NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15
Chapter 15: The Sea Without Light
“What are you holding?” Silverface asked perplexedly, looking at Gui Xin’s armpit where a glass jar was tucked.
“It’s tea my colleague gave me.” Gui Xin said as she leaned against the doorframe to change her shoes.
“Did you successfully infiltrate and gain their trust?” Silverface was interested.
Gui Xin casually placed the jar of wolfberry red date tea on the kitchen counter, “Don’t pry. I don’t have to report to you.”
“Alright.” Silverface said, “Why didn’t you reply to my message?”
You talk too much… Gui Xin thought.
“My teammates are around, so I couldn’t find the time,” she said instead.
Silverface choked up, then sullenly pulled out a metallic ball from his pocket and threw it to her, “This is the intelligence I gathered today… good news is that I managed to sneak into the coastal security office’s network and stole some data, but bad news is I accidentally broke the data reader. Now it can only view data, not read it. The port personnel movement in the past month is all contained here, take a look.”
“Well done, efficient.” Gui Xin responded indifferently and asked, “Do you have a spare data reader?”
“No, we have to go back to headquarters and swap it. We need to update other equipment too.” Silverface replied gloomily.
Headquarters laboratory? Gui Xin remembered seeing in mission documents that Rick Tech Company’s third floor lab provided technology support for mission executors. Since the data reader is considered tech, could ‘headquarters laboratory’ refer to Rick Tech Company’s lab?
The Investigation Bureau generally finished work at 6:30 PM. Gui Xin arrived home earlier today since it was now 7:40 PM according to the band on her wrist.
“Let’s eat.” Silverface said, “I bought some meat; it’s costly, but synthetic meat is cheaper though it’s not as tasty…”
Who would have thought he can tell what’s delicious and what isn’t? Gui Xin looked at him sideways.
Silverface was not picky about food. Even if the meal was terrible, he would finish it. He even gobbled down her plain boiled noodles wolf-like, making Gui Xin think he lacked taste for food.
Gui Xin herself was also hungry. She walked into the kitchen to cook.
Silverface sat at the table and watched Gui Xin attentively as she filled the pot with water, like a cat waiting for its owner to open a meat can, full of focus mixed with urgency.
“Did you get the message?” Gui Xin suddenly asked, without turning around.
Silverface paused, thinking for a second, “You mean Red?”
“Yeah,” Gui Xin said, staring at the bubbling water in the pot, waiting for him to continue.
“Yes, as always, he notifies us right before the meeting, saying he doesn’t want the information to leak to Adversaries due to too long an interval after the initial message… he is just as overly cautious as you, always suspecting things unnecessarily,” Silverface said despondently.
Gui Xin thought for a moment. “So this is your evaluation of Red.”
“Are you going to say something bad about him behind his back?” Silverface warned.
“Do I look idle?” Gui Xin retorted.
Silverface looked at her and, recognizing her lack of intention to rat him out, said, “Working under you is far better than under him. Whenever he assigns tasks, I’m busy all day and barely have time to eat.”
Gui Xin: “So your logic is that you consider me better simply because you get to eat when working for me?”
Silverface: “In a way?”
Sure, he’s a glutton, Gui Xin was convinced.
After finishing the dinner, Silverface went on cleaning the kitchen like usual.
Gui Xin instructed, “When you’re done, water the plants, they are almost withering. You also need to mop the living room floor. Don’t waste your extraordinary abilities. Make sure to check the time and wake me when it’s time to leave.”
Silence.
Silverface washed the dishes a bit more forcefully. “No wonder you two were previous partners, you’re both great at commanding others!”
He was met with the sound ofGui Xin closing the door quietly.
She lay on the bed, expressionless, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She and Red were former partners. This was an unexpected piece of information. How deep were her relationships with Red? How well did the latter know her?
Silverface described Red as overcautious. Would Red notice any inconsistencies?
Tonight’s visit to the Ruby Red Bar was bound to be perilous.
Gui Xin rested her head on the pillow and retrieved the data reader from the jar. She read through the data it contained.
