The night sky was beautiful. Far from any signs of human habitation, the stars gathered into a river of light on the horizon. The hazy starlight flickered in and out of view, and the constellations were as beautiful as lighthouses on the sea. Looking up at the sky at this moment, even in the sweltering heat of midsummer, could refresh one’s spirit.
Gu Lian sat in the helicopter seat, gazing into the starry distance as if something within it was drawing her in.
Looking far into the distance, with Gu Lian’s eyesight, she could see a town glowing faintly in the distance. The lights there, though not bright, stirred a longing for home.
Suddenly, a man in a black suit handed her an apple. Gu Lian turned her head to look. It was Lei Zi, the one responsible for her security. This man was very capable and clearly the sharp type.
“Comrade, we’re almost there. You’ve been away from Linjiao Town for two days now. Feeling a bit homesick?”
Lei Zi spoke with a cheerful laugh. In his view, even though Gu Lian was agile and skilled, her appearance was what it was. She looked to be seventeen at most. When he was that age, he had just stepped into society.
“A little.”
Her hand holding the coffee cup traced the rim. Gu Lian was still savoring the coffee. Being away from home was something she had long grown accustomed to.
Whether it was on missions in the past, or after her rebirth when she was hunted by the Lieshou and forced to camp in the wilderness, she had eaten rocks and slept in caves. What hadn’t she seen?
“You’ve worked hard. Regarding the mission completion, the Order-Giver has already relayed instructions. As long as Document 051 doesn’t remain outside, it’s fine, even if it’s destroyed.”
Speaking to this point, the smile on Lei Zi’s face gradually widened, but then he suddenly changed his tone, speaking as if making casual conversation. “Of course, if we can successfully seize Document 051, that would be even better. Whether Weikede lives or dies was never important anyway.”
“…”
Gu Lian tilted her head back slightly and drank the last bit of coffee. She placed the cup beside her with a soft tap, a sound that was strikingly clear in the monotonous noise of the helicopter.
Lei Zi’s face still wore a smile, but his heart gave a thump. This is bad, he thought to himself, I’ve overstepped!
“Hahaha, want more coffee? I have a lot of confidence in the coffee I brew.”
To change the subject, Lei Zi could only force a laugh. Gu Lian’s crimson eyes fixed on Lei Zi, her gaze beginning to scrutinize this person. Could this dog traitor also be one of those old, scheming bastards?
Thinking back to the scene of the Masked Man and Weikede haggling, Gu Lian felt a headache coming on. That was the first time since becoming a Weiyi that she felt like a lamb waiting for slaughter, utterly outmatched in schemes.
When it came to strategy, she truly was no match for those old schemers.
Just dealing with one Weikede had required her to do a lot of useless work, forcing the plan to change again and again. In the end, it was only technological superiority that brought Weikede down.
The reason Weikede lost was simply because his side was too backward. The saying ‘backwardness invites attack’ is widely circulated in Shenzhou for a reason.
“Um… is there something on my face?”
Lei Zi touched his own face, appearing shy but actually using the gesture to turn his head away. He now felt a creeping sensation all over, as if he were being stared at by someone with… red eyes.
“Don’t change the subject. Weikede is dead, killed by a Magnetic Grenade blast. And he drank red wine laced with magnetic powder. Even if he had miraculously survived the explosion, he absolutely wouldn’t have lived to see tomorrow’s sunrise.”
After saying this, Gu Lian took Document 051 from her backpack and placed it on the table, casually taking out a pack of Combat Rations and opening it.
This ‘don’t change the subject’ actually carried another layer of warning for Lei Zi: Don’t give me that evasive crap. Say what needs to be said, or Weikede’s fate will be a lesson for you.
Putting away Document 051, the fake smile vanished completely from Lei Zi’s face, replaced now by a bland expression towards life, even a bit… listless?
“Hey, you’re making it hard for me to know how to provide security for you next time.”
