Chapter 20: Sea Without Light 20
In this collective meeting, Kui Xin did not gain any useful intelligence; the content of the meeting mostly consisted of work arrangements and adjustments. Her biggest gain was seeing all the members of the field team, matching some faces with the information on their profiles.
Not all members of the field team were included in the information provided; some only had a brief introduction and a name. Those with more detailed profiles had typically worked in the field team for over a year and had achieved some level of merit, while members with less prominent achievements had profiles with relatively little value.
After the meeting, each squad began to leave the conference room one by one.
Lan Lan leaned close to Kui Xin and said, “Let’s go out for dinner after work, little Kui.”
“Dinner?” Kui Xin was caught off guard.
With new colleagues officially joining, it was indeed customary to go out for dinner to foster relationships, which was standard in any workplace. However, Kui Xin had no intention of building close connections with the people from the Second World; her relationships were limited to chatting and joking around—she never seriously considered dinner gatherings.
As a qualified undercover agent, interpersonal skills were essential.
Kui Xin had seen an espionage film where a female spy said, “Do you know why I succeeded? Because I invested emotions, real emotions. They felt my sincerity, so they trusted me.”
Emotions and trust need to be cultivated; only by spending time and energy in this regard can one gain the trust of others, and dinner is a great way to deepen those emotions.
The dinner invitation from her teammates served as a reminder for Kui Xin that she couldn’t appear too distant from those around her.
“Everyone else is going; the captain is treating,” Lan Lan said.
Jiang Ming approached Kui Xin from the other side, “I’m being transferred to the port; we might not have spare time like today in the future. Let’s relax on the last day.”
“We have a patrol mission tomorrow; we won’t be drinking,” Liu Kangyun said. “Just a meal is fine.”
“If someone is treating, then we should definitely go,” Kui Xin said after a brief consideration.
Xueyao Shu made his way through the crowd to join his teammates, “We have ten minutes until off-duty. Let’s head back to the rest room to change into casual clothes and meet on the first floor.”
“Okay!” Lan Lan whistled.
“By the way, Kui Xin, what do you want to eat? I’ll go make a reservation,” Xueyao Shu smiled.
Kui Xin thought for a moment, “Meat. As long as it’s meat.”
The queasiness brought on by xenomorphs had faded; she had undergone a long training session in the afternoon, and her body was incredibly low on energy, her stomach growling.
“Then let’s go eat barbecue,” Xueyao Shu said. “There’s a pretty good barbecue restaurant in the city center.”
The group returned to the rest room to change, and while Kui Xin was in the restroom, she opened her wristband to check messages. Red had not sent anything new, but Silverface had still sent her a bunch of messages.
“Didn’t get exposed, right?”
“I can’t tell if you’re unresponsive because you got caught or simply because you’re busy… You’re okay, right? If you were caught, Red would inform me.”
“I went to headquarters to update my gear, picked up some weapons, and I brought you a professional disguise mask.”
“I’ve been too busy today to eat.”
“Are you returning to the safe house tonight or going home?”
Kui Xin replied coldly, “Not exposed, still alive. I’m going home tonight. You can take care of your own dinner.”
Silverface replied instantly with a string of ellipses.
Once Kui Xin changed, she took the elevator down to the first floor, where Lan Lan, Jiang Ming, and Liu Kangyun were already waiting for her.
“The captain drove off… here he comes!” Lan Lan pointed to the entrance of the reception area.
A flashy cobalt blue sports car parked in front of the Investigation Building, its aerodynamic lines reminiscent of a predatory shark. The window rolled down to reveal Xueyao Shu inside.
He had changed into a casual black T-shirt, his aura vastly different from when he wore his uniform.
“Uh… this,” Kui Xin hesitated.
“I spoke for you; this car is too ostentatious, completely not the captain’s usual style,” Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow, “Getting in feels like a rich kid cruising with his friends.”
“Old Jiang, don’t say that,” Lan Lan smiled as she opened the car door for Kui Xin, “The captain is a rich kid after all.”
Honest Liu Kangyun added, “But we’re not the captain’s street buddies.”
Xueyao Shu, who had been listening, remarked, “I can hear what you’re saying.”
Kui Xin got into the car, and the seat automatically adjusted to fit her posture.
The car smelled pleasantly of perfume, the fragrance subtle enough not to be overwhelming.
“This car is so cool and flashy,” Kui Xin remarked, “I just didn’t expect the captain’s taste to be like this.”
“This car was bought by my family; it’s not my style,” Xueyao Shu clarified helplessly.
