"WEE-OO! WEE-OO! WEE-OO-"
The ambulance continued to race through the streets of Modu.
Filtered through the ambulance's thick soundproofing, the shrill siren became nothing more than a muffled hum.
Inside, time seemed to stand still.
Yue Xiaofei held his breath and listened intently, afraid to miss a single word Han Xiao was about to say.
Han Xiao gazed through the window at the neon lights streaming past, his thoughts seemingly returning to that blood-red dusk five years ago.
"The story you heard about what happened five years ago was only half right."
Han Xiao's voice seemed to drift from a distant time and place, raspy as metal scraping against metal.
"All 117 elite agents of the Night Watchers, including their leader, Boss Xiao, did indeed die in that abandoned factory on South Mountain."
"And they did indeed die because of your father, Yue Changlong."
Yue Xiaofei's heart sank.
Though he had braced himself, hearing that truth firsthand still left him struggling to breathe.
"But-"
Han Xiao's tone shifted, a profound sorrow flashing in his eyes. "The cause and the course of events were the exact opposite of the version circulating outside."
"The encrypted message summoning every member of the Night Watchers to South Mountain that day wasn't sent by your father, nor by Boss Xiao."
"It was sent by the mole we'd been hunting for years, who had remained hidden deeper than anyone else!"
"At the same time, your father, who was overseas and had successfully infiltrated the inner circle of Skull and Bones under the code name Black Emperor, received orders from their highest leadership."
Han Xiao paused, each word seeming to squeeze through his clenched teeth.
"The orders read: all the 'moles' inside the Dragon Kingdom have been lured to South Mountain. The Black Emperor is to proceed