Returning from the Immortal World

Chu Xianglong’s face was grim. He and the airport police had been searching around for clues about the time bombs when he received a report from his staff saying that Mr. Tang had already found three time bombs in the airport lounge though he had just arrived. However, he didn’t look happy at all, and looked even more solemn and grim instead.

“Where is Mr. Tang Xiu?” Chu Xianglong immediately asked after arriving at the lounge.

A police officer quickly answered, “Mr. Tang went to the B building, Chief Chu. Some of our colleagues from the station are with him.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Xianglong dashed toward B building. He didn’t worry about the three time bombs that had been found, since the bomb disposal experts had taken care of them.

****

At the B building.

At this time, terminal B11 was void of people, deeply contrasting with the previous bustling scene half an hour ago. There were only a few special police and airport police officers searching for the bombs. Yet, there was still something that made Tang Xiu worried: the time bombs they had just found.

“The total number of time bombs is five?”

After scouring the surroundings with his spiritual sense, Tang Xiu finally determined the specific location of the time bombs. At this time, however, there was only one minute and twenty seconds left before they detonated.

“Leave this place immediately! QUICKLY!”

While rushing to the nearest time bomb’s location, Tang Xiu shouted loudly and quickly after taking out the time bomb.

“Who are you?” Shouted a special police officer.

“I’m Tang Xiu from the Ministry of State Security. Execute the order immediately and tell everyone to leave at once!!!”

That special police officer stared blankly, while the rest quickly ran toward the outside after hearing it. Despite being unsure whether Tang Xiu was really someone from the Ministry of State Security, they knew Tang Xiu’s name and had received an order that they were to obey every command Tang Xiu issued once he arrived.

“The fourth one!” Tang Xiu’s heart was thumping fiercely. He only had 25 seconds left from the explosion time when he took the fourth bomb. The distance between him and the last time bomb was about 200-300 meters. If he sprinted to its location and took it away at the fastest speed he could exert, it would still be too late to throw them into a deserted place.

“It’s gonna explode!”

Tang Xiu sighed inwardly, as he quickly turned around and dashed away. He quickly got to the airport and rushed from the opened window toward the runway. In a brightly lit spacious space, he circulated his star force to his feet and ran -- almost flying -- toward the center of the runway. There were only a few seconds left for the bombs to detonate when he threw the four time bombs to the distance.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!

The five time bombs exploded at the same time. Apart from the explosion inside the B building, the shockwave from the four time bombs on the runway hit Tang Xiu on the back, throwing him upside down. He rolled and heavily slammed on the concrete floor.

Huff…

Tang Xiu took a long, deep breath as the adrenaline receded. The power of the four time bombs exploding together made him look miserable. He was rather invulnerable with his cultivation level now, yet he’d be gravely injured if he were to be directly hit by four time bombs’ explosion.

As he crawled up from the ground, Tang Xiu quickly returned to the building. He felt quite fortunate after seeing the local in which the time bomb had exploded. As a matter of fact, he had already prepared for the worst when he rushed from New World Center; that was that the airport would be blasted, but without too many people injured.

And now, it seemed that there were no victims, though the explosion did really happen. He believed that Shanghai Airport was able to afford such a loss.

Ta, ta, ta…

The rapid sounds of footsteps passing through the corridor were heard from the distance. Tang Xiu looked around and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a suit and tie with the air of a high-level superior. He was running with dozens of police officers toward him.

“Were there any casualties?” The hall was in a complete mess when Chu Xianglong arrived. There was only a person there -- Tang Xiu -- as he asked him loudly.

“No, everyone has already been evacuated,” said Tang Xiu as he shook his head.

The anxiety and restlessness inside Chu Xianglong’s heart finally eased. He knew what would happen when the explosions happened, and the one thing he was most concerned about was casualties. Now after hearing Tang Xiu’s answer, he finally nodded and asked,” Who are you? You shouldn’t be someone from the police force or an airport staff, right?”

“I am Tang Xiu!” replied Tang Xiu in a deep voice.

Startled inside, Chu Xianglong quickly moved forward to greet him, saying, “Hello, Mr. Tang. I have already received a call from Secretary Liu. Thank you for everything you’ve done for our airport.”

“No thanks needed,” Tang Xiu shook his head. “Protecting the national security and the property of the state is the obligation of every citizen, to begin with. So let us leave out the ceremony. Ah, right, I don’t know who you are…”

Extending his hand, Chu Xianglong said, “I’m Chu Xianglong, the Airport Supervisor of Shanghai Airport, and also the person with the highest authority here. Anyway, Mr. Tang, I already know about your actions just now. And regardless of anything, I want to thank you since our Shanghai Airport would have been in a big mess if it weren’t for you.”

