Upon thinking of the butcher, Zhou Xuan immediately thought of Prince Tuluk, the foreign prince who had come to the country with him and was now living in Wei Haihong's villa. These past few days, with his mother's affairs and the matter of Fu Yuanshan and Wei Haihe, he had completely forgotten that there was a Prince Tuluk waiting for him to protect. However, he had not heard any notification from Wei Haihong, so it seemed that nothing had happened.
However, this is in China, and it's unlikely that things will be as chaotic as they are abroad. The Butcher wouldn't be able to act without restraint. Zhou Xuan also guessed that there are only two or three people with superpowers in the Butcher's organization. He had already heard from Mao Feng that the two he encountered in England were the second or third-ranking figures. He and Mao Feng worked together to kill one and seriously injure the other. Only one of the two was left, and he no longer posed much of a threat to him. What was frightening about the Butcher's organization was that their subordinates used those superpowered bullets, which was somewhat difficult to guard against. But what was most worrying was the number one figure in the Butcher's organization, whom even Mao Feng didn't know or understand.
Zhou Xuan was particularly worried about this person. Since he had offended Butcher, Butcher would certainly not let it go. That number one person was probably not easy to deal with.
Since gaining his superpower, Zhou Xuan has hardly encountered anyone else with superpowers. He once thought he was the only one in the world with such abilities, but meeting Ma Shu shattered that notion. However, Ma Shu's abilities were not on the same level as Zhou Xuan's. Ma Shu's abilities were also quite unique. Because he read a secret in Zhou Xuan's heart, Ma Shu was able to obtain the same method as Zhou Xuan, which put Zhou Xuan in extreme danger, causing him to be separated from Fu Ying and leading to the incident with Wei Xiaoyu.
Later, he encountered Mao Feng at sea. However, Mao Feng's superpower was entirely due to his own actions. If he hadn't lured the swordfish containing the Fire Spirit out of the seabed, how could Mao Feng have obtained the Fire Spirit? Even if he had great abilities, he wouldn't have been able to obtain it. Not only could he not obtain it, he probably couldn't even find it.
The superpowers of Mao Feng and Ma Shu were basically caused by Zhou Xuan himself. The only people with superpowers who were unrelated to him were those two giant men. He almost fell into their hands. If those two were so powerful, who knows how powerful the other one with such a sharp mind would be?
Zhou Xuan was always confident in his superpowers, but after meeting those two people, he became somewhat afraid. He wasn't afraid of himself, but he was afraid that the people in Tu Zhongshou would target his family and friends. Even if he had great abilities, he couldn't protect everyone. Moreover, he had no idea what kind of person the leader in Tu Zhongshou, whom he had never met, was.
Did he acquire his superpower by chance, just like others, or is he an alien himself?
If it were someone like Ma Shu or Mao Feng, Zhou Xuan could believe they wouldn't be able to make superpowered bullets. Therefore, Zhou Xuan was certain that the leader in Tu's hands must have superpowers at the same level as himself. He didn't know if the type was the same, but it was definitely no less than his own.
Zhou Xuan learned so many supernatural abilities only after going through many hardships, having many fortuitous encounters, and gaining many insights. It wasn't something he learned all at once; it was like leveling up, where he gradually came to understand.
Where is that mysterious opponent?
Volume 1, Chapter 549
Zhou Xuan felt a headache coming on. He had always been someone who dreaded trouble and complexity, and the matter of Butcher's Hand had become a complicated and frighteningly serious issue.
The key issue is the fear and anxiety surrounding that leader. As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle." But now, the other party should be able to easily know him and his family, while he knows nothing about Tu.
There were still eight Nine-Star Beads left. Zhou Xuan hesitated for a moment, but still didn't intend to destroy them. However, he suddenly felt a little regretful about destroying the Nine Dragon Cauldron earlier. Perhaps these special items could play a big role in dealing with Tu Shi and could even save his life.
