The Plan

"Completely eliminate Unit 701?"

Yang Chu did not answer Xu Xi's question immediately, instead staring at him and saying, "You don't want to know the secret I'm hiding?"

"There is no need."

Xu Xi met Yang Chu's gaze and shook his head. "Everyone has a past. The reason I told you all this is because you are already on the hit list of Unit 701; there is nothing left to hide."

"Then what about your female student?" Yang Chu asked suddenly, his tone slightly teasing.

"She simply had no other choice."

Xu Xi fell silent for a moment before saying, "I will handle her."

Seeing Xu Xi speak this way, a smile appeared on Yang Chu's face. "Fine, I agree."

As for Unit 701, Yang Chu was actually indifferent, but as Xu Xi had said, since such a terrifying organization had set its sights on him, it was best to resolve it once and for all if possible.

"When do you plan to make your move?" Yang Chu asked Xu Xi.

"We can't find them right now," Xu Xi replied, shaking his head. "The people in Unit 701 have all received professional training; if they want to hide their tracks, no one can find them. However, I have already had Ruolan pass a message to their captain, Xiong Ju. He will definitely come looking for me."

"Then I'll wait for your news."

Yang Chu nodded, then suddenly added, "By the way, a lot of drug lords in Hong Kong have been cleaned out recently. If I'm not mistaken, it must be the work of the Unit 701 people you mentioned."

"Drug lords being cleaned out?"

Xu Xi seemed to realize something; he turned and walked to his workbench, rummaging through several old newspapers.

"...According to this report, on July 13th, a bizarre jumping incident occurred at a nightclub in Sai Kung. The nightclub owner, Fang Jide, jumped to his death..."

"...On July 15th, a bloody incident occurred at a food processing plant in Tsuen Wan. Over a dozen people were brutally murdered. The Tsuen Wan police stated that the victims had complex social backgrounds and did not rule out the possibility of a vendetta..."

"On July 20th, a fatty was drinking tea at a teahouse in Sha Tin when he was poisoned and died on the spot. It is reported that the fatty's full name was Zhou Wentong, a high-ranking member of a certain triad..."

Xu Xi had marked each of the recent crime reports as they appeared in the papers.

"Old Ghost De, Dao You Cheng, Fatty Tong... I have looked into these people before. They are all the drug lords in Hong Kong you mentioned."

Xu Xi suddenly looked up at Yang Chu and said, "I didn't think there was anything suspicious about their deaths before, since they were scum to begin with. Now it seems their deaths were all the work of Unit 701. I think I know what Unit 701 is trying to do."

"Oh?" Yang Chu listened to Xu Xi's analysis, waiting with interest for what he would say next.

"They are likely trying to take over the entire drug market in Hong Kong."

Xu Xi found a map of Hong Kong and some other documents from the side of the workbench. "Hong Kong is the most open free market in East Asia. Whether it's the source in the Golden Triangle, the sales markets in Northeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea, or the connections to Europe, America, and South America, there are more than enough channels. Since fleeing from the north, the biggest problem Unit 701 has faced is a lack of sufficient capital and a place to establish a long-term foothold."

Yang Chu had little interest in what Xu Xi was saying, but he remembered something else. "The time I had an encounter with 701, they were in the middle of dealing with a drug lord's subordinates. Oh, and there was a man of Mongolian descent who used a small knife to peel the skin off a person's face."

"They are performing facial reconstruction to impersonate others. Among the many skills Unit 701 members were trained in, one was disguise and roleplay. As for the man of Mongolian descent you mentioned, that should be Arslan. He is proficient in wrestling and possesses exquisite skinning techniques."

As Xu Xi flipped through the newspapers, he continued, "Unit 701 is not a conventional unit. Their behavioral patterns are not what ordinary people would expect. Furthermore, when they escaped, they took with them many cutting-edge technological achievements that were still in the experimental stage during the Soviet era. Since they want to take over the Hong Kong drug market, there must be many traces I have overlooked. Even taking over the drug market might not be the entirety of their plan."

After hearing Xu Xi's words, Yang Chu's understanding of Unit 701 became clearer. This was not an army in the conventional sense; they were soldiers, assassins, and likely agents and spies as well.

Watching Xu Xi, who was completely focused on his research, Yang Chu said nothing more. In his view, this was the real Xu Xi: sharp-minded, analytical, and possessing a true personality hidden beneath his usual shy smile.

He picked up a few newspapers and flipped through them, discovering that a familiar term appeared in several scattered sections.

Black Mask.

Needless to say, these must have been collected by Xu Xi himself.

He browsed through them briefly and found that the name "Black Mask" was not chosen by Xu Xi, but was the term used by several newspapers.

Glancing casually at the dates on these papers, Yang Chu noticed the earliest one was from three years ago. A quick scan of the content revealed it was around the time the Kowloon Walled City was demolished. Although the police had arrested a large number of people suspected of various illegal activities, a significant portion had scattered, affecting public order in Hong Kong.

At that time, a mysterious masked man had appeared, haunting the midnight alleys to deal with various criminals.

Yang Chu felt that such reports were consistent with reality. A modified soldier who once held onto his faith, if he hadn't fallen, would always find a way to practice justice in the shadows.

"You take your time researching. I'm leaving first. If there's any news, let me know."

Yang Chu finished looking through the papers and bid Xu Xi farewell.

He didn't delve deeply into the plans of 701 or similar matters. Having had several experiences, he had gained a deeper understanding of himself: his brain consumed a massive amount of energy when thinking deeply, and with his current appetite, he sometimes felt it wasn't quite enough.

Emerging from Xu Xi's secret hideout, Yang Chu crossed the abandoned old industrial area of Kwun Tong and walked back along Wang Chiu Road.

It was already past 1:00 PM. As he neared the intersection of Boundary Street and Wang Chiu Road, Yang Chu stopped and went into a small stir-fry shop by the roadside to have lunch.

After that meal of stir-fried noodles with Xu Xi, he had started to control his personal food expenses. He wouldn't buy those flashy, overpriced foods anymore; for him, the taste didn't really matter—as long as the calories and nutrition were sufficient.

Two dishes, one soup, and seven large bowls of rice cost 150 Hong Kong dollars.

After paying the bill, Yang Chu did not return to the Po On Road Public Library in Sham Shui Po to read, nor did he go back to Fish Head Xu's place. Calculating the distance, he realized he wasn't too far from Fu Shan Road, so he decided to go to the film set to find Fish Head Xu.

Xiahou Wu had called this morning to challenge him to a duel tonight. The invitation was naturally for Yang Chu, but since Xiahou Wu had asked Fish Head Xu for his number last time, Yang Chu felt it was appropriate to give Fish Head Xu a heads-up.

Besides, it wasn't too far away, so there was no harm in checking it out.

He continued on foot. He didn't walk fast, but his stride remained consistent, and he tried to engage the necessary muscles for walking with every step.

This was a walking method Yang Chu had deliberately cultivated, combining his own situation with his knowledge of human muscle and bone structure. It had undergone many adjustments over time. Other factors included his heart rate, breathing, and internal metabolic processes.

The reason Xu Xi said his heart rate, breathing, and pace were different every time they met was precisely because of this.

After about thirty minutes, Yang Chu walked up to the hill on Fu Shan Road, which was crowded with buildings.

Before he even entered the set, Yang Chu saw the crew of the No Face production from a distance, loading equipment and various props onto several small trucks, looking as if they were about to head out for location shooting.