Chapter 15: Sea Without Light 15
“What are you holding?” Silverface looked puzzled at the glass jar tucked under Kui Xin’s arm.
“Tea sent by a colleague,” Kui Xin said as she leaned against the door frame to change her shoes.
“Did you manage to infiltrate and gain their trust?” Silverface asked with interest.
Kui Xin casually placed the goji berry and jujube tea jar in the kitchen. “Don’t pry; I have no obligation to report to you.”
“Alright then,” Silverface replied. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
Because you talk too much… Kui Xin thought.
“I was busy with teammates around,” she made up an excuse.
Silverface paused, then dully pulled a metallic sphere from his pocket and tossed it to her. “This is the intel I gathered today… The good news is I hacked into the Coastal Security Office’s network and stole some data; the bad news is I accidentally broke the data reader, so it can only view now, not read. It has nearly a month’s worth of personnel movement at the port. Take a look.”
“Not bad, efficient,” Kui Xin said coolly as she praised him. “Do we have a spare data reader?”
“No, we need to go back to the Command Center’s lab for a replacement, and other gear needs updating too,” Silverface said tiredly.
Command Center? Kui Xin recalled reading about the lab on the third floor of the Rick Technology Company, which could provide tech support for mission executors. If the data reader is a tech product, could Silverface be referring to the Rick Technology Company’s lab?
The Investigation Bureau usually closes at six-thirty, and Kui Xin got home a bit earlier today. Her wristband showed it was seven forty.
“Let’s eat,” Silverface said. “I bought meat, it’s so expensive; synthetic meat is cheap but tastes terrible…”
Does this guy even know what’s tasty? Kui Xin couldn’t help but glance over.
Silverface was not picky; he could finish a terrible meal. He devoured the plain boiled noodles she made, so Kui Xin assumed he lacked the ability to discern the taste of food.
Feeling hungry herself, Kui Xin went into the kitchen to cook.
Silverface sat at the dining table, his light pink eyes focused intently on her as she filled water and lit the stove, like a cat waiting for its owner to open a can of meat, mixing seriousness with a hint of urgency.
“Did you receive any messages?” Kui Xin asked suddenly, facing away from him.
Silverface thought for a second before responding, “Are you talking about Red?”
“Yes,” Kui Xin stared at the boiling water in the pot, waiting for him to continue.
“I did,” Silverface said dispassionately. “He’s always like this—waits until the meeting is about to start to notify everyone, saying he’s afraid the information will leak to the adversary if there’s too long of a delay… He’s just like you, overly cautious and suspicious all the time.”
Kui Xin shifted her thoughts and intentionally replied, “So, this is your impression of Red.”
“You’re not planning to speak ill of him, are you?” Silverface asked warily.
“Do I look like I have that kind of free time?” Kui Xin said.
Silverface looked at her for a moment, confirming she had no intention of reporting him and said, “It’s much better working under you than under him. When he assigns me tasks, I’m guaranteed to be too busy to eat.”
Kui Xin replied, “So your logic is that since I provide food here, you think I’m better, is that right?”
Silverface said, “…You could say that?”
Got it, he’s a freeloader. Kui Xin was convinced.
After dinner, it was custom for Silverface to clean the kitchen.
As Kui Xin returned to her room to review the data, she instructed, “Please help me water the flowers after you’re done; they’re wilting. The living room floor needs mopping, too; you can mop it. With such extraordinary abilities, it’d be a waste not to mop. Remember to check the time; let me know when it’s time to leave.”
“…You’re just like Red, a true taskmaster!” Silverface grumbled as he washed the dishes.
The only response he received was the sound of a door closing.
Kui Xin laid on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She used to be teammates with Red; that was unexpected intel. To what extent had Red’s relationship with her come? How much did he understand her?
From Silverface’s description, Red was overly cautious; would he notice anything unusual?
Tonight’s trip to the Ruby Red Bar might be full of danger.
Leaning against her pillow, Kui Xin took out the data reader that Silverface had handed over and started reading through the intel.
This document contained detailed records of personnel data since the explosion at the port: who was listed as a suspect, who frequented the port, who was a member of the port gang, and who was a key surveillance target.
