Many years later, the people of Y City still remembered this night.
Originally, the human military was sealed off tightly, with the synthetic humans trapped between the Erosion Swamp and the western wall of the city center. When chaos erupted at the Grand Theatre and “Marshal Zhu” suddenly disappeared, there was a momentary confusion in the human blockade. Shu Jun didn’t miss this opportunity and immediately scattered the thirty thousand synths, infiltrating eastward through various strange routes.
Without the synthetic humans as a shield, the Erosion Swamp happily advanced, destroying the nearest protective wall. It successfully squeezed itself into the city and then dashed toward the direction of the Grand Theatre—where, at that moment, the most densely packed crowd in Y City could be found.
The Erosion Swamp didn’t distinguish between humans and synthetic humans. After all, consuming synthetic humans might provide special abilities, while consuming a large number of humans could quickly replenish its strength. This “Needle Spike” Erosion Swamp only cared about efficiency and didn’t pay attention to the nature of its food.
Inside the Grand Theatre, people heard the sirens approaching, and no one wanted to flee in the darkness. Those on the outermost perimeter rushed without hesitation into the tall buildings next to the Grand Theatre, hoping that the upscale structures would offer better defense. The people who had already been trying to squeeze into the theater became even more frantic, to the point where it seemed like their lives would be crushed out of them.
Under Zhu Sheng’s command, the doors inside the theater were opened wide. At this moment, no one cared about who was the leader or not; they desperately struggled to find a place to take refuge.
Some people even squeezed into the hall where the performance was taking place.
Ai Xiaoxiao had been walking through the erosion area for several days and was agile. She took advantage of the protruding decorations and pipes in the Grand Theatre, easily grabbing onto them and leaping out of the crowd. After making some adjustments, Ai Xiaoxiao steadied herself at the best vantage point and directed the rescue personnel from the Old Fourth to control the flow of people. However, the desire for survival was too strong, and even a group of burly men couldn’t withstand the constant pushing and shoving from the crowd.
After all, Ai Xiaoxiao was a researcher and not adept at managing such a crowd. Just as the situation started to ease slightly, it quickly deteriorated again.
Where did Zhu Yanchen go? What exactly is Shu Jun planning to do?
If things continued like this, lives would truly be lost here—although she had anticipated sacrifices, unnecessary sacrifices still weighed heavily on her heart. These panicked people were just ordinary civilians, and there was no reason to use them as targets.
As she observed the flow of the crowd, Ai Xiaoxiao shouted loudly into her communicator, to the point that her voice became hoarse. Unfortunately, she wasn’t skilled in this type of management. The more anxious she became, the more mistakes she made in judgment. The shouts of discontent and screams from the people grew louder, and more people continued to squeeze into the Grand Theatre.
What should they do?
Zhu Yanchen had just been identified as a “fake,” and exposing himself now would only lead to failure. Dong Lao wasn’t here, and even if he were, he wouldn’t be able to mobilize more guards in time. The nearest teams were fighting the Erosion Swamp outside, and the situation had become a chaotic mess.
The general public had no concept of an Erosion Swamp with brains, and even the human military didn’t know how to deal with regular Erosion Swamp. Even if Zhu Yanchen wanted to prepare in advance, it was unlikely that he could come up with any effective strategies. The preventive measures had been executed swiftly and accurately, but the impact it brought was unbearable for Ai Xiaoxiao.
She had to make judgments in the blink of an eye, and if those judgments were wrong, it would cost people their lives. Ai Xiaoxiao climbed onto a stone sculpture, overlooking the increasingly surging crowd below, and suddenly found herself unable to shout.
No, she couldn’t stop now.
Just as she took out her communicator, intending to contact everyone she could reach, the singing in the theater suddenly stopped.
Finally, more and more people flooded into the hall, and Xia Liang, who was singing on stage, also sensed that something was wrong. People were no longer intoxicated by the song; instead, their expressions were filled with fear, and many were crying out in terror.
Ai Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and carefully crawled from the wall toward the direction of the hall. Her hands were covered in sweat, and several times she almost got pulled into the desperate crowd below.
