Chapter 9

Wu Xiaode gently landed on the ground.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd: "It's him who set the fire!"

"Yes, we saw it, he was the one who started the big fire!"

Another person shouted at Wu Xiaode from a distance.

By this time, the fire department and patrol police had already arrived downstairs. Several police officers, upon hearing the words, walked toward Wu Xiaode together.

Wu Xiaode's gaze quickly scanned the crowd.

The ones speaking were those hooligans.

It seemed they had returned to see what had happened to their boss.

The police were walking over.

This was not good. He had a gun on him, and he had just come down from the building.

This was a serious matter.

He never thought that not only Xia Huilan was in trouble, but he was also in trouble.

Ding ling ling—

The phone in his pocket rang again.

Wu Xiaode picked up the phone and found that it had already been automatically answered.

Zhao Junyu's voice came through the receiver again:

"When you survive, you enter the next phase."

"Tonight, you will become a suspect in murder and arson. A warrant is being issued, and the special forces are on standby, ready to either kill or capture you."

"Really?" Wu Xiaode was surprised.

"Never mention my name at any time—now, please count to five in your mind, and then immediately climb over the fence on your left. This is the only thing I can do to help you." Zhao Junyu said.

Wu Xiaode looked across the street and saw the police walking toward him.

"I live here! The upstairs is my home, those shouting are the bad guys!" Wu Xiaode shouted loudly.

Five, four, three.

"Stay where you are!" a police officer shouted loudly.

Two.

"What's your name?" another police officer took out handcuffs from behind and asked while walking.

One.

Wu Xiaode pushed off the ground with his feet, and his body, light as a feather, climbed up the wall and flipped over the three-meter-high fence.

With physical abilities five times that of an ordinary person, climbing a fence was no big deal!

A large truck happened to be driving by, and the driver poked his head out, waving at Wu Xiaode.

Wu Xiaode recognized the man.

It was the man in black who had been standing next to Zhao Junyu on the university playground.

The man was thoughtful, specifically sending someone he had met before.

Wu Xiaode no longer hesitated, leaped, and jumped onto the truck.

The truck immediately roared to life, revving up and speeding away like a bolt of lightning.

Behind it, eight more identical large trucks drove down the road, then quickly dispersed in different directions, disappearing into the night.

Ten minutes later.

On the outskirts of the city.

At a night market.

An open-air food stall.

Wu Xiaode looked at the refined young man across from him and smiled:

"I stole your flowers and interrupted your confession, yet you don't seem to hold any grudge?"

"Not at all, not at all," Zhao Junyu adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and smiled. "I only found out when Sun Mingyue went to the scene that she already had a boyfriend."

"Oh? You didn't know before, so you confessed?" Wu Xiaode was surprised.

"Since I met her, she never refused me, so I was blinded by love. At the time, it was thanks to you that I was saved; otherwise, things between me and Li Zheng would have been very difficult to resolve." Zhao Junyu smiled, as if still thinking about the scene.

He was not short, but he was too thin, like a bamboo pole, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. Yet, his demeanor gave a sense of stability and reliability.

The owner of the barbecue stand came over and asked, "What would you like to eat?"

"My friend doesn't eat offal, and I don't eat chicken. Bring us a bit of everything else." Zhao Junyu said.

The owner nodded and hurried away.

"How did you know I don't eat offal?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"In the age of big data, it's not hard to buy some information." Zhao Junyu said frankly.

Wu Xiaode sized him up, gradually understanding.

This guy's identity seemed to be no ordinary one.

Ordinary people couldn't casually obtain others' information; these were all written into privacy agreements and strictly adhered to by society.

The incident that night was not simple.

It now seemed like it was carefully planned by someone.

Otherwise, why would Zhao Junyu be in danger?

Zhao Junyu opened a beer, poured a glass for Wu Xiaode, and said solemnly, "Brother, thank you for helping me. I won't easily do such rash things in the future."

"No need to be polite, you helped me just now too." Wu Xiaode clinked glasses with him.

They both drank in one go.

Zhao Junyu put down his glass and continued explaining his previous actions: "My family used to have many properties, but now it's much worse. We barely maintain some semblance of dignity, and my family is very strict with me. I was under too much pressure, so I got rid of the bodyguards assigned to me and did that crazy thing."

"I think it was brave. I wouldn't have dared to do that." Wu Xiaode said.

"But you dared to give flowers to a guy."

"I bet you would have too."

They both laughed, feeling the distance between them closing.

Zhao Junyu thought for a moment and asked, "Is there anything you need help with?"

"Actually, I have something I want to ask you." Wu Xiaode said.

"Go ahead."

"What do you know about the fire tonight?" Wu Xiaode asked.

Zhao Junyu's smile gradually faded, and he looked into his eyes, "This is related to Xia Huilan. I'm still investigating, but the details are not clear yet."