At least the Nine-Star Pearl served that purpose. Because Zhou Xuan had absorbed the powder fragments of the Nine-Star Pearl, his body became an energy converter that continuously absorbed sunlight. As a result, when his energy was depleted, the two assassins in Tu's hands misunderstood that Zhou Xuan was exhausted and let their guard down, allowing Zhou Xuan to kill one of them in one fell swoop. This was all due to the unexpected effect of the Nine-Star Pearl. If Zhou Xuan had destroyed the Nine-Star Pearl along with the Nine Dragon Cauldron, he might have already been destroyed by those two supernatural assassins in Tu's hands. How could he still be alive now?
However, although the Nine-Star Pearl was useful, Zhou Xuan had already obtained one and used it to mutate his body. He estimated that doing the same thing again would not be of much use, so he put it away for future use. He did not want to do anything to damage it again.
Now that he has the ability to directly absorb solar heat and convert it into superpowers, Zhou Xuan has even reduced his internal energy cultivation practice. He only practices a few times before going to bed at night. Being waited on hand and foot can indeed make people lazy.
After practicing casually a few times, Zhou Xuan picked up a book on antique appraisal from the bedside table, lay down on the bed, opened the book, and fell asleep after only a few minutes. For Zhou Xuan, lying down was the number one hypnotic tool, which never failed him.
The next morning, after Zhou Xuan got up, Fu Ying got up and fetched him a set of clothes, then casually asked, "I took your clothes from yesterday to wash; they had a strange smell."
"What's that weird smell?" Zhou Xuan asked in surprise. What was strange about his clothes? He hadn't jumped into a cesspool or sprayed perfume, so what strange smell could there be?
Fu Ying glanced at Zhou Xuan, biting her lip, and said, "It's a woman's scent, a woman's perfume. Unless you're very close, it's impossible for it to linger, right?"
"Really?" Zhou Xuan paused for a moment, then said, "It must be Zhang Lei's. I don't remember her smelling of perfume. Besides, I'm not that close to her. We just shared an office and a car ride. Your sense of smell is too sharp, isn't it?"
Zhou Xuan was a man of integrity, so he wasn't alarmed by a knock at the door in the middle of the night. He answered with a smile, and Fu Ying naturally believed him. However, she felt inexplicably jealous. But Zhou Xuan spoke frankly, saying they were colleagues in the same office, which was perfectly normal. So she felt a little better and placed the clothes Zhou Xuan needed to change into on the bedside table.
Zhou Xuan first went to the bathroom to wash up, then came out to get dressed. He took Fu Ying's hand and they went downstairs together. The whole family was in the lobby, waiting for him to come down for breakfast.
Zhou Xuan glanced around and saw that even A-Chang was there. He immediately smiled and greeted him, inviting him to have breakfast together.
After breakfast, Zhou Xuan intentionally or unintentionally reminded Achang and Fu Ying to try not to go out. Fortunately, his mother was still frightened and didn't want to go out. She stayed at home all day. If she went out, Zhou Xuan didn't know how to talk about the butcher. He didn't dare to say it yet. Even if he did, he could only tell Fu Ying and Achang, not his parents and siblings, so as not to frighten them.
When Zhou Xuan was leaving, Fu Ying offered to drive him, but Zhou Xuan whispered in her ear, "Yingying, don't drive me. I'll just take a ride. You should spend more time with Mom."
Fu Ying thought about it for a moment, then agreed, nodded, and watched Zhou Xuan leave.
Zhou Xuan hailed a taxi near Hongcheng Square and headed towards the Municipal Bureau. The Municipal Bureau was located in the old city, about a half-hour drive from Hongcheng Square. When he arrived at the gate of the Municipal Bureau, Zhou Xuan saw Zhang Lei standing outside the gate without going in.
Zhou Xuan got out of the car, paid the fare, and then asked Zhang Lei, "Why didn't you go in from the entrance?"
"I've been waiting for you," Zhang Lei glanced at her watch and chuckled, "You're really something, arriving half an hour late, and it's your second day at work! If I were the boss, I'd fire you."
"Really? You're late already?" Zhou Xuan asked in surprise, then checked the time and, sure enough, it was almost 9:30. He chuckled sheepishly, "Being late is fine. If the boss wants to fire me, there's nothing I can do. I'm just naturally lazy."
