C7 System Daddy! Justice!(2)

The creature with a dog's head, a human's body, and lethal claws fixated its gaze on Shen Xiang.

"Figures, I was right; it's someone in the know." Boss Xi, observing Huang's transformation yet noting his nonchalant stance, confirmed his suspicion. This person was no ordinary individual, regardless of allegiance. Capturing him would surely reveal the whereabouts of the lost new drug.

Was Shen Xiang composed? The 'Shen Xiang' before them might have been, being nothing more than an emotionless defensive machine. However, the real Shen Xiang was anything but calm!

A monster? Do monsters truly exist in this world?

The being before him had to be a monster, right? Its head had morphed into that of a yellow dog – unmistakably monstrous.

Shen Xiang internally berated himself for his misfortune. Had he known what today had in store, he would have never ordered late-night delivery. Had he known his food would go missing, he wouldn't have bothered searching for it. And now, he faced a monster...

What was he to do?

The light of virtue bathed the earth!

His automatic defenses were damn impressive, designed for human adversaries. But this was a monster – who could tell if it might conjure a sinister gale? He needed a new plan – one for escape!

"My apologies."

Huang, now wholly in his dog-headed form, spoke with a dual-toned voice that overlapped yet varied, "Boss Xi will be furious. When we take you in, I hope you're tough enough to endure it."

No sooner had he spoken than the man with the stoic face lunged forward. Huang braced for the impact of the punch, knowing his beastly form could handle it. He sidestepped and readied himself to clamp down on his adversary's thigh. In canine combat, the first to land a bite gains a decisive edge!

But unexpectedly, the fearless man, whose face bore a trace of indifference to life and death, didn't follow through with his punch. Instead, he transformed his fist into a palm and, pushing off Huang's frame, vaulted over him with the agility of a gymnast.

He delivered a crushing blow to Ye Xiao's pride.

"Wuwuwu?"

You came at me with such ferocity, I thought you were gearing up for a tough fight! And then you ran off!

Huang, who had just snapped at thin air, couldn't even process what had happened.

"Don't let him get away!" Boss Xi, stationed outside, had his black claws at the ready. As the figure charged toward him, he lunged with a swipe at his face, but the sudden stop and change of pace made him miss. Before he could recover, the figure...

Took out his cell phone with his left hand, eyeing the screen intently, while his right hand swung rhythmically as he sprinted into the night.

"Is he calling for backup? Go after him!"

Huang had already bolted from inside. He didn't wait for Boss Xi's piercing cry to catch up; he was already bounding on all fours like a hellhound, howling as he gave chase to Shen Xiang.

His speed far surpassed Shen Xiang's.

Shen Xiang was sprinting with the burst of a 100-meter dash, but the dog-headed man's pace was significantly faster.

It would only take seconds to catch up to Shen Xiang!

"What in the world are you doing pulling out your phone at a time like this?" Shen Xiang internally kicked himself for not having a specific escape command. He was forced to issue an order to run at top speed to the police station, but... The essence of his command was simply "run," with a new destination and an added qualifier for speed. Typically, such a command to jog would include a trivial detail like checking his phone...

Feeling his lungs and heart nearing their limit even in proxy mode, he knew it was only a matter of time before he was caught. His only hope was to reach the community gate quickly and get the security guards' assistance - though their ability to stop a specter was anyone's guess.

His greater hope lay in the system's innate ability to dodge obstacles.

As long as his pursuer didn't resort to any sorcery, he still had a fighting chance!

"Awoo~"

The growls behind him grew louder, as if he would be pounced on any second. Shen Xiang clenched his eyes shut, bracing for the impending attack, waiting for the system to take over and maneuver his body out of harm's way, but...

It never showed up.

"Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof."

With each diminishing howl, the dog seemed to halt in its tracks, growing more distant from Shen Xiang. But in that moment, Shen was too preoccupied to care—when in doubt, running is the best strategy!

"Huff, huff."

Boss Xi, not one for sprinting, took a few steps to join the pursuit. By the time he caught up, Huang had already stopped, growling fearfully, fixated on the utility pole by the roadside.

"What's gotten into you..." Boss Xi almost scolded the foolish dog, but his frown deepened when he noticed the white fish bones stuck to its body. Following Huang's gaze, he too looked up at the utility pole.

Atop the pole stood a statuesque woman.

Her hair flowed with the night breeze.

Dressed in denim, her casual attire was typical of a city dweller, yet she clutched a black plastic bag—the kind ubiquitous in seafood markets.

But it was her blue eyes, as vast as the starry night, that held a profound allure.

She stood there silently, her gaze fixed on the two men below.

"Ah, it's Sister Rui."

Boss Xi, also known as Xi Yijia, steadied Huang, who was on the verge of frenzy, and murmured, "Let's not start any trouble here."

"But... that cursed cat..."

Huang glanced back at Xi Yijia with indignation, but Xi Yijia promised, "I'll get you a bag of Bonalt Heavenly Pure when we're back."

"Woof!" Huang's spirits lifted, his tail wagging. The animalistic features on his face receded, and he transformed back into his human form, standing once again by Xi Yijia's side—though his clothes were now worse for wear.

"I nearly forgot we were on your turf, Sister Rui." Xi Yijia's face broke into an ingratiating grin. He gave a respectful gesture to the woman on the pole and said, "You see, I was just out walking my dog and we strayed off course. We'll be on our way immediately."

While speaking, his tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air for information. His pupils, hidden behind sunglasses, darted left and right, locking onto the silhouette in the second-floor window and the shadowy figure perched in the trees outside the complex.

Two, or three if you count the cat lady, right?

I'm no match for these martial arts types, but the cat lady can easily keep Huang in line. A smart man knows better than to take on a losing battle.

Once we're back, we'll gather more people and come looking for trouble. They're definitely tied up in this whole medicine debacle!

"Huang, give Rui a shout-out; we're heading out." Xi Yijia gave Huang's rear a pat, yanked the fishbone that was as long as a finger from his back, and tossed it to the ground, chuckling, "We'll be back, we'll be back."

The woman atop the utility pole remained silent, just watching them intently until they left the area. Only then did she leap down and touch down on the pavement.

With a forceful swing, she sent the black plastic bag flying through a second-story window, followed by an excited "meow" and the rustling of the bag being opened.

She pulled a fish bone from her mouth, tossed it into the compost bin, then scrunched her brows, pondering the man who had just sprinted by, glued to his phone.

What could have driven those wild maniacs to attack Shen Xiang?