Chapter 89: Artificial Soul 16
“Captain Yu.”
“What is it? Speak.”
“It’s nothing, I’m just a bit surprised by our transportation for the undercover mission.”
“What’s wrong with taking the electric tram? It’s fast, convenient, and saves on gas money.”
“Executing such an important task on public transport feels a bit strange.”
Kui Xin walked side by side with Yu Liang down the long corridor, preparing to take the elevator downstairs.
She had changed into her regular clothes, which included a layer of form-fitting bulletproof armor underneath. A gun was tucked into her lower back, with a magazine wrapped around her abdomen. A folding knife was hidden in her sleeve, and there was a concealed earpiece in her ear. The buttons on her clothes were tiny cameras and scanners.
“We can’t use the hover police car; we’d be detected instantly,” Yu Liang said. “But normal disguised vehicles don’t have flight permissions in the city and can only run on the ground. You know the traffic situation in Hei Hai City—traffic jams mean we would need at least two hours by car. That would waste too much time! Overall, taking the electric tram is more comfortable.”
Kui Xin replied, “What if something unexpected happens and we have no means of transportation to escape…”
Yu Liang confidently bit his cigarette butt and said, “There are two motorbikes near the black market specifically placed there so we can retreat in case of an emergency. We can scout the area near the black market before we go.”
“Then it’s settled.” Kui Xin felt relieved. “What’s our mission target this time? Xenomorphs? Heterogeneous Blooded?”
“Neither,” Yu Liang replied solemnly. “It’s the buyer and seller.”
Kui Xin turned her head, waiting for Yu Liang to elaborate.
“Haven’t I told you? Divine blood has circulated in the black market. After our campaign, its circulation has decreased, but it still exists,” Yu Liang explained. “Xenomorphs won’t easily come up from the sea; the Heterogeneous Blooded keep themselves well hidden. Most of the time, our targets are the ‘buyers’ and ‘sellers.’”
“A buyer represents someone who may worship ancient gods or wants to become Heterogeneous Blooded, which is an unstable factor. A seller has a vague and complicated connection with a secret cult. Divine blood is obtained from xenomorphs and needs to be purified. To obtain divine blood, one must have the ability to kill xenomorphs and specialized equipment for purifying the blood,” Kui Xin said. “If divine blood circulates in the black market, there must be some significant forces that facilitate it.”
“Exactly,” Yu Liang said. “If we can catch the buyers and sellers of divine blood, we can follow the leads to find more people. But Kui Xin, remember, don’t act recklessly; even if you see them or witness their transaction, you can’t move to arrest them immediately. You need to report this matter first and get approval from the higher-ups.”
“What if the buyers and sellers escape while waiting for approval?” Kui Xin asked. “Should we just let them go?”
“Yes,” Yu Liang replied firmly. “Without approval, that’s all you can do.”
“Why?” Kui Xin turned to look directly into Yu Liang’s eyes.
Yu Liang said, “The elevator has arrived.”
With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Kui Xin and Yu Liang stepped into the elevator and stood still.
She probed, “Why is the approval process so strict? Other tasks regarding xenomorphs didn’t have such procedures before.”
Yu Liang said, biting his cigarette butt, “Hmm… this is what I want to show you today.” He patted Kui Xin on the shoulder and added, “Here’s some advice: be savvy, not rigid. You must play dumb when necessary. Just do as I taught you. I’m new as a training officer and want to do well in this job; you need to learn properly.”
Kui Xin shifted her gaze away. “Alright, I’m not rigid, Captain Yu.”
“Hmm, I like smart people,” Yu Liang said.
The strict approval process must have something to do with the Investigation Bureau and the consortium.
Adam revealed that the Python Sphere was an informant for the Investigation Bureau. It was the Python Sphere that had placed the red line worm on Thorn Rose; the line worm is a parasitic xenomorph, which the Python Sphere couldn’t cultivate alone—it must have been given to him by someone.
When Shu Xueyao trained Kui Xin, he clearly showcased various research results on xenomorphs and stated that the Investigation Bureau had many collaborations with the Federation and the consortium’s laboratories and research facilities, all sharing a common research topic—xenomorphs.
The official organizations and consortiums of the Second World have a deep understanding of xenomorph research, and they must have also mastered methods for purifying divine blood. It’s possible that the divine blood circulating in the black market has intricate connections with the Federation and the consortium.
The Investigation Bureau’s strict arrest procedures made Kui Xin think of one word—fear.
What were they afraid of, preventing them from acting freely? If the buyers and sellers had connections with the Federation and the consortium, it would explain their cautiousness.
As for Yu Liang, he was well aware of why the Investigation Bureau behaved this way, hence cautioning Kui Xin to be shrewd and act dumb while complimenting her intelligence.
In the Investigation Bureau, everyone had two faces, the hypocritical side facing outward.
Those ambiguous remarks and hidden rules could cause significant losses if not understood carefully.
“In the black market, people will disguise their appearance,” Yu Liang explained. “Our target today is a seller who has been selling divine blood for quite some time and has interacted with several buyers. Our people noticed him; we will deliberately pose as buyers of divine blood to lure him into a trap and catch him tonight.”
