Lin Sanjiu stared at the pile of shattered fragments on the ground.
She hadn't even fully heard the last syllable of Yu Yuan's words. He had barely formed the shape of an "F" sound with his lips—just enough to imprint the idea of "Feng" in her mind—when the communicator shattered in her hand.
Had she not reacted instantly and let go in time, her own hand might have been lying limp among the broken metal shards, circuit board remnants, and unidentifiable fragments now scattered across the floor.
The rental office lobby was so silent it felt as though no one existed within it.
As Lin Sanjiu slowly turned her head, Bee Sting finally started breathing again—low, heavy, almost wheezing.
Her eyes were wide, frozen, as if her pupils had solidified in place, especially refusing to shift toward the reception desk. A thin crack had opened on the tip of her nose, and a small piece of skin, along with a smear of blood, peeled away and fell to the floor with a soft plop.
The young black-haired woman at the reception desk, someone neither Lin Sanjiu nor Bee Sting had given much thought to upon entering, now casually rubbed her fingertips together.
Even Lin Sanjiu hadn't been able to perceive how she had shattered the communicator.
"W-what's... happening..." Bee Sting's voice trembled, her eyes brimming with tears. "My... my nose..."
It took nearly half of Lin Sanjiu's strength just to suppress the tidal wave of rage crashing through her chest, forcing herself to stay calm. In the Twelve Worlds Centrum, advanced medical treatments were abundant, so restoring a small piece of skin wouldn't be an issue. The real priority was ensuring Bee Sting didn't get dragged any deeper into this.
1
"Let her go." Lin Sanjiu didn't glance at Bee Sting, her gaze locked firmly on the black-haired woman. "She was only showing me the way."
What had Yu Yuan said before? What were Xie Feng's defining traits?
Back then, he had just emerged from the memory records, his emotions still raw, his words scattered. But in his chaotic speech, he had poured out everything he had experienced about Xie Feng's life. There had to be something in that flood of memories that Lin Sanjiu could use.
"Is that so?" Xie Feng glanced at Bee Sting. Compared to Lin Sanjiu, her posture, muscles, and demeanor all appeared almost lazily relaxed.
Lin Sanjiu had no idea what kind of technique Xie Feng used to mask herself. Even after displaying a glimpse of her power, she still looked like an ordinary posthuman, no different from the countless ones found on the streets of the Twelve Worlds Centrum.
It was only when Lin Sanjiu focused all her Higher Consciousness, using her own existence to perceive Xie Feng's, that she suddenly sensed a breathtakingly sharp presence surging from Xie Feng's body. It was like countless mountains of needles dissolving into ocean waves, rolling forward in a sweeping, crushing force. Nothing in its path could remain unchanged.
A genius in slaughter—right, Yu Yuan had used that phrase before.
Not a genius in combat, but in slaughter.
That was still different from a bloodthirsty maniac, as Xie Feng might not kill for pleasure. Lin Sanjiu knew she had to say something, anything, to at least get Bee Sting out of danger first.
"Aren't I the one you're after?" She kept her voice as steady as possible. "Why trouble an ordinary girl who's just struggling to survive?"
If she remembered correctly, Xie Feng had spent two years on the streets at nineteen, enduring hardships and dangers. Even Yu Yuan had mentioned it more than once when recalling her past. Lin Sanjiu didn't know how much of Xie Feng's memory had been altered, but if she still remembered her own time as a vagrant, perhaps there was a sliver of sympathy left in her.
Lin Sanjiu was putting so much effort into getting Bee Sting out because an unspoken realization had already surfaced in her mind, one she didn't dare acknowledge fully.
If Bee Sting couldn't leave... she might not be able to protect the guide at all.
Facing Xie Feng, Lin Sanjiu wasn't even sure how long she could protect herself.
Xie Feng looked at Bee Sting, turning her gaze with such casual ease, as if she had no concern whatsoever that Lin Sanjiu might attack. Then, from somewhere unseen, she pulled out a roll of gauze and tossed it to the teary-eyed guide, startling her into another flinch.
"Go on," Xie Feng said, her tone almost cheerful. "Your job is done anyway. You brought her here."
For a breath-stopping moment, Lin Sanjiu nearly thought she meant that Bee Sting had knowingly led her into Xie Feng's trap. But then, as her gaze swept over Bee Sting's face—full of shock, fear, pain, and grievance—an idea suddenly struck her like lightning.
"You've been watching her all along?" Lin Sanjiu stepped aside, motioning for Bee Sting to leave quickly while keeping her eyes locked on Xie Feng. "I understand now... It was Wu Yiliu, wasn't it?" ŖÃŊоᛒÊꞩ
1
Xie Feng pressed her lips together. Though she said nothing, the fleeting expression that crossed her face was enough to confirm it for Lin Sanjiu. It really was because of Wu Yiliu.
Bee Sting, no matter how many questions she had, didn't dare linger. Her combat ability was ordinary at best, and after having her nose grazed by Xie Feng's earlier attack at such close range, she must have realized that they weren't even on the same level of the food chain. She needed no further urging; stumbling as she clutched her face, she crashed into the doorframe before bolting outside in a hurry.
Lin Sanjiu would have to find a way to make up for the harm and fear Bee Sting suffered. But perhaps it was best never to see her again, never to drag her into this any further.
1
As soon as Bee Sting vanished, Xie Feng gave Lin Sanjiu a once-over, then suddenly chuckled. "You seem to care a lot about that girl," she said casually, as if making small talk. "Now that she's gone, you look much calmer. Maybe I shouldn't have let her go."
"That's not your style," Lin Sanjiu said coldly. "How long have you been watching her? Were you really so certain that I'd ask her to bring me here?"
At first glance, it seemed like sheer coincidence, but beneath the surface, countless threads of causality had led to this moment. Xie Feng wasn't here because of bad luck.
After hearing Pete's account, Lin Sanjiu had realized that the travel brochure he saw pointed to a tour group, which then led her to Bee Sting. She had followed a logical chain of connections that the Shark Nexus shouldn't have known about.
And she wasn't wrong—the Shark Nexus indeed couldn't have predicted that sequence. But Wu Yiliu did know the final link in the chain: the tour guide, Bee Sting Venom. He knew Lin Sanjiu was acquainted with Bee Sting. In fact, he had even disguised himself as a dismantler to seek Lin Sanjiu out at Bee Sting's home.
After she saw through his disguise, it was entirely possible that he had investigated Bee Sting, eventually uncovering her indirect link to the Shark Nexus: Bee Sting was a guide for the CBD tour group; the CBD tour group had rented a bus from a particular leasing company; the Shark Nexus had rented a bus from the same company; Pete had been on that bus; and Pete was now in Lin Sanjiu's hands.
Two separate chains of connections had converged.
Even if Wu Yiliu hadn't predicted in advance that Lin Sanjiu would deduce the link to the CBD tour group from Pete's description, the connection was undeniable. He had to account for the possibility that she would follow this trail to the Shark Nexus. After all, he was Wu Yiliu. He never overlooked any detail.
"I've only been waiting here a day or two," Xie Feng shrugged. "I was getting bored to death. Wu Yiliu made a lot of unnecessary preparations just to be extra sure, most of them ending up being useless. But this time... he actually managed to catch you."