Chapter 195
Akai's manganese-coated iron rod scraped through the metal floor of the abandoned steel mill, creating ear-piercing sparks. He supported Ajie, whose right shoulder was injured, and a dozen or so staggering vagrants followed behind them.
Scarface and seven or eight thugs chased them from their hideout to this location. Although the swarm of acid ants behind them had been left far behind, the axes and steel pipes in the thugs' hands were like death knells, each swing grazing their flesh.
The child in the old woman's arms was still crying, the blisters on her cheeks stinging from the sweat, but she dared not make a sound.
"I can't run anymore..." Ah Jie leaned against the rusty steel furnace, panting heavily, blood still seeping from the wound on his left shoulder—
Just now, while protecting the refugees, I was slashed by Scarface's axe. My acid-resistant clothing was torn, and the wound was exposed to acid rain. Now it hurts and feels numb. "Hasn't Chen Yang's men arrived yet? My communicator has no signal..."
Akai pulled out his communicator, but the screen was just static. He gritted his teeth and looked into the depths of the factory: "We can only hide inside. There are abandoned conveyor belts and pipes there that can hold us off for a while!"
Just as he was about to help Ah Jie inside, he heard the scarred man's sinister laughter coming from the factory gate: "Run! Why aren't you running anymore? Didn't you have 'I'm the God of Wealth' backing you up? Why isn't anyone coming to save you now?"
Rain dripped from the axe in Scarface's hand, and the thugs behind him also carried weapons, their eyes filled with greed.
They had their eyes on the last bag of acid-resistant manganese powder in Akai's arms, and the few remaining tattered acid-resistant suits on the refugees. "Hand over the stuff, and I'll let you die a quick death!"
Scarface took a step forward, his foot landing on the metal scraps on the factory floor with a crisp "clatter".
Just then, a slight creaking sound came from the second floor of the factory—it was coming from an abandoned metal platform. Scarface looked up warily, but could only see darkness and hear the crackling sound of acid rain hitting the platform railing.
"Who's up there? Get out here!" He raised his axe and shouted at the second floor, but all that answered him were the sobs of the refugees and his own echo.
"Boss, forget about everything else, grab the stuff first!" The thug next to him couldn't hold back any longer, his eyes fixed on the manganese powder in Akai's arms. "That bag of powder is enough for us to change into several new acid-proof suits. If we wait any longer, the acid rain will subside, and the acid ants might catch up!"
The thug rushed forward as he spoke, but after only two steps, he tripped over something—a thin wire hidden under a metal fragment. He stumbled forward, and just as his hand was about to touch the manganese powder, he heard a "crash".
Suddenly, a dark green liquid with a pungent, acidic smell gushed from the abandoned pipe overhead, splashing directly onto the thug's back! "Ouch—it hurts!"
The thug screamed and rolled around, his acid-resistant clothing instantly corroded with a large hole. White smoke rose from the areas where his skin touched the liquid, and it quickly became red, swollen, and ulcerated, exposing the raw flesh beneath. Everyone around was stunned, and even Ah Kai was dumbfounded—
This is not the acid from mutated acid ants; it is more corrosive, yet it carries the familiar smell of manganese crystals.
"Who did this?!" Scarface roared, looking up. Finally, a figure emerged from the darkness of the second floor—
Su Jing was wearing a silver-gray acid-resistant suit, holding Xiao Jin in her arms and a manganese crystal knife that shone with a pale blue light in her hand. Robot No. 1 followed behind her, with a metal barrel filled with dark green liquid on its mechanical arm.
"It's you! 'I am the God of Wealth'!" Scarface's eyes instantly turned red. He hadn't been able to get the anti-acid supplies before because of Su Jing's online store's purchase limits. Now that he saw the person in question, his anger flared up instantly. "You dare to ruin my plans? I'll kill you too today!"
Su Jing didn't say anything, but made a "hide" gesture to Akai. Akai immediately reacted and helped Ajie and the refugees hide behind the steel furnace.
Scarface led the remaining six thugs to the second floor, but just as they reached the conveyor belt, the thug in front suddenly fell into a pit with a "plop"—it was dug by Su Jing beforehand, the pit entrance was disguised with thin wooden boards and metal fragments, and the bottom was filled with acid rain mixed with manganese crystal powder, which was three times more corrosive than ordinary acid rain.
"Help me!" The thug struggled in the pit. The acid quickly rose above his knees, and his pants and skin were instantly corroded and turned black. He reached out to grab the wooden planks on the edge of the pit, but the planks shattered as soon as they touched the acid. In just over ten seconds, the thug's struggles weakened, and in the end, only bubbling acid and a burnt smell remained.
Scarface stopped in his tracks in fright, but the thugs behind him were shoved forward, and two more stepped on the hidden tripwires on the ground—
The metal barrel on the second-floor platform suddenly tilted, and more dark green liquid flowed down the pipe, pouring onto the two thugs. They screamed and shoved each other, but neither could escape. They soon collapsed to the ground, their bodies convulsing, their skin gradually becoming blurred from corrosion.
