The Protest
Translator: CinderTL
---
That afternoon, Chen Feng walked out of the martial arts school and bid farewell to Lin Hao.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he could feel that Lin Hao's attitude toward him had subtly changed. Unlike before, where Lin Hao hid his feelings intentionally, there was now an unspoken sense of closeness.
TL/N: That sounds so wrong!
"Shall I give you a ride?" Lin Hao asked with a smile, gesturing toward a car in the parking lot downstairs.
It was a blue Flying Speed model, clearly more expensive than Aunt He's car.
"No need, I'll just take the bus." Chen Feng shook his head. He knew they weren't heading in the same direction, so there was no need to complicate things.
"Alright, take care then." Lin Hao nodded.
"Thanks."
After waving goodbye, Chen Feng made his way to the bus stop.
At the same time, he saw Wu Tian and Pei Yue driving by in a black jeep.
The two exchanged a brief glance through the car window, but Chen Feng didn't pay much attention. He didn't like to waste time dealing with fools.
"Those Tian Heng Society people..." Chen Feng thought to himself. He scanned the area but noticed no malicious intent. The black car tailing him was also nowhere to be seen, likely having left already.
After a moment of thought, Chen Feng glanced over as the bus arrived. He got on, scanned his card, and found an empty seat by the window.
This was the central area of Nanjiang City. Surrounding him were numerous high-rise buildings, their glass windows reflecting the setting sun, giving the scene an ocean of architecture.
Between the towering structures, shopping malls and stores were lined up, one after another. Looking up, one could see holographic projections floating outside the buildings of major brands, merging the virtual with the real.
"Technology here is far more advanced than on Earth," Chen Feng mused, remembering the discussions he overheard earlier in the martial arts school.
It seemed that muscle-enhancing liquids, life potions, and other technological items that could enhance a person's physical abilities were already available in the market. However, due to the different policies of regional councils, they hadn't been officially released in Nanjiang City. Only through small channels could people get access to them.
"However, it seems the martial arts school has similar items," he thought. "They're called secret potions, which can only be used in martial arts training..."
A trace of curiosity flickered in his eyes as he recalled Xu Dongtai, who had once lost to him. According to Lin Hao's private hints, Xu Dongtai had used a secret potion, but it was a flawed version, with only mild effects.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, a sudden halt of the bus broke his train of thought.
Beep beep beep!
"Why is there another traffic jam?"
"Look, it's happening again!"
Outside, the sound of car horns filled the air, and many passengers inside the bus raised their heads to look.
Chen Feng glanced out and quickly saw an unexpected scene.
At the intersection up ahead, below the pedestrian signal light, dozens of people had gathered, holding long banners that blocked the road, shouting loudly.
"Protest! Protest!"
"Protesting the United Earth Coalition's regulations, strongly demanding stricter gun control!"
"Protest!!!"
The words on the banner and the shouts of the crowd reached Chen Feng's ears.
It was a bit surprising—this was his first time witnessing such a public protest. The protesters, mostly young people, were joined by a few middle-aged individuals who looked disheveled, clearly struggling with life.
Immediately, traffic was completely paralyzed, and the noise of the crowd grew louder.
"I heard it's because of a recent robbery at a jewelry store, where several people were accidentally shot..."
"I heard that, too. It seems two people didn't make it, one of them was a little girl."
"Looks like stricter gun control is necessary..."
Most of the discussions seemed to support the protest, but no one was brave enough to get off the bus and join them.
Within minutes, several flying cars appeared from the high buildings, flashing red and blue lights. The vehicles, all white and gray, clearly belonged to the Safety Bureau.
Vroom!
The wind from the strong engines sent people in the crowd stumbling. Soon, tear gas canisters were thrown into the air, quickly dispersing the protesters.
"The situation is one-sided..." Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, quietly observing.
In less than ten minutes, the crowd was completely subdued by the security officers. Some fled, leaving behind the banners and chaos.
Finally, the road cleared up, and Chen Feng saw a middle-aged man being handcuffed and forced to kneel on the ground by one of the officers. That officer looked strangely familiar to him.
---
"Stay calm, don't resist!"
"Mm?" The officer, Xiang Jianjun, suddenly felt a familiar gaze. Turning his head, he noticed a figure withdrawing their attention as the bus slowly drove away.
"What's up, Captain Xiang?" a younger officer asked.
"Nothing." Xiang Jianjun shook his head, not thinking much of it.
He instead looked around at the overturned road barriers and the mess left behind by the protest.
"It's getting more chaotic..." he sighed, looking exhausted.
The young officer beside him fell silent, also feeling the pressure. The recent jewelry store robbery hadn't been solved, and another one had happened. Protests were on the rise, and cases of mutilated bodies were becoming more frequent. The pressure on the Safety Bureau was growing.
"Sigh..."
---
At the supermarket, Aunt He sighed when she saw Chen Feng.
"The machine out front has been silent all afternoon."
Chen Feng paused, realizing that the usual welcome message had not played.
"It's probably broken," he said, walking over to the cashier's desk to put on a red employee vest.
"Did Sister Liu know?" he asked.
"She knows, but the technician said he's too busy today. He'll come tomorrow."
"Oh." Chen Feng nodded with little expression.
Seeing this, Aunt He didn't linger on the topic and soon waved goodbye, driving off.
Meanwhile, Li Hongxia, having finished cleaning up and changed into her delivery uniform, walked to the cashier's desk. Standing beside her was Xu Yao, carrying a schoolbag and sporting a short bob tied in a ponytail. She wore a white T-shirt with a cartoon cat on it.
"Xiao Feng, Sister Zhang said she's on her way. I'm a bit rushed, so I'm leaving first."
"Okay, Sister Hongxia, take care."
"Goodbye, Brother Chen Feng," Xu Yao whispered, still too shy to meet his gaze.
Chen Feng smiled faintly and gently ruffled her hair.
Not long after, he watched her face turn red as she got on the electric bike, hurrying after Li Hongxia.
(End of the Chapter)
---
Read (MF) ahead on (pa treon. com/CinderTL) – Chapter 86.
Early access starts at $5. Your support keeps this going!
Subscribe & Read Nightmare Strikes FREE!! ;)
Translated 4 Series, 1.5K+ Chapters and 1.78M+ Words.