The motorcycle carried the two of them through the city's towering, cavernous spaces. It descended from the crisscrossing elevated expressways and entered the South District, an area packed with industrial structures.
Huge steam pipes stretched alongside one another, winding around low buildings with sparse lights like a tangled yet faintly orderly skein of thread.
Every so often, surging steam burst from both sides of the road like the breath of a whale.
At first, Xiao Xiao could smell only scorched rust and the heavy scent of steam. Unknown chemicals mingled with them, filling the air with a dangerous atmosphere.
The old part of the South District looked bleak and dilapidated. Abandoned factories, deserted after going bankrupt, could be seen everywhere. Fewer than one streetlamp in ten still worked, making the entire district seem far darker than elsewhere.
Exaggerated, vivid graffiti covered the tall brick walls, but beneath it were groups of idlers wandering aimlessly.
Some had cigarettes dangling from their mouths, while others clutched bottles of liquor. Some gathered in groups of three or five, while others squatted alone in gloomy street corners. Whenever a new face appeared, countless hollow eyes turned toward it.
This was the most dangerous district in the city, as well as the breeding ground for countless thugs, prostitutes, and criminal geniuses.
In Xiao Xiao's memory, this place had already been notorious four years ago. With order in ruins, even The Guard Hall didn't dare come here to arrest people casually unless it dispatched a large force.
He couldn't help withdrawing his gaze.
In a place like this, making eye contact with anyone could lead to unnecessary conflict.
Ruan Ruan, on the other hand, seemed perfectly relaxed in this environment. She even stopped beside a railing that allowed her to brace herself against the ground.
She took out a small electronic device and observed it for a while. Only when several unfamiliar faces nearby began tentatively approaching did she twist the throttle and leave.
A chorus of curses soon rang out behind them, along with the chaotic crash of bottles smashing onto the ground behind them.
Ten minutes later, Ruan Ruan's motorcycle reached a place that was desolate even by the standards of the old district. It seemed to be on the edge of the city.
The area was filled with sprawling abandoned factories, stretching one after another. They were pitch-black, like corpses crawling across the ground. Occasionally, one building had a dim lamp glowing outside its door, standing alone as if shivering in the thick night.
"The abnormal radiation was detected somewhere around here..."
Ruan Ruan planted one foot against the nearby railing, raised her left wrist, and swiped at the display on it.
Xiao Xiao maintained the silence expected of a newcomer and did not disturb her.
Opening it through his own mailbox, he could also see a map with a special marker. This was probably a hint from whoever had issued the mission.
That made Xiao Xiao feel somewhat puzzled as well. He had already understood that these "outsiders" like himself were messengers tasked with clearing the city of mutated creatures.
At first, however, he had assumed that the city itself would directly issue him a "mission." Later, he realized that it didn't quite seem that way.
At the very least, if the city issued missions, it certainly wouldn't give him the chance to pick and choose and search for a suitable incident...
According to Ruan Ruan, even the mission ranks had merely been summarized collectively by all the outsiders.
Then who issued the missions?
The sender of the emails—the person named "Ye"?
And who was he? The leader of the outsiders' organization?
Just as they were thinking about this, two people who looked like drunkards stood up by the roadside not far away. They tentatively approached to within a short distance of them, saying nothing as they loitered there with flickering eyes.
After watching for a while, they finally ambled over. Their scrutinizing gazes swept over Xiao Xiao and Ruan Ruan as one of them asked, "What are you two doing here?"
Ruan Ruan looked up at them and smiled. "We'd like to ask you something. Have you heard of any strange incidents around this area?"
"People disappearing, or anything like that?"
"..."
The two men's eyes lit up when they saw Ruan Ruan's smile, and unnatural grins spread across their faces. They drew closer and reached toward the smalls of their backs. "Are there only the two of you?"
"Little girl, those two headlights of yours are pretty nice..."
"..."
Ruan Ruan frowned. She instinctively reached toward the bag at the front of the motorcycle, but hesitated for a moment. Remembering something, she withdrew her hand and jabbed her elbow into Xiao Xiao, who was sitting obediently behind her.
"Huh?"
Xiao Xiao froze for a moment before understanding.
This big sister had said that she would handle nothing during this trip. He was to deal with everything himself.
So it was starting now?
He looked up at the two men. A trace of thought flashed through his eyes, and then he suddenly drew his gun and fired at the leg of the man in front.