As the door closed, the sports car autonomously adjusted its direction based on the navigation to head toward their destination, the onboard speakers playing a soft piano piece.
Only police vehicles are allowed to fly in the city; private vehicles can only drive on the ground. However, most high-end sports cars have both ground and airborne modes, a feature designed for wealthy youths racing in suburban venues.
The navigation selected a route that wasn’t crowded; they arrived at the restaurant in just twenty minutes.
The projecting sign of the restaurant read “Outlander Barbecue.”
“Outlander?” Kui Xin was momentarily stunned by the sign.
With the Second World having unified globally, although various regions enjoyed a high degree of autonomy, there was only one government: the Federation. Theoretically, everyone possesses the same nationality, and there shouldn’t be “outlanders.”
“The owner of this barbecue restaurant is a polar immigrant living in Hei Hai City. Their culinary style is very rugged and meat-heavy; you should like it,” Xueyao Shu parked the car.
A blonde, blue-eyed waiter approached with a big smile, “Your reserved room is on the third floor; please follow me to the elevator.”
The waiter turned to his colleague and babbled something in a language that Kui Xin found unfamiliar… It sounded strikingly like Russian to her.
“Every time I hear them speaking their regional language, it sounds like they have springs in their mouths,” Lan Lan muttered.
The other teammates nodded in agreement.
This was a multi-ethnic, multilingual society where different regions had various common languages. Kui Xin felt that the Second World was essentially a parallel universe to the First World; the official language in her region was Chinese, while the blonde, blue-eyed waiter spoke a language that sounded like Russian… Other regional languages likely corresponded to English, German, French, and so forth.
“Crimson Soil” is a global game, and many foreigners made reservations. In the initial beta test forum, aside from Chinese posts, there were also many posts from foreigners, which Kui Xin had translated using a translation device.
The languages of the Second and First Worlds overlap, so players crossing over shouldn’t worry about communication barriers with local residents.
This barbecue restaurant had a minimalist style, with no unnecessary furnishings or decorations. Upon entering the room, the rich scent of spices and a hint of charcoal drifted in the air.
A chef with a brown beard pushed a food cart bringing a whole roasted lamb to the dining table, with onions, potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower beneath the roast.
The chef spoke in accented, simple Mandarin, “Pure natural spices and pure natural charcoal, not synthetic spices and charcoal; industrially synthesized spices and charcoal cannot create a perfectly roasted whole lamb!”
The cart held several chilled bottles of wine, and just as the chef was about to open one with a corkscrew, Xueyao Shu interrupted, “Let’s not have the wine.”
“The wine comes complimentary with the whole lamb,” the chef earnestly persuaded, “Eating barbecue without drinking is soulless! You should eat heartily and drink heartily!”
Xueyao Shu refused once more, so the chef reluctantly set down the corkscrew.
Most people nowadays eat synthetic meat, with real meat priced three times higher than synthetic options. This large roasted lamb must have cost an exorbitant price, but since Xueyao Shu could afford such an expensive sports car, the cost of this meal was probably just pocket change for him.
Xueyao Shu poured juice for everyone and raised his glass, “The most worthy celebration today is that our originally four-member Seventh Squad has welcomed its fifth member, our new comrade, a partner worthy of trusting our backs.”
“Let’s work hard together, little Kui,” Lan Lan lifted her glass.
“Everyone is reliable people; as teammates, we have a long time to get along, so we should communicate well,” Jiang Ming said with a smile as he raised his glass, “Welcome, Kui Xin.”
Finally, Liu Kangyun raised his glass, “You can ask me if you have questions. I will teach you. Welcome aboard.”
Kui Xin clinked glasses with them one by one, putting on a serious expression as she said, “Thank you, everyone! I will do my best to be a reliable teammate from now on.”
…
After eating and drinking to their fill, there was half a lamb leftover, which everyone shared to take home.
Kui Xin declined Xueyao Shu’s offer to drive her back and leisurely strolled through the city center with the leftover lamb.
Pedestrians were streaming by on the streets, neon lights shining down on her, various advertisements changing around her, yet she did not have the same curious mindset as before to patiently observe everything.
Kui Xin did not want to go home; facing Silverface meant discussing the plans for her operations after joining the Coastal Security Team with Red, as well as worrying about the mole issue.
These things were exhausting to deal with.
This was her fourth day; it was only her fourth day since crossing over.
On the first day, Kui Xin was recuperating in the healing chamber and encountered two robbers on the way home at night. That was her first time killing someone.
