At this moment, a yawning voice came from the passenger seat: "Hah... what's going on? I just took a short nap, and Qian here already got into an argument?"

"Mr. Gong, it's not that I wanted to argue; someone insisted on going out at this time. I told him to apply for a travel certificate with the neighborhood management, and he went on about having no phone signal... This guy even tried to use his identity to pressure me!" The young temporary sheriff complained rapidly to the senior who had just sluggishly crawled up from the passenger seat.

"Identity? Huh?" The middle-aged sheriff rubbed his eyes, first glancing at Sun Hang standing outside the car window, then looking towards the villa area behind Sun Hang, his pupils shrinking instantly.

"Y-young man... do you live here?" The middle-aged sheriff pointed at the villas behind and asked.

"Yes." Sun Hang confirmed.

The middle-aged sheriff's face instantly turned paler.

"I'm sorry, this guy's new today and isn't familiar with the various neighborhood situations yet, accidentally offending you... ah, hopefully, this didn't cause any trouble for your work, right?"

"No, I was just out for a walk." Sun Hang shook his head.

"That's good, that's good... this is all my fault. I stayed up all night last night, couldn't hold it any longer in the morning, and took a short nap. I didn't expect something like this to happen, truly sorry!" In the bewildered eyes of the young temporary sheriff, the middle-aged sheriff nudged his head, "Hurry up and drive, will you?"

"But, Mr. Gong..."

"But what but!" The middle-aged sheriff quietly scolded, "Do you realize how serious this matter is? Quick, drive the car; I'll explain later!"

The small pickup roared to life again, and Sun Hang noticed that its speed suddenly increased after driving ten meters, almost as if fleeing, leaving the neighborhood.

He could clearly sense that the dominant emotion in the middle-aged sheriff's eyes gazing at him was fear.

Sun Hang suddenly recalled the Blood Mary incident and how Mr. Huang and those accompanying sheriffs treated the Hunters.

Even though Yang Qi once confidently told Sun Hang that society was willing to accept Hunters as infected individuals, it was clear her words didn't represent the general public's attitude.

"Fear is better than saying something stupid like that one commissioner last time."

Sun Hang, with hands in pockets, continued walking along the sidewalk.

As the life supplies of Mysterious Creature Hunters are provided free of charge by the Institute, this area doesn't have the commercial facilities that ordinary housing areas typically include. Sun Hang walked almost three kilometers before he saw a small supermarket at an intersection.

He was somewhat surprised that the supermarket's door was actually open.

According to the temporary management plan issued by the Disaster Response Committee, during the initial phase of the Eternal Night, when mass panic and chaos are most likely to erupt, not only were all citizens restricted from going out, but all kinds of production and commercial activities were also suspended, bringing the entire city into a "shutdown" state.

Curious, Sun Hang walked over—not only intrigued by why the supermarket was open, but also with the intention of purchasing some supplies.

Wang Xiyi alone had wiped out most of Sun Hang's refrigerator stocks yesterday, especially the flavor of chips Sun Hang favored; not a single bag was left.

Getting closer, Sun Hang discovered the reason this supermarket was open—it had been transformed into a temporary supply transfer station, with various sizes of cardboard boxes filling the space between shelves. Several staff from the local neighborhood management department were busy checking items against thick supply lists.

A soldier from the City Defense Guard sat behind the cash register, his helmet and pump-action shotgun laid out on the counter. As Sun Hang approached, the soldier immediately picked up his gun, warily demanding, "Who's there?"

"I'm from the Mysterious Creature Research Institute," Sun Hang replied.

To avoid misunderstanding, Sun Hang proactively showed his ID this time.

Seeing the "Hunter License," the soldier's expression revealed a hint of panic: "A, a Hunter?!"

Hearing his shout, others paused their tasks and turned to look this way.

"A Hunter? Why is a Hunter here?" A man looking like an officer quickly walked over, asking nervously, "Excuse me, is there a Mysterious Creature nearby?"

"No, I'm just..." Sun Hang initially wanted to say he was just wandering around but then changed his tone, "Just on a routine patrol."

"Phew..."

Upon saying this, one could distinctly feel everyone exhaling in relief.

"By the way, are the items here for sale?" Sun Hang asked, "I'm talking about the ones on the shelves, not these supplies."

"Those belong to the supermarket owner, but he's staying home for now. We've only temporarily requisitioned the supermarket as a transit point for supplies, technically not authorized to touch those goods," the officer explained, "However, Hunters have the right to requisition, after which there is a special department that settles the bills or provides compensation for you."

"Uh, there's no need—I have money; I can pay," Sun Hang said, grabbing a can of Fanta from the fridge.

But right after saying this, he immediately regretted.

He didn't have cash on him, and with the citywide network outage, the payment QR code on the counter was completely futile.

The officer, perceptive to subtle cues, noticed Sun Hang awkwardly holding a drink and a mobile phone, and promptly took out a five-yuan note, placing it under the QR code plate.

"Consider this drink on me, you guys tirelessly patrolling the city all day," the officer said with a smile.

"Uh... well, thank you then," Sun Hang accepted the goodwill, opened the can, and took a sip.

Sun Hang realized that, unlike the others present, this officer wasn't afraid of him; his earlier tension entirely stemmed from the worry that a Mysterious Creature had appeared nearby.

This guy was rather unusual—his interaction with Sun Hang was as if dealing with an ordinary person, which was the most unusual aspect.

It would be understandable for those in the Investigation Bureau or the Institute, or disciplined soldiers routinely exposed to Mysterious Creatures and infected individuals, but it was odd for grassroots management staff to achieve this.

While Sun Hang pondered curiously, an unexpected scene, unfamiliar to his memory, suddenly unfolded before him—in a blazing ruin, an injured man lay on the ground continuously retreating. Not far from him, a massive mask breathing fire advanced menacingly.

Just as the fiery tongue from the mask's mouth was about to engulf the man, a figure clad in scales and wings swooped from above, tearing the mask apart!

The young officer holding the supply list staggered unexpectedly, and Sun Hang immediately reached out to steady him.

"Ah... I'm, I'm fine," he smiled awkwardly, "Just suddenly a bit dizzy, probably low blood sugar from not eating for too long."

Sun Hang noticed noticeable old scars on the skin at the base of the man's neck inside his collar, appearing to be burn scars.

Was he seeing this person's memory?

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