Chapter 137: Bowl-Cut Boy
"D7 Squad..."
This most mysterious squad in the Disaster Managent Bureau had always intrigued Han Su.
A group that needed no concern for their own lives, tasked solely with executing the most dangerous and unbelievable missions—wherever they appeared, they stood out from the crowd.
Moreover, was the Bowl-Cut Boy he suspected truly in this squad?
With this in mind, Han Su quickly reached the designated location. Standing on the street, he surveyed the surroundings and the crowd. Having a rough grasp of the situation, he lifted his suitcase and sent a ssage to Miss Ai:
"The environnt is complex. Crowd evacuation required!"
Miss Ai: 【Special arrangents have already been made. The crowd will be evacuated in 1 minute and 30 seconds!】
"This..."
Han Su glanced at the crowded surroundings, a "?" practically forming above his head.
It was midday, the liveliest ti. The area was a mix of craft factories and residential buildings—chaotic and densely packed.
He didn't doubt Miss Ai's capability, but in such a place, even dispatching a military unit would take at least half a day to evacuate the crowd.
How could he believe she could do it in just a minute and a half?
Wouldn't overly aggressive thods cause panic—or even alert so anomalies?
He checked the ti on his phone and quietly started the stopwatch.
Three seconds, five, ten, twenty...
Nothing changed. The traffic continued, people crowded the streets, no sign of change.
Han Su waited silently, until at the thirty-second mark, a sudden "bang" ca from deep within the area. It wasn’t loud enough to spark panic—pedestrians only turned curiously toward the sound.
Suddenly, a wave of stench wafted over from the depths of the area.
How to describe it?
Even fernted puffins pulled from a seal's rear would be a hundred tis easier to tolerate.
It was a soul-piercing stench!
As if one's soul had been sealed inside a can of fernted herring for a century!
The crowd instantly turned chaotic, covering their noses and fleeing, so shouting, "Did the septic tank explode?!"
"No way, a septic tank doesn’t sll *that* bad..."
Groups began fleeing—people with wheelchairs, holding children—even cats and dogs bolted. Han Su even saw a pet turtle crawling away in desperation.
Utterly baffled, he typed into the system: "Did you blow up a septic tank to complete the mission?"
Miss Ai: 【Please do not insult chanical intelligence, Mr. Butcher!】
【I dispatched operatives to the target area to deploy a crowd dispersal bomb, combining advanced technology and mysterious power. Upon detonation, no living being within 100 ters can endure it.】
【Even immobile or confined lifeforms within the range will fall unconscious after 30 seconds and rember nothing upon waking!】
【This thod also aids future public explanations. There will be news reports saying this area...】
Miss Ai paused.
Han Su asked, "What?"
Miss Ai: 【Due to improper construction by so workers, the septic tank in the area exploded.】
【......】
"So it *was* a septic tank explosion after all?"
Han Su, bewildered, dashed into a nearby shop and bought a face mask.
While looking visibly distressed, he noticed a convoy of black armored vehicles rumbling down the street—ignoring traffic lights and lanes, moving against the fleeing crowd toward various intersections.
One of the lead vehicles stopped by the roadside, and three fully-ard personnel jumped out and saluted Han Su.
"Good grief, it's you again?"
Seeing the steely deanor of the ard team, Han Su couldn’t help but crack.
The leader was a middle-aged man with coarse stubble, but beside him was a chubby man with a rounder build. Though he looked steadier in combat gear, his eyes still bulged wide.
After saluting, the middle-aged man reported solemnly, "Mr. Butcher? I’m Executioner codenad Mountain Crocodile."
"All nine containnt teams are in position. I’ll serve as chief commander. How should we coordinate with you?"
"...Execution Squad Captain?"
Han Su showed him his credentials. Judging by his age, this man was likely one of the earliest executioners.
Execution mbers, as their Disaster Bureau service ti and evaluation improved, would eventually be promoted.
