Ark Simulator, Don't I Have No Physical Form?

"I didn't..." His voice was hoarse, "Those documents were long ago..."

"I know," Lappland interrupted him, her voice suddenly softening, "But will they believe it?"

A deathly silence fell over the room. The neon lights outside the window flickered, casting shifting shadows on the three faces. Bai Xue could hear her own heart pounding violently, as if it were about to burst out of her chest.

She suddenly grabbed Su Rui's hand. "Let's go."

Lappland didn't stop them. Only when they reached the door did she whisper, "The ' Black Crow ' will arrive at Lungmen in three days."

Su Rui turned around abruptly. "What did you say?"

"Sent by the old man to clean house." Lappland leaned against the window, the moonlight outlining her slender figure. "I just... came to say goodbye in advance." For the first time, her voice betrayed weariness, and the light in her red eyes dimmed slightly.

Seeing the two staring at each other, Bai Xue suddenly understood. She released Su Rui's hand. "I'll wait for you outside."

After the door closed gently, Lappland suddenly smiled, "She's more sensible than I thought."

"Don't hurt her," Su Rui's voice was laced with warning, her tail wagging nervously.

"If I wanted to hurt her," Lappland stepped forward, her fingers tracing Su Rui's silver hair, "I would have done so just now." Her movements suddenly softened, as if touching some fragile treasure. "I just... wanted to see you one more time."

Su Rui didn't pull away from the embrace. As Lappland's lips brushed against his ear, he heard a barely audible whisper:

"Tomorrow night at eight o'clock, at the old dock. I've prepared the boat."

When Su Rui walked out of the room, Bai Xue was leaning against the wall in the corridor. She was still clutching the room card in her hand, the edges of which were deformed from being squeezed, and the metal part was even bent.

"Let's go home," Su Rui whispered, her tail gently wrapping around her waist.

Bai Xue nodded, but the moment the elevator doors closed, she snapped the room key in half. The broken plastic edge cut her palm, but she didn't even notice.

"I won't let anyone take you away." Her voice was soft, but firm enough. "Anyone."

The elevator slowly descended, and the night view of Lungmen flowed past the glass. Su Rui tightened her tail, but in the end, she only gave a soft "hmm".

From the window on the 28th floor, Lappland watched the two figures disappear into the distance, then downed the glass of red wine in one gulp. She turned and walked to the bedside, pulling a silver pistol from under her pillow and gently wiping the barrel. In the moonlight, the Uzi Steel bullet gleamed with a cold light.

"See you in three days, Su Rui," she whispered to the empty room. "I hope you're alive by then."

The neon lights outside the window still flickered, but the atmosphere inside the room was completely different. Lappland's fingers gently traced the engraving on the gun—a wolf's claw mark, identical to the silver bell around Su Rui's neck.

She walked to the wardrobe and took out a black leather case from a hidden compartment. Inside, various weapons were neatly arranged: poisoned daggers, micro-bombs, and even several vials marked with danger symbols. The most eye-catching item was a long, silver-white sword with a red leather hilt—almost identical to the one Su Rui usually used.

"Looks like I need to prepare in advance," she muttered to herself, her fingers lightly tracing the blade. Suddenly, her phone vibrated, displaying an encrypted number on the screen.

"Speak." Her voice instantly turned icy, completely different from before.

"Target confirmed in Lungmen." A hoarse male voice came from the other end of the phone. "The employer has raised the price; they want it alive."

Lappland's red eyes narrowed slightly. "The plan remains unchanged. Tell the old man I'll handle it personally."

Volume 15, Project 841? That's not important.

After hanging up the phone, Lappland walked to the window and looked at the brightly lit Lungmen Port in the distance. A Landship from Syracuse was slowly approaching the shore, and the "Syracuse" insignia on the hull was clearly visible under the searchlights.

"What a hassle..." she sighed softly, her fingers unconsciously stroking a silver pendant around her neck—a small wolf's head, a perfect pair with Su Rui's silver bell.

