(It must be connected to that person!) This thought flashed through Xiao Yi's mind when he heard the news.

After learning that one of his guardians had been killed, Xiao Yi's face lit up with excitement. It was as if he had lost a breadcrumb but caught a fat mouse. He leaned in and whispered to Huo Li, "That person must be testing the connection between me and the guardians. After all, barely anyone knows what we've been doing in the Mechanical World. Huo Li, did you manage to see their face through the eyes of the Guardian before it sacrificed itself?"

Floating beside the black-haired youth, Huo Li was fully engrossed in the enigmatic discussions of the world leaders he was controlling remotely. Whether out of respect for Earth or a resurgence of his self-loathing, he chose not to dominate humanity outright but instead relied on the combined intelligence of the 3,000 Xiao Yi Army as 'signal transmitters' to manipulate the officials attending the global video conference. Even so, the task was mentally demanding—diplomatic negotiations often involved some of the most complex and nuanced language imaginable.

It wasn't until Xiao Yi had been silent for a while that Huo Li found a moment to respond briefly, "I didn't see anything."

Seeing that Huo Li was preoccupied, the youth didn't press further. Instead, he opened his smart brain to check the status of other ability users. Four SSS-level and twenty SS-level saviors were marked as 'In a meeting,' indicated by small yellow characters beside their numbers. Meanwhile, Programmer, Architect, and Xiao Yi, who were busy with construction work, were labeled as 'Busy' in red. Xu Yuncheng, who was still maintaining his time-delay ability, was marked as 'Working' in orange.

The remaining 2,400 or so taskers were marked 'Available' in green. Feeling justified after his earlier ordeal, Xiao Yi broadcasted an urgent group message: "One of my Guardian was killed by an unidentified enemy during the mission! Anyone receiving this message, report to me immediately!"

Saviors scattered across the square and outside the Great Hall grumbled, but they obeyed the command issued by zz2d14, one of the ten decision-makers for the Earth mission, and gathered as instructed.

Under the streetlights in the square, the black-haired boy addressed the crowd. "One of my Guardians was slain during the mission. Whoever did it couldn't have been an ordinary human! I've called you here to discuss your activities over the past ten minutes. Since there are no ability users among Earthlings, and Earth lacks the technology to establish teleportation nodes due to their anti-tech ideology, I suspect…"

"You're doubting us?" An SS-level ability user interrupted indignantly, feeling that the young man was insulting him. "We were all sent by the Main System to save Earth. Who would waste their time killing your Guardian? You're throwing around baseless accusations!"

"Humans on Earth also possess thermal weapons," another tasker in the front row remarked calmly. "It's possible that an ordinary person panicked upon seeing a 'monster' and fired a weapon. Alternatively, it could have been an act by Earth's anti-paranormal organization. We can't be certain at this point."

However, Xiao Yi was firm. "Impossible! Each of my guardians possesses immense combat strength. Even an A-level savior from the Salvation Alliance would struggle against one of them, let alone an ordinary human! My 3,000 guardians are critical to constructing the insulation layer. Every loss is irreplaceable, so we must investigate thoroughly! I suspect there are saviors acting against humanity hiding among us."

"Zz2d14, are you unaware that our every move is monitored by the Main System?" An elder spoke, clearly treating Xiaoyi as an inexperienced rookie. "Do you think the system in your head is only for calculating points and shopping? Everything we do is transmitted to the Salvation Alliance and monitored in real-time. Even whispering something against it won't escape its notice. Your theory about saviors killing your Guardian is absurd!"

His words unsettled nearly a quarter of the saviors, who began to murmur among themselves, their faces turning pale. Those who had committed minor but questionable acts broke out in a cold sweat.

Xiao Yi dismissed the sensitive topic of surveillance and stated firmly, "I'm certain that an ordinary Earthling couldn't have killed my Guardian. The remaining 2,999 are crucial to saving the world! Investigating this shouldn't be difficult—just account for your movements over the past ten minutes. Unless, of course, someone has something to hide!"

Faced with such a direct challenge, no one dared to refute him. Just as an SSS-level tasker in the front was about to speak and end this farce, a familiar voice came from the crowd.

