Chapter 360: 333. The Weak

333. Chapter 333: The Weak

Li Yi was walking toward the Hope Building.

Behind him, a large crowd had gathered—local gang members stirred by Li Yi's words, now following him, shouting to storm the Hope Building and claim their share of the gene serum to become powerful gene warriors. But as they advanced, more and more people from the city joined them, choosing to follow Li Yi.

These people had no reason other than that life had become unbearable, and they longed to change their miserable existence; they had spent their entire lives waiting for an opportunity.

Now, they seemed to see hope, and spontaneously took to the streets, joining the massive procession.

When Li Yi led them past the Scrap Street, the entire street seemed to ignite; when he led them across half the city, half of Feicheng erupted in cheers and shouts—even those living in the sewers emerged, drawn by the deafening noise.

The streets were packed, teeming with people.

Many didn't know what was happening; they only knew that something earth-shattering was about to occur in Feicheng today.

"Yi, rushing into the Hope Building with just numbers won't work—you need strategy. First, we must break through its defense system, or many will die at the first line of defense." At that moment, Hong Zhen squeezed out from a corner of the crowd and hurried to Li Yi's side, speaking in a low voice.

Despite the noise, Li Yi heard clearly. He asked, "Can you handle it?"

"No, but I know someone in Feicheng who can break the Hope Building's defense system. Give me time—I'll bring him to you." Hong Zhen said. "Also, before that, I suggest you seize the Police Bureau. They have decent weapons and gear."

"Good advice. Can you two take the weapons and gear from the Police Bureau?" Li Yi suddenly turned to the two gang bosses, Heishi and Kefei.

"With this many people? No problem. Those cops are cowards." Heishi grinned.

"Then move quickly. By the time I reach the Hope Building, I expect you to have done it." Li Yi said.

"Of course."

Heishi and Kefei immediately led a group of men and changed direction, heading straight for the Police Bureau.

Once momentum builds, many problems naturally find people willing to solve them.

Just do what you must—the world will make way for you.

When Li Yi led the crowd to within a kilometer of the Hope Building, they saw numerous intelligent robots, armed and stationed at every road entrance and exit, their warning lights flashing red, broadcasting threats: anyone attempting to cross the line would be shot without mercy.

Li Yi prepared to act and eliminate these robots.

But at that moment,

"Yi, wait—I found him. His name is Jike, Feicheng's best smart technician. Give him a moment—he can cripple the Hope Building's defense system." Hong Zhen rushed over, dragging a man whose skin was pale, wearing auto-adjusting glasses, and clutching a heavy smart computer.

The man was terrified, trembling violently under such circumstances.

"You have ten minutes to break their defense system. If you succeed, I'll give you one gene serum." Li Yi said.

"No, no need for ten minutes—one minute is enough."

The thin, frail man named Jike spoke with nervous stutters, yet he expertly opened the smart computer and began operating immediately: "The Hope Building's defense system is outdated—it uses second-generation smart defense. The latest on the market is sixth-generation. But the Hope Building has a fourth-generation AI core. Once I breach the defense, the fourth-gen AI will react and reclaim control within one minute."

"So we only have one minute to act?" Li Yi asked.

"I—I can extend the AI's reclamation time to five minutes. That's my limit—my computer's processing speed is too slow." Jike stammered again.

"Five minutes? Enough." Li Yi nodded.

It seemed Hong Zhen had indeed brought someone capable.

"I—I'm done. Should we start?" Jike looked up, trembling with anxiety.

Li Yi then said, "Hong Zhen, protect Kani."

"No problem." Hong Zhen's scar still looked grotesque. "Can we move now?"

"People of Feicheng, take back what was stolen from you!"

Li Yi let out a loud laugh, raised his arm, and unleashed a surge of Gangqi —his body shot over the line, straight toward the Hope Building. With a sweep of his hand, he condensed a blade of Gangqi and slashed through the air. The armed robots struck by it were instantly cleaved in half.

This sight sent every follower into a frenzy, faces flushed with excitement.

It had begun.

Today, the Hope Building would fall.

Cheers, shouts, roars.

The long-suppressed emotions of Feicheng's people erupted fully.

"Charge! Kill these robots! Take back our gene serum!"

"Today, we are all heroes."

"Don't be cowardly—they can't stop us!"

Voices rose like waves, sweeping forward, capable of swallowing everything.

As the Hope Building's perimeter was breached, alarms blared. Robots armed with weapons emerged from all sides; defensive weapons activated, preparing to fire on the invaders—but soon, these activated defenses shut down.

Jike's operation had taken effect.

"Their defense system is down!" someone shouted excitedly.

"Perfect!"

Seeing this, everyone's passion reignited.

They hadn't even bled—they'd already broken through the line. The newly appearing robots had no time to retaliate before beams of light struck them, piercing through effortlessly.

"Ha!" Amidst bursts of laughter,

modified vehicles surged in from all directions, filled with gang thugs armed with weapons just looted from the Police Bureau. They opened fire on robots on sight, overwhelming them with sheer numbers, while also destroying defensive weapons to prevent reactivation.

Suddenly,

fires erupted, explosions rocked the area around the Hope Building.

This sudden chaos reached the ears of Jones, the Hope Building's overseer.

"Warning, warning: intrusion into the Hope Building. Number of intruders rising rapidly: 134519872578."