There were still many people from the three families inside the hall, and there might be one or two commanders with abilities who could handle the situation. At this stage, she had to rely on luck—there were already a few unconscious people appearing in the crowd below, and the situation was extremely dangerous.
“There are still thousands of people outside trying to get in!” Outside the theater, people from the Old Fourth shouted anxiously. “The sirens are going off! Something is approaching—”
“The situation is really bad. You all should run as fast as you can. Your lives are the most important!” Ai Xiaoxiao’s voice seemed to be ignited, and it was a struggle for her to even utter a sentence. “I’ll figure something out inside!”
But what could she do?
The beautiful, thick carpet was covered in dust, and the decorative plants were knocked askew. The crowd rushed forward like a mudslide cascading down a mountain, ignoring everything in their path. People from the three families left their seats and ran toward the safer upper levels.
There were only a few pitiful bodyguards here, as the main force of the guard team was outside the theater and had long been dispersed by the crowd. Even if there were commanders present, they might not be able to control the situation.
Was it necessary to sacrifice these tens of thousands of people up close for the three families to take the Erosion Swamp problem seriously? Zhu Yanchen shouldn’t plan something so unethical, right?
Perhaps she should have controlled the situation? Did she overlook something important? God, at most, she could only provide medical assistance—
More and more people were getting injured, emitting cries of agony. Children screamed for their parents, and the elderly moaned weakly. Ai Xiaoxiao cursed silently with her mouth as her eyes slowly turned red.
If this ended with a bad outcome, she would definitely stab Zhu Yanchen in non-lethal places a few times—as a doctor, she couldn’t bear it.
In order to create more breathing space, many people squeezed onto the spacious stage. The light screen on the stage still flashed with dazzling lights, illuminating the bloodstains on the floor in various colors.
The canary was the slowest to retreat. Xia Liang seemed to be terrified by the scene in front of her, gripping the microphone tightly without moving for a long time. When the first person stabilized on the stage, Xia Liang’s assistant grabbed her and tried to drag her toward the backstage.
But Xia Liang still didn’t move. She looked at the injured person who had rushed to her, and her sweet smile disappeared, replaced by a strange expression.
“Miss Xia, you need to leave! It’s too dangerous here!” The assistant continued to urgently pull her.
In the corner of the hall, Ai Xiaoxiao grimaced, doing her best to approach the stage. She strained her hoarse voice. “I’m a doctor! Dr. Ai from the Ai’s Clinic! Do you have any bodyguards? There are two severely injured patients over there. They can’t be pushed down by the crowd anymore! Please help!”
Her voice had never sounded so harsh, as if her vocal cords were bleeding, but Ai Xiaoxiao raised her voice, and continued to scream louder. “Those bastards have all run away. Please, help us!”
Although she had no favorable impression of this rich young lady who lived in her own world, at this point, she could only hope that Xia Liang’s “kindness” reputation would come into play—before she could come up with a solution to the problem, she had to minimize the burden on the injured.
Xia Liang turned her beautiful, big eyes toward her.
In previous programs, the cameramen always liked to give close-ups of Xia Liang’s eyes. Her gaze was soft and pure, innocent, easily evoking a sense of protectiveness. But in this special moment, Miss Xia, dressed in a complex off-the-shoulder gown and standing on a stage that was about to collapse, wearing such an innocent expression… The whole picture had an indescribable sense of absurdity.
The assistant gave Ai Xiaoxiao a huge eye roll and continued to pull Xia Liang’s arm, but not too forcefully. “Miss Xia Liang! The previous sirens were a warning level upgrade. This place is already considered a battlefield. Please leave. The media isn’t here anymore!”
Xia Liang glanced at Ai Xiaoxiao, then looked at the increasing number of people on the stage. Xia Liang had quite a bit of popularity among the public, and even now, when people rushed onto the stage, they instinctively restrained their movements as if they were afraid of hurting her.
The innocence in her eyes disappeared.
When Xia Liang turned to her assistant, her expression carried a hint of strange cunningness. “You said this is a battlefield?”