It was detailed with personnel records post-incident. Who were listed as prime suspects, who frequently came to the port, who had connections to the gang, and who were under intense surveillance.
Suspects and those under intense scrutiny were marked in red font, witnesses and suspicious individuals in yellow, while those tangentially involved were labeled in green.
Blacksea City’s surveillance was like silent eyes. They observed everyone and recorded their movements, sending the data to the Investigation Bureau. The super-AI Adam would determine who needed watching or pursuing.
But there were blind spots in Blacksea City’s surveillance. The Bureau couldn’t monitor every corner.
Blacksea City was divided two parts: the dazzling prosperous and the underlying decadent.
These elements contradict yet coexist.
Gui Xin couldn’t analyze the vast and complex info for the time being and put away the device. She took out a detective textbook from school, intending to switch topics.
From hellish finals to diving into knowledge, she had to learn crime investigation theory, or her status as a security officer would eventually be compromised.
She grudgingly read through the book, constantly searching online for obscure terms and high-tech equipment descriptions to understand them.
Time passed swiftly, and at 11 PM, someone knocked on her door.
“It’s time to go,” Silverface said.
Gui Xin set down her book, picked out a black hoodie and mask from the closet, and then walked towards the bedroom door.
Silverface had already put on his mask. He said, “I know where each camera is, I’ll lead; hey, how odd is your outfit?”
“It’s easier to run into coworkers,” Gui Xin said.
“And you’re now a security guard, you can’t avoid blending in.” Silverface mused and added, “Wear a mask tonight, we’re heading to Headquarters laboratory. Let them get you one of those professional masks.”
“Let’s go,” Gui Xin said.
Silverface headed to the balcony, “There’s a narrow alley below, it has no cameras. We’ll start from here.”
That explained why he went in and out using the balcony. Gui Xin opened the window, looking down. It was roughly ten meters down, which was very dangerous to jump from.
“Can you do this?” Silverface asked, crossing his arms, “A regular person without Extraordinary Abilities can’t possibly handle this?”
Gui Xin glanced at a nearby pipe by the wall. As a warrior with physical prowess comparable to Bruce Lee, she believed she could manage it confidently.
“Remember to close the window,” Gui Xin stepped onto the windowsill, grabbing the embedded pipe and lightly leaped. Using the pipe, she swiftly descended to the ground.
At about two meters above the ground, she let go of the pipe, landing softly without making much noise, drowned out by the raindrops splattering.
Silverface didn’t need to rely on the pipe. His body enveloped in flowing water, he plummeted directly from the third floor, dampening the impact with the water’s flow.
“I underestimated you,” Silverface said with a hint of surprise. “Let’s walk.”
He took the lead, with Gui Xin following closely behind.
Silverface purposely didn’t slow down to test if Gui Xin could keep up.
With fluid grace, he clambered over debris in the small alley, then looked back at Gui Xin. To his surprise, she effortlessly scaled up just as nimbly. Fingers gripping the edge, she propelled herself upward with her strong arms and limbs, making precise jumps seem effortless.
Seeing her agility, Silverface was eager to try himself, jumping from the rooftop of one building to another.
Behind him, Gui Xin caught up, sprinting off to make a massive leap three meters wide.
Raising a brow, she asked, “You challenging me to an obstacle course?”
“No, no!” Silverface denied guiltily. “Your physical condition is on par with some Awakeneds.”
For the next part, he maintained his calm and jumped across several houses. In a narrow alleyway, he moved swiftly along the ground.
Half an hour later, Silverface stopped and pointed toward a lane with neon lights. “We’re here. The bar is that way, we use the back entrance.”
The bar’s sign was overdone, filled with garish colors and crude graffiti. The design was tasteless, making it seem vulgar, far different from what Gui Xin imagined.
Even without entering, the cacophony of laughter and boisterous music could be heard.
As Gui Xin and Silverface entered through the back door, a waiter approached holding a tray of party masks. “Tonight’s theme is masked revelry. Sir, would you like a mask?”
