In a remote, old residential compound on the outskirts of the city, the atmosphere inside a rental apartment glowing with dim yellow light was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
The rental apartment was small and sparsely furnished. The walls were somewhat mottled, and several cardboard boxes filled with clothes and miscellaneous items were piled in the corner.
An old fabric sofa sat in the living room, stained in places. A bottle of mineral water, more than half-finished, rested on the coffee table, while a faint smell of smoke hung in the air.
Mu Qi and Zhang Zhao sat on the sofa, silently eating boxed meals.
Mu Qi wore a black jacket. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his eyes were tired yet sharp. He shoveled rice into his mouth quickly, as if his only goal was to fill his stomach.
Zhang Zhao wore a gray sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his sturdy arms. His brows had been tightly furrowed the entire time. Every few bites, he let out a sigh, clearly troubled.
Not long ago, they had just completed a mission assigned by the organization, destroying one of the Dark Raven Organization's strongholds.
According to the original plan, they should have immediately returned to the cave in the wilderness to hide after completing the mission. It was well concealed and difficult to discover.
But now, they were hiding in this nondescript rental apartment, facing the risk of retaliation from the Dark Raven Organization or pursuit by law enforcement at any moment.
By all rights, after causing such a huge commotion in the city, they should have returned to the wilderness and gone into hiding immediately. That would have been safer.
But the organization had issued new orders, telling them to remain in the