Suspects and key surveillance targets were marked in red, witnesses and persons of interest were in yellow, while those slightly connected to the explosion but with less suspicion were marked in green.
The surveillance in Hei Hai City served as silent eyes, observing everyone and recording their information, which was aggregated to the Investigation Bureau. The super AI, Augus, would determine whether they were suspicious and needed tracking.
However, Hei Hai City also had its blind spots; the Investigation Bureau could not reach every corner.
Hei Hai City was distinctly divided into two parts—the glamorous, prosperous part and the decaying underbelly hidden beneath the glitz.
These two parts were contradictorily intertwined.
There was too much data, making it difficult for Kui Xin to analyze anything immediately. She put down the data reader, took out a textbook on criminal investigation techniques from Black Sea Academy, and began to study, hoping to refresh herself with something different.
Having just escaped the hell of high school, now she had to plunge back into the ocean of knowledge. The problem was, she had to learn this knowledge; as a security officer, not understanding criminal investigation theory would eventually expose her.
Gritting her teeth, she focused on her studies, while searching online for odd terms and the names of high-tech devices. Without searching, she couldn’t understand the terminology or the functions of those devices.
Time flew by while studying, and by eleven o’clock, her room door was knocked on.
“Time to head out,” Silverface said.
Kui Xin set her book down and found a black hoodie from her wardrobe to put on, then dug out a mask and windbreaker lenses to cover her face before walking out of her bedroom.
Silverface was already wearing his mask. “I know the surveillance locations. I’ll lead… Hey, what’s with that outfit?”
Kui Xin replied, “It makes it easier to avoid colleagues.”
“True, you’re a security officer now, so disguising is a must,” Silverface considered. “Just bear with the mask tonight; we’ll get you a custom one from the Command Center lab later.”
“Let’s go,” Kui Xin said.
Silverface walked over to the balcony. “We can jump down from here into a narrow alley; there’s no surveillance. We’ll take this route.”
No wonder he’s been sneaking in and out through the balcony. Kui Xin approached the window and looked down. The third floor was about ten meters high; jumping down from that height was quite dangerous.
“Can you manage?” Silverface crossed his arms. “Ordinary people without extraordinary abilities can’t jump down, right?”
Kui Xin glanced at the wall. An old water pipe was situated next to the window. With her body strength comparable to Bruce Lee’s, she believed she could take the risk.
“Don’t forget to close the window when you come down,” Kui Xin said as she stepped onto the windowsill, grasped the embedded pipe, and gracefully leaped down, using the pipe for a rapid descent to the first floor.
About two meters from the ground, she let go of the pipe and landed smoothly, the soft thud masked by the sound of rain.
Silverface didn’t need to use the pipe like Kui Xin; he was enveloped by water and directly jumped down from the third floor, the water cushioning his landing.
“I underestimated you,” Silverface said. “Let’s go.”
He forged ahead while Kui Xin followed closely.
Silverface intentionally didn’t slow down, testing if Kui Xin could keep up with him.
He stepped onto a garbage pile to vault over a low building, looking back at Kui Xin, only to see her easily follow suit by stepping on the trash pile as well. She placed her fingers on the edge of the rooftop, her powerful arms pushing her upwards with coordinated limbs allowing her to make the most precise movements.
Seeing her agile form, Silverface couldn’t help but feel inspired; he turned and leaped across the rooftops of two houses that weren’t too far apart.
Kui Xin followed closely, sprinting to jump across the three-meter gap between the houses, landing next to Silverface.
She raised an eyebrow. “Were you trying to compete with me in parkour?”
“Not at all,” Silverface quickly denied, feeling guilty. “Your physical fitness is comparable to some awakened ones.”
He was much more compliant after that, making his way on the ground through the narrow alley.
Half an hour later, Silverface stopped and pointed toward an alley flashing with colorful neon lights. “We’re here; the bar is just ahead. Let’s enter through the back door.”
The bar’s sign was extravagantly flashy, covered with bright colors and vulgar fluorescent graffiti, lacking any sense of style, making it feel tacky and far from what Kui Xin had imagined.
Even before stepping inside, the loud noise of cheering and music from within the bar could be heard.
After entering through the back door, a waiter approached them, holding a tray. “Tonight’s theme is a mask party; would you like to choose a mask, dear guest?”