Ai Xiaoxiao was accustomed to the black market and was good at reading people. In that brief second, Xia Liang’s demeanor subtly changed—the innocent fawn suddenly turned into a squint-eyed fox, quietly revealing its fangs.
The assistant had never seen Xia Liang in this state before, and now he couldn’t react in time, stumbling over his words. “Y-Yes, this is a battlefield! If you stay here any longer, Mr. Xia will definitely not spare me!”
“Oh, I haven’t experienced the frontlines of a battlefield before,” Xia Liang said leisurely, her eyes shining a bit brighter as she looked at the chaotic crowd in front of her.
“Oh my ancestors, this isn’t anything good. It’s fine if you don’t experience it! Hurry up. Your family is already on the second floor. Look, the madam is waving at you—I’m sorry!” Seeing that Xia Liang wasn’t scared to the point of being stunned, the assistant exerted more force, but he couldn’t pull her even a bit.
Ai Xiaoxiao remained silent, rubbing her throat and furrowing her brow. What kind of trick was this woman playing*?
*What kind of medicine is being sold in this gourd? It’s a saying used when one doesn’t know the other’s real intention (just like you don’t know what medicine is inside the gourd).
“You’re right, this isn’t a good thing,” Xia Liang responded happily. “To get excited about a situation like this, I guess I’m not a good person either. Now I understand. Someone’s judgment of people is really accurate, too accurate.”
The assistant stood there in confusion.
Xia Liang’s lips curled up again, but this time her smile had nothing to do with “innocence and cuteness”; it was filled with sarcasm.
“Good evening, Dr. Ai—”
She brought the microphone to her mouth, and her voice was amplified by the speaker, resonating throughout the auditorium. The tone of her greeting was frivolous, causing the crowded hall to momentarily fall silent.
Ai Xiaoxiao, who was called out by name, was filled with question marks in her mind and almost let go of the wall lamp she was holding onto.
“I was still troubled earlier—I’m not as great as you all. I just wanted to prove that the Xia family is nothing but a bunch of weaklings. Is this kind of method too rebellious?”
“What are you talking about?”
Unfortunately, Ai Xiaoxiao’s hoarse response couldn’t be heard by Xia Liang, but it seemed that she had no intention of listening either. “Thanks to someone, I’ve discovered it. I like it this way. I—”
She took off her high heels and stepped barefoot onto the blood-stained stage.
“I don’t have any great ambitions. But changing the fate of living people gives me an exhilarating thrill.”
“…” This statement seemed somewhat familiar, and Ai Xiaoxiao felt a bit dazed.
“The leaders of the Xia family are all watching, aren’t they? At this point, there’s no better stage than tonight.” Xia Liang tore her long dress and tied the hem, transforming it into a more convenient style for movement.
“You’re talking about some inexplicable things, but here I am dealing with my fucking life at stake—”
“I need to give myself some time to think.” When Xia Liang said this, the hall froze for a moment.
Her voice wasn’t soft or gentle; instead, it sounded like that of an old, withered man. After that sentence, Xia Liang returned to her original tone of voice. She freed one hand and raised her middle finger toward the upper levels where the three families were located.
The stage lights were still on, and under the intense illumination, she smiled boldly.
“From now on, listen to me. You, go down first.”
Assistant: “?!?”
“Go down and take the E17 corridor. You can evacuate the injured from there. The two injured patients aren’t strong, so let others help support them—Ai Xiaoxiao, you go diagonally from the fourth row to the sixth row! Just step on the back of the chairs. The injured patients are under your care.”
Her tone turned into a cold, commanding style.
“The one next to the goldfish statue in the northwest corner, move three meters towards the entrance! The benches over there can be folded up, freeing up space for ten more people. Everyone on the stage, go down and retreat to the escape passages on both sides! Those areas are also protected, don’t be afraid!”
“People in the northeast corner, try to stand close to the wall; don’t squeeze. You’re already safe here, there’s enough space. People in the southwest and southeast corners, take the paths on both sides of the stage. The backstage and dressing rooms can accommodate several hundred people. When I say stop, you must stop!”
“…The person with the orange hat as the center, follow the gaps between the chairs and head towards the stage…”
“…The woman with the bright red hood—do you see her? The tall one. Those of you in that area, don’t move!”
