The Worst Encounter

"As I tear open the half-mile of day and night, a three-foot azure glow spins to wash away the dust~"

Outside the Star Engraving Dance Hall, a hoarse male voice emanated from the two coffin-like black speakers placed at the entrance. The distant song spread to every corner of Mirror Lake Road. Hawkers and peddlers would occasionally stop to listen, but soon had to return to their busy work.

Le Yu watched the human-powered rickshaws shuttle through the streets, feeling as if he had arrived in a new city. Although the wealthy district was separated from the main city by Mirror Lake, they were almost like two different cities. For example, you wouldn't see any human-powered rickshaws in the main city, but they were a common mode of transport in the wealthy district.

The reason behind this was naturally easy to deduce: 'taking slow transport' was a pseudo-demand for the Radiant People themselves. During the day, the Radiant People received the blessing of sunlight, so daily walking wasn't tiring at all. Even traversing the city didn't cause backaches or leg pains. As for the evenings, everyone went home to rest, so who would still be out? Moreover, ordinary people walking would definitely be faster than pulling a rickshaw; if you truly wanted to move quickly, taking a rickshaw would be slower.

Therefore, human-powered rickshaws never appeared in the main city. Only after nightfall would many commoners, who worked part-time at car rentals, pull rickshaws to Mirror Lake Road to wait for business. The young masters unwilling to walk, and wealthy merchants who would spend a fortune, were their true customers.

Le Yu exclaimed, "It's actually this lively… I thought it would become desolate after the lockdown."

"They are the ones with the biggest losses, and also the ones least affected."

A delicate voice came from behind Le Yu: "The more dire the situation, the more one should indulge in pleasure. Can staying at home really reduce losses? Might as well come out and have a good time."

That makes sense. Sometimes when I'm playing on my phone and suddenly remember I haven't done my homework, I'll feel incredibly uneasy but still continue playing… Le Yu turned his head to look at the beauty behind him, unable to help but let out a soft 'tsk'.

A white off-shoulder shirt, a light pink pleated skirt, camel-colored tall boots, long black hair draped over her shoulders, fair and rosy cheeks, and eyes curved into a smile. Anyone who saw her would exclaim, "What a pure and charming young woman."

It was just that it was bigger than Le Yu's.

The black-haired girl behind him was, naturally, Yin Yinyin.

When Le Yu first saw Yin Yinyin, he felt that his frame was too thin. He never expected him to actually be able to wear women's clothing.

Later, Yin Yinyin took out a makeup box, hair net, wig, and false eyelashes, making Le Yu want to shout, "Why are you so skilled?" But Yin Yinyin stopped all of Le Yu's questions with just one sentence:

"Do you think I dare to show my face outside?"

It was then that Le Yu remembered that Yin Yinyin was a practitioner of the forbidden technique, Hidden Sword Combat Arts, and his hair, beard, and eyelashes were all pale white. If he wanted to show his face outside, he either had to shave his head and eyebrows, or skillfully master the art of disguise. Otherwise, if people saw his white hair, killing him with a knife would not only not be illegal, but they would also receive a commendation from the government.

Only after Yin Yinyin put on a wig to cover his white hair and transformed into a fresh-faced, flat-chested, straight black-haired woman, did Le Yu ask him why he didn't shave his head. Wouldn't shaving his head mean he wouldn't need to wear women's clothes?

"Two men, one of whom is bald. Are you hoping everyone will stare at us? Not attracting attention is common sense in espionage."

Le Yu felt that Yin Yinyin was talking nonsense; he just didn't want to shave his head.

Moreover, the women's clothing he bought seemed to be this year's popular style, and he was also proficient in mixed-voice vocalization, producing a flawless female voice. Le Yu strongly suspected he had some unspeakable special fetishes.

Wait.

Hidden Sword Combat Arts required turning off the lights.

Approaching a target as a woman and making an ambiguous request to turn off the lights—few men would refuse.

Then…

Le Yu didn't dare to think further. He suddenly shivered, turning his head to see Yin Yinyin grasping his wrist.

"Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing?"

"Let's go in," Yin Yinyin said, feeling bewildered. "Come on, let's finish the work early and go home to rest early."

The way he said that, it was as if they were going to kill a pig.

Le Yu could only steel himself and walk towards the Star Engraving Dance Hall with Yin Yinyin. The two tall, burly doormen at the dance hall entrance glanced at them. Le Yu subtly looked at them and felt a faint heat on the back of his neck, immediately dropping any hint of contempt.

After so many days, Le Yu had also mastered a small trick for judging an opponent's strength. When the opponent revealed their aura without concealment, if Le Yu's neck felt hot, it meant the opponent's Mental Power was lower than his, and their strength was likely inferior to his. If Le Yu's neck felt a stinging pain, it meant the opponent's Mental Power was similar to his, making it a close fight. If Le Yu's neck had no reaction, then the opponent was either a weakling, or he was a weakling in the opponent's eyes.

