Floating in the infinite expanse of space, bathed in the intense solar radiation, Zhou Yi felt immense satisfaction, both physically and mentally.
The indescribable comfort was like soaking in a hot spring after a long day. If the Dawn-I energy panel weren't constantly showing an energy overflow and issuing warnings, he might have drifted off to sleep.
A message from Medusa soon interrupted his peace.
"Sir, there's been a bank robbery in the Manhattan district. I think you need to take a look."
"Medusa, it's just a robbery. The Police can handle such a minor matter," Zhou Yi replied impatiently. He didn't want to be a full-time Superman, intervening in every small incident. Doing so would only waste his time and incur resentment by taking away the police's livelihood.
"Sir, these robbers have very powerful firepower, and they have hijacked a bus transporting elementary school children. The Police can only contain them, and there have been significant casualties."
This situation immediately warranted his attention. "Tell me their location."
"The target is heading towards the Brooklyn Bridge. They are expected to be surrounded by the Police in five minutes and seventeen seconds."
Zhou Yi said no more and plunged directly into the atmosphere, becoming a crimson streak of fire against the sky.
A yellow school bus was careening wildly across the Brooklyn Bridge, trailed by five or six police cars with blaring sirens. Under the police chase, the bus became even more frantic, crashing into everything in its path.
Though this reckless behavior slowed the bus, the police couldn't close the gap. Every time they got too close, one or two masked individuals leaned out of the windows and sprayed a burst of automatic rifle fire. The sound of children's screams coming from inside the bus made it clear the robbers held hostages. The police, wisely, retreated outside the safety line.
The bus finally halted precisely in the middle of the bridge, blocked by a successful police roadblock ahead.
"Bal, what's going on?" shouted a masked robber, the boss, while firing his M4A1.
"Damn Police, boss, they've blocked the road ahead. This bus can't get through," shouted the skinny robber driving the bus, now firing his rifle forward.
A stalemate formed. The robber boss impatiently turned, then dragged a pale, bleeding middle-aged female driver to the bus door and shouted outside.
"You idiot Police, listen to me! I give you five minutes to clear a path for me. Otherwise, I'll start killing hostages. This pal will be the first. Then, every minute, I'll kill one child. There are over twenty children here. Think carefully."
A tough-looking middle-aged police officer with a megaphone responded: "Robbers on the other side, listen up! I am Director Stacy of the New York Police Department. You are surrounded, and there is no escape. The rapid response unit is already en route. I order you to surrender immediately, or else..."
Before he could finish, a burst of bullets swept over. Director Stacy immediately dropped to the ground. An officer crept over and asked, "Director, what do we do now?"
Stacy knew hijacking over twenty children was a critical situation, but the robbers' fierce, professional firepower left him with no good solution. He learned from his subordinates that the robbers were likely ex-military and their snipers couldn't guarantee a clean kill.
"So, what I hate most are pals who are more professional with guns than the Police," Stacy cursed, attempting to appease the robbers. "Hey! Pal, it's not easy to clear a path now. Give me a little more time."
The robber boss, however, spotted the snipers on the bridge and erupted in fury. "Damn it, you're stalling for time!" He raised his gun and fired at the police.
"Don't fire, don't fire!" Stacy yelled, terrified of accidental hostage injury.
Despite the order, a sniper on the bridge chose to fire, exercising his independent authority. The robber boss instinctively dodged, the bullet grazing his shoulder, but the female hostage broke free and scrambled toward the police line.
Enraged, the robbers began indiscriminate shooting. The female hostage was immediately shot through the thigh by a stray bullet and fell, bleeding heavily, still far from the police line. The robber boss, noticing the fallen hostage, aimed his gun at her.
"No, please, let me go..." the hostage pleaded.
The robber coldly pulled the trigger. A gunshot rang out, and Director Stacy closed his eyes in pain.
But a sudden air pressure and strong wind forced him to open his eyes again.
"My God, what in the world is this?"
In the middle of the confrontation, a translucent, distorted light shield suddenly enveloped the fallen hostage. Bullets stopped at the shield's edge, frozen in mid-air. Above the shield, a figure in full black armor floated, arms crossed, slowly descending.
"What the hell is this?" thought both the police and the robbers.
The figure, Zhou Yi in the Dawn-I nanometal armor, landed. Medusa's internal medical scanner provided an instant assessment: "Sir, this lady has a penetrating wound in her arm, a ruptured left femoral artery, and shrapnel remaining. Immediate transport to an aid station is recommended."
Zhou Yi picked up the stunned hostage and walked directly toward the police line. He walked, rather than flew or ran, to avoid alarming the police and drawing fire.
"Don't fire, let him through!" Stacy shouted, and the police cooperatively lowered their guns.
As Andrew delivered the hostage, Director Stacy approached. "Who are you?"
"Director Stacy, who I am is not important. You can consider me a knight who upholds chivalry and is also a kind-hearted knight who happened to be passing by. I think in this situation, you need my help."
"I will not seek help from a pal who doesn't even dare to show his face."
"Then the situation will only get worse, sir. Since you are at your wit's end, why not leave it to me? I will save these children." Andrew turned and walked toward the bus.
Stacy gave the order: "Damn it, pass on the order. Pay attention to the safety of the hostages. No shooting without my command. Now we can only rely on this pal."
As Andrew slowly approached, the robber boss swallowed hard. He shouted, "Strange pal, stop right there."
Zhou Yi continued his steady advance. Under immense psychological pressure, the robbers opened fire, aiming at him.
The firepower of three automatic rifles swept over his body. Sparks flew, and the bullets visibly either bounced off or deformed into metal fragments and fell to the ground. The armor remained pristine, and the impact had no effect on Andrew's speed.
"Damn it, what kind of monster is this?" The robber boss's eyelids trembled.
"Boss, what do we do? Bullets can't penetrate this pal," the other two robbers shouted in panic.
"Bal, hold him off. Andrew, come with me to the back to get the gear." The boss threw his weapon to Bal and rushed to the back of the bus with the third robber.
Zhou Yi continued his unhurried approach, essentially strolling through a hail of bullets. He was deliberately moving slowly to conserve energy and, more importantly, to avoid the collateral damage that supersonic speed would cause to the children (like sound barriers and wind pressure).
He soon approached within two hundred feet of the bus. At that moment, the robber boss leaned out of the back door, holding a PG (likely an RPG/Rocket Launcher).
"Monster, die!" The boss screamed and pulled the trigger. A 40mm rocket, trailing a fiery plume, flew straight toward Andrew.
Zhou Yi extended his hand. The rocket was caught precisely in his grasp. A bright flash of fire erupted, followed by a deafening explosion. The resulting airflow stirred up debris and shook the bus. The rocket had exploded in his hand.
Seeing the massive explosion, the robbers breathed a sigh of relief and lowered their guns, believing Andrew was blown to pieces. The police gaped, some crossing themselves.
But things always take turns beyond normal human imagination.