In the inner perimeter of the base, layers upon layers of superhuman squads stood guard, while in the center of their protection, a down-on-his-luck designer was being held at gunpoint with a look of utter helplessness on his face.
He looked at the tall, thin man beside him and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Zhou, what exactly do you want to see me about?"
"I have nothing left now. No crystal cores, no special abilities, not even the ability to protect myself. You even bought all the last of the clothes I designed before the apocalypse..."
Zhou Ziqi tilted his head, seemingly waiting quietly for something, a faint smile in his upturned phoenix eyes.
As if something good had happened, his temper was unusually good. After hearing the down-on-his-luck designer's words, Zhou Ziqi explained, "It's nothing, I just asked you to help me out."
"Ah, this..."
The designer was a bit bewildered. He looked back at the team of superhumans following not far away, and at the superhuman who had a gun pressed against his waist.
The designer, with a blank expression, said: "...So this is how you ask for help?"
But Zhou Ziqi clearly didn't think there was anything wrong with his behavior, so the designer could only say, "I'm just a nobody, Mr. Zhou, how can I help you?"
"I just wanted you to be an advisor, look—you're here."
As Zhou Ziqi spoke, the tone at the end of his sentence seemed to carry a tilde, radiating a bright and cheerful joy.
The designer was still completely bewildered and could only follow Zhou Ziqi's gaze—a petite girl walked out from behind the door, holding a Tang sword that she never let go of, with a dark blue scabbard.
She wore a deep black dress, as dark as the night sky, with a strapless design that revealed her rounded and fair shoulders, and her beautiful shoulder blades were half-exposed.
Further down, there's a black lining that barely reaches the knees, while the skirt extends to the ankles. The subtle patterns on the skirt resemble countless stars scattered across the night sky, giving it a dreamlike quality.
Her bare, slender calves descended to a pair of small high heels, making the girl appear even more delicate and beautiful.
Zhou Ziqi's smile deepened: "Very beautiful, Xiao Ruan."
But his bodyguard still looked sullen, clearly not used to this outfit.
Ruan Qing'an put her hands behind her back and subconsciously tugged at her skirt: "Boss, this is the 32nd outfit I've tried on. Can I stop trying them on...?"
"That's too much, Xiao Ruan. The boss is taking you shopping, and you still refuse me."
Zhou Ziqi's voice trailed off, his refusal quite firm.
As he spoke, Zhou Ziqi glanced at the designer beside him. Seeing that the man was staring intently, he frowned and said, "If you don't restrain yourself, you'll lose your eyes too."
"Ahem—excuse me, Mr. Zhou, as you know, I'm a designer, and this young lady is just so inspiring!"
The designer quickly explained, averting his gaze and not daring to look again.
Seeing this, Zhou Ziqi was somewhat satisfied: "Of course, my little Ruan is definitely beautiful—tell me, what kind of headdress would suit her better?"
"This..."
As the designer pondered this, he subconsciously glanced at Ruan Qing'an, only to feel a chill run down his spine.
Zhou Ziqi was looking at him with a smile in his eyes: "Still looking?"
Designer: ...You fucking asked me for advice, and now you won't even let me look at it!
But he only dared to grumble to himself, not daring to say it aloud, and cautiously said, "As for the headdress, it would be best to choose—"
Before the designer could finish speaking, a tremendous force suddenly came from behind, and he was kicked to the ground, lying face down, trembling uncontrollably in pain.
This sudden change immediately alarmed everyone else in the enclosed area of the base, who all ran away in fear, and the entire street was quickly cleared out.
The one who kicked the designer was the leader of the superhuman squad who had been following behind. He was holding a walkie-talkie, looking at Zhou Ziqi warily, when he kicked the designer.
"Still lying there? Get out of here right now, this is none of your business, or I'll chop your legs off!"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
The designer dared not linger. Enduring the excruciating pain in his back, he quickly got up from the ground and disappeared in no time.
After this turn of events, Zhou Ziqi's smile deepened even further. He glanced at the group of superhumans gathering around him with his narrow eyes and said, "You let him get away."
“Mr. Zhou, please come with us. The leader wants to see you.”
"I said, you let him escape."
Zhou Ziqi repeated the sentence, a smile in his eyes, his demeanor as graceful as the moon and the rosy clouds, even slowly adjusting his sleeves, showing no sign of the tension of being surrounded.
Seeing his unyielding attitude, the captain's face turned cold: "Mr. Zhou, please don't make things difficult for us—everyone else, listen to my order, escort Mr. Zhou to the conference room!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The team of superhumans who were originally there to protect Zhou Ziqi immediately stepped forward upon receiving the order, preparing to forcibly subdue him.
But at this very moment—
'Ding!'
With the sound of a long sword being drawn, the sharp tip of the blade instantly and precisely sliced the walkie-talkie in the captain's hand in two!
Before any of the superhumans could react, the girl who had just been dressed up like a delicate doll was now standing in front of Zhou Ziqi.
Ruan Qing'an was still wearing that little black dress, but she gripped the hilt of her knife with one hand. Her delicate face was cold, and her leaden eyes held a chilling killing intent.
With the knife tip pointing diagonally to the ground, she said in a deep voice, "Step back."
"you--"
"Step back."
As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind swept past, and the captain instinctively took several steps back, raising his hand to block in front of him. Right in front of him was a slash mark!
The leader of the superhuman squad was horrified, his face turning deathly pale. Not only that, even the superhumans surrounding the two were stunned. Ruan Qing'an's speed was so fast that they couldn't even react!
He already knew that Ruan Qing'an was Zhou Ziqi's bodyguard, but what could a girl with no special abilities and a delicate body do with a knife?
Seeing Zhou Ziqi's attitude towards Ruan Qing'an, they naturally assumed that this girl was just a mistress kept by Zhou Ziqi under the guise of being a bodyguard.
For a moment, all the superpowered individuals stopped, not daring to make any rash moves.
At this moment, Zhou Ziqi stepped forward half a step: "Everyone, have you calmed down?"
"If you're going to be this rude, I'll have Xiao Ruan remove those things from your necks, and that'll calm you down."
Long, slender fingers rested on Ruan Qing'an's body. The tall man stood behind the girl, as if he were half-embracing her, as naturally as if he were holding a knife.
The captain took a deep breath: "Mr. Zhou, this is a message from Chief Lu. Please forgive me."
"Of course, why would I make things difficult for you?"
Zhou Ziqi chuckled and pressed down on Ruan Qing'an's hand gripping the hilt of the knife: "Let's go, little Ruan, it's nothing serious."
\u0003\u0003\u0003
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com