“Like I said, please leave out the ceremony,” Tang Xiu shook his head and faintly smiled. “It’s very fortunate that those extremist terrorists only installed eight time bombs. Or else, it would have been too late even if I were to race against time again.”

Extremists?!!

Chu Xianglong’s complexion changed, “Mr. Tang, I heard an explosion from the airport runway. Did you…”

“There were four time bombs on that side. I found them and then threw them away there,” Tang Xiu interrupted him. “If those four time bombs had exploded here, the building would have blown up. The airport probably has to repair some of the runways, though.”

“It was you?”

Startled and shocked inwardly, intense gratitude filled Chu Xianglong’s heart. He could hardly imagine how grave the consequences and losses would be if all four time bombs were to really explode here.

“All right, my duty here has been accomplished,” Tang Xiu waved his hand. “However, just in case, the personnel of your airport should scour the area again. Anyhow, I still have things I need to handle, I can’t stay here any longer.”

“Mr. Tang, can I bother you to help us with the searching again? I’m afraid that bomb attack was but only the first wave. After all, those were time bombs, while no one among our ranks knows who these extremists are. They could have placed some other time bombs somewhere else.”

“Uh…” Tang Xiu looked vacant, and immediately realized the truth in Chu Xianglong’s request. After contemplating for a while, he nodded and said, “All right, then I will help you with searching the entire airport. Your people, however, need not follow me, since my tracking and investigation methods are different from yours.”

Chu Xianglong was perfectly aware that Tang Xiu must have special tracking methods, or else he wouldn’t have been able to find so many time bombs. His methods were definitely not something an ordinary person could do.

“Please, do it!”

Half an hour later, Tang Xiu scoured the entire airport once again, and was finally sure that there were no more time bombs hidden in the airport.

****

In the airport lounge…

Liu Changxi had come rushing along with his men. He saw Chu Xianglong, who was looking grim and gloomy.

“How is the situation, Chief Chu?”

Evidently, Liu Changxi had known Chu Xianglong before, so he asked straightforwardly.

Chu Xianglong forced a bitter smile and said, “A time bomb exploded inside B building, but there are no victims. Mr. Tang threw the four time bombs he found here on the runway, causing damage only to the runways but with no casualties. Also, there were still three more time bombs that were found first, and they’re securely stored inside the enclosed special container by the bomb disposal specialists.”

“Tang Xiu actually found four time bombs? He arrived in such a short time, yet he unexpectedly…” Liu Changxi was shocked and commented.

“Secretary Liu, Mr. Tang didn’t find four time bombs. Instead, he found six bombs from a total of eight. He even found one or two of those three time bombs secured by those bomb disposal specialists in the waiting hall,” said Chu Xianglong to interrupt Liu Changxi. There was admiration on his square face.

Hiss…

Despite knowing that Tang Xiu had special abilities, Liu Changxi was still shocked upon hearing that Tang Xiu was able to find seven time bombs.

”Mr. Tang is back!”

A police officer who was following Chu Xianglong suddenly spoke.

In a flash, all eyes looked at the direction Tang Xiu was coming.

Liu Changxi dashed toward Tang Xiu, took his hands out and said, “Tang Xiu, thank you. Thank you very much!”

“Please, don’t stand on ceremony, Secretary Liu,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.

“No, Tang Xiu. This gratitude truly comes from my heart. If it weren’t for you, perhaps an incident that would cause mass casualties would have happened in Shanghai tonight. All the time bombs and pushpins with the virus in the New World Center have been completely cleaned up by us; we even arrested Shi Biao and another extremist as well. But if we didn’t have you to inform us about the situation at the airport, I’m afraid a lot of tourists and the airport’s staff would have been killed under such a situation where nobody knew about the bombs. You… are practically their savior.”

Savior?

Tang Xiu nearly burst into laughter after hearing that.

However, despite spending quite an effort and energy to the point of exhaustion, recalling the thousands of people he saved gave him a very good feeling.

Letting out a smile, Tang Xiu said, “Secretary Liu, you’re too serious; it’s making me embarrassed. If anything, I’ve just investigated the entire airport again, and there shouldn’t be any hidden dangers anymore. If there’s nothing else, I’ll bid my farewell first, since I still have some private matters to care of.”

“I’ll call someone to send you off,” said Liu Changxi quickly.

“It won’t be needed, thanks,” Tang Xiu shook his head. “However, I’m kind of troubled since I violated some traffic regulations when I was rushing over. Also, I left my car halfway here, so I have to trouble Secretary Liu in solving them.”