Qian Can, who had been squeezed into the back, scrambled onto the rescue vehicle with great effort. The moment he looked up, he caught sight of his Boss acting all lovey-dovey with Li Xiao, and his entire brain short-circuited.

Pressing that close together could barely be blamed on the overcrowding, but kissing like this in broad daylight was simply over the line!

Boss, do you have to smile that sweetly?

His eyes were about to develop diabetes!

The insect swarm advanced with fierce momentum. The military rescue vehicle brought them to the nearest hospital to take temporary shelter.

By the time Li Xiao and Song Jin stepped inside, a large crowd of citizens had already gathered. Some people had been slashed by the mutant insects and were receiving treatment at temporary medical stations set up on both sides of the hall. In mid-air, several virtual screens were broadcasting the latest news regarding the current insect swarm.

The two followed the crowd deeper inside, noting that the protective shields over all open-air areas had been fully deployed and sealed.

Reaching a connecting corridor where the crowd was relatively sparse, Li Xiao looked again at Song Jin, who was disguised as a rebellious, stubble-faced youth. “How did you manage to get here?”

There were virtually no commercial flights between Shengya and Danse catering to ordinary citizens; their interactions were strictly limited to trade.

“Is it really that hard if I want to come?” Song Jin leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, gazing through the protective shield at the densely packed swarm of insects in the sky. He lowered his voice, “I’ve already scouted the area. There isn’t a single suspicious target nearby.”

Li Xiao: “You arrived very early?”

Song Jin: “Only about five or six hours earlier than you.”

Not far away, Jiang Hao stood inconspicuously at the exit of the hall keeping watch. Noticing a little punk with dreadlocks constantly tailing him, he took a closer look and realized it was actually Qian Can.

Qian Can kept throwing glances in Song Jin’s direction. Remembering how his Boss had practically thrown himself into the other’s arms on the vehicle, he leaned closer to Jiang Hao and whispered, “They aren’t actually for real, are they?”

Jiang Hao: “I’m blind. I can’t tell.”

Qian Can: “…”

His Boss was the only heir of the royal family’s main line. If he really got carried away by Danse, it might be His Majesty’s turn to flatten Danse next.

Within ten minutes, the main body of the insect swarm reached Sector 3, completely blotting out the sun. The protective shield was relentlessly bombarded by the insects, producing a series of deep thuds as if it might shatter at any moment.

A few men and women ran past the corridor, murmuring frantically as they fled.

“Is the quality of this shield reliable? This is terrifying!”

“Hard to say. This hospital was built nearly thirty years ago; the system might have degraded over time.”

“Hurry, head indoors!”

After those few ran past, an elderly couple watching the commotion nearby began discussing in low voices.

The Omega elderly lady asked her spouse, “Should we head indoors too?”

The Alpha old man replied, “What’s there to fear! This hospital is considered one of the sturdiest shelters in the vicinity.”

The Omega lady murmured, “But an explosion occurred here thirty years ago. Who knows if some structural components were permanently damaged.”

“They must have replaced it with new equipment long ago,” the Alpha old man said impatiently. “With me around, what are you afraid of?”

Listening to the elderly couple bicker, Li Xiao and Song Jin exchanged a glance.

Song Jin tilted his chin: “Go ask.”

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow: “Why not you?”

Song Jin stroked his stubbled face with a roguish grin: “Are you sure?”

Li Xiao: “…”

For a perfectly fine prince, when he acted like a thug, he looked more like a thug than an actual criminal.

The elderly couple had shifted their argument from the safety of the shelter to the question of who washed the dishes yesterday.

Seeing Li Xiao approach, the old lady tugged at her husband’s clothes and stepped back. Li Xiao was exceptionally tall and broad, and wearing a cap and mask only heightened his imposing, oppressive presence.

“Don’t even think about robbing us, we have no money!” The old man protected the lady while backing away. “There are security personnel on duty in the hospital, don’t try anything funny!”

Song Jin turned his head away, trying his hardest to hold it in, but ultimately failed and let out a chuckle.

Li Xiao: “…”

“I happened to hear you two mention an explosion occurring here thirty years ago?” Li Xiao asked with a gentle tone.

Hearing Li Xiao’s soft, smiling voice, the two elderly folk finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The old man: “Yes indeed, it was a massive commotion! I heard the fire burned for three whole days!”

Li Xiao: “Was this place a hospital before the explosion as well?”

“Yes, it was expanded after the explosion. This entire section belongs to the new campus,” the old man said, pointing toward the building to the east. “Over there is the old campus.”

Li Xiao pressed further: “Why did it explode?”

The old man hesitated slightly before saying, “I think they claimed improper operation triggered an explosion in the heating system. Even the military dispatched personnel, and many people were evacuated elsewhere. It caused quite a stir back then.”

The elderly couple were not local residents of this immediate area, so they didn’t know much else about the explosion from all those years ago.

Li Xiao offered his thanks and gestured for Song Jin to follow. The four of them headed toward the eastern medical building through another connecting corridor.

Along the way, the crisp, articulate voice of an AI anchor echoed from the virtual screens.