"Xiao Yi, we're in the heart of Z Country's capital. If your Guardian was killed, there should be surveillance footage nearby," Xu Yun Cheng suggested. "Checking the cameras would be simpler than interrogating everyone. If the footage doesn't reveal anything, we can investigate further among the saviors."

His words immediately eased the tense atmosphere. As a veteran savior of the Salvation Alliance, Xu Yun Cheng's opinions carried weight. Someone quickly used their smart brain to contact the local authorities, and Xiao Yi nodded in agreement.

Given the importance of constructing the insulation layer, Z-Country's government seemed even more anxious about the incident than Xiao Yi himself. Within minutes, surveillance footage was obtained and transferred to the small conference room in the hall. The Earth's outdated computers couldn't connect directly to the taskers' advanced devices, so hundreds of saviors crammed into the room to watch the playback on a projector.

At the front, Xiao Yi stood holding Huo Li by a chain, resembling a balloon. He stared intently at the screen while Huo Li seemed distracted, flapping his wings without focus, which caused the ceiling lights to sway. Fortunately, his silver mask concealed his expression; otherwise, everyone might have thought this Guardian was experiencing a mental lapse.

The human assistant on the side seemed eager but nervous about addressing such influential figures. Speaking quickly, he said, "As soon as we received the report that one of the Alliance's Guardians had been killed, we immediately organized an investigation team to visit the scene. We retrieved surveillance footage from 16 cameras in the area. According to our country's experts, three of these cameras clearly captured the attack on the Guardian. Of course, the final judgment is yours."

At first, the youth was worried that the overpowered black silk alien under Huo Li's control might draw unnecessary suspicion or envy. But as the assistant spoke, Xiao Yi realized something felt off. How could the footage of a Guardian working four stories high on the insulation layer be captured so clearly by three different cameras simultaneously?

Just as Xiao Yi began to process this discrepancy, the staff finished setting up the projector and started playing the much-anticipated 'Guardian's murder scene.'

The video depicted the rear entrance of an ancient palace. The camera was positioned at an angle above and to the west of the gate, capturing a diagonal view of the scene. A few seconds in, the white stone bricks at the palace entrance suddenly cracked, along with the ground beneath them, creating a half-meter-wide hole. A metallic cylinder fell from the sky and embedded itself neatly into the ground. Moments later, a guardian appeared in the frame, its wings fluttering. It landed beside the cylinder, holding a set of metal bracket parts, and began to skillfully install them.

As the Guardian expertly pressed the hexagonal brackets into place, the taskers in the room held their breath one by one. The Earth's assistant stood stiffly, visibly tense, waiting for the 'powerful enemy' to strike. But nothing happened.

The Guardian, who bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Yi, continued its work diligently. It crouched in an 'Asian squat'* to fasten a third bracket when the video reached the two-thirds mark. Still, no assailant appeared.

Suddenly, an old man in a coat walking his dog appeared on the screen. Even in the silent video, it was clear that the white Pekingese he held on a leash was barking incessantly at the unfamiliar creature, the Guardian. The old man's expression shifted between wariness and astonishment as he stared at the winged figure. After a moment's hesitation, he weighed his options: should he call the police on his cell phone or take matters into his own hands? In the end, he chose the latter.

Rolling up his sleeves, the old man picked up a brick lying on the side of the road and struck the Guardian on the back of the head just as it was crouching to tighten a screw.

The black-haired youth stared at the screen in disbelief. (It was taken down by a brick?)

The video ended, leaving the room engulfed in silence. Each tasker wore an odd expression—some struggling to suppress laughter, others too stunned to speak. Finally, the elder who had clashed with Xiao Yi earlier broke the silence with a sarcastic remark.

"What a formidable guardian! Do you think that an elderly man walking a dog is a secret member of the Salvation Alliance?"

Xiao Yi flushed slightly but kept his composure, glaring at Huo Li, who was still absentmindedly flapping his wings like a fool.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Xu Yun Cheng stepped forward to mediate. "Now that the matter has been clarified, let's get back to filling out the ability registration forms. The task of saving Earth can't be delayed. We must allocate the most suitable roles for everyone as quickly as possible to ensure the preservation of Earth's civilization."

His authoritative tone successfully dispelled the tension in the room. The taskers, out of respect for Xu Yuncheng's status as a veteran, nodded and began filing out of the conference room.

