The New Federation border, which hadn’t fully calmed down, was once again shrouded in war clouds.
Had they not directly gone to war already?
Why was the Empire being so soft?
Was it because there wasn’t substantial evidence proving this was the New Federation’s doing?
After a busy day, Yang Ming sat on the curb to take a break, thinking about how to deal with the New Federation.
A series of news stories flashed across the network terminal in his hand, and two police drones flew overhead.
Order had been restored around him, and Yang Ming would soon return to the hotel to rest.
"Do you need help, detective?"
A familiar voice suddenly called out beside him.
Yang Ming looked up and saw the iconic Golden Mask, immediately feeling relieved.
Catherine got off the floating skateboard and sat on its edge, patting the spot beside her.
"Take a break here. I saw you several times during the disaster relief, either helping carry things or volunteering to deliver water and food. You always find something to do in chaotic places."
"As an ordinary person, that’s all I can do," Yang Ming said, patting his backside and running next to the skateboard, deftly jumping up with Catherine, both feet dangling.
Their four feet started to sway back and forth.
A police car passed by, noticed the emblem on the floating skateboard, and didn’t dare to come over to check their identification.
"Was the casualty count high?" Yang Ming asked.
Catherine replied, "Preliminary statistics show 3,672 dead, mostly due to stampede incidents, and over 60,000 injured. Luckily, White Ghost appeared in time to prevent a massive stampede; otherwise, with the crowds on the street at that time, the death toll would have been astonishing."
Yang Ming frowned and nodded.
Catherine took a bag of nutrient fluid from her coat pocket and handed it to Yang Ming, who twisted it open, took a sip, and muttered, "Why does it taste so weird?"
"This is the emergency food we use during training to replenish energy."
Yang Ming asked, "Is Bryant’s singing his value? I heard it and felt at peace. It’s hard to imagine he could sing like that."
"Mm," Catherine shrugged slightly, "He has more uses; that’s why he’s still alive. The higher-ups were very satisfied with his performance this time. Of course, when it comes to rewarding him, they won’t give too much but will indulge him more in the future."
Yang Ming sighed, "I still think he’s an angel."
Catherine’s smile suddenly turned into a sneer.
A news van with a "Speed 101" logo appeared in the front left. The four engine rings on its chassis decelerated simultaneously.
The news van had barely come to a stop when the door was yanked open. A swarm of blonde, blue-eyed women rushed out, wearing high heels, heading toward Yang Ming and Catherine, with a few photographers and makeup artists chasing behind.
Catherine frowned, "How did they find us?"
"Are they looking for you?"
"You know, some news media are always troublesome. They always come after me for all kinds of insider information... I’ll hide for a bit, and we can chat later. I might need to be stationed here for a while."
"Okay, you go first. Don’t let them corner you."
Yang Ming jumped off the floating skateboard, waving goodbye to Catherine.
Catherine did a beautiful backflip, landing steadily in the middle of the skateboard, giving Yang Ming a cool wave, and then quickly ascended on the skateboard.
Yang Ming stuffed his hands back into his pants pockets, thinking about hitching a ride on a police car back to the hotel, as all public transport was suspended...
One of the blonde, blue-eyed women suddenly shouted and grabbed Yang Ming’s arm.
Yang Ming was somewhat taken aback; he turned to look at her, "What’s up?"
The reporter girl displayed a projection screen, showing several photos.
Yang Ming’s figure appeared on a large screen outside the park, calling for panicked people to head to the open park area to take shelter.
"That’s me," Yang Ming felt a bit puzzled inside. Why hadn’t Lyu handled this information?
Such a big oversight from Lyu wasn’t supposed to happen.
Sure enough, two lines of text prompts suddenly flashed across Yang Ming’s glasses, and he immediately felt assured.
The reporter girl cheered, and the makeup artist and photographer rushed over, surrounding Yang Ming with several floating filming balls.
"Can we interview you?"
The reporter girl asked quickly,
"Everyone’s feeling quite down right now. Your story might encourage the public to face this terror attack positively! Sir, this would be really beneficial, and we can also provide you with a fee."
Yang Ming nodded somewhat shyly, "I can try, but I’m not very photogenic."
"Oh, that’s not a problem at all! You look great! We’re not live-streaming; it will be slightly edited before release and will be broadcast in tonight’s news special."
"What were you thinking at the time, using this method to alert the public?"
The questioning began?
"At the time, I had just left the park and saw the people on the street running in chaos, and explosions were sounding in the distance... We’ve all learned these basics: if massive panic occurs, crowd chaos can be terrifying. So I shouted desperately, but there’s a limit to a human’s voice. Then I suddenly saw an advertising billboard with a quick link for park screen casting. It’s often used for declarations; I connected it with my network terminal and spent some money..."
Yang Ming showed his debit statement, with time, place, and duration perfectly matching.
The female reporter started asking what Yang Ming was doing in the park, and Yang Ming honestly said he was a detective helping the security forces identify suspicious individuals.