First Snow

Amber City Investigation Bureau.

The sky was gloomy, carrying a hint of oppression.

Bai Wanyang rushed through the gates of the Investigation Bureau almost exactly on the dot. He had been busy all morning, and during his lunch break, he had fallen into such a deep sleep that he was running late for the afternoon shift.

Thud!

In his haste, he collided head-on with someone at a corridor corner.

“I'm sorry.”

“I'm sorry!”

Both parties apologized simultaneously.

Bai Wanyang rubbed his nose, which was aching from the impact. When he looked up and saw the other person, he froze for a moment.

It was a smiling young man with a gentle air about him.

“Eh? Aren't you that... what's-his-name?” Bai Wanyang couldn't recall the name for a moment.

The smile on the young man's face deepened slightly. “Mr. Bai, I am Zhang Songyun. We have been on a mission together before.”

“Right, right, it's you,” Bai Wanyang remembered. “I recall you have exceptionally good luck.”

“It was just a fluke,” Zhang Songyun explained with a smile, his attitude impeccable. “Are you just arriving for work, Mr. Bai?”

“Yeah, I almost late, haha~” Bai Wanyang scratched his head.

The two engaged in some idle chatter, unexpectedly finding they got along quite well as the conversation went on.

...

The director's office.

Ling Xun stood before Tang Zhuhe's desk, reporting on the latest situation.

“The temporary reinforcement of the city walls has been completed. Most of the vagrants have been controlled or expelled, but the damage caused is significant—especially to the substations and parts of the water supply system. Repairs will require a large amount of funding and time. This is my preliminary repair budget and material application list...”

Tang Zhuhe sat behind her large office chair, tapping her fingertips on the desk. She glanced at the thick list and waved her hand dismissively.

“Handle these trifles as you see fit. If you're short on money, apply directly to headquarters. Tell them I said so—Amber City needs reconstruction funds. Headquarters won't refuse.” Her tone was casual, as if she didn't care at all about the recent chaos in Amber City.

Ling Xun had long since grown accustomed to the director's style and nodded. “I understand. Additionally, Yue Shi has already departed for Chijing City. The two representatives from the Glory Association are traveling with him.”

“Mhm,” Tang Zhuhe responded faintly, her gaze shifting to the gloomy sky outside the window. “Chijing City... I hope everything goes smoothly.”

Ling Xun added, “There is one more small matter. We received a report from a civilian organization that several transcendents have gone missing.”

Tang Zhuhe suddenly took an interest. “Did they disappear last night?”

Ling Xun didn't understand why she would be interested in this, but he answered truthfully, “By preliminary estimates, their disappearance should have occurred last night.”

...

Meanwhile, in Chijing City.

About fifteen minutes later, Xin Yanzheng led the group to a hotel called the Brilliant Hotel.

The hotel lived up to its name; the interior decoration was extremely luxurious, shimmering with gold and dazzling crystal chandeliers.

They were led into a spacious private room where a round table large enough for a dozen people stood in the center. The two-layered glass turntable was already laden with exquisite dishes, ranging from local delicacies to rare natural vegetables and seafood—a true feast for the eyes.

The group took their seats in order.

Xin Yanzheng naturally took the head seat, greeting them warmly and trying to liven up the atmosphere. He spoke wittily, introducing the characteristics of Chijing City and the origins of the dishes, showing the attentiveness of a host.

Yet, the atmosphere at the banquet remained subtly stagnant and distant.

Yue Shi ate in silence, every piece of food having been scanned by Insight before entering his mouth to confirm it was non-toxic and normal.

The glamorous woman and the muscular man were even more economical with their words. They mostly responded to Xin Yanzheng's attempts at conversation with nods or brief replies, their attitudes cold and even carrying a faint hint of arrogance.

Xin Yanzheng's smile didn't waver, but he could clearly feel the awkwardness of getting a cold shoulder in return for his warmth.

Eventually, he stopped trying to maintain the facade of harmony. He cleared his throat, looked at Yue Shi, and said professionally, “There is a situation I need to inform you of. A minor issue has temporarily arisen at our production plant. The batch of large substation equipment you are meant to transport won't be fully produced and tested until the morning after tomorrow at the earliest. Therefore, I'm afraid you will need to stay in Chijing City for two more days. Accommodations have been arranged for you right upstairs in this hotel for your convenience.”

Yue Shi's hand holding the chopsticks paused for a split second before returning to normal. He looked up at Xin Yanzheng and nodded. “Fine, no problem.”

“And you two?” Xin Yanzheng looked at the glamorous woman and the muscular man. “Do you also need to stay in Chijing City for a few more days? Please, let us show you some hospitality.”

The glamorous woman shook her head directly, her voice cold. “No need. We will leave after a short rest.”

A look of appropriate regret appeared on Xin Yanzheng's face. “That's truly a pity. But very well, you are welcome to return anytime. The cooperation between the Chijing City Investigation Bureau and the Glory Association has always been extremely harmonious. I'm sure our next collaboration will be no exception.”

His words seemed directed at the woman, yet also sounded like he was emphasizing a certain stance.

The glamorous woman merely gave a slight nod, saying no more.

Yue Shi listened silently, understanding the subtext. It seemed the relationship between the Chijing City Investigation Bureau and the Glory Association was far deeper and more intimate than he had imagined.

The oddly-atmosphered welcome banquet finally ended. A waiter stepped forward respectfully to lead Yue Shi to his pre-booked room upstairs.

The two from the Glory Association took their leave immediately, showing no intention of staying.

The waiter brought Yue Shi to a luxury suite on the twenty-third floor.

Yue Shi swiped his card to enter and immediately locked the door behind him. Standing at the entrance, the golden vertical mark on his brow quietly opened, and his Insight vision meticulously scanned every corner of the room.

Walls, ceiling, decorative paintings, electrical interfaces, smoke alarms—everything was normal.

No hidden surveillance equipment, no listening devices, no abnormal information.

Only after confirming it was safe did he begin to observe his temporary residence.

The suite was extremely spacious, with thick carpets on the floor. It had a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom with separate wet and dry areas, and even a small kitchen equipped with basic cookware. The facilities were complete, and a projection TV occupied an entire wall.

Yue Shi had little luggage. He placed his briefcase on the living room coffee table and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The floor was very high, offering an extremely wide view.

Looking out, the spectacular steel jungle of Chijing City was fully visible.

Countless towering buildings rose like tombstones, piercing the overcast sky.

On the facades of many skyscrapers, electronic screens flickered with brilliant advertisements, looking exceptionally striking against the gloomy daylight.

On the streets below, vehicles and pedestrians were busy and hurried. The pace of life seemed very fast, entirely different from the decadent and loose atmosphere of Amber City.

“This city is very developed. Want to take the chance to go for a stroll?” Ghost's voice came through the phone.

Yue Shi looked out the window and slowly shook his head. “No.”

“Forget it then.” Ghost seemed to mention it only casually, but then his tone shifted, becoming slightly probing.

“By the way, what was with you when we just got off the plane? You seemed very agitated.”

“It's nothing. I just suddenly remembered some unhappy things,” Yue Shi said dismissively.

Just then, he noticed the sky outside becoming even gloomier. Lead-gray clouds covered the heavens in thick layers; though it was still daytime, the light was so dim it felt as if night had arrived early.

In less than a minute, grains of snow began to drift down from the sky, tapping against the glass window with faint sounds.

A few minutes later, the grains turned into distinct snowflakes, each flake growing larger and denser.

As December approached, Chijing City welcomed its first snow of the year.