Gedio Bar
(Happy Labor Day everyone!)
Gedio Bar is a well-known bar in Second City District, located near an affluent area.
Upbeat music drifted faintly from inside the door. This was a place where people indulged in glitz and glamour at night, but today was slightly unusual. The bartender at the entrance was no longer just a tall, handsome young man; two burly men stood to the side, their well-developed muscles straining against their t-shirts, their sunglasses scanning back and forth under the dazzling light. This seemed to be a small door next to the bar.
However, the passersby were used to this situation. This was the bar's VIP entrance, but what kind of VIP access it was, those below the middle class would never know.
It's exclusively for the elite, with an impressive background, and holds a members-only event every ten days. However, the bustling crowds don't seem to notice how distinguished the attendees are, as there's no grand procession or entourage of bodyguards. On this day, it's always a group of masked individuals dressed in casual or formal attire, alone, adding only to their mystique to those who frequent bars.
Let's just consider it a special custom that's been going on for a long time. But today doesn't seem to be the actual day; it must be a day earlier. Even if someone really observes closely and notices, they probably won't care too much. Who knows what those distinguished guests are thinking?
A person wearing a deer mask approached, holding a simple piece of paper with a crudely printed image of a person and a string of numbers, ending with the two letters "hz".
"HZ, please come in." A burly man took the piece of paper and pressed the scanner on his wrist against the serial number. A green indicator light on the back of his hand flashed slightly. The man handed the paper back, nodded, and stepped aside, while a faintly glowing monitor on his chest quietly recorded the information.
The man in the deer mask took back the piece of paper, nodded, and stepped between the two burly men.
"Hey, why did you make me steal a mask from two streets away first?" Mu Fan thought helplessly as he appeared at the back door of a toy store, realizing that Dark Breath had been used for theft.
Hei, that unreliable teammate, was so pushy at the beginning, but after Mu Fan quickly ran to this area, he actually sent him to steal a mask from the toy store first.
"Stop talking nonsense and listen to my orders. Hurry up. Go out through the alley behind this toy store, then turn right and walk 20 meters. You'll see a white wall with an automatic ticket machine on it. Go over and press the button. Make sure no one is around." Hei ignored Mu Fan and urged him on faster.
Mu Fan suppressed his churning aura, activated his Dark Breath once more, and moved out like a ghost.
They arrived there quickly. It was a relatively quiet street, with most shops closed for the night. After waiting for two pedestrians to pass, Mu Fan slipped out and pressed a button.
A piece of paper was spat out, Mu Fan instinctively caught it in his hand.
Huh? What's going on? A kneeling human figure logo, and then a string of strange numbers and codes. The last two letters do look familiar, though: mf.
"Don't ask yet, take this, and find some more clothes to cover yourself up. This uniform will still be very obvious later." Hei said another inexplicable sentence.
Mu Fan was genuinely annoyed. Did that mean he had to steal another piece of clothing? He had never stolen anything in his life, and he felt guilty for taking that mask, even though it was the most worn-out mask in the warehouse, a dusty little yellow duck children's mask.
Hei hadn't even seen the mask yet; who knows what vicious things he'd say if he did. Mu Fan muttered to himself, then began searching for a target, deciding to make an exception just this once more.
"Hmm, I think I've got it. There's a laundromat on the street corner, "Mu Fan noticed, peeking through the fence at a corner of clothing swaying in the afternoon light.
"Blackie, I found a laundromat. Hack the security cameras." The fence did nothing to stop the agile Mu Fan, who had already quietly notified Blackie as he climbed over it.
"Already blocked! Good eye, you didn't even need me to remind you. But time is of the essence, you have one minute left from now." Hei quickly replied to Mu Fan, then gave Mu Fan a precise time.
Two blocks away, in front of Gedio Bar, a burly man checked his time and said to his companion, "One minute left, there shouldn't be anyone left."
The burly man next to him said coldly, "One minute means one minute. You can only leave when the time is up."
The burly man who was looking at his watch was about to explode with anger, but he held back. "Hmph." The faintly glowing monitors on their chests captured the other's every move.
Mu Fan was completely unaware of what was happening here. After he turned over, he was delighted to find that he no longer had to lie. He saw a blanket drying in the sun, so he grabbed it, wrapped it around himself, and ran out.
"Mu Fan, these are the clothes you picked out?!" Hei almost cursed out loud. Do you know how much effort I put into forging your information?
"Tell me, is this outfit okay?"
"Fine!" Black gritted its teeth, if it had any.
"53 seconds left. Two blocks directly east of you, there's a flashing sign that says 'Gedio Bar.'" Without further ado, Mu Fan heard the black voice's reminder. "Find two burly men at the entrance. Put on the mask, give them the piece of paper, and go inside."
"What happens after we go in?" Mu Fan had already started running quickly.
"I don't know either, there are no surveillance cameras there. Also, control your breathing, and make sure you don't make any panting sounds when you're standing in front of those two."
"Don't worry." Mu Fan's breathing was almost inaudible under the Dark Breath, even during this high-speed jump.
He ran and leaped, landing directly on top of a streetlamp, then soared onto the roof of the building complex, moving with the agility and speed of a night owl. Tonight, in his first practice, Mu Fan truly discovered the extraordinary nature of the martial art his Fighter Instructor had taught him; it wasn't a combat skill, but it was incredibly practical.
He was able to control the force he exerted with his feet with a precision far exceeding his usual level, making his normally obvious movements and sounds completely silent.
Whoosh, Mu Fan appeared behind the building at the corner, draped in a blanket that covered half of his body like a large cloak, revealing only the legs of his trousers and feet, which resembled formal attire.
Putting on the tattered Little Yellow Duck Mask, Mu Fan turned around and appeared in front of the Gedio Bar with seventeen seconds left.
Huh? Both burly men noticed the strange man and exchanged a glance. There was no way around it; that Little Yellow Duck Mask was simply too conspicuous. Mu Fan had no idea that Hei was practically cursing him to death, but fearing the two men would notice, Hei had already muted himself in his earpiece.
Mu Fan's breathing was natural and even, and his steps were steady as he walked to the two burly men.
The two reached out to stop it. They didn't recognize it before. If they had seen it before, they would never forget such an ugly-cute little yellow duck.
The masked figure, draped in a cape-like garment, flicked his wrist, and a piece of paper appeared at his fingertips.
The time was almost up, and someone actually arrived. The burly man on the left glanced at his companion with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, his face a mask of struggle as he tried to suppress a laugh. He took the piece of paper and swiped it across his wrist.
Beep, the green light is flashing.
So I handed the note back, and had to say, bowing slightly, "MF, please come in!"
The masked man nodded and stepped inside. In the flickering colored light, the two burly men noticed the brand-new trousers and leather shoes beneath his steps, and nodded in approval; this was acceptable.
Huh, this person's cloak looks like one of those cheap blankets? The two burly men who were about to close the door and go back were instantly stunned.