Stuck with no way to cover her entire face with just a windproof mask, Gui Xin picked a spider-pattern mask from the tray, turning away to remove the goggles and affix the new mask.
“Do you want to take the mask off?” Silverface muttered.
“For double protection.” Gui Xin responded.
They proceeded to the dance hall, where dancers were frenzied on the dance floor, and some muscular men in tight pants danced the pole dance bare-chested to the guests’ hoots.
The deafening music made Gui Xin dig in her ears irritably.
A drunken oaf stumbled over carrying a drink, flexing his inked arm and slurring. “Hey, wanna grab a drink with me?” he said.
Thinking quickly, Gui Xin decided to tackle the drunkard and landed a punch on his nose which knocked him cold instantly, leaving him bloody and unconscious on the ground.
Strength sure comes in handy, Gui Xin concluded.
No one noticed the incident, she walked past the drunk’s body and headed straight for the bar counter.
The male bartender greeted her with his uniform on, “What would you like, miss?”
“A Blue Intoxication,” she said, using the signal phrase.
“Alright.” The bartender smiled, handing her a drink and whispering, “Room 206 on the second basement.”
“I swear I’m going to go deaf.” Silverface complained, joining Gui Xin downstairs. “Why choose this place of all places for our meet?”
“This is something you should ask Red.” Kui Xin casually poured some wine and randomly placed the cup on a nearby glass coffee table.
Now she was standing outside room 206. The second basement seemed to be used as a storage for wine, as the music was much quieter here. There were no people walking around, no dazzling lights; there were only countless boxes emitting a pleasant aroma of wine.
Kui Xin grasped the doorknob.
“Biometric information confirmed.”
The door opened.
As soon as Kui Xin entered, someone inside spoke with a mocking tone: “You all are too early, we still have thirty minutes until the meeting starts.”
A man dressed in a flashy, sparkling purple suit sat at the far end of the conference table, diligently applying eyeshadow while holding a compact mirror. Once finished, he pressed his lips together, clearly quite pleased with the results.
Silverface seemed unfazed by the man’s behavior, strolling over to the table and taking a seat at any available spot.
“Red, is there a spare data reader?” asked Silverface, getting straight to the point.
Red twisted his body with an effeminate grace, brows furrowed in displeasure at Silverface: “No, did you break it again? This is the one you broke this time, how many times do I need to tell you, these things aren’t cheap.”
“These are unavoidable task losses,” Silverface responded, trying to defend himself.
Kui Xin casually took her seat, attempting to appear as natural as possible.
Red slouched in his chair, tilting his head towards Kui Xin with a raised eyebrow: “How is Silverface working out for you?”
“Not bad, just a bit slow,” Kui Xin gave her honest appraisal.
Silverface glared at Kui Xin with annoyance.
Red slowly said, “How’s your undercover life going?” Pausing as if thinking of something else, “Almost forgot, you don’t use your old code name anymore… what’s your new one?”
Kui Xin paused: “Lady Fortune.”
Red: “… huh?”
He gave a fair opinion: “A code like that, which has a comical vibe, indeed makes it hard to associate with you.”
Her original self is probably a standard cold assassin? Distant, strict, efficient. Both Red and Silverface have described her with similar words.
Other teams hadn’t arrived yet, so Red frivolously sprayed perfume, spraying left and right onto himself. The perfume wasn’t unpleasant, but Kui Xin felt irritable observing it due to her high stress level at the moment.
Spraying and pausing with the fragrance in hand, Red surprised himself by commenting to Kui Xin: “Lady Fortune, why didn’t you tell me to get lost this time? Changing your style?”
He had a positive response to her codename.
Half genuinely, half fitting the persona, Kui Xin retorted, “Your makeup looks awful, I don’t want to talk to your face.”
Expecting Red to fly off the handle, but instead, he turned around and continued spraying the perfume: “Indeed, that’s the attitude.”
Kui Xin wondered inwardly: ‘Is this Red some kind of masochist who finds it hard to be scolded?’
