Mysterious Bracelet

Xu Jiang set off, cloaked in black and carrying a cute little wooden horse.

He crouched low and jogged towards the perimeter wall. After just a few steps, he heard a notification.

[Notification: 3 meters ahead, at the ten o'clock direction, is a surveillance zone. It will disappear in approximately 10 seconds.]

The "Reconnaissance Sense" skill was indeed powerful. Based on the camera's movement and range, it provided advance warnings, allowing Xu Jiang to plan his route.

Of course, many agents could evade ordinary cameras. The real test lay in the perimeter areas.

[Notification: 3 meters ahead, you have entered a fully covered surveillance zone. Detour recommended.]

As expected, the truly monitored area was only beginning.

Yong'an City was no peaceful, harmonious place.

Its crime rate was so high that even the Public Security Bureau didn't bother to keep statistics. Wealthy, powerful factions would surround their territories, installing numerous surveillance devices along their perimeter walls.

Any detection of anomalous moving objects would trigger an alert to the monitoring room. With 100% coverage, a simple detour wouldn't bypass the surveillance.

Fortunately, Xu Jiang had the "Shadowstep" skill to use.

Although he didn't have time to upgrade it, "Shadowstep" at level 3 provided 1.5 seconds of invisibility and acceleration, which was enough for him.

Still far from the wall, Xu Jiang sprinted in three bursts. His first target was a trash can.

"Shadowstep!" - Sprint - Slide! Cover me! Trash can!

'Damn! This feels so stupid. I'm never taking a mission like this again,' Xu Jiang grumbled inwardly.

Though his current position was perfectly within the camera's blind spot, the area stank! It was surrounded by garbage, and he had to wait for his next skill cooldown before he could move.

Looking back, he saw a group of teammates hiding in the shadows, giving him a thumbs-up. It was truly an unforgettable welcome party.

When the 5-minute cooldown ended, Xu Jiang activated "Shadowstep" again. He continued accelerating, switching cover a third time before finally reaching the wall.

This spot was precisely in the blind zone of the camera overhead. Xu Jiang, half-doubting, picked up the wooden horse toy and gently pressed it against the wall.

With just a touch, the wooden horse slowly dissolved into smoke, as if being absorbed. Bit by bit, it flowed into the surveillance monitor.

In a daze, Xu Jiang seemed to see small ghosts squatting on the monitors, grinning eerily as they reached out with their hands to cover the camera lenses, then vanishing abruptly.

Was that it? Was this how a Trojan horse invasion worked?

As Xu Jiang pondered, several figures appeared.

"Nicely done!" Ying Xiaoxiao walked over and patted Xu Jiang's shoulder encouragingly.

"Your performance was excellent. Our team needs a Shadow Dancer like you."

"...Thank you for the compliment, but I'm a Mech Warrior. Please don't ask me to do this kind of work next time."

Walking over openly and speaking, the monitor showed no reaction. It seemed the Trojan horse was indeed working.

Looking at Xiao Zhen, her body emanated mysterious powers, enveloping everyone. It was likely complementing the ghosts that were obscuring the cameras.

This ability was incredibly useful. Magic defeating technology – it couldn't be simpler.

"What should we do next?"

"We'll climb over the wall, quietly find the item, and then quietly leave," Ying Xiaoxiao outlined the plan, and the others quickly followed suit.

Ying Xiaoxiao was indeed a formidable combatant. She crouched slightly, her long legs powerfully pushing off, and easily vaulted over the wall.

Sha Tu, while lacking long legs, had prosthetic limbs. He pulled out a chain and also easily scaled the wall.

Only Baozi and Xu Jiang, with their clumsy movements, were helpless against the wall covered in barbed wire.

"I'll take you," Xiao Zhen said calmly. With a flick of her fingers, three ghost balloons materialized, and she handed one to each of them.

Holding them, a pulling force seemed to lift them upward. They gently floated over the wall and landed inside the base.

The power of a Mystic was indeed potent, though being carried by a balloon felt a bit embarrassing.

Xu Jiang decided that in the future, he would install a propulsion system on Qianji, giving it at least the ability to fly briefly.

Once inside the Black Tiger Gang's base, the rest was simple.

All the monitors were disabled, and it was late at night. The few lazy patrolling thugs were no match for Xiao Zhen's mist.

They skirted along the dark areas and soon arrived outside the largest research building.

Ying Xiaoxiao flipped through the mission log: "It's this one. The item is in the laboratory on the third floor."

"???"

"How do you know that so clearly?"

"That's the intelligence the Public Security Bureau gave me! When they tried to buy the bracelet last time, they viewed the goods on the third floor."

"The Black Tiger Gang wants to sell that thing? Then why hire us to steal it?"

"Because it's too expensive." Ying Xiaoxiao shrugged matter-of-factly.

As expected, the people from the Public Security Bureau weren't exactly saints.

They gave up on buying it because it was too expensive, then spent less money to hire people to steal it instead. That calculation was truly brilliant.

Regardless, the operation had to continue.

Sha Tu's figure flickered, leaping five meters into the air. His mechanical legs hooked onto the wall, and with effortless grace, he arrived at the third-floor window.

Finding a good, unobserved position, he covered the others as they ascended. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

However, when they saw the target bracelet, their expressions shifted slightly.

"No wonder the Public Security Bureau was so sure this thing was on the third floor. Damn it, we've been played." Sha Tu, being experienced, realized something was wrong the moment he saw the bracelet.

The two guards at the door were easily dealt with, and the sealed research lab was also simple to enter. But the bracelet's current state made it difficult to retrieve.

The bracelet was currently sealed by a powerful electromagnetic field. It wasn't to keep outsiders out, but to contain the bracelet itself.

Alien technology was difficult for humans to control, and this bracelet was undoubtedly uncontrollable, which was why it was placed here to be suppressed.

If they were to deactivate the electromagnetic field, the bracelet would likely cause a major disturbance, and a fierce battle would be unavoidable.

It was highly probable that the Public Security Bureau was waiting outside. Once both sides engaged in a fight, they would emerge to reap the benefits.

Ying Xiaoxiao's eyes flashed with anger. She was clearly very dissatisfied with the Public Security Bureau's intelligence. Turning to Xiao Zhen, she asked, "With your power, can you suppress the bracelet?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhen arranged for a phantom to float over and observe the electromagnetic field for a while.

"Yes, but I'll have to suppress it with all my might," Xiao Zhen's indifferent voice caused everyone's brows to furrow.

It could be said that Xiao Zhen's role was irreplaceable throughout the entire operation.

If she had to go all out to suppress the bracelet, then tasks like blocking surveillance and providing support would all have to cease.

If a fight broke out, they would even have to divert attention to look after Xiao Zhen. Fighting in the Black Tiger Gang's territory would put them at a significant disadvantage.

Should they take this thing, or leave it?