On the second day, she diligently studied this world’s knowledge through the materials provided— that day was relatively less hectic.
On the third day, she received a field mission, during which she shot a player named Zejian. In the evening, she met members of the Mechanized Dawn organization, and on her way home, she was ambushed by a mole, nearly losing her life.
Today was the fourth day; Kui Xin passed the evaluations from the leaders of various groups in the Investigation Bureau and successfully became a full member, led by Xueyao Shu to undergo onboarding training.
Reflecting on everything that had happened in these few days, Kui Xin couldn’t help but curse, “What kind of cursed days are these!”
She wanted to flip the bird at the heavens.
This life was intensely fulfilling; Kui Xin had never been this busy in her life! In just a few days, she had evolved into a master of time management— working at the Investigation Bureau during the day, working for Mechanized Dawn at night, and finding time to learn and enrich herself between the two jobs…
Now it was the night of the fourth day, and Kui Xin had no intention of going home; she slowly walked down the street, occasionally checking her wristband for new message notifications, wondering what “surprises” awaited her that night.
Inside, Kui Xin felt no turmoil; no matter what surprises or shocks awaited her, she maintained her composure. Anyone who encountered so many life-threatening crises within four days would experience a monumental shift in their mindset.
It was like walking into a haunted house for the first time— one might get startled. But frequent visitors to a haunted house become less susceptible to fear; their courage strengthens, and they might even find a jump scare amusing.
Although the surprises and shocks had yet to approach her that night, Kui Xin had a premonition that this evening could not possibly pass in tranquility.
Indeed, that was the case.
Red sent a communication: “Lady Fortune, the traitor has been identified; it aligns with your suspicions. It’s Python Sphere.”
“Is there a plan?” Kui Xin’s tone was cold.
Red replied, “Kill Python Sphere, collect his blood, and bring it to me. You know my extraordinary ability; after obtaining his blood, he will have no secrets in front of me. I want to know who planted him as an undercover in our organization.”
Is Red’s extraordinary ability related to memory reading? The medium being blood?
“Okay.” Kui Xin paused, “What about Thorn Rose?”
“She’s not a problem,” Red said. “She will assist you. I’m confident in her abilities.”
“Mm.” Kui Xin acknowledged, “I understand.”
“Be quick, Lady Fortune,” Red urged. “Our demolition task at the docking port cannot afford any mistakes. It’s best to act within the next couple of days and eliminate the danger. The Bartender and I aren’t suited for combat, but we can provide you with remote support. If you need personnel, call the headquarters… Given your personality, I think you’d prefer to deal with the traitor yourself, right?”
Kui Xin ended the communication, her mind racing.
The traitor was Python Sphere, matching the conclusion her instincts had led her to.
She stopped in her tracks, lost in thought at the bustling intersection under a traffic light, contemplating how to safely and securely eliminate Python Sphere.
Calmly, she deduced and planned her approach to killing him.
Plan A: Lure Python Sphere out under the guise of a mission and have Silverface and Thorn Rose surround him.
Plan B: Have Thorn Rose report on Python Sphere’s movements and snipe him on his usual route.
Both methods had certain feasibility, but there was one point: they only had one chance. If Python Sphere sensed something was off, the mission would fail. Knowing that the undercover identity had been exposed, Python Sphere wouldn’t let them have a chance to act.
“Do you have a gun in the equipment you brought?” Kui Xin messaged Silverface.
“I have a handgun and a mini bomb,” Silverface replied immediately. “I only brought a small box of bullets; I can’t carry more.”
“Not enough. Go to the arms depot at the port and get a sniper rifle; see if they have the K80 model; if not, take another model,” Kui Xin instructed. “Bring more bullets.”
“Alright… looks like I’ll have to make several trips. One trip isn’t enough to carry it all,” Silverface complained.
Kui Xin thought for a moment, wanting to ensure Silverface’s enthusiasm for the task, “I brought roasted lamb.”
“I’m going to the arms depot now!” Silverface’s response was much quicker.
The traffic light turned green, and Kui Xin crossed the road with the crowd, arriving at the electric tram station to wait for the tram.
While waiting for the tram, Kui Xin calculated various possibilities, striving to make this assassination plan foolproof.
What propelled her to be so proactive, so cautious, and so determined to kill Python Sphere wasn’t just Red’s instructions or a fear of exposing her undercover identity; it was the desire for revenge.
A strong desire for revenge.
Kui Xin could not tolerate the idea of someone who wished to take her life living freely in this world; this was her first sincere and genuine wish for someone to die.
