After the explosion, Lu Yi checked her optical brain communicator.
The signal had completely disconnected.
Her communication history was empty, and even all contact information had been wiped clean.
As time slowly passed, maintaining the same position for too long caused numb soreness to spread through her limbs. Gradually, she could no longer muster strength.
Suddenly, movement sounded once again outside the door.
A spark sliced through the wooden door, and golden light shone through the crack, forcing Lu Yi to squint.
Creak… creak…
A mechanical arm extended through the cut opening and silently turned the locked handle.
A medium-sized machine appeared before her.
Lu Yi often saw advertisements for them on towering buildings.
This was interstellar high technology.
Though labeled “security units,” they were actually inhuman killing machines equipped with all kinds of lethal weapons…
A machine would not force-feed her chocolate.
It would simply cut off her head directly.
[Scanning target…]
[Safety confirmed. Shoulder wound detected. Treatment completed.]
[Preparing extraction.]
“Extraction…?”
Instinctively, Lu Yi moved her wrists.
The machine silently floated closer and extended several sharp mechanical blade-arms.
“D-Don’t kill me!”
A blade flashed.
Lu Yi felt no pain.
Instead, she realized the restraints around her limbs had been severed.
[Night Eye’s boss really is a psychopath.]
A heavily distorted electronic voice sounded.
[Hey. Can you still move?]
Lu Yi wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and practically rolled off the bed in panic, only to collapse weakly beside it.
Was the chocolate poisoned…?
Lu Yi did not realize this exhaustion was actually her body’s protective response after the venom detoxification battle.
“I don’t have any strength…”
Leaning beside the bed, she struggled desperately to stand, but every attempt failed.
The machine floated closer to her. Its pair of camera lenses folded slightly like cat ears.
[Stop moving. I’m almost there—]
BANG!
A massive black shadow suddenly pounced onto the machine, slamming it violently into the floor.
For an instant, Lu Yi met a pair of familiar cold gray eyes.
Darkness swallowed the bedroom once again.
The beast’s heavy breathing amplified throughout the room. Lu Yi hardly dared breathe at all and instinctively held her breath.
Turning her eyes slightly, she looked toward the dark corner nearby.
The damaged machine emitted weak crackling sounds…
It seemed completely destroyed.
“Lu Yi. Get on.”
The beast approached her, calling her name with an extremely familiar voice.
“…President Yalan?”
The strict voice that normally frightened her had suddenly become her only salvation…
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness again, she saw an enormous black wolf standing close before her.
“Can’t move?”
Yalan swept his gaze across her miserable state before lightly nudging her icy skin with his damp nose.
“I don’t have enough strength to transform again, Lu Yi. Hold on and climb onto my back.”
As he spoke, Yalan shifted his body sideways and lowered his back slightly.
“Okay!”
Half crawling and half dragging herself, Lu Yi climbed weakly onto Yalan’s back.
She truly lacked all strength now.
The only thing she could do was wrap her arms around the black wolf’s neck and tightly clamp her legs against his body.
If anyone saw this scene, it would look as though the black wolf were carrying a corpse.
“Hold tight. We’re leaving.”
Yalan leapt forward, racing out of the underground basement at full speed.
Lu Yi’s mind nearly shook apart from the violent motion.
His speed was unimaginably fast.
Afraid of falling, she could only cling even tighter around his thick fur-covered neck.
The black wolf’s fur was rough and coarse. Her upper body, clothed only in a camisole, rubbed constantly against it from the violent movement, quickly becoming painfully raw.
Yet Lu Yi remained silent, gritting her teeth so Yalan would not become distracted.
She feared even the slightest sound would cause that psychopath to reappear…
Suddenly, Yalan sharply twisted aside, narrowly avoiding a slicing blade attack.
The force nearly flung Lu Yi completely off his back.
Four or five machines surrounded them from every direction.
The searchlights on every unit glowed a piercing red, warning the black wolf to stop moving.
Several distorted voices sounded simultaneously.
[Give her to me.]
Yalan bared his fangs and stared warily upward, noticing the familiar cat-ear insignia.
“Hermoke. Withdraw your machines.”
[Oh? So it’s Yalan.]
The moment his voice was identified, the machines’ red lights instantly turned golden.
Yet Hermoke clearly had no intention of retreating.
[Do you really think you can get her out alive? This is gang territory.]
Gang territory?!
Catching those keywords, Lu Yi slightly lifted her head in disbelief.
The psychopath who kidnapped her…
Really was part of the gangs.
“As long as you stop wasting time here, we’ll leave very soon.”
Yalan stepped forward slightly, murderous intent flashing through his eyes.
[…President Yalan really shouldn’t speak so confidently.]
The machines merged together immediately, transforming into combat form.
Hermoke’s voice turned cold.
[Give her to me. Only I can safely get her out.]
Lu Yi instinctively tightened her grip on Yalan’s fur…
The black wolf slightly tilted his head, sensing the small movement from the girl.
She was terrified.
Yalan slowly retracted his fangs.
“Hermoke, your extortion succeeded. I’ll give you as much money as you want. Now let us leave.”
[Money? I want HER! Not money!]
For the first time in his life, Hermoke felt money itself was insulting him!
Grinding his teeth furiously, he nearly attacked on the spot.
But Lu Yi remained tightly wrapped around Yalan’s back, clutching him like a lifeline.
These organizations were all snakes in the same nest.
How could Yalan possibly be a good person?!
Still…
There was no time left.
The long-range sonar scans had completed.
Someone was approaching.
[…Go.]
Hermoke’s face darkened with resentment as he finally allowed the black wolf to sprint toward the outskirts of gang territory.
Emergency power systems activated.
The gang district regained light once again.
You Min’s counterattack was about to begin.
Hermoke sneered coldly and fearlessly sat back down upon the sofa.
All machines instantly switched back into red-eye combat mode.
Gunfire echoed through the forest.
A chaotic battle officially erupted.
Hermoke held back the incoming gang attacks while simultaneously hacking directly into Yalan’s optical brain communicator.
“All the gang rats are heading here. I can only stall them for five minutes. If you can’t survive, then convince Lu Yi to accept my plan.”
Yalan replied with only a single word:
“Okay.”
The humming roar of a small battleship sounded nearby.
Lu Yi weakly lifted her unbearably heavy eyelids and vaguely saw the glint of gun barrels reflecting beneath the night sky.
“President…”
Her voice sounded hoarse and faint.
“I think… I saw guns…”
Her arms and legs had long since stiffened from overexertion.
Unable to stay conscious any longer, Lu Yi finally fainted.
Meanwhile, aboard the “Night Eye” battleship in the distance, You Min’s thermal vision locked onto the black wolf invading gang territory.
“Boss. We can take the shot now.”
The sniper rifle aimed at its prey—
Only for You Min to suddenly press down the barrel.
The sniper froze in confusion after noticing someone riding upon the black wolf’s back.
“How—”
“Thief…”
You Min’s expression turned frighteningly dark.
That wild wolf…
Had stolen his Lu Yi.
One subordinate leaned close and whispered something into the sniper’s ear. Instantly understanding, the sniper nodded eagerly.
“Boss, if we don’t shoot now, they’ll escape… I guarantee I won’t hit her. Trust me!”
Desperate to earn merit, the sniper immediately raised his rifle once again—