The expression on his face was utterly savage as he got ready to hit his target.
Every ounce of power he had acc.u.mulated was balled up in his fists, which were about to ram into Zhao Yao"s chest.
The black man let rip a roar as he struck.
He hit nothing.
Like a phantom, Zhao Yao had disappeared into thin air.
"What?" he uttered, a look of disbelief on his face.
Zhao Yao was never actually there, facing down the black man. He was still concealed by Elizabeth"s illusion, where he could safely conjure an apparition of himself.
As the black man remained rooted to the ground, stunned, Zhao Yao gently called Matcha"s name.
For a moment, time stood still.
When it started ticking again six seconds later, the black man had been thrown off his feet and sent flying through the air.
He landed on the gra.s.s with a loud thump. He lay there, unmoving. The deafening whirling of the vortex had long died down.
It was silent.
Xiao Ming stared, dumbfounded, at the man crumpled on the ground.
"Instant kill?"
"How could that happen?"
"How does a man like that end up defeated so quickly?"
He had thought that the black man was invincible
He craned his neck in hopes of spotting Zhao Yao, but he was gone without a trace.
When Xiao Ming turned back, the black man"s limp body had disappeared as well.
"Oh dear, this is not good," Zhao Yao muttered.
"There are too many witnesses. I might have been caught on tape. This is going to be a problem."
He was walking towards the black man, who had trails of blood dripping from the corners of his lips and down his chin. Both of them were now hidden from sight by Elizabeth"s illusion.
"You…" the black man started as he watched Zhao Yao approach, "How did you do this?"
There was no trace of smugness or aggression in his eyes. Instead, they showed fear.
"How did he defeat me in an instant without even raising a finger?" he thought.
"It can"t just be psychokinesis or teleportation. It"s something even stealthier, something scarier."
The inability to make sense of his opponent had robbed the man of his previous confidence. He did not know what would happen next. That was terrifying to him.
"C"mon, let"s go. Take me to your boss," Zhao Yao commanded.
The black man looked up at him in surprise.
He knew that refusing would not be wise. Having been at the receiving end of Zhao Yao"s blows, he was unsure if even his boss could protect him.
"I"ll take you on one condition. You can"t kill me," he said.
"I"m not gonna kill you. You"re just a normal human without your borrowed ability."
Zhao Yao glanced at his watch.
"We"ll leave now. I have work to do tomorrow."
He looked down at the serval cat nestled in his arms. She was staring longingly at the animal keeper, or rather, her mama.
"I feel like the bad guy here," Zhao Yao thought.
He stroked the serval"s head.
"She raised you?"
The serval nodded. She looked up at him with an expression that was filled with both innocence and sorrow.
"Can I say goodbye to her?" she asked.
"Goodbye? There"s no need for that. You"re staying here," he lowered her to the ground.
The cat looked at him in surprise.
"Aren"t you and that guy over there here to capture me?"
"Well, I"ve gotta lug that guy to see his boss, so my hands are kinda full. There"s no room for you."
Zhao Yao took a quick look at the mission panel. He had already gained an extra diamond and twice the experience points for catching the serval. He nodded, satisfied.
"You can go," he said.
The serval cast an odd look at Zhao Yao, then sprang away as quickly as she could. She was afraid that he might change his mind.
Zhi Yun broke into a smile when she spotted the serval leaping out of the darkness. She wiped away her tears as the cat launched herself into her arms and licked her face.
Zhao Yao nodded as he watched the reunion.
Then, his attention was back on the black man. He turned around and got him on his feet.
"Jeez, you"re heavy," he complained.
"You shouldn"t have hurt him so badly!" Matcha commented, "Now you have to carry him in your arms. It"s super lame."
"Shut up."
"You could"ve just tripped him or something, but you just had to show off."
"Shut it, stupid cat."
"You"ve got to call Inspector Ho to clean up your stupid mess."
"I know that, idiot. I left my phone in the car."
Zhao Yao, the black man he was supporting, and the cats in his backpack, escaped the zoo unnoticed thanks to the illusion that hid them from view.
A call was eventually made to Inspector Ho, who sent his men to take care of the incident and keep it under wraps.
Xiao Ming, however, was not going to let this rest.
The next day, the guide from the zoo arrived at his office to deliver a flash drive. It contained security footage from last night.
"You"ve destroyed all the other copies?"
"Don"t worry, Mr. Xiao. The copy you have in your hands is the only one left."
As for Zhao Yao, he had spent a good chunk of the night helping the wounded black man to his Panamera.
This brought about a fresh wave of complaints from Matcha.
"Why did you pick a spot so far away? We"ve been walking for 20 minutes!"
"It"s not like you"re doing the walking. Keep talking, and you will be."
"I can"t walk! I don"t have shoes on! This place is filthy, and I could hurt my delicate paws."
Zhao Yao ignored him. He was preoccupied with the sticky sensation of sweat rolling down his back. He may be stronger than the average person, but the black man was at least 200 pounds. Dragging him to the car was quite the workout.
"So, where can I find this boss of yours?" Zhao Yao asked when they finally climbed into the Panamera.
Once he located the leader of the ring of cat thieves, he would be able to destroy the organization. He was willing to do whatever it takes. Inspector Ho can clean up the mess.
The black man hesitated but revealed an address in the end.
With a roar of the engine, the Panamera shot forward, heading to their destination.
They were going to a villa situated in the west of an affluent suburb. It was a lovely neighborhood. Flouris.h.i.+ng greenery lined the pavements. The lavish mansions were arranged in a neat grid layout. Each house they pa.s.sed boasted a unique style.
With the black man locked in the Panamera, Zhao Yao made his way down the street; the cat backpack slung over his shoulders.
"Number 42…number 42..." he repeated under his breath as he walked by each house.
He stopped in front of a white building.
"I guess this is it?"
As he got ready to enter the mansion, his phone started vibrating.
He fished it from his pocket.
It was Inspector Ho.
"h.e.l.lo?" he said.
"Zhao Yao, you must calm down!" the inspector exclaimed, "Do not act rashly. Let"s talk things through."
He pursed his lips, confused.
"What"s up with you? Why are you acting like I"m about to commit suicide or something?"
The inspector ignored the question. Instead, he asked, "Where are you right now?"
"Huh?"
"You"re standing right outside 42 Tianhe Royal Court, aren"t you? What are you up to? Taking on Ho Hao Cang?"