Watching Pu Xin throw herself into Lu Xunzhi’s arms, chattering excitedly as she called him “Zhizhi,” both the FSB Director and Fang Jing, unusually on the same side, exchanged glances and saw the shock mirrored in each other’s eyes.
Turning his face away, the FSB Director’s eyes flickered with disgust, a smile forced and hollow as he said, “Major Lu, can you explain to me what exactly is going on here?”
Even if there were rumors that Lu Xunzhi’s biological mother was an alien species, they were only rumors! How could Marshal Lu Bieli possibly consort with an alien?
Lu Xunzhi ignored him and instead lifted Pu Xin out of his embrace, scrutinizing her from head to toe to ensure she had no missing limbs. His expression softened slightly, only to harden again when he noticed her delicate, ivory-like soles touching the ground. His brows furrowed with displeasure. “Has the FSB really gotten so poor that you can’t even afford a pair of shoes?”
The FSB Director, already irritated by Lu Xunzhi’s disregard, felt his frustration deepen at being reprimanded over an alien, but what held his attention most was the “mom” Lu Xunzhi had just uttered.
“Major Lu, you can’t say whatever comes to mind. What exactly is her relationship with you?” the FSB Director pressed, pointing at Pu Xin.
Her jade-green eyes, like a clear spring, looked at him innocently. For some reason, a chill ran through him, yet when she smiled at him, it seemed as though his earlier uneasy premonition had been his imagination.
He suppressed his irritation, about to speak, when an emergency alarm suddenly blared throughout the FSB. Fang Jing checked the situation, his expression changing drastically. “Not good. The patrol team was ambushed while capturing escaped aliens, and those damned bastards released no fewer than ten violent-type aliens into the city!”
Lu Xunzhi’s face darkened. Violent-type aliens were uncontrollable; within their territory, they treated all living beings as nourishment. In a city densely populated with people, the scene would inevitably be catastrophic.
The FSB Director muttered a curse, reacting faster than anyone. He strode over and grabbed Pu Xin’s wrist. “You can calm violent-type aliens, right? Come on, follow me immediately!”
Pu Xin staggered under his grip, nearly falling to the ground.
Lu Xunzhi’s reflexes were sharp; he steadied her and swiftly pressed a vital point on the FSB Director’s wrist, sending a tingling sensation through him that forced him to release her.
Before the FSB Director could protest, Lu Xunzhi said, “No need for your help.”
With that, he lifted Pu Xin in his arms and instructed Fang Jing, “Lead the way!”
Their figures vanished from the interrogation room. The FSB Director stared at their retreating backs with an unreadable expression before pressing his lips together, hiding a smile that threatened to slip.
Once aboard the hovercar, Lu Xunzhi rolled up Pu Xin’s sleeves, seeing the red marks and clear finger imprints on her wrists. He pressed his lips together, regretting not insisting on taking her away the previous two days.
Suddenly, a cool fingertip brushed across his brow. Lu Xunzhi looked up to meet Pu Xin’s smiling eyes. She twisted her wrist, the titanium chain on her bracelet clinking with the movement.
“It doesn’t hurt at all,” she reassured him.
Lu Xunzhi turned his head away, saying nothing. Pu Xin scooted closer to him and held up her wrist. “Then can you blow on it for me?”
Blowing on wounds was something only a three-year-old would do. As a Major, how could he possibly indulge such childish behavior?
Two seconds later—
Lu Xunzhi, expressionless, blew gently on Pu Xin’s reddened wrist.
Qi Xia, sitting in the front seat of the hovercar, was so stunned her jaw almost dropped. Fang Jing’s usually wooden expression cracked slightly for a moment.
Pu Xin giggled like a child being comforted. “Thank you, Zhizhi, Mommy doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Lu Xunzhi: “……”
He forced himself to ignore the embarrassment and retrieved a pair of military boots from the spatial bag. Half-kneeling, he lifted Pu Xin’s feet. Her feet were small, clean despite always touching the ground.
Pu Xin stared at him in surprise. Feeling the gaze of her and the two in the front seat, Lu Xunzhi steeled himself and put the boots on her. “These are from when I was a teenager. I forgot I’d left them behind. They should fit. I’ll get you a new pair later.”
With that, he returned to his seat, turning his head to look out the window, pretending nothing had happened.
Pu Xin lifted her feet; the boots were heavy. After a while, she tugged at Lu Xunzhi and smiled, eyes curved in delight. “Zhizhi, the shoes are so pretty.”
She wasn’t used to wearing shoes, but now, stepping around in boots that weren’t quite her size, she looked utterly pleased.
For something he had simply left behind, she was this happy. Lu Xunzhi felt a subtle warmth in his chest. He held Pu Xin and cautioned, “Don’t move around. Follow me closely this time, and don’t repeat what happened the last two days.”
