Hidden Dead Ends-Chapter 51

A strange sense of disappointment flashed through his heart.

For the first time, he found himself intensely curious about this dead-end in Fog Street, especially the small white flower with its supposed power. *Is the flower’s ability real, or is it just a myth? And if it is real, where could I find more flowers like it?*

He had no way of knowing.

Next to the game hall entrance, a drink cooler, illuminated by a white light, displayed rows of various beverages.

He sighed, feeling a bit relieved, and pulled out his phone to scan the code and buy a drink, partly to quench his thirst and partly to ease the awkwardness of standing outside the door, doing nothing.

He opened the cooler and grabbed a bottle of jasmine tea. But just as he reached for it, he saw a faint glimmer behind him in the glass reflection.

*What’s that?* His heart tightened, and he instinctively ducked low.

*Ping.*

He felt something hit his back, impacting his bulletproof vest hard enough to punch through the first layer.

*A gun!?*

In a split second, he realized the danger. Without turning around, he lunged to the left.

Before he could get far, a figure approached him from the side, moving swiftly.

*Thud!*

The figure slammed into Li Chengyi, aiming to knock him down and disrupt his escape.

But Li Chengyi sidestepped, avoiding the full impact, though his coat was torn with a long, hand-sized slit.

Now, a chase ensued, with Li Chengyi sprinting ahead, the figure in gray hot on his heels.

Looking back, Li Chengyi saw that his pursuer was a strange figure cloaked in a bulky gray coat. Despite his size, he moved with speed, closing the gap between them.

*Swish!*

Another flash of silver streaked past as Li Chengyi dove forward, dodging just in time, but losing his balance and tumbling to the ground.

Even as he rolled, he kept his head tucked down, using his chest to shield himself from potential shots from behind.

The attacker’s aim was rough, and his shooting skills were mediocre. If it weren’t for the surveillance cameras around, Li Chengyi could have taken him down with a single blow.

When the attacker realized he was trying to flee, he pursued more closely, determined to finish him off up close.

The assailant raised a short knife, swinging it down at Li Chengyi.

*Clang!*

The blade struck Li Chengyi’s raised right arm, hitting the steel plate within his bulletproof vest with a hard metallic clang. The force rattled his arm, nearly making him lose his grip.

The silver blade began to vibrate violently, like a miniature electric saw, its edge blurring as it cut into his vest, slashing open his coat.

*Not here… Not with the cameras around.* Li Chengyi thought, suppressing his instinct to retaliate with his powers. His armor and flower abilities were far too otherworldly. Exposing them would only bring a cascade of trouble.

For now, he could rely only on his strengthened physique and the dual layers of bulletproof vests to hold off his attacker.

As the vibrating blade inched closer to his face, with no cover nearby, he kicked his assailant squarely in the stomach.

Thanks to the enhanced strength from his armor, the attacker stumbled back a meter.

Without giving him a chance to recover, Li Chengyi sprang to his feet and ran. Quickly scanning his surroundings, he spotted a narrow alley on his right.

*That’s it!* Pivoting sharply, he dashed toward the alleyway, his shoes skidding and leaving black marks on the ground as he turned.

The alley’s surveillance camera had been smashed, leaving only a dead metal box dangling.

Relieved, Li Chengyi charged into the alley.

Behind him, the attacker steadied himself and hurried after him.

Reaching the alley entrance, he peered inside. The alley was long, dark, and narrow, with a turn at the end.

He hesitated for a moment.

*Bang!*

Suddenly, a purple arm shot out from the alley, grabbing the man’s collar.

*Swish!*

In less than half a second, the man was pulled into the alley by sheer force.

Inside, Li Chengyi clamped a hand over the man’s mouth, preventing him from shouting, while his other hand secured the man’s wrist, pressing precisely on the joint holding the knife.

*Crack.*

The man’s wrist snapped, the short knife clattering to the ground and sticking upright in the dirt.

The attacker’s mouth opened as he tried to scream in agony, but Li Chengyi’s hand over his mouth muffled any sound.

“Who sent you?” Li Chengyi demanded, his voice low.

By now, Li Chengyi had activated his Flower Scale Armor, his strength and speed now well beyond human limits. With one hand, he held the man completely immobilized.

“Not talking, huh? Fine. Tough guy.” Li Chengyi’s eyes narrowed as he twisted sharply.

*Snap.*

The man’s neck broke, his body spasming before going limp. He died without ever understanding why anyone thought a gagged person could answer questions… He had been more than willing to talk.

As the body went limp, Li Chengyi blinked, realizing the flaw in his approach. Looking around to ensure no one had seen him, he crouched down, slightly embarrassed, and began searching the body.

First, the knife. Its design was clearly lethal, but given that the attacker hadn’t used the vibrating function initially, it probably drained a lot of energy.

Pulling the short knife from the ground, he examined it. The blade had stopped vibrating, and the edge was full of tiny serrated nicks.

Dropping the knife, he sprinted deeper into the alley, turning and leaping over a filthy puddle, passing through an abandoned, debris-filled factory.

He planned to circle around and find a secluded place to deactivate his armor and contact Zhang Sinda.

But just as he left the factory, he felt a slight sting on his shoulder through the armor.

*Ping.*

It felt like a mosquito bite, something piercing through the Flower Scale Armor and reaching his skin.

He looked in the direction of the pain and saw a gray figure still aiming at him, continuing to fire.

*Ping ping ping!*

Three more shots struck Li Chengyi, all absorbed by the armor.

The evolved Flower Scale Armor could block handgun bullets effortlessly, but these strange projectiles seemed to be testing its limits.

These weren’t ordinary bullets—they were thin black needles about the length of a finger.

Raising his arms for defense, Li Chengyi charged straight at his opponent.

The two of them, positioned at opposite ends of the abandoned factory, now only had a single wall separating them from Fog Street’s bus stop. The factory itself spanned about a hundred meters in length.

Neither of them was backing down.

The gray-cloaked figure tossed aside his gun, sprinting toward Li Chengyi.

In mere moments, they were within striking range, like two leopards colliding at full speed.

*Boom!*

The attacker’s coat tore apart, scattering fabric fragments and exposing his true form: a bald, muscular man with half his skin replaced by silver metal.

They clashed, with the assailant taking advantage of his strength, stepping back with the recoil as his right arm transformed, his hand sharpening into a black blade.

*Slash!*

The blade whistled down. Li Chengyi blocked it, then drove his knee into the man’s stomach.

The blade left a deep gash on his arm guard, while his knee strike dented the silver-plated abdomen of his opponent. His knee spike, part of the evolved Flower Scale Armor, punctured a hole in the metal skin.

Despite the wounds, neither of them bled.

It was clear that these hits hadn’t penetrated each other’s armor.

“What model is this?” the bald man murmured, visibly shocked. His own model excelled in strength and close-range combat, yet it couldn’t break through Li Chengyi’s armor.

Confused yet undeterred, the man struck repeatedly at Li Chengyi.

Blade after blade flashed, raining down on Li Chengyi. His purple Flower Scale Armor held firm

, but even with its high defense, he was forced onto the back foot.

Were it not for his armor, he’d have been overwhelmed.

The bald man’s strikes were relentless, swift as a waterfall, pressing down on Li Chengyi with great force. Yet, despite this barrage, he failed to break through.

Irritation flickered in his eyes.

His task had been a quick kill, but with Li Chengyi’s defenses matching his own “Mountain Wolf” model, this fight was dragging on far longer than expected.

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