Meanwhile, Bai Xue and Su Rui had already left the hotel. The night breeze carried the salty, briny scent unique to the harbor. Bai Xue's hand was still tightly clutching the half of the room key, the broken edge deeply embedded in her palm, but she seemed to feel no pain.

"That ' Snow Kiss Plan '..." she began hesitantly, her voice almost drowned out by the noise of the street.

Su Rui's tail suddenly tightened, and he paused slightly in his steps. "Let's talk about it when we get home."

His voice was so tense that Bai Xue swallowed back her remaining questions. She nodded, letting him lead her through the crowded streets. But her gaze drifted unconsciously to the distant port—where a huge cargo ship was unloading its cargo, and the busy figures of the workers looked extremely small under the searchlights.

Bai Xue suddenly had a premonition: this turmoil had only just begun.

The night wind, carrying the salty smell of the sea, filled the hotel room. Lappland stood by the window, her SilverAsh hair disheveled by the wind. The red wine in her hand was empty, and the dark red liquid remaining on the glass looked like dried blood in the moonlight.

The phone screen lit up again, and a text message came from the encrypted number. "Black Crow has set off and will arrive tomorrow night."

Lappland chuckled and tapped the screen with her finger, "Tell him the prey is at the old docks."

After sending the message, she casually tossed her phone onto the bed and turned to walk towards the bathroom. Hot water gushed from the showerhead, and the rising steam quickly blurred the mirror. She reached out and wiped away the steam, revealing a body covered in wounds in the mirror—a knife wound on her collarbone, a bullet wound on her side, and a nearly fatal penetrating wound on her back.

Her fingers gently traced the most gruesome scar, left three years ago at the Syracuse docks. A bullet had pierced her lung, and it was Su Rui who dragged her into a shipping container and forcibly sealed the wound with the medical tape she carried.

"How pathetic..." she murmured to herself in front of the mirror, a hint of self-mockery flashing in her red eyes.

Hot water washed over her body, but it couldn't wash away the image of the silver-haired boy in her mind. She remembered his fingers trembling and the fur on his tail standing on end, yet he calmly completed the emergency surgery. She also remembered him quietly leaving at dawn, leaving only that silver bell as a farewell.

She turned off the tap Lappland grabbed a towel to wrap herself in. She walked to the wardrobe and took out a brand new set of equipment from a hidden compartment—not the black tactical uniform standard for the Syracuse Families, but a dark blue Lungmen Guard Department uniform.

"I never thought it would actually come in handy..." She chuckled as she put on her uniform and straightened her collar in front of the mirror. The policewoman in the mirror looked dashing, but her red eyes still exuded a dangerous aura.

The next morning, Bai Xue found Su Rui at the training grounds of Wenyue Estate. He was practicing shuriken, the silver tail of his shuriken tracing a graceful arc with each movement. Hearing footsteps, he said without turning his head, "Want to sleep a little longer?"

"I can't sleep." Bai Xue walked to his side and handed him a cup of hot tea. "About last night..."

Su Rui took the teacup, his eyelashes fluttering slightly in the rising steam. "Lappland and I... we don't have the kind of relationship you're thinking of."

Which one is it?

"I saved her three years ago in Syracuse." Su Rui's tail unconsciously thumped the ground. "And then..."

His words were interrupted by a sudden ringing of the terminal. An encrypted message popped up on the screen, the sender displayed as "L". Su Rui's finger paused slightly, then he opened the message:

"Black Crow has changed course and will arrive around noon. I'll be waiting for you at the old dock. --L"

Bai Xue saw Su Rui's pupils suddenly contract and the fur on her tail stand on end. "What's wrong?"

"The plans have changed." He stood up abruptly. "I have to go to the docks."

"I'll be with you!"

Su Rui shook her head, her tail gently encircling her wrist. "Too dangerous. Black Crow is the Syracuse Families's scavenger, specializing in dealing with... traitors."

The last two words were spoken softly, yet they struck Bai Xue's heart like a hammer blow. Before she could say anything more, Su Rui leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Trust me."

His figure quickly disappeared at the end of the training field, leaving Bai Xue standing there, her teacup already cold.

