety of Cangyue City, shrouded in the deepening night, fell into silence. Unlike tropolises like Suzhou City and Modu City, which bustle with life day and night, most cities in the country aren’t very lively even during the day, let alone at night.
A figure slipped into the hospital like a Ghost, easily evading the covert guards and sentries.
In her hospital bed, Liu Piaopiao jolted awake from a sharp pain. She had been awakened by such pain many tis tonight, making her feel as if soone were continually pricking her entire body with needles.
But more than the physical anguish, the pain in her heart was so overwhelming it made her wish for death.
At the age of five, her dad died in a car accident. Her father had been a white-collar worker and the family’s sole breadwinner. The stark contrast in their lives before and after her father’s death was deeply etched into Liu Piaopiao’s mory.
Before, Liu Piaopiao had been the family’s princess, and in many ways, so had her mother. With her father gone, her mother had been forced to support their fractured ho.
Losing her father had transford her from a princess into a sensible child who did her howork in their shop and then helped with chores to lessen her mother’s burden. But now, with her mother also gone, would she beco like the orphans in TV dramas? Would she have to fight stray cats and dogs for food? Would she be bullied by cruel people at an orphanage?
Liu Piaopiao didn’t yet know that her greatest nightmare would be facing her own reflection—a face now so scarred it could make people cry in terror.
Suddenly, there was a slight noise from the window. Liu Piaopiao tensed and hurriedly opened her eyes. When she saw Wu jump in through the window, Liu Piaopiao’s eyes held no joy at seeing a familiar face, only coldness and hostility.
"Piaopiao, how are you? Are you alright...?" Wu asked with concern, rushing forward as soon as she saw Liu Piaopiao was awake.
"Don’t co any closer!" Liu Piaopiao snapped. "If you do, I’ll scream."
"Piaopiao, it’s ! It’s Sister Wu..."
"You killed my mother!" Liu Piaopiao’s words struck Wu like a physical blow, making her stop dead in her tracks. She stared at the girl in stunned disbelief.
She wanted to refute it, but found she couldn’t. If it weren’t for her amnesia, the kind-hearted Yang Xinlan wouldn’t have taken her in. If Yang Xinlan hadn’t sheltered her, her enemies wouldn’t have tracked her there, and Yang Xinlan and Liu Piaopiao wouldn’t have been hard.
"I’m sorry..."
"If saying sorry could fix anything, could you bring my mother back? Could you?!"
The question pierced Wu’s heart. For a mont, she felt an overwhelming urge to turn and flee.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Inside the hotel room, Wang Lan’s phone rang sharply. He opened his eyes abruptly and checked the phone; it was a link sent by Xiao Ai. Opening the link, it displayed the surveillance footage of Liu Piaopiao’s hospital room.
During the day, Wang Lan had utilized Xiao Ai’s abilities to monitor Liu Piaopiao’s room—not because he distrusted his fellow officers, but because he was skeptical of their capabilities. The abilities of Star Martial Warriors were strange and varied. Without soone at the Star Sea Stage overseeing things, it was all too easy for intruders to slip in undetected. And indeed, that was exactly what happened.
"What’s going on?" Jiang Xinyu, now awake, glanced at Wang Lan’s phone. "Are we going now?"
"Mm, I’ll go alone. I’ll be back soon."
Catching soone like Wu hardly warranted two top-tier experts. She wasn’t important enough for that kind of attention. Wang Lan got out of bed and dressed, his figure vanishing from the room in a flash.
"Piaopiao, don’t worry. I will avenge Sister Xinlan. I’ll co to see you in a few days."
"I don’t need you to co see ! I wish I’d never t you!" Liu Piaopiao seethed, her words seemingly squeezed through clenched teeth.
Wu’s figure flashed and disappeared through the window. In an instant, she appeared on the rooftop, ready to leave. Suddenly, a person appeared before her, standing as if he had been there all along.
"Who are you? Are you also here to kill ?" Wu’s expression turned grim. She crouched slightly, Star Power flaring around her as she watched Wang Lan warily.
Wang Lan silently shook his head. "No. But I am curious: who wants to kill you? Who’s hunting you?"
"You’re from the Cangyue City Police Departnt? How co I don’t recall them having any other experts besides Wu Yao?"
"Answer my question first."
"I don’t want to kill you. Get out of my way!" Wu suddenly roared, her expression nacing.
Wang Lan’s expression instantly hardened. It had been a long ti since anyone had dared to be so arrogant in his presence. His figure flashed, and he instantly appeared beside Wu, striking her shoulder with his palm.
Only then did Wu’s face fill with utter shock; she hadn’t been able to move an inch from start to finish. Throughout Huzhou Province, few could subdue her in a single move; even Wen Xianghua and Liu Yuxin might not be capable of it.
"Who’s there?"
"Quick, on the rooftop!"
The commotion alerted the on-duty Star Martial Warriors from the Cangyue City Police Departnt. A flurry of hurried footsteps approached, and in an instant, six guards appeared on the rooftop.
When the six saw Wang Lan, they sheathed their weapons and saluted.
"Have you notified Wu Yao?"
"The Inspector is aware and said he’ll be here within ten minutes."
It was said to be ten minutes, but rely five minutes later, a police car screeched through the hospital gates, rushing to the building where Wang Lan and the others stood.
Wu Yao, still in his police uniform, hurried over to Wang Lan and Wu. But when Wu Yao saw the captive, his expression changed dramatically. "Wen Xiaorou? Is that you?"
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