Chapter 203 – The Death of Xie Hong
Tu Ran appeared frail and powerless, leaning back in the chair with her eyes tightly closed. Due to the exhaustion from the [Wheel of Time], her face was very pale, which added to her credibility.
A nurse from the medical department handed her a bottle of nutrient solution, and Tu Ran opened it and took a few sips.
Another person in a doctor’s outfit approached, holding a syringe filled with a transparent liquid. He skillfully aimed for Tu Ran’s arm.
“What are you doing?” Tu Ran suddenly pulled her arm back, her expression guarded as she stared at him.
The man calmly explained, “This is a restorative agent, used to repair wounds and replenish energy. Every person coming out of there gets an injection of this. It can quickly restore them to their best fighting condition, and it’s provided free of charge by our medical department.”
Tu Ran waved her hand. “I don’t need it. I’ll be fine after resting for a while.”
“This restorative agent is very valuable. If you don’t use it now, you might not get another chance,” the man said dismissively, trying to inject her again.
“I don’t need it,” Tu Ran firmly refused.
She had not forgotten that the Wells family had placed her on their hunting list. Their influence was vast, and their reach extended everywhere. It was better to be cautious.
The man glared at her face, gritted his teeth, and then turned to leave.
Tu Ran watched his retreating figure, noticing the name tag she had seen earlier on his chest: Li Shigu.
She would have to look into this person when she had the chance.
Leaning back in her seat, Tu Ran narrowed her eyes, closed them to rest, and focused on calming her mind.
Once the other people had dealt with all the genetic monsters in the Sankar Arsenal, she would be able to return to the Pandalin District.
She needed to return to the hotel first to assemble the parts of her laser gun. Once she did, she would have a brand-new laser gun.
Laser guns with extremely high destructive power were recorded by the Federation, with strict regulations on who could use them and who could not.
For example, the three laser guns of the Pioneer Team required a detailed application to use, specifying the reasons for use, duration, initial energy levels, expected energy consumption, and so on. The process was very cumbersome.
Even if she used the [Wheel of Time] to restore the laser gun to its original condition, it would still be considered illegal by the Federation and not allowed to be used publicly.
But having it was better than not having it at all. If she couldn’t use it in the Federation, she could take it to the Threshold and use it there.
In the Threshold, no one would monitor her. She could use it however she wanted.
She wouldn’t even need to worry about the batteries. If the power ran out, she could use the [Wheel of Time] to rewind by a few seconds, and the laser gun would be restored to its previous charge.
It was like having unlimited power and endless laser beams.
Tu Ran was in a good mood, reclining in her seat and almost humming a tune.
Until someone came over and ruined the mood.
“General Xie Hong is dead.”
The cold, emotionless voice made Tu Ran recognize who it was without even opening her eyes.
“It wasn’t me who killed him,” she replied lightly.
If Xie Xu wasn’t suspicious of her, he wouldn’t have come to question her.
“You need to provide evidence unrelated to you,” Xie Xu said.
Tu Ran straightened up and looked up at Xie Xu. “He was sent to support the western zone. Everyone knows this.”
“Indeed,” Xie Xu nodded, adding, “But this is information you provided. Besides you, no one else heard General Xie Hong say these things.”
Tu Ran paused, suddenly realizing.
When she had gone to the western zone for support, she hadn’t seen General Xie Hong at all!
Xie Hong was supposed to support the western zone, but he had not arrived there.
“The surveillance from the eastern zone to the western zone…” Tu Ran’s voice was uncertain.
“There were no sightings of General Xie Hong,” Xie Xu answered, anticipating her question with certainty.
Tu Ran’s heart sank instantly.
She realized a serious issue. Xie Hong was dead, and the last person he had seen before he died was her.
The last footage captured was of her entering the dense smoke, followed by the violent destruction of her communicator and helmet, and Xie Hong’s communicator and combat helmet also being damaged.
Both of them disappeared into the smoke.
What happened afterward was unknown, as there was no surveillance in the eastern zone.
Tu Ran claimed that Xie Hong went to support the western zone, but no footage from the western zone showed him.
Xie Hong must have died in the eastern zone.
Tu Ran steadied herself and looked at Xie Xu. “How did he die?”
“His inner core was extracted from the back of his neck,” Xie Xu said, scrutinizing her face carefully, not missing any detail.
He had initially suspected her.
Not only was she the last person to be with Xie Hong, but she also had the ability to identify other people’s abilities. She could see the inner core within Xie Hong’s body.
This heightened his suspicion.
But seeing Tu Ran’s current expression, it didn’t seem like something she had done.
“I’m not that foolish,” Tu Ran said coldly.
She had lost her patience for lying down and stood up. “With so many surveillance cameras from the eastern zone to the western zone, not one captured him?” She reiterated the question to Xie Xu.
“None,” Xie Xu confirmed firmly.
“How about the other zones? Maybe he decided to support another zone at the last minute?”
“Zero analyzed all the surveillance from the Pandalin District, and General Xie Hong did not leave the eastern zone at any time.”
Tu Ran pressed her lips together. This situation was becoming troublesome.
Without surveillance footage, if the Inspection Department investigated Xie Hong’s death, they would likely use a memory reader on her.
Although she hadn’t directly harmed Xie Hong, her actions—summoning the hallucination mushrooms, touching the back of Xie Hong’s head to read his memories, and some of the things she said—were too suspicious.
Moreover, with the death of a general, the Federation would certainly take it seriously. The Inspection Department was in charge of investigations, and Xie Xu had no way to tamper with the memory reader.
“The people from the Inspection Department haven’t arrived yet. Can you buy me some time?” Tu Ran tilted her head slightly to look at Xie Xu.
He did not deny it. “The Inspection Department will come to get you in half an hour.”
He gave her half an hour.
He still believed in her, or rather, he couldn’t bear to lose her as a hard-won cooperative partner.
Tu Ran turned and walked towards the eastern zone.
Xie Xu followed closely behind her.
“Zhao Yan is in charge of the survivor search in the eastern zone. He has the ability of [Telepathy]. If he saw Xie Hong while Xie Hong was using [Deafness], he would immediately detect the presence of abilities within Xie Hong’s body.”
Tu Ran spoke quickly. “When Xie Hong left, he wasn’t injured. His combat suit is highly resistant to damage, and he also has offensive abilities and a laser gun. Generally, he wouldn’t be easily harmed by ordinary people. The most likely scenario is that it was someone with superpowers.”
“Do you suspect Zhao Yan?”
Tu Ran nodded. She wasn’t just suspicious; she was certain.
“General Xie Hong’s body was found by Zhao Yan,” Xie Xu said.
Tu Ran snorted coldly. “It’s not impossible for a thief to shout thief.”
As they entered the eastern zone, halfway through their journey, they encountered Zhao Yan and his team.
When i getchu, Zhao Yan 😬