Chapter 45: Hidden Crises and Foresight

The black fog shrank tighter and tighter, as if intending to crush Mao Yu into pieces.

The sense of suffocation grew increasingly intense; he felt as though his bones were about to be compressed and deformed.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, and the scene before his eyes began to blur.

Damn it, is this really where I kick the bucket today?

No way!

I haven’t even stood at the pinnacle of the superpower metropolis yet, and I haven't...

I haven't even had a deep emotional exchange with Feng Yao yet!

Mao Yu clenched his teeth, his brain racing to find a way to break the deadlock.

Meeting force with force was definitely out of the question; he needed to find another path.

Wait, the system!

"System, is there any way to deal with this thing?" Mao Yu chanted silently in his mind.

The system's voice rang out right on cue: "Detected that the host is in a dangerous state. Initiating emergency protocol, activating Superpower Rebound skill. Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours."

Thirty seconds?

That's more than enough!

A cold smirk hooked the corner of Mao Yu's mouth. He suddenly stopped resisting, allowing the black fog tentacles to wrap around him.

Seeing this, the man in black let out a bizarre screech, seemingly mocking Mao Yu's cowardice.

The other men in black also halted their actions, watching the scene unfold with keen interest.

Mao Ling and Feng Yao cried out Mao Yu's name in frantic anxiety, yet they were utterly powerless to help.

"It's over, kid!" the man in black sneered, manipulating the black fog tentacles to constrict further, as if intending to swallow Mao Yu entirely.

Right at that moment, Mao Yu suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs: "Rebound!"

The black fog tentacles wrapped around him reacted as if startled, rapidly retracting before surging backward at an even greater speed, slamming viciously into the man in black himself.

"Argh!" The man in black let out a miserable scream, blasted backward by his own superpower. He crashed heavily onto the ground and spat a mouthful of blood.

The surrounding men in black were utterly dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events, staring at Mao Yu with gaping mouths.

Mao Yu slowly stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and wore a confident smile at the corner of his mouth. "Is that it? And here I thought you were actually formidable."

Gasps of astonishment erupted from the surrounding crowd; they were completely stunned by Mao Yu's miraculous move.

Department Head Li and Alliance Leader Zhang also rushed over from afar, their faces frozen in expressions of utter shock.

"Mao Yu, you..." Department Head Li started to speak, only to be interrupted by Mao Yu.

"Now, we can talk about cooperation." Mao Yu's gaze swept over Department Head Li and Alliance Leader Zhang, carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty in his tone...

The black fog dissipated, revealing a scene of utter devastation.

The man in black who had been struck by the rebound superpower lay on the ground, twitching like a broken rag doll, completely stripped of his previous arrogance.

Seeing this, the remaining men in black were thoroughly terrified; they discarded their armor and weapons and fled in all directions, wishing their parents had given them a couple of extra legs.

Looking at this routed mob of small fry, Mao Yu raised the corners of his mouth slightly, feeling immensely pleased inside.

This sensation felt even better than scoring a pentakill right after starting a match of Honor of Kings!

He brushed off some nonexistent dust, acting like a victorious general enjoying the cheers and awe of the surrounding crowd.

"Young Master Mao is awesome!"

"As expected of the superpower tournament champion, this move is simply six-star brilliant!"

The wave upon wave of praise immensely satisfied Mao Yu's vanity.

He glanced around, seeing that the gazes which had previously held suspicion and disdain had now transformed into awe and worship. He thought with smug satisfaction: *Hmph, wouldn't it have been better to just do this from the start!*

"Department Head Li, Alliance Leader Zhang, shouldn't we discuss official business now?" Mao Yu said casually, though his gaze swept toward the two men in the distance like the edge of a blade.

Department Head Li and Alliance Leader Zhang exchanged glances, their faces written with awkwardness and hesitation.

Although Mao Yu's performance just now had indeed shocked them, matters of cooperation still required careful deliberation.

Department Head Li's eyes rolled around rapidly as he calculated how to protect himself in these muddy waters; if the cooperation fell through, he certainly didn't want to be dragged into any further trouble.

Meanwhile, Alliance Leader Zhang still maintained his airs as an alliance leader. Although his heart harbored reservations about Mao Yu's strength, his pride as a senior made him unwilling to bow his head easily.

