Chapter Sixty-Two: "Take Off Your Clothes!" (Please Vote for Me!)

Chapter Sixty-Two: Take Off Your Clothes!

Chen Xiao could also see that the grudge between Zhu Rong and that Venom Woman was anything but trivial. However, since Zhu Rong himself didn’t mention it, Chen Xiao didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask, and Old Tian seemed unwilling to divulge more.

The day Old Tian and Zhu Rong found him at the hospital, they immediately brought him back. Chen Xiao’s injuries were quite serious, but fortunately, no bones were broken—just flesh wounds. His arms had suffered the most from the explosion, and he’d also been battered from his tumble down the hillside.

Once they’d brought him back, Old Tian led Chen Xiao straight to the bathroom behind the coffee shop. The bathtub had already been filled with a pale green liquid, reminiscent of highly diluted bath gel, though the scent was faintly pungent.

When Chen Xiao asked Old Tian what it was, Old Tian only offhandedly told him to strip and soak himself in it.

Later, Chen Xiao learned that this was a “biological cell regeneration solution” designed specifically to heal external injuries. This liquid could stimulate the self-repair and regeneration of biological cells—one of the Service Club’s high-tech products, reportedly developed from samples extracted from the blood and cells of a naturally regenerative superhuman.

Normally, the solution was extremely expensive, and within the Service Club, it would be used in a sealed pod, almost like a space capsule. But given their limited resources, they had to make do with a bathtub.

Chen Xiao soaked in this bath for a full day and night, to the point that his fingers turned white and wrinkled, but his injuries were nearly all healed!

Immersed in the water, he could feel a subtle tingling at his wounds, and then, before his very eyes, the muscle and skin slowly knit themselves together—damaged flesh growing back. The sensation was nothing short of miraculous.

Afterwards, Old Tian told Chen Xiao that the cell repair solution in the hands of retired agents like themselves was just a black-market knockoff. The Service Club’s genuine product was far more powerful.

“This stuff is hard to come by—we can only get a little at a time. So, to save what we have, it’s been diluted many times over; if it were any thinner, it’d be practically useless. The real deal in the Service Club is over three times as effective. With your injuries, you’d have been fully healed in just a few hours.”

Chen Xiao then recalled that the first time he’d been taken by the Service Club, after a night’s unconsciousness, all his wounds were gone—it must have been thanks to this solution.

This time, the emergency had caught them off guard. The three old-timers felt rather embarrassed; with their combined might as the infamous trio of Dead End Street’s unscrupulous bosses, they’d nearly let their client get ambushed right under their noses.

Yet, the situation grew even more bizarre. Who would have thought that another superhuman organization would openly interfere? And at that banquet, the enemy’s target wasn’t just Lu Bancheng—they had attempted to capture all three bigwigs at once.

Looking back, the blackmailing of Lu Bancheng was clearly not so simple.

“I just can’t understand it—someone of Black Knight Autumnfall’s caliber wouldn’t stage such a witless extortion. Black Knight has committed all manner of crimes—murder, arson, you name it—but they hardly lack for money. And if they really were blackmailing someone, their methods wouldn’t be so gentle. Lu Bancheng never paid, and all they did was try to scare him—he didn’t even lose a hair. If Black Knight were truly behind it, Lu Bancheng would probably be missing a limb by now.”

Sitting in the coffee shop, Old Tian nursed a steaming cup of tea as he analyzed the situation.

Chen Xiao sat across from him.

Three days had passed since the incident. In that time, they’d stepped up their protection of Lu Bancheng and the others. Originally, the three bosses took turns monitoring, but now Zhu Rong and Gong Gong, as a couple, kept watch together, with Old Tian serving as backup.

The impact of this event was considerable. On one hand, the banquet’s guests were all prominent figures from K City and the region. Such a brazen act of terror—bombings and assassinations—naturally enraged high society. On the other, the two men who’d barely escaped death, Xu and Lu, were the city’s two most influential leaders, and the foreigner was a high-ranking executive from a major European consortium. With such important people nearly assassinated, there was no way the authorities would take the matter lightly.

Moreover, in order to conceal Chen Xiao and Zhu Rong’s identities, Second Young Master Xu had been forced to fabricate a story, claiming the assailants were armed with heavy weaponry, firearms, and explosives. Otherwise, how could they explain the carnage on the terrace?

Fortunately, though there were many witnesses that day, those who saw the actual events were Xu and Lu’s personal bodyguards and confidants. With a strict gag order, they wouldn’t dare speak out of turn.

Still, the other guests were harder to control. In less than three days, rumors had spread far and wide: tales of supernatural events at a high-society banquet, of a woman who could glow and burst into flames…

Yet, with no photos or video as concrete evidence, and only word of mouth to rely on, most people dismissed these wild stories as pure fantasy.

But there was one man who believed without a doubt—Officer Xu, who was already involved in the major case’s investigation.

He’d even called Chen Xiao, since he knew Chen Xiao rather well and was aware something was unusual about him. Over the phone, Chen Xiao didn’t hide the truth from the astute officer, simply confirming his suspicions: yes, superhumans were involved in this incident. But Chen Xiao also explained that he couldn’t reveal too much, and that this was no matter for ordinary police to handle—against superhumans, regular law enforcement was powerless.

“My friends and I will protect them, but at times we may need police assistance—such as keeping information under wraps. After all, my friends aren’t suited to public exposure.”