“Does he have any specific physical traits?” Kui Xin inquired.
“He disguises himself when he sells things,” Yu Liang replied. “Our informants will entice him and make contact. He will appear in the market today; if all goes well, he will have a tracker placed on him that we can use to capture him. According to intelligence, this person is very likely associated with a secret cult, which is keen on recruiting its followers.”
The elevator reached the first floor, and Kui Xin and Yu Liang went to the designated waiting area for the tram. After a while, the electric tram arrived, and the two boarded, sitting silently in their seats as they waited to reach their destination.
“Where do we get off?” Kui Xin asked.
“On Hualong Avenue,” Yu Liang replied slowly.
“At the city center?” Kui Xin asked.
“Yes, the city center,” Yu Liang confirmed.
Kui Xin fell silent; the electric tram was not a great place for conversation.
She was puzzled; shouldn’t the black market be in a hidden and chaotic location? It was surprisingly bold to be situated right in the city center; the forces supporting the black market were far greater than she had imagined.
When they arrived at their destination, Yu Liang lowered his voice and said, “The location of the black market is not fixed; you need connections to get in. This time, it happens to be arranged in the city center. It’s actually very hidden, pretending to be an ordinary trading venue; only if you know the right way can you enter the deeper underground transactions… Our final destination is the No. 069 Tower.”
They wove through the crowd in the city center, first scouting the location where the motorbikes were parked.
The motorbikes were in an underground parking lot, fully fueled and ready for use.
“Do you see that side door?” Yu Liang pointed to a fire exit several dozen meters away. “The black market we’re going to is connected to that fire exit, but it only allows one-way traffic. We can’t enter that way; we must go in through the front entrance of the black market. If anything goes wrong, we’ll bolt out through the fire exit and ride away on the motorbikes.”
Kui Xin tilted her head, looking around. “There are many luxury cars in this parking lot.”
“Because many participants in black market transactions have the same intentions as us; they are also looking to escape when things go wrong,” Yu Liang said.
“Do the big shots driving luxury cars also come to the black market?” Kui Xin asked.
“Yep,” Yu Liang replied. “Just understand some things. Be careful when it’s time to act; don’t make too much noise, or it’ll end badly.”
Kui Xin silently nodded in understanding.
After scouting, they arrived in front of the tower.
In front of the tower, there was a red carpet laid out. Inside, there was a bustling crowd, with individuals dressed in various styles. Some were selling jade ornaments, others antique vases, and some were selling vintage record players, making it look like a lively trade center.
A waiter next to the red carpet saw Yu Liang and Kui Xin approaching and immediately stepped forward, saying, “Please show us your access pass.”
Yu Liang took out a gold card from his chest pocket and waved it in front of the waiter, who immediately said, “Please, you may enter.”
“This is all fake,” Yu Liang whispered to Kui Xin, “It looks normal, but everything on the surface is a front. The trading market we’re entering is underground.”
Kui Xin nodded subtly, her eyes scanning the surroundings attentively.
The first-floor exhibition hall was crowded, and it was inevitable to bump into people. She tried to relax her shoulders and restrained the impulse to reach for the gun at her lower back to avoid looking like someone ready to cause harm at any moment.
They passed through one stall after another in the trading market and arrived at the elevator lobby.
In the elevator lobby, a smiling attendant said, “The first to sixth floors are antique markets, the seventh to twelfth floors are mechanical markets, and above that is the technology exhibition hall. May I ask where you two are headed?”
“‘The golden rose blooms on the plain,’” Yu Liang said, quoting an enigmatic line of poetry.
The attendant maintained his smile while taking out a scanner to scan Yu Liang and Kui Xin. However, they had already equipped high-tech shielding devices, and the scanner did not trigger any alarms.
After the scan, the attendant pressed the button for underground level five, and as the elevator went down, he said, “I wish you two find what you desire.”
Upon arriving at underground level five, another attendant approached, holding a tray with masks. “For your privacy and safety, please wear the masks.”
The masks had hidden features, including voice changers.
This black market was incredibly well-prepared… Kui Xin murmured to herself as she put on the mask, securing it to her face.
Once they had donned the masks, the attendant said, “Exhibition halls one and two are free trading markets, and hall three is an auction. Would you like me to show you the way?”
“No need,” Yu Liang led Kui Xin further inside.
Kui Xin adjusted her clothes; the button cameras and scanners recorded the facial features of everyone around.
Adam said, “Target spotted, at two o’clock.”
Kui Xin’s eyes behind the mask lifted, noticing a suspicious figure slipping into the nearby men’s restroom.
Inside the restroom, the “seller” that Kui Xin and the others were monitoring was sitting on the toilet lid, nervously shaking his legs. He cautiously tore off a piece of transparent sticker from beneath his clothing, almost swearing out loud: “Damn! When was this tracker stuck on me!”
He was filled with dread and hurriedly pulled a small mirror from his pocket to check his appearance: “Change my face, hurry and change! There’s still time!”
