The aftershocks of the explosion had not yet dissipated, and the deafening roar still echoed in Lu Zhaoming's ears.
He tried to regulate his breathing and calm his heart rate, but the cold glint in his eyes did not diminish at all.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, his voice steady and powerful, without a trace of panic: "Blacksmith! Xiao Mei!"
Amidst the smoky air, the blacksmith emerged from the ruins. His face was covered in soot, but he showed no fear. Instead, a relieved smile appeared on his face: "Master Lu, are you alright?"
Lu Zhaoming nodded, signaling the blacksmith to follow. He then looked to the other side and saw Xiaomei emerge from behind a collapsed wall. Her eyes held a hint of nervousness, but her expression remained resolute.
Lu Zhaoming felt a slight sense of relief, but then his tension returned.
He whispered, "Hurry, it's not safe here, we have to get out of here immediately."
The three quickly traversed the ruins and retreated towards the abandoned factory outside the base.
Just as they were about to reach their destination, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in their sight—it was Liu Gang.
A hint of unease flickered in his eyes, but his voice remained resolute: "Brother Lu, wait, I have something important to tell you!"
Lu Zhaoming's gaze was sharp. He stopped and spoke in a calm but powerful tone: "Liu Gang, what brings you here?"
Liu Gang seemed somewhat anxious. He quickly pulled out a map from his pocket and handed it to Lu Zhaoming: "Brother Lu, this is the clue we found about the White Robe Control Center. I... I have important intelligence to provide you."
Lu Zhaoming took the map, scanned it with his eyes, and observed Liu Gang with his Judgment Eye.
He noticed that Liu Gang's eyes flickered for a brief moment, as if influenced by some external command.
The system interface immediately popped up a warning: "Psychological suggestion fluctuations detected. It is recommended to deal with this with caution."
Lu Zhaoming immediately understood, but he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled and said, "Liu Gang, you've really brought us great news. But we can't act rashly; we need a detailed plan."
Liu Gang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but the unease in his eyes had not completely subsided.
He nodded and said, "Brother Lu is right. We can make a plan here first, and then take action."
The three entered the abandoned factory, and the blacksmith and Xiaomei followed them in.
Lu Zhaoming gestured for everyone to sit down. He tapped the map lightly with the dagger in his hand, his eyes sharp: "Liu Gang, tell me the specifics."
Liu Gang took a deep breath and began his story.
He described in detail the location of the white-robed control center and the defensive forces they might encounter.
But Lu Zhaoming noticed some subtle details about him, such as the slight trembling of his hands and the flickering in his eyes.
To verify Liu Gang's true intentions, Lu Zhaoming deliberately proposed a fake action plan: "Liu Gang, I think we can launch a surprise attack on the White Robe Base tonight, which will catch them off guard."
Liu Gang's reaction was unusually enthusiastic. He nodded almost impatiently: "Brother Lu, I'm willing to lead the team. This will help reduce our losses."
This unusual behavior further convinced Lu Zhaoming that Liu Gang had been manipulated by a psychological suggestion device and had become a pawn in the White Robe's game.
Just then, Xiao Dao arrived in a hurry with several scavengers. He looked puzzled, his eyes darting back and forth between Liu Gang and Lu Zhaoming: "Brother Lu, why is my brother in such a hurry?"
Liu Gang coldly replied, "Xiao Dao, this is for the greater good. Don't ask any more questions."
Lu Zhaoming subtly signaled to Xiaodao not to act rashly, then said in a calm but firm tone, "Liu Gang, what we need now is calmness, not impulsiveness. Brothers, let's rest for a bit and set off again at dawn."
Liu Gang was clearly somewhat dissatisfied, but he didn't say much, only nodding.
The group dispersed, each seeking a place to rest.
Lu Zhaoming's eyes returned to normal, but the alarm bells in his heart never stopped.
He glanced at Liu Gang and sighed softly, "This game is getting more and more complicated."
Just as everyone dispersed to rest, Lu Zhaoming's system interface popped up another notification, but he didn't look at it much. He just stared intently at Liu Gang and muttered to himself, "Liu Gang, what exactly are you hiding?"
A resolute light shone in Lu Zhaoming's eyes, as if he had already made a decision.
He slowly stood up and walked step by step toward Liu Gang, his voice deep and powerful: "Liu Gang, tonight, we will uncover all the mysteries." Just as everyone dispersed to rest, that damned system interface popped up again, like a death knell: "The host may try to decipher the psychological suggestion signal, but needs to stabilize his mental strength."
"Tsk, stabilize mental strength? My mentality is pretty stable right now, it's just that these bastards are giving me a headache." Lu Zhaoming thought to himself, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Liu Gang, who was sitting in the corner, fidgeting and glancing at him from time to time. The guy was sitting as stiff as a telephone pole.
He glanced at the blacksmith beside him, who looked worried and was polishing his precious hammer. He lowered his voice and almost squeezed it out through clenched teeth: "Old buddy, buy me some time. Something's strange about this. Liu Gang is acting weird, like he's possessed. He's even more outrageous than that fake medicine seller we met on the black market last time."
The blacksmith's weathered face instantly turned serious. He put down his hammer, the hammerhead creating a shallow crater in the ground, raising a cloud of dust. He nodded heavily and replied in a deep voice, "Master Lu, you give the order, I'll get it done, no problem!"
Lu Zhaoming's gaze fell on his brother's knife, which was not far away and staring longingly at him.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
