Dragons begin with courage

Chu Zihang's words were like a stone thrown into a seemingly calm but actually turbulent stagnant pool, creating not splashes, but silent yet violently spreading ripples.

Lu Mingfei was stunned. This reversal... came so suddenly, yet seemed perfectly natural under Chu Zihang's cold, unwavering certainty. It turned out that his senior brother's decisive action to eliminate the "Viper" members wasn't out of chivalry or sympathy, but because in that split second of judgment, those who truly needed to be "controlled" and "examined" were precisely this group of seemingly weak and helpless "prey"! Those gangsters swaggering around with guns were nothing more than dwarfs who had stumbled into a giant's garden in the face of the hybrid's power; the real danger lay hidden beneath the sheep's clothing.

Not far away, Juliet, who was preparing to inject the Truth Potion into the bald leader, froze instantly, the needle tip hovering in mid-air. Susie reacted even faster, seemingly casually shifting two steps to the side, forming a subtle pincer movement with Chu Zihang, blocking any possible escape routes for the "immigrants." Her fingers had already quietly touched the hilt of the throwing knife at her waist.

"It has the scent of blood!" — To the members of the Kassel Executive Department, this sentence was nothing short of the clearest battle alarm.

Lu Mingfei frowned and silently retreated behind his senior brother.

Those "illegal immigrants" who had been wailing, kneeling, and weeping with gratitude suddenly froze their sorrow and fear like cheap paint, and then began to peel away. The air suddenly became thick and heavy, and an indescribable aura quietly emanated from a few of them.

The middle-aged man, whose gaze was fixed on Chu Zihang, slowly raised his head. His eyes, which had previously been filled with weariness and fear, were now unusually calm, even carrying a sharpness that was almost indifferent.

"Heh..." The man chuckled softly, his voice hoarse but devoid of any weakness. "As expected of someone who also possesses divine gifts. We thought we disguised ourselves quite well; even those fools, 'Viper,' didn't notice."

"God?" Lu Mingfei murmured repeatedly, the word coming from the other person's mouth with an unsettling fanaticism and certainty.

The middle-aged man—perhaps now he should be called the leader—slowly straightened up. His previously deliberately hunched and cowering posture, maintained as a disguise, was like a shed snakeskin, revealing a lean, well-proportioned, and explosively powerful physique beneath. The other four "immigrants" beside him also silently rose, their cold gazes sweeping over the Kassel team, their muscles slightly tense, like a pack of leopards poised to pounce. The women and children, who had been "protected" in the center, now quietly retreated further back, their faces no longer showing fear, only an indifferent waiting.

"That's right, God." The leader's voice rose slightly, carrying an almost preaching-like piety. He opened his arms as if to embrace the desolate sky. "You have granted us power beyond mortal flesh and blood, the key to unlock the shackles of evolution! You, and we, are all chosen new humans! We are of the same kind!" He pointed to the bald leader and others bound and covered in blood on the ground, his tone suddenly turning cold and filled with contempt. "And these... are nothing more than food for God."

He suddenly remembered that when he first discovered the hunting site of the "Deep Diver," among the unrecognizable charred fragments, he could vaguely see the texture and color of certain fabrics... which seemed to have a chilling resemblance to the texture of the cheap floral shirts worn by the "Viper" members on the ground.

Just then, Juliet's cold voice rang out. She didn't look at the leader, but instead fixed her gaze on the bald chieftain who was trembling with pain and fear. In flat, emotionless Spanish, translated by Norma, she asked directly, "You came to this desert not primarily for smuggling, but to find your missing companions, is that right?"

The bald leader, his teeth agape from being broken, mumbled in surprise, "You... how did you know? Our boss's brother-in-law brought a few men in to 'scout' the day before yesterday, and we haven't heard from them since..." As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake and shut his mouth in annoyance.

"Tsk." Susie let out a short, sharp click. All the odds suddenly clicked: two pickup trucks, heavy firepower, deep in this godforsaken, non-mainstream smuggling route... it wasn't transport, it was a search. Mexican gangs' transnational smuggling operations often involved quantities in the tons; how could this be such a small-scale operation?

Leo and Juliet instantly understood, their gazes towards Chu Zihang filled with indescribable surprise and admiration. From the moment they saw this group of "immigrants," to the swift subjugation of the gang, and now to his insightful revelation... the chairman had, in such a short time, seen through layers of disguise and accurately sensed the source of the greatest danger!

He had already noticed something was wrong!

"Truly worthy of being called the Tiger of the Execution Department!" Leo muttered under his breath, this time with complete admiration in his tone.

Chu Zihang remained unmoved by his companions' astonishment. His gaze remained fixed on the leader, like an icicle attempting to pierce the other's soul. After listening to the leader's theory of "chosen new humans," not even the slightest ripple appeared on his face. He simply spoke clearly through Norma's translation channel in a calm tone that could freeze the air:

"You're mistaken. First, I am not of the same kind as you. Second," his golden eyes narrowed slightly, as if conducting some kind of precise scan, "you, and most of your companions, have been deeply tainted by dragon blood, your genetic chains are collapsing. You... are about to die."

Norma's translation was precise and cold. The leader and the men around him instantly changed their expressions; beneath their feigned piety and fanaticism, a trace of panic, as if their deepest fear had been touched, flashed uncontrollably.

"Nonsense!" The strongest and fierce-looking young man next to the leader was the first to erupt. He roared and could no longer hold back!

"Bang!"

A small crater suddenly appeared in the sand beneath his feet! The young man's figure shot out like a cannonball, his initial speed exceeding the limits of human vision, even leaving afterimages! Even a 100-meter sprinter would appear clumsy in his presence. His right fist clenched tightly, the knuckles cracking like popping beans, carrying a brute force that slammed straight at Chu Zihang's face like a warhammer! The force of his punch even pushed aside the sand in its path!

This strike had already surpassed the scope of ordinary human combat experts, carrying obvious, abnormally enhanced physical strength.

However, faced with this thunderous blow, Chu Zihang didn't even move the Murasame behind him. He simply stood still, and just as the fist was about to touch his nose, he raised his right hand seemingly casually—the movement was not fast, but it was as precise as if it had been practiced a million times—his five fingers spread out, steadily and gently gripping the other's wrist.

"How is this possible?!" someone among the immigrants exclaimed in shock. "Oss's strength is second only to the boss! After receiving 'Divine Grace,' he can flip a car with his bare hands! How could he have been caught like that?!"

The anticipated scene of a bone fracture and the opponent flying backward did not occur. Chu Zihang's arm remained completely still, as if he had caught not a heavy punch, but a falling feather.