"Defense system detected intrusion. Currently offline."

"Losses among armed robots are increasing."

"Recommendation: Overseer Jones, abandon the Hope Building and evacuate via spacecraft." A slender, beautiful holographic woman spoke continuously—she was not alive, but an artificial intelligence.

In a room on the building's top floor, a man in battle armor, around thirty, glared at the holographic display before him. Veins bulged on his forehead—he could not tolerate it. A mob of Feicheng scum dared storm the Hope Building?

"Was it him who incited this? Again, is this the Rebels?"

Jones fixed his gaze on Li Yi, who led the charge. He knew the Feicheng trash lacked the courage for such an act—it had to be this man who stirred them.

"Flee? I am the overseer here. If I lose the Hope Building, I'll be executed. And it's not yet that dire. If I kill the man at the front, everything will be fine. Alert all gene warriors in the Hope Building—prepare to sortie with me."

Jones took a deep breath, picked up his long-unused battle axe, and strode out.

As he appeared, gene warriors inside the building gradually emerged. Their strength was not weak—worst were Level Two gene warriors; five were Level Four.

Altogether, over thirty.

Yet these gene warriors were deeply nervous—they had never fought. Strictly speaking, they were clerks, accustomed only to enjoying benefits, never to combat.

Even with bodies transformed into powerful gene warriors, their hearts remained those of weak ordinary men.

"Jones, there are so many out there—can we handle them?" one Level Four gene warrior asked, trembling.

"Just a bunch of scum. Daring to defy the Gene Federation? They're asking for death. Don't fear—they're only numerous. You're powerful gene warriors. One of you can take on a hundred, two hundred. Those who resist? Only death awaits." Jones roared, gripping his axe with fury.

Hearing this, the others calmed somewhat; their scattered steps gradually grew orderly.

"Lan Ji, open the main doors. My axe is starving for blood." Jones shouted, issuing the command to the Hope Building's AI.

"Main doors opening… Warning, warning…"

But at that moment, a brilliant divine light struck. The thick, heavily fortified door shattered like paper.

"What the hell?" Jones's eyes narrowed sharply.

"A Level Five gene warrior? You must be Jones. Good. Your life is mine." In the next instant, a figure burst through the shattered door, and a dazzling blade of silver light slashed down.

"Who are you? How dare you defy the Gene Federation?" Jones roared, swinging his axe and shattering one blade of Gangqi.

But screams erupted from the other gene warriors beside him.

Unable to withstand the other blades of Gangqi, they were cut cleanly in half, intestines and blood spilling out—horrifying beyond words.

"Ugh!"

Seeing such gore, some gene warriors vomited on the spot.

Female gene warriors collapsed to the ground, weeping in terror.

"Who am I? I am the Rebel, Yi." Li Yi gave a false identity and name, then condensed a fist of Gangqi and charged forward. His body's shackles shattered—he unleashed a killing technique with a single motion.

"So you're those damned Rebels. Today, I'll cut off your head!" Jones swung his axe to meet him—but then,

A flash of divine light spun back. Jones's battle armor blared a danger alert—he rolled aside just in time.

The Fei Mu Needle struck, missing Jones but piercing clean through his axe.

Just one strike—the axe shattered. Jones's face paled in shock.

The armor screamed another warning.

But it was too late. Li Yi's fist had already descended.

"Damn it!" Jones panicked, yet instinctively abandoned his axe and swung his fist at Li Yi.

But years of luxury had dulled his combat instincts. Though a Level Five gene warrior, he was utterly unprepared for sudden, life-or-death combat. His punch was clumsy, full of openings, weak and scattered—in Li Yi's eyes, utterly harmless.

Jones's punch missed. Li Yi's killing technique struck true.

Boom!

Thunderous fist energy exploded.

One strike—and the Level Five gene warrior Jones was blasted backward. Even with armor protection, he spat a mouthful of blood.

When Jones stood again, his eyes were filled with terror.

He couldn't win.

He couldn't beat this man.

If he fought on, he would die.

The fear of death overwhelmed him. Jones, already hollow inside, now revealed his weakness—he screamed, forgot everything else, and turned to flee back into the gene building.

He fled.

He abandoned everyone else to save himself.

"Jones lost, he lost!" Hei Shi cried out in excitement.

A Level Five Gene Warrior had been defeated and fled—victory seemed too easy.

Li Yi was right: he should not fear the Gene Federation; the Gene Federation should fear him.

They were nowhere near as strong as imagined.

Upon hearing Jones had lost, cheers erupted deafeningly outside Hope Tower.

"Flee? Too late now—you'll die." Li Yi paused for a moment, surprised that the opponent's Level Five Gene Warrior was so weak.

Then he snapped back to himself; his Gangqi surged, and he shot forward, skimming the ground in an instant.

"Are you a Level Six Gene Warrior? Don't come closer—don't come closer!" Jones turned and saw Li Yi soaring through the air; his face twisted in terror.

Li Yi had no patience for explanations.

He realized: the Gene Warriors of World Six weren't all powerful—some possessed strength but lacked the will to wield it. Such a temperament was nothing but that of an ordinary person, utterly unworthy of the name warrior. By contrast, the evil Earth had produced only ruthless killers—men forged in battles against ferocious beasts and supernatural creatures.