Dragonfly Town

The iron fortress emitted plumes of white steam as the towering vault of heaven seemed to press down. Clusters of buildings, varying in height, stood before the crimson sunset, blurring into dark silhouettes under the violent, scorching heat. In the distance of the scarlet atrium, massive military transport planes took off, laden with armaments for unknown destinations.

The roar of fighter jets piercing the sky echoed overhead. The final golden rays of the setting sun danced between the buildings, seeping into the old alleys from above. Several dark figures darted through the end of an alley with panicked expressions, scurrying beneath rusted, old-fashioned security bars. Soon after, the sounds of limbs colliding and backs hitting the walls rang out.

With her hands stuffed in her hoodie pockets, Xu Xiaoyou pressed one boot onto a thug's chest, forcing the youth's puffed-out torso back down. She jerked her chin upward. With a face full of helplessness, the thug handed over the wallet he had just stolen, along with a tightly wrapped medicinal pouch.

Beside him, his companions lay sprawled across the ground, either clutching their arms or groaning while holding their legs. Not long ago, they had finished robbing an unlucky white-collar worker, never expecting that this blonde girl would follow them into the dark alley and force them into a corner.

"Get lost," Xu Xiaoyou said with a wave of her hand.

The thugs scrambled to their feet and hurried past Xu Xiaoyou. After throwing a few hollow threats over their shoulders, they vanished at the alley entrance. This familiar sense of déjà vu reminded Xu Xiaoyou of her past in the Corrupt Hive City.

With a silent sigh, she pulled off her hoodie's cap, bought some daily necessities with the money from the wallet, and returned to her apartment.

Calling it an apartment was generous; it was actually a rented room so primitive it could barely be called a dwelling. Upon entering, she saw Angelina lazily leaning against the sofa, watching the news on her curtain.

It took some time to understand their current situation. They were in a small town called Dragonfly Town on the eastern side of Red Heaven's louse-tower city, under the direct jurisdiction of the Mountain Crow family. The people she had seen on the street earlier wearing the black crow family crest were members of the Mountain Crow family.

To the west, it bordered the louse-tower city, which was as massive as a mountain range, where it connected with the Snow family’s territory. Dragonfly Town was one of the important military hubs for the five families of Red Heaven, and military facilities like armored vehicles were visible everywhere on the streets.

The five families of Red Heaven each had their own responsibilities. The main family, the Red family, unified the other four, and all political matters were decided by them. On the surface, the Mountain Crow family managed taxes and regulated the market, but behind the scenes, they were responsible for handling the main family's dirty work, such as debt collection, gambling, and the sex industry.

It was hard to imagine a hive city entirely governed by a regime similar to a criminal syndicate. There were no judicial organs in the traditional sense; petty theft was ignored, and robbery or brawling was the norm. If someone committed an unpardonable mistake, they didn't need a court to sentence them to death. Instead, a group of hulking men tattooed with the Gallant Deeds would show up at their door to chop off hands, bury them in concrete pillars, or subject them to three stabbings and six holes.

In Red Heaven, the words of Universal Heavy Industries held little weight. People scoffed at the company's rules and laws because the Red family itself was one of the Five Great Families within Universal Heavy Industries—and as one of the upper two families, their status was far higher than that of the Withered Flower, Winter, or Starfall families.

Because of this, major fugitives wanted by the company often fled to Red Heaven seeking the Red family's protection. As long as they didn't violate the underworld's rules or commit unpardonable sins, no one could touch them. The Red family's military strength was highly integrated with the company's, and half of Universal Heavy Industries' foundation rested within Red Heaven.

Angelina popped the tab on a bottle of cold beer and gulped it down. The crystalline liquid flowed down the girl's slender neck.

She let out a satisfied breath and casually wiped her mouth. Seeing Xu Xiaoyou behind her, she tossed a bottle over.

Xu Xiaoyou caught it with a flick of her palm, her lips twitching slightly. "We might still be wanted by the association. Is it really okay to be this relaxed?"

