Time flew, and several more days passed in the blink of an eye.

The autumn sun was no longer scorching. The sunlight that scattered down carried a lazy warmth, making one want to squint their eyes in comfort.

Golden leaves rustled as they fell, drifting down from the ginkgo trees lining the road.

Lu Chao, wearing a black jacket, sat inside an inconspicuous black sedan on the side of the street. His gaze pierced through the windshield, fixed on a distant shop named Kangtai Pharmacy.

Pedestrians still came and went. Office workers entered the restaurant next door, gathering in twos and threes. They huddled on plastic stools, laughing and talking loudly over cheap beer.

A child, coughing incessantly, was led by a worried-looking adult into the pharmacy for a diagnosis and to pick up medicine.

There was nothing out of the ordinary. The entire street was calm, peaceful, and normal.

He took advantage of the brief lull to swipe through his smart watch.

He had completed the system authentication for the internal network over the past two days and was gradually familiarizing himself with its many functions.

The store had many items available for exchange, such as potions, supplements, High-Level Exotic Beast Meat, and even basic theoretical knowledge for cybernetic maintenance or pharmaceuticals.

Soon, Lu Chao selected a category and specifically tapped into the Martial Skills section.

Bursting Fist, Iron Spear Finger, Blazing Flame Palm...

One special killing move after another appeared before his eyes, each one radiating a chilling, deadly aura.

Some could provide an explosive boost the moment a punch was thrown, while others could concentrate power into a single point, turning a finger into steel capable of piercing through anything.

In terms of sheer power, they far surpassed ordinary Fighting Skills, completely living up to the name of Martial Skills and Secret Techniques.

’Too expensive. Even a beginner-level Martial Skill costs several thousand contribution points to redeem.’

’I can’t imagine how many merits I’d have to earn for that.’

After a quick glance, Lu Chao felt a little helpless.

Ordinary patrol missions only gave a few contribution points. Accumulating enough would take who knows how long.

Subconsciously, he thought about the black market Brother Hao had mentioned before.

The masked man’s communicator had been quietly disposed of there, selling for two or three thousand yuan. The firearm the blond youth used in his sneak attack had also been purchased there.

’Rumor has it you can buy anything there, as long as you have the money.’

’I wonder if I can get my hands on one through there...’

CLICK!

The driver’s side door suddenly opened, interrupting Lu Chao’s thoughts.

He turned his head and saw Chen Xiao, also in plain clothes.

He slipped into the car holding a bulging plastic bag that emanated the fragrant aroma of hot food.

"Phew, I had to walk around the whole area to find this... Make do with it. Stakeouts are like this, pretty boring."

"It might not seem tiring, but it’s actually quite draining."

He added with a smile, then settled into his seat.

Lu Chao suppressed his distracting thoughts, thanked him, and took the plastic bag.

Inside were two large meal containers filled with a surprising amount of nutritious lunch, mostly sauced Exotic Beast Meat, along with some high-protein and high-carb staple foods.

Both of them were fighters, and their appetites were far greater than that of ordinary people, not to mention they were boosted by [Plunder Growth].

"How are things on Captain Yang’s end?"

Lu Chao opened the container, picked up a piece of Exotic Beast Meat steak with his chopsticks, and asked as he ate.

Another pharmacy robbery had occurred recently. The method was highly similar to that of the Qiu Shan gang, and it was extremely brazen.

The entire Patrol Department was shaken by it, but they still hadn’t been able to catch the culprit.

"Hah, about the same as us."

"Wang Shisong said they’ve been watching several pharmacies for the past two days, but nothing’s turned up."

Chen Xiao’s voice was muffled as he spoke, swallowing his food while looking out the windshield at the street.

The Wang Shisong he mentioned was another colleague, a Level-Two Patrol Officer.

Besides them, there was only one other person on the team, a woman who mostly worked a desk job at the Patrol Department, helping to look up various materials, coordinate vehicle use, and handle meal expense reimbursements.

"But..."

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Chen Xiao lowered his voice and said with some frustration, "Those bastards from Team Two seem to have stepped in some dogshit luck recently."

