Until six thirty in the evening.

The taxi finally arrived at the commercial street next to Jingchen Huating.

But once there, the car was stuck in traffic and couldn’t move at all. The blaring of horns outside merged into a cacophony, and the taxi driver kept honking as well, but the traffic didn’t budge an inch.

Ethan Brooks glanced out the window and saw that the commercial street was just a few steps away.

This was part of Jingchen Huating’s commercial facilities, with expensive rents. After rounds of survival of the fittest, any restaurant that could survive here was truly skilled, and it got even livelier at night.

There was a side gate of the residential complex near the commercial street, conveniently close to the building where he lived.

Back when Ethan Brooks lived with Emily Foster, they would always use the side gate to go out for late-night snacks. He was more than familiar with this route.

“Driver, I’ll get off here.”

Ethan Brooks spoke apologetically to the taxi driver, planning to give him an extra twenty yuan as compensation.

But unexpectedly—

The driver’s face immediately darkened, and he started cursing under his breath.

Ethan Brooks wasn’t pleased either, frowning as he stared at the driver. “Watch your mouth.”

He had a pretty good temper, but that didn’t mean he’d tolerate someone cursing his mother.

The driver looked disgruntled and wanted to argue back, but when his eyes met Ethan Brooks’s, he suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure and fear well up inside.

He instinctively shrank his neck, quickly gave in, and turned off the meter.

Ethan Brooks was a bit surprised by this, but quickly realized it was probably due to the superpower [Divine Sense].

He remembered the skill card described it as follows: [Divine Sense is the materialization of mental power, with functions such as detection, telekinesis, intimidation, consciousness interference, anti-interference, and more].

Controlling flying cards was an example of [telekinesis], so this situation must be the [intimidation] function.

Ethan Brooks didn’t say anything more, paid the fare according to the meter, and got out of the car.

He slung on his backpack, pulled his carry-on suitcase, and walked along the road. He hadn’t gone far before he saw a police cordon blocking most of the street.

On the other side of the road, several traffic police were directing traffic, slowly easing the congestion.

Ethan Brooks looked over curiously and saw black smoke still billowing from a shop. The huge floor-to-ceiling glass seemed to have been shattered by something, with shards scattered all over the ground.

That spot… wasn’t that Chen Ji Seafood Restaurant?

He had a strong impression of this seafood restaurant. He remembered the proprietress as a charming middle-aged woman, efficient and forthright, with fresh seafood and excellent cooking.

Both he and Emily Foster loved seafood and used to frequent this restaurant.

What happened here?

“Move along, move along, nothing to see here. It was just a gas pipeline explosion, nothing worth watching. It’s dangerous here, everyone disperse, disperse.” A police officer came forward to disperse the onlookers.

Probably due to a shortage of manpower, he had also recruited a dozen or so security guards from the commercial street to help maintain order.

Naturally, Ethan Brooks didn’t try to push forward at this time and retreated with the crowd as they were dispersed.

Sigh~ With this accident, the seafood restaurant owners probably suffered a huge loss. He just hoped no one was hurt.

He silently prayed for the couple who owned the seafood restaurant, then turned and headed toward the side gate of the complex.

But after only a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped.

For some reason, he felt as if a string deep in his brain had been plucked, and his scalp tingled as if an electric current had run through it.

Instinctively, he turned his head and saw a woman in a black trench coat and sunglasses moving against the flow of people, crossing the police line and heading quickly toward the shop.

The woman in the black trench coat was tall and walked with a swift, confident stride, exuding a heroic aura.

As if sensing someone’s gaze, she suddenly turned and glanced casually in Ethan Brooks’s direction.

When Ethan Brooks met her eyes, a sudden sense of panic and unease surged in his heart, as if an alarm was sounding in his mind, warning him that this woman was very dangerous.

Just then, a man in a black trench coat also emerged from the seafood restaurant and joined the woman.

The man was burly and held a square box with an antenna and a lid, apparently some kind of device.

Only then did the woman look away, lowering her voice to ask the man about the situation. The two of them talked as they walked into the seafood restaurant.

At that moment, the tension in Ethan Brooks’s mind suddenly eased, and he felt a sense of relief.

He didn’t dare linger any longer, suppressed his doubts, and hurriedly dragged his suitcase toward the side gate.

He pulled down his mask and used facial recognition to enter the complex. Not far ahead was Building 58, where he lived. He took the elevator to the eighteenth floor and unlocked apartment 1802 with his fingerprint.

The apartment was just under 130 square meters, with two bedrooms, a study, and a living room. The living room was open from north to south; the north side was the dining area, the south side was the reception area, furnished with a coffee table, sofa, and an 85-inch TV. On the TV stand sat a PS5 and two controllers.

After being away for six days, the air inside felt a bit stuffy.

He turned on the fresh air system and the air conditioner, took a shower, and soon the air and temperature in the apartment became much more comfortable. Only then did he flop onto the sofa and space out for a while.