SWOOSH!
Like a black cannonball, it shot into the air.
Xiaojiu launched into the air, not to chase the chameleon, but to anticipate its path through the transom window, striking the edge of the frame a moment before!
SMACK!
The transom window swung violently inward, changing its angle.
The chameleon, which had been speeding toward it, slammed headfirst into the window frame with a sickening THUD. It was knocked back, stumbling to a fall at the base of the workshop’s outer wall.
But it reacted instantly. The moment it landed, it leaped up again, this time fleeing toward the deeper, darker, and more cluttered part of the factory grounds.
"Don’t shoot! Watch out for stray bullets and flammable materials!"
Zhang Cheng hurriedly stopped the special police officer who was about to open fire.
Just then, Yang Qi’s sharp gaze swept over the roof of the repair shop.
In the brief chaos while Xiaojiu struck the window and the chameleon was thwarted, he had caught a glimpse of a blurry figure moving near a ventilation pipe on the workshop roof.
"He’s on the roof!"
Yang Qi said quickly in a low voice, "Captain Zhang, block the workshop’s front and back doors and all exits. Xiaojiu, keep that chameleon busy; don’t let it interfere with us. Bai Wan, with me!"
With that, he dashed toward a climbable stack of goods on the side of the workshop.
"What?"
Startled, Zhang Cheng immediately ordered his team to lock down the workshop while calling for backup.
"Suspect spotted! Suspect spotted!"
"He’s at the ’Dayong Repair Shop’ in the north district!"
"Repeat..."
...
Following its orders, Xiaojiu immediately moved to intercept and herd the startled chameleon. It used its natural feline agility and speed to constantly shrink the creature’s maneuvering space, preventing it from escaping or rejoining "Li Jiahao."
Bai Wan followed close behind Yang Qi.
Yang Qi pushed off with his toes, using the stack of goods and protrusions on the wall to scale the nearly four-meter-high workshop roof in just a few moves.
The roof was a simple structure of asbestos tiles, covered with some waterproof tar paper and crisscrossed with abandoned electrical wires and ventilation ducts.
The moonlight was faint, and visibility was poor.
Yang Qi pushed his senses to their absolute limit. He heard deliberately light footsteps nearing the edge of the roof’s other side. He also heard the RUSTLE of the wind blowing across the old tar paper and a faint ZZZT sound, like a rapidly vibrating metal reed, coming from the direction of the footsteps.
’The whistle to control the chameleon?’
’"Li Jiahao" is trying to summon "Phantom"!’
Realizing this, Yang Qi took out a small piece of Vitality Nutrient Cream, enveloped it in Magical Power, and threw it in Xiaojiu’s direction.
A powerfully alluring scent drifted through the air.
The chameleon, which was being relentlessly harried by Xiaojiu and looking for a chance to escape, suddenly paused. A flicker of confusion and instinctual attraction flashed in its pale yellow eyes.
Xiaojiu seized the opportunity. It closed the distance like a phantom and swiped a claw across the chameleon’s side. Although the creature’s slick skin and quick reflexes allowed it to avoid a fatal blow, the strike still made it stagger. Losing its footing, it tumbled off a stack of tires it had been trying to climb.
On the roof, the faint whistling stopped abruptly, replaced by a suppressed, low grunt of anger and surprise.
The footsteps quickened. He had obviously realized something was wrong with the chameleon and that his position might have been exposed.
Seeing this, Yang Qi moved slowly toward the source of the sound.
He rounded a row of ventilation ducts and saw a gray figure near the edge of the roof, by the workshop’s back wall. The man was trying to throw a pre-prepared rope to the roof of an adjacent, shorter building, planning to zipline down and escape.
It was "Li Jiahao"!
Even in the dim light, Yang Qi could recognize that sinister profile and gaunt figure.
"Li Jiahao, you’re not getting away."
Yang Qi spoke softly as he mobilized his Magical Power.
"Li Jiahao" whipped his head around, his eyes glinting coldly under the brim of his hat in the moonlight.
Without a single word, he flicked his right hand, and a cold glint shot straight for Yang Qi’s face!
It was a fine, poisoned needle!
Yang Qi sidestepped, easily dodging it.
The needle whizzed past his eyes, making a faint sound as it cut through the air.
Seizing the opportunity, "Li Jiahao" hooked one end of the rope onto a fixed anchor on the roof and threw the other end toward the neighboring rooftop.
He grabbed the rope, about to leap...
’Object Manipulation Technique!’
Yang Qi seized the chance. He had already been holding a small pebble, and now he infused it with a wisp of Magical Power and flicked it with his finger.
WHOOSH—
CRACK!
The pebble precisely struck the wrist "Li Jiahao" was using to grip the rope.
Though it wasn’t a serious injury, the sudden pain and impact made his fingers loosen. He instantly lost his balance and tumbled backward from the edge of the roof.
"Ah!"
"Li Jiahao" let out a short cry of alarm, scrambling to grab onto something.
Yang Qi reached out his right hand and used the "Small Transport Technique." He didn’t move "Li Jiahao" himself but cleverly tugged on a small leather pouch at his waist.
The pouch was bulging, likely filled with important potions or tools.
The pouch’s strap was yanked hard by an invisible force. "Li Jiahao," already off-balance, became even more unstable. As he flailed, the pouch came loose, and several small vials and tools fell out, clattering across the roof tiles.
As for "Li Jiahao" himself, he landed hard on the roof, rolling twice before managing to stop just short of sliding off completely.
WOOF WOOF!
Below, Bai Wan heard the commotion on the roof and immediately began to bark. The sound echoed through the silent, nocturnal factory grounds, serving as both a threat and a show of force.
Zhang Cheng heard it.
The special police heard it.
The chameleon heard it, too.
It let out a sharp hiss. It no longer tried to follow any orders to attack or hide; instead, it obeyed its most primitive biological instinct.