“AAAAAAAH !!!”
A scream, so piercing it warped in pitch, instantly echoed through the entire hotel lobby.
Lu Xiao’s body convulsed violently, as if an invisible giant hand had grabbed him. His once-proud silver hair stood on end, instantly turning charred black and sending up wisps of smoke.
The leather jacket and pants he wore crackled under the impact of the golden electricity, quickly shredding to tatters and releasing the acrid stench of burnt leather.
“I… fuck…”
He forced out the words through clenched teeth, trying to pull back the foot that had stepped inside, only to find his body completely uncontrollable.
The golden electricity was outrageously powerful!
He was the ancestor of lightning, an S-class lightning ability user, highly resistant to all electric attacks.
Yet this lightning, descending from above, felt like the “father” of his own powers, carelessly rampaging through his body, wreaking havoc.
A numbing, soul-deep agony gripped him; every cell in his body screamed as if being torn apart.
“Boss!”
“Boss, what’s happening to you?”
Outside, Lu Xiao’s subordinates were completely terrified.
They watched their once-untouchable leader who could treat a horde of zombies like fireworks writhing on the floor, foaming at the mouth, utterly humiliated.
Gu Han, who had just walked in, paused and turned to look. Even his eternally ice-cold face showed a trace of… schadenfreude?
He’d personally experienced this kind of electric punishment before.
Though the punishment he endured back then was mild compared to what Lu Xiao was experiencing, he knew exactly how unpleasant it was.
Seeing someone who had always tried to act tough against him get beaten like this gave Gu Han a faint, dark satisfaction.
In the surveillance room, Jiang Lingyue went from shock to sheer disbelief.
She stared at the silver-haired man on the screen, fried to a crisp inside and out, his hands and hair ruined, and swallowed hard.
“S…system, did you do this?”
Yes, Host. Level 1 Security Measure: High-Voltage Electric Shock.
“This is… way too… intense!” Jiang Lingyue exclaimed.
This wasn’t a high-voltage shock it was practically a divine lightning strike!
Judging by Lu Xiao’s miserable state, he was probably not far from being cooked alive.
“Uh… it won’t kill him, right?” Jiang Lingyue worried.
After all, he was an S-class powerhouse. If he died at her doorstep, the reputation damage would be bad.
The security system automatically adjusts the current to incapacitate the target without causing fatal harm.
That’s a relief.
Jiang Lingyue relaxed, then couldn’t help but chuckle.
Lu Xiao really was a stubborn fool.
He refused the obvious path and chose to charge straight into danger.
How’s that now? S-class powerhouse, huh? On my turf, you either play nice or get fried!
Her tiny sense of pride swelled instantly.
She cleared her throat and spoke into the intercom with as much authority as she could muster: “Everyone outside, listen! Immediately cease your foolish actions, or this will be your fate!”
Her voice carried clearly through the hotel PA system to everyone outside.
Lu Xiao’s subordinates were startled by the sudden voice, exchanging fearful glances.
There’s definitely something strange about this hotel…
And a mysterious woman!
Glancing at their leader still “dancing” under the electricity, none of them dared to think of resisting.
“We won’t storm in! We won’t!”
“Big sister! Heroine! Your Majesty! Please spare our boss!”
The blond subordinate reacted first, dropping to his knees and begging for mercy.
The others followed suit, kneeling en masse.
It was obvious if even S-class Lu Xiao could be fried like this, what chance did they, mere A- or B-class users, have?
Jiang Lingyue was pleased with their timely compliance.
She then turned her attention back to Lu Xiao, still “enjoying” the electric therapy.
Golden arcs continued to fall from the ceiling, eliciting howls of pain from him.
“I was wrong… I was wrong… stop… ah!”
“Ma’am… I surrender… I really surrender… please stop… I’m dying… smoking…”
Lu Xiao’s consciousness began to blur, his pleas broken and desperate.
He had never been this humiliated in his life.
The mighty S-class lightning user Lu Xiao, who had always walked arrogantly, had finally met his match.
Today, he was utterly defeated.
He finally understood why Gu Han, that “ice block,” had been quietly staying here.
This place wasn’t meant to be stormed by brute force.
Inside, there was definitely an existence far more terrifying than an S-class ability user.
Listening to his weak pleas, Jiang Lingyue decided he’d had enough.
Continuing would leave psychological scars.
“System, stop for now,” she said in her mind.
Command received.
The golden arcs vanished instantly.
“Plop.”
Without the electricity supporting him, Lu Xiao collapsed like a heap of mud, still twitching slightly.
His leather clothes were completely charred, sticking to his skin, and his silver hair had become a blackened explosion, giving off the scent of roasted meat.
“Ha… ha…”
He gasped, feeling as if he had returned from the gates of death.
Every inch of his body ached.
Jiang Lingyue looked at his pitiful state and began to think.
How should she deal with this hot potato?
Let him go?
No.
He had suffered such a loss today; with his vindictive personality, letting him walk would mean he’d plot revenge. Though he couldn’t break the barrier, having someone like him lurking at her door daily would be annoying.
Kill him?
Seems unnecessary.
He hadn’t committed a mortal offense, and killing an S-class would have huge repercussions.
Then?
Jiang Lingyue glanced at the collapsed Lu Xiao and then at Gu Han watching from the side. A bold idea suddenly struck her.
Right now, Gu Han was the only worker in the hotel.
Resources and crystal cores they could collect were limited.
What if… they added another S-class worker?
One with lightning abilities, perfectly complementing Gu Han’s ice powers.
Then one could focus on offense, the other on control the work efficiency would skyrocket.
The more Jiang Lingyue thought about it, the brighter her eyes shone.
This idea was pure genius!
She looked at Lu Xiao on the floor as if he were a promising new recruit.
Yes, he looked pitiful now, but his fundamentals were solid some rescue and he’d be useful.
She made up her mind and picked up the intercom again.
This time, her tone carried a note of “kind friendliness.”