“Clear the central aisle, gather the injured there, someone will attend to them. Those with minor flesh wounds, don’t join in the chaos. I have a good view here. I’m talking about you, the bald skinny guy in the yellow coat!”
……
In less than ten minutes, the chaotic crowd quieted down, and a strange order emerged in the hall. People had freed themselves from danger, and the injured were being taken care of. Although most people couldn’t grasp what had happened with the national singer, even Xia Liang, who had always been well-protected, hadn’t retreated, so they didn’t have much to worry about.
Ai Xiaoxiao efficiently bandaged a broken arm and looked towards the stage.
It seemed that she wasn’t the only one arranged by Zhu Yanchen. These people were dissatisfied with Zhu Sheng and didn’t like the three families, so they might not willingly follow commands. However, Xia Liang was different. They had loved her for too long, to the point where they couldn’t immediately grasp the situation and could only subconsciously obey.
With this thought, it seemed that the only one who could control the situation was Xia Liang. Why hadn’t she thought of this before?
Thinking of this, Ai Xiaoxiao mentally compared the hunched Dong Lao and the charming Miss Xia, but the equal sign just wouldn’t come together. After a few seconds, Dr. Ai gave up thinking, shook her head, and continued examining the injuries of the wounded.
“Zhu Lao, you’re watching, right?” Xia Liang raised her head and shouted towards the top. “Almost there. Seal off the theater!”
Zhu Sheng didn’t say anything, and a few seconds later, a rumbling sound of protective doors closing could be heard from the perimeter.
That’s right, Zhu Sheng would use any means necessary to protect Y City. He wouldn’t delay time due to any matters of pride. Ai Xiaoxiao changed her blood-stained gloves and wiped the sweat off her face. The stage lights were still dazzling. The canary flew out of its cage, landing in front of her.
“The residential areas are mainly concentrated on the east side, and the residences nearby are scattered. The Erosion Swamp will definitely come rushing here.” She lifted a strand of her long hair, bent down, and spoke softly. “The protection here is similar to the protective walls, at most, it can buy some time. After dealing with these people, remember to go to the entrance of the theater—once the battle outside is over, there will be even more wounded.”
After saying that, she straightened her back, smiled charmingly at Ai Xiaoxiao, and then walked towards the exit of the hall.
“…Where are you going?” Ai Xiaoxiao asked hoarsely.
“The real front line. Don’t worry, I’m familiar with various hidden passages.”
Xia Liang casually tossed aside the microphone. “This scene is not satisfying enough.”
With the theater successfully sealed off, Zhu Yanchen adjusted his face mask and walked towards the underground escape passage exit of the theater.
A few minutes later, the heavy metal cover slowly moved aside, and a disheveled Xia Liang emerged, covered in dust. Her expensive gown was covered in dirt and had been violently torn by herself, making her look inconspicuous.
“Your cloak, Dong Lao.” Zhu Yanchen pulled out a large piece of dark fabric from his backpack. “We’re going to the battlefield.”
Xia Liang didn’t take it. “You knew I would make a move?”
“…If you chose to command just to rebel against the Xia family, I wouldn’t have chosen you from the beginning.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t give a direct answer.
Xia Liang brushed off a pile of cobwebs from her hair and suddenly smiled. She shook the black cloth, and, in the next moment, the familiar military figure of “Dong Lao” reappeared.
“Let’s go.” She didn’t continue questioning. “Considering that you can’t directly show yourself… Do you have any specific orders for the upcoming battle, sir?”
“Use all the old models of purifying weapons. Make sure we lose naturally, lose with difficulty, and keep casualties to a minimum.”
“Make Sigma think we’re at the end of our ropes? Understood. What about Shu Jun’s side?”
A faint smile appeared on Zhu Yanchen’s expressionless face. “It’s not time for him to make a move yet.”
“Tsk, how annoying.”
Xia Liang rolled her eyes.
“My cover is blown. You should hurry up and get rid of your corpse too. Otherwise, with the temper of my parents and your old man, I don’t want to go home.”
“Trust me. It will be soon.”
