Free Web NovelChapter 678: Chapter 620: Another Mask Beneath the Mask? Another Face Under the Face!! (2)
Moreover, as an offline operative, Ma Bin had privately investigated Feng Mu’s life and career in detail.
This wasn’t an act of rebellion but rather a basic skill of a competent offline operative.
Only by thoroughly understanding the background of the online operative can one coordinate actions more precisely and complete the mission perfectly.
If there were only vague suspicions before, at this moment, Ma Bin could almost be certain—Feng Mu was likely no longer the original Feng Mu.
Under that seemingly real face of Feng Mu, there might be another hidden and unknown visage.
Ma Bin did not intentionally delve into Feng Mu’s true identity; he was simply too perceptive, with thoughts that uncontrollably connected various clues.
This might be a common problem of smart people—they tend to overthink.
To some extent, Ma Bin’s current speculation was already infinitely close to the truth.
He was still too cautious. If he were just a bit bolder, he might realize that behind Feng Mu’s face was not just a high-ranking member of [Destiny], but essentially [Destiny] itself...
Ma Bin cut off his own contemplation, burying his various suspicions within himself.
A smart offline operative must understand that some matters can be silently acknowledged but should never be openly spoken.
Unless the online operative reveals the answer, never be the one to break the metaphorical window paper first.
In a flash of thought, Ma Bin’s feet stopped not far from [Mask], maintaining a respectful distance.
Previously, his awe or obedience to [Mask] was that of an offline operative to an online one; now, it also included his awe or obedience to Feng Mu.
The undead elder detected the approach of a living person, his pale eyes suddenly turning towards Ma Bin’s direction, his cracked lips pulling back as a low and threatening growl emanated from deep within his throat.
However, he merely bared his teeth menacingly, his withered claws slightly raised, but made no further aggressive movements.
Like a vicious dog chained down, its ferocity on full display yet lacking the master’s command to act on its own accord.
In life, he was a deathly loyal soldier to his master; in death, he remained a deathly loyal zombie to his master.
Even with a mind long gone, loyalty was branded deep within his bones.
In fact, precisely because he had died, his loyalty became even more absolute.
The term "deathly loyal," a loyal soldier who must die to truly live up to its name.
[Mask] seemed very satisfied with this "new toy’s" performance. He turned to Ma Bin, his voice carrying a hint of amused laughter under the mask:
"The first ’gift’, I’ll accept it."
[Mask] pointed towards the corpse of the special agent not far away and instructed:
"However, temporarily store it with you for a few days; I’ll come to collect it later."
Having said that, [Mask] looked at the undead elder and commanded:
"Carry it, follow him."
The command was simple: pick up the thing on the ground and follow the person before you.
But for a brainless zombie, comprehending and executing these two actions still required "processing" time.
The undead elder’s dead pale eyes turned stiffly a few times, seemingly trying to "decode" the command.
He stiffly twisted his neck, first turning his head towards the special agent’s corpse on the ground, then awkwardly towards Ma Bin, before finally turning back to the corpse.
It took a full five seconds before he seemed to "understand" what he was meant to do.
He began to move, his actions still bizarre, starting with walking, then both hands dropped to the ground, switching to a quadrupedal crawling posture.
Evidently, this was muscle instinct autonomously choosing a more efficient method of movement.
He quickly crawled next to the special agent’s corpse, extending his withered claw to grab the special agent’s shoulder, effortlessly hauling it up and slinging the corpse diagonally across his shriveled back.
Then, he turned around with the corpse on his back, taking steps with an exceedingly peculiar gait, swaying with each step until he stood behind Ma Bin.
Throughout the entire process, there was no need to secure the corpse on his back. His entire musculature adjusted its movements according to the shifting weight of the corpse, swaying from left to right but never toppling over, mimicking a roly-poly toy.
"Meticulous muscle control at its finest."
Ma Bin naturally understood what this scene implied.
To carry a corpse to such a degree, used for killing, it’s unimaginable how efficient it would be.