When Chen Xiao said this, he didn’t realize that he himself was slowly becoming one of those who couldn’t step into the light.

“To deal with Autumnfall, we can’t bring any of our usual gear—no helmets or detectors, because they all have metal components. The anti-magnetic, anti-pulse jackets must be worn, but the magnetic boots also contain metal, so they’re out,” Old Tian said, frowning, his tone hesitant. Still, he continued in a low voice, “Chen Xiao, you don’t need to get involved with Black Knight this time. You’re only an agent—it’s not your job to go out on missions. Besides…”

“Besides, my abilities wouldn’t be of much help, right.” Chen Xiao gave a faint smile. “Old Tian, if it were any other matter, I’d stay home. But Xu Yifan is my good friend. Now that his father is in danger, how can I sit on my hands?”

Old Tian frowned. “Chen Xiao, you don’t understand Black Knight! Alice and Autumnfall are a famous gold-standard team. Alice is an expert at ambush—her toxins come in countless forms, able to poison someone without them ever realizing it. She also has a secondary power: basic muscle mimicry. She can temporarily change her appearance and even her body shape! At any moment, she could be right by your side, waiting for the perfect chance to strike. Autumnfall excels at direct combat. One light, one shadow—the two of them have pulled off countless major jobs together over the years. And while Autumnfall isn’t especially bloodthirsty, Alice is truly ruthless.”

“Then all the more reason I can’t just watch from the sidelines.” Chen Xiao quickly pulled on his jacket, his voice quiet but firm, leaving no room for argument. “Xu is my brother—the only brother I have!”

Yet Old Tian and the others felt no relief. If it were any lesser organization, facing Service Club agents, they’d have retreated long ago—few in the superhuman world dared to oppose the Club. But Black Knight was a different story. Alice wasn’t the type to back down, and Autumnfall was even more proud and unyielding.

Their first encounter had been unexpected, but following international custom, both sides would withdraw, regroup, then return for a true showdown. Old Tian and the others were certain: when Black Knight returned, Autumnfall’s style would ensure a massive and brutal conflict.

Second Young Master Xu had already suspended his classes and stayed home every day. With both the Xu and Lu families targeted, Xu—being the designated heir—was under tight protection, and even Lu Xiaoxiao had been ordered home.

When Chen Xiao arrived at the Xu household, he didn’t see the old master, but the patriarch had already learned everything from his son. Moreover, he seemed to be somewhat familiar with Old Tian and his team, so before Chen Xiao arrived, he’d instructed the house steward to fulfill any of Chen Xiao’s requests.

Second Young Master Xu was delighted to see him. “Ha! I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been bored out of my mind these past few days! With you around, at least I’ll have someone to talk to.”

Chen Xiao glanced at the heavily armed bodyguards gathered around Xu—each one carrying a gun and a radio, looking ready for war.

He frowned. “This won’t do. Everyone, put down your guns. Holding those in front of our current opponent is like carrying a detonator—drop them!”

Drop them?

The bodyguards stared dumbly at their young master’s friend.

Xu hesitated briefly, but his trust in Chen Xiao won out. For ordinary people, guns brought a sense of security, after all.

But he trusted Chen Xiao absolutely, so he made his decision quickly. “Do as he says. Everyone, put down your guns!”

The bodyguards exchanged uncertain glances, but under their young master’s stern order, they finally set their weapons aside—albeit reluctantly, some casting dissatisfied looks at Chen Xiao.

Chen Xiao paid their looks no mind. He walked up to one guard, scrutinized him, then frowned. “Earpiece, radio, belt buckle… tie clip, cell phone, watch, ring, every single bit of jewelry or accessory—you are not to have anything containing metal on you. This is a strict order—understand?”

The guards were clearly unconvinced, but Xu heard the seriousness in Chen Xiao’s voice—so serious, in fact, that it startled him. In his memory, this good friend had always been somewhat aloof, rarely concerned with anything, and had never spoken in such a commanding tone.

“Follow his instructions!” Xu declared, stepping beside Chen Xiao, his expression cold. “From now on, his words are my words—no one is to disobey!”

Chen Xiao sighed. He knew well that, as a young man giving orders to professional bodyguards, there would inevitably be resistance—no, not just inevitably, but certainly. But he had fought Autumnfall with his own hands and witnessed the terror of Autumnfall’s “metal molecule detonation” power. Any piece of metal in Autumnfall’s presence could be turned into a bomb at will. With their guns, the bodyguards wouldn’t stand a chance—Autumnfall wouldn’t even need to move; just a glance, and their weapons would explode in their hands.

The bodyguards complied.

Xu was finally satisfied, but before he could say anything, Chen Xiao turned to him. “You too, Xu. From now on, you’re not to have any metal items on you! I know you always have all sorts of trinkets, but for your own life, you’d better get rid of every last one—even a tiny earring!”

With that, he dragged Xu into a room, slammed the door shut, and looked at him with utmost seriousness. “Take off your clothes.”

“…What?” Xu was stunned.

“Take off your clothes. All of them. For your life’s sake, I need to personally make sure you’re not carrying anything that could get you killed!”

Xu gave a wry smile. “That’s not necessary… I’m not in the habit of getting naked in front of another man…”

“Please, we’ve all seen each other in the locker room or the showers after swim class. Stop being so bashful.” Chen Xiao scolded, “Hurry up! If you won’t do it, I’ll do it for you!”

(Brothers, keep those monthly votes coming! There’ll be another chapter tonight.)