The day had already dawned.
The evacuated and surrounded street saw an ambulance come to a screeching halt just outside the police line.
At this moment, there wasn't even a single onlooker on the street, only police and members of the Shen City Security Administration.
It wasn't just because dawn had broken, but also because this was the age of superpowers, which marked one of the most apparent differences from the era without superpowers.
In a sense, it took repeated bloody lessons for people to forcibly suppress their curiosity.
With a rustle,
the side door of the ambulance was yanked open, and Ji Tianqi, dressed in a psychiatric hospital patient's uniform, stepped down from it.
This scene complicated the emotions of the group from the police and the Security Administration Bureau.
Some of them had participated in the exercise that had gone awry before and knew that Ji Tianqi was strong—a relative concept, relative to them.
But was it really necessary to keep wearing a patient's uniform all the time?
Another group was seeing Ji Tianqi for the first time. Because the previous exercise and accident weren't covered by confidentiality agreements, most of them had heard about it.
The complicated emotions they felt at this moment could be summed up in one phrase—truly, the reputation is well-deserved!
-----------------
Of the mere six Enforcers at the Shen City Security Administration, only four could make it this time.
The biggest difference among these four was that three of them were outside the flower shop, while one was inside.
"You're Ji Tianqi?"
Someone asked coldly, staring at Ji Tianqi who had just crossed the police line, their tone softening abruptly.
Because they saw Bai Xiuchu following behind Ji Tianqi.
"Some responsibilities are ours to bear, you're just an average Single Soldier Level hero, no need to be so heroic."
After belittling Ji Tianqi and just about to raise his own stature, he realized Bai Xiuchu had disappeared from his line of sight.
It was Ji Tianqi who had moved in front of Bai Xiuchu. His 1.83 meters of height combined with the loose patient's uniform blocked his view entirely.
Instinctively, he tried to move to continue viewing, but as soon as he lifted his foot, Ji Tianqi raised his foot too.
The movements mirrored each other as if looking in a mirror.
"You..."
"What 'you'?" Ji Tianqi maintained a standing-on-one-leg posture, frowning as he questioned.
"Being an Enforcer of the Security Administration Bureau, instead of thinking about quickly rescuing your colleague taken hostage by a criminal, you have the mood to ramble here? Still want to look at a beautiful woman?"
Feeling the sudden change in the surrounding gazes, the Enforcer hastily waved his hand, "I didn't, I…"
"You didn't?" Ji Tianqi raised his tone, cutting off the other's words and continued questioning, "Did you look at her? Is she a beautiful woman?"
"I..."
"I am Ji Tianqi!" Ji Tianqi suddenly changed the subject, pressing the earpiece he wore on his right ear, "I seriously suspect that this Enforcer's mentality is problematic at the moment, and I officially recommend that he be removed from this operation."
"..."
Crazy!
Not many could understand why Ji Tianqi suddenly flipped out, although they knew the reason why a conflict arose the first time they met:
Luo Xingyi, representing the Security Administration Bureau, rejected Ji Tianqi's application to be the main force in the operation—they did not trust Ji Tianqi and were not willing to gamble Li Yuanhong's life or risk even greater loss.
And the words Ji Tianqi used in his application were tantamount to belittling the three Enforcers of the Security Administration Bureau—he had questioned their ability to ensure that Li Yuanhong wouldn't be sacrificed during the operation.
But was it really necessary to aggravate the conflict so directly?
-----------------
The staff at the Abnormal Human Research Center, who had woken up too early due to the sudden incident, watched the situation unfold through the ambulance's cameras, its driver, and the recording equipment carried by Bai Xiuchu; previously somewhat sleepy, they were now wide-awake—shocked by Ji Tianqi.
Suddenly, they all looked at Wu Ya.
Wu Ya explained in a daze, "It's got nothing to do with me, alright? At that time, our captain was in a Crossing state, he had no idea I'd reported Wang Biao by name."
"Huh?"
That's when everyone remembered that point—Ji Tianqi, when fantasizing about Crossing, had only a connection with the real world through Bai Xiuchu.
"The problem now is that the captain has a conflict with the people from the Security Administration Bureau, which could affect the operation," they voiced.
Seeing that the group still looked at him with strange eyes, Wu Ya raised his voice anxiously, "Boss, you need to solve this quickly, or there will be trouble."
His 'boss' referred to Cong Wen, who was also the person in charge of the twenty-one patients at the Abnormal Human Research Center, including Numbers 12, 9, 8, and 6.
Cong Wen was more aware of the urgency of the situation than Wu Ya, as he watched the Enforcer from the Security Administration Bureau, whose face was turning red and showing signs of losing his temper, while standing off against Ji Tianqi.
Moreover, the other two Enforcers from the Security Administration Bureau were also showing signs of shared animosity.
The situation in the command center of the Security Administration Bureau was even more obvious—one could guess without thinking that everyone there was extremely dissatisfied with Ji Tianqi's 'craziness', 'neurosis'—was this the time for such antics?
The best-case scenario would be Ji Tianqi being dismissed. The worst-case...
Cong Wen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.
As he took out his mobile phone, he spoke into the microphone before him.
"I am Cong Wen, Captain Luo Xingyi, please give me one minute of your time."
He didn't wait for a response from Luo Xingyi or the related members of the Security Administration Bureau but looked at his phone screen.
On the screen was the interface of a call just dialed, and the contact read simply, 'Teacher.'
After six seconds of ringing, the call was answered.