Kui Xin was worried that the windbreaker lenses wouldn’t cover her forehead, so she chose a mask decorated with a spider pattern from the tray, turning her back to remove her windbreaker lenses and fastening the mask onto her face.
“Not taking off your mask?” Silverface murmured.
“Double insurance,” Kui Xin said.
She and Silverface made their way to the dance hall, where dancers moved energetically on the dance floor, while a few men in black pants exposing their thighs and muscular chests danced in a pole dance at the behest of the patrons.
The music was deafening, and Kui Xin dug at her ears, letting out an annoyed “tsk.”
A drunken muscular man approached her with a drink in hand, displaying his muscular tattooed arm, saying, “Hey, want to drink with me… hic! Have a drink!”
Kui Xin spent less than a second contemplating how to deal with this drunken man, but when his hand reached out inappropriately towards her, she abandoned thought altogether, landing a punch right on the man’s nose, knocking him out cold.
With blood gushing from his nose, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Having high physical combat skills was quite convenient; Kui Xin had learned how to use violence effectively.
No one noticed the little incident in the corner as Kui Xin stepped over the drunken man and moved to the bar.
The male bartender in uniform asked, “What would you like to drink, sweetheart?”
“One Deep Blue for me,” Kui Xin replied, using the code word.
“Sure,” the bartender said with a smile as he poured her a drink, whispering, “Sub-basement 206.”
“I’m really going deaf from the noise,” Silverface complained as he followed Kui Xin downstairs. “Why did we have to choose this place?”
“That’s a question for Red,” Kui Xin said, casually pouring out the drink and setting the cup down on a passing glass table.
Now she stood outside room 206. The sub-basement seemed to be used as a wine storage, with the music much quieter here, devoid of people coming and going, and no dazzling lights, just countless boxes of fragrant wine.
Kui Xin grasped the doorknob.
“Biometric information confirmed.”
The door opened.
As soon as she stepped inside, a voice with a mocking tone said, “You arrived too early; there are still half an hour until the meeting starts.”
A flamboyantly dressed man wearing a shiny purple suit was sitting at the end of the meeting room, diligently retouching his makeup with an eyeshadow palette. After finishing, he pouted at the mirror, seemingly pleased with his look.
Silverface appeared to be accustomed to the man’s behavior, casually walking over to the conference table and picking a seat to sit down.
“Red, do we have a spare data reader here?” Silverface got right to business.
Red turned to face him with a sassy message, brows knitting in irritation. “No, did you break another one? How many times do I have to tell you that thing isn’t cheap?”
“That’s an unavoidable task loss,” Silverface defended.
Kui Xin just casually took a seat, doing her best to appear natural.
Red lounged in his chair, raising an eyebrow at Kui Xin. “So, how is Silverface as a teammate?”
“Decent, but a bit slow,” Kui Xin stated her honest opinion.
Silverface looked aggrievedly at Kui Xin.
Taking his time, Red asked, “How’s the undercover life?” His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something further, but he paused, then said, “Almost forgot, you’re not using your old codename anymore… What’s your new codename?”
Kui Xin hesitated, “Lady Fortune.”
Red: “…?”
He assessed, “It’s hard to associate someone with such a comedian-like codename with you.”
Was the original persona that of a standard cold-hearted killer? Cold, meticulous, and efficient. Both Red and Silverface had assessed her using similar phrases.
Other task execution teams hadn’t arrived yet, and Red dramatically took out a bottle of perfume, spraying it on himself repeatedly. To be honest, the scent was not unpleasant, but Kui Xin, in a heightened state of tension, found the others’ leisurely demeanor irritating.
As he continued spraying, Red laid down the perfume and said in surprise, “Lady Fortune, how come you didn’t tell me to get lost when I was spraying perfume this time? Have you changed?”
He accepted her codename without issue, saying it out loud without hesitation.
Kui Xin, half-serious and half to align with her persona, retorted, “Your makeup is too ugly; I really didn’t want to talk to your face.”
Expecting Red to explode, she was surprised when he turned back, satisfied, to continue spraying. “That tone feels right.”
Kui Xin thought, Is this Red actually the kind of masochist who enjoys being insulted? What an eye-opener.