Watching the expressions of these two old foxes, Mao Yu knew exactly what schemes they were hatching in their minds.

Unflustered, he strolled leisurely up to them and slapped the documents in his hand onto the table with a crisp "啪" (crack).

"You'd better take a look at these documents," Mao Yu said, crossing his arms with a playful hint in his gaze. "Don't come crying with regrets later when there's no medicine for it."

Department Head Li and Alliance Leader Zhang looked at each other and ultimately picked up the files.

As they read through them carefully, their brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and their expressions shifted from hesitation to solemnity, even tinged with a hint of fear.

Watching the changes in their complexions, Mao Yu sneered inwardly—the good show was only just beginning.

After a bout of silence, Department Head Li spoke first, his tone carrying a trace of trembling: "Are... are the things written here true?"

"What do you think?" Mao Yu retorted, a confident gleam flashing in his eyes.

The atmosphere grew tense once more, the air seemingly thick with the scent of gunpowder.

Unnoticed by anyone, Feng Yao, who had remained silent on the side, slowly stepped closer to Mao Yu and whispered, "Mao Yu, I think..."

"I think what is mentioned in this document of yours is probably just the tip of the iceberg." Feng Yao's voice was as gentle as water, yet it carried an imperceptible hint of worry. Her beautiful eyes were now filled with concern, making Mao Yu feel warm inside.

"That's right, Brother Mao Yu, those bad guys definitely have another conspiracy!" Mao Ling also trotted over, her small face dead serious. "I think we shouldn't just focus on cooperating with them; we have to be on guard too!" She brandished her little fist like a bristling kitten, looking utterly adorable.

Mao Yu felt a warm current surge through his heart as he looked at the two girls caring for him, and his previous exhaustion was swept away.

"Don't worry, your big brother knows what he's doing." He ruffled Mao Ling's little head and cast a reassuring look at Feng Yao, silently swearing to himself that he would protect them well.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion shook the ground three times over.

Before Mao Yu could even react, a new batch of men in black instantly materialized around them, clearly operating on a completely different level of strength compared to the previous rabble.

Aura of various colored superpowers swirled around them; one could tell at a glance they were not to be trifled with.

"Oh? Are these guys here to deliver free kills again?" Mao Yu sneered, rolling his wrists as his fighting spirit instantly skyrocketed.

"Brother Mao Yu, watch out!" Mao Ling hurriedly warned, striking a combat posture herself. Though her strength was lacking, her momentum refused to yield.

Feng Yao silently stepped behind Mao Yu, releasing a faint wave of energy as she prepared to provide support at any moment.

These newly arrived men in black were nothing like the cannon fodder from before.

They coordinated seamlessly, launched fierce attacks, and unleashed a barrage of alternating superpowers that caught Mao Yu and his companions somewhat off guard.

"Good grief, did these guys eat Energy Gum or something? Their firepower is this savage!" Mao Yu complained while dodging the incoming onslaught.

"Feng Yao, protect Mao Ling first!" Mao Yu shouted, his figure flashing as he charged straight into the enemy formation.

He pushed his superpower to its absolute limit, utilizing both fists and feet. Every strike carried the sound of tearing air, sending one man in black flying after another.

The sounds of "bang, bang, bang" impacts, accompanied by the screams of the men in black, echoed through the air.

Mao Yu was like a human tank, rampaging through the crowd, leaving a trail of overturned bodies in his wake.

Even so, the sheer number of men in black was overwhelming, and their abilities were genuinely formidable. For a time, Mao Yu and the others were plunged into a fierce battle.

"Something's off!" Amidst the combat, Mao Yu keenly sensed that these men in black seemed to be executing a specific directive.

Their attacking methods and rhythm were as rehearsed as a choreographed routine.

Somewhere in the dark, an invisible hand appeared to be manipulating all of this from behind the scenes.

He wanted to sniff out this mastermind, but the enemies' attacks grew increasingly fierce, leaving him almost no room to catch his breath.

"These guys..." Mao Yu's gaze narrowed, his movements stuttering for a fraction of a second as if he had caught a glimpse of something, only to be instantly swallowed by the overwhelming tide of attacks.