Chapter 10: A Miracle in the Rainy Night

The rhythmic "click-clack" of bolts sliding home echoed in waves, as pitch-black gun barrels leveled at Li Chenqiu.

The machine guns mounted beneath the helicopter and the honeycomb missile pods on its flanks were all aimed directly at him. On the river, the turrets of the patrol boats slowly elevated, waiting for the final order.

Li Chenqiu looked up indifferently, stepped onto the guardrail, and stood steady. The gale-force winds whipped up by the helicopter failed to make him sway in the slightest, and the bristling muzzles pointed at him could not ruffle his composure.

Seeing this, the Commanding Officer, Zhang Kong, stood at the helicopter cabin door and shouted, "Resurgent, instead of dying a painful death under gunfire and shellfire, why not end it yourself? At least your family will be able to recover a whole corpse."

Li Chenqiu grinned. "Afraid the missiles will collapse this bridge?"

Zhang Kong’s face remained cold, ignoring the question. "You have no chance of survival."

"Then it seems I shall create a miracle in your eyes tonight." Li Chenqiu smiled, turned around, and stood with his back to the churning river.

A flicker of unease crossed Zhang Kong’s brow. He roared, "What miracle?"

"The miracle of vanishing. See you next time. Bye-bye." Li Chenqiu extended his arms and tipped his body straight backward.

"Purge!!!" Zhang Kong yelled into his walkie-talkie.

In an instant, a deafening roar erupted from the helicopter as a flurry of missiles, trailing terrifying white plumes of exhaust, streaked toward Li Chenqiu.

Bullets, denser than raindrops, blanketed him like a giant net. The power of the missiles was enough to shatter the raindrops, and those tens of thousands of bullets would mercilessly shred him to pieces.

Everyone’s gaze was locked on Li Chenqiu, anticipating the most brilliant firework display of blood.

At this critical juncture, Li Chenqiu smiled brilliantly. "Depart."

As the word left his lips, his form began to turn transparent like flowing water. The next moment, with a soft "pop," he dissolved into a white mist that burst into the air.

Only tattered clothes and a faint, cool breeze remained, drifting in the void.

*BOOM!*

The missiles detonated, and the bridge collapsed!

A fireball, bright as a sun, surged into the air, tearing through the dark clouds and illuminating the entire sky. The terrifying shockwave was deafening, even from miles away...

***

Half an hour later, on a riverbank more than thirty kilometers from the blast site.

A young man emerged from a patch of weeds. A dark wool coat draped past his knees, and a yellow scarf obscured the lower half of his face, leaving only a pair of somewhat listless eyes exposed to the air.

This was Li Chenqiu, having escaped the bridge. He had drifted downriver to this spot, donned the clothes he had hidden beforehand, and resumed the appearance associated with the name Li Chenqiu, severing all ties to his previous identity as a "Resurgent."

Watching the endless flow of traffic and the bustling crowds, Li Chenqiu let out a long breath, a hint of hard-to-detect exhaustion flashing in his dull eyes.

He walked to an electric scooter parked on the side of the road, opened the storage compartment under the seat, took out a paper-wrapped roasted chicken, pulled down his scarf, and began to eat right there in front of the vehicle, unconcerned with his image.

His getaway, which looked effortless, had actually consumed a massive amount of his life energy, nearly draining him dry. Had he not used his absolute control to funnel his remaining energy into maintaining his youthful appearance, he would have aged into a withered old man by now.

Just as Li Chenqiu was devouring his meal, his burner phone rang.

"His uncle, his second uncle, they're all his uncles, high table..." *Beep!*

Li Chenqiu answered and held the phone to his ear. An urgent voice came from the other side.

"Little Qiu! Was that Resurgent on the Lujiang Bridge you?!" Li Qingxia’s voice was nearly a roar.

Li Chenqiu pulled the phone away slightly. "Yeah, it’s me."

The line fell into a long silence. After a while, Li Qingxia suppressed the shock in his heart and said in disbelief, "Are you hacking or something? When did you get so strong? The news says you're a powerhouse above the Fifth Prohibition. Since when did you break through to the Fifth Prohibition behind my back?!"

"I’ve been hiding some of my strength, but it's not as exaggerated as the Fifth Prohibition. I'm still at the First, but if I push myself, I can handle an average Third-level." Li Chenqiu said as he pulled out another roasted chicken.

"Then how did you catch Wang Zhongshan’s blade with one hand? That takes at least a Fourth-level! And what was up with the raindrops? How do you have two supernatural abilities???"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"Is that how you talk to your second brother? Forget it, I don't care to pry into your business—you were never normal anyway. Come pick me up at the Fourth High School later."

"That school is so close to our shop, can't you just walk back? I'm not feeling well," Li Chenqiu said weakly.

"I’ve been working part-time at the restaurant all night and I’m exhausted. Can’t you just give your second brother a ride?"

Li Chenqiu was about to refuse, but Li Qingxia added, "The fried skewers at the school gate are so cheap. I wanted to bring some back, but if I walk, they’ll get cold. Better to eat them while they're hot on the way."

Hearing this, Li Chenqiu paused, his eyes gradually focusing. "I think the skewers need more cumin."

***

With that, he hung up the phone, braved the cold rain, and rode his electric scooter toward the Fourth High School.

***

Special Ability Bureau, Conference Room.

Gong Ran, the Director of the Special Ability Bureau, sat at the head of the table with a gloomy expression, his fingers interlaced. His subordinates on both sides kept their heads bowed, terrified of igniting the powder keg that was Gong Ran.

Finally, Zhang Kong, sitting to the side, bit the bullet and stood up. "Director, I apologize. It was a failure in my judgment. I didn't expect this Resurgent to possess such an escape ability."

Gong Ran lifted his gaze slightly. "This is not your fault. The strength of this Resurgent has already exceeded the jurisdiction of the Special Ability Bureau."

Zhang Kong looked at Gong Ran in surprise. "Then, Director, what should we do next?"

"What else can we do? Report it to the Federal Security Bureau. Let them determine the hazard rating and send their own people to handle it." Gong Ran pointed to the large screen in front of him. "The Security Bureau will be calling us shortly to understand the situation and conduct a hazard assessment of this Resurgent."

"The Security Bureau!"

"Calling us directly!?"

"Is that for real?"

In an instant, the oppressive atmosphere was replaced by excitement. Everyone lifted their heads, exchanging glances.

That was the Federal Security Bureau—the organization that gathered the top Destined Ones in the entire Federation, representing the highest fighting force of humanity and the behemoth that steered the trajectory of civilization!

Who wouldn't be excited? Who wouldn't be awestruck?

"Director, didn't you always handle the communications with the Security Bureau alone? Why are you involving us this time?" Zhang Kong asked with some apprehension.

Gong Ran smiled thinly. "My son died at the hands of this Resurgent. Any information I provide will inevitably be tainted by personal hatred, which is why I need all of you."

Upon hearing this, the others realized what was happening and nodded. Soon, someone spoke up: "Don't worry, Director. We will definitely cooperate fully with the Security Bureau."

"When did I ever say I wanted you to 'cooperate'?" A dangerous glint flashed in Gong Ran’s eyes, and his face turned cold in an instant.