"It's a trap! Get back!" Scarface finally realized what was happening and turned to run, but Su Jing had already jumped down from the second floor. Her pale blue flying ability carried her body, and she landed steadily on top of the conveyor belt.
She activated her mineral powers, and blue light emanated from her fingertips. Suddenly, metal fragments on the ground rose into the air like tiny knives, flying towards the remaining three villains!
"Ah!" One thug's arm was cut by a piece of metal, and blood flowed freely. Another tried to raise a steel pipe to defend himself, but the fragment hit his wrist, and the steel pipe fell to the ground with a "clang".
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Jing jumped off the conveyor belt and slashed the third villain's leg with the manganese crystal knife—not a fatal wound, but it made him lose his balance and fall to the edge of the pit. His hand accidentally got some acid on it, and he screamed in pain as he pulled his hand back, but he still rolled into the pit.
Only Scarface and one thug remained. The thug was so frightened his legs went weak, and he turned to run, but Little Jin jumped off Su Jing's shoulder and grabbed his trouser leg with her little paws—
Xiao Jin's claws were covered in some of the acid-resistant powder that Su Jing had prepared in advance. Although it couldn't hurt anyone, it made the villain panic. He slipped and bumped into the pipe of the steel furnace, and passed out.
Scarface watched as those around him fell one by one, his eyes filled with madness. He raised his axe and swung it at Su Jing: "I'll fight you to the death!"
Su Jing dodged to the side, the axe striking the metal floor and sending sparks flying. She seized the opportunity to circle behind Scarface, her manganese crystal knife pressed against his neck, her voice icy: "You robbed supplies, injured refugees, tore through acid shields, and now you want to fight?"
Scarface struggled to grab the axe, but Su Jing's knife drew even closer, and he could feel the chill of the blade.
"You wouldn't dare kill me!" Scarface roared. "I still have men outside. If you kill me, they'll come after you for revenge!"
Su Jing sneered and raised her hand to activate the valve on the pipe next to her. The dark green liquid that hadn't finished flowing out earlier flowed down the pipe and landed right next to Scarface's feet. His shoes were instantly corroded with small holes, and his toes felt a piercing pain.
"Your men? They were already gone when we came chasing after them."
Su Jing's voice was laced with sarcasm, "Who do you think would fight to the death with someone like you who even bullies the old and weak?"
Scarface looked down and saw that the acid had already reached his ankles, and his skin felt a burning sensation. He finally panicked and tried to back away, but Su Jing blocked him with her knife: "Don't you like to hurt people with acid? Now you'll taste what it's like to be corroded by acid."
Scarface frantically tried to push Su Jing away, but slipped and fell into the acid pit! He reached out to grab Su Jing's clothes, but only grabbed air, and fell into the pit with a "plop," the acid instantly flooding his chest.
"Help me! I was wrong! I'll never do it again!" Scarface screamed and reached out, but Su Jing just looked at him coldly until his struggles grew weaker and weaker until he finally stopped moving completely. All that was left in the pit was bubbling acid and a foul, burnt smell.
After the battle, Su Jing had Robot No. 1 clean up the acid around the trap to prevent the refugees from accidentally touching it. Akai helped Ajie out from behind the steel furnace, and the refugees surrounded them, their eyes filled with gratitude: "Thank you, 'God of Wealth'! Without you, we would all be finished today!"
The old woman held the child and bowed deeply to Su Jing. The blisters on the child's cheeks had been treated with the anti-acid repair solution given by Su Jing and were no longer bleeding.
Su Jing squatted down, patted the child's head, and then took out her communicator—the signal on the screen had been restored, and a system notification popped up: [Acid rain intensity has dropped to pH 4.0 and will continue to weaken over the next 72 hours, expected to stop completely in a week. The polar day warning will be triggered in 3 days. Please stock up on heat-resistant supplies in advance.]
She looked up at Akai and said, "The acid rain is about to stop. Next, we need to prepare for the polar day. The scrap metal here can be dismantled to make sunshades. I have raw materials for heat-resistant agents in my space. I'll distribute them to you later. Let's set up the temporary base first."
Akai nodded and began organizing the refugees to clean up the factory: some dismantled discarded metal plates, some found clean water sources, and some treated the wounded.
Little Jin perched on Su Jing's shoulder, sniffing the air with its little nose: "Su Jing, the smell of acid rain has faded, and there's a warm scent in the air. Is the midnight sun coming soon?"
Su Jing smiled and nodded, looking at the sky outside the factory that was gradually brightening—the density of acid rain had indeed decreased, and the scattered raindrops falling on the ground were no longer as white as before. She knew that new challenges were coming, and they had to prepare as soon as possible.
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