Chapter Eighty-Six: Disorder

After leaving the factory, they returned to meet up with Annie and the others. Along the way, the others had already contacted the mayor and the rest, and vehicles were being dispatched to pick everyone up.

At the same time, Xiao Yang and the others were discussing how to place the rescued aliens.

This was, in fact, an obvious issue waiting to surface. Most people were still unfamiliar with extraterrestrials, and with the invasion of the Punishment Tribe, ordinary folk could not help but feel some resistance toward nonhuman races.

Xiao Yang had no choice but to think about it in advance. Annie smiled when she heard this and said, "What's the problem? The mayor is easy to talk to. Just give him a heads-up. Everyone is here to help, so there’s no reason to shut them out."

Wu Jue, however, had some experience with such matters. He shook his head and said, "Better be prepared. I’ve seen something like this before. Back when we rose against the Qing Dynasty, some alien heroes joined us, and yet many of our brothers questioned them. There’s a terrible saying: those who are not of our kind must have different hearts."

He did not speak loudly, and not many heard it, but for Annie and the others, the words carried a weight they could not ignore.

While they were talking, the mayor had already arrived with the special police team. He got out first and greeted everyone warmly. "My goodness, you’ve all worked so hard. Something this big should have been reported sooner so we could come help. These are the alien survivors? My goodness, you’ve suffered, you’ve suffered. Hurry, get in the cars."

He then arranged for the dozen or so people to board two vans. Strangely, however, he separately led Annie, Xiao Yang, and Wu Jue into his own car, making the atmosphere a little awkward.

Annie immediately asked, "Mayor, are we causing you any inconvenience by doing this?"

The mayor smiled. "No, no. It’s just that arranging places for these friends has caused a few small issues. I don’t know what preferences they have, or whether they have any special requirements for where they live."

Xiao Yang said, "Mayor, you’re planning to separate them, aren’t you? Actually, that’s fine. After all, they’re special people and somewhat different from us humans. To avoid causing a disturbance, it’s better to arrange separate accommodations."

The mayor clapped his hands. "Exactly, Mr. Xiao understands. I have to consider the feelings of the public. As you know, the environment is bad these days, with zombies and monsters everywhere. People inevitably feel frightened. For the harmony of City C, it’s better to be careful."

When Wu Jue heard this, he could not help but laugh. He only said, "Then where do you plan to place them?"

The mayor smiled. "In the western suburb, there’s a block of vacant houses. The environment there is unique, and it faces the largest wild botanical garden in our city. The atmosphere is very nice. I think it would suit them well. What do you think?"

Wu Jue and Xiao Yang did not say much upon hearing this, but Annie was anxious. "The western suburb? Isn’t that where the monsters invaded before? The people there no longer live in that area, and you want to send them there? How can that be, Mayor?"

She said this directly in front of everyone in the car, leaving the mayor in an awkward position. He could not help clearing his throat and saying, "Xiao Yi, don’t get excited. When things are arranged, there are always a few unsatisfactory points, but we have to weigh the pros and cons. You all do great things, so you don’t understand the troubles of these everyday matters, so..."

Before he could finish, Xiao Yang cut in. "In that case, we have nothing more to say. But I have a friend among them too. He’s an ordinary human. Could he stay with us?"

"Well..." the mayor had not yet answered when the driver in the front seat spoke up. "You’re being far too aggressive. No matter what, our mayor is patiently helping you clean up your mess. Do you know how much resentment the citizens have because of the huge trouble you’ve caused? When we came just now, people had already surrounded our cars. They won’t agree to let you bring more people in. The mayor is only trying to give you a way out, so don’t be so ungrateful..."

Before he finished, Annie suddenly and angrily grabbed the car door and shouted, "Stop the car. I’m getting out! If the people are being sent to the western suburb, then I’m going too."

The driver was forced to stop the car. In a fit of pique, he even deliberately opened the door. "Go ahead. Don’t think too highly of yourself. The world won’t stop turning because someone is missing."

It seemed this driver was someone with real standing beside the mayor, otherwise he would not have spoken so arrogantly. Seeing this, Wu Jue and Xiao Yang got out of the car as well.

The two of them said, "If that’s the case, then we may as well choose to share hardship and fortune with our friends."