The old dock was deserted at midday, the salty sea breeze carrying the smell of oil wafting through the air. Su Rui's ears twitched alertly, catching any sounds around him. His tail was pressed tightly against his back, and his right hand rested on the short knife at his waist.

"You arrived just in time."

Lappland's voice came from above the containers. Today, she wasn't wearing her signature black trench coat, but a dark blue uniform, looking like an ordinary dock inspector. Only her red eyes remained dangerously sharp, like those of a bloodthirsty wolf.

"Where's Black Crow?" Su Rui asked coldly.

"What's the rush?" She jumped down lightly, landing almost silently. "Shall we catch up first?"

Su Rui stepped aside to avoid her outstretched hand. "I don't have time to play with you."

Lappland didn't seem to care, instead smiling even more broadly, "You know what? The old men offered five million Lungmen Dollars for your head." She leaned closer, her breath tickling his ear, "But I've changed my mind."

Her fingers suddenly traced the silver bell around Su Rui's neck. "I need you to act in a play with me."

What play?

"A game where Black Crow never returns." Lappland's red eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "I left the Syracuse family long ago, and this time I've returned..." Her fingertips traced Su Rui's Adam's apple, "... mainly for you."

Su Rui's tail snapped straight up, "Are you crazy? Black Crow isn't an ordinary killer."

"That's why I need your help." She suddenly pulled a miniature earphone from her pocket and shoved it into Su Rui's hand. "Put this on and do as I say."

The distant sound of a cargo ship's horn drifted in; a vessel flying the Syracuse flag was approaching the shore. Lappland's red eyes narrowed slightly. "They're here."

Bai Xue was restless in Wenyue Estate. She stared at the time on her terminal; three hours had passed since Su Rui left.

Suddenly, an urgent news alert popped up. "Explosion at the old dock; the Lungmen Guard Department cordoned off the area..."

Her heart nearly stopped; she grabbed her coat and rushed outside. Just as she reached the front door, she bumped into a familiar embrace.

"Su Rui!" She looked up in surprise, only to find bloodstains on his uniform. "Are you injured?"

"It's not my blood," he said softly, his tail gently encircling her waist. "It's over."

Only then did Bai Xue notice someone standing behind him— Lappland leaning against the door frame, his uniform jacket casually draped over his shoulders, a playful smile in his red eyes.

"You..."

Volume 15, Chapter 842: What brings you here?

"Don't be nervous, officer." Lappland waved her badge. "I'm a special advisor to the Lungmen Guard Department now." She winked at Su Rui. "Thanks to someone's cooperation, we just took down a transnational criminal gang."

Bai Xue looked at Su Rui in shock, who nodded slightly. "Black Crow is dead. The Syracuse family will think I killed him."

"And me..." Lappland stretched, "I just received a hefty bonus." She walked up to Su Rui, suddenly reaching out to pinch his earlobe, "This time it's really goodbye, Bell."

She moved quickly, retreating before Su Rui could react. As she turned and walked towards the door, a barely perceptible hint of loneliness flashed in her red eyes.

"Lappland," Su Rui suddenly called out to her.

The wolf girl turned around, a mocking smile playing on her lips, "What? You can't bear to part with it?"

"Thanks."

Those two words caused Lappland's smile to freeze slightly. She waved her hand and walked into the night without looking back. "Take good care of your little officer... Next time we meet, I won't hold back."

The night breeze ruffled her long SilverAsh hair, which quickly blended into the sea of neon lights in Lungmen. Watching that receding figure, Bai Xue suddenly felt a gentle touch stir within her.

"She actually..."

"Hmm." Su Rui's tail tightened. "She's always been like this."

Moonlight bathed the two of them, casting long shadows. On a distant rooftop, Lappland gazed at the lights of Wenyue Estate and gently kissed the silver bell pendant in her hand—the one she had taken from Su Rui's neck, just like the keepsake he had left her three years ago.

"What a... complete defeat."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh, turned, and disappeared into the vast night.