After finishing with the perfume, Red pulled out a small box and threw it toward Kui Xin. “Use this to talk; you still need to keep your identity secret in front of the organization members. Since you have a mask, I won’t give you a new one, just stick this voice changer to your throat.”
Kui Xin opened the box and applied the skin-colored voice changer to her throat, clearing her throat as her voice instantly changed completely.
Just as she adjusted the voice changer, the door swung open again, revealing a man and a woman.
The woman wore a revealing black leather skirt, her tanned skin nearly covered in tattoos, a thorny rose tattooed on her face that looked dangerous yet alluring. The man was bald, his head adorned with a snake tattoo, and he was immensely muscular; his arms were thicker than Kui Xin’s thighs. The man’s size took up two chairs at the conference table, which creaked under the burden.
“Dammit, how many times do I have to say it? Can’t we get a bigger chair? My ass is stuck!” the man complained loudly.
“Spare me; most people don’t have an ass like yours.” Red rolled his eyes.
“My ass is muscle, theirs is fat; of course, I have more muscle!” the man protested vehemently.
“Enough, Python. Shut it,” the tattooed woman said impatiently. “Behave yourself; stop talking about your butt.”
Red added without mercy, “The chairs in the meeting room are all the same size. If you don’t want to sit, just squat on the floor.”
The man, nicknamed Python, sulked in his chair. “Thorn Rose, it’s too much. If you won’t help me, at least don’t tell me to shut up… this chair really is too small.”
Thorn Rose replied, “If you say ‘butt’ one more time, I’ll pull yours out.”
Python shrank back, not daring to speak further.
Thorn Rose sized up Silverface and Kui Xin, then turned to Red. “You should introduce the new faces.”
“Silverface, you know him,” Red said, “The other one you also know. No need to mention her previous codename; she’s changed it. From now on, call her Lady Fortune.”
Thorn Rose frowned. “Lady Fortune?” She stared at Kui Xin thoughtfully, suddenly laughing. “So it’s you. You’ve kept your identity hidden—recognizing you is a bit difficult.”
Kui Xin shot Thorn Rose a cold glance, choosing not to respond.
Python, becoming impatient waiting for the meeting to start, pulled out a cigar, lit it, took a puff, and comfortably blew a smoke ring, the smoke wafting around.
Silverface raised his right hand and splashed a handful of water to extinguish Python’s cigar.
Python’s eyes widened as he was about to explode, but then he seemed to remember something, glancing over at Thorn Rose to hold his tongue and sit quietly.
At that moment, the meeting room door opened once more, and two boys entered… no, they were youths.
They were clearly young, and they looked exactly alike—twins. They walked in sync, their steps harmonized, even the motions of sitting down were synchronized.
They were very quiet. Upon entering the room, they didn’t greet anyone or make eye contact; they just lowered their heads and sat as if lost in their own world.
Lastly, a waiter-like man entered, pushing the door open. He elegantly adjusted his sleeves and bow tie, leisurely taking a seat. “The bar is doing well tonight; I almost didn’t want to leave the bar area.”
“While discussing important matters, spare us your love for mixing drinks,” Red said. “Alright, all four core teams have arrived. For some, it’s their first time meeting, so let’s introduce ourselves as per usual.”
The waiter-like man spoke first. “Codename ‘Bartender,’ partnered with Red.”
“Codename ‘Thorn Rose,’ my teammate is that bald guy,” Thorn Rose introduced.
Python declared, “I’m codename ‘Python,’ and I’m not bald, don’t mix me up!”
The identical twins looked up.
The boy on the right said, “I am ‘Ambereye.'”
“I am ‘Black Obsidian,'” the left twin followed, saying.
Finally, it was Kui Xin’s team’s turn to introduce themselves.
Silverface said, “Codename ‘Silverface.'”
“Lady Fortune,” Kui Xin said succinctly.
The Bartender looked at Silverface and seriously suggested, “You might want to change your codename to ‘Pretty Boy’; it would match perfectly with your teammate, Lady Fortune.”
Silverface took a moment to comprehend the joke.
Python, however, laughed boisterously, finally making Silverface realize the Bartender’s teasing was less than flattering. He quickly said, “I refuse; ‘Silverface’ is fine; I don’t want to change it.”