Many years later, the people of Y City still remembered this night.
Originally, the human military was sealed off tightly, with the synthetic humans trapped between the Erosion Swamp and the western wall of the city center. When chaos erupted at the Grand Theatre and “Marshal Zhu” suddenly disappeared, there was a momentary confusion in the human blockade. Shu Jun didn’t miss this opportunity and immediately scattered the thirty thousand synths, infiltrating eastward through various strange routes.
Without the synthetic humans as a shield, the Erosion Swamp happily advanced, destroying the nearest protective wall. It successfully squeezed itself into the city and then dashed toward the direction of the Grand Theatre—where, at that moment, the most densely packed crowd in Y City could be found.
The Erosion Swamp didn’t distinguish between humans and synthetic humans. After all, consuming synthetic humans might provide special abilities, while consuming a large number of humans could quickly replenish its strength. This “Needle Spike” Erosion Swamp only cared about efficiency and didn’t pay attention to the nature of its food.
Inside the Grand Theatre, people heard the sirens approaching, and no one wanted to flee in the darkness. Those on the outermost perimeter rushed without hesitation into the tall buildings next to the Grand Theatre, hoping that the upscale structures would offer better defense. The people who had already been trying to squeeze into the theater became even more frantic, to the point where it seemed like their lives would be crushed out of them.
Under Zhu Sheng’s command, the doors inside the theater were opened wide. At this moment, no one cared about who was the leader or not; they desperately struggled to find a place to take refuge.
Some people even squeezed into the hall where the performance was taking place.
Ai Xiaoxiao had been walking through the erosion area for several days and was agile. She took advantage of the protruding decorations and pipes in the Grand Theatre, easily grabbing onto them and leaping out of the crowd. After making some adjustments, Ai Xiaoxiao steadied herself at the best vantage point and directed the rescue personnel from the Old Fourth to control the flow of people. However, the desire for survival was too strong, and even a group of burly men couldn’t withstand the constant pushing and shoving from the crowd.
After all, Ai Xiaoxiao was a researcher and not adept at managing such a crowd. Just as the situation started to ease slightly, it quickly deteriorated again.
Where did Zhu Yanchen go? What exactly is Shu Jun planning to do?
If things continued like this, lives would truly be lost here—although she had anticipated sacrifices, unnecessary sacrifices still weighed heavily on her heart. These panicked people were just ordinary civilians, and there was no reason to use them as targets.
As she observed the flow of the crowd, Ai Xiaoxiao shouted loudly into her communicator, to the point that her voice became hoarse. Unfortunately, she wasn’t skilled in this type of management. The more anxious she became, the more mistakes she made in judgment. The shouts of discontent and screams from the people grew louder, and more people continued to squeeze into the Grand Theatre.
What should they do?
Zhu Yanchen had just been identified as a “fake,” and exposing himself now would only lead to failure. Dong Lao wasn’t here, and even if he were, he wouldn’t be able to mobilize more guards in time. The nearest teams were fighting the Erosion Swamp outside, and the situation had become a chaotic mess.
The general public had no concept of an Erosion Swamp with brains, and even the human military didn’t know how to deal with regular Erosion Swamp. Even if Zhu Yanchen wanted to prepare in advance, it was unlikely that he could come up with any effective strategies. The preventive measures had been executed swiftly and accurately, but the impact it brought was unbearable for Ai Xiaoxiao.
She had to make judgments in the blink of an eye, and if those judgments were wrong, it would cost people their lives. Ai Xiaoxiao climbed onto a stone sculpture, overlooking the increasingly surging crowd below, and suddenly found herself unable to shout.
No, she couldn’t stop now.
Just as she took out her communicator, intending to contact everyone she could reach, the singing in the theater suddenly stopped.
Finally, more and more people flooded into the hall, and Xia Liang, who was singing on stage, also sensed that something was wrong. People were no longer intoxicated by the song; instead, their expressions were filled with fear, and many were crying out in terror.
Ai Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and carefully crawled from the wall toward the direction of the hall. Her hands were covered in sweat, and several times she almost got pulled into the desperate crowd below.
