Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 113: Chapter 94: After All, I’m Not a Devil

But no one expected that upon arrival, Li Chang’an would immediately act like he owned the place, walking right up to the director of the NCPD headquarters in full view of everyone and demanding he give up his seat.

Mills looked at the arrogant young man before him, who acted as if the law meant nothing.

Although Mills inwardly wanted nothing more than to tear him to pieces, he still managed a smile. “Today is Little Charles’s inauguration ceremony,” he said. “It probably isn’t appropriate for me to be sitting here. As it happens, I have some other business to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave!”

With that, he rose to his feet, ready to depart.

As the director of the NCPD headquarters, if Mills actually left, this so-called “celebration” would effectively be over. No one would dare try to curry favor with Li Chang’an in his absence.

In other words, Li Chang’an could forget about making any connections.

This was Mills’s silent retort to Li Chang’an’s insolent and overbearing behavior.

He had to show this “parachuted-in” upstart, Li Chang’an, who really called the shots at the NCPD. Otherwise, he’d never be able to face his subordinates again.

Just as he was about to storm out and give Li Chang’an a silent display of dominance…

Li Chang’an, who had already taken the sole seat of honor in the conference room, said with a smirk, “Director Mills, did I say you could leave?”

The moment he said that…

The atmosphere in the room was no longer just cold; it was becoming palpably hostile.

Even the bodyguards behind Li Chang’an tensed up, sweat beading on their foreheads. ’This young master we’re stuck with is really courting death. Keeping him safe is going to be a nightmare!’

Mills ignored the threat and walked straight to the door, only stopping once he reached it.

He turned his head to glance at Li Chang’an, the fake smile gone from his face. “Lord Charles gave the order,” he said coldly. “Little Charles is to report to the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team. This is NCPD headquarters, not their base. If you have a temper, go vent it on that pack of cyber-psychos and Extraordinary monsters. Pardon me for not playing along!”

He had originally planned to get on good terms with Li Chang’an, the future heir of the Empire.

Even if only for appearances.

But clearly, Li Chang’an’s disrespect had thoroughly infuriated Mills, to the point where he was no longer willing to feign even superficial cordiality.

Li Chang’an showed no reaction, merely watching Mills with a detached gaze.

As Mills pulled the door open and stepped one foot out, Li Chang’an, who had been sitting motionless, suddenly vanished.

When he reappeared, the foot Mills had extended beyond the threshold of the conference room was no longer attached to his body.

The sever was clean, without a single drop of blood.

Looking at Mills, his face streaming with cold sweat from a mixture of pain and terror, Li Chang’an said flatly, “Go on. Try taking another step.”

Feeling Li Chang’an’s aura, a chill that seemed to seep into his very bones…

Mills’s teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

As the NCPD Governor, Mills hadn’t exactly worked his way up from the bottom, but he had participated in his share of pursuits involving gang members and cyber-psychos in his younger days.

But neither the most vicious gang members nor the most frenzied cyber-psychos had ever terrified Mills like this.

Yet now, Li Chang’an had done so effortlessly.

His lips trembled. Hobbling back two steps on his now-empty leg, Mills returned to his chair in the conference room without a word.

With today’s technology, a severed leg was a minor problem.

It could easily be replaced with a metal prosthetic or restored with nanomolecular surgery.

But his life was the one thing he couldn’t afford to lose.

Seeing that he had finally learned his place, Li Chang’an was satisfied. He returned to the head of the table and sat down. “Hello, everyone,” he began coolly. “I assume I don’t need to introduce myself again?”

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one dared to cross Li Chang’an now.

Li Chang’an’s movements had been so fast that many of the high-ranking NCPD officials’ nervous systems hadn’t even been able to register them. They had to rely on their internal cranial systems to analyze his trajectory.

Without a doubt, this young master of the Yunxiao Group was not just a Transcendent, but a terrifyingly powerful one.

This was the first conclusion everyone came to after snapping out of their shock.

In recent years, it wasn’t all that rare for members of society’s upper echelon to inject themselves with Extraordinary Potions and become Transcendents to maintain their competitive edge.

In fact, quite a few police officials in this very room wielded Extraordinary Power!

The only thing that made them all feel like they were seeing a ghost was this—according to the estimates from their cranial implants, the power Li Chang’an had just displayed was approaching the Extraordinary Third Tier!

A Third-rank Transcendent…

’How did he do it at such a young age?’

’Does he have a death wish?’

The growth of Extraordinary Power was a multifaceted process, tied not only to age, but also to one’s genetic, physical, and mental fortitude.

The more powerful the Transcendent, the greater the strain on their body, mind, and genetic code.

In other words, being Extraordinary was both a gift from the heavens and a curse.

Countless Transcendents had met with disaster during their evolution, either dissolving into a puddle of sludge or going on a rampage like a crazed devil.

Those who made it to the end were monsters among monsters.

And without a doubt, in their eyes, Li Chang’an was one of those monsters.

No wonder Richard had sent him to the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team. Given the power Li Chang’an had just shown, a place like that was probably the only place he’d find his peers.

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Chang’an nodded in satisfaction and continued, “Since we’re all familiar with each other, I’ll get straight to the point…”

“Night City is too chaotic. It’s endlessly noisy every night. I can hear explosions even from the roof of my company’s building. So, to make Night City a little quieter, to stop hearing explosions from the streets and alleys of every district when I’m trying to sleep, I’m preparing to expand the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team. I’m going to increase its number of members tenfold…”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the NCPD officials, their expressions growing more and more colorful. A smile touched his lips. “I’m done. Who agrees? Who objects? If you object, you can raise your hand. If you don’t, I’ll take it as a ’yes’ from everyone.”

Hearing Li Chang’an’s words.

The officials present desperately wanted to remain silent.

After all, Li Chang’an was ruthless enough to chop off Director Mills’s foot just because he felt like it.

They couldn’t afford to offend him, not with his family background or his power.

But the matter at hand was simply too important for them to stay quiet.

In the eerie silence.

Someone finally gritted their teeth, stood up, and forced themselves to speak. “Lord Little Charles, your intention to bring order to Night City is good, but expanding the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team is out of the question…”

At this, Li Chang’an’s eyes narrowed. He looked at the female officer who had dared to stand and speak. “What’s your name?” he asked.

The female officer’s adrenaline was pumping.

But she didn’t shrink from Li Chang’an’s gaze. Instead, she spoke resolutely. “My name is Regina Jones. If you plan to have me thrown out of the NCPD, Lord Little Charles, you don’t need to ask my name. I’m just a nobody, and plenty of people would be happy to do your bidding!”

“But even so, as long as I am still part of the NCPD, I must stand up and object to your decision!”

Hearing this, Li Chang’an actually grew interested.

He settled back into his chair, looking at her expectantly. “Then please, state your reasons. I’m not some kind of devil, after all.”

Seeing him settle back into his chair, the oppressive, bone-chilling aura around him receding slightly, the female officer who called herself Regina let out a heavy sigh of relief.

To be honest, when Li Chang’an’s gaze had fallen on her, she’d felt as if she were facing Death itself. For a moment, she had been certain she was about to die.

…