Thorn Rose gave him a disapproving look. “Is it still possible to switch partners? He’s too noisy.”
“That’s not an option, unfortunately; you two have been paired for a year now, and it would be a waste to switch.” Red casually examined his manicured nails. “When I have new recruits needing training, I can send one your way.”
“Fine,” Thorn Rose conceded reluctantly.
“Enough with the small talk,” Red said, straightening his expression. “Let’s begin the task meeting.”
He tapped the table, causing a small circular hole to open up, and a holographic projection device emerged.
As images shifted, a large map clearly appeared. A flashing red dot on the blue representing the ocean drew everyone’s attention, marked “Kraken,” with a red dashed line indicating the Kraken’s route.
“This cargo ship originates from Antarctica, making stops in White Whale City and Layton City. After a month of travel, it will enter the waters of Hei Hai City on August 11, where it will unload its cargo,” Red’s flamboyant face took on a serious expression. “The shipping company claims it carries clean energy combustible ice, but we all know that’s just a front.”
“We must do everything necessary to keep danger at bay. We cannot allow them to unload their cargo in Hei Hai City,” Red continued. “Intel from our informant on the ship suggests the Investigation Bureau’s Coastal Security Team will likely take over security for the ship before it reaches Hei Hai City. Given the heavy protection by the Investigation Bureau, blowing up the ship is unrealistic, so we should target the port instead. By destroying the ports in Hei Hai City, we’ll force Kraken to divert to other port cities.”
“The ports are too vast; we need to split up for the operation,” Thorn Rose stated. “Only Port Number 2 and Port Number Five can accommodate large cargo ships; the others are for small vessels. But even if we blow up Ports 2 and 5, we’ll still require a significant amount of explosives.”
“No need to worry about arms; the boss will handle that,” Red stated. “Today is July 30, and in these five days, your job is to collect data on the port structures and send the information back to headquarters. They will calculate the positions of the load-bearing pillars, and then we’ll install explosives on those pillars to carry out pinpoint detonations.”
The Bartender pondered, “It sounds simple, like just two steps… but the port is controlled by gangs and the Investigation Bureau, and both sides are in a tug-of-war.”
“This mission is extremely dangerous,” Amber said suddenly. “But we are all Awakened.”
“Port gangs are trivial; as long as the Investigation Bureau doesn’t deploy their Awakened, we can complete this mission,” Black Obsidian said. “Too bad that isn’t possible; their Awakened are not just for show.”
“That’s alright; we have Lady Fortune,” Red grinned at Kui Xin. “She’ll pass on any relevant movements from the Investigation Bureau, and you all just need to follow her instructions.”
“She’s an undercover? Lady Fortune is an undercover sent in by the organization?” Python turned to look over.
Thorn Rose interjected, “Don’t pry into what you shouldn’t; how many times do I have to tell you?”
The Bartender chuckled. “No wonder you’re wearing a mask…”
“The mask is just a personal preference of Lady Fortune and Silverface,” Red replied cryptically. “I never said Lady Fortune is an undercover, nor did I mention where the intel comes from, so don’t speculate recklessly, or trouble may come your way.”
Questions regarding Lady Fortune’s identity, whether the intel was firsthand or secondhand, whether she was a middleman or the direct source of information, and how to track and report movements were not matters for organization members to worry about.
The reason Red instructed Kui Xin to wear a mask and use the voice changer wasn’t due to distrust of the people in the meeting room. Instead, if they were caught while executing their mission, they could likely leak sensitive information unwillingly, making it imperative to maintain identity secrecy.
As an undercover, Kui Xin had the highest level of identity confidentiality, while the others didn’t need to be as cautious as her; tonight was essentially a “meet and greet” among strangers.
All the eyes in the conference room turned toward Kui Xin.
“Lady Fortune is the vice commander for this operation; if something happens on my side and I can’t contact you, follow Lady Fortune’s instructions. In terms of planning and decision-making, she is professional,” Red stated.
Kui Xin thought to herself, Wow, he really trusts me to assign this much responsibility.
She was just a novice who didn’t know any intel, relying solely on her acting skills and piecing together the limited information to survive until now.
