Chapter 126: Artificial Soul 53
Red was working hard to set up a new branch, as the old outposts had essentially been cleansed by the Investigation Bureau. Every detail, from location to decoration, required his careful consideration.
The Bartender eagerly suggested, “How about we get an underground bar, too?”
Red replied, “…The organization requires priority.”
The Bartender felt disheartened, regretting that he had followed Red back to Hei Hai City instead of going with the main force to the new territory. Who knows, the boss might have generously given him a new bar.
Red rolled his eyes at his partner but was secretly relieved.
It was a good thing they hadn’t gone to Headquarters; it was a good thing he stayed in Hei Hai City. From a developmental perspective, staying at Headquarters could lead to greater use, but Red had no such ambitions.
Being around Kui Haidong and Night Cicada made him feel uneasy, fearful that any misstep would alert “it” to something being off. Carrying a secret didn’t feel good; although he already held secrets, this one buried deep in his heart was different from the others—it was too significant.
Significant enough to overturn human understanding; significant enough to potentially shake the world ruled by humans.
When Kui Haidong sent Red off, he asked whom he wanted as a deputy. Red thought for a moment and chose the Bartender and Silverface.
He had partnered with the Bartender for many years; they had a good rapport. He knew the Bartender didn’t care about his status in Mechanized Dawn, and out of camaraderie, he decided to help him escape from the dark vortex. As for why he chose Silverface… it was because the guy was simple, easy to handle, had strong combat capabilities, and was obedient.
In addition to the Bartender and Silverface, Kui Haidong also assigned a new member to Red, saying, “Codename Nightingale. Her abilities are similar to Night Cicada’s, but at a lower level. She’s just been promoted to Grade B, with a maximum range of spatial teleportation of 1.8 kilometers, which is sufficient within Hei Hai City. She will report to you from now on.”
Red calmly accepted this new member, though he was internally cautious.
Where did this “new member” come from? Most likely, it’s the result of the organization’s human experiments, and this new member was probably a clone like Silverface, with her prototype potentially being Night Cicada.
However, when Red met Nightingale, he was taken aback.
Nightingale was a woman. He had misheard “Nightingale” as “Night Hawk”…
Artificial beings and their prototypes must be of the same gender, so Nightingale wasn’t an artificial being—she might be a relative of Night Cicada?
Red had to seriously consider the possibility that Night Cicada had a sister or an already adult daughter. However, such speculation seemed unfounded; Mechanized Dawn might have created a batch of artificial embryos using Night Cicada’s genes combined with those of others, and after the embryos were matured, Nightingale was born?
Regardless, having a more capable subordinate was a good thing; at least spatial abilities would be quite useful when running for cover.
With a belly full of confusion, Red brought his three teammates to Hei Hai City.
Hei Hai City was his base for years, and he knew this city very well, so it didn’t take long for him to choose a luxurious casino close to the city center. They then found the casino owner and planted a red hidden worm on him.
This type of worm could essentially be produced in small batches; its only drawback was that its depletion phase came too quickly—another had to be planted within a month, and it needed time to burrow into the brain to exert control.
With everything ready, the Hei Hai City branch of Mechanized Dawn would soon be on the right track.
Red thought for a moment and messaged Kui Xin: “Lady Fortune, the branch address is confirmed; come by when you have time.”
He quickly received a reply from Kui Xin: “I know. Silverface told me not long ago.”
Red: “…?”
He slapped his forehead, easily imagining Silverface eagerly reporting to her, “I’m back! With Red! We can partner up again!”
…
Kui Xin left the staff apartment at eight o’clock in the evening and arrived at the designated location to wait.
According to past custom, at the agreed-upon time, Night Cicada would open a spatial vortex to transport her to the destination.
She felt a little curious. Was Night Cicada also lingering in Hei Hai City? Otherwise, why would she follow the old method of picking her up instead of letting her go directly to the branch?
At eight ten, a dark blue spatial vortex appeared not far from where Kui Xin stood.
For some reason, the size of this spatial vortex seemed a bit different from previous times.
She pushed aside her doubts and walked into the vortex, but found herself not at the branch, but in a strange alley, standing in the dim light beside an unfamiliar woman.
“Ability… spatial vortex, Grade B…” The Investigative Eye scanned the woman’s extraordinary abilities, and Kui Xin became immediately alert.
The woman then spoke in a voice altered from behind a modulation: “I am Nightingale, here to escort you.”
“Nightingale?” Kui Xin scrutinized her. “Red didn’t tell me.”
“Perhaps he was too busy. The newly taken over casino has many areas needing adjustment,” Nightingale said in a flat tone. “I am a new recruit; it’s normal for you not to recognize me. If you have any doubts, you can contact Red.”
