章 45: Chapter 45: The Arrival of the City Guard Captain
The small knife nestled within the pocket of the captain's trousers trembled incessantly, as if yearning to break free. Song Shi lowered her hand to suppress it and turned to face the newcomers.
At the forefront stood a frail old man in a suit, his bony hand pressing downward, causing the floating knife to clatter to the ground.
The ability to manipulate metal... perhaps one of the elemental, mechanical, or psychic powers.
To the left of the old man stood Zhou Tan, and to the right, Tang You, still clad in the delicate floral dress she had worn earlier that morning, covered with a hastily draped coat.
Their arrival was swifter than Song Shi had anticipated.
With a wave of his hand, the old man summoned his city guards, who rushed past Song Shi to subdue the six remaining individuals behind her, handcuffing them before escorting them toward the staircase. The remaining guards entered the room to assess the situation.
Those still gasping for breath were forcibly guided downward, while the deceased were swiftly moved to the hallway, lined up neatly, awaiting the larger contingent to transport them downstairs.
Stepping aside, Song Shi made way for them.
"Come here."
The old man beckoned.
Glancing at Tang You, Song Shi approached them.
The old man scrutinized her from head to toe, his already furrowed brow deepening. "A berserker?"
His tone revealed suspicion; after years of experience, he sensed that something about Song Shi's aura seemed off.
But Song Shi was indeed a highly probable berserker.
Casting a glance at Zhou Tan, she recalled their previous discussion about choosing between the berserker and healing abilities, where she had confidently opted for the former, never envisioning this outcome.
Shaking her head, she replied, "Healing."
Zhou Tan's eyes lit up with unexpected joy as she eagerly explained to the old man, "Xiao Song has a healing differentiation value of 38%, which means she possesses potential for awakening—"
"She's escaping! Quick, shoot her!!"
"Bang! Bang!"
Suddenly, chaos erupted from behind, accompanied by gunfire. Song Shi turned to investigate but saw nothing.
An officer shouted through a device resembling a walkie-talkie, "A short-haired woman has jumped from upstairs! Hurry, go after her!"
Yang Miao!
Song Shi immediately pressed against the wall to peer below, spotting Yang Miao limping and fleeing eastward.
East was where they had previously trained together, beneath a high wall with a small hole.
Drawing back, Song Shi composed herself.
The old man had already bypassed her, moving toward the line of bodies sprawled on the ground.
Tang You leaned closer to Song Shi, whispering, "That's my homeroom teacher, the head of the Ability Department, Yan Qianlin—metal-based."
As they spoke, the bulk of the city guard brigade ascended the stairs.
The uniform worn by the leader stood out from the rest, suggesting he held a notable rank. Instinctively, Song Shi glanced at his police badge: 110001.
The initial "11" must designate Zone 11, while the subsequent "01" indicated he was the captain of the city guard.
Tang You quickly grasped Song Shi's hand, tugging her backward as they leaned against the wall to allow the officers to pass.
As the captain trailed past, he cast a sidelong glance toward Song Shi before proceeding toward Yan Qianlin.
"Yan Lao!"
Only after he moved on did Tang You softly comment, "That's the captain of the city guard, Wang Songjiang. He shares a personal connection with our teacher. Today, Yan Lao called him directly."
Song Shi was surprised that today's events had warranted the captain's involvement.
At that moment, Yan Qianlin and Wang Songjiang engaged in discussion, focused on the circumstances of the day.
Tang You, removing her coat, added, "They'll likely take you back to the city guard for questioning, so don't be anxious."
She offered her discarded coat to Song Shi.
Glancing down at herself, Song Shi noted the bloodstains and numerous torn areas of her clothing; describing her appearance as ragged would be an understatement.
She accepted the coat and slipped it on.
Tang You continued, "Even if you've killed, it's justifiable self-defense. They were the ones from the West Suburbs who sought to harm you, and you're still an awakener."
Taking those points into account, Song Shi was practically exonerated.
"With our teacher present and Wang Songjiang overseeing the matter, Wang Danyu won't be able to meddle. They'll likely ask you a few straightforward questions before letting you go."
Song Shi nodded, though her thoughts remained clouded with concern for Mao Rong.
At that moment, Mao Rong was escorted out by two officers, her bandages entirely removed, a deep crimson imprint still visible at the corner of her mouth. As she emerged, she scanned for Song Shi's silhouette, glaring at her until they passed each other.
Wang Songjiang and Yan Qianlin appeared to have wrapped up their conversation, which had not once mentioned Wang Danyu. Their discourse solely revolved around an incident involving a misguided minor from the West Suburbs attempting to kill an awakener and how best to manage the West Suburbs' issues.
With their discussion complete, the two descended the stairs side by side.
As they passed Song Shi, Wang Songjiang sighed, "It's remarkable how strong healing awakener abilities have become; there's hope for the Federation yet."
Yan Qianlin shook his head, "We still need more people…"
…
After they departed, Song Shi was ushered down the stairs by two officers.
Zhou Tan bid her farewell, saying, "Originally, Director Yan called me to help contain you, worried you might lose control over your berserker powers in a desperate situation, yet you awakened the healing ability instead."
She gave Song Shi's shoulder a playful pat, winking cheekily. "I look forward to seeing you in class next week. The allure of healing abilities is no less compelling than that of berserker powers."
While Song Shi didn't find comfort in her words, the passage of time had seen her accept the reality. More importantly, her mind was still preoccupied with the lingering message: [Anti-Abuse Value Progress: 87%].
What did it signify? Song Shi dared not dwell on it further.
Tang You could not accompany Song Shi as she was to be escorted to the city guard for questioning. Tang You, meant to travel with Yan Qianlin and Wang Songjiang aboard their flying vehicle, instead headed off to hail a taxi alone.
The dormitory entrance was already surrounded by officers. As she maneuvered through the cordon and headed toward the school gate, they passed by the academic buildings where students who hadn't yet left gathered to observe the commotion.
Today's uproar was tremendous; it had not only alarmed the city guard but also drawn in several flying vehicles, along with numerous ambulances, as both the deceased and the living were carried out in sizeable numbers.
Students stood near the barricade, a five-meter-wide passage separating them from the ongoing scene.
With two officers stationed behind her, Song Shi was not handcuffed or subjected to the same treatment as the others, who were forcefully led away with their arms twisted behind their backs.
Yet her appearance, drenched in blood and particularly in stark contrast against the pure white coat Tang You had lent her, was nothing short of appalling.
As she strode toward the blue-and-white flying vehicle, a familiar figure caught her eye in the crowd.
Chen Suqin.
The knife he had lent her remained tucked inside her pocket.
It seemed she wouldn't be able to return it to him.
As Song Shi slid into the back of the vehicle, it took off, leaving the scene behind.
(End of Chapter)
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