The three of them snacked and chatted idly. Recently, the hottest news across Terra had been the assassination attempt on Theresia, the King of Sarkaz.
Her brother Theresis had taken the throne and was now gathering an army in an attempt to invade Londinium.
Shi Lei had no interest in politics, and Texas was a woman of few words, so Croissant did most of the talking.
Who knew how much time had passed when Exusiai returned carrying a crate of beer. The atmosphere, which had begun to cool, heated up again with her arrival:
"Ah-ha, I'm baaack! Hey, hey, hey, don't go falling asleep from drinking. Get up, let's keep partying!"
After two bottles, Shi Lei truly could not drink any more. They did not pressure anyone to drink; however much they drank was
entirely voluntary. The most important thing was having fun.
After playing a few rounds of finger guessing, Exusiai kept losing to Texas. Unable to save face, she got up and headed for the record player in the corner:
"I was wondering why I kept losing! A party without music is like a gathering without alcohol. How can that work?"
Exusiai felt the mood still was not lively enough, so she played a music album produced by the boss.
As an old-school Columbia rap superstar and a record producer under Siren Records, Emperor's music often incorporated all kinds of elements and was full of aggression:
"Any accomplice who dares invade my ghetto, all of them get killed, die sudden deaths
My territory keeps expanding, all the way to Lungmen and Kalan Trade
How many mysteries have I uncovered through the trials of struggling underground?
I've created achievements worthy of praise underground; no one can compare
It's as thrilling as Texas play, so I have no time to pay you any mind
6O6O, back off, back off
You're unworthy of being my opponent, I'll KOKO you
After I finish this deal, I'll add two more digits to the end of my account: ZeroZero"
The four of them drank, cracked sunflower seeds, listened to music, and played games until deep into the night.
Shi Lei was temporarily staying at the Safe House, so he did not need to walk home at night. After the three of them left, he picked up a broom and cleaned up the messy room. Though his body had become sluggish and exhausted from the alcohol, his heart felt remarkably fulfilled.
Locking Onto the Target
November 30, 7:45 a.m.
Lungmen Guard Department.
The winter solstice had yet to arrive, but the late autumn chill had already lingered above the city, drifting down among the people with the breeze.
Chen carried her sword, Chi Xiao, in her right hand as she strode through the lobby. The blue hair at her temples curled slightly and bounced gently with each rise and fall of her steps.
This female officer, the fastest to rise into the Special Inspectorate, was a crime-fighting idol admired by many officers in the Guard Department. Yet her stern, unsmiling demeanor usually gave people a sense of distance, as though she could only be admired from afar. Even when they ran into her face-to-face, they did not dare greet her.
Chen entered the changing room, took out her key, and opened her locker. She put on her Lungmen Guard Department uniform and clipped a Walkie-Talkie for communication onto her left shoulder. This custom-made outfit was highly waterproof and looked somewhat like a windbreaker.
As she adjusted her appearance in the small mirror on the locker door, Officer Hoshiguma appeared behind her.
Her height of 1.84 meters, coupled with the Oni horns that made her seem even taller, gave her an oppressive presence at close range.
"Morning, Old Chen."
"Morning."
Before they could exchange any pleasantries, Chen's phone suddenly rang. She took it out and glanced at the caller ID note, her brows furrowing slightly.
As her partner of many years, Hoshiguma immediately understood. She pointed outside the changing room:
"I've got something else to handle, so I'll head out first. If you need anything, remember to call me."
"Mm, okay."
Chen walked to the window, answered the call, and held the phone to her ear without speaking immediately.
Sometimes, an informant or undercover agent's identity would be questioned, and outsiders would call back the numbers they had contacted recently. If she spoke first and was recognized, it could get them killed.
"Officer Chen, are you there?"
Only after hearing the informant's voice did she speak.
"Mm, I'm here. How did the investigation go?"
"The Rat King really is offering a reward for a man, and specifically said he must not be harmed. But there's no detailed portrait, and his identity information is extremely vague. They only said he's around 1.75 meters tall and in his early twenties."
"Do you know what race he is?"
"Not sure. They said race doesn't matter."
Chen pondered for a moment before continuing.
"Any other clues?"
"No, that's all. Officer Chen, when can that informant fee be approved? My wife is about to give birth, and I desperately need money."
"The finance department is busy at the start of the month. The approval will probably be finished around December 4. Hang in there for two more days. If it really comes to it, you can come to me for money."
"Uh, no need for that. How could I trouble Officer Chen? I'll wait another two days, then."
The informant had still been able to learn of the reward yesterday, proving that the Rat King had not found the target. Coupled with Lin Yuxia unprecedentedly calling her, Chen inferred that the person who had secretly helped near the basketball court that night did not live in the Slums.
"Mm, keep watching. Mind your safety, and notify me immediately if there's any new information."
"Officer Chen, when I'm handling things, you can rest assured."
"Click."
After hanging up, the informant stared at Lin Yuxia by the window and forced out an ugly smile.
"Miss Lin, I've said everything as you instructed. Can you let me go back now?"
"Sorry, not yet. Once I find the person I'm looking for, I'll naturally let you go. For the next few days, I'll have to trouble you to endure staying here."
After Chen hung up, she suddenly stood still for a while, as if pondering something. Only after a moment did she close the locker and leave the changing room.
