The Golden-Haired Youth was utterly bewildered. He had initially planned to create four clones, sending five figures racing in different directions. He thought, "Those three can't possibly keep up with me. Escaping should be a piece of cake!"
But as he fled, people kept popping out from around corners, and ordinary-looking bystanders would suddenly charge out from the roadside to attack him.
If he hadn't learned his lesson the first time, he would have been caught off guard again. This time, he remained constantly vigilant, scanning his surroundings.
Even so, several surprise attacks came so close that he barely dodged the attackers' fists and kicks by a hair's breadth.
As the chase wore on, the initial five runners and three pursuers gradually transformed into five fugitives being chased by fifteen pursuers. What started as five people evading three evolved into an average of three pursuers for every fleeing target.
"Wait a minute," the Golden-Haired Youth thought. "Where did the Dragon Nation get so many Evolvers? Even if our intel was leaked, there's no way this many people would be mobilized to corner me! This doesn't make any sense!"
Meanwhile, in the Robin's Fan Club group chat, the Evolvers were also venting their frustration:
"Damn it, how is this guy so fast?"
"He's slippery as an eel, and his reflexes are insane!"
"Shit, I almost had him!"
It's worth noting that the person who shouted the last line had ambushed the Golden-Haired Youth from the roadside. The youth reacted instantly, causing the attacker to misjudge his grip and accidentally grab the leg of his pants instead of his arm.
In a real fight, there's no "clothes never tear" setting. So, with a loud rip, the pant leg tore clean off.
Then, Lü Heng witnessed the scene: a pervert fleeing ahead, three people chasing after him.
Though unclear on the situation, as a citizen of the Dragon Nation, Lü Heng instinctively sided with the three pursuers. After a moment of stunned observation, he resolutely joined the chase, only to quickly realize... he couldn't catch anyone.
Whether it was the fleeing pervert or the three Dragon Nation citizens in pursuit, Lü Heng found himself falling further behind. Despite being an Evolver himself, his speed was noticeably inferior to both parties.
Left with no other choice, Lü Heng continued the chase, pulling out his phone to notify the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations and request backup.
Yu Lin, who was attending Robin's concert at the stadium, received the notification first. Robin was currently performing her third song, and the crowd's energy was reaching fever pitch. Yu Lin held her light stick aloft with one hand and glanced at her phone with the other.
However, Yu Lin's orders weren't to join Lü Heng in the pursuit. Instead, she was instructed to remain at the concert and carefully monitor for any potential incidents.
Upon learning of Lü Heng's situation, Zhong Wanhong immediately suspected that Robin was the foreigner's target. Given the timing and his presence near the concert, this seemed the most likely scenario. The question remained: what exactly was the foreigner's motive?
Zhong Wanhong, who had been watching the concert's live stream at the Bureau, reluctantly turned it off. He gathered some equipment from the armory, called for Artyom, and drove toward the concert venue.
Inside the stadium, Robin launched into her fourth song, a vibrant and passionate anthem.
Outside, the Golden-Haired Youth gritted his teeth and fled in a straight line.
Inside the concert hall, Robin sang her fifth song, a warm and soothing melody.
Outside, the Golden-Haired Youth burst into a nearby shopping mall, seeking temporary refuge and seizing the opportunity to regain his strength.
By the time Robin began her eighth song, the Golden-Haired Youth had been spotted again. Forced to use his ability once more, he created five illusory clones that scattered in different directions.
As the eighth song concluded, Robin took a brief intermission. Microphone in hand, she chatted casually with the audience while Zhong Wanhong and Artyom arrived and meticulously planned their encirclement strategy.
After the ninth song, Zhong Wanhong somehow contacted members of Robin's Fan Club and temporarily assumed command of the operation, initiating the encirclement.
By the end of the tenth song, the Golden-Haired Youth's escape routes were dwindling.
During the twelfth song, all four of his illusory clones had been destroyed, and his true form was locked onto.
As the fourteenth song ended, Zhong Wanhong raised his pistol, aimed at the fleeing youth, and fired a preemptive shot. With a soft pop, the blue bullet struck the youth's right leg with pinpoint accuracy.
The 5.56 Ice Burst Bullet took effect almost instantly, encasing the Golden-Haired Youth in a thick layer of frost. His movements slowed drastically, and he shivered uncontrollably in the extreme cold.
Artyom set up his sniper rifle at a nearby vantage point, scanning the surroundings for potential reinforcements. Meanwhile, Zhong Wanhong and the members of Robin's Fan Club swarmed around the Golden-Haired Youth.
The once-handsome foreign man now looked utterly disheveled. Zhong Wanhong cut straight to the chase: "You illegally infiltrated the Dragon Nation. What was your purpose?"
Hadn't Lü Heng meticulously documented every foreign national entering the country? The Golden-Haired Youth's declared identity upon arrival was undoubtedly that of an ordinary citizen.
In this world, every nation had a clear law: an Evolver from one country seeking entry into another must declare their status. While they weren't required to disclose the nature of their abilities, they were obligated to reveal their Evolver identity. Deliberately concealing their true nature to infiltrate another country was a grave violation of international law.
"My purpose... cough, cough, cough, my purpose was simply this..." Despite being captured, the golden-haired youth showed no remorse, only a grin.
From the very beginning, his goal hadn't been to attack Robin or disrupt the concert. All he wanted was to create chaos and distract the local Bureau of Anomalous Investigations.
This explained why he had immediately resorted to violence after exchanging heated words with the Evolver Worker upon first meeting him. While his inherent arrogance and disdain for ordinary people played a role, the primary reason was that conflict itself was his goal.
If the golden-haired youth were truly a spy, why would he draw so much attention to himself? Wouldn't a covert operative strive to minimize their presence and operate discreetly?
At that moment, a figure approached the entrance of the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations.
"Who's there?!" Bai Yuanju, the only staff member left guarding the building, frowned at the foreigner who strode in unannounced. A growing sense of unease washed over her.