Bang!
The sudden gunshot made Ruan Ruan in front of him jerk in fright. She immediately whipped around.
Xiao Xiao was holding the gun steadily. He didn't even look at the man clutching his thigh on the ground. Instead, he smoothly shifted the muzzle and aimed it at the other man's face.
His voice was exceedingly polite. "I'd like to ask you something. Have you heard of any strange incidents around this area?"
"People disappearing, or anything like that?"
"..."
"Ahh..."
Only after he had finished asking did the two men react. One clutched his thigh and let out a slaughterhouse-like scream.
Facing the dark muzzle, the other man's face instantly turned deathly pale, and his pants gradually grew wet.
Xiao Xiao's expression remained calm. He tilted the muzzle up and down slightly. "You haven't answered our question yet..."
"I... I don't know..."
The uninjured man's legs trembled. With a miserable look on his face, he took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and held it out. "Th-this place has people disappearing all the time. My... my wife ran off with someone..."
"Oh."
Xiao Xiao was used to being at the docks. He casually pulled out a cigarette from the pack, tucked it behind his ear, and gave the man a sympathetic look. Patiently, he asked, "Anything else?"
"I... I really don't know..."
"Think harder."
The man with the gun pointed at him was on the verge of tears. Suddenly, he remembered something and cautiously pointed toward a stretch of abandoned factories. "Oh, right. Th-that place..."
"They say people often disappear there. Everyone... everyone says there's a man-eating... man-eating warehouse there..."
"..."
"Man-Eating Warehouse?"
Xiao Xiao was startled. He turned to look at Ruan Ruan, only to see her nod lightly.
Xiao Xiao turned back to the man and said gently, "Thanks. That's all. Go home earlier in the future and drink less. Maybe your wife will come back."
"By the way, take the guy on the ground with you. His injury is pretty serious. Find him a decent clinic."
"..."
"Y-yes... yes..."
With a miserable expression, the man struggled to drag away the one who had been shot in the thigh. Stumbling, they ran off.
Xiao Xiao watched them disappear into the distance before putting away his gun. He gave Ruan Ruan an inquiring look, seemingly wanting to know how he had done.
Ruan Ruan stared at his calm, handsome face for a long while before saying, "You shot him just for asking for directions?"
"They meant us harm..."
Xiao Xiao honestly explained, "When they came over just now, they were already trying to draw knives... I couldn't see clearly. For all I knew, they might have been drawing guns."
"Because they might have been, you shot them?"
Ruan Ruan's eyes grew even more astonished. "You didn't hesitate at all?"
"Because this was better for everyone."
Xiao Xiao said, "I'm just a newcomer. I don't have much combat experience. They'd already come right up to us. If they suddenly drew knives and charged, with my terrible aim, I might have killed them..."
"They might even have injured me while catching me off guard."
"Wouldn't it be better to fire first? That way, I could avoid killing both of them, and we wouldn't be delayed in asking them for information..."
"..."
Ruan Ruan looked amazed. "So you're saying you were being kind?"
"Of course..."
Xiao Xiao's face was utterly composed. Wasn't what he had done the most correct choice?
Besides, this was an outsider world filled with monsters. Even if he really killed them, so what?
"All right, then. You really are... full of potential..."
Ruan Ruan had actually been convinced. She sighed helplessly and turned toward the abandoned factories, where the so-called "Man-Eating Warehouse" was located.
Her expression soon grew serious. "What are you planning to do?"
Xiao Xiao thought for a moment, then jumped off the motorcycle. He glanced into the distance toward the warehouse before tightening his grip on his gun and striding forward.
Ruan Ruan followed as well. Watching him continue onward, her curiosity grew stronger. "You're just going straight inside?"
"What else can I do?"
Xiao Xiao stopped and looked at her in surprise. "I'm just a newcomer. I have no experience..."
"You didn't even arrange basic military training for me..."
"..."
"All right, all right. This time, I'm only responsible for observing you. Do whatever you want..."
Ruan Ruan didn't know how to respond, so she waved her hand and firmly stopped two or three meters behind Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao thought about it too and realized that he genuinely didn't know what else to do. So he continued walking straight ahead.
He drew a deep breath and thought to himself, I really have to stay alert this time. If I mess up, the points...
...No, the points aren't important. What matters is that it'll be really embarrassing.
Before you continue