Ye Chen’s expression grew grave as he gazed at the seven approaching figures—five men and two women—who looked as if they had stepped out of a sci-fi blockbuster, completely indifferent to the carnage littering the street.
“They have ‘S2’ grade weapons in their hands. Can we withstand them?” Kaba worried aloud.
Ye Chen frowned, contemplating for a moment. He turned to the old man in the green talisman: “Open the back door, move the metal from the third floor to the rear exit. If necessary, we’ll escape through the back. The oppressive force in this world is strong, so the effectiveness of the biological radar they carry won't be absolute. Once we gain enough distance, they won’t be able to detect us.” If they were outside, given these few individuals' capabilities, their biological radar would certainly be top-tier, capable of sweeping not just a small city, but an entire planet with complete mastery.
“Get ready,” Ye Chen murmured. “Under the sweep of their biological radar, all our movements and positions are entirely within their grasp. The shop’s anti-detection system stands no chance against it. However, if they rely heavily on that radar, we still have a shot at victory.”
“Oh?” Kaji looked at the man with surprise.
Ye Chen stared into his eyes and stated, word by word, “It depends on you!”
Kaba was momentarily stunned, then a sudden spark ignited in his eyes. “You mean, you cover us, and then I sneak behind them to deliver a fatal blow?”
Ye Chen nodded slightly. “The biological radar can only monitor nearby life forms. Since you are not flesh-and-blood entities, your puppet bodies are invisible to it. Within their radar zone, you are completely cloaked. Therefore, to kill these people, we must rely on you and the other two puppets.”
Kaba’s eyes shone with intense light. “Yes, with that, we have a chance to try. I only hope that besides the biological radar, they don't have any other magnetic field sensors, otherwise, we’ll still be detected.”
“We gamble!” Ye Chen clenched his fist, a chilling light gleaming in his eyes.
“Then we’re off,” Kaba crouched low, looking at Ye Chen with solemnity. “I’ll handle things here.” Ye Chen’s gaze flickered as he looked at the female puppet, tossing the Heaven Mending Divine Sword in his hand to her. “Give me the submachine gun. You must be careful; we only get one chance.”
Kaba nodded gravely, then, along with the two puppets, leaped down, slipping out the shop’s back door to circle around from another direction.
Ye Chen held the submachine gun, a sleek pistol tucked into his waistband. Feeling the weight and icy coolness of the submachine gun, his eyes became fiercely determined. Peering through a tiny gap in the window, he observed the seven figures. They had all reached the ground floor of the shop. The leader, a stout man in a black uniform, leather armor, and tall boots, looked cold, wearing black sunglasses. On the upper left corner of the glasses, a faint red dot pulsed, seemingly scanning the surroundings.
Ye Chen frowned, mused briefly, then snatched the submachine gun. Squeezing it through the gap in the reinforced glass window of the second floor, he aimed at the seven figures below and rapidly squeezed the trigger.
Thud-thud-thud…
The entire submachine gun shook wildly, as if spasmodic, spewing out bullet after bullet. These rounds flew in curved trajectories, sweeping across the area. With just a slight tremor from the muzzle, their direction shifted, simultaneously targeting all seven men.
Before the seven, a nearly transparent energy shield abruptly sprang up. They had not anticipated such sudden, powerful firepower and were all startled. They scattered rapidly, seeking cover along the street—some ducking behind cars, others leaping to adjacent building levels. The stout leader, wearing a black watch on his wrist, activated an energy shield that enveloped his entire body. Unfazed by the hail of bullets, he charged straight towards the shop entrance below.
The submachine gun rounds struck the protective energy shield, causing ripples like disturbed water, but failed to pierce it directly. However, the slight tremor in the stout man's arm as he maintained the shield clearly showed that while the bullets didn't penetrate, the impact force was definitely being transmitted to him.
Ye Chen frowned, sensing the rapidly diminishing ammunition in the submachine gun. He slightly slowed the rate of fire, simultaneously drawing the pistol from his waist and aiming at the two figures hiding behind a car further down the street.
Bang!
A bullet shot out, carving a dark arc across the air, striking the car’s fuel tank with deadly precision.
The entire car instantly exploded, erupting in towering flames. Shrapnel sprayed outwards like spinning Frisbees, tearing gouges into the pavement.
The two men hidden behind the vehicle screamed, instantly engulfed in fire. They tumbled on the ground, desperately rolling, yet unable to extinguish the flames consuming them. This fire originated from the fuel tank. The gasoline here was not ordinary, nor was it petroleum; it was photic fuel, produced only on a few select planets.