Promotions split into two paths.
D1D2 mbers often beca Investigators—or at least their assistants.
D3 to D6 mbers usually specialized in certain fields or beca squad captains. Except for being tied to the Bureau, they all had promising futures.
"Just maintain the periter," Han Su said. "The septic tank inside already blew. The crowd is self-evacuating. But what about the contaminated infected inside—could they escape too?"
"No," replied the captain.
He paused, then added, "Infected anomalies typically possess innate commands and danger assessnts. A dispersal bomb, though intolerable, causes little harm and doesn’t trigger their alarms."
"Simply put, dispersal bombs leverage common social cognition—sothing infected lack."
"Of course, the priority now is locating the source and severing the infiltration path. Even if so infected escape, it’s acceptable. The contamination has long spread; the expansion happened before we arrived."
"Have you confird the source?"
"..."
Han Su nodded and looked toward the depths of the street. "Then I’ll need to ask my two assistants."
The ard personnel followed his gaze and saw two figures carrying black suitcases approaching—Doctor in front, Hei Hu behind, both covering their mouths and noses as they ran.
Hei Hu, usually considerate, had outpaced Doctor by twenty or thirty ters. Only when the stench lessened did he stop.
He walked up to Han Su, gave a nod of greeting.
*He’s an assistant now?*
The chubby man was even more surprised.
He rembered Hei Hu well. Among the team he once led, one was the most cunning, the other the most honest.
Now the honest one had beco the assistant of the cunning one?
Fate was truly...
"Investigation complete," said Doctor, arriving before Han Su.
"The infiltration source is likely inside this Haifang Factory."
"Behind their manager’s office, there should be a secret storage room."
"I suspect this factory, while appearing legitimate, is involved in smuggling relic items. This site is one of their bases. That hidden room probably holds many illegal objects."
"The source of this infiltration is one of those items."
"..."
Han Su nodded, expressionless.
The Administration strictly regulated relic items, but many people had intense interest in them.
Organizations like the Crystal Skull Organization would pay high prices for relics—even if not anomalous.
This prompted many to take risks and trade such forbidden goods in secret.
Still, Han Su found Doctor’s wording odd for soone so ticulous:
"Why so many 'likely,' 'I think,' and 'I suspect'?"
"Because it’s all speculation," Doctor said, adjusting his glasses with his middle finger.
"As assistants, getting too close to the source risks danger we can’t handle."
"Also, when we approached Haifang Factory, we saw many suspected infected Double-Bodies stationed guard outside, showing high alert. From within, we heard murmured prayers—suggesting a ritual."
"Be very careful when entering..."
"..."
*Looks like you did leave a bit of work for ...*
Han Su stared at Doctor’s matter-of-fact expression, unable to find fault.
Turning to the squad captain: "Where’s the cleanup team?"
Mountain Crocodile looked back. "They’re here!"
Everyone turned toward the street’s end. Two armored cars escorted a modified prison van—its body plated with heavy steel, looking formidable.
As the van approached, ard personnel jumped down from the escort vehicles and pointed their guns at the van.
Then the van’s rear compartnt slowly opened. Four figures erged, shielding their eyes from the sun.
Each looked strange—tal bands strapped across their heads, so tattooed, so unshaven, so smiling coldly—but their eyes sent chills down one’s spine.
The most striking was the one in the back.
He looked the weakest, yet wore ankle shackles and handcuffs. His head was clean-shaven, scars like worms traced across his scalp. Though expressionless, his naturally upturned lips made him appear smiling.
He moved slower than the rest. After stepping out, he walked forward step by step. Guns aid at him, but he acted like they weren’t there—forcing the ard guards to retreat.
"Stop, stop!"
"..."
Their appearance drew everyone's attention—especially Han Su. The mont he saw the bald one, a flicker of light crossed his eyes.
"That guy—even with a different haircut—you can still recognize him at a glance..."
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