The back of the neck, specifically the spine, was the implantation point for the Radiant Stone chip. Mental Power feedback would first manifest at the back of the neck. It took Le Yu a long time to learn how to skillfully read the signals from his neck, always feeling as if someone was driving him from inside his neck.

The combat power of these two doormen was probably similar to Gao Jin's. But Gao Jin was a top student from the Star Engraving Military Academy. For these two doormen to be comparable to Gao Jin, they might be retired soldiers from the Coastal Army.

This was the difference between Mirror Lake Road and Eighteen Streets. The gangs of Eighteen Streets dared not provoke the Statistics Department, while any random doorman on Mirror Lake Road had the combat strength of a Statistics Department agent… Le Yu handed over a Star Engraving card. The doorman took it, glanced at it, pulled out a hole puncher, punched two holes in the card, and then respectfully returned it to Le Yu: "Mr. Yu, I wish you a wonderful evening."

The Star Engraving Dance Hall operated on a membership system; it did not accept outsiders, and it was one card per person, with the person and card corresponding. The card in Le Yu's hand alone was worth 10 Gold Coins, enough to cover all expenses for the Qian family siblings for an entire year, with some left over.

Heaven knew where Yin Yinyin got this card, perhaps from some unfortunate soul who had seen Yin Yinyin in women's clothing.

Le Yu was now wearing a handlebar mustache, with a layer of powder on his face, so heavily made up that Qian Yuya wouldn't recognize him. He was dressed in a luxurious silk gown. In the doormen's eyes, he was just a middle-aged rich businessman bringing an innocent young girl to dance.

Stepping into the dance hall, a vast, brightly lit and boisterous dance floor greeted his eyes. Male singers, dressed like peacocks, performed on stage, while men and women intertwined and embraced on the dance floor. Flashing lights of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple rotated, giving Le Yu a feeling of being back in a KTV.

Around the dance floor were tables and chairs for resting, service counters providing drinks on both sides, and private rooms on the second floor. Le Yu glanced at the dozens of patrons in the dimly lit dance floor and exchanged a look with Yin Yinyin.

"How do we find him?" he asked. "I've never met Dong Heng. Are there any obvious characteristics?"

According to Yin Yinyin's intelligence, Dong Heng was a fan of energetic dancing and would come to the dance hall to dance every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Today was Friday, one of those days.

"He's blind in his left eye and wears an eye patch," Yin Yinyin said. "I'll go from the left, you go from the right. Meet back here once you find him."

So he's a blind dancer, a true example of resilience… Le Yu had no objections, and the two immediately split up.

After walking for a while, Le Yu noticed some security personnel observing around the dance floor. Not daring to stop and look around aimlessly, he swayed his body while slowly moving, making his way to the service counter area, but still couldn't find the target.

Le Yu sat down at the service counter, and a server immediately came over and asked, "Sir, what would you like to drink?"

"Do you have Honey Five-Flower Tea?"

"Do you have Honey Five-Flower Tea?"

Two voices spoke simultaneously. Le Yu turned his head and met the gaze of a girl with braided pigtails. The two stared at each other for several seconds before the braided girl chuckled, "Uncle, how old are you, still drinking Honey Five-Flower Tea?"

"Not only will I drink it, I'll have it with ice," Le Yu told the server. "One iced Honey Five-Flower Tea, and some peanuts."

"Me too!" the braided girl clamored.

Le Yu took the Honey Five-Flower Tea, and while drinking, turned to face the dance floor, his eyes constantly scanning, trying to spot Dong Heng.

"Why are you here, old man? You're not drinking or dancing," the pigtailed girl loudly demanded again.

"Good question. You're not drinking or dancing either, so why are you here?"

"What do you mean I'm not dancing? I'm going to dance soon, and when I do, I'll be the star of the dance floor, with all the handsome guys fighting to be at my feet!"

Le Yu pushed the plate of peanuts towards her. "Don't just drink. Have some peanuts."

"Oh... uh, thanks." The pigtailed girl munched on the peanuts with relish.

At that moment, the singer changed to a woman, and she was singing a slow song, allowing Le Yu to better observe the shameless situation. The pigtailed girl started up again. "Old man, you must be a terrible dancer, that's why you're not dancing."

"By that logic, are you also not dancing because you're a terrible dancer?"

"I... I..." The pigtailed girl's voice suddenly grew quiet. "I've never danced before, so I don't know if I'm any good..."

"You must be terrible. Don't even think about it."

The pigtailed girl's expression froze. Shouldn't he be comforting me right now? she thought. Annoyed, she snapped, "Hmph, if I spend just a day or two playing around here, I'll definitely be a great dancer."

"Exactly, I think so too." Le Yu said casually, "What's there to compare when it comes to having fun? Dancing is so simple, anyone can do it. If you want to compare, let's compare studies. You should be in junior high, right? How are your Combat Arts classes going?"

