Chapter 28: No One Cares About a Bomb That Isn’t a Threat
“This is the thing.”
Lu Zheng pointed at the time bomb sitting neglected on the couch. It leaned alone against the armrest, the countdown on its display still ticking away, seemingly making its last effort to emphasize its threat.
Unfortunately, judging by the two women in the room going about their business, it was clear that its last efforts were utterly futile.
Ever since being separated from Ye Qin’s body, everyone’s vigilance toward it had dropped drastically.
After all, this bomb posed no threat to the heroes present—not even to its original host, who could shield herself from the explosion using qi.
If it hadn’t been fused into Ye Qin’s body, it wouldn’t have received this much attention in the first place.
The only reason it hadn’t been reduced to ashes by Miss Qiu Yu’s spells was the hope that it might yield some clues.
Lu Zheng cast a sympathetic glance at the bomb and rolled his dice, then extended his right hand toward the staff members.
Blue, translucent shields appeared around each of the staff.
While the heroes weren’t afraid of the bomb, the staff obviously lacked their capabilities and needed proper protection.
“Try to disable it without setting it off, so we can investigate it further afterward.”
Lu Zheng pointed to the bomb and stepped back to avoid getting in the way.
The staff nodded at Lu Zheng and squatted down to begin working.
Only after they had started did Lu Zheng realize—wouldn’t it have been better to take the bomb outside to defuse it?
Sure, the Association’s rooms were reinforced with defensive formations, and a bomb like this wouldn’t leave even a scratch—but the furniture inside wasn’t protected. If the bomb exploded, cleaning up would be a nightmare.
Still lacking experience.
Usually, everyone in the Association was superhuman—bombs barely affected them—so no one really thought about how to deal with ones brought into HQ.
Lu Zheng felt a twinge of guilt.
But since the staff had already begun, he didn’t want to interrupt them. He just made a mental note to do better next time.
Of course, if possible, Lu Zheng hoped he’d never have to deal with such a thing again.
Too much hassle.
He sighed quietly and stood nearby with his hands on his hips, ready in case anything went wrong.
Fortunately, the disarmament went very smoothly. The countdown on the digital display finally dimmed.
Once the staff fully dismantled the bomb and took the remaining parts away, Lu Zheng walked over to Ye Qin.
“You alright?”
He circled her once, not spotting any obvious aftereffects.
“I’m fine.”
Ye Qin nodded.
To prove her point, she moved around a bit in front of Lu Zheng, threw a couple of punches into the air, and even did a backflip.
“Good.”
Seeing the lively Ye Qin, Lu Zheng let out a breath of relief.
At least serving Yi Ning wasn’t for nothing.
Seeing Lu Zheng’s expression, Ye Qin looked a bit uneasy.
She walked up to him, her expression slightly stiff.
She had heard from Miss Qiu Yu and Yi Ning that it was Lu Zheng who had gone all-out—kneeling even—to beg Yi Ning to come save her.
She didn’t know how to properly thank him for such a favor.
“Um... Brother Lu Zheng, thank you so much! I heard you agreed to a lot of unequal terms with Miss Yi Ning because of me. Since this happened because of me, let me share the burden with you!”
Ye Qin lowered her head and gave Lu Zheng a 90-degree bow.
Such a formal gesture made Lu Zheng feel uncomfortable.
He scratched his head awkwardly and waved her off.
“C’mon, is our relationship really that formal? And Yi Ning didn’t make any outrageous demands. I can handle it alone. You just recovered—take it easy and don’t risk any lingering effects.”
“Also, I prefer you the way you usually are. Being so solemn now just feels weird.”
Lu Zheng joked.
After calming Ye Qin down, he walked over to Miss Qiu Yu and quietly reported some updates.
“The bomb parts have already been sent to forensics, but we still need further analysis. Also, the prison just sent word—we can pick up the Freedom Alliance prisoners anytime. What’s your plan?”
Lu Zheng handed Miss Qiu Yu the blackmail letter that had come with Ye Qin, its implication clear.
The address on it could be worth investigating—should he go look into it?
Miss Qiu Yu, having finished preparing Yi Ning’s requested documents, handed them to Lu Zheng: “These are the certificates Yi Ning asked for. You can clock out a bit early today and take these to her.”
She tidied up the tools on her desk and looked up at Lu Zheng again: “I’ll head over there myself later.”
Lu Zheng looked surprised.
“I can go too.”
He volunteered.
“No need.”
Miss Qiu Yu shook her head slowly.
“The note clearly said I’m the only one to bring the prisoners. If you go, it might not draw him out.”
Seeing that Lu Zheng wanted to say more, Miss Qiu Yu continued.
“I’ve already applied for deployment authorization. You all just stay here and watch the place.”
She cast a discreet glance at Lu Zheng, a slight blush rising to her cheeks before she quickly looked away and returned to normal.
In truth, having Lu Zheng go would’ve been fine—he could easily disguise himself as her using his powers. But considering Yi Ning’s warning that the enemy might be powerful, she didn’t want Lu Zheng taking unnecessary risks.
“Oh, right.”
Miss Qiu Yu suddenly remembered Yi Ning’s instruction before leaving.
“She also asked that when you go to deliver the documents, don’t knock or ring the doorbell—just call the same number she used to call you.”
After confirming she had nothing more to add, Miss Qiu Yu stood up.
She walked over to Ye Qin, reminding her to rest well.
Then, while contacting the prison, she borrowed Lu Zheng’s car keys.
She might not do much hero work normally, but she had become D-City’s branch chief through sheer strength. No one dared pull tricks in front of her.
And now—not only had someone dared pull something right under her nose—
They did it using her best friend!
Miss Qiu Yu’s expression was ice-cold.
That bastard had better pray she never caught them.
Miss Qiu Yu left the Hero Association building, got into Lu Zheng’s car, and headed to the prison, ready to escort the requested prisoners to the designated location.