At this point, Kui Xin had no choice but to feign control over the situation. “You all will report to me in addition to Red so that I can assess the situation.”
“Understood, Vice Commander,” Thorn Rose smiled at Kui Xin.
The others also agreed, indicating their willingness to follow her orders.
Kui Xin relaxed a bit. Between her consistent acting and having received no suspicion, she felt more secure. No one had seen through her disguise as an impostor.
She boldly issued commands that warranted reporting, with Red not refuting her and the others complying, which signaled that she could afford to relax a bit. Being the vice commander and giving instructions to the execution team was the most normal thing in the world.
Kui Xin could utilize reports from various execution teams to supplement her intel, deepen her understanding of Mechanized Dawn, and investigate the Kraken.
“Next is team assignments,” Red said. “I will work with the Bartender and the Amber-Black Obsidian team on gathering data and installing explosive devices at Port Number 2. The Lady Fortune-Silverface team will handle Port Number Five along with the Thorn Rose-Python team.”
“If any side encounters issues, the other must provide timely support. This may be the most dangerous mission we execute, so we need to be extra cautious. If anything feels off, report it immediately and relay any intel obtained as well.”
Silverface raised his hand. “This is the plan A for the mission, but there’s also a plan B. While completing plan A is great, we must prepare a backup.”
“Exactly; if plan A proceeds smoothly, we can blow the port by August 7. That leaves us three days to spare,” Red added. “If plan A doesn’t go smoothly, during those spare three days, we will execute plan B… and be prepared to make sacrifices.”
Silverface said, “I’m always prepared to sacrifice.”
“Don’t talk about sacrifice; the organization still needs you,” Red scanned the conference room. “Everyone present here is an invaluable asset to the organization. You all possess extraordinary abilities and excellent intellect; you are the core of the organization. Living means creating more value for our organization and fulfilling our great mission—keep this in mind.”
Red placed his hand over his heart, his flamboyantly made-up face unexpectedly sincere. “Everything for dawn.”
All replied in hushed tones, “Everything for dawn.”
Kui Xin blended in, murmuring “Everything for dawn” along with them.
Nonetheless, she felt goosebumps rise on her skin.
What is this, a cult recruitment meeting? Mechanized Dawn has such strong brainwashing abilities, making everyone so dutifully loyal and scrambling to offer their lifetimes to the organization; it’s unnerving.
If she had the ability in the future, she would certainly distance herself from Mechanized Dawn. Anyone who wants to stay can stay; she wouldn’t.
……
The meeting lasted over an hour, with Red displaying existing intel and analyzing various details of the mission. Kui Xin listened intently, brainstorming to contribute a few concise, sensible statements that maintained her cold and intelligent persona.
As the meeting concluded, Kui Xin broke into a light sweat.
Other teams left the meeting room in succession, and under Red’s request, Silverface waited outside because he had a separate matter to discuss with Kui Xin.
“This data reader was sent over by the boss; it was prepared yesterday,” Red slid the small black reader toward her. “Find a way to get into the core database of the Investigation Bureau’s AI, Augus, and plug the reader into the computer. The virus crafted by the organization will reside within Augus’s database, allowing it to serve as our window for gathering Investigation Bureau intel.”
“Got it,” Kui Xin replied calmly as she tucked the reader away. “But it’ll likely take me a while to get into the database; I don’t have the opportunity right now.”
“Yeah, the primary concern is still about the Kraken,” Red said. “Don’t rush into the Investigation Bureau; you’re on a long-term mission.”
“I don’t need you to remind me, Red.” Kui Xin had become proficient at managing her external persona. “I know what to do.”
Red grinned. “Tsk, you really need to change that bad attitude of yours. Alright, let’s go. You’re starting to annoy me just being here.”
Kui Xin got up and opened the meeting room door. Silverface was leaning against the wall, half-asleep, and the door’s noise startled him awake. He shook his head to regain focus. “Are we heading home?”
They left the bar’s sub-basement and returned to the noisy dance floor.
Noticing a waiter carrying snacks and fruit, Silverface reached out and swiped two plates, mumbling, “We’re on our own turf; we don’t need to pay for food.”
“Have the others already dispersed?” Kui Xin scanned around the bar’s dance floor.
