Chapter 134: Not Over Yet

Whirr… Whine…

The motorcycle sputtered weakly, a dejected sound.

After Lu Xin fell under the Puppet-type ability user’s “Forced Imitation,” the Man in the Red Suit had bolted out the warehouse’s side door, intending to make a clean getaway. But the motorcycle only lurched forward before suddenly dying. No matter how hard he stomped on the kickstart, it just groaned pitifully, refusing to start.

“Damn it!”

The man cursed, abandoned the motorcycle, and reached his hands upwards.

He grasped at the air as if grabbing something invisible, and his body shot upwards.

It looked like something was pulling him, about to lift him into the sky.

Unfortunately, just as he rose about a meter off the motorcycle, Lu Xin bizarrely appeared beside him, grabbed his ankle, and yanked him back down, forcing him back onto the motorcycle seat.

Lu Xin placed a hand on his shoulder, his expression finally relaxing.

Psychic threads.

Threads manifested through mental power could entangle objects, allowing control over them from a distance, even mid-air movement.

Lu Xin had seen this before on the mentally modified person who had invaded the Second Satellite City.

This was the third ability of Puppet-type users, enabling movement akin to flight.

However, this ability was more often used by mentally modified people.

Puppet-type users themselves rarely used it due to their heavier bodies and insufficient reaction time and balance.

Additionally, when controlling a mentally modified person, the user would enter a dormant state.

*Swish!*

As Lu Xin pulled him back onto the motorcycle, the man’s face turned incredibly pale.

The seven mentally modified people he had prepared were completely used up.

His opponent seemed to have found a way to counter the “Forced Imitation” ability.

Something was wrong with the motorcycle; it stubbornly refused to start.

And at such close range, even using psychic threads wouldn’t allow him to escape.

The moment he sat back on the motorcycle and felt the hand on his shoulder, his nerves stretched taut.

*Swish!*

He abruptly drew the gun from his waist, spun around, aimed at the other’s head, and ruthlessly pulled the trigger…

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The harsh gunshots reverberated in the confined space.

The muzzle flash illuminated Lu Xin’s face, revealing a slight smile.

His neck twisted twice at an extreme angle and speed, emitting sharp cracking sounds.

All the bullets missed.

The Man in the Red Suit still held the gun, its bullets not yet spent.

But his hand was already trembling. To be this close to a Spider-type…

*Clatter! Clatter!*

Lu Xin merely rested his hand on the man’s shoulder, doing nothing else.

Yet, the gun in the man’s hand flew apart piece by piece. Then followed his fingers, his wrist, his arm, bit by bit flying into the air before scattering on the ground like wilting rose petals.

“Ah!”

The man screamed and tumbled off the motorcycle.

He curled up on the ground, guttural sounds of agony escaping his throat as his body twitched and contorted.

However, the pain lasted only a short while.

It was unclear how he did it, but after a brief struggle, he stopped.

He lay prone for a moment, gasping, then forced himself up, his face now devoid of pain.

…

…

“You don’t seem like a Spider-type…”

Once standing, the Man in the Red Suit seemed to have completely given up resisting.

A wry smile appeared on his bloodless face as he looked at Lu Xin. “I remember Spider-types not being this terrifying…”

…

“You’re not the first person to say that.”

Lu Xin didn’t answer, just smiled, pulled out the man’s motorcycle keys, and stuffed them into his own pocket.

He recalled the profile on Puppet-type ability users. The professors had emphasized in the materials that their weakness lay in the main body. Find the main body, get close, and subduing the user should be easy.

He just hadn’t expected it to take this much effort.

Neither the mentally modified person disguised as a normal bystander nor the bomb inside its stomach were easy to handle.

He remembered the three lines highlighted in red in the materials he’d brought—a warning from the Special Cleaning Department and the first lesson of the ability user combat training he hadn’t yet taken. The core points were the three major principles of ability user duels:

First: Ability users never initiate unprepared battles.

Second: The battle itself is never the deciding factor; preparation is.

Third: Ensuring you don’t lose control is more important than winning.

…

The surrounding environment’s influence on an ability user’s strength could be significant enough to change the outcome of a duel. Therefore, every ability user strives to create a favorable ‘home ground’. This Puppet-type user had actually done quite well in that regard.