The mayor, however, was visibly anxious. He got out after them and said, "Look at how this sounds. It’s all a misunderstanding. In truth, everyone is trying to do what’s best for the group, but some things can’t help being less than ideal."

Xiao Yang could actually see that the mayor was a good and decent man, only surrounded by people who whispered in his ear. In troubled times, there were always moments when one could not act entirely as one wished.

So he smiled and said, "Mayor, you don’t need to worry too much. We’re all used to staying with our friends, and besides, if you’re placing them in the western suburb, someone will have to take care of them, won’t they?"

While the two sides were talking, a clamor suddenly rose ahead. Then a special police officer shouted, "Everyone please disperse. If you keep this up, it’ll be hard for us to do our job!"

"How can you say it’s hard to do your job?" Many citizens had surrounded the first two vans and were saying, "So many aliens have come to our city. Can we just ignore them? Who is responsible for our safety? Who is thinking about the city’s future? We want to protest to the mayor. This matter cannot be handled like this."

No one had expected the news to spread so quickly. In such a short time, the entire city seemed to know about it. Wu Jue could not help glancing at the driver in the car and thought that there was something suspicious about this.

The man opened the door and got out, then went to stop the mayor. "Leader, please get back in the car. It’s very chaotic here, not very safe. Leave this to the subordinates to handle."

The mayor took out a handkerchief and kept wiping his sweat. He also said to Wu Jue and the others, "It’s all a misunderstanding. Please don’t let this get out of hand."

It seemed he was quite cautious of that driver. By then Xiao Yang had already understood. He stepped back beside Wu Jue and lowered his voice. "Watch my signal later and catch that guy to ask him clearly." Then he raised his voice and said, "That won’t do. Let’s stay calm and handle this properly. Annie, come back first."

Princess Annie was already stunned by the crowd of citizens. When Wu Jue called her back, she was somewhat reluctant.

Wu Jue took the initiative to escort the mayor back into the car and said, "The mayor’s safety is more important. You go first. There won’t be any trouble here."

Seeing this, the driver was rather surprised. He hurriedly started the car and said, "Well, at least you understand. Let’s leave quickly, Leader. Leave this side to the subordinates."

As he drove, he used the radio to instruct the special police: "All units, please disperse the crowd as quickly as possible. I will escort the mayor back to the municipal hall. Please coordinate along the route."

He immediately turned around and changed course back toward city hall. Along the way, he kept glancing at Wu Jue in the rearview mirror, clearly on guard against him.

Wu Jue, however, acted perfectly calm. He looked around at the scenery outside the window and made no unusual move. The other man could not help asking, "Your friends are left there. Is that okay? Aren’t you going back to meet them?"

"They can all look after themselves. There won’t be any problem," Wu Jue said indifferently. "What I’m worried about is the mayor. He may be in danger."

Taking advantage of the other man’s sneer, Wu Jue suddenly darted forward and struck a pressure point on the driver, trying to immobilize him. Yet after being hit, the man only paused for a moment and continued to press the accelerator as if nothing had happened.

At the same time, he swung a fist toward Wu Jue in counterattack. "What are you trying to do?"

Wu Jue showed him no courtesy. He unleashed the force of the Great Vajra Palm in succession, directly sending the man flying out of the car, then seized the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes as he said to the mayor, "It’s all right. Don’t come out."

As the car screeched to a stop, Wu Jue leaped out as well and looked at the monster sprawled on the ground in a mass of mangled flesh. Though bloodied and battered, it had already risen with composure. He sneered, "You’re not an ordinary person at all. Tell me, were you sent by the Punishment Tribe to infiltrate us, or are you from some other organization?"

The other man sneered back. "If you have the skill, then guess."

With a sudden lunge, his flesh turned instantly into countless sharp spikes, like a hedgehog, and he attacked Wu Jue.

Wu Jue had already drawn both pistols. He flicked his wrists and sent out a burst of bullets, each carrying tremendous explosive force, striking the man directly and erupting in a violent blast.

When the smoke cleared, the other man’s body was covered in blood and shreds of flesh, his ruined form exposed. He staggered forward, then began to mutate once more.

The End of Chapter Eighty-Six: The Riot.