“They’ve scattered, left early. The Bartender is the boss here; he didn’t leave and is over at the other side,” Silverface replied.
Kui Xin navigated through the crowd and stepped out from behind the bar.
She couldn’t help but take a deep breath as soon as she got outside. The air in the bar was too polluted, the mingling stench of smoke, alcohol, perfume, and sweat choking her.
Silverface also breathed a sigh of relief. “That air almost suffocated me.”
“Really? I thought you were happily stuffing your face,” Kui Xin shot him a glance.
They embarked on their journey home.
The rain had lightened considerably, now a fine drizzle, with tiny droplets patting against their faces, providing a comfortable feel unlike the harshness of a downpour, prompting one to dodge.
Silverface walked ahead when Kui Xin called out, “Wait, let’s take a different route home; it’ll be easier to avoid being tracked.”
“Alright… whatever you say,” Silverface conceded.
He turned to follow a new path.
“This route should take about forty-five minutes; the previous one took thirty,” Silverface informed.
“Distance and time don’t matter,” Kui Xin replied. “We can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Walking beside a small building, Silverface used his water manipulation ability to leap to the roof. Kui Xin couldn’t find leverage to climb up, so Silverface waved and flung a water whip around her waist, pulling her up.
Soft and shapeless water assumed new properties in Silverface’s hands. The water whip, flexible and resilient, was akin to a real whip, making it easy to exert force.
Kui Xin chased closely behind Silverface, exploring this new route, while consciously scanning her surroundings to avoid locations illuminated by building windows and lights, stealthily moving through the shadows of the night.
Her body moved with agility and flexibility; using one hand to pull herself up, even leaping down from several meters above while adjusting her posture to land softly. She was the hunter of the night, the city her hunting ground.
After a series of leaps over buildings to evade surveillance, Silverface landed. “From now on, we’ll walk on the ground.”
Kui Xin nodded, sensing a sense of freedom in her breathing. Her heart raced in her chest, sweat accumulating, a refreshing release from her earlier exertion.
The anxious meeting with the members of the Mechanized Dawn organization at Ruby Red Bar made her nervous; at this moment, her mood stabilized, her thoughts returning to a calm state.
Given that Red entrusted her with the data reader and conveyed the task of installing the virus onto Augus, it indicated Red harbored no suspicions about her. Aside from Thorn Rose, who seemed somewhat familiar with her, the others reacted neutrally, keeping their interactions with her at a stranger’s distance.
Over the next few days, the organizational members would be busy with their tasks, significantly reducing her risk of exposure.
Gradually, Kui Xin felt more at ease, slowing her pace as she walked along the streets.
Nighttime strolling was undeniably leisurely.
As she walked, her heart suddenly skipped a beat; an ominous premonition inexplicably gripped her.
In that moment, her heart raced, even quicker than when she had just exercised. Her inherent Hazard Avoidance talent kicked in unpredictably, screaming at her—danger was approaching!
In a flash, Kui Xin’s body responded instinctively to her intuition, taking a crouched evasive position.
But at the same moment, in a blind spot, a bullet flew out from a silenced gun!
How could human speed ever match that of a bullet? Before Kui Xin could complete her evasion, the bullet struck her forehead!
“Clang!”
The bullet hit, shattering half of the spider mask on her face with a clear metallic clang. Her enhanced alloy skull deflected the bullet.
The impact caused her head to jerk back, taking a step back; her head buzzed, blood trickling from her forehead, a deformed bullet lodged in her alloy skull.
Silverface reacted instantaneously, raising a large curtain of water, just in time to block several other incoming bullets. The bullets bounced off the soft yet resilient water, clattering to the ground.
Kui Xin pulled the deformed bullet from the center of her forehead. Beneath the bullet hole sparkled her silver alloy skull.
“Which bastard…” Kui Xin seethed with rage.
So close, just a fraction away! If the bullet had struck her heart instead, she would have been a fresh corpse by now.
“Someone wants to kill you!” Silverface warned.
“I know,” Kui Xin wiped away the blood from her face, gritting her teeth as she glared toward the direction from which the bullets had come, the mild concussion causing a slight double vision.
Someone wanted her dead!
Who was it?
