Chapter Sixty-Five: The Battle to Guard the Steamed Buns

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

While Baozi and Number Nine were clowning around, Old Gao had already charged out.

Both pistols fired at once, but the bullets were aimed separately at Baozi and Number Nine.

Number Nine reacted swiftly, her figure flickering as she threw herself in front of Baozi.

Baozi, for his part, was as cowardly as ever—he curled himself up tightly into a ball, shrinking his exposed surface as much as possible, cowering behind Number Nine.

Old Gao kept firing, but Number Nine’s claws flashed up and down, sparks flying as she sliced the bullets in two in a blink of an eye.

In an instant, the ground was littered with scalding bullet fragments.

Old Gao darted from place to place, firing and probing his adversaries. He was a hero-class half-cybernetic, half-biological warrior—a true expert in combat.

Just a brief exchange had allowed him to deduce some of his opponents’ unique traits.

Number Nine’s body was strange: aside from her hands, the rest of her was incorporeal—bullets passed through without harm.

So, when dodging wasn’t possible, she rarely bothered with the bullets aimed at herself, instead pouring all her strength into shielding Baozi.

They had died over a thousand times before finally being reborn in the Blissful Space.

Baozi must not die.

If he died and was reborn, and happened to mutter that incantation, their whole plan would be ruined.

To return to the Blissful Space again, they would have to die hundreds more times.

The two shared a symbiotic relationship. They could separate, but not for long—if they exceeded a certain time apart, Number Nine would gradually fade and reappear attached to Baozi.

So, facing Old Gao’s assault, Number Nine was determined to protect Baozi at all costs.

Gao Ning reacted quickly as well. Seeing what was happening outside, he pressed the alarm button without hesitation.

This place belonged to the resort, which had its own security and defense system. The moment the alarm sounded, mechanical police would appear in less than a minute.

Gao Ning hurriedly dressed, crouched low, and rushed into his workshop.

He activated the 3D printer, uploaded the grappling gun data, and started the machine.

A few minutes later, a huge grappling gun, sixty centimeters long, was printed. Gao Ning grabbed it and headed straight to the second floor.

From Number Nine’s defensive posture, Gao Ning realized the dog was the key.

Able to ignore physical attacks, the divine firearm was the best option. If he could just catch the dog, he’d have the upper hand.

Suddenly, two red shuttles descended, releasing more than a dozen mechanical police who swiftly surrounded the lawn, their guns trained on the hazy form of Number Nine.

“We’re the police! Intruder, you’re surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender with your hands up. Once we confirm your identity, we’ll decide how to handle your case!”

The mechanical police repeated their warning three times. Seeing Number Nine pay them no heed, they finally opened fire.

Number Nine cursed inwardly, but didn’t dare let her guard down for a second.

Old Gao was clearly not an ordinary man—his movements were preternaturally agile.

No matter how he twisted or dodged, every time he pulled the trigger, the bullet was aimed right at Baozi’s brow.

Even though Baozi had curled up into a ball, tucking his head beneath his haunches, the man could still find his mark—inhuman!

Of course, Number Nine heard the police calling out. But she didn’t dare lose focus for even a moment.

A single slip could mean the dog’s life, and their mission would be over.

The mechanical police joined in, bullets raining down like a storm.

Number Nine remained composed, guarding Baozi so tightly that nothing could get through.

“Sir, please cease your attack and hand over the scene to us,” the mechanical police warned Old Gao, seeing he refused to relent.

Number Nine was secretly delighted, and reminded Baozi to get ready—if Old Gao was blocked by the mechanical police, they needed to escape at once.

If the police captured them, Baozi would not be killed.

And that was enough.

Just as the mechanical police were about to reach Old Gao, a sharp sound rang out overhead—a net of ropes dropped from above.

Number Nine looked up, but Old Gao’s bullets came at her in a flurry, forcing her to focus on intercepting them.

So the rope net landed squarely in front of her eyes, enveloping Baozi.

Number Nine hesitated for a split second. The net contracted swiftly, dragging Baozi five or six meters away.

She rushed to pursue, but Old Gao leapt forward, pressing his pistol to the back of Baozi’s head.

Number Nine stopped at once.

By then, the mechanical police surged forward, surrounding them both.

“Sir, drop your weapon and submit to investigation!”

Number Nine fixed her gaze on Old Gao. “What do you want?”

Old Gao pinned the dog to the ground, calmly took out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. He held his gun steady in his left hand, and with his right, took a phone from his coat and dialed a number, tossing it over.

Number Nine watched the phone pass through her incorporeal form and land on the grass.

The phone was connected, speaker mode on.

“Was it you who killed my teammate?”

“That’s right!” Number Nine answered crisply.

“What’s your mission? Which world is this for you?” Gao Ning pressed.

Number Nine sneered, “That’s not something I’ll ever tell you. Who are you? Why do you hide and never show yourself?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill the dog?”

“Kill it if you want! I’ve killed it over a thousand times myself—I’m already sick of it!”

Gao Ning was silent. He sensed she was telling the truth, but he lacked the experience to be certain.

“In that case, why protect it?”

“If I don’t, should I just surrender? That’s not our style.” Number Nine laughed coldly. “I’ll tell you this—my skill is the Ghost Body. Only talismans from Maoshan or exorcist magic can hurt me. As for the dog, its skill is Rebirth. Kill it, and it’ll just come back in the nearest dog body. Death is just a joke to us.

I suggest you don’t waste your time. Let us go, and I promise not to oppose you.”

Gao Ning fell silent for a while, then suddenly said, “Old Gao, kill the dog!”

Number Nine’s face changed dramatically. “You—!”

Bang!

With a crack of gunfire, Baozi’s head exploded.

Number Nine froze, then rage erupted from her—her form became a streak of white, surging toward Old Gao.

But halfway there, the streak of white abruptly vanished.

This caught not only the spying Gao Ning off guard, but even the ever-alert Old Gao was momentarily stunned.

He kept his guard up, scanning the surroundings warily. After nearly a minute with nothing stirring, he finally holstered his pistol.

The mechanical police closed in, surrounding Old Gao in layers.

“Sir, drop your weapon and come with us.”

Old Gao, half-blinking, exhaled smoke without a care for their warnings.

Only when Gao Ning’s orders came did he glance at the mechanical police and slowly walk toward the red shuttle.

Gao Ning hung up the phone, deep in thought.

“No red dots appeared on the map—so rebirth really is random. Damn it, the second time around and already such troublesome enemies. I need to pick up the pace!”