Chapter 1260: Arresting Fire Phoenix

Seeing Xia Qing staring at Fire Phoenix's face the whole time, Yang Jin typed a line on his phone and held it up to her: Deng Yufeng must have just taken a new toxin.

Xia Qing gave a slight nod. Recovery-type evolvers really were formidable — far beyond ordinary humans.

Fire Phoenix, her face crisscrossed with veins and nerves like cracks, smiled at the camera. "Half a year, and Third Brother's complexion looks much better than when I visited you at Territory Seven. The climate in Hui Three's Northern Zone One really does nourish a person. If Third Brother agrees, I'd like to stay at your territory for a while and nurse this broken body of mine."

Zhang San, sporting his usual curls and face mask, didn't bother with pleasantries as always and went straight to issuing orders. "Wang Rujiang, you have twenty seconds. Quickly organize the hidden dangers you didn't mention in your Fierce Fire toxic gas leak disaster report, then briefly state them in order of severity. Three-minute time limit."

"Yes, sir." Wang Rujiang lowered his head to think for a dozen seconds, then raised it to face the camera and clearly laid out the hidden dangers left over from the last disaster response.

The disaster-response assistant seated beside Zhang San, who was in charge of monitoring the area where Fierce Fire Mountain was located, used a speech-to-text tool to convert Wang Rujiang's words into visible text in real time.

Wang Rujiang spoke with such clear logic that the moment he opened his mouth, it was already a concise report meeting Zhang San's requirements — no need for the assistant to tidy it up.

After hearing the report, Zhang San gave his orders. "Wang Rujiang, from this moment on, you are responsible for two tasks. First: station yourself at Inspection Sheds One through Five on Hui One Mountain 26, and handle the testing of samples sent over by the Hui One Mountain 28 disaster-response squad. Second: monitor the progress of the Fierce Fire Mountain testing team through surveillance, stay in contact with them in real time, and inform them of the key testing areas."

"Yes, sir."

The inspection sheds were fully covered by cameras, and the surveillance feed went straight to the commander. In other words, from this moment on, Wang Rujiang was within Zhang San's surveillance — and protection.

Although Wang Rujiang kept his voice steady, his expression control wasn't as strong as Fire Phoenix's; his eyes still betrayed his joy.

Zhang San went on to issue several more orders, deploying the toxin leak inspection tasks for Fierce Fire Mountain, before finally turning his gaze to Fire Phoenix beside Wang Rujiang.

The Fire Phoenix on screen raised a hand covered in veins, tucked the short hair in front of her ear behind her ear, and began speaking with a smile. "The entire Fierce Fire squad is at the commander's disposal, fully committed to disaster relief. Please give your orders, Third Brother."

Zhang San's voice remained so cold it held not a shred of human warmth. "Reconnaissance aircraft found six Fierce Fire squad members' bodies on Mountain 22. They have been confirmed as the killers of the evolved wolf. Deng Yufeng, captain of the Fierce Fire squad, is hereby arrested in accordance with the law and sent to the Hui One Criminal Investigation Brigade for interrogation."

Wang Rujiang's eyes flew wide in shock. Fire Phoenix beside him kept smiling. "Third Brother wants to arrest me and send me to Hui One Safe Zone? Looks like you're planning to use this chance to turn the entire Hui One Safe Zone into a disaster zone."

If Fire Phoenix self-destructed, the toxins inside her would spread — the disaster would absolutely be on a terrifying scale.

A commander only gives an order once. Zhang San looked toward the four people in the corner of the screen who were trying to slip away, and raised his voice.

"Zheng Zhenshan."

"Crack!"

The instant Zhang San finished speaking, the gun of the commander's special supervisor — dressed all in black — inside Shed Four was aimed at Zheng Zhenshan, who was pretending not to hear and still shuffling toward the shed's exit.

With the gun on him, Zheng Zhenshan immediately stopped, snapped to attention, turned to face the screen, and answered loudly, "Here!"

Zhang San ordered, "Arrest Deng Yufeng and escort her to the Hui One Criminal Investigation Brigade for interrogation. Record video the entire time and ensure the signal stays clear."

Fierce Fire's four bodyguards turned, their guns aimed at Zheng Zhenshan and the all-black special supervisor.

Zheng Zhenshan's body trembled. Wang Rujiang had already stood up and ducked aside. Fire Phoenix remained seated in her original spot, smiling at the camera as if nothing in the world mattered — but Xia Qing felt she was about to explode the next second.