She looked around and spotted Hoshiguma in the corridor. Walking over, she asked:
"Do you remember Old Zhang, the informant from District 26? Does he have a pregnant wife?"
"Probably... yes?"
Hoshiguma tilted her head, sounding uncertain. She had not returned to the Slums for some time.
"Want me to call and ask?"
"Forget it, no need. Go change into your work clothes. I'll wait for you here."
"Mm."
Two or three minutes later, Hoshiguma emerged from the changing room. Her pitch-black combat suit had the texture of rubberized clothing, while the thick triangular shield gave people an inexplicable sense of security.
"I'm ready, Old Chen. Let's go."
Chen went straight to the Transportation Department in the same building and found the relevant official to retrieve street surveillance footage.
"Please pull up the surveillance footage from November 27, between 9 and 10 p.m., from the two intersections leading from downtown to District 24 and District 26. Thank you."
District 25 had no main roads. At that time of night, those two intersections were the only way in. There were no cameras inside the Slums, so she chose this location.
Considering the other party might have scouted the area in advance, she extended the search window from half an hour to an hour. If that yielded nothing, she would expand it to two hours.
"Old Chen, who are we looking for?"
"A man in his early twenties, around 175 centimeters tall. Race doesn't matter. You and I will each watch one intersection and record everyone who meets those conditions."
At first, Chen only wanted to find him, thank Jiu on his behalf, and invite him to a meal. But Lin Yuxia and the Rat King's involvement made her feel that things were not so simple.
Perhaps something she did not know was quietly brewing in the shadows. Every mystery could only be answered by finding that man.
She and Hoshiguma watched the street surveillance on separate computers, occasionally pausing to record information.
Less than half an hour in, Chen unexpectedly found a man who should not have been there.
This vagrant interning at Penguin Logistics matched the height, appearance, and age perfectly. Most importantly, he showed no racial characteristics whatsoever.
"Hiss..."
Chen stared at the screen for a long time without rashly reaching a conclusion. She still watched the entire recording, avoiding the possibility of overlooking critical information through carelessness.
Through their tireless efforts, they found a total of twenty-eight suspects matching the criteria. Chen and Hoshiguma then went to the Population Records Department and eliminated the many civilians incapable of using Originium Arts through comparison.
The only one not eliminated was this outsider whose information had not been registered in the system: Shi Lei, the vagrant who had been sleeping beneath a bridge when they first met.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Chen was decisive in her work and disliked dragging things out. After thanking the Records Department staff, she left the Guard Department building with Hoshiguma.
"Old Chen, where are we going next?"
Chen did not answer. She walked several blocks to the Penguin Logistics building. It was not far from the Guard Department and was normally within her patrol area.
Hoshiguma had not taken part in that night's operation and did not know why Chen was looking for this person. But since it was something Old Chen wanted to do, she would support her with everything she had.
Once inside the elevator, Chen pressed the button. The doors slowly closed and went straight to the top floor.
At the same time, a man wearing sunglasses followed them to the elevator. Seeing it stop on the top floor, he immediately made a call to report.
"Miss, I found him."
Caught Between Two Women
"Ding!"
Hearing the elevator arrive at the top floor, Exusiai, who was by the water dispenser, thought a customer had come and instinctively greeted them.
"Hello, Penguin Logistics, our mission must..."
The next second, Chen and Hoshiguma stepped out of the elevator.
The instant she saw them, Exusiai turned and fled like a mouse spotting a cat. With her back to the two Special Inspectorate members, she grumbled inwardly.
Come on, today is the last day!
The boss pays us tomorrow. Could you please not come knocking with parking tickets? I'm begging you.
Just from the halo over her head, Chen knew who had turned around and slipped away: Exusiai, Penguin Logistics' vehicle killer, streetlamp destroyer, troublemaker, and Lungmen Guard Department regular. A habitual offender.
But she had come for something else today.
Knock, knock.
Chen raised her hand and lightly tapped on the glass door. Hearing the sound, Croissant poked her head out. Seeing no one else attending to them, she got up and walked over with a smile.
"Officer Chen, hello. Did you come to deliver tickets today, or to do business?"
Chen had never liked wasting words and went straight to the point.
"I need to confirm something with your receptionist. Do you know where he is now?"
"The receptionist? You mean Shi Lei? He's in the warehouse downstairs with Texas."
"Thank you. That's all."
Having obtained the target's location, Chen did not linger. She turned and entered the elevator with Hoshiguma, heading downstairs to find him.
Officer Chen had not brought any tickets this time. Croissant wondered whether Shi Lei had gotten involved in some murder case. She hesitated in place for a moment, watching the two disappear, before ultimately deciding to go downstairs and take a look.
Shi Lei placed the Emperor records ready for shipment at the entrance to Warehouse No. 2, completing his morning's work.
He accepted the cigarette Texas handed him, sat on a cart by the entrance, and puffed away. It tasted similar to cigarettes from before he crossed over, but it had quite a kick.
Shi Lei was not a heavy smoker. He only smoked one or two now and then. If someone offered him one, he smoked; otherwise, he did not.
From afar, he spotted Officer Chen and Hoshiguma walking toward them. Chen wore a dark blue Lungmen Guard Department uniform today. Even though the weather had turned colder, her legs were still bare. A pair of dark blue knee-high leather boots made them look straight and slender.
Before you continue