Chapter 166: The investigators truly possess extraordinary skills

North American Union, a secret military base on the Xi Haian coast.

The cabin door opened, and a rush of moist air tinged with the scent of the sea hit his face.

Jiang Yuan took a deep breath, striving to calm the slight tension inside.

It was his first time stepping onto foreign soil to carry out a mission, and everything around was filled with unfamiliarity.

Tall white officers, a completely different architectural style, and the faint, other‑nation scent lingering in the air.

A middle‑aged man in a crisp suit, with blond hair and blue eyes, greeted him with a beaming smile, extending his hands warmly.

"Welcome! Federation elites, we have been waiting for you for a long time!"

The man's name was Mi Lei, a liaison officer of the North American Union assigned to this contact.

Wang Zhangzhi expressionlessly shook his hand, nodded steadily, and spoke sparingly.

"Hello."

Jiang Yuan stood at attention, a little restrained, and nodded, "Hello, sir!"

Mi Lei's smile grew brighter, and his gaze turned to the most inconspicuous petite figure in the team.

"This one..."

"Hello, Mr. Mi Lei! Just call me Mo Shu!"

Mo Shu hopped forward, smiling like an innocent neighborhood girl, her almond eyes sparkling with pure light.

Mi Lei looked at the energetic girl before him, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly masked by a professional smile.

"Hello, Miss Mo Shu, pleased to..."

His words stopped halfway.

At the moment his gaze met Mo Shu's clear eyes.

Buzz!

Mi Lei's brain jolted violently, and the world before his eyes instantly twisted and peeled away!

The sweet‑smiling girl vanished.

In her place stood a terrifying monster whose face was riddled with countless blood‑filled holes!

In each blood hole, an eyeball spun wildly, glaring at him with venomous hatred!

Mi Lei stepped back half a pace, his complexion turning as pale as paper.

He shook his head frantically, and when he opened his eyes again, everything returned to normal.

Mo Shu was still Mo Shu, tilting her head innocently as she looked at him.

"Mr. Mi Lei, what's wrong? Was the journey too exhausting?"

"No... no, it's fine, it's fine..."

Cold sweat beaded on Mi Lei's forehead.

He no longer dared to look into Mo Shu's eyes; that soul‑deep terror made him instantly filled with awe toward this Federation investigation team.

What just happened was definitely not an illusion!

Indeed, they should not be underestimated.

The people here truly possess extraordinary skills and some bizarre, terrifying methods...

Jiang Yuan kept a covert watch on Mo Shu, taking everything in.

He glanced oddly at the Mo Shu beside him; she returned a playful wink, as if nothing had just occurred.

A sense of dissonance.

Rose silently in Jiang Yuan's mind.

Inside the heavily guarded tactical conference room.

On a massive holographic screen, detailed information about the Gan Shi An was being displayed.

Each photograph was shocking to the eye.

Whether the victims were vagrants or financial elites, the manner of death was exactly the same.

All blood had been drained from their bodies, skin clinging tightly to the bones, like mummies that had been left for centuries.

A North American Union investigation supervisor was reporting, his tone full of frustration.

"We deployed the most advanced forensic methods, the Sky‑Eye system covered every crime scene, yet it captured nothing."

"The scene was unbelievably clean—no fingerprints, no footprints, no DNA residue whatsoever."

"The killer was like a true ghost."

In the conference room, the North American Union's senior officials all wore grim expressions.

The North American Union initially classified it as a high‑IQ serial murder case, but even after mobilizing state machinery it remained clueless, leading them to believe the case was likely related to the Weird.

Wang Zhangzhi listened silently, his hands crossed over his chest, his weather‑worn face showing no expression.

Only after the North American Union supervisor finished reporting and everyone's gaze focused on him did he speak slowly.

His voice was soft yet clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Your investigative direction has been wrong from the start."

The sentence silenced the entire room.

The supervisor frowned in displeasure, "Captain Wang, what do you mean?"

"What it means is," Wang Zhangzhi's gaze swept the room, bearing undeniable pressure, "you are using mathematical formulas to interpret a poem."

"You employ conventional reasoning to deduce the case, but if the target is the Weird, it cannot be judged by ordinary logic; you must think beyond normal reasoning."