"I heard one of their informants found some clues and is following up on them."

Lu Chao raised an eyebrow at that but wasn’t surprised by his tone.

The teams in the Patrol Department weren’t a monolithic block. Some might have good relationships, while others had their own conflicts and contradictions.

For example, the Team Two he mentioned didn’t get along well with them.

Especially their captain, Ruan Hui, who seemed to have some personal grudge against Yang Wangtao.

During their idle chat, Chen Xiao did most of the talking while Lu Chao listened quietly.

At some point, as if remembering something, Chen Xiao put down his meal container and took a sip of water. "Oh, right, I almost forgot."

"That disappearance case you asked me about before? Seems like there’s been some progress in the last couple of days."

.....

「In a dark, secret chamber.」

The stench of sweat and urine mixed together, hanging heavy in every corner.

A few rays of sunlight barely trickled through a barred window, illuminating more than twenty figures with numb expressions. Their hands and feet were bound with coarse hemp ropes as they curled up on the cold floor.

Several shadows appeared in the crack beneath the tightly shut iron door. Footsteps approached, and the sound of voices gradually grew louder.

"Have all the tails been dealt with?"

"Boss, rest assured. Everything is going according to your plan."

"Mm."

A hoarse voice, sounding slightly aged.

Following the sound, the iron door opened, and the figure in a hooded black robe and a mask appeared once more.

Seemingly disgusted by the smell, he took out a white silk handkerchief to cover his nose. His exposed eyes scanned the room from left to right as if inspecting cargo.

"This will do."

He waved his hand. "Things are too tense recently. Lie low for a while according to the plan. We’ll continue after some time has passed."

"Yes, Boss."

The middle-aged man behind him quickly bowed in acknowledgment, not daring to show the slightest neglect. He swiftly exited the room to arrange the follow-up matters.

The masked man in the black robe remained where he was, continuously sizing up the bound figures, their faces filled with numbness and fear.

A sturdy man wearing a black face mask and a baseball cap, who had been following him the whole time, looked like a loyal bodyguard, never leaving his side.

Shouts, yells, footsteps...

Many sounds came from outside the iron door, leaving only the two of them in the secret chamber.

"The person who killed Liu Heng... are we really not going to deal with him?"

The man in the face mask suddenly asked, a trace of bloodlust appearing in his cold eyes as if he were suppressing some violent emotion.

"No rush."

The man in the black robe shook his head, holding his silk handkerchief as he said calmly, "Since this sacrificial seed has already begun to grow, we will simply wait to harvest it when it bears fruit."

"When the time comes..."

A hint of piety appeared in his eyes as he spoke. "Not just you and I, but Liu Heng’s soul will also be blessed by the Celestial God and return to the Eternal Divine Kingdom."

...

"The Superpower Bureau?"

Inside the black stakeout car, Lu Chao’s face was full of surprise as he listened to Chen Xiao’s news.

"Yep."

Chen Xiao let out a burp and put down the nutritional meal container in front of him.

He picked up his water cup again, took a sip, and wiped his mouth. "After the incident on Factory Street, when they brought back a body, the Department contacted the Superpower Bureau. They pooled some manpower to cooperate and formed the Special Investigation Team."

"It’s been confirmed that this disappearance case is inextricably linked to those God-Worshiping Churches from the wilderness—those lunatics who worship the void."

"Several gangs have already been found to be connected to them, and the people from the Special Investigation Team have started their follow-up..."

’So that’s how it is.’

Lu Chao nodded slightly, pondering for a few seconds.

The Superpower Bureau was another armed organization, separate from the Patrol Department, and under the direct command of the Alliance Country’s headquarters.

Normally, they were only responsible for handling matters related to major corporations, wilderness-based Al-Qaeda, warlords, and shelter cities. Their duties differed somewhat from the Patrol Department’s.

’I wonder if they’ll actually be able to catch the accomplices of that man in the face mask.’

Lu Chao thought, then didn’t ask any more questions.

Both of them turned their gazes back to the pharmacy and continued their tedious and lengthy stakeout.