Seeing Zheng Zhenshan not move, Zhang San announced in an icy voice, "Confirming disaster-response personnel Zheng Zhenshan in violation of…"

As Zhang San spoke, the all-black special supervisor raised his gun barrel upward, aiming at Zheng Zhenshan's throat. The gesture made Zheng Zhenshan suddenly realize who this all-black supervisor was.

Luo Pei — it's Luo Pei!!!

"R-received! Received! Received!!!"

Violating the commander's order, Fire Phoenix's bodyguards wouldn't kill him — but Luo Pei wouldn't hesitate for even a second! Zheng Zhenshan cried out in despair, his voice growing louder and louder. Once he'd finished yelling, his courage and reason seemed to return, and he immediately carried out the order. "Captain Deng, please come with us."

Fire Phoenix remained seated in her chair, smiling at the camera.

Zhang San spoke, "Confirming Deng Yufeng resisting arrest. Immediately…"

The words "shoot to kill" had not yet left the commander's mouth when Fire Phoenix stood up with a smile, and calmly walked outward with her bodyguards — as if she had been waiting these few seconds just to let Zhang San say one more line. From her actions, Xia Qing also understood her fear of death.

Poisoning herself into her current state was nothing more than her way of intimidating others and protecting herself.

Given Fire Phoenix's caution, she could definitely wash herself clean of blame for this incident. But the commander had given the order, so she had to go to the Criminal Investigation Brigade for interrogation. If she escaped halfway, or if the Hui One criminal investigators failed to question her in accordance with the law, both would be illegal.

No matter how chaotic the order during the Year of Natural Disasters, no matter how much the Hui One disaster-response and case-handling personnel wanted to shield Fierce Fire, they wouldn't dare openly break the law under the cameras.

If Fire Phoenix weren't a recovery-type evolver under special protection — unreachable without the highest clearance, so that no one could draw her bodily fluids for testing — her idol would definitely have drawn her blood on the spot, classified her as a "disaster," and eliminated her right there.

Her idol, standing at the very pinnacle of the universe's pyramid, had once again reached a whole new level of coolness!

Fanatic fan Xia Qing immediately took a tea bag out of the box and brought it to her idol, who was rubbing his head. "You've worked hard, Third Brother. Have some more tea to soothe your throat."

Zhang San raised his thin eyelids and asked coldly, "What did you boil this hawthorn water in?"

Xia Qing answered at once, "Green-light hawthorn, chrysanthemum, and white sugar. The pot was washed clean and then put through the sterilizer. The bag is brand new. Guaranteed clean and sanitary."

From the word "stuffed," Zhang San could tell exactly how slapdash she'd been. He gave a cold snort, took a few sips, then set the thermos box on the other side, out of Xia Qing's reach.

Everyone…

Yang Jin, who was plotting to get at the last tea bag in the thermos box…

Seeing Xin Yu also looked up. The visual evolver beside her reminded her, "Xin Yu, have Molly turn back and search that area again."

"Got it." Xin Yu immediately contacted her trained bird to return to the area. "Commander, fifty meters outside the sinkhole on Hui One Mountain 28, in the bushes, we found a dead rodent."

This rodent had very likely died of poisoning after eating the internal organs of Wolf Number Five. Zhang San spoke calmly, "Yan Yue."

"Received." Yan Yue immediately contacted the Yao Shu squad, who were on a mission outside the sinkhole, and ordered them to the rodent's location, then continued her report. "Based on the bite marks and scent left on Wolf Number Five's body, the evolvers from the Shen Shuang squad confirmed that the main scavengers of Wolf Number Five's organs were rodents, as well as vultures. In addition, multiple dead hermit crabs, small lizards, and ants were found around Number Five. Samples are being sent to Mountain 26."

The toxin inside Wolf Number Five's body had truly spread. The atmosphere in the command room tensed up once more.

?? Thanks to reader Alice5555 for the tips for Third Brother, Sister Qing, and Fourth; thanks to readers Mermaid Class Monitor and 6455 for the tips for Fourth; thanks to reader Sagittarius Sprite for the tip for Sister Qing; thanks to reader Xue Yanran for the tips for Third Brother and Fourth; thanks to readers NingYue and Spring Sun Warm Yang Sheng Wan Wu for the tips for Sister Qing. Thanks to readers Cat Cat Shuang Quan and n-zen-me-hui-shi for the tips for this book, and thanks to everyone for your subscriptions, votes, and comments.