Pu Xin recalled the grim look on Lu Xunzhi’s face two days ago when Fang Jing took her away and obediently nodded.
The two in the front seat were completely dumbfounded.
Before reaching their destination, the group heard a massive commotion ahead. Streets nearby were filled with fleeing people, and sounds of collapsing buildings mixed with screams.
The Security Bureau personnel struggled to maintain order, but the effort was minimal; escape routes were completely blocked.
Hovercars in the airways were fleeing chaotically, traffic discipline effectively nonexistent. Fang Jing activated special permissions, landing the hovercar atop a nearby high-rise.
Not far ahead, towering plants thirty meters tall flailed their vines, toppling buildings like blocks of tofu.
Fang Jing’s virtual screen lit up with data from the scene. Adjusting his glasses, he explained, “The hunt team has arrived, but the numbers are overwhelming. The situation is uncontrollable. No animal-type violent aliens have been detected yet, and Security Bureau personnel are evacuating civilians.”
Lu Xunzhi looked at Pu Xin. “Can you calm them down?”
He had brought her along without argument to prevent the FSB Director from taking her. That extremist, driven by a desire to eliminate all aliens, would never want violent-type aliens controlled. Who knew what might happen if a young alien fell into his hands?
Pu Xin nodded and then shook her head. “I can communicate with them, but I can’t guarantee they’ll obey me like the Purple Mandrake did.”
No alien can dominate others; she simply… was slightly older, currently the oldest among the Malicious Eye aliens aside from Grandpa Cangshu.
Lu Xunzhi guessed she wasn’t omnipotent, frowning in thought before nodding. He lifted her in his arms and leapt from the high-rise.
Pu Xin had never experienced free fall before. The wind roared past her ears as she clutched Lu Xunzhi’s collar. Suddenly her body felt weightless, and she heard the thud of military boots hitting the ground.
Fang Jing continued narrating like an encyclopedia. “It’s an A-class giant cactus. Low attack strength, but its range is too wide, making it difficult to approach.”
Qi Xia’s wind ability formed a wind wall, blocking the cactus’s thrown spines. With a subtle tug in the air, the spines were swept together into a hedgehog-like cluster and dropped to the ground.
The cactus immediately noticed, its yellow flower on top swaying lightly, releasing pale yellow pollen. Its spines on the surface surged outward aggressively.
One Security Bureau member responsible for restraining the cactus landed nearby. Her high ponytail curled slightly in waves, chestnut hair cascading down her back, the uniform giving her a provocative edge despite its formality.
Seeing Pu Xin’s worn clothing and glimpses of her titanium chain under wide sleeves, Wang Ruzhi frowned. “We’ve tried repeatedly but couldn’t approach the giant cactus. The pollen on its head amplifies its spines, and we don’t know when it will run out.”
Cactus-type aliens were a constant headache for the Security Bureau; hunting them usually required exhausting their spines first.
Though this giant cactus was A-class, the pollen amplified its combat ability, making it as troublesome as an S-class.
Neither Fang Jing nor Lu Xunzhi had a better solution; communication required close proximity, but the cactus attacked densely, leaving no opening.
Lu Xunzhi reached for the dagger at his waist, ready to give up on calming it. Pu Xin tugged his sleeve, pointing to a nearby pool. “This big guy’s afraid of water.”
Lu Xunzhi hadn’t spoken yet when Wang Ruzhi frowned. “My water ability attacked it before. It didn’t work.”
“Then you didn’t use enough water,” Pu Xin replied innocently.
Wang Ruzhi, displeased with her matter-of-fact tone, opened her mouth to rebut, but Fang Jing adjusted his glasses. “Ruzhi, pour a lot of water over it.”
His unwavering command left Wang Ruzhi frustrated, and she glanced at Lu Xunzhi, who looked down at Pu Xin. “Hold on tight to me. If it doesn’t work, tell me immediately.”
The little girl tilted her head back, her long black hair flowing down past her knees, subtle green hues catching the light. The tips revealed snow-white ears. Even just looking at her, she resembled a princess pampered in an ivory tower.
Wang Ruzhi’s chest tightened further, but she had no choice but to follow Fang Jing’s orders. She manipulated her ability over the pool, concentrating the water’s movement.
The beautiful alien girl suddenly lifted her hand, and a single spine that had passed through the wind wall ignored the obstacle.
Lu Xunzhi was about to sever it when he noticed the spine had lost all hostility, quivering in midair. Pu Xin pinched it and blew gently. “If you don’t behave, I’ll water you.”
The spine shivered instantly. The giant cactus fifty meters away, ready to fire again, suddenly deflated like a balloon, visibly shrinking.
Lu Xunzhi and the others: “……”
Had this little alien completely misunderstood what “communication” means?