What is Mr. Su doing?

Yu Hualong personally escorted Su Chen back to the former village head's house, his spirits slightly deflated.

Damn monsters! Both opportunities to establish a connection with Mr. Su slipped through our fingers. How unfortunate.

As they watched Su Chen enter the building, the gentle man spoke up, "Should we stick to the original plan?"

Yu Hualong paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, we must remain cautious. While it's important to build a rapport with Su Chen, a member of the army like him surely has ulterior motives for coming to Lianhua Village. We need to ascertain his intentions and plans beforehand, so we can anticipate any potential threats and take appropriate precautions."

The gentle man nodded in agreement.

They had chosen the village head's house for Su Chen's accommodation primarily because it was the finest dwelling in the vicinity. However, just behind the village head's house stood a three-story building that offered an unobstructed view of Su Chen's residence. This was where Yu Hualong intended to station someone to monitor and uncover the true purpose behind Su Chen's presence in the village.

Without such vigilance, how could Yu Hualong have survived to this day?

The task of "monitoring" Su Chen made Yu Hualong uneasy about entrusting it to others. Hence, he had delegated the responsibility to the gentle man. Not only was the gentle man his trusted confidant, but his peculiar ability served their purpose well. It wasn't an offensive power but rather a perceptual weakening ability, akin to psychological invisibility. He could make himself go unnoticed by those in his presence or draw special attention to himself at will.

These arrangements had been meticulously planned. Presently, the two of them made their way to the rear building. The gentle man ascended the stairs alone to assume his observation post, while Yu Hualong led a small group downstairs, awaiting updates. He harbored concerns about potential military sensitivities and wished to avoid any misunderstandings that could arise if he and others ventured upstairs.

Alone on the upper floor, the gentle man squinted through the third-floor window.

The night sky was shrouded in darkness, allowing him to discern only vague silhouettes. Nevertheless, he swiftly identified Qiao Zheng, who had been honing his light-manipulation abilities, as well as Wang Li, who meticulously surveyed their surroundings. Finally, his gaze settled on Su Chen.

Su Chen's room was located on the third floor as well, but out of caution, he had drawn the curtains. The translucent white fabric provided only a hazy glimpse of his solitary figure within the room, rendering him oblivious to the gentle man's presence. In fact, had it not been for Qiao Zheng's light emanating from the second floor, the gentleman would have struggled to observe anything in the dim environment. He leaned forward, straining his senses to listen while maintaining his watchful gaze.

Lianhua Village remained enveloped in an eerie silence, yet amidst the whispering wind, a faint sound reached the gentle man's ears—a sound that was decidedly not human.

His senses heightened, the gentle man's alertness surged to its peak. How could someone make a noise while being confined to a room? What could they possibly be up to?

In truth, contrary to Yu Hualong's assumptions, the gentle man had always harbored doubts about Su Chen's true identity. He couldn't shake the feeling that Su Chen might not be a military personnel but rather a gifted individual, much like themselves. After all, that peculiar attire hardly resembled military garb...

Consequently, his mind was brimming with different speculations.

Having entered Lianhua Village, Su Chen hadn't ventured outside. Instead, he had sought solace in a secluded house and produced some peculiar sounds. If the gentle man could decipher the purpose behind Su Chen's actions at this very moment, it might unveil his secrets and prove invaluable to their plans and forthcoming endeavors.

Eagerly, the gentle man leaned even further, assuming an uncannily mischievous expression, akin to someone observing a late-night feast from across the street.

As for Su Chen...

What was he up to now?

Having finally freed up some time, Su Chen focused on modifying his explosion-proof shield.

He hadn't forgotten the strategy of wielding both a sword and a shield. After undergoing magical enhancements, the explosion-proof shield had reduced in size, transforming from a body-length shield to resemble an ancient half-length shield. Though its appearance remained largely unchanged, once Su Chen infused it with energy, a dark energy enveloped its surface, significantly bolstering its defensive capabilities.

Moreover, the explosion-proof shield, which had successfully undergone a seven-unit energy transformation, possessed a remarkable ability. By injecting more than three units of energy into it and facing the shield downwards, it would generate a repulsive force, allowing it to hover at a distance of approximately half a meter. It resembled a spiraling frisbee, but maintaining balance while standing on it required exceptional individual stability. Controlling it proved challenging for anyone who hadn't experienced riding a flying carpet.

But who among them had ever ridden a flying carpet?

As Su Chen contemplated the explosion-proof shield, he recalled his decision to transform the "baby" into a soldier. In fact, he had separated from the outbound convoy of the 7th Battalion, deviating from Huancheng Road in Dongcheng District to Xicheng District. Su Chen pondered for a moment. Although the suburbs lacked decent clothing stores, he discovered numerous small shops on the map.

Regrettably, when Wang Li learned of Su Chen's intention to stray from the predetermined route, he vehemently objected—an unusually clear refusal.

Considering the possibility of the magic doll's failure, Su Chen refrained from pushing the matter further.

Now, Su Chen picked up his magical cellphone once again. Using a power bank, he added three units of energy before initiating a call.

That peculiar sensation surged within him once more as Su Chen's perception extended along the dark energy.

This time, rather than curiosity, Su Chen experienced a deeper connection with this peculiar state itself. He attempted to guide the flow of his radiating body energy...

It took a little longer this time. Around ten seconds passed before the call finally connected.

As the call finally connected, Su Chen found himself unable to utter a single word. He frantically searched for a way to communicate, but on the other end of the line, an excited and youthful voice burst forth, exclaiming, "Big brother, look, my phone watch is actually working!"

It was the voice of a young girl.

"...."

Su Chen remained silent, still grappling with his speech impairment.

Meanwhile, the little girl's voice brimmed with excitement and anticipation. "Hey, big brother, can you hear me? Who are you? Are you my grandfather?"

Su Chen couldn't provide any answers.

Then, suddenly, the "big brother" who had remained silent on the other end spoke up and said, "Yes, I'm your grandfather."

The voice sounded tired, weak, slightly hoarse, and low, but it was a voice Su Chen recognized all too well—it was Lin Mo's voice. Su Chen's spirit trembled, instantaneously overcome with excitement. However, he managed to retain his composure, not allowing his excitement to overshadow his focus. Methodically, he continued manipulating the dark energy, searching for the possibility of restoring his ability to speak.

Upon receiving the affirmative response, the little girl's voice erupted with uncontainable joy. "So, Mom and Dad are there too. They told me they went to find grandpa. They said they would bless me together... Do they miss me? I miss them too... But... but why aren't they speaking? Can they hear me?"

Silence enveloped the line. It stretched on, seemingly endless.

From the other end, Lin Mo's voice, heavy with a sigh, finally broke the silence. "That might be because they're too overwhelmed... They must be able to hear you. If there's anything you want to say to them, just say it..."

"Mom, Dad, and Grandpa, don't worry about me. I'm doing well here. Those uncles are still scary, but I met a very kind big brother. I think he must be a hero like Pigman. Thanks to him, I wasn't thrown into that huge pot. He even gave me food... Are you okay? How can I find you..." The girl's words became jumbled, a mix of excitement, sorrow, and confusion, as her young mind struggled to articulate her thoughts.

Finally, Su Chen found some semblance of balance. The call remained connected, and he managed to produce a faint sound, albeit an indistinct syllable that barely escaped his trembling lips.

"What?!"

In the neighboring building, the gentle man jumped, initially believing he had been discovered. However, he quickly realized that Su Chen had merely exclaimed to himself.

The gentle man furrowed his brows even deeper, a sense of unease settling within him.