Chapter 428: A Little Lesson?

In the Field Operations Department Director's office at the Dome, Han Huan leaned against the chair back, watching the communicator on the desk that was playing music.

He vaguely recognized the song as Neon‑X's "Starlight," released about three months ago, and it had topped the Dome's Hot Song Chart for eleven consecutive weeks.

He was wondering what could make the Flame City Cannon so reckless; besides Fang Zhiyan's indulgence, what else could be the cause?

And Fang Zhiyan's team basically doesn't interfere with what his subordinates do, as long as it doesn't affect the experiment or get too extreme.

But this time was different: Ying Duo had turned the Dome's emergency broadcast system into a personal KTV, blasting idol songs across the entire frequency band.

If anyone else had done this, the Field Operations Department would have already pinned them to the ground and rubbed them.

But Ying Duo is Fang Zhiyan's student, Fang Zhiyan is the Mutation Department Director, and the Mutation Department is the Dome's most special entity—

No one wants to get involved with them, and no one dares to touch their people lightly.

Moreover, the Flame City Cannon was previously known only for its heavy firepower, and now it even has such intrusion tactics.

In the face of such capability, any Rune equipment could malfunction on the spot, effectively wiping out most of the Field Operations Department's forces.

Han Huan's fingers tapped twice again, and then he thought of another person—Xie Jingnian.

That "daughter‑slave" would wish the whole world to be his daughter's fans; when Neon‑X held its first concert, the Field Operations Department received thirty‑two "assist in maintaining order" requests, twenty‑nine of which came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Coincidentally, the broadcast intrusion looped Neon‑X's songs; does Xie Jingnian know about this? Or is it merely a gesture of goodwill from the Mutation Department toward the Field Operations Department?

But rather than seeing it as goodwill, Xie Jingnian himself is more likely to view it as a threat.

Previously, because of the Mutation Department's danger, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Field Operations Department had frequent interactions; compared with those lunatics, normal people prefer to deal with other normal people.

But if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' stance deviates, the situation would be vastly different.

Suddenly, the private communicator on Han Huan's desk lit up.

He answered, and the other side skipped the small talk, with Xie Jingyan's bright, melodious voice still echoing in the background.

"Director, that kid from the Mutation Department is too reckless; should I go—"

The person didn't finish the sentence, but Han Huan knew what he intended to say.

"Kill him."

"Young man," Han Huan said with a hint of amusement in his voice, but his eyes were icy cold, "youthful recklessness is perfectly normal."

"Just give him a little lesson; do it in Fang Zhiyan's name without going too far, and everyone else will hold back."

The other side only whispered a "yes," and the call dropped.

His fingers tapped twice on the armrest, and he gradually let the music's rhythm carry him away.

This won't do; being swept into someone else's rhythm is a big taboo......

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In the Dome Headquarters broadcast room, Xi Ren Sheng was bobbing his head to the music, while Ying Duo's fingers tapped twice on the console, matching the rhythm of the speaker's music.

"Here it comes," he said, looking at the huge red dot on the mini‑map rapidly closing in on them, "one person."

Xi Ren Sheng just pushed the mask up to his forehead, revealing two sparkling eyes.

"One person? The Field Operations Department sent just one?" his voice carried disappointment.

Ying Duo didn't answer; he turned around, pulled his hood up, pressing his glowing green hair fragments under the hat, leaving only a few strands visible.

"Let's go," Ying Duo said, "let's go greet him."

The red dot on the mini‑map was rapidly approaching; Ying Duo glanced at its trajectory, took a turn, and was already near the broadcast room.

Ying Duo stopped in the middle of the corridor, facing the direction from which the person was coming.

Xi Ren Sheng understood, took a few steps back and concealed his figure.

The music kept playing, Neon‑X's "Starlight" looping into its second verse, the drumbeat thinning, the bass sinking, leaving only an electric guitar gently plucking strings.

The person emerged from around the corner, dressed in a black tactical suit—not the Field Operations Department's mission‑grade protective gear, nor a generic black suit.

He stopped about ten meters in front of Ying Duo, hands in his pockets, tilting his head to stare at Ying Duo for two seconds.

"Our director had me give you a little lesson, so deputy director, you've crossed us."

Ying Duo stared at him without speaking; the person's Blood Bar hovered above his head, and the level field displayed "Lv. 37".

Although there was a level gap, Ying Duo's gear and items were too many to be outmatched.

The Mechanic class is already a late‑game profession; with abundant materials and plenty of schematics, its cap becomes terrifyingly high.

Ying Duo's finger twitched, and he pulled a handgun from his backpack.

The person watched Ying Duo draw his gun but didn't move; his hands remained in his pockets, his stance relaxed enough to seem he didn't regard Ying Duo at all.

The music returned to the chorus, the drumbeat becoming dense again, and the bass surged up from below.

Ying Duo acted first.

He raised his gun so swiftly that the trigger was already pulled the instant the barrel lifted.

The person's head tilted, and the bullet whizzed past his ear, exploding a small hole in the wall behind him.

It seemed he had already known the bullet's trajectory before Ying Duo pulled the trigger.

Ying Duo's second bullet followed the first, this time aimed at the person's chest.

The person's body twisted slightly, and the bullet skimmed his clothing, leaving a scorch mark on the fabric but not injuring flesh.

Ying Duo casually slipped the empty handgun into his backpack and switched to a rifle.

The rifle's recoil was greater than the handgun's, but its rate of fire was faster and its bullet spread wider.

The person's movements finally escalated; he no longer just sidestepped, but began sprinting toward Ying Duo, each step landing between the bullets, each step matching the music's beat.

It was as if the BGM were tailored for him, bullets exploding behind him, leaving a series of holes in the wall.

"Looks like your Mutation Department is shedding some blood."

He sneered, noting that the battle Ying Duo initiated would have the Mutation Department bear the headquarters' losses.

That's why, after learning Ying Duo's combat style, Han Huan only sent someone over to give him a lesson.

Honestly, Han Huan never imagined Ying Duo could fire off such a barrage.

The drumbeat sound gradually faded away, leaving only the bass resonating low and deep, thump‑thump like a heartbeat.

This person is a Special Ability Practitioner; Yang Yixie had already realized that when he saw the level above his head.

So, what will his Aberrant Arts be?