Chapter 4

After walking for a short distance, he saw a small inn that caught his eye.

"Accommodation!" He knocked on the front of the reception desk.

The waitress, who had been dozing off in her chair, hurriedly got up and looked at Lin Jixin, whose face was mostly obscured by a wet cloak. Her sleepy eyes showed a hint of wariness.

Lin Jixin, lowering his voice, handed over a few banknotes: "Single room."

Under normal circumstances, they would definitely register his identity first. Lin Jixin's meaning was too obvious, and the waitress hesitated. It wasn't until he added two more banknotes of the same denomination: "For you," that she finally took the money, put the two banknotes in her pocket, and took out a set of keys from the drawer: "Room 17 on the second floor."

The room was in a corner on the second floor, a bit damp but still clean. He took off his wet clothes and threw them into the dryer, took a hot shower, and fell asleep.

Early in the morning, he was woken up by the noise outside.

It turned out it was already past eight in the morning. The rain had stopped, but the clouds had thickened, dark and heavy, making the sky as black as night. What made them even more uneasy was that their cell phones and other communication devices had lost their signals, causing them to shout in alarm.

Lin Jixin was woken up by their commotion.

After a while of panic, someone suddenly said, "Turn on the TV," and everyone suddenly realized, dispersing to their rooms to watch the news.

Turning over, Lin Jixin fell back into a sweet dream in the midst of the chaotic noise. Entering a state of rest at any time had become an instinct for him, not a skill. As long as he was willing, he could sleep even if there was a battle raging around him.

He knew very well that it was still early, and the real show would start at noon.

As it approached noon, he got up and pulled back the curtains. It was still night outside, and a row of diligent streetlights illuminated the street.

Sitting down to eat the portable food he had brought, he casually turned on the TV.

The TV was broadcasting a local station, and a few well-dressed professionals were sitting at the desk, analyzing in a serious manner why it was dark.

Lin Jixin, of course, had no interest in listening to such nonsense that even the speakers themselves didn't believe. His attention was more on the screen as a whole. When the signal interference, like snow and black and white stripes, began to appear and increase until it filled the entire TV screen, he swallowed the last bite of food, put on a mask, and opened the door.

At the same time, the lights in the house, on the street, and even in the distant star-like sea of lights suddenly went out without warning. Sharp screams filled the air, and someone could be heard shouting, "The end of the world!" After a moment, the sound of shattering glass came from not far downstairs, as if it were contagious, and more and more such sounds echoed, mixed with more shouts of "The end of the world is here"...

While the abnormal weather had only made people uneasy, when the entire city fell into darkness, the evil hidden beneath the order began to surface.

In less than half an hour, from one end of the street to the other, Lin Jixin had already seen several groups of people. They were masked, holding flashlights or simple torches, looting the shops on the street.

He knew very well that this was just the beginning. Dongze City had a permanent population of five million, and the regular police force numbered only a few thousand. When all modern auxiliary means failed, the cost of crime was so low as to be negligible, and the unrest would only grow larger. In the current situation, no one would notice anything he did, which was why he had waited until now.

After a while, Lin Jixin's eyes had basically adapted to the darkness. He turned a corner and quickened his pace until he saw a tall overpass not far ahead. His target was the 41-story office building next to it.

He remembered clearly that a small piece of "seven-sided crystal" had fallen on this office building. Unfortunately, it had landed in an empty place, and by the time it was discovered a week later, the energy it contained had dissipated. The instructor who had guided them had used this piece of "seven-sided crystal" as a sample, which was why he knew so clearly.

This place was a major traffic artery, and therefore, the bridge and the street ahead were blocked by a traffic jam. Most drivers had already given up and left their cars, while a few still stood by their vehicles, futilely waiting for the power to be restored. They smoked irritably or cursed, the flickering cigarette ends casting a pale light on their sullen faces.

Suddenly, a woman's scream rang out by the roadside, cut off halfway by something, followed by a roar and a struggle. Finally, as the man was beaten to the ground, a few masked men dragged the struggling young woman into the empty building. No one needed to think to know what these beasts had in mind, but no one paid any attention.

Lin Jixin had no intention of being a savior. He just followed them into the office building because they had gone in there.

"Want to die?" As soon as he entered, he saw two people blocking the way, one of whom growled at him.

He raised his hand.

"Bang!"

The man who spoke fell to the ground.

These thugs had been ordinary citizens just a few hours earlier. The sound of the gun terrified them, and the few behind threw the woman and quickly disappeared into the depths of the building. The one still standing in front of Lin Jixin was so scared that he froze, standing there motionless.

Lin Jixin ignored him and walked past. As soon as he passed, the man collapsed with a thud.

At the stairs, he opened his homemade flashlight, and the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind. It was the girl who had been dragged in, rushing after him.

"It's you!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Jixin then realized it was the girl who had asked for a ride when he got out of the car yesterday. With such beauty, it was no wonder someone had acted on impulse.

