Only after the flames died down did they remember they could breathe. They’d been so tense, they’d forgotten to breathe at all.

But now, every breath made their throats sting and their lungs ache. The air was so hot, it felt like breathing in steam rising off boiling water.

There wasn’t even any sweat left on their bodies—just grains of salt, crystallized after the sweat had dried away.

“Yi Nanye, I think you’re seriously badass.”

Jiang Yuan was still shaken. Yi Nanye had practically been racing against flames raging in every direction, with nowhere to escape. It wasn’t that she was weak; she’d simply been completely countered.

Her ability was at a disadvantage, and the setting was terrible too. How were you supposed to dodge in a hallway like this?

That last burst of flames had taken who knew how many lives in an instant.

Zheng Chengjie was undeniably powerful. But that also meant he was beyond saving.

“You… get out of here. Now!”

“That’s against regulations. You can’t… you can’t—cough, cough…”

Yi Nanye suddenly started coughing mid-sentence. She’d clearly inhaled a lot of toxic smoke.

Jiang Yuan listened to her ragged, bellows-like breathing. Even if she managed to defeat Zheng Chengjie, she’d probably pay a heavy price.

“What about you?”

“I just need to rest a little…”

“I don’t want to have to get a new supervisor.”

Jiang Yuan already knew the Superpower Management Bureau had its eye on Zheng Chengjie, but that was no reason to send Yi Nanye into danger!

Even the counterterrorism police knew better than to enter the hallway. Yi Nanye’s ability was clearly at a disadvantage, yet they’d still sent her in recklessly. It was as if her life meant nothing to them.

“But what can an ordinary person like you do? I appreciate you coming, okay? Now go…”

Yi Nanye was still grateful to Jiang Yuan. He hadn’t actually done much, and she wouldn’t have died without him, but she appreciated the thought.

“And let the terrorists get away with it?”

“We’ll deal with it afterward. He can’t… can’t get out. We’ll intercept him. We’ll use military force. We’ll… we’ll…”

Her speech was already growing slurred. Every breath in that hot, toxic air brought her closer to death.

“Do you have a spare mask?”

Jiang Yuan looked at the other special police officers. They spread their hands apologetically. He sighed, then immediately took off his own mask and put it on Yi Nanye.

Jiang Yuan didn’t know what the right thing to do was, but he knew Yi Nanye needed to breathe some normal air.

“Jiang Yuan?”

“Hey, buddy, what are you doing?”

“It’s too dangerous without protective gear!”

The other special police officers hadn’t expected the suspect known as Codename Jiang to be so selfless. They had to admit that the public’s prejudice against Jiang Yuan was far too strong.

“You take mine first. I’ll stay here…”

“No. I want Zheng Chengjie to see my face the moment he lays eyes on me!”

Jiang Yuan said he didn’t need it. If he wore a mask, Zheng Chengjie might not recognize him—and what if he attacked right away?

“I’m going in!”

Jiang Yuan didn’t want to waste any time. He immediately started looking around for something he could use to cover his mouth and nose. Seeing this, Yi Nanye didn’t say a word. She put both hands under her skirt and stretched out her legs. The special police officers beside her went pale and immediately looked away.

“Jiang Yuan, catch!”

Yi Nanye suddenly tossed a bundle of something at Jiang Yuan. He caught it and took a look, then froze. It was a soft, triangular piece of underwear.

“Th-this… I’ll use my own. Thanks for the idea!”

Jiang Yuan politely turned down Yi Nanye’s offer and decided to make do with his own.

“Yours is a breathable summer style… It won’t block the toxic particles…”

“Mine’s made of premium cotton… It’s better material than a mask!”

“I-is that so?”

Jiang Yuan fell into deep thought. Which mattered more: his dignity or his life?

“Why not use mine? It’s pure cotton too!”

One of the special police officers cleverly offered. As he spoke, he started to take off his pants. Jiang Yuan’s expression changed at once. He’d rather use Yi Nanye’s!

“Thanks. We’re out of time. I’m going!”

Jiang Yuan dashed off as soon as he finished speaking. Yi Nanye sat on the floor with her back against the wall. She couldn’t help lowering her head and giving a bitter laugh. She really had hit rock bottom this time, needing help from the person she was supposed to be supervising.

Outside the hallway.

Jiang Yuan covered his mouth and nose with the indescribable object. It blocked the foul toxic smoke, but not the other sour smell. Still, this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

He crossed the hallway, where embers still burned on all four sides. Scalding waves of heat washed over Jiang Yuan’s face as he sprinted ahead. In the central courtyard, he spotted a tall, thin figure. The man’s clothes had long since charred black and curled up, and his skin was covered in burns of varying severity.

He gasped in pain. Beneath his badly burned skin, firelight flickered now and then in the exposed blood vessels.

By now, he hardly looked human.

They say those who play with fire end up burning themselves.

Hearing footsteps, he quickly turned toward Jiang Yuan and roared as if to attack. But when he saw Jiang Yuan’s face, a faint glimmer lit his eyes. His ruptured eyelids grew damp, only for the tears to evaporate into vapor against his burning body.

At that moment, part of the ceiling collapsed. A shaft of sunlight poured in through the shattered hallway and fell right on Jiang Yuan, making him look almost holy.

“God…”

“Have you come… to take me with you?”

“Take me away… to the new world you created…”

He was completely delirious, murmuring strange words. Jiang Yuan watched him in silence for a moment, then nodded and started walking toward him.

“Yeah. I’ll send you to heaven, to an Eden without pain or sorrow.”

Jiang Yuan played along with his words to calm him down, then slowly moved closer. The man smiled and opened his arms.

But when Jiang Yuan had drawn close enough…

He suddenly and decisively pulled a gun from his pocket.

One step forward.

His right thumb flicked off the safety.

Click!

A clear metallic chime.

One more step forward.

He raised the gun and briskly racked the slide with his left hand.

Click.

A sharp snap. A round chambered.

One more step forward.

“Rest in peace.”

With that, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out. Zheng Chengjie’s body jerked as the bullet passed straight through his forehead. His expression gave no clue what he’d been thinking in his final moments. His body swayed a few times, then slowly collapsed.

When it was over, Jiang Yuan let out a breath. The whole thing still felt absurd. A man who’d been bullied gained power, only to turn around and bully even more people, worse than before. It was ridiculous—and yet all too believable.

He took the walkie-talkie from his pocket and spoke into it slowly.

“Zheng Chengjie has been neutralized.”