There were still many people from the three families inside the hall, and there might be one or two commanders with abilities who could handle the situation. At this stage, she had to rely on luck—there were already a few unconscious people appearing in the crowd below, and the situation was extremely dangerous.
“There are still thousands of people outside trying to get in!” Outside the theater, people from the Old Fourth shouted anxiously. “The sirens are going off! Something is approaching—”
“The situation is really bad. You all should run as fast as you can. Your lives are the most important!” Ai Xiaoxiao’s voice seemed to be ignited, and it was a struggle for her to even utter a sentence. “I’ll figure something out inside!”
But what could she do?
The beautiful, thick carpet was covered in dust, and the decorative plants were knocked askew. The crowd rushed forward like a mudslide cascading down a mountain, ignoring everything in their path. People from the three families left their seats and ran toward the safer upper levels.
There were only a few pitiful bodyguards here, as the main force of the guard team was outside the theater and had long been dispersed by the crowd. Even if there were commanders present, they might not be able to control the situation.
Was it necessary to sacrifice these tens of thousands of people up close for the three families to take the Erosion Swamp problem seriously? Zhu Yanchen shouldn’t plan something so unethical, right?
Perhaps she should have controlled the situation? Did she overlook something important? God, at most, she could only provide medical assistance—
More and more people were getting injured, emitting cries of agony. Children screamed for their parents, and the elderly moaned weakly. Ai Xiaoxiao cursed silently with her mouth as her eyes slowly turned red.
If this ended with a bad outcome, she would definitely stab Zhu Yanchen in non-lethal places a few times—as a doctor, she couldn’t bear it.
In order to create more breathing space, many people squeezed onto the spacious stage. The light screen on the stage still flashed with dazzling lights, illuminating the bloodstains on the floor in various colors.
The canary was the slowest to retreat. Xia Liang seemed to be terrified by the scene in front of her, gripping the microphone tightly without moving for a long time. When the first person stabilized on the stage, Xia Liang’s assistant grabbed her and tried to drag her toward the backstage.
But Xia Liang still didn’t move. She looked at the injured person who had rushed to her, and her sweet smile disappeared, replaced by a strange expression.
“Miss Xia, you need to leave! It’s too dangerous here!” The assistant continued to urgently pull her.
In the corner of the hall, Ai Xiaoxiao grimaced, doing her best to approach the stage. She strained her hoarse voice. “I’m a doctor! Dr. Ai from the Ai’s Clinic! Do you have any bodyguards? There are two severely injured patients over there. They can’t be pushed down by the crowd anymore! Please help!”
Her voice had never sounded so harsh, as if her vocal cords were bleeding, but Ai Xiaoxiao raised her voice, and continued to scream louder. “Those bastards have all run away. Please, help us!”
Although she had no favorable impression of this rich young lady who lived in her own world, at this point, she could only hope that Xia Liang’s “kindness” reputation would come into play—before she could come up with a solution to the problem, she had to minimize the burden on the injured.
Xia Liang turned her beautiful, big eyes toward her.
In previous programs, the cameramen always liked to give close-ups of Xia Liang’s eyes. Her gaze was soft and pure, innocent, easily evoking a sense of protectiveness. But in this special moment, Miss Xia, dressed in a complex off-the-shoulder gown and standing on a stage that was about to collapse, wearing such an innocent expression… The whole picture had an indescribable sense of absurdity.
The assistant gave Ai Xiaoxiao a huge eye roll and continued to pull Xia Liang’s arm, but not too forcefully. “Miss Xia Liang! The previous sirens were a warning level upgrade. This place is already considered a battlefield. Please leave. The media isn’t here anymore!”
Xia Liang glanced at Ai Xiaoxiao, then looked at the increasing number of people on the stage. Xia Liang had quite a bit of popularity among the public, and even now, when people rushed onto the stage, they instinctively restrained their movements as if they were afraid of hurting her.
The innocence in her eyes disappeared.
When Xia Liang turned to her assistant, her expression carried a hint of strange cunningness. “You said this is a battlefield?”