The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Lungmen Guard Department's conference room. Bai Xue sat in a corner, her fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of her coffee cup. Chen Huijie stood in front of the projection screen, explaining the clues behind several recent transnational smuggling cases.

"Finally, let me introduce a new colleague." Chen Hui-chieh suddenly turned to the door, "This is Officer Lappland, who will assist us as a special advisor in handling the case in Syracuse."

The conference room door opened, Lappland strode in with a languid gait. Today, she was unusually dressed in her full Lungmen Guard Department uniform, her long SilverAsh hair neatly tied back, but the two iconic longswords still hung at her waist—looking like some kind of specially approved equipment.

"Please give me your guidance." She bowed slightly, her red eyes scanning the entire room before finally settling on Bai Xue, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

Bai Xue nearly dropped her coffee cup. She clearly heard Su Rui say last night that Lappland had left Lungmen, how could it be so suddenly...?

"Officer Bai." After the meeting, Lappland stopped her. "Could you show me around?" Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for several colleagues nearby to hear.

Bai Xue was caught in a dilemma and could only nod stiffly, "Okay... okay."

The corridor of the Lungmen Guard Department was long, Bai Xue walked very fast, almost jogging, trying to shake off the people behind her. But Lappland always maintained a just-right distance, like a wolf toying with its prey.

"So afraid of me?" At a deserted corner, Lappland suddenly quickened her pace and slammed Bai Xue against the wall. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you here."

Her red eyes were inches away, her breath carrying a faint scent of mint smoke. Bai Xue could feel her heart pounding wildly, her back pressed against the cold wall.

"What exactly do you want?" Bai Xue forced herself to remain calm. "Su Rui has already made herself very clear."

Lappland suddenly laughed, loosening her grip and taking a step back. "What do I want to do?" She pulled a photograph from her pocket and waved it in front of Bai Xue. "Look at this."

The photo shows a young Su Rui, probably only seventeen or eighteen years old, with silver hair that didn't even reach his shoulders, squatting in an alley in Syracuse bandaging an injured little ferret. His eyes were incredibly gentle, and his tail was carefully wrapped around the small animal, as if afraid of hurting it.

"Have you ever seen Su Rui like this?" Lappland's voice suddenly became very soft, "Before he became a guard for the Wenyue House... before he met you."

Bai Xue's heart skipped a beat. The Su Rui in the photo was both strange and familiar; she had never seen her like this before.

"I have his entire past." Lappland slipped the photo into Bai Xue's uniform pocket. "And you, you only have him now." She leaned close to Bai Xue's ear and whispered, "Public competition, how about it?"

That evening, the explosion in the port area shocked the entire Lungmen. When Bai Xue and Su Rui arrived, Warehouse No. 3 was already engulfed in flames, with thick smoke obscuring half the sky.

"Warehouse No. 3 contains recently confiscated contraband!" Chen Hui-chieh shouted into the communicator. "Attention everyone, there may be armed men mixed in with the crowd!"

Amid the chaos, Bai Xue searched for the injured and suddenly spotted a familiar figure— Lappland was dragging two wounded workers out of the fire. Her uniform was mostly charred, and her face was covered in soot.

"We need a stretcher here!" Lappland shouted, her red eyes shining brightly in the firelight.

Bai Xue instinctively ran over to help, but as she got closer, she smelled a faint whiff of gunpowder—not from the fire, but from Lappland.

Her pupils contracted slightly. "You..."

Lappland suddenly leaned closer and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "That's right, I started the fire." A mad light flashed in her red eyes. "Otherwise, how would I have lured them out?"

She shoved Bai Xue towards Su Rui, who was rushing up behind her, and then used the momentum to leap backward, disappearing into the thick smoke.

"Careful!!"

Su Rui's warning came too late. Bai Xue felt a sharp pain in her back as something sharp tore through her uniform. She staggered and fell into Su Rui's arms, only to find a poisoned dart embedded where she had just been standing.

A dark figure flashed past atop a container in the distance—the person wore a long black overcoat and had a raven-shaped badge pinned to their chest.