Red put down his perfume and threw a small box to Kui Xin: “Use this to talk. Keep your identity hidden from the organization members. Since you already have a mask, I won’t give you another one; just attach the voice changer right under your throat.”
Taking the box and opening it, Kui Xin applied the nearly transparent voice changer to her throat. Clearing her throat, her voice immediately transformed from before.
Adjusted the voice modulator, and there came another intrusion. Two people stepped in, a man and a woman.
The woman wore a revealing black leather skirt. Her skin was tanned, almost completely obscured by her tattoos. She had a rose with thorns on her face, giving her a dangerous yet attractive look. The man was bald with a black python tattoo covering his entire head. He was muscular, with arms thicker than Kui Xin’s thighs. His bulk was so large that when he sat down, he occupied space for two people, causing the chair to groan beneath him.
“Damn, I’ve told you numerous times, can’t we get a bigger chair? My ass will be stuck in there!” the man bellowed.
“Just sit there,” Red rolled his eyes, “Most people don’t have such a huge ass as yours.”
“My buttocks are full of muscles, not fat as others have, I have more muscle so naturally, my butt is bigger!” The man protested fiercely.
“Alright, Python Sphere, shut up.” complained the girl with the thorny rose tattoos on her face, “Try to be a bit more refined and not talk about buttocks all the time.”
Even Red was merciless in his comment: “All chairs in here are designed this way. If you don’t like it, squat on the ground.”
Python Sphere obediently huddled in his chair, pouting, “Rose with Thorns, I thought you wouldn’t help me anyway, telling me to shut up even. This chair is really small, can’t fit my butt…”
“Thorn Rose” threatened: “If you mention your butt once more, I’ll take it away.”
Python Sphere recoiled, keeping silent.
Thorn Rose examined Silverface and Kuisin, looking back at Red, “You should introduce the new ones.”
“Silverface, you know the drill,” Red mentioned, looking at the woman, “and the other you also know, don’t need to mention the old codename, her new codename is Lady Fortune.”
“Lady Fortune?” Thorn Rose frowned, then looked at Kui Xin with an astonished smile, “So it’s you, you’ve been hiding your real appearance, making it quite difficult to recognize.”
Kui Xin glanced at Thorn Rose coldly, without responding.
Anxiously waiting for the meeting to start, Python Sphere pulled out a cigar, lit it, and exhaled in comfort.
Silverface used his right hand to clap and doused the cigar in one swift motion.
Python Sphere’s eyes widened, ready to protest, only to pause, glancing at Thorn Rose, staying seated quietly.
Just as the door opened again, entering were two boys… no, young men.
They were evidently young, appearing almost identical as twins. Their synchronized steps and matching postures, right down to their simultaneous actions, indicated they were twin brothers.
Quiet, they entered and made no eye contact or greetings with anyone, merely lowering heads and seemingly immersed in their own world.
A waiter-like man entered last, carefully adjusting his sleeves and tie before taking a seat gracefully: “I hate leaving the bar tonight, the business must be great.”
“When discussing serious matters, leave your bartender hobbies aside,” said Red, “Alright, the four core teams are all assembled. First introductions as usual.”
The first to speak was the waiter-like man: “‘Bartender,’ partner with Red.”
“‘Thorn Rose,’ teammates with that bald guy,” Thorn Rose chimed in.
“I’m ‘Python Sphere,’ not bald, remember this,” Python Sphere interjected, correcting everyone.
The identical twins looked up.
The elder twin spoke: “My code is ‘Amber.’”
And the younger twin: “Mine is ‘Black Obsidian.'”
The final self-introduction came from Kui Xin’s team.
Silverface spoke first: “‘Silverface.’”
“Lady Fortune.” Kui Xin said succinctly.
Bartender looked at Silverface seriously, suggesting: “Why not change your nickname to ‘Pretty Boy,’ it would match with Lady Fortune much better.”
Silverface still wasn’t sure what kind of joke he was making, until Python Sphere got it.
