Chapter 156: The Fanaticism and Obsession of Believers

The truth...

The Boss's low, resonant voice seemed to possess some kind of strange magic, leaving the commander in a daze as he listened.

After a moment, he returned to "normal."

"Yes, I did indeed have such thoughts," the commander admitted.

Yet, in truth, such thoughts of his were few and far between. He had never once mocked those "heroes" who willingly sacrificed themselves just to buy a little more time for their comrades.

However...

Listening to the Boss's words, absorbing every single syllable and sentence uttered by the Boss, the commander suddenly felt as though he were the filthiest of rats, a despicable beast utterly devoid of a single shred of conscience.

And yet... he actually began to take pride in being such a person...

He began to hope that his future way of thinking and his future approach to handling matters would continuously evolve in this exact direction.

This direction... defined by the Boss.

Because of this, he confessed.

He confessed that he was simply this kind of person, even if he wasn't really, and even if this was not actually the "truth" he had previously imagined.

Upon hearing this response, however, the Boss on the other end of the phone laughed. It was a very joyful laugh, one the commander had never heard from the Boss before.

A moment later, the laughter subsided, and the Boss asked:

"Now, can you tell me why you led that monster into the base?"

Without a moment's hesitation, the commander replied directly, "Because I wanted to claim the credit. I knew how much importance you attached to this target, Boss, but the firepower I currently have is not enough to subdue the monster. So I wanted to return to the base and use the weapons inside to subdue it, even if it meant sacrificing the entire base in the process—I wouldn't care at all."

The commander seemed to be gradually growing accustomed to unearthing the dark corners of his own heart, distilling his most "authentic" thoughts, and thus arriving at the answer.

Human beings are complex. Many people spend their entire lives without ever truly understanding themselves.

Right now, the commander suddenly felt very fortunate. Under the Boss's guidance, he had successfully come to understand himself.

I... am simply that selfish, filthy rat lurking in the dark sewer... And the Boss likes this version of me as well... In front of the Boss, it is enough just to reveal this authentic self... In front of the Boss, there is no need to conceal my true nature...

A flood of thoughts like these began to erupt within the commander's heart.

Soon, the commander completely sank into them, yet he himself... felt nothing unusual at all, as if this were simply how he had been born, as if this was his innate nature.

"Good. Since that is the case, I will assign you a new task," the Boss said upon hearing the commander's reply:

"Next, you will return to the base according to your original plan, and then take over the weapon systems inside. I will send the Rhino to help you then. Together with him, you will subdue the target. Can you do that?"

"It's just that the police are still tailing us from behind. Won't the base be exposed by then..." The commander did not answer the Boss's question, but instead asked with a hint of hesitation.

"That is the second task. Answer my question regarding the first task first," the Boss said calmly.

The commander immediately responded, "With so many powerful weapons in the base, along with the Rhino's cooperation, it can definitely be done!" His tone was resolute and brimming with confidence.

It was as though, in a single instant, he had walked out of the terror of being dominated by the Hulk.

"The second task." The Boss's tone remained unchanged. He did not praise the commander's confidence, nor did he paint any grand pictures of future success; he simply continued to state the task with utter detachment.

"Once you subdue the target and hand him over to the Rhino, I need you to activate the base's self-destruct system and reduce everything there to endless ruins."

"But..." The commander hesitated slightly, "If the self-destruct system is activated, wouldn't I also..."

The word "die" had not yet left his lips.

A faint, hidden red glow flickered deep within the commander's eyes, and instantly, a zealot's fanaticism and obsession completely flooded his face.

The commander spoke with a stern expression, "Yes, Boss! Task guaranteed to be completed!"

That's right—for someone as filthy as a rat like me to die for the Boss's cause and future, what a glorious thing that would be—

The commander... had completely lost his mind.

---

Gwen widened her eyes, fixing her entire focus on the burlap sack beside the Rhino.

The "thing" inside the burlap sack did not move a muscle.

Like a piece of cargo, it was simply tossed casually onto the ground, and "it" lay there quietly upon the earth.

Gwen had an intuition—or perhaps, a woman's sixth sense...

Inside this burlap sack was a person!

And there was a very high probability that it was the very person she had been yearning for day and night throughout these past few days!

At this thought, Gwen could barely keep herself from lunging out of the ventilation duct, snatching the burlap sack, untying the rope at the top, and taking a good look at who exactly was trapped inside.

Was it the one whose face, in her memories, was growing increasingly aged?

Yet...

Gwen ultimately held back.

The dense sea of figures down below—even if they were just ants, they could bite a person to death, let alone the fact that the sea down below was entirely composed of people!

Although Gwen had been enhanced by her mutation and grown quite formidable, she still could not handle the sheer multitude of people currently gathered in the East District Plaza below.

Not to mention that surrounding the burlap sack was the formidable-looking Rhino, accompanied by a perimeter of heavily armed operatives wearing black masks.

Perhaps... only a true god could dare to execute a direct, forcible snatch under circumstances like these?

Gwen thought to herself.

Clearly, she was no god; she was merely a pretty young girl who had accidentally mutated and gained extraordinary powers~

Ah, well, the important part was being pretty.

Thus, after a series of psychological battles, Gwen ultimately chose to continue observing, even though the person she was searching for might be standing a mere twenty or thirty meters away from her.

To make such a choice at Gwen's age was already quite remarkable.

However, Gwen's decision to wait and watch had a reason behind it; she was not simply sitting around waiting in vain hope.

She refused to believe that all these people within the base had gathered in the East District Plaza simply because of some ridiculous holiday tradition... Something significant was bound to happen!

Next, whatever event was about to unfold would be the determining factor in whether she chose to continue watching.

Of course, if no good opportunity presented itself shortly, Gwen might still force herself to hold back, refrain from making a move, and continue enduring.

This was the most accurate judgment she could make regarding the current situation on the ground.

And the only thing that could make her alter this judgment would be if the situation on the ground suddenly shifted drastically in her favor.

Gwen's vigil.

Was precisely to wait for such a favorable turn of events.

......

Perhaps the heavens above were taking pity on a young girl so single-mindedly devoted to saving her father.

Gwen did not have to wait long.

The catalyst that would potentially change the entire situation...

Finally appeared...

"Click, clack, crunch..."

The sound of grinding bearings suddenly echoed throughout the entire East District.