Ai Xiaoxiao was accustomed to the black market and was good at reading people. In that brief second, Xia Liang’s demeanor subtly changed—the innocent fawn suddenly turned into a squint-eyed fox, quietly revealing its fangs.
The assistant had never seen Xia Liang in this state before, and now he couldn’t react in time, stumbling over his words. “Y-Yes, this is a battlefield! If you stay here any longer, Mr. Xia will definitely not spare me!”
“Oh, I haven’t experienced the frontlines of a battlefield before,” Xia Liang said leisurely, her eyes shining a bit brighter as she looked at the chaotic crowd in front of her.
“Oh my ancestors, this isn’t anything good. It’s fine if you don’t experience it! Hurry up. Your family is already on the second floor. Look, the madam is waving at you—I’m sorry!” Seeing that Xia Liang wasn’t scared to the point of being stunned, the assistant exerted more force, but he couldn’t pull her even a bit.
Ai Xiaoxiao remained silent, rubbing her throat and furrowing her brow. What kind of trick was this woman playing*?
*What kind of medicine is being sold in this gourd? It’s a saying used when one doesn’t know the other’s real intention (just like you don’t know what medicine is inside the gourd).
“You’re right, this isn’t a good thing,” Xia Liang responded happily. “To get excited about a situation like this, I guess I’m not a good person either. Now I understand. Someone’s judgment of people is really accurate, too accurate.”
The assistant stood there in confusion.
Xia Liang’s lips curled up again, but this time her smile had nothing to do with “innocence and cuteness”; it was filled with sarcasm.
“Good evening, Dr. Ai—”
She brought the microphone to her mouth, and her voice was amplified by the speaker, resonating throughout the auditorium. The tone of her greeting was frivolous, causing the crowded hall to momentarily fall silent.
Ai Xiaoxiao, who was called out by name, was filled with question marks in her mind and almost let go of the wall lamp she was holding onto.
“I was still troubled earlier—I’m not as great as you all. I just wanted to prove that the Xia family is nothing but a bunch of weaklings. Is this kind of method too rebellious?”
“What are you talking about?”
Unfortunately, Ai Xiaoxiao’s hoarse response couldn’t be heard by Xia Liang, but it seemed that she had no intention of listening either. “Thanks to someone, I’ve discovered it. I like it this way. I—”
She took off her high heels and stepped barefoot onto the blood-stained stage.
“I don’t have any great ambitions. But changing the fate of living people gives me an exhilarating thrill.”
“…” This statement seemed somewhat familiar, and Ai Xiaoxiao felt a bit dazed.
“The leaders of the Xia family are all watching, aren’t they? At this point, there’s no better stage than tonight.” Xia Liang tore her long dress and tied the hem, transforming it into a more convenient style for movement.
“You’re talking about some inexplicable things, but here I am dealing with my fucking life at stake—”
“I need to give myself some time to think.” When Xia Liang said this, the hall froze for a moment.
Her voice wasn’t soft or gentle; instead, it sounded like that of an old, withered man. After that sentence, Xia Liang returned to her original tone of voice. She freed one hand and raised her middle finger toward the upper levels where the three families were located.
The stage lights were still on, and under the intense illumination, she smiled boldly.
“From now on, listen to me. You, go down first.”
Assistant: “?!?”
“Go down and take the E17 corridor. You can evacuate the injured from there. The two injured patients aren’t strong, so let others help support them—Ai Xiaoxiao, you go diagonally from the fourth row to the sixth row! Just step on the back of the chairs. The injured patients are under your care.”
Her tone turned into a cold, commanding style.
“The one next to the goldfish statue in the northwest corner, move three meters towards the entrance! The benches over there can be folded up, freeing up space for ten more people. Everyone on the stage, go down and retreat to the escape passages on both sides! Those areas are also protected, don’t be afraid!”
“People in the northeast corner, try to stand close to the wall; don’t squeeze. You’re already safe here, there’s enough space. People in the southwest and southeast corners, take the paths on both sides of the stage. The backstage and dressing rooms can accommodate several hundred people. When I say stop, you must stop!”
“…The person with the orange hat as the center, follow the gaps between the chairs and head towards the stage…”
“…The woman with the bright red hood—do you see her? The tall one. Those of you in that area, don’t move!”