Though the threat wasn’t huge, he could have at least caused some chaos, maybe even escaped.

Luckily for Lu Xin, they clearly lacked experience dealing with someone like him.

…

…

“Where are the others?”

Lu Xin asked softly, hands shoved into his pockets.

“They aren’t here.”

The man gave a helpless smile. “When our attempt to record the Mental Bomb experiment data failed, the Boss felt something was off. Even though there were no concrete traces afterwards, they split from me just to be safe.”

“I didn’t think much of it myself. I just planned to rest here for a bit and buy a few more people to replenish my puppets. I just didn’t expect you guys to arrive so quickly… Looks like anyone who can become a Boss really knows their stuff. Qinggang City is indeed tough to deal with.”

…

Lu Xin ignored his commentary, frowning slightly. “So where did they run off to?”

The Man in the Red Suit glanced at Lu Xin, his smile tinged with sarcasm.

Lu Xin looked at him seriously. “If you won’t talk, I have other ways of asking.”

“Haha…”

The man burst out laughing, then his voice gradually lowered. “You underestimate me, friend. Out here in the Wasteland, rules and promises are paramount. I’ve fallen into your hands, so naturally, I accept my fate. But surely you don’t think I’d spill everything immediately? Losing my credibility and reputation would be a fate worse than death!”

“Oh, right!”

He seemed to relax slightly as he spoke, adding with a chuckle, “I should also remind you, I’m a Puppet-type ability user. I can control myself just like a puppet. So, even if you dismember me, I won’t feel any pain.”

…

Lu Xin gave him a calm look. “It’s okay. I’m sure we can find a solution.”

The man paused, unsure how to interpret this amicable response.

Lu Xin nonchalantly glanced sideways.

Mom was still standing nearby, watching like a parent at their child’s sports event.

When Lu Xin’s gaze met hers, she smiled slightly and whispered, “It’s not over yet…”

Lu Xin frowned slightly, pondering, “What else is there?”

Mom was different from Sister. She didn’t lend him abilities, nor did she seem to need to.

When problems arose, she would proactively help him.

Like back on Jiujiang Road in the Second Satellite City, when she helped him block the bullets.

Like how she usually protected him from Father’s shadow.

It even included the subtle reminders about crucial details during the fight just now.

She was a very meticulous person, always noticing the small things.

Her reminders were always useful and critical.

But because her ability was rather mysterious, Lu Xin himself needed to observe carefully.

Regardless, if she said it wasn’t over, then there must be something he hadn’t considered.

But this Puppet-type user truly had no strength left to resist. At this distance, Lu Xin could indeed kill him at any moment. So, if there was still a problem, where could it lie?

As he pondered this, a clamor arose in the distance.

“Hey, brother! Let’s talk this out! I’m telling you, I’m somebody in Qinggang City…”

From afar, bobbing lights appeared as a group of people shoved Gecko towards them.

These people were all carrying guns of various types, including handguns and submachine guns.

Their lighting equipment also varied. Some wore miner’s hats with lamps, others held flashlights—some bright, some dim—and a few even carried torches.

The one thing they had in common was the serpent-patterned armband worn on their sleeves.

It seemed these people were likely the peacekeeping team from Blackwater Town.

Of course, the actual peacekeepers were probably the few holding bright flashlights and cradling submachine guns. The others might be clerks or guards from that Chess and Card Room, along with some onlookers who tagged along with the peacekeepers.

Gecko had both hands clasped behind his head, shouting continuously. He looked quite pathetic.

“What’s with this Vice-captain…”

Seeing so many people approach, Lu Xin stood up, dropped the cigarette butt he’d smoked down to the filter, and crushed it underfoot.

*Flick! Flick! Flick! Flick!*

Countless flashlight beams simultaneously landed on his face. From the crowd, a burly man nearly 1.9 meters tall stepped forward. Dressed in a black trench coat worn open, built like a bear with heavily tattooed arms, he strode forward gripping a gun and cursed, “Are you motherfuckers here to cause trouble?”

“Don’t you know firing guns is strictly forbidden in Blackwater Town?”

“I don’t care where you’re from, causing trouble in Blackwater Town never ends well…”