Chapter 119: This Belongs to You, Doesn't It?

Hu Xiong pondered for a moment before saying, “But Director Dong, this young man’s spiritual power isn’t very high. He also told me that the badges were picked up by him.”

Dong Tianming chuckled warmly, “Whether picked up or earned by slaying demons, it still shows his ability. What about his character?”

Hu Xiong felt some doubt. How could someone as important as the Director-General suddenly take such interest in Li Changqing? Could it be that he truly believed Li Changqing’s feat of obtaining four badges at once had caught the Director-General’s special attention? This was excellent news. If the Director-General took notice, perhaps the agency had some rare secret cultivation techniques, and if Director Dong favored this young man and gifted him some, that would be a huge gain for him.

Hu Xiong said, “As for his personality, he doesn’t have many faults, except he’s a bit greedy. Apart from that, he’s alright. Oh, and he has a pair of sisters whom he cares about deeply.”

Having learned some basic information about Li Changqing, Dong Tianming kept smiling, nodding as he said, “Good. You should go back and keep a closer eye on him.”

“Yes, sir.” Hu Xiong was puzzled but could not understand why. He stood up and took his leave.

After Hu Xiong left, Dong Tianming slowly rose and walked to the office window. He spoke softly, “A zombie from Nanlin City.”

His brows furrowed deeply. “Could it be connected to that zombie? Until it’s confirmed, it’s best not to make a move.”

...

Li Changqing was completely unaware of these events, already deep in slumber.

Suddenly, the entire town was filled with the blaring sound of an alarm.

Startled awake by the harsh siren, Li Changqing sat up and looked out the window.

Many armed federal soldiers were rushing through the streets, heading in one direction.

“What’s going on?”

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. When he opened it, Hu Xiong hurried inside, his face heavy with concern.

“What happened?” Li Changqing asked.

“I don’t know,” Hu Xiong shook his head, glancing out. “The alarm means either a demon escaped from a laboratory or the demon prison, or there’s an external invasion.”

Outside, the federal military were shouting through loudspeakers, “Everyone, stay indoors! Do not go outside!”

The alarm continued blaring.

“What’s the situation?” Hu Xiong shouted from the window.

A soldier looked up at Hu Xiong, frowned, and said only, “There was an incident. Just don’t go outside.”

---

Seeing this, Li Changqing seemed to realize something. He opened his door and glanced toward Lan Qiqi’s room.

“What is it?” Hu Xiong noticed his strange behavior and said, “I say, Changqing, you’ve only known Miss Lan for a few days, and you already care so much about her?”

Li Changqing shot him a look. “You should get some rest.”

Since they weren’t offering help, Hu Xiong didn’t press further. “You should rest too. Don’t go out tonight.”

Outside the town, the pitch-black grassland stretched endlessly.

More than ten helicopters circled overhead, their powerful spotlights sweeping the ground below.

Lan Qiqi, dressed in night clothes, lay on the ground, grinding her teeth. She had only been ordered to deliver that thing to Demon Room 404.

Unexpectedly, the demon had easily slipped into the small iron box’s black crystal and escaped from its prison.

This had triggered the bureau’s alarm.

“This is bad.”

Now, not only were helicopters searching from the sky, but federal soldiers on the ground were conducting a thorough sweep, deploying many demon-hunting dogs.

Soon, she would be discovered.

She had been careless.

The current situation was far beyond her expectations.

Gritting her teeth, she took in her surroundings and dashed toward the town.

The alarm outside kept wailing.

Li Changqing lay in bed, not fully asleep yet, when he suddenly heard a noise outside his window.

He quickly sat up, and in the moonlight saw a slender woman in night clothes standing beside his bed.

“It’s me.” Fearing he would shout, Lan Qiqi removed her mask, her expression anxious. She tossed the small iron box onto the bed. “Keep this safe. They’re chasing me.”

After speaking, she put her mask back on and leapt out the window.

Watching Lan Qiqi’s retreating figure and the small iron box, the situation was clear—the disturbance was caused by her.

His gaze settled on the delicate iron box.

Li Changqing reached out, opened it, and a wave of cold air rushed out.

---

The black crystal still lay inside the box, but it felt different from before.

Now, it was like a block of ice, continuously emanating chills.

Li Changqing frowned, closed the box, and put it away.

He lay down again and fell asleep.

The next morning, the alarm finally ceased. As people gathered in the inn lobby, many whispered about the previous night’s alarm.

“I heard last night’s alarm was because someone broke into the demon prison and freed a demon.”

“A demon imprisoned in the demon realm was set free?”

“Did they catch the culprit?”

“I don’t know.”

In the hall, Li Changqing and Hu Xiong were preparing to leave.

“Damn, the alarm blared all night. I couldn’t sleep a wink,” Hu Xiong said, dark circles under his eyes, yawning as he approached Li Changqing.

Sima Xi arrived with two young men, looking anxious. Lan Qiqi was missing from her room; no one knew where she had gone.

“Where’s Lan Qiqi?”

Li Changqing frowned. The iron box was strange. Since such a big commotion had happened, when leaving the bureau, they would likely search thoroughly.

If this thing was found on him, and they discovered his identity as a zombie, it would be impossible to clear his name.

Just then, Lan Qiqi entered. She wore white sportswear, sweat on her forehead.

Sima Xi frowned slightly, asking, “Miss Lan, where did you go this morning?”

“The alarm kept ringing all night; I couldn’t sleep, so I got up to go for a run. It’s my habit,” Lan Qiqi smiled. “Are we leaving now?”

“Yes,” Sima Xi said. “Pack your things quickly; we’re preparing to depart.”

Lan Qiqi nodded and turned to go upstairs. She saw Li Changqing in the hall but didn’t ask for the iron box.

Li Changqing understood her meaning—it was probably safer for him to take the box out of the bureau and then return it to her later.

Not falling for this, he casually picked up the iron box and tossed it to her. “Miss Lan, this is yours, right?”