Su Wan stood where she was, her gaze calmly sweeping over the remaining people at the entrance.
They all lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes, even their breathing becoming intentionally shallow.
In less than five minutes, footsteps echoed from the depths of the porch.
There was more than one person.
Su Wan’s mental power extended forward like invisible tentacles, capturing a set of energy fluctuations.
The one leading the way was steady and heavy, like a rock buried deep underground. The strength of the energy fluctuations was something she had never sensed since coming to this world.
Level 4 Early Stage.
This wasn’t the kind of Level 4 that the Butcher was—someone built up through gene modification—but a genuine Level 4 Ability User who had cultivated step by step.
It was Pei Su.
Behind Pei Su followed Zhuang Heng and a middle-aged woman.
Su Wan’s gaze fell on Pei Su, confirming his strength. Just as she was about to withdraw her mental power, she suddenly noticed the woman to Pei Su’s right.
This middle-aged woman was in her forties, with an ordinary face and a lean build. She wore a deep blue City Defense Force combat suit and had a standard-issue sidearm holstered at her waist.
She walked a step behind and to the right of Pei Su, her posture humble, looking like a dutiful bodyguard.
But her energy fluctuations—
Su Wan’s pupils constricted slightly.
Level 4 Mid Stage!
She was a level higher than Pei Su!
Su Wan’s heart jolted.
A Level 4 Mid Stage Ability User in a small place like Panshi City was a truly top-tier combatant, an existence capable of crushing everything.
Yet she followed behind Pei Su like an ordinary bodyguard, her eyes downcast, without a trace of a powerhouse’s arrogance on her face.
This was too abnormal!
In this wasteland apocalypse where strength was everything, the strong were respected and the weak were enslaved.
How could a Level 4 Mid Stage Ability User be willing to serve under a Level 4 Early Stage commander?
Several thoughts flashed through Su Wan’s mind in an instant.
Had Pei Su saved her life?
The possibility existed, but would a Level 4 Mid Stage powerhouse need to repay a life-saving debt with such a humble attitude?
Even if she wanted to repay the favor, staying with the City Defense Force as a guest expert or a venerated elder would already show immense sincerity.
There was no need to follow him closely like a bodyguard, not even daring to look up.
Could it be that Pei Su had controlled her through some special means...
Special equipment that restricted an Ability User’s powers? Or some kind of drug or toxin that could control the mind?
Regardless of the possibility, Pei Su’s confidence must stem from something she didn’t know about yet.
Su Wan’s gaze lingered on the middle-aged woman for a moment longer, her heart growing wary.
Pei Su was younger than Su Wan had imagined.
He was in his early fifties, tall, and wore a dark green City Defense Force commander’s uniform that was as sharp as if it had been cut by a blade.
He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and eyes that commanded respect without needing to show anger.
However, his eyes didn't hold the hostility or scrutiny Su Wan had expected; there was only a complex, searching look.
Their gazes met in the air.
Su Wan did not look away, nor did she intentionally challenge him; she simply looked at him calmly.
A sharp light flashed in Pei Su’s eyes.
He had seen too many people bow their heads before him, too many who didn't dare meet his eyes, and too many who turned pale with fear from just one look.
Yet this young woman before him remained completely unfazed by his Level 4 Early Stage invisible pressure.
She didn't take his pressure seriously at all.
Pei Su understood. It seemed this woman’s strength was not inferior to his own.
Pei Su walked down the steps and stopped three paces away from Su Wan.
“Miss Su,” he said with a slight nod, his voice deep and steady, carrying a measured politeness.
“I have heard much about you.”
Su Wan looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Commander Pei, I have heard much about you as well.”
The same words, but when they came from her mouth, they sounded more casual than when Zhuang Heng had spoken them.
Pei Su’s gaze swept over the lean figure curled up on the ground. His brow twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Miss Su, please come inside.” Pei Su stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.
Su Wan nodded and stepped up the stairs.
Pei Su followed half a step behind her, and the two walked into the porch side by side.
Zhuang Heng and the middle-aged woman followed. Within a few breaths, the distance between them widened.
Only then did the City Defense Force experts still standing at the entrance dare to breathe deeply, rushing to help their fallen companion.
Pei Su led Su Wan into the City Defense Force headquarters and toward the meeting room.
“Miss Su, if I may ask,” Pei Su began, his voice calm, “how old are you?”
Su Wan glanced at him. “Twenty-three.”
Pei Su’s lip twitched almost imperceptibly.
Twenty-three years old, and a Level 4 Ability User.
When he was twenty-three, he was still struggling at Level 2.
“Miss Su, please enter.” Pei Su led Su Wan to the Meeting Room and pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The Meeting Room wasn't large and was simply furnished.
A rectangular conference table stood by the window, covered with a dark green tablecloth, with six chairs on each side.
In the corner was a simple tea station with a teapot and several white porcelain cups.
The door to the Meeting Room remained open as Zhuang Heng and the middle-aged woman entered one after the other.
Nie Zhen walked forward without looking sideways and stood to Pei Su’s left, his gaze falling on Su Wan with scrutiny and wariness.
The middle-aged woman still kept her eyes downcast, silently standing to Pei Su’s right.
Pei Su and Su Wan took their seats in turn.
Observing Su Wan’s relaxed posture, Pei Su felt a stir in his heart.
This wasn't a deliberately manufactured composure, but a confidence that came from her very core.
“Miss Su,” Pei Su spoke first, his voice steady. “What business brings you to the City Defense Force headquarters?”
“I’ve come to propose a partnership.” Su Wan’s voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached everyone present.
Pei Su’s brow twitched slightly, but his expression didn't change at all.
A partnership?
Not a negotiation, not a demand, not a threat, but a partnership.
Behind that word was the implication of equal status.
Pei Su was puzzled. Just her?
Why did she feel she held equal status with the City Defense Force?
“Terminal Station wants to develop in Panshi City...” Su Wan looked at him and spoke calmly and unhurriedly. “I need your recognition.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Zhuang Heng and the middle-aged woman behind Pei Su, her voice remaining calm.
“Since Terminal Station was established, the City Defense Force has been harassing me.”
“First it was the artillery purge, then drone reconnaissance, then a frontal assault by an elite squad, and most recently, a Level 4 Dark Department assassin was sent to test my depth.”
She raised her fingers, counting them one by one. “I am truly tired of the annoyance, which is why I’ve made this trip.”
“I hope that from now on...”
“The City Defense Force will stop interfering with Terminal Station’s development and stop acting against it.” Su Wan got straight to the point, stating her demands.
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