Zhang Lei laughed and said, "I knew you'd say that. Who would dare fire you? Judging from the way you and Director Fu act, you're the director, and Director Fu is like your subordinate. It's truly a rare sight to see an employee like you."
The two chatted and laughed as they entered the building together. When they reached the elevator, there was no one there since it was past working hours, so they easily boarded the elevator, which was also empty.
Zhou Xuan said in the elevator, "I was late, but weren't you late too? Aren't you afraid?"
"Since we're partners, we'll naturally stick together. If you're not at work, I'll just wait for you at the door."
Zhang Lei spoke with a smile. Actually, she had told her father about what had happened during the day after returning home last night. Her father was the deputy director of the provincial department, so he was naturally very clear about what was happening in the municipal bureau. When he heard that Fu Yuanshan had such abilities, he really didn't believe it. It was like a fairy tale. He himself had worked his way up from a junior policeman and knew this kind of thing very well. How could a case be solved so easily, especially a large, accumulated case? And all in one day! To solve even one case like this in such a short time would be harder than climbing to heaven. How could he possibly solve seven cases at once?
Zhang Lei's father immediately used his connections to investigate Fu Yuanshan's background and actions. He knew Fu Yuanshan; they were both deputy directors and had worked together for several months. Although they weren't very close, they knew each other fairly well. He just never expected that Fu Yuanshan would rise so quickly, far surpassing him, an old policeman. However, when he learned that Fu Yuanshan had been promoted by Wei Haihe, he understood a bit more. Wei Haihe's position was far beyond his imagination. With such a backer, what couldn't he do?
Zhang Lei's father immediately inquired about the matter and asked his daughter some more questions. Based on his extraordinary experience, he guessed that Fu Yuanshan's pawn named Zhou Xuan was definitely not simple. He also learned from his daughter that Zhou Xuan was an extraordinary martial arts master, so skilled that it was unimaginable.
Zhang Lei's father, being an experienced man, was much more shrewd than Zhang Lei. After thinking for a moment, he instructed her to make sure she got along well with Zhou Xuan. It seemed that Zhou Xuan was very likely someone planted by Wei Haihe, otherwise he wouldn't be so arrogant.
The two entered the office chatting and laughing. Several female employees quickly greeted them with smiles. Zhou Xuan felt a little emotional. Today's behavior was quite different from yesterday's. She put on a fawning smile, and one of them even stood up and said, "Xiao Zhang, Xiao Zhou, would you like some coffee?"
"Thank you, but no need. We just had dinner and fruit at home, so we don't need anything else."
Zhou Xuan politely declined and sat down with Zhang Lei in a corner. However, just as they sat down, a female employee approached and said, "Zhang Lei, Director Liu requests your presence in his office."
Zhang Lei responded, glanced at Zhou Xuan, and then said, "Okay, I'll be right there."
As she got up to leave, Zhang Lei wondered if Fu Yuanshan was really apologizing to her because of what happened yesterday, or if he wanted to get other things out of her. She was full of questions, but Zhou Xuan was helpless. She also wondered why Liu Xingzhou hadn't invited Zhou Xuan along.
He knocked lightly on the door of Liu Xingzhou's small office and only entered the room after hearing Liu Xingzhou call him in.
Liu Xingzhou was so shocked by Deputy Director Luo's actions yesterday that he couldn't sleep all night. He was determined to apologize to Zhang Lei early this morning, but she didn't come, no matter how long he waited, until it was past working hours.
If it were anyone else, Liu Xingzhou would naturally have scolded them severely, but today he dared not offend Zhang Lei and Zhou Xuan. Not to mention being late, even being absent from work would not be a problem, so when Zhang Lei and Zhou Xuan arrived at the office late, he did not dare to utter a single word of reproach.
Zhou Xuan truly didn't understand why Liu Xingzhou didn't call him to the office together because he was afraid, and only called Zhang Lei over because Zhang Lei had arrived earlier than Zhou Xuan and they were all familiar with each other. When Zhou Xuan used his supernatural ability to probe Liu Xingzhou and Zhang Lei, Liu Xingzhou's every move naturally fell into Zhou Xuan's eyes.