Chapter 70: Tit-for-Tat Male Rivalry
Several hover cars marked with the Star Alliance Military Department emblem sped over. Well-trained soldiers disembarked quickly, beginning to take control of the scene, evacuate the crowd, and set up a quarantine perimeter.
The door of the lead command vehicle opened, and a figure stepped out.
It was Bai Ye.
His gaze, like the most precise radar, swept rapidly across the entire area.
Suddenly, that gaze locked onto a single point.
At almost the same instant, a chill shot up Yun Sheng’s spine as she was bowing her head to splint a victim’s arm.
She instinctively looked up, her line of sight colliding directly with the still figure in the distance.
Bai Ye stood there, backed by the well-trained Star Alliance soldiers who were rapidly bringing the scene under control. He, however, was like the calmest point in the eye of a storm, all of his attention seemingly fixed in her direction.
Yun Sheng’s heart felt as if it had been seized by an invisible hand. It skipped a beat, then began to pound uncontrollably.
She turned her head in an almost conditioned reflex, looking at Si Jin, who was kneeling beside her to examine another victim.
His disguise was still on; his skin tone and facial contours had been altered. The brim of his hat was pulled down low, its shadow cleverly obscuring his most recognizable features.
To the frantic rescue workers and in the chaotic scene, he was perhaps just an exceptionally composed good Samaritan who had been helping out.
But in front of Bai Ye...
’Could Si Jin’s disguise fool him?’
And yet, Si Jin seemed completely oblivious.
The movements of his hands didn’t pause in the slightest. He didn’t even glance in Bai Ye’s direction.
He simply turned slightly and said to Yun Sheng, "Focus."
His voice was calm, as if he were merely reminding her to pay attention to the victim in front of her.
Yun Sheng swallowed hard, trying to drag her gaze back to the victim before her.
However, Bai Ye moved. He gave a few low-voiced orders to Luo Cheng, who was at his side, and then started walking.
His military boots crunched on the gravel-strewn ground as he walked straight toward where Yun Sheng and Si Jin were.
At that moment, all the surrounding noise strangely faded, receding into a blurry background hum.
All of Yun Sheng’s senses seemed to be captivated by the approaching figure.
Every soft crunch of his boots on the ground was like a hammer blow against her taut nerves.
Si Jin still didn’t look up.
But she could feel the aura around him freeze for an instant as Bai Ye approached, only to return to normal just as quickly.
He was still treating the victim’s wounds, his expression unchanged, yet it made Yun Sheng inexplicably think of a predator lying in wait in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
Bai Ye drew closer and closer.
So close that Yun Sheng could now see the immaculate creases on the collar of his military uniform.
He wasn’t deliberately releasing any pressure, but the intangible aura of a top-tier powerhouse intensified with each closing step, making the very air feel thick and heavy.
’Will he recognize Si Jin? What will he say? What will he do?’
A thousand chaotic thoughts exploded in Yun Sheng’s mind. She could only clench her jaw, using all her willpower to control her breathing and stop her fingers from trembling too obviously.
Bai Ye’s footsteps finally stopped just a few paces away from them.
His cold, penetrating gaze, heavy with analytical scrutiny, lingered for a moment on Yun Sheng’s dirt-streaked profile and her slightly trembling eyelashes.
Then, his gaze shifted steadily away, falling on the person beside her.
The strange man who had kept his head down, focused on treating the victim.
The man was kneeling, the brim of his hat obscuring most of his face, as he efficiently stopped a victim’s bleeding and bandaged the wound.
His movements were steady and precise, his fingers applying just the right amount of pressure on the bandage.
Other than his exceptionally tall frame and an air of calm that couldn’t be erased even amidst the chaos, there was nothing else conspicuous about him.
Bai Ye’s gaze swept down from the man’s lowered hat brim, across his dirt-stained neck and shoulder line, finally settling on his hands.
Just then, Si Jin finished the bandaging, tying a neat knot.
He didn’t get up immediately. Instead, he raised his hands slightly, as if to double-check that the dressing was secure.
Then, he slowly raised his head.
The shadow under his hat brim shifted slightly with the movement, revealing more of his face.
It was a rather plain but sharply defined face. His skin was on the darker side, and his features were regular but lacked any memorable characteristics.
Only his eyes, as he looked up, calmly met Bai Ye’s scrutinizing gaze.
"General Bai," he began, his voice neither high nor low, just tinged with a weary hoarseness. "Has the military taken full control of the scene?"
As he spoke, Si Jin calmly got to his feet with a fluid, natural motion and dusted off his hands and knees.
"This lady and I," he said, turning slightly to indicate Yun Sheng, who was still crouching on the ground, "were just passing by. We saw the emergency and helped out where we could. If the military has taken over, I’m sure the subsequent transfer of the wounded and medical treatment will be more professional and efficient. It’s getting late. Can we leave now?"
Bai Ye’s gaze flicked back and forth between him and Yun Sheng. "You two know each other?"
Si Jin shook his head, his tone frank. "No. We just happened to be on the same vehicle back to the city. When we came across the accident, we got off together to see if we could help."
Then, with a very natural movement, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, pulled out a card with a chip identification code, and held it out to Bai Ye.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Lin Mo, a compounding pharmacist from the Fourth District Central Hospital’s pharmacy department. This is my work ID."
Bai Ye’s eyes fell on the offered work ID.
The card was ordinary, a standard issue for all medical systems approved by the Tower, complete with a holographic anti-counterfeiting mark and a chip.
He didn’t take it immediately. He just watched Si Jin, his dark eyes seemingly coated in a layer of ice as he coolly assessed the man’s every subtle expression and movement.
After a few seconds, he reached out and picked up the ID card with his fingertips.
He then beckoned Luo Cheng over and handed it to him without a word.
Luo Cheng understood immediately, taking the ID to run a network check.
Bai Ye’s gaze locked back onto Si Jin. "On the same vehicle back to the city? Where did you get on?"
"From the public transport hub near the Seventh District Industrial Park." Si Jin paused briefly before adding, "Nova Biomedical Materials Company has an outsourced warehouse over there. I went to conduct a random inspection on a new batch of materials. It’s a routine monthly check for the pharmacy department. There’s a field work application and entry-exit records in the hospital system."
After hearing this, Bai Ye didn’t react to the explanation. Instead, he abruptly turned his gaze to the silent Yun Sheng.
"And you? What were you doing at the Seventh District Industrial Park?"
Yun Sheng dug her fingertips hard into her palms. The sharp pain helped her stay calm.
"I went there to look at some things. The basic spiritual power auxiliary training equipment and consumables are too expensive in the downtown specialty stores. I heard that there were a few affordable warehouse-style wholesale shops near the Seventh District Industrial Park for beginner guides, so I went to check them out."
This was the story Si Jin had coached her on after they decided to stay and help.
Si Jin had also used his channels to make arrangements that would hold up under a routine background check.
After she finished, Bai Ye just watched Yun Sheng quietly, his calm gaze unnervingly piercing.
Then, he turned his head slightly to look at Luo Cheng.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the results of the check.