Indeed, martial arts talent post-mortem gains an epic-level boost.
Luckily, Ma Bin wasn’t a combatant; otherwise, he would even consider asking Feng Mu to help him die once.
Ma Bin took a deep breath and turned his head to look at one man and one corpse, no, at the two bodies stacked together.
The zombie elder carried a corpse, his head held high, and his dead white eyes stared fixedly at the back of Ma Bin’s head, like a silent and terrifying shadow.
Honestly, this scene was rather chilling.
A sharp gleam appeared in Ma Bin’s eyes, and he seemed to understand how [Mask] would handle the gift he sent.
If they could "revive" the tall elder to become a zombie that takes orders, then "reviving" a special agent would be no trouble for the Online, would it?
The crux is that a zombie-like special agent should not be exposed in public, unless...
Ma Bin’s thoughts suddenly froze, as an even more bizarre possibility emerged in his mind.
Could it be?
Could it really be?
Is it really possible to reach that extent?
Ma Bin’s breathing unconsciously quickened, and his gaze towards [Mask] was mixed with an undeniable fervor.
He said nothing more, but merely followed [Mask]’s orders and left the sewer passage carrying the two bodies.
[Mask]’s figure simultaneously vanished from the spot, needing to handle the second gift while heading to the next appointment.
......
The dead silence of the night was split open by a muffled thunder.
It wasn’t thunder, but an explosion from underground.
The sound wave erupted from the heart of the abandoned chemical factory in Zone 9, roughly tearing across several neighborhoods.
Glass windows buzzed and trembled, parked car alarms screamed like mad, and countless residents jolted awake from their dreams, opened their windows, and looked anxiously toward the direction of the factory.
Blue and white police cars slid aimlessly through the streets, then suddenly spun around, tires screeching against the ground, redirecting towards the factory.
The red and blue flashing police lights on the roof issued urgent alarms, the rotating beams cutting through the thick darkness, casting bizarre shadows of the swiftly retreating dead trees by the roadside.
Chang Erbing gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turned a pale blue from the force, while his right foot remained welded to the accelerator, pressing the pedal hard into the car floor.
"Captain Li... it’s blown up!"
Chang Erbing’s voice cracked as he turned to look at Li Shang in the passenger seat, his pupils reflecting the chaotic red and blue from the roof lights, and deeper within lay immense fear,
"Do you think the special agent really got blown up?"
Li Shang didn’t reply; he was just a Detective, without the power of X-ray vision.
At this moment, he could only keep slamming the dashboard, his voice hoarse as he urged:
"Stop the nonsense, drive faster."
A screeching brake brought the car to an abrupt halt at the rusty, chain-clad gates of the abandoned factory.
They didn’t even need to navigate to the sewer cover; through the factory gate, they could already see an open, overgrown field in the middle where a ghastly wound had visibly torn open the earth.
The concrete and asphalt were violently lifted and thrown aside like fragile eggshells, revealing a dark, gaping pit below.
The nearby water tower had completely toppled over, its massive tank collapsing onto the ground, twisted and deformed like a crushed can, with murky sewage gushing out from its cracks.
"Let’s go!" Li Shang rasped.
"Go!" Chang Erbing responded through gritted teeth.
The two exchanged a glance and almost simultaneously pushed open the car doors and stepped out.
The cold night wind mixed with dust filled their noses and mouths, causing them both to cough violently several times.
Li Shang raised his hand, tightening his cuff with force.
The cold and hard sensation transmitted through the fabric was from the knife handle hidden within.
If the special agent somehow survived, he would need to finish him off with a few more stabs.
Chang Erbing, meanwhile, retrieved a square, fairly new body camera from his lower back, clumsily turning it on, as the red indicator light blinked on weakly at the front of the lens, like a malicious eye.
This gadget was often forgotten in drawers nine and a half times out of ten during operations by the Patrol Office in Zone 9.
But tonight was different.
The civilized enforcement of Zone 9 started with the two of them....
