Chapter 175: Tis shield
"Batman!?"
Shock was evident on Li Changcheng's face. The aircraft carrier of Secret Service Nine was supposed to be the safest place in the world. Yet, this guy just strolled in casually and walked straight into the captain's office—while the captain himself was inside—and even against the infection with one of their top event specialists.
Even by Batman's standards, this was another level of arrogance. If this ship were a flying tomb, then this operation was no different from a grave, almost reaching an outrageous level of boldness.
"Access granted."
The electronic verification sound echoed as the metal door slid open. The man entered confidently, and the door shut behind him with a clatter.
Detective Luo Yajun, recently taken from the ship and on the wanted list, was now holding a shotgun, the barrel aimed at Li Changcheng's head.
Li Changcheng: "..."
Not only did Batman break into the captain's office in front of him, but he also brought along a most-wanted criminal. That definitely earned him a point for arrogance.
When the door closed behind Luo Yajun, Li Changcheng's gaze lingered on it for a moment before he said slowly, "So, I guess you hacked the door lock system and the surveillance system too. Thanks for that. The systems in this room are completely independent, and I can barely fathom how you managed it."
"Need I say more?" Luo Yajun grinned. "Because he's Batman."
Now Luo Yajun felt a bit like he was shaking his big brother and leading the team. He stood taller, his confidence noticeably boosted.
Li Changcheng ignored him, his focus still on Batman.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked.
Before this, Chu Cheng wasn't 100% sure Li Changcheng was the target they were looking for, but now he was completely certain. They had video and audio evidence to back it up.
Instead of answering, Batman shot back with another question.
"What is the 'Pretti Project'?"
"Ah, so that's how it is. You found my place, good. You slipped in quietly—avoiding the alarm, of course—and checked my private server.
I bet you found nine other locations like everyone else, right? Like Minister Hercules' safe house and old man Miyazaki's lab?"
He guessed correctly. It was the records in Miyazaki's lab that first led Chu Cheng to discover the clues. The records showed that Professor Miyazaki was busy preparing an arrest plan for several of their super agents.
At first, this made Chu Cheng think he was the mastermind behind the old thief's showdown, but it turned out he wasn't. The old thief was just following orders, and the one who ordered it was Li Changcheng.
Many of the subsequent discoveries, including the falsified video of Luo Yajun's shooting, were also found on a private server in a secret attic belonging to Li Changcheng.
Luo Yajun looked at him coldly.
So it was him; it was always him.
No wonder they kept hitting a wall, and it's no wonder they couldn't come up with effective measures or establish a reliable system in the face of constantly changing circumstances.
Because the ship of the Secret Service is both real and abstract. Even if the winery next door is leaking like a sieve, at least it's leaking from the bottom. But the wreck of the Secret Service is even worse; it leaks from the top.
No wonder the Secret Service keeps taking hits.
"I guess you must be recording this, which is good," Li Changcheng said slowly. "Because then I can explain everything to you on camera.
A story about how a person fell, how he accepted the influence of an unknown force, and ended up where he is today. Oh, and don't forget to include my evil plan... you think that's how it's going to go, right?"
Luo Yajun couldn't listen any longer, so he pulled the trigger directly—if the gun he summoned in his hand could be seen as having a trigger to pull.
Although he had many questions and needed a lot of explanations, he preferred to give a little pain before asking questions.
There are skills to interrogating, and one of them is having a strong enough fist. It's much better to land a hit first and then ask questions.
The shotgun fired, like a mini version of ten thousand arrows piercing the heart and flying toward Li Changcheng.
But it missed.
In that fleeting moment, too quick for the human eye to register, a mass of pitch-black matter erupted from Li Changcheng's body.
At first, it appeared as if some kind of liquid was seeping from every pore and fabric fiber of his clothing, floating away into the air.
Then it solidified rapidly, shaping into a shield-like arc. All the bullets struck the shield, causing the deformed bullets to bounce back.
Luo Yajun looked amazed.
What is this thing?
The second the shot was fired, Batman moved.
The power armor gave him superhuman strength, and the Dark Knight turned into a blur, flashing to the opponent's side.
Chu Cheng had predicted Agent Luo's shot, controlling Batman to act just before he pulled the trigger. The instant the bullet hit, Batman landed in place, delivering a sideways punch at Li Changcheng.
Although he didn't know what strange ability Li Changcheng used to block the shotgun blast, the firepower would surely distract him. With the armor's speed boost, it would be impossible for a normal person to react in time to this punch.
Bang.
It sounded like metal hitting metal.
Batman's punch was halted.
It was that weird substance again. It seeped through his body like liquid yet was as indestructible as steel. Batman's fist struck the barrier, and the power structure of the gauntlet hissed and buzzed but couldn't breach the defense.
In the next second, a lightning-fast mark suddenly appeared above the opponent's head. The bright red indicator signaled that parrying was impossible; only defense was an option. Even with Batman's sixfold accelerated reaction time, the opportunity was fleeting.
Chu Cheng's hand speed exploded, and Batman swiftly retreated. The leg armor activated, channeling power from the boots, propelling Batman backward.
Almost the instant he pulled away, a pitch-black barb shot out from the curved baffle. As it lunged forward, a piercing gust of wind followed, and Batman narrowly dodged it.
But it missed.
In that fleeting moment, too quick for the human eye to register, a mass of pitch-black matter erupted from Li Changcheng's body.
At first, it appeared as if some kind of liquid was seeping from every pore and fabric fiber of his clothing, floating away into the air.
Then it solidified rapidly, shaping into a shield-like arc. All the bullets struck the shield, causing the deformed bullets to bounce back.
Luo Yajun looked amazed.
What is this thing?
The second the shot was fired, Batman moved.
The power armor gave him superhuman strength, and the Dark Knight turned into a blur, flashing to the opponent's side.
Chu Cheng had predicted Agent Luo's shot, controlling Batman to act just before he pulled the trigger. The instant the bullet hit, Batman landed in place, delivering a sideways punch at Li Changcheng.
Although he didn't know what strange ability Li Changcheng used to block the shotgun blast, the firepower would surely distract him. With the armor's speed boost, it would be impossible for a normal person to react in time to this punch.
Bang.
It sounded like metal hitting metal.
Batman's punch was halted.
It was that weird substance again. It seeped through his body like liquid yet was as indestructible as steel. Batman's fist struck the barrier, and the power structure of the gauntlet hissed and buzzed but couldn't breach the defense.
In the next second, a lightning-fast mark suddenly appeared above the opponent's head. The bright red indicator signaled that parrying was impossible; only defense was an option. Even with Batman's sixfold accelerated reaction time, the opportunity was fleeting.
Chu Cheng's hand speed exploded, and Batman swiftly retreated. The leg armor activated, channeling power from the boots, propelling Batman backward.
Almost the instant he pulled away, a pitch-black barb shot out from the curved baffle. As it lunged forward, a piercing gust of wind followed, and Batman narrowly dodged it.