[The intensity and scope of this insect swarm will break the record for the strongest swarm in nearly twenty years. All citizens are advised to take personal safety precautions!]

The moment they entered the main lobby, piercing screams rang out. Hundreds of people were gathered together, staring up at the dozens-of-meters-high protective shield, gasping in horror from time to time.

Through the gaps in the insect swarm, fighter jets could be seen gliding slowly across the sky, spraying high-temperature gases sufficient to incinerate the mutant species. Mutant bees began falling down like rain.

Li Xiao walked up to a guidance robot to examine the building’s directory.

“The inpatient department?” Song Jin pulled up the hospital map from another robot terminal, tapping on the R&D center as he looked at Li Xiao. “Go here.”

Li Xiao nodded.

After taking just a few steps, an anomalous sound caught his ear. Li Xiao paused abruptly and snapped his gaze toward the dome of the protective shield.

The altitude of a patrolling fighter jet had visibly dropped, its wings destabilizing and shaking. Li Xiao narrowed his eyes, tracking the angle of the nose, and automatically simulated the jet’s flight trajectory within his mind based on its velocity.

“Big brother, what’s wrong?” Jiang Hao asked, puzzled.

Li Xiao: “It’s about to crash.”

The expressions of Jiang Hao and Qian Can shifted instantly.

Song Jin followed Li Xiao’s gaze. The fighter jet was partially obscured behind the insect swarm, leaving only the high-temperature flames from its thrusters visible. How on earth did this kid deduce that?

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Someone nearby overheard Li Xiao’s words and glared at him. “That’s a military fighter jet, how could it possibly crash?!”

This person had a loud voice, immediately drawing the attention of the surrounding crowd.

“Who is he? Doesn’t he know spreading rumors is illegal?”

“Can you please not make this kind of joke?!”

Li Xiao paid them no mind, issuing a command to 09 via his consciousness.

09: [Currently hijacking the fighter jet’s onboard AI subordinate—]

09: [It’s no use. One of the jet’s engines is damaged and has stopped functioning. The sheer volume of insects is disrupting the stabilization system; even a deity couldn’t save it.]

If it crashed at this angle, the entire hospital would be obliterated.

Looking at the various instrument data of the fighter jet surfacing in his line of sight, Li Xiao issued a series of adjustment commands to 09: [Control it to steer clear of the hospital.]

09: [Understood!]

Aboard the fighter jet, the pilots were activating emergency flight protocols, their console flashing with a sea of red warning windows.

The primary pilot contacted headquarters, his words rapid-fire: “This is Team Three N2268, right engine failure, stabilization system failure, unable to proceed with the mission!”

“This is Fighter Jet Command. A backup fighter is being dispatched to your location. Please maintain aircraft stability as much as possible, steer clear of the urban area, and find an open space for an emergency landing!”

The primary pilot broke into a cold sweat. “Negative, there’s no time! Impact with the Lin Yue Third Hospital is projected within two minutes!”

The co-pilot suddenly yelled, “The operating system is completely unresponsive!”

The primary pilot snapped his head over.

A mountain of commands they hadn’t input was rapidly flashing across the operations log, and it couldn’t be overridden using either the primary or co-pilot access level.

[Ejection pods will deploy in five seconds. Please remain in your seats.]

The expressions of the three crew members shifted dramatically. What exactly was going on?!

Back in the inpatient building, Li Xiao calmly scanned the crowd of men, women, young, and old. “This place isn’t safe. Spread the word to everyone, evacuate to the new campus immediately.”

“Who do you think you are? Why should we listen to you?!” The Beta middle-aged man who had spoken up initially retorted fiercely, “A military fighter jet will absolutely never crash!”

“Probably some anti-social element. Why is he so unnaturally tall? It’s terrifying.”

“Causing trouble at a time like this, how obnoxious.”

The crowd kept muttering endlessly, even turning Li Xiao’s height into a point of criticism.

Song Jin violently kicked over a nearby guidance robot, sweeping a cold gaze across the crowd. “The warning has been given. If you want to die, no one’s going to stop you.”

As the robot rolled to their feet, the loudest complainers fell instantly silent, too terrified to utter another word. This bearded man clearly looked like someone you didn’t want to mess with.

Knowing how much time the fighter jet had bought them, Li Xiao signaled Song Jin and the other two to move out.

The moment they turned around, a violent tremor shook the ground, followed by a deafening roar.

Boom—!

The entire space rattled heavily; doors, windows, and the dome vibrated wildly.

Amidst the screams, someone pointed outside the main entrance and yelled, “An explosion occurred over there!”

“That’s near my house! What happened?!”

“Could it be an enemy attack?!”

The virtual screens in mid-air flickered twice before an AI anchor broadcasted completely devoid of emotion: [Latest updates from the front line: a military jet fighter encountered an attack from a massive swarm of mutant species, crashing near the Lin Yue residential quarter. Contact with the three pilots has been lost…]

“Holy crap! It actually crashed!”

“How could this happen?!”

“The news said this is the strongest insect swarm in twenty years!”