"I really don't understand. What's the point of killing a poor student like me?" Wu Xiaode said.

"To break Xia Huilan's psychological defenses and force her to comply." Zhao Junyu said calmly.

"Just for some technology in Sister Lan's hands?" Wu Xiaode found it hard to believe.

"It's very common."

"Common?"

"Some people don't rise to high positions through righteousness and morality. They like to handle things cleanly, that's their style." Zhao Junyu said.

—Everyone dead, and it's clean.

Wu Xiaode sighed, feeling a bit stifled.

"Do you know where she is?" he asked.

"Since you've been implicated, it proves she hasn't been found yet." Zhao Junyu said.

"True." Wu Xiaode said.

Zhao Junyu probed, "Do you like her?"

"We grew up together." Wu Xiaode said.

"It's probably not that simple."

"For years, when I had no food, she gave me food."

Zhao Junyu thought for a moment, refilled Wu Xiaode's glass, and said warmly, "Brother, you know gratitude and stand up for what's right. That's very good, very good."

They drank another glass.

As the barbecue dishes started to arrive, they ate and chatted.

"You don't often eat barbecue?" Wu Xiaode asked, looking at him.

"Yes, my family has always been strict. I rarely eat unhealthy food like this." Zhao Junyu said.

"What do you usually eat?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Things to strengthen my body, because I have weak qi and blood from birth, can't practice martial arts, and get tired easily. I need some things to maintain my energy."

Wu Xiaode thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you practice Iron Wire Fist with me?"

This martial art was passed down by his ancestor, who also instructed him to take care of Zhao Junyu. Since that was the case, helping him a bit wasn't a big deal.

Zhao Junyu's face lit up with a smile.

He stood up, took a stance next to the barbecue stand, and performed a set of Iron Wire Fist fluidly.

"So you know the entire Iron Wire Fist." Wu Xiaode nodded.

"Learning the moves is easy, but practicing them to perfection is just a show. To truly master it, you must sense the innate force and use it for yourself—what you did on the playground, millions of people can't do." Zhao Junyu said.

Wu Xiaode understood.

Innate force—

It should be soul power.

With soul power, the power of the martial art increased by several dozen times.

The moment he gained soul power, his physical abilities tripled. Then, using soul power to perform the Iron Wire Fist, his body's qi and blood circulated, his bones and muscles resonated, and his strength increased to five times!

Soul power is the foundation of all power!

Suddenly.

Both of their phones vibrated.

A message appeared: "Attention, city-wide manhunt for arson and murder suspect Wu Xiaode, details as follows..."

Zhao Junyu glanced at it and said calmly, "Brother, I could have helped you resolve this, but the situation is not good recently, and I'm also in danger. Can you understand?"

"I understand." Wu Xiaode said.

Zhao Junyu placed a purple card and a clown mask on the table.

"The black market is at the Weizun Bar on Changhong Street. The bar is hosting a masquerade ball this month, making it convenient for various people. You can enter through the back door and use this card to buy things from the underground world."

"Change your identity there. Once Xia Huilan is found, the heat will die down, and you'll be safe."

Wu Xiaode looked at Zhao Junyu and asked curiously, "Why would someone like you make a public confession of love?"

Zhao Junyu turned his face away and said, "Shameful, shameful, let's not talk about it."

Wu Xiaode put the card away and looked at the clown mask.

"Wearing a mask usually means you're a big shot. Won't it be too noticeable?" he muttered to himself.

"Not really, it's a masquerade ball. The more exaggerated, the better." Zhao Junyu said.

Wu Xiaode put on the clown mask and said, "Zhao Junyu, you don't have to do all this for me."

"Making a friend—let's have a drink and go for a drive sometime?" Zhao Junyu smiled.

"My surname is Wu, my friends call me Xiao Wu. You can call me that too." Wu Xiaode stood up and said.

Zhao Junyu stood up and raised his glass, "It'll take about an hour for you to come back. I'll wait here for you."

"No need to wait, I have things to do." Wu Xiaode said.

"Alright, I'll have someone take you." Zhao Junyu said.

The man in black had already started the car.

Zhao Junyu stood in the food stall, watching as the car drove away.

After a moment, Zhao Junyu sat down, refilled his beer, and raised a disposable plastic cup to the bright moon in the sky, saying:

"Martial artists with such blood and spirit are rare, rare, but what a pity, what a pity."

"Master, what are you saying? I don't understand," the owner of the barbecue stand asked.

"He won't come back."

"You waited here for him, and he didn't come back?"

"Don't be angry. He's going to save his friend—I have no idea if he has any chance of succeeding."

"That's a real pity... Should we pack up and go home now?"

"Let's wait an hour. Since I said I would, I should do it."

Zhao Junyu raised his glass and drank it in one go.