“Clear the central aisle, gather the injured there, someone will attend to them. Those with minor flesh wounds, don’t join in the chaos. I have a good view here. I’m talking about you, the bald skinny guy in the yellow coat!”
……
In less than ten minutes, the chaotic crowd quieted down, and a strange order emerged in the hall. People had freed themselves from danger, and the injured were being taken care of. Although most people couldn’t grasp what had happened with the national singer, even Xia Liang, who had always been well-protected, hadn’t retreated, so they didn’t have much to worry about.
Ai Xiaoxiao efficiently bandaged a broken arm and looked towards the stage.
It seemed that she wasn’t the only one arranged by Zhu Yanchen. These people were dissatisfied with Zhu Sheng and didn’t like the three families, so they might not willingly follow commands. However, Xia Liang was different. They had loved her for too long, to the point where they couldn’t immediately grasp the situation and could only subconsciously obey.
With this thought, it seemed that the only one who could control the situation was Xia Liang. Why hadn’t she thought of this before?
Thinking of this, Ai Xiaoxiao mentally compared the hunched Dong Lao and the charming Miss Xia, but the equal sign just wouldn’t come together. After a few seconds, Dr. Ai gave up thinking, shook her head, and continued examining the injuries of the wounded.
“Zhu Lao, you’re watching, right?” Xia Liang raised her head and shouted towards the top. “Almost there. Seal off the theater!”
Zhu Sheng didn’t say anything, and a few seconds later, a rumbling sound of protective doors closing could be heard from the perimeter.
That’s right, Zhu Sheng would use any means necessary to protect Y City. He wouldn’t delay time due to any matters of pride. Ai Xiaoxiao changed her blood-stained gloves and wiped the sweat off her face. The stage lights were still dazzling. The canary flew out of its cage, landing in front of her.
“The residential areas are mainly concentrated on the east side, and the residences nearby are scattered. The Erosion Swamp will definitely come rushing here.” She lifted a strand of her long hair, bent down, and spoke softly. “The protection here is similar to the protective walls, at most, it can buy some time. After dealing with these people, remember to go to the entrance of the theater—once the battle outside is over, there will be even more wounded.”
After saying that, she straightened her back, smiled charmingly at Ai Xiaoxiao, and then walked towards the exit of the hall.
“…Where are you going?” Ai Xiaoxiao asked hoarsely.
“The real front line. Don’t worry, I’m familiar with various hidden passages.”
Xia Liang casually tossed aside the microphone. “This scene is not satisfying enough.”
With the theater successfully sealed off, Zhu Yanchen adjusted his face mask and walked towards the underground escape passage exit of the theater.
A few minutes later, the heavy metal cover slowly moved aside, and a disheveled Xia Liang emerged, covered in dust. Her expensive gown was covered in dirt and had been violently torn by herself, making her look inconspicuous.
“Your cloak, Dong Lao.” Zhu Yanchen pulled out a large piece of dark fabric from his backpack. “We’re going to the battlefield.”
Xia Liang didn’t take it. “You knew I would make a move?”
“…If you chose to command just to rebel against the Xia family, I wouldn’t have chosen you from the beginning.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t give a direct answer.
Xia Liang brushed off a pile of cobwebs from her hair and suddenly smiled. She shook the black cloth, and, in the next moment, the familiar military figure of “Dong Lao” reappeared.
“Let’s go.” She didn’t continue questioning. “Considering that you can’t directly show yourself… Do you have any specific orders for the upcoming battle, sir?”
“Use all the old models of purifying weapons. Make sure we lose naturally, lose with difficulty, and keep casualties to a minimum.”
“Make Sigma think we’re at the end of our ropes? Understood. What about Shu Jun’s side?”
A faint smile appeared on Zhu Yanchen’s expressionless face. “It’s not time for him to make a move yet.”
“Tsk, how annoying.”
Xia Liang rolled her eyes.
“My cover is blown. You should hurry up and get rid of your corpse too. Otherwise, with the temper of my parents and your old man, I don’t want to go home.”
“Trust me. It will be soon.”
