No Lubricating Oil, That's How It Is

At dusk, the sun sank below the horizon.

Molly carried a heavy bag of groceries, her steps unsteady as she walked along the sidewalk. The scene in the alley kept replaying in her mind—

Zhao Kai's twisted face, the girl's wide-open eyes, and that eerie altar drawn in blood.

And then there was the black mist that rose from the altar, and the horrifying sight of Zhao Kai turning into a dried corpse...

"Beautiful miss, interested in a high-paying job?"

"Our company's work is easy. All you need to do is transport big black balls to designated locations every day. Not only are the hours nine to five, but meals and lodging are included, along with full insurance and housing benefits, y'know."

"Join now, and you'll even get a free work uniform, y'know!"

Just as Molly was lost in uneasy thoughts, a man in a black protective suit approached her, clutching a stack of colorful flyers and trying to sell her on something.

He wore a black gas mask and had a strange verbal tic...

He was a Defector!

"!!!"

Molly stopped short and instinctively shifted aside, unwilling to get involved with him.

"No, I don't want it..."

But the Defector seemed to have set his sights on her. He hurried over in a few long strides and shoved a flyer into her hand without giving her any say in the matter.

"Miss, take another look. Our benefits are really great. No overtime, no clocking in. As long as you work with the organization, you'll be eating and drinking well for sure, y'know!"

The Defector wore a fake smile, but there was a faintly coercive undertone to his voice.

Molly lowered her head and glanced at the flyer. Crooked words had been printed across it.

Things like "Create a Better Future Together" and "Join Hands to Reach the Summit"—all empty slogans.

There was not even a proper company name. Something about it was obviously off!

Suppressing her disgust, she returned the flyer to the Defector and spoke coldly.

"No, thank you. I don't need this job."

"Don't be like that."

The Defector refused to give up. He leaned closer, lowering his voice with a hint of seduction.

"It's eight thousand a month. These days, it isn't easy to find a job that includes meals and lodging. If you don't believe me, I can take you to meet our boss. He'll definitely find you a good position, y'know!"

Molly frowned tightly, just about to reject him sharply when a piercing engine roar suddenly approached from the distance.

Screech—

A flamboyantly modified Ghostfire Electric Bike abruptly stopped beside them.

Its wheels scraped against the pavement with an unpleasant grinding sound.

Sitting on the bike was a yellow-haired Defector striking a cool pose. He looked sideways at the flyer-handing Defector, a teasing smile seeming to curl across his lips.

When the flyer-handing Defector saw the yellow-haired man, his smile widened.

He patted the back seat of the Ghostfire Electric Bike and spoke familiarly.

"Well, if it isn't Fire Bro? I'm almost done here anyway. Give me a ride, y'know?"

The yellow-haired Defector neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he suddenly asked with a grin.

"Ever heard the fable about the grandfather and grandson riding a donkey?"

The flyer-handing Defector froze.

Then he scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it."

"The grandfather and grandson led a donkey out, and people called them idiots for having a donkey but not riding it."

"Then the grandfather rode it, and people scolded him for not caring about his grandson. When the grandson rode it, people scolded him for disrespecting the elderly."

"In the end, they both rode the donkey together and flattened it, right, y'know?"

"Guess you know a little, y'know."

The yellow-haired Defector scoffed and tilted his head at him.

"So tell me, what does that story mean?"

The flyer-handing Defector answered confidently.

"Easy. You've got to have your own mind! You can't just do whatever other people say, or you'll definitely lose out in the end, y'know!"

"Have your own mind?"

As if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, the yellow-haired man suddenly burst out laughing. He doubled over so hard that even the Ghostfire Electric Bike swayed.

After laughing enough, he pointed at the flyer-handing Defector, his eyes full of mockery.

"Idiot, that's not the point of the story at all."

"Then what the hell is it?" The flyer-handing Defector was unconvinced.

The yellow-haired man snickered.

"What I mean is, call me Grandpa, and I'll let you get on the e-bike, y'know."

The flyer-handing Defector's face instantly darkened. He glared at the yellow-haired man through gritted teeth.

"Don't push your luck, brat. I'm your grandpa, y'know!"

Though he said that, he climbed onto the Ghostfire Electric Bike's back seat without hesitation and casually patted the yellow-haired man's shoulder.

"Hurry up and go. Stop embarrassing yourselves here, y'know."

The yellow-haired man did not get angry. He kicked up the stand and twisted the throttle hard.

Vrooom—

The Ghostfire Electric Bike let out a deafening roar, its exhaust spewing black smoke as it carried the two of them swiftly away from the street corner.

As it rode off, the bike's body continued to creak as though it might fall apart at any moment.

"Your bike is about to fall apart. Can't you get it fixed?"

The flyer-handing Defector gripped the handle on the rear seat and could not help complaining.

"Fix it for what?"

The yellow-haired man's voice drifted back on the wind, carrying a roguish tone.

"That's what it's like without lubricant. All dry, rubbing till it hurts. Isn't that perfect for training your waist strength?"

Their conversation faded farther and farther away, gradually vanishing at the end of the street.

Molly stood where she was, watching the Ghostfire Electric Bike's retreating silhouette. A vein throbbed at her temple, and she was left speechless.

Those two Defectors did not look particularly bright, but the organization behind them was plotting such a terrifying conspiracy.

She tightened her grip on the grocery bag, the doubts in her heart growing heavier.

Eight thousand a month, with meals and lodging included?

And nine-to-five hours?

All they had to do was transport big black balls?

This was obviously bait the Defector organization used to recruit people!

Molly did not dare waste any more time. She quickened her pace toward home.

She had to sort through these clues as soon as possible, and she needed to improve her strength without delay.

Only by becoming stronger could she protect herself and her younger sister in this crisis-ridden world.

A few minutes later.

Molly returned home.

The lights in the living room were on. Moyan sat on the sofa with a cushion in her arms, staring unblinkingly at the television screen.

The television was reporting on the Dried Corpse Case.

[Recently, five murder cases occurred in City A. The killer's methods were extremely cruel, and the impact has been exceptionally severe. All five victims were turned into dried corpses...]

The host spoke solemnly, reminding citizens not to go out alone at night or visit secluded places, especially young women.

Hearing the door open, Moyan quickly turned her head like a startled rabbit.

When she saw that it was Molly, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she forced a well-behaved smile onto her face.

"Sis, you're back."

Molly nodded.

"Yeah. I bought some things. I've been exercising a lot lately, so I've been eating more too."