He slammed the table, roaring with laughter, then understood that Bartender wasn’t being nice. Silverface quickly said: “I refuse, the name works well enough.”
Tired of the laughing Python Sphere, Thorn Rose addressed Red: “Think it’s too late to change partners? He’s too noisy.”
“Not possible, can’t change now after a year of teamwork, too much is wasted.” Red polished his nails.
“In that case, when we have to mentor new recruits, I’ll allocate one for you.”
“Alright,” Thorn Rose reluctantly nodded.
“Enough with the small talk,” Red said, assuming a serious expression. “Let’s begin the mission briefing.”
He tapped the table, revealing a holographic projection device through a small aperture.
Glow flickered, revealing a large map prominently showing an ocean in blue with a flashing red dot catching everyone’s eye. The label read: “Kraken.” A red dotted line symbolized the route of the ship.
“The cargo freighter’s initial route is from Antarctica, stopping at White Whale City and Leiden City. After navigating through the month-long journey, the freighter will enter the Black Sea City territory on August 11th and unload its cargo at our headquarters,” Red’s expression was grim. “The company claims that the freighter carries combustible ice—a clean energy source—but we all know that’s just a facade.”
“Regardless of cost, we must prevent this danger from reaching Black Sea City. The informant aboard reports that the Investigation Bureau’s coastal security force might take control of the ship’s security before it enters Black Sea City. Destroying it under such protection isn’t feasible. We should target the port,” Red added.
“The harbor is extensive. We need to act separately. Only second and fifth berth ports can accommodate such large ships; the rest are for smaller vessels. Even destroying just the second and fifth berths will require substantial explosives.”
“Regarding military supplies, the boss will handle it,” Red reassured. “Today is July 30th, during these five days, your task is to collect architectural data of the harbor and send it back to the headquarters. They will calculate the position of the support columns and set explosives on them for targeted destruction.”
“The process sounds straightforward — it seems like only two steps,” pondered Bartender. “However, given that both gangs and the Investigation Bureau are involved in a tug-of-war, it’s not that simple.”
“Weighed risks are significant,” Amber suddenly stated, “But we are all Awakened.”
“Ports controlled by gangs are no concern when the Investigation Bureau is not sending Awakened operatives our way,” stated Black Obsidian, “Unfortunately, that’s unlikely because their forces include real Awakened members.”
“That doesn’t matter since we have Lady Fortune,” Red smiled at Kuisin, “she can relay the movements from the Investigation Bureau. Just follow her direction.”
“Her job is infiltrating as a spy?” Python Sphere twisted his neck in confusion.
“It’s not just her. Lady Fortune was arranged specifically for that role,” Thorn Rose replied.
“Hear but don’t inquire too much, how can you not remember?”
The bartender smiled and said, “No wonder you wore a mask…”
“The mask is a personal interest of Lady Fortune and Silverface,” Red said without missing a drop of water, “I never said that Lady Fortune is a mole, nor did I mention the source of the intelligence. Don’t conjecture about what’s not for you to guess; be careful not to invite trouble.”
Details regarding Lady Fortune’s identity, the source of intelligence, whether she’s an intermediary or directly involved in obtaining information, as well as methods for tracking and reporting movements, were not matters for members of the Organization to worry about.
Red had asked Kui Xin to wear a mask and use a voice changer not because those present could not be trusted, but rather to ensure confidentiality if they happened to be captured during a mission, thus making it difficult for them to involuntarily leak sensitive information. Keeping identities secret then becomes absolutely necessary.
As a double agent, Kui Xin needed the highest level of secrecy maintained regarding her identity. Others didn’t need to show such prudence. Tonight was originally just a meeting between new members.
Everyone in the conference room looked at Kui Xin.
“Should anything happen to me on this side and I am unable to contact you, you will heed Lady Fortune’s arrangements. She is specialized in planning and decision-making,” said Red.
Kui Xin thought, You really have faith in me, giving me all these tasks.
She was someone who knew next to nothing about intelligence and relied solely on acting skills and understanding limited information to survive so far.
