Chapter Seven: The Art of Persuasion

[Sanity -1, entering containment scene]

Fu Qian reached out and touched the misty door that had reappeared inside the warehouse.

This time, Fu Qian didn’t make any sneaky moves; he obediently followed the porcelain woman, Su Gao, outside.

Once outside, Fu Qian finally understood what Su Gao meant by “not so good.”

What was supposed to be a bustling street was now completely deserted.

Most striking was the sky above.

The once blue sky was now covered entirely by a mysterious, turtle-shell-like pattern, as if a giant umbrella had been unfurled overhead.

Had a true evil deity descended?

In this situation, he could understand why Su Gao and the others were so tense.

As for why the street was empty, Fu Qian had a likely guess.

“Have the people already been evacuated?”

Fu Qian turned and asked.

“Only those who could be evacuated,” Su Gao’s voice was low.

“We were assigned to investigate, but unfortunately arrived too late. In the area near the pollution source, abnormalities have already begun. The cursed civilians have started to transform into some grotesque state.

Considering the risks, my team and I are carrying out a purge.”

“Your decision is justified. I would do the same.”

Fu Qian did not criticize; instead, he expressed agreement.

The situation was clear: Ms. Su Gao and her team had been dispatched to investigate, found severe contamination and curse manifestations, evacuated the outer areas, and now had no choice but to purge those beyond salvation.

This also explained why he had been attacked without warning before.

No wonder the woman looked completely worn out and emotionally shattered.

They currently defined the incident as a severe pollution curse but probably had no idea about the offspring of the evil god.

This was exactly what the introduction had said: “They don’t yet know what they are truly facing.”

The good news was that, for now, this beautiful woman and her team essentially shared his objectives.

However, earning their trust would not be easy.

“Actually, I’m the same!”

Before Su Gao could speak, Fu Qian snorted and looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

“I’ve already been contaminated.”

At these words, a cold gleam flashed in Su Gao’s eyes.

But in the end, her hand holding the knife still moved.

Fu Qian seemed not to notice.

“I accidentally discovered something strange here earlier and came to investigate. I didn’t expect the curse to be so insidious.”

“I’m barely suppressing it now, but I won’t last long. When I need you to strike, I’ll let you know.”

“But before that, I need to fulfill my responsibility...”

To convince this group to follow his lead, it was necessary to pretend to be a superhuman.

But since they were professionals, he couldn’t hide his aura of power.

This was when he needed a plausible excuse for his weakened state.

While Fu Qian was spinning his tale, several people came running from different directions.

Leading them was a man in his forties, tall and gaunt, with sharp, intelligent eyes gleaming from his darkened face.

“What’s going on?”

The middle-aged man frowned the moment he saw Fu Qian and immediately asked Su Gao.

“This operation allows no mercy. Otherwise, thousands could be casualties.”

“Captain!”

Su Gao nodded respectfully at him and pointed at Fu Qian.

“We found him over there; he claims to be investigating the anomaly as well.”

“Investigating?”

The middle-aged man looked at Fu Qian with suspicion.

Exactly!

Fu Qian’s expression was as natural as nature itself.

“Su Gao already briefed me—the situation is worse than anticipated. We should hurry.”

“What are you? There are four official Night Enforcers here. Judging by your aura, you’re just an ordinary person. Who gave you the authority to issue orders?”

Before the captain could finish, a crew-cut man behind him interrupted.

Fu Qian glanced at him. This guy looked significantly younger and very muscular.

His hair stood on end, and despite the chilly weather, he wore only a short-sleeved shirt.

Like the others, his clothes were stained with blood, and his expression was fierce and savage.

He was clearly bloodthirsty and ready to strike at any provocation.

“Let’s not waste time; we can talk while moving.”

But Fu Qian ignored him and kept his gaze on the captain.

“Captain, this man’s condition is suspicious. He’s likely contaminated. I think he should be eliminated immediately.”

The ignored crew-cut man’s eyes turned blood-red as he prepared to kill Fu Qian.

“That’s right, I am cursed.”

Fu Qian’s calm affirmation startled everyone.

“You don’t sense it now because I’m barely suppressing the outbreak, but at the cost of almost no combat strength.”

Indeed.

Fu Qian raised his hand slightly, firing a bullet of compressed air from his fingertip, striking a nearby streetlamp.

“I can only offer a trivial amount of help.”

He really was a superhuman!

Su Gao and the captain, among others, were shocked.

No matter what, such a feat was impossible for an ordinary person.

The captain looked to Su Gao, hoping she could provide more information.

Yet Su Gao’s mood was clearly sour; she stood like a puppet, ignoring the captain’s pleading gaze.

Finally, the captain hesitated but stopped the restless crew-cut man.

“Since our goals align, that’s good. What should we call you?”

That was that!

When asked, Fu Qian knew the matter was settled.

“Just call me Fu Qian.”

He remained outwardly calm.

“Since you came earlier to investigate, have you confirmed the pollution source?”

At that moment, one of the captain’s team—a white-haired old man who had been silent—suddenly spoke.

Not easy, considering his hair was already pure white, yet still on field duty!

Fu Qian glanced at the elder Night Enforcer, whose eyes looked more fatigued than the others’.

Good question!

Fu Qian sighed.

“That’s why I say time is short.”

“We must stop that thing from descending.”

Descending? That thing?

Everyone was startled.

Fu Qian’s expression was sincere.

“The source of the contamination comes from a highly transcendent evil entity.”

“What you see now is only a slight leakage of its power.

I can responsibly assure you, if that thing actually descends, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

For example, my mission would have to start all over again, he thought silently.

After he finished, the Night Enforcers exchanged looks.

After a moment of silence, the captain cleared his throat.

“I won’t hide it either. We are the Night Enforcer squad of this region. Not long ago, we received reports of abnormal incidents here, including mass casualties.

When we arrived, the situation was quite serious. After evacuating the people, we had to take necessary measures—”

“I fully understand. I’d do the same.”

Fu Qian interrupted him, wanting to ease any psychological burden.

“I know firsthand how terrifying this curse is. Once I’ve done my part, I’ll need your help to be freed.”

A true hero!

Even the captain was moved, finding Fu Qian’s figure unusually imposing.