The pigtailed girl retorted, "What about you, old man?"

"When I was your age, I was first in my class."

"Braggart!"

"If I'm bragging, I'll let you call me Dad."

The pigtailed girl chuckled. "Okay, if you call me that first, I'll believe you."

"Call you what?"

"Dad!"

"Heh, good girl."

The pigtailed girl blinked. She finally understood, but wasn't angry. She just hummed, "My dad's a really good fighter. If you want to be my dad, he'll kill you if he finds out."

"Are you afraid of your dad?"

"...Yes."

"Why are you afraid? Does your dad spank you?"

"My grades aren't good." The pigtailed girl drank the last of her Honey Five-Flower Tea, looking dejected. "My dad won't hit me, but he'll... be very disappointed. He found many teachers to teach me, and he even taught me Combat Arts himself, but I just can't learn it."

"That's normal. Geniuses like me are rare; most normal people are like you, not very bright." Le Yu blathered on, then suddenly changed the subject. "If you can't learn your Combat Arts, have you considered switching to a different one?"

"No... our family's Combat Arts are passed down through generations."

"Just because it's passed down doesn't mean it's the best. Does your family still keep a passed-down urinal?" Le Yu scoffed. "Is there no Combat Arts you want to learn?"

"...Ethereal Combat Arts," the pigtailed girl whispered. "I like that feeling of flying around."

"Then go practice it."

"My dad won't let me."

"Then why don't you use your free time to practice? Before bed, at the academy—you students have time like a butt crack, you'll find it even without squeezing. Practice a bit and show your dad; maybe he'll allow it then?"

"What if he still doesn't allow it?"

"If he doesn't allow it, he doesn't allow it. You've already practiced, so is he going to break your leg?" Le Yu said, "It's better than you wasting time coming to a dance hall."

The pigtailed girl blinked, silent for a long while, then slowly asked, "Old man, did you say all that just to tell me not to come to the dance hall?"

(⊙o⊙)...

Are junior high students in Radiant so sharp...?

Originally, Le Yu had noticed this naive girl dazzled by the world's allure, and, driven by his conscience, he had subtly tried to persuade her to stay away from such a socially complex place. He hadn't expected to be seen through so quickly.

It felt like performing a magic trick, only for the other person to suddenly reveal its secret.

It was a bit irritating.

"Hehe, actually, tonight's my first time here, and my dad brought me to meet an uncle. I usually wouldn't come to a dance hall," the pigtailed girl giggled.

What more could Le Yu say? He stood up, drank the rest of his Five-Flower Tea, and prepared to slip away.

After watching for several minutes and still not finding Dong Heng, Le Yu suspected Dong Heng might be working overtime due to the city lockdown. He'd have to go consult Yin Yinyin.

"Hey, old man, what's your name?" the pigtailed girl asked, grabbing his hand.

Le Yu didn't want to struggle too hard, so he replied, "My name is Yu... Nieruo. This dance hall is boring, I'm not coming back. See you never, see you never."

The pigtailed girl's eyes suddenly lit up. "Your name sounds so much like mine!"

What?

Le Yu suspected he was being hit on by a junior high girl—how could such a idiotic name possibly be similar?!

This was ridiculous. Qian Yuliu, in his normal state, was formidable, but dressed as an old man, he could attract junior high girls? Do Radiant girls have such refined taste?

The pigtailed girl wanted to say more, but at that moment, a stern voice echoed from a passage behind them:

"Nian Ruo!"

Le Yu paused, the voice... sounded familiar.

The girl with the braided pigtails flinched, then turned around, hands placed neatly at her sides, and called out, "Dad!"

In the hallway, two figures emerged from the second-floor staircase. One had a hooked nose and wolf-like eyes, with a long braid reaching his waist that swayed as he walked, making him quite conspicuous.

The other was broad-shouldered and heavily built, with a scarred face and an eye patch over his left eye, giving him a menacing appearance.

"Nian Ruo, let's go home."

The girl with the braided pigtails cast a worried glance at Le Yu, then obediently followed the two men.

As the man with the long braid passed Le Yu, he turned his head and looked at him. Le Yu immediately felt as if a needle the size of a finger had pierced his neck from behind, an invisible pain striking his nerves, making him let out a muffled groan!

"Dad!" the girl with the braided pigtails couldn't help but cry out.

The man with the long braid snorted and strode quickly towards the dance hall exit.

Le Yu leaned on the service counter, his arms trembling uncontrollably, his back covered in cold sweat. But his eyes were fixed intently on the retreating figures of the three!

He had found Dong Heng!

However, beside his target was an extremely formidable enemy—

The Deputy Director of the Statistics Department, Kui Zhao!

P.S.: Two chapters, 8000 words, making up for the chapter missed yesterday.