A somewhat aged yet forceful voice rang out.
"Hello?"
Cong Wen's tone was respectful and to the point.
"Teacher, I need a temporary Level 4 authorization regarding Patient No. 9."
"Patient No. 9 is... Ji Tianqi?"
The surprise in the voice coming from the phone's speaker caused everyone in the research team present to be taken aback.
As Cong Wen's subordinate researchers/doctors, how could they not know who Cong Wen's teacher was?
[That person, actually knows the name of Patient No. 9?]
"Yes."
Cong Wen responded somewhat nervously.
The person on the other end of the phone pondered for three seconds and didn't ask for details, but instead inquired, "Are you confident?"
"Yes!" Cong Wen's tone was so certain, his voice so resonant, it was as if a soldier were responding to a commander.
"Good."
The call was then disconnected.
Cong Wen quietly waited for five seconds before he saw a notification pop up on his mobile phone screen.
He smiled, gripping the microphone in front of him tightly.
"Captain Luo Xingyi, I have obtained temporary Level 4 authority from the Science Academy."
During the brief phone conversation, Cong Wen had not turned off the communication channel with the Security Administration Bureau's command center, nor had he muted the microphone.
Therefore, Luo Xingyi and others from the Shen City Security Administration heard his conversation with his teacher.
Although they didn't know who Cong Wen's teacher was, at the moment Cong Wen received the notification that made him smile, Luo Xingyi and others received the same notification.
Because it was Level 4 authority. Specifically, it's a bit complex, but put simply—that's the authority of the Director of Shen City Security Management Bureau under normal circumstances, which is Level 4!
Correspondingly, the authority of the Director of the Provincial Security Administration in the province where Shen City is located is Third-level. The directors of security bureaus in Dragon Country's seven first-tier cities have Level 2 authority.
[Is it really necessary to make such a fuss over a Single Soldier Level psychiatric power user, even if he is actually tactical level?]
Luo Xingyi thought this as he turned to glance at the Director of Shen City Security Management Bureau standing behind him.
The director nodded, and then Luo Xingyi spoke into the microphone, "Our side has confirmed your temporary Level 4 authority."
"Good."
When Cong Wen replied, his expression and tone calmed down, as if he were casually mentioning what he would have for breakfast the next day, "hot dry noodles."
"Now, please transfer the command of this operation to Ji Tianqi. I will bear all the consequences."
[Why, for heaven's sake!]
Luo Xingyi wanted to roar out the question, but could only agree in a cold, unfeeling tone, like an emotionless machine.
"Yes!"
-----------------
The conflict between Ji Tianqi and the Security Administration Executors, or rather the dispute over this operation, was thus suppressed by force.
Because of Level 4 authority?
Not entirely, because the Director of Shen City Security Management Bureau also had permanent Level 4 authority, not the temporary kind like Cong Wen.
The real key lay in Cong Wen's statement—"I will bear all the consequences!"
After receiving the emergency notice of the change in command, almost everyone on site could see the triumphant smile on Ji Tianqi's face, which they found disgusting or even hateful.
But only Bai Xiuchu could clearly sense that Ji Tianqi's eyes had become more serious than ever before.
More serious than when he had emphatically told her during their first meeting—One day, I will prove I'm not insane. My superpower is really from an Otherworldly High Martial realm.
Even more serious!
"Don't overthink it, do what you can, you can do it."
When Bai Xiuchu gave her reminder, Ji Tianqi, who had just received command authority, had already stepped toward the flower shop, named "Take Me Home," which was behind a closed door and encircled by a crowd.
He waved his hand without looking back and gave no orders, simply walking step by step toward it.
Then he raised his hand and knocked on the rolled down shutter.
Rattle! Rattle! Rattle!
As the noise from the rolling shutter subsided, Ji Tianqi spoke out with a loud voice.
"Is the owner there? Open the door, I'm here to buy flowers."
"???"
"..."
Luo Xingyi roared in the command center, "I knew it, I just knew that this lunatic..."
Suddenly, the situation took an unexpected turn.
The shutter door, which logically shouldn't have been opened by the criminals themselves, was suddenly lifted swiftly amidst Luo Xingyi's outraged shouting.
Ji Tianqi, who had stood obediently at the door, like any singleton buying flowers on Valentine's Day, suddenly vanished.
A shadow flew out from inside the flower shop.
The Security Administration Executor who had just clashed with Ji Tianqi caught the shadow with swift reflexes and immediately shouted excitedly.
"It's Li Yuanhong! He's unharmed!"
The sole hostage was thus rescued unexpectedly.
Amidst the baffling series of sudden events, Luo Xingyi was stunned into silence for four seconds.
Then he continued shouting abruptly.
"Damn, he's awesome!"
"..."
Everyone in the command center looked at Luo Xingyi in astonishment, seeing that he had quickly regained his composure and begun issuing orders.
"Frontline personnel, begin immediately..."
"Cough!"
A cough interrupted Luo Xingyi mid-sentence, a sound he was very familiar with—the Director's cough.
When he turned back in astonishment, he saw the Director smiling and shaking his head.
Only then did he remember that the command of this operation was in Ji Tianqi's hands!
And Ji Tianqi hadn't called for backup.
[Is he planning to fight alone?]
As Luo Xingyi and the others were thinking this, Ji Tianqi's voice resounded through the communication channel.
"It may be necessary to remind you four that if you rush out now, you will be targeted by more than a hundred people. Staying here, you only need to kill me."
"..."