Nightingale was tall, dressed similarly to Night Cicada, wearing tactical boots and a black bulletproof combat suit with light armor protecting key areas. Her head was fully covered by a helmet, leaving no part of her face exposed.
Kui Xin compared Nightingale’s physical dimensions and found that she was roughly the same height as herself. From her leg and arm measurements, it could be inferred that she had muscle. Moreover, her posture was very upright, suggesting she’d undergone good training, unlike Night Cicada’s frail type.
Kui Xin remained still and contacted Red. About ten seconds later, Red picked up the call and quickly gave her an affirmative response.
Reassured, she hung up and nodded at Nightingale.
Nightingale raised her right hand, and another spatial vortex opened beside her, with a detached tone, she said, “Please, step in.”
Her abilities likely couldn’t achieve long-distance spatial teleportation like Night Cicada’s, so she had to segmentally open the vortex.
Kui Xin followed Nightingale into the deep blue vortex.
After three consecutive jumps, Kui Xin’s feet landed on a soft carpet. She looked up and was blinded by the dazzling opulence of gold.
Everywhere her eyes reached was gold—gold-patterned wallpaper, shimmering metal chandeliers, gold silk-decorated furniture and sofas, heavy gold-colored curtaining, and even the carpet beneath her feet was gold.
Kui Xin: “…”
“Welcome, Lady Fortune,” Red said as he sat on the sofa, nodding at Kui Xin. “Please, take a seat.”
Red was dressed in a blood-red suit, the only object in the room that was a different color.
Noticing the unexplainable expression on Kui Xin’s face, he spread his hands. “Don’t look at me like that; I didn’t choose this décor. The casino owner decorated it this way.”
As he spoke, Silverface carelessly pushed open the room door and bounced in cheerfully, “I’m here, I’m here! Long time no see!”
Kui Xin remarked, “It’s only been a day or two, right?”
Silverface plopped down on the sofa next to Kui Xin. “Isn’t that a long time?”
The Bartender walked in beaming, holding a tray full of drinks. He poured one for Kui Xin, one for Red, and then completely ignored Nightingale and Silverface, pouring himself the last drink.
“This bar’s owner is incredibly wealthy; the underground storage has a lot of good liquor. It’d be a waste not to drink it,” the Bartender said.
Silverface eagerly chimed in, “What about mine? Everyone else has one.”
“Get lost,” the Bartender said gloomily. “Last time I made you a drink, you said it burned your throat. A kid who doesn’t understand liquor should stick to orange juice.”
Silverface pointed at the silent Nightingale: “What about her?”
“She doesn’t take off her helmet; she can’t drink,” the Bartender shrugged.
Nightingale called out softly, “I’m going to rest. Call me if you need anything.”
A spatial vortex opened behind her. She took two steps back and vanished into it, the vortex closing behind her.
Kui Xin turned to Red, “What’s her deal?”
Red understood her question and said, “She was sent by the boss, not much to ask.”
“We’re all guessing what her relationship with Night Cicada is. They have the same abilities, but hers are at a lower level,” the Bartender remarked. “Night Cicada couldn’t have fathered such a large daughter; he doesn’t seem like someone who would have family.” He poured himself more drink. “Most people in Mechanized Dawn are solitary, right? I’m really curious about her abilities; her physical fitness doesn’t seem quite like Night Cicada’s. She has a weakened version of his powers but lacks his flaws…”
Most members of Mechanized Dawn had discerning eyes; after a while, Night Cicada’s secret would be hard to keep hidden. A person trained professionally walked differently and exuded a different aura than someone untrained, making distinctions easy.
Red coughed, “Alright, gossiping behind people’s backs isn’t good. Let’s not discuss Night Cicada anymore.”
The Bartender had no respect for Night Cicada, saying, “He’s not even here.”
Silverface raised his hand, “Nightingale is so cold and rarely speaks. She never responds when I talk. She must have some issues with me, but I don’t know when I offended her; I’ve never even met her.”
“She treats everyone like that,” the Bartender said.
Red spoke slowly, “She… is a bit like you, Lady Fortune.”
Kui Xin raised an eyebrow, “Hmm?”
“I mean her personality,” Red elaborated. “Quiet and aloof.”
Silverface eagerly rebutted, “Not at all! Lady Fortune isn’t like her at all; Nightingale just doesn’t want to talk to us… Plus, I don’t think Lady Fortune is a cold person.”
Red just smiled.
“Anyway, let’s not reject the new member too much; we’ll be executing tasks together in the future, so we should communicate openly and avoid conflicts.” He concluded, “From today, we’ll be working with Nightingale for a long time…”
After all, one cannot trust someone they have conflicts with; it’s better to avoid generating conflicts when possible.