What surprised him even more was that she recognized him from his clothes. He frowned slightly and began to climb the stairs.

"Wait for me, wait for me!" The girl hesitated for a moment and then followed.

Her stamina, of course, couldn't compare to Lin Jixin's. Soon, she was left behind.

Ignoring her tearful calls, Lin Jixin continued up the stairs.

He climbed to the 23rd floor, and even with his current strength, he felt exhausted. He leaned against the stairs, panting heavily, and when his breath steadied, he pushed open the door to the floor and entered.

He walked around, and when he saw the sign for "Asia Xin Investment Company," he knew he was in the right place.

It seemed these people had been scared, as the door was left open, and the room was in disarray with chairs and tables scattered everywhere.

Stepping over the debris, he made his way to the general manager's office.

The door was closed, but when he tried the handle, it was unlocked.

As soon as he opened the door, a familiar energy washed over him. Every pore on his body relaxed, and his tired body was instantly invigorated. Although it was just a resonance, the feeling of the power returning to his body made him take a deep, contented breath.

His eyes scanned the room, and he quickly spotted a small piece of crystal, no larger than a pinky finger, on the desk. The deep blue energy glow made his eyes almost burn.

Before he could act on his excitement, a low growl from his feet made him freeze.

He cautiously looked down to see a brown Scottish Shepherd dog baring its teeth at him.

It must have been the general manager's pet, left behind to become an obstacle.

He carefully backed away, and the dog sat back down.

He wouldn't be deterred by a dog, but he wouldn't underestimate any creature within the range of the "seven-sided crystal." Any creature affected by it could undergo drastic changes, as evidenced by the usually slender dog breed now with bulging muscles.

There was no time to prepare. The longer he waited, the stronger the dog would become. After a moment's thought, he took off his coat, tore it into strips, and wrapped it thickly around his left arm with documents from a nearby table. He put away his gun and picked up a screwdriver from his toolbox, then re-entered the office.

This time, he didn't retreat. Under the dog's fierce gaze, he advanced step by step.

The dog bared its teeth, crouched, and its back hair stood on end. Finally, it couldn't hold back and pounced.

Lin Jixin extended his left arm, offering it to the dog. As the dog bit down, he quickly thrust his right hand, driving the screwdriver into the dog's eye and deep into its brain. Despite the pain in his arm, he twisted the screwdriver a few times until the dog's body went limp.

He let go and let the twitching dog fall to the ground. He looked at his left hand, realizing he had underestimated the "seven-sided crystal." Not only were the documents wrapped around his arm shredded, but his arm was also bloody and torn.

He moved his fingers on his left hand, relieved that no bones were broken.

He bandaged his arm, placed the "seven-sided crystal" in a prepared ceramic bottle, and sighed. With this, all his previous efforts were worth it.

He had no intention of searching for more crystals. First, they were hard to find, and second, the "seven-sided crystal" was most effective in the early stages for significantly enhancing the body. The piece he had was more than enough for a foundation.

On his way back down, he saw the girl who had followed him up the stairs at around the 10th floor.

Hearing the footsteps, the girl looked up with a mix of surprise and joy, her tears still fresh on her face.

This familiar expression made him pause. The girl, Xiao Mai, who loved to sing and dance and always laughed like a silver bell, had looked at him the same way until she was swallowed by the endless tide of beasts—his heart ached slightly.

Since his return, he had been cautious, mainly because he knew that before the "Era of All Methods" began, thermal weapons still played a decisive role, and the state's violent machinery was the strongest force in the world. Although he had ways to deal with it, it was best to develop secretly until he was strong enough to ignore these things and avoid trouble.

So, from a confidentiality standpoint, the best thing to do with the girl would be to eliminate her. Ignoring her as he went up the stairs would also work; such a beautiful girl, alone, had almost no chance of surviving the chaos. But at this moment, he admitted he felt a soft spot.

"Where do you live?" he asked. Since they wouldn't cross paths again, it shouldn't be a problem.

"Le Xing Ting!" The girl sniffed delicately.

That was the most upscale residential area in Dongze City, where money couldn't buy a place without the right status. She must be from a wealthy family.

But Lin Jixin didn't care about that.

"Come." Seeing that she didn't try to bribe him, Lin Jixin was somewhat satisfied and his tone softened slightly as he led the way down the stairs.

The place wasn't far, and it wouldn't take much time to escort her.

The girl hesitated for a moment before happily following.

Her resilience was truly remarkable. She had just experienced the greatest danger of her life, yet she quickly recovered and chattered away, regardless of Lin Jixin's indifference.

From her chatter, Lin Jixin learned that her name was Feng Yajing, a high school sophomore. She had been out shopping today when the "city-wide blackout" occurred, and the man who had attacked her was her driver.

Mentioning the driver, she gasped, remembering the man who had been beaten outside the building. When they hurriedly went outside, they found only a pool of blood, with no sign of the man.

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