Su Wan dragged Chen Shijie as she sprinted through the streets.
Her Level 4 Early Stage physical attributes exploded to their limit in this moment. The wind whistled in her ears, and the buildings on both sides receded at lightning speed.
Chen Shijie stumbled as she dragged him along, panting heavily.
“Almost there,” Su Wan’s voice came from ahead, calm and brief.
Chen Shijie struggled to lift his head. Through his foggy lenses, he saw the silhouette of the tall city wall ahead.
The Inner City gate was less than five hundred meters away.
On the sentry towers flanking the gate, searchlights rotated slowly, their bright beams sweeping across the streets under the dim sky.
A dozen fully armed soldiers stood at the gate, their muzzles pointed downward and their backs ramrod straight.
Su Wan’s footsteps paused slightly.
She had Shadow Stealth and could pass through the city gate silently.
But she couldn't take Chen Shijie with her.
The stealth effect of Shadow Stealth only worked on her; Chen Shijie, an ordinary person, would be a sitting duck beside her.
As long as they approached the gate, those soldiers would see him at a glance.
The only way was to let Chen Shijie walk out on his own.
Su Wan stopped, pushed Chen Shijie against a wall, and lowered her voice. “You go out of the city by yourself.”
Chen Shijie froze for a moment, his glasses sliding to the tip of his nose as he looked at her blankly. “By myself?”
“You have a High-level Pass from the research institute. The guards won't stop you!”
Su Wan’s gaze swept over the soldiers at the gate. “You just need to walk out like you normally would. There will be absolutely no problem!”
Chen Shijie’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to say something, but Su Wan gave him no chance.
“Hurry up! If you dawdle any longer, neither of us will get out!” After saying that, Su Wan’s figure instantly became transparent, vanishing before Chen Shijie’s eyes like a phantom merging into the air.
Chen Shijie stood where he was. The cold wind, carrying ice crystals, whipped against his face, making him shiver uncontrollably.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened his glasses, brushed the dust off his clothes, and began walking toward the city gate.
His pace was neither fast nor slow, no different from usual.
When Chen Shijie reached the gate, he pulled the silver-gray metal badge from his coat and held it out to the nearest soldier.
“Chen Shijie from the Deep Blue Research Institute. Leaving the city on business!”
The soldier took the pass, glanced at it, and then looked at Chen Shijie’s face.
Chen Shijie’s expression was neutral, and his gaze behind his glasses was calm and composed.
Just then, a Squad Leader wearing a squad leader’s armband poked his head out of the sentry box on the inner side of the gate.
He held a communicator in his hand, a strange expression on his face.
“Dr. Chen?” The Squad Leader walked out quickly, his gaze sweeping over Chen Shijie.
“The Cold Wave is about to arrive. Why are you leaving the city now?”
Chen Shijie’s heart rate accelerated slightly, but he remained outwardly calm. “Urgent business.”
The Squad Leader looked puzzled, thinking to himself that Chen Shijie had just returned to the city this morning, so why was he leaving again...
Seeing the Squad Leader’s flickering gaze and hesitant expression, Chen Shijie’s heart tightened.
He put on an impatient look and snapped, “Open the gate already! If the research institute’s business is delayed, can you take responsibility for it?”
The Squad Leader flinched and gave a sheepish smile as he handed the pass back, his tone polite.
“Of course, Dr. Chen. Safe travels.”
He turned and waved to the soldiers behind him. “Open the gate.”
A soldier turned toward the small alloy gate. After entering the password and fingerprint, he reached out to pull the door bolt.
Chen Shijie’s fingers tightened slightly around his pass as he stepped toward the doorway.
One step, two steps, three steps—
Chen Shijie had already reached the door. Just one more step and he would be out of the city!
At that exact moment, an emergency order suddenly blared from the communicator on the Squad Leader’s waist!
“Commander’s orders! Lock the gates and arrest Chen Shijie!”
The voice from the communicator was sharp and urgent, sounding like a clap of thunder in Chen Shijie’s ears!
Chen Shijie’s footsteps halted abruptly, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat.
The Squad Leader’s face changed drastically as he lunged forward.
“Close the gate and stop him! Don't let him leave!”
The Squad Leader’s voice echoed through the gatehouse tunnel, his voice cracking with high-pitched urgency.
The soldiers on duty tensed instantly, their gazes all snapping toward Chen Shijie.
Several of the faster ones had already raised their rifles, muzzles aimed at his chest.
At the same time, the soldier who had already pulled the door bolt heard the Squad Leader’s command and reacted quickly, preparing to slam the small alloy gate shut.
The moment the command came from the communicator, Su Wan had already moved!
Activating Shadow Stealth, she reached Chen Shijie’s side in a single breath.
She absolutely could not let that door close!
Su Wan’s mental power was like an invisible needle, accurately piercing the consciousness core of the soldier who was closing the passage.
The soldier’s body froze mid-motion, his pupils instantly glazed over, and he slumped down like a man who had been stripped of his bones.
The small alloy gate, only half-closed, came to a standstill.
It all happened too fast—so fast that none of the guards, including the Squad Leader, had time to react.
Su Wan revealed herself, grabbed Chen Shijie by the back of his collar, and dragged him toward the half-open alloy gate.
Only then did someone fire.
“Bang—!”
The gunshot exploded behind them. The bullet struck the door frame, sending a shower of sparks flying.
Chen Shijie’s ears were ringing from the noise, and his face was as white as paper as he allowed Su Wan to drag him forward.
The two of them squeezed through the gap in the half-open door.
The moment they burst out of the city gate, a dull, heavy thud sounded behind them!
The Inner City’s protective shield had completely closed.
The Squad Leader stood frozen, his pupils shrinking violently as he stared blankly for two seconds.
The small alloy gate remained half-open, and the biting cold wind poured through the gap, sending shivers down his spine.
Chen Shijie... had escaped.
Right under his nose, someone had rescued him!
He hadn't even seen who the rescuer was!
He only felt a blurred shadow flash past his eyes, and then Chen Shijie had been yanked away by an invisible hand, flying out of the gate.
“What are you all standing around for!” The Squad Leader snapped back to his senses, his face deathly pale as cold sweat poured down his face.
“Pursue them! Quickly! Chase them out of the city!”
Several soldiers rushed out of the gate with their guns, took a few steps toward the Outer City, and then stopped in confusion.
Under the gray sky, the streets were empty. The cold wind howled, but there wasn't a soul in sight.
Pursue? Pursue them where?
The Squad Leader stood at the gate, his legs so weak he could barely stand.
The Commander had ordered a lockdown, and less than a minute after the command was issued, he had let the man go!
With trembling hands, the Squad Leader grabbed his communicator and dialed his superior’s channel.
“Re... report...” His voice was so raspy it was almost inaudible.
“Dr. Chen... he... he fled!”
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