Since the circumstances now left her no choice, Kui Xin forced herself to appear composed and stated, “Apart from reporting to Red, you’re also to report to me, so that I can judge the situation.”
“I understand, Second-in-Command,” Thorn Rose smiled at Kui Xin.
Others chimed in agreement, indicating their adherence to Kui Xin’s instructions.
Kui Xin relaxed a bit. So far, her act seemed perfectly safe; nobody noticed she wasn’t genuine.
Her bold command for others to report to her, even though she did not have direct authority, went unchallenged by Red and the rest. This indicated she could exert more influence, which was perfectly normal for a deputy commander issuing commands to an operation team.
Kui Xin could gather intelligence through updates from different operating teams to better understand Mechanized Dawn and investigate matters concerning Kraken.
“Now comes the group division,” Red continued, “I and the bartender along with Team Amberblackeye will handle data collection and bomb installation at Port Number Two. Port Five is to be handled by the Lady Fortune and Silverface team and the Thorn Rose and Python Sphere team.”
“If any of our groups faces trouble, the other party should promptly provide support. This might be the most dangerous task we’ve undertaken, so caution is highly advised. Report immediately if anything seems off, and likewise, spread any intelligence we receive widely.”
Silverface raised his hand, “This is Operation Plan A, but there’s still B. Although completing the task with Plan A is ideal, we still need a backup plan.”
“Yes, if operation plan A succeeds, we could have the ports destroyed by August 7th, leaving us with three days of preparation”, Red replied. “If it doesn’t go smoothly, those three days will be used for implementing Plan B… for Plan B, we prepare ourselves for sacrifices.”
“I’m always ready for that,” Silverface added.
“Don’t talk about sacrifice lightly. The Organization still needs you,” Red surveyed the room, “All of you here are indispensable talents for the Organization. You possess extraordinary abilities and outstanding minds. These truths you should always keep in mind.”
Red placed a hand over his chest, a surprisingly devout look accompanying his glamorous appearance, “Everything for the Dawn of tomorrow.”
Everyone echoed softly, “Everything for the Dawn.”
Kui Xin, blending into the crowd, murmured the same phrase.
Yet shivers ran down her spine.
What kind of cult-like setting is this? Mechanized Dawn’s brainwashing ability is formidable, each member fiercely loyal, striving to dedicate their lives to the Organization, which sent chills down her spine.
One day, if she ever had the power, she would leave Mechanized Dawn, let anyone else stay if they desired, but certainly not her.
…
The meeting lasted over an hour. Red presented existing intelligence and detailed analysis of tasks. Kui Xin listened attentively, struggling to offer brief yet sound-sounding opinions to maintain her aloof and astute image.
After the meeting, Kui Xin felt drenched in sweat.
Other teams left the meeting room one after another, Silverface also awaiting outside as Red requested him to do so for private matters to discuss with Kui Xin.
“This reader is something the boss asked me to pass to you. It was manufactured yesterday itself.” Red slid a small black reading device across the table. “Find a way to access the core database of the Investigation Bureau’s AI Augus, plug the reader into the computer. The virus manufactured by the Organization will infiltrate Augus’s database and serve as a window for us to obtain intelligence from the Investigation Bureau.”
“Alright.” Kui Xin calmly pocketed the reader, “But the task will take time. I currently have no chance of entering the database.”
“Mm, primary focus remains on Kraken for now.” Red said, “Avoid reckless actions inside the Investigation Bureau. This is a long-term infiltration mission.”
“I need no reminders, Red,” Kui Xin already adeptly manipulating her outward persona, “I know what I’m doing.”
Red grinned, “Ah, your temper is something I hope you change. Alright, time to go, it feels good seeing you go.”
Kui Xin pushed open the door to the conference room. On the side, Silverface leaned against the wall, dozing off. Startled awake by the door’s movement, he raised his head and muttered, “Heading home?”
They exited the Ruby Red Bar, the second floor back to the bustling dance floor.
Noticing the snacks and fruits on the servitor’s tray, Silverface swiftly took two servings, muttering, “Since it’s our ground, eating isn’t necessary at cost.”
