Port!
A group of researchers in white lab coats cleaned up the scene. A giant octopus was hoisted by a crane and placed into a container. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, without any chaos.
The octopus was dead. A palm print was visible on its head, and its tentacles were limp and cracked, suggesting the agonizing blows it suffered before death. Although its body remained intact, it was on the verge of collapse.
Swoosh!
"An evil creature has appeared on the Yanhai Cross-River Bridge. A team has been dispatched to suppress it," a voice crackled from the one-eyed man's walkie-talkie. He was calm, his emotions undisturbed. The time he spent in the hospital with the two mental patients felt like a stain on his life.
He looked at his recovered leg, which ached faintly for some unknown reason. It was a psychological sensation; the feeling of temporary paralysis was forever etched in his mind.
This octopus was unlucky, catching the attention of the one-eyed man in his foul mood. After a severe beating, it rested in peace.
Its offspring, causing havoc on the Cross-River Bridge while searching for its father, also met a tragic end. It was placed on a grill, seasoned, and roasted to a fragrant crispness. The smell was so tempting, even the one-eyed man wanted a bite.
A father and son duo, venturing out into the world, only to end up with a broken family. Truly a tragic tale.
Cross-River Bridge.
Vehicles were stopped, their drivers fleeing in panic after seeing the evil creature.
In the distance, four skilled figures rapidly approached, agile as cheetahs, leaping four or five meters high with each step on a car roof.
Informed of the evil creature's rampage on the Cross-River Bridge, they rushed over. According to energy detection, it was a Level 3 evil creature, very powerful, and of the same species as the one that appeared at the port.
Many evil creatures were currently hiding in Yanhai City.
Finding them was difficult, requiring careful investigation. But whenever an evil creature released dark energy, an alarm would sound at headquarters, prompting immediate action. This was all thanks to the dedicated researchers.
Without such advanced technology, they couldn't imagine the chaos that would engulf Yanhai City.
They wouldn't tolerate evil creatures wreaking havoc where they lived.
Soon, the three men and one woman arrived at the location of the energy fluctuation, ready for battle. However, the scene before them was puzzling.
The area was indeed in disarray, but there was no sign of the evil creature.
"Wasn't there supposed to be an evil creature here? Where did it go? Could it have escaped?"
"Everyone, be careful. The energy fluctuation indicates this location. It might be hiding somewhere."
"Captain, there are three injured people here."
Three individuals lay on the roof of an ambulance. The most unfortunate was the mute man, who had cushioned the fall of Vice President Li and the driver. Already injured by the evil creature, he suffered further harm acting as a human shield.
Fortunately, his strong physique allowed him to survive, except he was dead.
The female medic, a graduate of the Medical Academy, quickly began treating the three on the ambulance roof. Green light emanated from her palms, enveloping them.
Li Laifu, young at heart despite his age, let out a soft moan as he regained consciousness. His eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes in confusion.
"Where am I?"
His gaze fell upon four strangers. Their attire immediately identified them as members of the special department, the powerful ones.
A single thought filled his bewildered mind: safety.
Now safe, he regained his composure, remaining calm. Panicking would be a loss of face.
The driver also awoke.
"President, I'll protect you!"
His first words moved Li Laifu deeply. Such loyalty deserved a promotion.
"President, the watch you entrusted to me is safe. Here you go." The driver handed the electronic watch to the president, then rubbed his chest, which ached and was likely bruised.
Li Laifu calmly put on the watch and surveyed the surroundings, searching for the two patients. Where had they gone? It seemed they had truly abandoned him. Before losing consciousness, they had promised to carry him if they had any conscience.
It appeared they didn't.
They had run off on their own.
Just then, Li Laifu spotted two figures lying on stretchers behind the ambulance through the window. He didn't notice the four special department members rushing to the back.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang were lying on the stretchers, sound asleep.
He breathed a sigh of relief, tinged with exasperation.
Damn it!
They could sleep through anything.
He remembered the evil creature being very much alive before he passed out. They hadn't run but were sleeping here. Where had the creature gone?
"Wake up!"
Li Laifu slapped the stretcher.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang slowly opened their eyes, sitting up and rubbing their bellies. "We're so full. We want to sleep more."
Then, inexplicably, they looked at each other and broke into wide smiles.
"You're awake."
"Yeah, I'm awake."
"Hee hee!"
"Hee hee!"
A simple awakening brought them such joy.
The world of the mentally ill was so simple and happy.
They stepped out of the ambulance, looking around in confusion. This wasn't the Green Mountain Mental Hospital. Why hadn't they arrived yet after so long?
The four special department members carefully examined the surroundings. They couldn't determine the evil creature's whereabouts or whether it had escaped.
Then they discovered some clues.
Cracks in the ground indicated a fierce impact, but it was unclear who had caused it.
"Captain, there's liquid here. I just tested it; it's the evil creature's blood."
The octopus's blood was splattered on the ground, and a faint aroma of cooked meat lingered in the air. They were unsure what had happened.
Where was the smell coming from?
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang, principled mental patients, returned borrowed items to their original places.
"Do you know where the evil creature went?" one of the officers asked.
Vice President Li was also bewildered. He had no idea where the creature had gone. He'd been knocked unconscious without a chance to fight back. Before passing out, he had seen the creature actively approaching them.
Logically, if they weren't killed, they would have been eaten.
But now, they had awakened on the ambulance roof, while the two mental patients were sleeping on stretchers.
This was very strange.
Li Laifu was about to tell the truth when the driver interrupted.
"I think our president must have driven it away." The driver looked at Li Laifu, preparing to embellish the truth. "We saw the octopus creature coming towards us, and the president bravely stood up to fight it with this metal pipe."
"Although I didn't see it clearly, when the president was knocked back by the creature, he must have used some terrifying technique to severely injure it, causing the creature to flee, knowing it was outmatched."
The driver had learned the benefits of flattery.
Besides, if not the president, who else could have done it? Could it have been the two mental patients?
Don't be ridiculous.
Did they think he was an idiot?
Li Laifu looked at the driver in surprise. His eyes conveyed a clear message: While he appreciated the praise, it was a bit excessive.
"Is that really what happened?" the special department member asked skeptically.
They didn't see anything special about this president; he didn't seem like a master.
Li Laifu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Although I'm not entirely sure, I did use a Dragon Subduing Cudgel Technique when I was knocked back."
"Perhaps the creature was indeed injured by me."
"I'm just saying it's possible, but I'm somewhat confident."
"After all, I'm a non-admitted student of the Buddhist Academy, a three-year veteran commended as an outstanding soldier, and one of Yanhai City's Top Ten Outstanding Youths."