Chapter 86: 83 When They Come Knocking, I

With the situation urgent and the mission critical, Qi Ming had no time to argue; after cursing him, he hung up the communication.

On the other end of the line, Counselor Inagaki sat stunned for a moment, then erupted in rage.

He’s just a disposable cannon fodder who could be replaced at any moment—how dare he speak to me, a counselor, like this!

“He could’ve turned himself in and received leniency, sparing face for Kento’s side—but clearly, he has no sense of decency!”

He summoned Minister Yin: “Go arrest Qi Ming—I’ll make him understand TPC’s rules!”

Minister Yin: “?”

I’m supposed to go arrest Qi Ming? Are you serious?

He fell silent for a moment: “If you can authorize me a hundred heavy machine guns to set up an ambush along his route, I might be able to suppress him with firepower.”

Counselor Inagaki: “?”

Did I hear that right?

You need a hundred heavy machine guns to arrest one man? Is he Batman?

Minister Yin: “Regarding Officer Qi Ming, Counselor He Zhi has given special instructions. You should consult him first.”

Counselor Inagaki froze, entered his office, spoke with Counselor He Zhi for five minutes, then emerged with an unsettled expression.

“I’ll have to swallow my pride and appease Director Ikahana’s anger—otherwise, how will TPC’s other major sponsors view us?”

“If they fully side with the Defense Force, we’ll be at a severe disadvantage.”

He called Director Ikahana again, promising that Officer Qi Ming would be severely punished “afterward,” and that a satisfactory explanation would be provided.

But Director Ikahana, an old fox, immediately sensed this was an attempt to downplay the incident.

So I took that beating for nothing?

“But rest assured, TPC will guarantee the safety of this great underground city project.”

At these words, Director Ikahana’s mood slightly eased: “Then what about the monsters drawn in by the PW waves?”

Counselor Inagaki: “Rest assured—we’ll eliminate them the moment they appear, ensuring the project proceeds without interruption.”

…………………………

“Near vermilion, one turns red; near ink, one turns black. Staying with these brain-dead idiots, I feel my own standards slipping…”

After hanging up, Qi Ming realized his temper had been subtly corrupted.

“Officer Qi Ming, look at that woman—she’s Dr. Koizumi’s daughter!”

As they neared Dr. Koizumi Chidori’s residence, the sharp-eyed Emi immediately noticed something wrong.

A young woman walked down the street with a vacant gaze, as if sleepwalking, completely oblivious to the vehicles passing on either side.

Qi Ming: “Amnesia? No—this is Bokwang’s ultrasonic hypnosis!”

The next instant, a white car sped toward Dr. Koizumi Chidori.

“They’re trying to kill her!” Qi Ming flung open the car door and leapt from the moving Drakm, rolled smoothly to the ground, then snatched Chidori aside at blurring speed.

He immediately drew his gun and aimed it at the white car, spotting a “white mask” through the rear window.

That was Bokwang’s face!

To eliminate Chidori, it had come here driving the car itself!

Qi Ming opened fire immediately, but Bokwang’s car vanished into traffic.

“Why am I here?” Chidori asked, as if waking from a dream.

Seeing this, Qi Ming abandoned pursuit: “Bokwang wants to make your death look like an accident. We’ll explain the details on the way.”

…………………………

Upon hearing the name “Bokwang,” Chidori’s face turned pale.

“I know it—it’s a subterranean being. My father studied it for years…”

Qi Ming: “Did your father leave you any research notes on it?”

Chidori: “I think so—I’ll look for them when I get home.”

On the way back, Qi Ming encountered another ground fissure incident; Chidori said she was already used to such things.

She said: “Ever since I noticed something off about my father and probed him, this string of misfortunes has haunted me.”

Qi Ming: “This isn’t misfortune—it’s Bokwang trying to silence you.”

Chidori: “Officer of the Victory Team, please avenge my father!”

Qi Ming: “No problem.”

With Qi Ming leading the way, the three reached Chidori’s home without incident.

After searching, Chidori found a notebook under her bed.

“It’s my father’s research notes!”

Qi Ming immediately took it and began reading—the contents chilled him to the bone.

“I underestimated Bokwang’s ambition,” Qi Ming murmured.

Bokwang used ultrasonic control over Dr. Koizumi to devise a plan to sever the Dragon Veins and nail the Main Vein, aiming to inflame conflict between humans and Earth monsters.

He hoped both sides would cripple each other, allowing him to reap the benefits, eliminate all obstacles, and become the supreme ruler of both surface and subterranean Earth.

This part was flawless—Qi Ming’s suspicions were correct.

But the problem was, the target Bokwang had framed for human hatred wasn’t just the subterranean monsters led by Renlong.

The notes clearly recorded the existence, beneath the underground city construction site, of a civilization called “Dilos.”

Dilos!

That was the subterranean civilization from the finale of Ultraman Max!

This civilization was immensely powerful, yet rational and restrained.

In the original series, they retaliated only after human economic activity damaged the ozone layer, allowing harmful solar radiation to penetrate underground.

But in this world, humans were directly building above Dilos civilization, using PW waves to fracture rock layers and dig deep pits, relentlessly shrinking the “buffer zone” between surface and Dilos.

To Dilos civilization, this was unmistakably preparation for invasion!

This was more terrifying than digging beneath the Earth God’s temple!

Seeing Qi Ming fall silent, Emi asked: “What’s wrong?”

Qi Ming: “My shock level has reached five.”

Emi: “Is five that high?”

Qi Ming gave an example: “If one day Detective Conan ended, and the author actually paired Haibara Ai and Conan as a couple, my shock level might barely reach four.”

Emi gasped: “What? Isn’t Conan supposed to be with Ran Mouri?”

Qi Ming: “Given the current trajectory, there’s some ambiguity.”

Beside them, Chidori looked utterly confused—was this really the time for this?

She quickly steered the conversation back on track: “How powerful is this Dilos civilization?”

Qi Ming: “Extremely powerful. If they come knocking, I’m the first one running.”

Even I would struggle against a million Basaku.

“Good thing the PW waves have stopped—if we can find a chance to dismantle the underground city, we might resolve the misunderstanding,” Qi Ming said.

The next instant, the house trembled slightly.

An earthquake—around magnitude five.

Emi checked her phone and paled: “The underground city has restarted construction—they’re using PW waves again!”

(End of Chapter)