However, the savior, who felt insulted by Xiaoyi's earlier accusations, couldn't resist a final jab as he passed. "Since our esteemed decision-maker zz2d14 isn't requiring us to report our whereabouts anymore, I'll be going. But if another of your 'powerful' guardians gets itself into trouble, don't drag us into it again!"

"Wait!" Xiaoyi called out abruptly, stopping everyone in their tracks. "Where did that brick come from? This is the entrance to one of Z Country's most famous ancient landmarks. Why would there be a loose brick lying around?"

The people who were just about to leave the door suppressed their impatience and stopped again, waiting for the youth's final struggle.

"Well..." the assistant began hesitantly, his nervousness increasing under the gaze of a hundred saviors. "Our criminal investigators have already looked into it. The lawn outside the surveillance area is currently being renovated with fence bricks. It seems one of them may have been left behind during construction earlier today. The technical team has confirmed that the brick used to kill the Guardian matches the batch of bricks used in the daytime construction work."

The room grew even more awkward. Even the elder who had clashed with Xiao Yi earlier seemed at a loss for words, muttering irritably, "For the record, the Guardian in question is a private creation of savior 2d14, not an official asset of the alliance."

As the crowd dispersed, Xu Yun Cheng lingered briefly, glancing thoughtfully at Xiao Yi before leaving with the others. The room was soon empty except for the black-haired boy, Huo Li—still aimlessly flapping his wings—and the secretary standing on the side.

The secretary, realizing the potential discomfort of the situation, summoned his courage to speak. "Um... Comrade 2d14...”

Xiao Yi's expression darkened at the title, but the secretary pressed on, determined to finish his report.

"Comrade 2d14, the suspect responsible for killing your Guardian, Mr. Liu, has been detained in accordance with the law. We also have a live interrogation feed available. Would you like to review it?"

Without waiting for a response, the secretary quickly pulled up the video feed. On the screen, a portly older man in handcuffs sat in the interrogation room, looking remorseful.

"Officer, I swear, I didn't know it was one of those gods from the Alliance! If I'd known it was an alien friend here to help us, I wouldn't have thrown a brick at it! We all need to coexist peacefully with our alien friends, right?"

"You asked me to describe what happened? Of course, I'll gladly cooperate. Typically, my eyesight is decent, but the area was so dark that I couldn't clearly see what was going on. I noticed a winged creature crouching against the wall, moving its back as if it were up to something suspicious. My little pet wouldn't stop growling at it. At first, I thought it was a monster attacking someone! I know it sounds absurd to believe in monsters, but at that moment..."

Xiaoyi interrupted, his tone sharp. "That's enough. This was clearly a misunderstanding. The old man didn't mean any harm. Let him go."

He turned to the secretary and added, "Convey this to your superiors: the guardians are a type of ability manifestation, not living beings. Mr. Liu did not break any laws."

Before the secretary could respond, the youth spun on his heel and left the room, dragging Huo Li along with him. He walked through the corridors until he reached a secluded hallway.

Big boss Huo Li was deeply engrossed in the intricate arrangements of speeches from various countries at the summit. The complex web of national interests, diplomatic subtleties, and power plays demanded his full attention. When the short meeting finally concluded, he managed to disentangle himself from these 'national affairs' and turned his attention back to his surroundings.

What greeted him was the sight of his 'little boyfriend' glaring at him with barely concealed fury, his teeth clenched tightly.

Through their mental link, Xiao Yi growled, "Huo Li! We need to have a good talk!"

Huo Li quickly used his mental power to explain, "Xiao Yi, don't be fooled by appearances! Based on the final information transmitted back by the Guardian, Mr. Liu isn't the murderer at all. The real culprit is likely connected to 'that person!'"

The black-haired boy replied angrily, "Nonsense! Even though I was disconnected from the Guardian, I already knew that Mr. Liu wasn't the real culprit—and I know who 'that person' is! Do you really think I need you to tell me?"

Huo Li blinked in surprise. "You've figured out who that person is! Who is it?"

"Stop interrupting!" Xiao Yi snapped, his anger spilling over. "We have a bigger issue to address right now! Why have you turned the guardians, whom I painstakingly designed to be wise and brilliant, into a bunch of dim-witted fools?!"