Panic gripped everyone instantly, and they frantically scrambled toward the old campus. Li Xiao and the other three backed against the wall to let them pass first.

Halfway through the evacuation, the fighter jet spun and sheared past at low altitude, its wing clipping and shattering the northwestern corner of the dome.

Accompanying the thunderous sound of impact, a massive shower of protective shield fragments rained down.

“Ah—!”

Screams erupted throughout the hall.

The moment the fighter jet passed, the mutant insect swarm poured through the breach in the shield, raising the venomous stingers on their abdomens to attack the crowd below.

The Beta middle-aged man supporting an elderly person couldn’t run fast enough. Confronted by a mutant bee flying directly before his eyes, his face drained of color.

Just a moment before he was about to be stung, the mutant bee suddenly writhed and collapsed to the ground, a shard of the protective shield impaled through its back.

The middle-aged man looked up, catching sight of Li Xiao just as he withdrew his hand, staring blankly in disbelief. Did that youth just save him?

Killing a mutant bee with a mere palm-sized shard?!

His eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, right?!

Li Xiao withdrew his hand. “Don’t just stand there, move!”

The man snapped out of it, bending down to hoist the elder onto his back and sprinting ahead. He turned his head to shout in Li Xiao’s direction, “Young man, I’m sorry about earlier! Thank you!”

Jiang Hao and Qian Can automatically stepped forward to assist. Jiang Hao casually yanked out a metal support rod from a standing signboard. The rod struck a mutant bee with heavy force, directly swatting it against the wall where it snapped into two pieces, splattering a massive amount of unidentifiable fluid across the surface.

Song Jin gazed at the insects scrambling to pour inside from the top breach, his brows furrowed in disgust. He extracted a metal rod from his lower back with a flick, extending it into a slingshot. Pulling a metal sphere from his pocket, he drew the bow and fired into mid-air.

The tiny sphere rapidly transformed in flight, splitting into hundreds of miniature tracking cryo-bombs. Any mutant species making contact with a cryo-bomb stiffened at a pace visible to the naked eye, plunging from high altitude like stones hitting the ground with heavy thuds.

Seeing that the swarm at the breach had ceased to move, Li Xiao looked at Song Jin. “Cryo-bombs?”

Song Jin: “You can even recognize that?”

Li Xiao: “You’re certainly generous to use them here.”

To Song Jin, this was a foreign country with no diplomatic ties, and the citizens here were not his subjects; he carried absolutely no obligation to protect them. Even if Song Jin chose to stand by and watch, Li Xiao wouldn’t demand anything of him.

Song Jin: “Touched?”

Li Xiao: “Touched.”

Song Jin let out a light laugh. “How are you going to thank me?”

Li Xiao: “Didn’t I already thank you on the vehicle earlier?”

Song Jin: “…” Sooner or later, he would claim his compensation a hundredfold.

A sudden chill ran down Li Xiao’s spine, bringing a fleeting illusion of being targeted by a ravenous wolf.

The bugs were simply too numerous, and the cryo-bombs wouldn’t hold out for long. Li Xiao urged the remaining people to accelerate their evacuation.

Within the crowd, quite a few individuals frequently looked back toward Song Jin and the others, filled with absolute astonishment. They had initially assumed these eccentric youths were here to cause trouble, never expecting them to not only accurately predict the disaster but also assist in their escape after the incident occurred.

Who exactly were they? So powerful!

Dealing with mutant insects nearly the size of a human was actually easier than chopping vegetables!

Once everyone had evacuated, Li Xiao and his group followed at the rear, closing the metal door leading to the connecting corridor before heading toward the R&D center along the passageway.

At the garrison base, Fighter Jet Command.

“N2268 has flown out of Sector 3, crashing in the northwestern mountainous region!”

An Alpha wearing a Lieutenant Colonel’s military uniform stood before the monitoring console, his expression grim as he demanded, “What about the pilots?!”

The soldier responsible for monitoring replied, “Data indicates they have successfully ejected their escape pods!”

A nearby operator reported, “Safety of the three pilots from N2268 has been confirmed!”

The monitoring soldier added, “It’s a bit strange. They were originally projected to crash into the Third Hospital, but the flight trajectory experienced a sudden shift in the final thirty seconds. The operations log is rather bizarre.”

The Lieutenant Colonel looked at the log surfacing before his eyes, his brows knit tightly.

Pilots hailing from the academy utilized a standardized set of flight techniques; their responses to various situations followed a textbook protocol. However, this maneuver was wild and unorthodox, defying conventional understanding, yet it effectively prevented the fighter jet from crashing inside the urban center.

The Lieutenant Colonel: “Record it for a post-incident review!”

The soldier: “Yes sir!”

In the hospital corridor, Song Jin spotted a certain location through the gaps in the insect swarm and pulled Li Xiao back. “Over there!”

Li Xiao turned his head, following the direction of his gaze.

In the small garden at the northeastern corner of the inpatient department, despite the surroundings being swarmed with insects, the space above that small garden seemed to be shielded by an invisible barrier—not a single bug could be seen.

Li Xiao walked a few steps closer, tilting his head to listen closely for a moment.

“It’s sound waves.”