Invasion of the United States

The joint operation between the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI came without any warning.

When several Osprey transport planes and helicopters swooped down, Kelly and her team barely had any time to react.

Especially as the Ospreys descended vertically at an astonishing speed, and as soon as the hatch opened, dozens of fully armed National Guard soldiers poured out like a tidal wave.

This kind of aerial assault was the deadliest.

The unconscious Zhou Qingfeng was hurriedly lifted onto Holy Light I, without any time to stow the pre-prepared medicines, emergency packs, phones, and so on into the cabin.

The hatch closed with a "bang," and the aircraft rapidly ascended into the night sky, leaving behind a chaotic scene of lights and shouts on the farm.

The only thing left behind was the note written by Zhou Qingfeng himself, and that was it.

So, when he woke up midway during transport and found himself urgently landing with nothing on hand, dressed in a hospital gown, barefoot, and with a growling stomach,

his mind was completely blank. He didn't even know who he was, but a cold, imprint-like hidden personality took control of his body.

"I need food and water now, clothes and..." he looked down at his feet, "a pair of size 43 shoes."

The cabin was empty, with only the IV drip connected to him providing some water.

After confirming that it was mainly a glucose nutrient solution, he tore open the glucose bag and gulped it down—all of it—but it only made him feel hungrier.

He then remembered the drunken man he had knocked out—the guy was still lying on the ground, groaning half-awake.

Zhou Qingfeng squatted down, rummaging through the man's pockets, trying to find some clues.

The drunken man was dead broke. All Zhou Qingfeng found was a crumpled driver's license, a car key, a semi-worn phone, a loaded revolver, and two speed loaders.

He opened the driver's license and glanced at it under the assisting light of Holy Light I: "Florida, issued in Orlando." He muttered, "Great, I'm in the United States."

He picked up the phone, used the drunken man's finger to unlock the screen, opened a navigation app, and the coordinates showed: Clayvin Town, west of Orlando.

"The nearest place to me is... a gas station?"

The navigation app even had a friendly mark from the local police station, indicating that the area had poor security and frequent cases.

The night wind blew, lifting his thin hospital gown, sending chills to his bones. He stripped the drunken man of his coat and shoes, put them on, and started walking towards the gas station.

The drunken man had already woken up. Although his chest and head took a few heavy hits, he was physically strong and managed to shakily get up on his own.

Seeing himself stripped by an Asian kid, the drunken man cursed at Zhou Qingfeng's back, "Fuck you!"

Zhou Qingfeng had just finished putting on the clothes and was planning to head to the gas station for some food. Hearing this, he stopped in his tracks and turned around coldly.

The next second, with a "bang," the revolver spat out a flash of fire. The drunken man's head exploded instantly, blood mist spreading in the night, and his body collapsed limply. Th&is c&h^apte.r$ was ma@de p&oss#i#ble by the c$ommu^n^i&t-y* at MV-|L#E&M.|PY*R.

At that moment, a piercing roar came from behind.

Holy Light I's eight electric engines suddenly started remotely, unleashing a violent whirlwind at ground level.

Zhou Qingfeng, caught off guard, staggered a few steps, quickly retreating.

When he abruptly turned around, he saw the aircraft wobble as it took off, the body cutting a curve through the night sky before vanishing into the darkness, disappearing without a trace.

He stood in place, watched the aircraft leave, and questions filled his mind, "Who's controlling this thing?"

Relying on its last bit of power, Holy Light I flew another forty or fifty kilometers before finally landing in another deserted suburban area.

The wheelchair-bound Gray Shark slowly approached the stopped aircraft, pushed open the hatch, and peeked inside to find it completely empty with not a single shadow in sight.

He was stunned for a few seconds before letting out a strange cry, "Did something supernatural happen? Where is that kid? Was he kidnapped? Or did he return to the future?!"

-----------------

The night wind was chilly, carrying a tinge of ocean moisture, blowing across the desolate highway at the edge of Clayvin Town.

The gas station squatted alone by the roadside like an abandoned lighthouse.

Dim light leaked from the convenience store's glass windows, casting mottled shadows on the pothole-filled asphalt, flickering unsteadily.

Wrapped in the jacket stripped from the drunken man, Zhou Qingfeng trudged towards this "island in the dark" in worn-out sneakers, stepping on the creaking gravel.

The intense hunger clawed at his stomach like a dull knife, twisting and turning.

He pushed open the glass door of the convenience store, and the doorframe's bell jingled. A warm blast mixed with the greasy smell of fries and the bitterness of cheap coffee greeted him.

Inside, rows of shelves gleamed under fluorescent lights, filled with colorful goods: brightly colored candies, shiny potato chips, and cans of cheap food.

Zhou Qingfeng grabbed a plastic basket by the door, heading straight for the food section, picking out high-calorie items first.

Hard whole-wheat bread, savory beef jerky, thick salad dressing, and energy drinks from the freezer, their bottles cold and dotted with condensation.

He mechanically stuffed about ten items into the basket, but when his fingers touched a bag of peanut butter, he suddenly sensed something odd.

The innermost shelves of the convenience store were askew, as if something heavy had crashed into them. Bags of chips were crushed to pieces, scattered everywhere. A few cans of peas and corn rolled into the corners, their bodies dented.

The air was filled with a faint, yet familiar smell of gunpowder, acrid and recognizable.