“Did others disperse?” Kui Xin scanned the bar’s dance floor.
“They’ve gone. The bartender runs this establishment, they haven’t left, still serving tables right now,” Silverface remarked.
Navigating through the crowd, Kui Xin made her way to the rear exit of the bar.
She couldn’t help but take a deep breath upon emerging outside. The air inside was heavily polluted with smoke, alcohol, perfume, and sweat. It suffocated her.
Silverface drew a deep breath as well, “That stench felt like killing us!”
“Seriously? Seemed to me you were enjoying every bite,” Kui Xin shot him a glance.
They set out on the path home.
The rain had considerably lightened to barely a drizzle. Tiny droplets on their faces created a pleasant sensation distinct from the sudden and harsh torrential rain.
Taking the lead, Silverface, before reaching a turn, halted Kui Xin, “Wait, let’s take a different route home. It’ll be harder to track.”
“Sure… Whatever you say,” he complied and changed their course.
“This path will add fifteen minutes to our travel time,” Silverface explained.
“Time and distance are unimportant,” Kui Xin retorted, “We cannot afford any mistakes.”
Stopping at a small building, Silverface leaped to the roof using his water manipulation abilities. Kui Xin, unable to follow due to lack of handholds, was lifted up by a water whip wrapped around her waist.
Silverface’s hands gave form and purpose to the shapeless water, turning it elastic and strong. Such was the force Silverface could summon effortlessly.
Closely following Silverface, Kui Xin explored this new route, keeping watch around them, avoiding windows and well-lit spots, moving unseen in the night.
Agile and nimble, she climbed and jumped from rooftops, adjusting her posture to land safely after leaps. She was both predator and prey in the nocturnal hunt, the city her battlefield.
Skilfully dodging surveillance cameras, finally landing, Silverface stated, “From now on, we’ll move on foot.”
Nodding affirmatively, Kui Xin breathed deeply. Her heart surged with vigor, beads of sweat forming due to the recent exertion.
The tense encounter with Mechanical Dawn members and the suspense of the meeting at Ruby Red Bar left her unsettled. Now, peace returned, allowing her to think clearly.
Believing her to harbor no suspicions since Red entrusted her with the reader and the task to infect Augus, and the others appearing unbothered by her presence except Thorn Rose—who seemed to know her slightly—Kui Xin felt relieved.
With organization members busy with missions, she wouldn’t cross paths with Red again, reducing her chances of exposure dramatically.
Gradually easing off, she walked leisurely down the street.
Night strolls turned relaxed, until suddenly, her heartbeat spiked, a premonition of looming danger creeping upon her.
Heart racing, more so than during her exertions, her innate talent for risk avoidance triggered, warning bells deafening in her ears—danger approached!
Within split seconds, her body reacted intuitively, performing a crouching dodging motion.
But at the very moment, from some blind spot, a round projectile shot out from a rifle equipped with a suppressor!
How could human speed match the velocity of a bullet? Before she could complete her evasion, the projectile struck her forehead!
“Clink!”
The bullet shattered half of the spider mask she wore. The resounding clang of metal hitting metal echoed in her head. The bullet, deflected by her augmented alloy skull, had lost its full potency.
Struck backwards by the impact, her head reeled, blood trickling from her forehead. Skewed and deformed, the bullet lodged in her alloy cranium.
Swiftly, Silverface responded by conjuring a curtain of water that neatly deflected several bullets. They fell to the ground with soft thunks.
Kui Xin peeled off the mangled bullet from the center of her head. Beneath it, the gleaming silver headbone revealed itself, partially exposed.
“Who the hell…” Kui Xin was incensed.
Just a hair’s breadth away; if the bullet hit her heart instead of her head, she may well be an expired carcass now.
“Someone wants you dead!” Silverface warned.
“I know.” Kui Xin wiped blood from her face, gritting teeth towards the direction the bullet had come from. A slight concussion blurred her vision momentarily.
Someone wanted her dead!
And who would that be?