Angelina frowned and patted the sofa beside her.

Just as Xu Xiaoyou sat down, Angelina’s arm wrapped around her. The smell of alcohol wafted over, and only then did Xu Xiaoyou notice the metal cans scattered all over the table. One bottle rolled onto the floor with a clatter.

Angelina whispered in her ear, "What's there to be afraid of? If someone actually shows up, I'll be the one protecting you, just like before."

"Keep that worried face a bit longer. I like looking at it."

Angelina leaned her face close to Xu Xiaoyou's, gloating.

Xu Xiaoyou frowned slightly and gently pushed back against Angelina, who was pressing her into the sofa. She lowered her voice. "Anya."

"Don't forget, I ended up in this position because of you."

Angelina’s expression faltered for a moment. She huffed, "How boring. Why bother with me? You should have just thrown me away like before."

Xu Xiaoyou wasn't in the mood to argue with Angelina. She leaned back against the sofa, looking exhausted, and held the stolen medicinal pouch up against the setting sun. Inside were vermilion, crystalline fragments—the very thing Angelina had fed her earlier. The people here called it cinnabar drool.

Everyone in Red Heaven suffered from a certain addiction. Their subtle feelings of fear were easily magnified to an infinite degree, leading to a series of mental and physical changes. When the addiction flared up, they had to take cinnabar drool to suppress the symptoms.

It wasn't yet clear what happened when the condition fully erupted. Recalling that intense feeling of palpitations from before, Xu Xiaoyou judged that she had already been infected. That sensation was definitely not pleasant. Perhaps if she left Red Heaven, the condition would improve.

Xu Xiaoyou’s mind was flooded with thoughts.

She suddenly noticed that all the prerequisite conditions for Tang Xin's favorability plot, 【The Girl Who Fell into the Starry Garden】, had been unlocked. The only remaining trigger condition was time.

【Through the favorability plot, the character Tang Xin will receive base attribute enhancements, breaking the attribute lock and genetic limits. Unlock advanced resonance: Astral Blessing. Unlock mimicry: Void Chord. Awaken as the UP character Starry Singer — Sevia Winter.】

Xu Xiaoyou was somewhat surprised. When she was at the Star of Art, the prerequisites had been locked. Yet after arriving in Red Heaven, she had somehow managed to unlock Tang Xin’s favorability plot?

It couldn't be another scenario where a world-class urban legend destroys the Star of Art, could it? Xu Xiaoyou grumbled inwardly. She noticed with a keen eye that the opening of the favorability plot 【The Girl Who Fell into the Starry Garden】 required her to participate as an actor.

Putting those thoughts aside for a moment, Xu Xiaoyou rubbed her brow. The first thing she needed to do was confirm the aftermath of the Siren’s descent and Tang Xin’s current status. Finally, she needed to know the association's attitude toward them.

The channels for ordinary citizens in Red Heaven to obtain outside news were too restricted and lacked timeliness. The news about the Star of Art she saw on the curtain was even stuck on reports from half a month ago. To figure out the situation outside, she had to contact a reliable information broker.

She first thought of Darwin, who was also an S-rank employee. He had once mentioned that he could provide help if she ever came to Red Heaven. But she quickly rejected that idea.

Until she confirmed her current status, contacting anyone associated with Universal Heavy Industries or the association was like playing with fire. Regardless of whether the mystery of the 'Dark Gold Rose' had been unraveled, she had to remain vigilant.

Then she thought of the netizen named 'Camellia.' Recalling the details of their previous chats, she vaguely remembered that the person had received news just as the events at the Star of Art were unfolding. Clearly, they had an extraordinary channel for obtaining information.

[Camellia: Of course. Do you even know who I am? Telling you would scare you to death.]

Could that person's casual boast actually be true?

In any case, their true identity was definitely not simple. Given the current situation, she had to treat a dead horse like a living one. Xu Xiaoyou decided to test that girl.