"Based on the fact that the killer can flawlessly commit crimes and flawlessly evade investigation, we can at least infer that the opponent can precisely obtain official movements."

"We can boldly speculate that the opponent possesses a prophetic, superhuman ability."

"But often the opponent only reacts after you begin acting, rather than foreseeing everything you will do from the outset."

"Therefore, the opponent's ability is more like acquiring Intelligence in real time at intervals, not foreseeing the future."

Wang Zhangzhi's words, like a thunderclap, rang in the minds of all NAU Senior Executives.

"And also."

Wang Zhangzhi extended two fingers.

"According to your report, the attacks the victims suffered before death were irregular, which does not fit most Weird Murder Rules of the 'Weird Tale' type. Yet the victim group also meets the hunting criteria of a 'Weird Tale'."

"This is more like… a human hunt."

He paused briefly, throwing out a conclusion that made everyone's hair stand on end.

"I infer that this killer is not merely Weird, but a human symbiotic with Weird."

"Similar to the 'Symbiosis Body 001‑Lin Fan' in the Investigation Bureau's previously shared files, he is like, in your North American Union slang, a … demon contracter."

"Unlike Lin Fan, Weird provides power to the host of the Gan Shi An, whereas he may need to give Bao Chu to Weird."

Wang Zhangzhi's fingers heavily tapped the photos of the Gan Shi An corpses on the screen.

"These are the Bao Chu."

"Blood!"

"This is also… his fatal weakness."

In the conference room, a collective gasp of cold air rang out.

A NAU general stood up excitedly.

"Captain Wang! Through big‑data analysis we have narrowed the suspect's activity range to Xi Haian's Landen Shi! I want to ask, do you have any good plan now?"

Everyone's gaze once again focused on Wang Zhangzhi.

Anticipation, conviction.

This man from the East, in just ten short minutes, pierced the fog that had troubled them for months.

Wang Zhangzhi walked to the massive city map, his expression calm.

"My plan is simple."

"In the name of Sheng Hua Bing Du Xie Lu, seal off Landen Shi."

"Force the evacuation of the entire city's populace, leaving only one Exit."

"We set up a checkpoint at the Exit, using the Weird Detection Instrument to screen every person leaving the city."

"If he wants to survive, he must come out."

"If he doesn't come out…"

A cold curve lifted at the corner of Wang Zhangzhi's mouth.

"Given the crime frequency of the Gan Shi An, he absolutely couldn't resist."

His words fell, and the entire conference room sank into death‑like silence.

Everyone was stunned by the madness and overbearing nature of this plan!

Evacuate a city of three million people?

What a terrifying stroke of the pen!

"I oppose!"

A plump‑brained, stout‑necked councilor slammed the table, his face flushed with excitement.

"This is absurd! Landen Shi is our Xi Haian economic hub! A full‑day evacuation would cause economic losses up to several hundred billion dollars! Who will bear this responsibility?"

"Exactly! To pay such a huge price for a vague speculation? It's sheer nonsense!"

Immediately, several Senior Executives with major stakes in Landen Shi voiced their agreement.

For a moment, the conference room filled with noisy arguing.

Wang Zhangzhi said nothing.

He simply stared quietly at the group, his gaze as calm as a bottomless lake.

Only after the arguing subsided did he speak slowly, his voice low yet carrying the weight of a thousand pounds.

"Chicago's nuclear blast, how long ago was it?"

The question instantly silenced the entire conference room.

A trace of unmasked fear appeared on everyone's faces.

Chicago!

That city erased from the map is the North American Union's eternal wound!

Wang Zhangzhi's gaze, like a sharp sword, pierced the leading opposing councilor.

He asked calmly.

"Tell me."

"Is the loss of several hundred billion more important?"

"Or the second Chicago?"

The whole room fell dead silent.

The councilor opened his mouth, but could not utter a word; cold sweat instantly soaked his shirt.

Which is lighter, the loss of several hundred billion or the destruction of a city?

This is not a choice question at all.

A Four-star General seated at the head slowly rose, and solemnly said to Wang Zhangzhi,

"Captain Wang, from now on, the Highest Command Authority of the Landen Shi Action Unit is transferred to you."

"All Xi Haian military resources, at your disposal!"

The fate of this city, from this moment, fell into the hands of this Eastern man.

ps:

Burned out......