Chapter 127: Glad Tidings

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After a fierce barrage of attacks from the team, the ground cracked and continuously collapsed under the weight of the manic, overflowing energy. Only after a long while did they finally cease their assault. The team members were left panting, beads of sweat glistening on their foreheads.

"Captain, there's no movement left..." one of the members reported.

Luo Qian scanned the area with her sharp eyes. The street was pockmarked with craters, and the figure that had been 'Lin Dong' was now reduced to nothing—not even ash remained.

"We must have succeeded. Let's head down and take a look."

The team leaped down from the high-rise building. They searched the surroundings, but there was indeed no trace of any presence left.

"Is that it? It's over?" One member wore a look of disdain, feeling that the mission had been surprisingly easy. They concluded they must have overestimated that Corpse King. The fact that they hadn't been attacked in return was the best proof.

Luo Qian nodded. "Yes, it’s over."

"Captain, but what about the Corpse King's crystal core?" a female member asked.

Luo Qian searched the area, but she couldn't find it either. "Perhaps it was pulverized in the blast, or blown somewhere away."

At that moment, low growls echoed from the darkness in the distance. The commotion had drawn a swarm of zombies, which were now converging on the scene.

"Forget it, let's leave quickly. We'll go back and report this to Ye Jian and see what he has to say."

Luo Qian felt a sense of triumph. Because Ye Jian had previously doubted her, this was the perfect opportunity to prove him wrong. They weren't afraid of ordinary low-level zombies, but they had no desire to invite unnecessary trouble. Having completed the mission of slaying the Corpse King, they immediately withdrew.

...

Early the next morning.

The sun rose, casting its light once again over the land. Today, the Tech Corporation was exceptionally bustling. As soon as Ye Jian stepped into his office, he found it packed with people—all high-ranking company executives, including the members of Luo Qian’s squad. They sat on the sofas, some with their legs crossed, looking smug.

"Director Ye, our mission last night went smoothly. We successfully killed that Corpse King."

"Huh????"

Ye Jian stared at them, completely bewildered. "Captain Luo, did you not get enough sleep? Still dreaming? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

"Heh! I'm telling the truth. The mission recorder captured it all. If you don't believe me, you can watch it yourself."

Seeing his disbelief, Luo Qian felt even more smug. She was looking forward to seeing the look on his face later.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Ye Jian still refused to believe it. "Where is the recording? Show it to me."

"No problem."

Luo Qian, having prepared in advance, pulled out a remote and pressed a button. The projector at the front of the room began to play the footage. Ye Jian and the other executives immediately turned their attention to the screen.

The footage was remarkably clear. In the dim light, a slender figure could be seen walking slowly down the street. He was handsome, wearing a crisp white shirt—the signature look of that Corpse King.

"You really encountered him?" Ye Jian’s expression shifted to surprise.

However, what shocked him was yet to come. In the video, a massive fireball appeared and slammed directly into the figure, signaling the start of the battle, followed by a relentless bombardment. The intense energy fluctuations made the recording device tremble, but the events were still clearly visible. Finally, 'Lin Dong' was blown to pieces, and the team had even gone down to inspect the remains.

"This..."

Ye Jian was left stunned, struggling to process the reality of it. The Corpse King that had given him such a headache had just been taken out like that?

The corners of Luo Qian’s mouth curled upward. "Well, Director Ye? Do you have anything else to say?"

"This is a good thing!" Once Ye Jian regained his composure, his face lit up with joy. With the Corpse King dead, a massive threat had been neutralized. Furthermore, he could now slowly devour the Corpse King's zombie minions for their precious crystal cores. Control over Jiangbei City was within reach.

"Captain Luo, you are truly something! As expected, you are incredibly powerful. You took down the Corpse King in one go—that is absolutely legendary!"

"Hmph! Don't mention it. It was nothing."

Seeing Ye Jian flattering her, Luo Qian felt a surge of secret satisfaction. She raised her eyes slightly, adding with a frivolous tone, "Though, I must say, I still prefer your previous unruly demeanor."

Ye Jian: "........."

...

Meanwhile, Lin Dong was still holed up in his clean home, sipping a drink and absorbing the energy from a crystal core, enjoying a comfortable life.

Soon, his phone on the coffee table chimed with a message. Lin Dong picked it up to see it was from Cheng Luoyi. The content was brief—just two words:

"Dead?"

"Huh?"

Lin Dong was puzzled. Why would she curse him out of the blue? Had her mental illness flared up again? He replied:

"Not yet. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, never mind then. You should check the Tech Corporation's official website yourself."

After sending that, Cheng Luoyi went silent. Lin Dong found it even stranger. What was there to see on the Tech Corporation's website? He had checked it just last night, and there was nothing.

Still, he logged in on his phone. He was shocked by what he saw. The Tech Corporation’s website was buzzing, with a large, bold red announcement displayed prominently:

'Victory Report: Last night, our company dispatched Awakened ones and successfully hunted down the Corpse King in the high-rise district! We previously declared that we would track him down and eliminate him, and we have kept our word.'

"????"

Lin Dong stared at the screen, completely baffled for a full three seconds. Did I die? When did this happen? Why don't I even know about it????

Clearly, the Tech Corporation had issued this announcement to restore their prestige and regain the face they had lost earlier. Below the announcement, there were countless comments, far more than on any previous post.

"Awesome! Isn't the high-rise district a Five-Star Corpse Nest?"

"Yeah, I heard the Corpse King there was powerful and eerie—a true forbidden zone for humans!"

"My god! They actually managed to hunt down a Corpse King like that?"

"Tech Corporation is the best..."

"This is great news! Now we can finally go there and scavenge for supplies."

"... ..."

To add credibility, the Tech Corporation had also posted a high-definition video of the Awakened ones bombarding 'Lin Dong.' As everyone knew, videos couldn't be faked. Upon seeing it, the survivors were convinced.

Lin Dong watched the video and fell into deep thought, but it didn't take long for him to figure out what had happened. It must have been those mimetic fungi from the mountains that had transformed into his likeness, only to be wiped out by the Tech Corporation, leading to a misunderstanding.

But this... didn't seem like a bad thing at all.

Once the other humans caught wind of this news, they would surely start making moves. Not just survivors, but members of the Black Scorpion organization, and other 'monsters and demons' as well. Eventually, there would be a steady stream of 'little treats' delivered right to his door.

"Well then, I suppose I'm dead..."