Chapter 333: Master Fuli Is Highly Sought After

"Gene test passed. Cell No. 2."

"Gene test."

The macaque sat on the long table, waving a syringe to jab at ceramic factory workers controlled by mechanical dogs.

Suspects who passed the test jumped into a hastily dug pit at the mechanical dogs’ command; a cylindrical metal object marked with the character 【 Bao 】 and peculiar handcuffs appeared before the warehouse supervisor.

The handcuffs had silver and rose gold finishes; unlike double-ring cuffs, they featured four circular rings.

"Place your left thumb into the top small ring and lock it—let me see the skin indentation."

The mechanical dog kindly instructed the warehouse supervisor on how to wear the special thumb-and-wrist handcuffs.

Once the supervisor had secured them, a tracked-base mechanical arm hidden among the grass retrieved the mechanical dog.

The mechanical dog moved its limbs, following instructions from the workstation computer to proceed to its designated position and return to the ceramic factory.

Everything happening here was transmitted via a camera beside the macaque back to the command vehicle.

"Feels just like playing a game."

An Sheng lay sprawled on Wang Qiqi’s shoulder, staring in awe at the events unfolding on the computer screen before him.

Before this, An Sheng had known that the Pest Control Unit under the Anquan Bureau was a force that deployed spirit beasts and high-tech equipment, but he had no real concept of what a high-tech unit entailed.

Now he finally saw it: controlling an entire area without a single human present.

"That’s exactly the effect we want. After all, we’re part of the Anquan Bureau—we prioritize safety above all."

Hearing An Sheng’s amazement, Wang Qiqi smiled, speaking as if boasting, yet also explaining:

"Each mechanical dog costs six thousand. Even counting all its weapons, the total manufacturing cost won’t exceed ten thousand."

"One explosion costs ten thousand; if it doesn’t explode, it’s just a few cents in electricity. For a mere two or three million, you complete a mission that could otherwise wipe out an entire three-man squad—no matter how you look at it, it’s an incredibly cost-effective choice."

When dealing with anything related to spirit grains, no amount of caution is excessive.

If the workers in the ceramic factory were all ordinary people, fine—but if even one beast-transformed warrior appeared, they could annihilate a three-man armed squad in an instant.

Technological advancement exists to serve humanity—and the same logic applies in war.

If unmanned drones can fill the front lines, there’s no need to sacrifice soldiers’ precious lives. Whether based on practical cost or emotional weight, winning a strategic victory at the cost of countless soldiers’ lives is a pyrrhic victory.

The optimal strategy is to eliminate enemies at the lowest cost and highest efficiency—send them straight to reincarnation.

"So, do you have that thing with you?" An Sheng asked curiously: "The big dog with a ground-launched missile strapped to its back?"

"Uh..."

"Although this might sound misleading, Master Fuli, the thing you saw—we usually only deploy it in operations targeting spirit beasts," Wang Qiqi said, her proud expression instantly turning hesitant as An Sheng inquired about the small ground-launcher.

"We only use it against spirit beasts."

"After all... it’s extremely expensive. It’s unnecessary for regular missions."

"." An Sheng looked at Wang Qiqi’s face, his expression subtly puzzled: "Used specifically to target Guardian-level spirit beasts?"

"Not exactly. We also use it against some heavily armored Boss-level spirit beasts," Wang Qiqi coughed lightly and said. "For Guardian-level ones, we usually prefer gentle persuasion. After all, everyone’s just trying to make a living."

"A Guardian-level spirit beast is like a mayor. If you can recruit one, you secure an entire city against wild spirit beasts—and under special circumstances, it can even assist local police in resolving difficult situations."

"Especially someone like you, Master Fuli—you’re especially prized in our Anquan Bureau. Imagine a criminal takes hostages with no sniper position available: Master Fuli just strolls over, kicks once, and the case is closed."

"So, Master Fu—"

"Wang Gong! The aerial cloud platform detected an anomalous electromagnetic signal inside the ceramic factory."

Just as Wang Qiqi was about to press on with her gentle persuasion, a logistics team member seated at the workstation suddenly turned to her.

"Anomalous electromagnetic signal?"

Wang Qiqi froze, staring at the team member—but before she could even ask, a violent explosion erupted from the direction of the ceramic factory.

"Boom—"

Orange-red flames shot skyward; within seconds, hundreds of square meters of the nearly four-thousand-square-meter factory were reduced to rubble by roaring fire, sending a powerful shockwave and searing heat radiating outward.

The pre-dawn sky blazed white with orange firelight.

"???"

Wang Qiqi stared blankly, gazing from inside the business vehicle at the ceramic factory engulfed in violent explosion.

"Drip-drip-drip—"

The towering flames lasted only moments, but the rumbling echoes rolled across the open land.

Debris flung skyward by the blast rained down, tapping rhythmically against the vehicle roof with a steady "tick-tack."

"The ceramic factory had explosives. The anomalous electromagnetic signal detected by the aerial platform was likely the detonation signal."

The logistics team member stared blankly at the screen showing lost signal, reporting to Wang Qiqi:

"But there’s good news—we had no personnel inside the factory, and all suspects had already been extracted by the mechanical dogs earlier."

"Good bullshit!"

Wang Qiqi snapped back to awareness, her face darkening. Without hesitation, she pulled a spirit-grain serum from her sleeve and jabbed it into her thigh. Her body instantly grew taller, sprouting a leopard tail and plump triangular ears, then shot out of the vehicle like a bullet.

"Those bastards knew they were exposed—they’re trying to destroy the spirit-grain site!"

"All units, maximum alert. Fire live rounds at anyone attempting to leave the ceramic factory."

Wang Qiqi vanished into the night, her voice echoing far behind as she issued orders to the logistics team.

An Sheng, who had been perched on Wang Qiqi’s shoulder, lost his balance from her sudden speed, spun several times midair, and landed on the ground.

"So fast."

An Sheng gasped, looking out at the muddy, dust-covered Lin Bingyun and Wang Ya from outside the vehicle: "You okay?"

"No problem."

Lin Bingyun gently rubbed her ears and spoke to Master Fuli.

They were several kilometers from the explosion site.

Nothing serious happened—but the shockwave had given Lin Bingyun slight tinnitus.

"Fine."

Wang Ya shook her head, brushing debris from her head.

"Stay here. Don’t move around. I’m going to check the situation."

Seeing both were unharmed, An Sheng leapt out of the vehicle and sprinted back to the pickup truck, gripping his massive hammer, rising onto his hind legs, and racing off on his two small feet.

"They..."

"Are they trying to steal my kill?"

An Sheng leapt into the air, gliding over the foresters’ heads, spotting two other lumberjacks already in combat mode racing toward the explosion center.

An Sheng’s mind surged—he ran even faster.

(End of Chapter)