Outside the Dead End Hollow, at the Vision Corporation demolition command site.
“What the hell is going on? How did Executive Perlman get tied up by a little girl?”
The crowd below the stage chattered in confusion.
Glaring spotlights were pointed directly at Nekomata on the stage.
Holding Perlman—who had been stuffed into a trash can—Nekomata couldn’t help but squint against the glare.
After adjusting to the harsh light, Nekomata looked down at the crowd, packed densely with armed personnel.
Yet, there wasn’t a trace of fear in her eyes; her expression held only pure determination.
Her gaze swept through the ranks, immediately identifying the seductive woman standing at the front as the one in charge.
“Are you the person calling the shots here? My demand is simple: as long as Vision Corporation halts the demolition and rescues the trapped residents, I’ll give him back to you.” Sarah sneered, looking at Nekomata with a dismissive, mocking gaze.
“Heh, you make it sound so easy. If we actually did what you asked, it would cause an earth-shattering scandal. How exactly do you expect Vision Corporation to explain that to the public? Besides, who are you supposed to be? Coming here single-handedly to negotiate with us—aren’t you afraid you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?”
“Oh, excuse me ma’am~” Nekomata lightly tapped her head, acting cute for a moment.
“I completely forgot to introduce myself. I’m Nekomiya Mana, but you can call me Nekomata. To tell you the truth, I’m actually from the Red Fang Gang.”
This statement caused quite a stir, and the crowd below erupted in commotion.
Nekomata was very satisfied with their reaction and proceeded to lay out her bargaining chips.
She offered to take the fall as the main culprit—claiming she was the one who took the residents hostage to obstruct the construction, allowing Vision Corporation to swoop in, ‘arrest’ her, and save the day.
Admittedly, Nekomata had thought this through thoroughly.
Not only would Vision Corporation suffer zero losses, but they would also gain immense public praise and profit.
Sarah was slightly surprised but quickly figured it out.
Indeed, for someone all alone with no money or power, using herself as a bargaining chip was a pretty smart tactic, but unfortunately…
“So you’re saying you want to sacrifice yourself? How noble.” Sarah mocked.
“Noble? Haha… I’m just a stray animal who lost her place to call home.” Nekomata’s eyes carried a trace of sorrow, though her tone remained composed and unyielding.
“Someone like me, who doesn’t belong anywhere, is best suited for this kind of role, isn’t she?”
“I wouldn’t say that, little kitty~!”
A sudden voice interrupted this unfair negotiation.
“Who’s there?! Who said that?!”
The Vision Corporation personnel raised their weapons and looked around, instantly on high alert.
Sarah’s expression didn’t change, but a dark cloud cast over her eyes.
“That voice… it’s Little Li!” Nekomata was filled with joy.
The roaring engine of a motorcycle echoed from behind the crowd, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Not far away, a beam of light pierced the darkness as Li Qianqiao sped toward them.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he used a nearby slope as a ramp, soaring right over the heads of the Vision Corp grunts and landing steadily in the center of the stage.
Auto Vajin’s tires dragged a long skid mark across the ground before the engine’s roar gradually died down.
“I’m late.”
Li Qianqiao stepped off the bike, walked over to Nekomata, and gently patted her head, his tone soft.
Even through the armor, Nekomata could feel the warmth of his large hand.
For some reason, looking at Li Qianqiao’s silhouette, a famous line suddenly popped into Nekomata’s mind: My true love is a peerless hero.
One day, he will appear in a highly anticipated moment, wearing golden armor and riding on seven-colored clouds to marry me!
Wait, w-why am I thinking this?!
Nekomata quickly turned around, shyly covering her face.
She didn’t dare look directly at Li Qianqiao, her cute face already flushed bright red.
Why would I imagine him coming to marry me?!
Ahhh, this is so embarrassing!
Uh… maybe I should take another peek?
Tilting her head slightly, Nekomata observed Li Qianqiao through the gaps between her fingers.
Wearing armor… yeah, I guess that works.
Stepping on… a loud, trashy street moped.
Yep, it really was just a fantasy…
Nekomata suddenly felt her dreams shatter.
Li Qianqiao looked confused.
Why was Nekomata’s facial expression changing so wildly all of a sudden?
Did she go take a crash course in Sichuan Opera face-changing?
But now wasn’t the time to overthink things.
Li Qianqiao pulled Nekomata behind him, drew his Faiz Edge from the Auto Vajin’s handlebar, inserted Mission Memory into it and pointed it straight at Sarah.
His eyes were cold, his tone laced with killing intent.
“Are you ready to die?”
Sarah’s expression finally shifted slightly.
She put on a smile, reached out a hand toward Li Qianqiao, and said, “You might not know me, but I know you. I’m very interested in you. You can ask for any condition, and of course, that includes me. What do you say?”
Underneath his helmet, Li Qianqiao’s mouth twitched.
Is she interested in me, or is she interested in the Faiz armor?
“Little Li, don’t believe her, she’s a bad woman!” Nekomata anxiously grabbed Li Qianqiao’s arm, glaring at Sarah with intense hostility, like a cat with its fur puffed up.
“Don’t worry, I won’t agree to her offer.” Li Qianqiao gently removed Nekomata’s tightly gripping hands, then delivered an absolute point-blank verbal nuke right to Sarah’s face.
The entire area fell dead silent.
The Vision Corp personnel stared at Li Qianqiao in sheer horror, while Li Qianqiao watched with great relish as Sarah’s composure completely shattered.
After all, no woman likes being called an ‘Auntie’ by a stranger.
“Do you… want to die?” Sarah’s face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink.
After she spoke, she pulled out a detonator from who-knows-where.
“Oho, looks like you’re finally going for the kill? In that case, I don’t need to hold back anymore either.”
Li Qianqiao removed the Axel’s Mission Memory from the Faiz Axel watch he wore on his wrist and swiftly inserted it into the Faiz Driver.
COMPLETE!
The two thick chest plates of Faiz’s armor opened up, revealing his red core.
The red Photon Blood flowing across his body shifted into a sleek silver, and his massive glowing yellow eyes turned a menacing red.
In this form, his strength and speed were vastly amplified, and finishing moves that normally required a long wind-up could be executed instantly.
Unfortunately, this form had a harsh limit: he could either maintain it for 35 seconds or activate Axel Mode to become a 10-second powerhouse.
If he didn’t cancel the form before the time limit expired, the suit would violently self-destruct.
The moment the transformation was complete, Li Qianqiao pressed the button to activate Axel Mode.
Instantly, a wave of scorching heat erupted from his body!
START UP!
Nekomata, whose eyes had been sparkling with admiration, was forced to step back.
Sarah immediately realized something was wrong and ordered her men to stop Li Qianqiao.
“Focus your fire! Shoot him—!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Unfortunately, it was too late.
Before they could even blink, Li Qianqiao had vanished from sight.
The only sound left was the agonizing screams of the men surrounding Sarah.
3…
2…
1…
TIME OUT!
When Sarah finally snapped back to reality, she realized the detonator in her hand was completely gone.
All her personnel were groaning on the ground, and at the same time, the red hot edge of a blade was pressed firmly against her throat.
REFORMATION!
Li Qianqiao, now reverted to Faiz’s standard form, spoke with a tone brimming with amusement.
“Relax, I’m no murderer. I wouldn’t go as far as killing you. Checkmate, Auntie Sarah~”