He poured the thick coffee from the thermos into a coffee cup. Lei Zi then dropped a marshmallow into it. Gu Lian picked up the cup and took a small, careful sip.
Gazing at the magnificent night sky, Gu Lian couldn’t help but sigh. “You old schemers, your hearts are all so dirty!”
“???”
Lei Zi scratched his head in confusion, looking at the old pilot in the rearview mirror, asking with his eyes: Did I do something wrong?
The old pilot shrugged, replying with his own look: I’m just the pilot. How would I understand what you guys are talking about?
Gu Lian held the coffee cup. The sweet, sticky taste and the bitterness mixed with a hint of sweetness were endlessly回味. The helicopter’s speed also began to slow as they entered Shenzhou airspace, and even the flight altitude was lowered.
After flying for another two hours, the helicopter landed again at that abandoned factory building. Jumping down from the helicopter, Gu Lian immediately unbuckled her outer belt, took off her trench coat, and then removed the steel claw gloves and grappling hook from her hands.
“What are you… doing?”
“Taking off the gear. These weapons are valuable. It’s not appropriate for them to stay with me.”
Hearing Lei Zi’s question, Gu Lian flicked her arm, and the Folding Knife fixed to her right forearm was grasped in her hand. She then unbuckled the pistol strapped to her thigh holster.
The only oversight was forgetting to retrieve her dagger. But thinking about it now, at the epicenter of dozens of Magnetic Grenade explosions, that dagger probably wasn’t left with much either.
“These are your ‘welcome gifts’…”
“You’re sure? This isn’t the Masked Man digging a pit for me to jump into, is it?”
Zzzzip~
Gu Lian pulled down the zipper on the front of her bodysuit, completely disregarding the presence of the opposite sex. Even if she pulled the zipper all the way down, they wouldn’t get to see anything worth looking at, because it was just too flat…
Actually, she was wearing underwear underneath. Even if she took the whole suit off, they wouldn’t get a single glimpse of anything.
“What you need is inside. The Black Market isn’t that stingy. After all, we have backing too.”
As he spoke, Lei Zi took a black briefcase from under the helicopter seat and tossed it to Gu Lian.
“Thanks, then.”
Taking the briefcase, Gu Lian looked at the equipment on the ground with burning eyes. In the past, she wouldn’t have dared to dream of such things.
Back when she had just entered the Black Market, she was penniless. For a mission, forget about equipment, even the operational funds were pathetically scarce.
After a decapitation strike, whether the funds were even enough to buy intelligence was a big question. Comparing that to her current treatment in the Black Market…
It was like heaven and earth, with no comparison in between!
“Let’s get out of here quickly…”
Lei Zi urged the old pilot. The old pilot just grunted in acknowledgment and pulled the control stick, making the helicopter depart rapidly.
There was no helping it. Gu Lian’s burning gaze was genuinely a bit frightening. Even if it were a Lieshou here, encountering Gu Lian with her eyes glowing green would make them instinctively take a step back and wonder: Did I forget to check the almanac before leaving home today?
“Tch, scared already?”
She snorted disdainfully. Gu Lian used her index finger to flip open the clasp, opened the case, and took out an ID card. It bore the name Jiang Yi, with the date of birth and ID number below.
She raised the hand holding the ID card towards the light from the ceiling. The Great Wall watermark outlined in gold thread and the embossed golden dragon on the ID card confirmed it was indeed a legitimate ID.
With the item now in hand, Gu Lian put the ID card into her backpack, picked up the equipment from the ground again, and placed it into the slots inside the newly acquired briefcase.
After dealing with the offensive equipment, Gu Lian took off her bodysuit, folded it together with the trench coat, and placed them in the briefcase.
Click. She closed the briefcase. Gu Lian changed into her original casual clothes and exited through the factory building’s exit.
At that moment, the horizon gradually brightened, as if someone had brushed a layer of pink across the pale blue sky. The first rays of sunlight instantly dyed the sky the color of fish belly. The new sun climbed over the other side of the mountains—dawn had arrived.