342, June 9, 3:00 AM.
In the darkness, Tang Li's eyes suddenly snapped open.
Living in the apocalypse for two years after order collapsed had ingrained such vigilance in her.
If anyone got close, even in her sleep, she could awaken instantly and react.
Although the nearly one year since her rebirth had been relatively peaceful, she hadn't let her guard down.
Because she knew that in the apocalypse, a moment of laxity could cost her life.
In the quiet night, she keenly heard footsteps in the stairwell outside.
Tang Li quickly got up, directly retrieving the mechanical exoskeleton she had already put on from her spatial dimension. She then tiptoed to Tang Guo's room, telling her to prepare.
Following that, she flipped out the window.
Outside the villa, all the dark figures had entered the stairwell.
Tang Li pressed herself against the wall, descending to the first floor.
Reaching the door of the stairwell, she let down the barrier she had never lowered.
Then, with a "snap," she turned on the stairwell lights.
Instantly, the stairwell revealed ten stealthy figures.
Some were quietly ascending, others were lined up against the wall, and one was using a tool to pick the lock of the balcony buffer room door.
The sudden bright light left them all bewildered.
Before they could react, they saw a figure charging up.
Next, it was time to close the door and beat the dog.
A moment later...
Inside the buffer room, bodies were piled on the floor.
Apart from one who was shot dead by Tang Guo upstairs, the rest had committed suicide by poison.
These individuals were far more capable than those who had previously tracked and monitored Tang Li.
Not only were they agile, but they were also wearing mechanical exoskeletons.
However, the mechanical exoskeletons they wore were different from Tang Li's.
Song Pinxuan had said he wouldn't make mechanical exoskeletons for people from Country R.
Therefore, their mechanical exoskeletons must not have come from Song Pinxuan.
Furthermore, though they were agile and seemed to have learned Country R martial arts similar to Guo Shu, Tang Li felt their movements were somewhat stiff, even rigid when attacking, allowing her to easily take them down.
After studying their bodies, Tang Li discovered that the brain-computer interfaces they wore were different from those of Country Z.
Country Z's brain-computer interfaces were non-invasive. They could receive brainwaves from outside the human brain to control machines, consuming significant mental energy.
The ones on their heads were invasive brain-computer interfaces, directly inserted into the skull.
Moreover, their bodies were not particularly strong, certainly not comparable to her senior martial brothers, indicating they hadn't practiced Country R martial arts similar to Guo Shu from childhood.
Unfortunately, they were all dead now.
Otherwise, Tang Li would have genuinely liked to ask the questions lingering in her mind.
This time, Tang Li did not prevent them from committing suicide by poison, thus leaving no survivors.
Looking at the pile of bodies, Tang Guo asked, "Lili, what now? Should we report it?"
Tang Li shook her head and said, "No need. Just pretend nothing happened tonight, and that you were asleep in your room the whole time."
Tang Guo nodded upon hearing this.
The live captive sent to the security department last time had yielded no news yet.
She figured that within the official ranks, members of the Holy Light Organization had intervened and suppressed the case.
Even if she had left a survivor and handed them over to the authorities, it would have been useless.
"You go back to sleep. I'll handle this."
Hearing Tang Li's words, Tang Guo didn't ask further and did as she was told.
After Tang Guo returned to her room, Tang Li collected all the bodies into her spatial dimension and then, under the cover of night, left the villa.
Not sensing anyone noticing her, Tang Li found an secluded spot, changed into the disguise of a fierce man, and drove the car she had previously confiscated from the Country R individuals into her spatial dimension, heading towards the military research institute at Jiangcheng Shelter No. 6.
She didn't go directly inside the military research institute.
Outside Song Pinxuan's laboratory, she replicated nine bodies and dumped them there.
Only the one shot by Tang Guo was excluded, as she feared the wound might reveal clues.
Afterward, Tang Li returned home to continue sleeping.
"Since the authorities aren't dealing with the Holy Light Organization, let's see if the military reacts."
Anyone who knew how Tang Li dealt with the Dai father and son in City A would recognize that what Tang Li did tonight was just a change of packaging for the same old trick.
The next morning, Tang Li was woken up by Tang Guo.
It turned out that several security personnel had come to Tang Li's home.
"Miss Tang, we received a report that several foreign nationals from Country R have gone missing from your residence..."
Tang Li looked at the security personnel speaking to her, then glanced at Tang Guo. Seeing that her expression was normal, she knew she hadn't exposed last night's events.
Hearing the security personnel's words, she furrowed her brow and asked Tang Guo:
"Sister Guo Guo, missing people from Country R... this excuse, why does it sound so familiar?"