Yuansou was active all over the world, but they had never had a direct head-on conflict with official organizations in China.
Everyone understood that once a conflict broke out, it wouldn't just be about a few people or a few strongholds.
It would be an all-out confrontation between two entire systems.
And Yuansou’s roots in China were not yet deep enough to withstand such a confrontation.
“Did you hear everything Boss Mu said?” Qin Zhong’an looked up at Liu Junnan.
Liu Junnan nodded.
“So, what exactly have you been doing during the month I was in a coma!”
Liu Junnan shrugged. “What else could I do?”
“I was naturally using every means and paying any price to track down that bastard!”
“I will find him, no matter what!”
Seeing the paranoia and madness flickering in Liu Junnan’s eyes, Qin Zhong’an felt a massive headache coming on.
“Fine, fine, let’s not talk about that!” Qin Zhong’an said. “Let’s withdraw first.”
Behind the door of the storage room, Su Wan stood against the wall, motionless.
Her mental power was like a thin, transparent film covering the entire bedroom. Qin Zhong’an’s heartbeat, breathing, and every subtle change in expression were within her perception.
Qin Zhong’an had no suspicions.
The memory alteration had been a success.
From the phone call made by Qian Musheng, Su Wan learned of the existence of the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau.
She didn’t know exactly what the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau was, but she could guess the general idea from the name—
An official agency specifically designed to deal with Ability Users.
It turned out that the waters of Blue Star were much deeper than she had imagined!
...
The night was as dark as ink.
The streets of the logistics park in the eastern suburbs of Jiangcheng were empty and desolate, with streetlights casting hazy circles of dim yellow light through the mist.
A deep gray business van was parked on an auxiliary road on the outskirts of the park. Its lights were off and its engine was killed, allowing it to blend perfectly into the surrounding darkness.
Two people sat inside the vehicle.
In the front passenger seat, a woman was looking down, tinkering with a device about the size of a laptop.
The device's screen emitted a faint blue glow, illuminating her sharp, well-defined profile.
She had a straight nose, short hair, a single silver stud earring, and wore a black tactical jacket. Her entire presence exuded a clean, sharp coldness.
“I have a signal.” Her voice was somewhat raspy, carrying the awkwardness of someone who rarely spoke for long periods.
The man in the driver's seat was leaning back against his chair with his eyes closed, resting.
Hearing her, he opened his eyes and looked at the device in her hands.
He looked to be in his early thirties, with a build as sturdy and solid as a wall. His features were regular, and his eyes held a steady, reassuring calm.
His dark brown eyes appeared exceptionally deep under the blue light of the screen.
“Are you sure?” His voice was low, carrying a slow and composed tone.
“Are you questioning my equipment?” The woman didn't even look up as her fingers slid across the touchscreen, zooming in on the map.
“Or are you questioning my skills?”
The man gave a small smile but didn't respond.
His name was Lu Chenzhou.
He was the Deputy Chief of the Operations Department at the East China branch of the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau, a Level 3 Operations Specialist. His ability rank was B+, and he specialized in Physical Enhancement, specifically strength and damage resistance.
In his nine years with the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau, he had executed over a hundred missions without a single failure.
Within the Bureau's ranks, he was the kind of presence that put people at ease.
He usually kept a low profile, but he never made mistakes at critical moments.
“So, is he locked on?” he asked.
“Locked on.” The woman tapped the screen, and a flashing red dot appeared on the map near a four-story building deep within the logistics park.
The woman’s name was Jiang Yue, the leader of the Technical Support Group for the Operations Department at the East China branch of the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau, and a Level 3 Technical Specialist.
Her ability rank was C+, and she was a Sensory-type—specifically Energy Wave Detection. Her range was about eight hundred meters, and her accuracy was ranked number one in the East China branch.
The device in her hand was a “Hunter-Tracker” she had modified herself. It integrated the official energy detection module with her own ability feedback system, allowing it to capture any trace of residual energy fluctuations within a two-kilometer radius.
Liu Junnan had been far too active in Jiangcheng lately, finally drawing the attention of the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau.
Through observation and simulation, Jiang Yue had finally locked onto the target.
“C-class energy fluctuation signature,” Jiang Yue said, staring at the screen with a voice as flat as if she were reading a technical report.
“Frequency is unstable, peak fluctuations are high—a typical Sensory-type Ability User.”
“Level 2 Peak, skilled in long-range detection, close-combat capabilities unknown. His activity is concentrated in the eastern and western districts of the city. His frequency of movement is extremely high; he’s on the move almost every day.”
She paused, her finger tracing a line on the map. “In the last few days, his activity radius has been shrinking, gradually concentrating toward this logistics park.”
Lu Chenzhou glanced at her. “So, is he preparing to close his net? Or is he getting ready to run?”
“Both are possible.” Jiang Yue turned the screen toward him. “But looking at the patterns of his movements...”
“He’s spent the last month running all over Jiangcheng, from the western suburbs to the eastern suburbs, from the south of the city to the north. He’s been scurrying around like a headless fly. In the last three days, his range has shrunk drastically, concentrating within a three-kilometer area centered on this logistics park.”
She looked up, the blue light reflecting in her eyes, making her dark brown pupils look almost transparent.
“What are the orders from the Bureau?” Lu Chenzhou asked.
Jiang Yue turned off the device's screen, plunging the cabin into brief darkness.
She pulled a palm-sized encrypted terminal from the inner pocket of her jacket and pressed the play button.
The voice in the recording had been digitally altered, making it impossible to tell the speaker's gender or age. It was a mechanical, emotionless drone.
【Members of the Yuansou Hunter Nest have been active in Jiangcheng for over a month. Energy fluctuations are frequent and have posed a potential threat to ordinary citizens.】
【Level 3 Operations Specialist Lu Chenzhou and Level 3 Technical Specialist Jiang Yue of the East China branch are to proceed to Jiangcheng immediately to execute a “Cleaning” Mission.】
【Mission Objective: Locate and control the Yuansou Hunter Nest members active in Jiangcheng. If the target cooperates, bring them back to the branch for interrogation. If they resist, the use of matching force is authorized.】
【Mission Rank: B+. Note: The target is a Sensory-type Ability User, Level 2 Peak.】
【Should you encounter an unknown high-level Ability User, abort the mission immediately, report to Headquarters, and wait for reinforcements.】
The recording ended.
Lu Chenzhou didn’t speak immediately, his fingers tapping twice on the steering wheel.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Jiang Yue replied as she put away the terminal.
“The Bureau doesn't think much of this ‘fish.’ A B+ mission with the two of us assigned is already considered high priority.”
She paused, a trace of subtle disdain creeping into her voice.
“A Level 2 Peak Sensory-type? Does that really require both of us?”
Lu Chenzhou didn’t take the bait.
He opened the car door, and the night wind rushed in, carrying the distinct smell of diesel and rust from the logistics park.
“Let’s go.”
Rate on N.U.
