Chapter 173
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Chapter 173: Everything is Normal!
The word "should" was used quite cleverly.
Although extraordinary beasts would occasionally attack the northern part of Hope City, they usually came in the form of a beast tide, and it had never been the case that only two or three kittens appeared.
Everyone’s attention was drawn as they all turned their gaze toward the large screen ahead.
Indeed, at the edge of the cameras’ view, a small line of pixelated figures was trembling.
“Signal the city walls, enhance defenses, and prepare to retrieve the exploration team.”
“Received!”
As the command was issued, the city defense army on the northern wall quickly sprang into action, with both visible and concealed weapons aimed outside the city.
As the figures drew closer, those in the command room could discern that there were five individuals.
Nian, tall and striking, walked in the center of the team and was easily recognizable.
“Report, the number of individuals has been confirmed, and there are no obvious abnormalities in their posture.”
New information was reported, and several high-ranking officials fell into a brief silence, pondering a question:
Should they announce this to the citizens of the city?
This matter wasn’t entirely without risk, but promoting it was part of the Exploration Plan.
“Continue to observe. If there are no obvious irregularities when they are two kilometers from the city wall, let the broadcast station announce it to the entire city. They must have prepared an announcement for such a significant event.”
After careful deliberation, the high-ranking officials eventually reached a consensus.
Five minutes later, the exploration team was confirmed for the third time to show no obvious irregularities.
Inside Hope City, at a time when most were about to drift into sleep, an electrifying message echoed through all active broadcasts.
Like a boulder thrown into a still pond, those in the joint command center could almost feel the surging waves of emotion rippling through the city.
The announcement was broadcast three times in a row, and many people had already left their homes after the first broadcast, rushing toward the northern city gate.
As for those living in other districts or even the inner city, while they couldn’t reach the scene due to the size of Hope City and the nighttime closure of the city gates, they still excitedly tossed and turned in their beds.
The pressure of life might be heavy, but having hope was always a good thing.
At least, if the exploration team could continue to succeed, they wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked by extraordinary beasts in the dead of night.
Twenty minutes later, the electric lift delivered the five-member team, whose identities had been confirmed and who were clear-headed, to the top of the city wall.
At this moment, the area outside the military camp beneath the wall was densely packed with people.
Watching this scene, even the city defense army felt a sense of pride, and the weathered faces of the five-member team broke into smiles. They looked down and politely waved their right hands.
A cheer erupted from the crowd below.
For the accelerated education system in Hope City, many people didn’t fully grasp the significance of sampling or analysis.
But the broadcasts intentionally downplayed this aspect, leading most to believe that simply venturing into such a dangerous place and returning was already a success.
The cheers continued for over ten minutes until the five-member team disappeared from sight atop the city wall, led by relevant personnel.
They might still have been hoping to see the superpowered individuals descend and leave through the main gate of the military camp, giving them a chance to see them up close.
But anyone capable of independent thought knew that this was impossible.
The five individuals were about to undergo a straightforward process: isolation, separate interrogations, and repeated questioning, much like captured criminals.
They had mentally prepared for this before leaving the city, and Hope City had not concealed this plan either.
Only when their testimonies were flawless and matched the recorded files would they truly be recognized as heroes.
Everything appeared methodical, but in reality, no one had ever implemented this system. The reason was simple: this system, established twenty years ago, had never been put to use.
Because Nian team was the very first group to return from the outside world.
The moment the five disappeared from the city wall, electromagnetic shackles were already clamped onto their wrists and ankles.
With their abilities, each of them had ways to escape.
Yet they accepted everything, as if to prove their loyalty to Hope City.
Below the city wall, the crowd began to disperse slowly under the guidance of the Public Security Team.
Most people gradually left, but a slightly plump and sturdy young man in the front row still stared blankly at the empty city wall.
“It’s really nice,” he murmured to himself.
“Alright, alright, time to go, come back next time,” said a peace officer, who had seen this many times before, as he approached the reluctant young man with a hint of impatience.
Luke seemed to snap out of his reverie and turned to smile politely at the officer.
The officer was taken aback, as he rarely encountered someone so polite, and his expression softened a bit as he revealed his gentler side.
Just then, a “beep beep beep” sound came from Luke’s waist.
He quickly pulled out the team’s communicator and pressed the answer button.
The officer suddenly understood, no wonder he was so polite; it turned out he was a staff member from the inner city.
Having stepped into seniority, the officer had good experience and knew that someone who could carry a communicator was no ordinary person.
As he examined Luke from head to toe, an odd thought arose in the old officer’s mind:
With a good status, youth, and, most importantly, politeness… If only such a young man could meet my daughter, wouldn’t that be…
Just as he began to envision a picture of Luke in his mind, a nearly expletive-laden curse reached his ears:
“Six days! Six days and he strikes again! Is our database a damn public restroom?
“Coming and going as he pleases! Don’t you know better than anyone who needs to be dealt with for the ‘Heart Snatcher’?!
“Stay on site for investigation; I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
In the officer’s stunned silence, the polite young man ended the call, quickly suppressing his anger, nodded toward him, and walked away.
As the old officer watched the young man’s back, he thought aloud,
“A bit of a temper isn’t a bad thing either.”
—
“Explain.”
“Captain, it’s like this… We were keeping a close watch, but half an hour ago, the broadcast suddenly went off, and the situation outside was indeed rare, so everyone listened for a while…”
“Only to find out the target was already dead, right?”
“…Yes.”
“You all seem to be quite concerned about news from outside the city.”
“…”