Photic fuel powered most high-grade VIP aircraft and transport ships. It was incredibly efficient and possessed immense energy, comparable to pure light.
The two men perished with cries of agony in the searing flames, reduced to charred lumps.
The stout man glanced down, catching sight of the scene behind him, and cursed under his breath, “Two idiots!”
Ye Chen, hidden on the second floor, watched the stout man advancing with effort behind his energy shield. If the man reached the bottom of the shop, shooting him would become exceedingly difficult. His expression grew heavy. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He switched the submachine gun to burst fire mode and simultaneously raised the pistol, aiming both weapons at the energy shield held by the stout man.
Both arms moved identically; the muzzles pointed in the exact same direction.
Ye Chen’s mental focus was absolute; not the slightest directional error could occur, or the result would be entirely different.
“Die!”
Ye Chen’s hands violently squeezed the triggers of both weapons. The massive recoil of the submachine gun was braced by a single palm, leaving the entire hand momentarily numb. To prevent the recoil from affecting his aim, Ye Chen forced the immense impact inward, making his entire arm feel on the verge of exploding, with blood and qi churning violently, his meridians in chaos.
The pistol’s recoil was also powerful, though slightly less than the submachine gun’s. It still managed to split the flesh between his thumb and forefinger, sending bright blood spraying onto the reinforced glass—a jarring sight.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two bullets shot out, gliding like meteors, slamming into the stout man’s energy shield. They landed almost simultaneously, the temporal difference between them no more than 0.001 seconds, with absolutely no deviation in aim—striking the exact same spot!
This test required not just eyesight, but absolute control. One had to factor in the differing firing rates of the two weapons and the shape of the projectiles; otherwise, deviations would occur, preventing a synchronized impact.
Boom!
The entire energy shield violently shattered, pierced by a small hole. Though small, for a marksman like Ye Chen, the shield was effectively ruined.
The bullets passed through the tiny aperture, blasting into the stout man’s shoulder, piercing his body as easily as cutting tofu. They struck the ground, their remaining force causing the projectiles to ricochet off the hard surface.
Dark, blackish blood flowed from the stout man’s arm. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead, chilling him to the bone. He had not expected his energy shield to fail against the opponent’s bullets. He didn't freeze; instead, he immediately rolled, swiftly moving out of Ye Chen's line of fire.
Ye Chen let out a breath, only then realizing his own forehead was slick with cold sweat. If the enemy had managed to enter the shop, the consequences would have been unthinkable. If they carried any ultra-powerful nuclear landmines or electromagnetic pulse weapons, they could have blown a massive hole in the structure, leading to an attack from inside and out, resulting in his utter defeat.
Relying on Kaba?
Ye Chen never relied on others—or rather, the number of people he could trust with his life in this world numbered fewer than three.
Having forced the stout man back, Ye Chen prepared to switch windows and change his position. Just then, a whistling sound sliced through the air from a distance. Before Ye Chen could clearly discern the object, the reinforced glass window in front of him shuddered violently, vibrating intensely. If the window frame hadn't been sturdy, the entire pane would have been blown out.
After the violent explosion subsided, Ye Chen looked up. The nearly transparent reinforced glass was now scorched black and scalding hot.
Ye Chen’s heart skipped a beat, and he held his breath. If the reinforced glass hadn't provided cover, that blast would have struck him directly. Despite wearing Q-grade armor and a shield, the sheer impact force of such a powerful shell hitting him would be enough to tear his internal organs apart.
Ye Chen swiftly crouched and darted in several cat-like steps to the next window. Before he could raise his head, this window shuddered violently as well. A wave of searing heat passed through the pane, brushing Ye Chen’s cheek like scorching fire—a burning pain.
Ye Chen felt his face go numb. He gritted his teeth, realizing the enemy had pinpointed his location using the biological radar. He rapidly retreated a few steps, putting distance between himself and the reinforced glass.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Shell after shell impacted the reinforced glass, causing it to shake violently, appearing on the verge of shattering.
Ye Chen moved to the opening leading to the second floor and peered down. He immediately spotted the stout man outside the shop again, cautiously inching forward behind his energy shield.
Ye Chen aimed the submachine gun at the shop entrance, ready to unleash a powerful barrage the moment the man opened the door.
Just then, the bombardment outside the reinforced glass abruptly ceased, stopping with an unnerving suddenness.
Ye Chen’s eyes lit up. He quickly scrambled to his feet and rushed back to the window, opening it just a crack. Looking out, he instantly heard several screams from the street outside the shop—sounds laced with terror and disbelief.
Simultaneously, the sound of machine-gun fire erupted, like popping beans, music to Ye Chen’s ears.
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