The celebration of the "Face-Slap" at the gallery was short-lived. As Lu Cian stepped out of the Jinghai International Gallery, the cool, humid air of the "Neon District" hit him, carrying the scent of rain and ozone. The metabolic debt from the Adrenaline Overclock was now a physical agony, a hollow gnawing in his gut that demanded the high-calorie fuel the System warned him about. He moved toward a shadowed alleyway, seeking a shortcut to a late-night crawfish stall, but stopped when his Micro-Expression Reader—still active from the gallery—picked up a flicker of movement on a nearby rooftop.
[System Warning: High-Level Hostility Detected.]
[Identity: 'The Cleaners' – Tactical Erasure Unit.] [Combat Probability: 99.9%. Suggested Action: Use Justice Points to unlock 'Bullet Time'.]
Lu Cian didn't hesitate. He had earned a massive harvest of Justice Points from dismantling Director Han, and he knew that against a professional syndicate like The Cleaners, his Earth-born psychology would be useless without the System's physical "cheats".
[Spending 10,000 Justice Points...]
[Skill Unlocked: Bullet Time (Level 5)!]
[System Note: Prepare for the overclock, Superintendent. Your heart is about to become a rev-limiter.]
Four figures in matte-black tactical gear dropped from the fire escapes, their movements fluid and silent—the hallmark of the "Organization" that erased evidence for the wealthy. They didn't speak. They didn't mock him. Unlike the arrogant socialites Lu Cian had dismantled, these men were professional instruments of death. The lead operative raised a suppressed submachine gun.
"Wait," Lu Cian said, his voice dropping into the cold, resonant tone of his Terror Aura. "Before you erase me, you should know one thing. The 'Netizens' are already watching."
He tapped his lapel camera, which was still streaming to the millions of followers he had gained during the gallery premiere. The tactical team hesitated for a fraction of a second—a tiny window of doubt created by the Superstar Cop's penchant for public spectacle.
In that micro-second, Lu Cian activated Bullet Time.
The muzzle flash of the lead operative's weapon became a slow, blooming flower of orange fire. The bullets themselves were visible, carving spiraling paths through the humid air like silver needles. To the world, Lu Cian was a blur; to him, the world was a frozen sculpture of violence. He pivoted his body, the world-class CQC Mastery knowledge downloading into his muscles as he moved.
He didn't just dodge; he counter-attacked. He caught the first operative's wrist, redirected the weapon toward the ground, and delivered a palm strike to the man's throat that felt like hitting a brick wall.
[Netizen Comment: 'WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Is Lu Cian dodging bullets?!']
[Netizen Comment: 'Look at the frame rate! He's moving faster than the camera can track! #GodLu']
As the Bullet Time faded, Lu Cian stood amidst the groaning operatives, his chest heaving. The metabolic debt hit him like a freight train, and he nearly collapsed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a 'Truth Biscuit'—the dog treat he had received as a reward.
"I don't have a dog," Lu Cian whispered to the lead operative, who was pinned under his boot. "But I think you're about to start barking."
He looked up toward the end of the alley, where a sleek black sedan was waiting. Inside, he could sense the "Cold Ambition" of a new player. The hunt for The Cleaners wasn't just a case anymore; it was a war for the soul of Jinghai.