Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 77 Counter-terrorism only requires landmarks

This kind of behavior—stirring up trouble and then looking for an opportunity to slip away—is definitely not that of a simple angry worker.

Seeing that the target had retreated to the edge of the crowd, he turned around and disappeared into the narrow alley next to him, which was filled with discarded wine barrels and empty crates.

Lu Ran immediately sprang from the shadows. He pressed himself against the wall, using the corner and piles of debris as cover, his little paws landing silently as he followed the alleyway where his target had disappeared.

The alley was filled with clutter and dimly lit. The man's footsteps were very light, and he would suddenly stop at the corner where there was a pile of tattered tarpaulins from time to time.

At this time, Lu Ran would also stop in his tracks, shrinking himself into the shadows of various corners, leaving only one eye to observe warily.

The man didn't turn around, but his body shifted almost imperceptibly. His gaze lingered for a second or two, seemingly uncertain, before he quickly turned back around without making any further moves.

The target continued forward and soon arrived at a relatively open dead corner deep in the alley. Here, several bundles of sacks and huge empty metal barrels were piled up.

Suddenly he stopped, quickly took off his oil-stained work jacket, grabbed it with both hands, shook it violently, and turned it inside out. The lining of the jacket was actually a clean, light gray fabric!

He deftly turned his coat inside out, instantly concealing the stained exterior, transforming himself from a dirty worker into an ordinary citizen wearing a reasonably decent gray coat!
Then he pulled a flat cloth hat from his pocket, swiftly put it on his head, and lowered his head to cover his eyebrows and eyes. The whole action took no more than five seconds!
The first disguise was complete! Lu Ran was still a little stunned, but after the target finished doing all this, he turned around and walked quickly towards another exit of the alley, which led to a slightly bustling street market.

"There's definitely something wrong!" Lu Ran cursed inwardly. Taking advantage of his small size and stealth ability, he chased after the man like a dark streak of light, locking onto the gray coat and cloth hat that the man had just changed into.

As the target blended into the bustling crowd, his pace quickened. Lu Ran also nimbly weaved around the feet of the crowd, but because his line of sight was low, he was already somewhat disoriented by the chaotic footsteps of the crowd.

Just as the target passed a stall selling cheap porcelain bowls and earthenware jars, he suddenly lurched forward, as if he had been bumped by the crowd, his elbow nearly hitting the stack of dishes on the stall. The stall owner cursed in displeasure, and a small commotion broke out around him.

In that very instant of commotion, Lu Ran narrowed his eyes, sensing something was amiss.

How could someone who acts so cautiously and efficiently make such a mistake?

"Damn it, am I going to have to change clothes again?"

Lu Ran quickly focused his attention on the target's back and head.

Sure enough, in the next instant, the target's hand swiftly flipped, turned, and pressed down! The original cloth hat was transformed into a dirty, coarse worker's hat in the blink of an eye!

At the same time, he casually grabbed a tattered, faded blue smock from an open sack at a nearby stall and, as if by magic, put it on!
"Damn it!" Lu Ran cursed inwardly. It wasn't that he hadn't seen the disguise, but rather that the other party's timing was too perfect. A mule cart full of raw potatoes happened to drive past the man, and the person pushing the cart was shouting, "Make way! Make way!"

The vehicle, the swaying sacks, the struggling mule, and the few potatoes scattered on the ground instantly formed a moving barrier between Lu Ran and the target!

"It's over."

As the mule cart swayed past and the view opened up before us, the figure in the tattered blue overcoat and worker's hat had completely disappeared into the crowd.

After all, it's just ordinary workwear, and the market is full of people wearing similar clothes.

"Pity."

……

Lu Ran looked frustrated and had no choice but to return the way he came.

When they returned to the police station, all the workers who had protested and blocked the entrance were gone. Only a few pools of crimson blood remained on the ground under the iron fence. The officers at the entrance, holding their gun holsters, vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

"Ugh."

Lu Ran sighed inexplicably, and then, remembering the guy who had just egged him on, she couldn't help but grit her teeth.

"We're going to catch you no matter what."

People who incite and encourage others to take risks without bearing the consequences themselves are truly despicable. However, now that they've escaped, there's no need to dwell on it and cause unnecessary trouble.

Lu Ran and his companions rushed to the police station entrance. Having been there once before when they were designing Dane, they knew the general layout of the place. Lu Ran quickly found Edwin's office, only to discover that he wasn't there.

It was during a casual conversation among several police officers that they learned Edwin was in the interrogation room.

Using the shadows in the corners of the room, Lu Ran quickly arrived at the location, just as Edwin's stern reprimand came from inside.

"That night at the Manchester foundry. You and that group were at the forefront, leading the charge. I saw you get shot with my own eyes."

Edwin leaned forward, bracing himself on the table, and suddenly jabbed his finger into the man's ribs. "Here! I remember it clearly, you fell down, but you got up again a moment later as if nothing had happened."

chap!
Edwin suddenly pulled out a military dagger and slammed it heavily onto the table.

"Tell me how you did it, or I can try it myself."

The man raised his head, his eyelids drooping, and his lips tightened into a thin, grayish-white line.

In the lamplight, there was no fear, no explanation, only a deathly stillness, weariness, and indifference in those deep-set eyes. His gaze wasn't even focused on Edwin's face; it was vaguely fixed on some darkness behind him.

"you!"

"Squeak..."

The sudden squeaking of a mouse interrupted Edwin's momentum. He instinctively paused and looked towards the corner of the interrogation room, where a gray rat had somehow slipped in.

"How did you manage to get in here, you little rascal?"

Edwin was a little confused, but since they had met several times before, he was somewhat familiar with each other. So, his previously irritable aura from the interrogation relaxed, he straightened his clothes, and followed Lu Ran out.

"Good day, Inspector." The officer beside him nodded, and Edwin responded in kind.

Following the gray rat, they walked out of the police station and into a dark alley on the side, where a familiar face was waiting.

Lu Ran looked up: "You look a little tired?"

"Heh." Edwin couldn't help but smile wryly upon hearing this. "What a waste of your information. I thought it was just an ordinary workers' protest. It's not the first time they've used homemade explosives and Molotov cocktails, so I was careless."

"It's nothing." Lu Ran's tone was nonchalant.

"You've told me pretty much everything that happened in your letter. I'm mainly curious about what the investigation has uncovered so far, and what follow-up actions have been taken?"

Edwin hesitated for a moment, then subconsciously pulled a cigarette out of his pocket.

“It’s a bit strange. I remember very clearly that the worker last night had the ability to regenerate, but he didn’t just lose it. I was originally hoping to use this to find out who participated in the operation last night.”

pat.

The flames ignited the smoke, and Edwin took a deep drag and exhaled a long breath.

"In short, it doesn't seem to be the same kind of organization as Dane's, at least that's what I initially thought. As for now, the higher-ups are still waiting for my investigation results, and the only person they've caught is very stubborn. If I can't..."

Edwin paused.

"The army will be deployed for a bloody crackdown."

(End of this chapter)