The process was simple.

Once the operation was over, the Yuan An Group feigned retreat, handing the captive over to the Astronomical Society. Nearby officers quickly took over the site cleanup, readying their apologies before the social security bureau could arrive to flip tables and curse.

Then, the person in charge would approach with a smile to pacify the ire of the big brothers. Sorry for overlooking your feelings, Chief, but we do have a bond, after all. Can you understand my impatient intention... and so on.

But this was no longer the concern of those doing the grunt work.

Unlike the other covertly retreating Yuan An members, Liu DongLi, figuring no one would recognize him, simply changed his clothes. With a lit cigarette dangling from his lips, he sauntered down from the hotel's lavish lounge, clutching two bottles of fine alcohol. He was contemplating which scenic spot to enjoy for some leisurely time off.

Then, he saw Ai Qing sitting at the hotel entrance with an ominously dark face, her eyes filled with utter indifference and rage as they met Liu DongLi's listless gaze.

Consequently, his eyebrows slowly arched.

Liu DongLi instinctively paled and couldn't resist backing away. "Damn it, how do I run into you wherever I go?"

"The feeling is mutual."

Ai Qing shook her head and asked directly, "Did the operation go smoothly?"

"Caught a live one, but he probably doesn't know much – likely a wasted trip."

Liu DongLi shook his head. Neither of them took the confidentiality clause seriously; they casually exchanged information. Then, curious, he looked around. "Huai Shi? Isn't he with you?"

Ai Qing didn't reply but gave him a puzzled look, her brows quickly furrowing.

"Wasn't he supposed to clean up the site? Didn't you see him?"

"No," Liu DongLi shook his head blankly. "I heard he's been dressing pretty ghostly lately. If I'd seen him, I'd definitely have snapped a pic and posted it online…"

He paused for a while as if realizing something, suddenly turning somewhat pale.

"Do you know?" He looked down at Ai Qing. "I suddenly have a very bad hunch…"

"What a coincidence."

Ai Qing's face was ashen. "So do I."

Three minutes later, a message came from the command center at the rear: Officer Huai Shi had not responded to inquiries and was unaccounted for.

In other words, he was missing.

Along with seven officers from different parts of Jinling.

Five minutes later, following Ai Qing's emergency request, the Jinling Branch was locked down for a third search. Inside the cabinet of the office responsible for personnel registration, they found the body of the clerk who was supposed to be there.

Her beautiful face still bore the terror and despair of her death.

Signs of struggle were found in the office. Finally, on the desk was a note. On it, a matchstick man with a smiling face waved goodbye.

"Goodbye."

Ten minutes later, at a secluded sewer entrance in Jinling, a bulky figure wearing a helmet quietly emerged, grimy water dripping off him.

He reached out, as if removing something from his wrist.

And with that, the helmet and protective suit, identical to Huai Shi's, vanished without a trace, revealing a gentle face behind glasses.

Turning to look back at the barely visible Astronomical Society Great Building in the distance, his lips curled into a pleased smile.

「. . .」

Three hours earlier, after completing his registration, Feng Ping stood up, extending a warm handshake in congratulations. "Welcome to the Astronomical Society."

"Ah, thank you," Huai Shi nodded, pointing curiously to something on the desk. "By the way, there seem to be some bugs in your plant..."

Feng Ping looked at the desk where a locust had jumped out of the turned-over soil in the flowerpot.

He raised an eyebrow.

Amid the tumbling earth, a few strands of withered hair and a piece of scalp hidden beneath the soil were barely discernible.

"Uh…" Huai Shi paused, looking up at Feng Ping in astonishment.

Feng Ping shrugged helplessly, sighing. "I did plan to let you leave..."

Death Perception.

Instinctively, Huai Shi pulled out his axe, chopping toward Feng Ping's head, only to feel a terrifying Source Impact surge through the hand Feng Ping had grabbed.

Everything went black.

In a daze, Huai Shi heard Feng Ping's shocked voice, "He didn't die? Never mind... He's still good as a hostage."

As Feng Ping waved his hand, a rift suddenly opened in the void. A cold body fell out, which Feng Ping casually stuffed into the cabinet. Then, he picked up Huai Shi, folded him, and stuffed him into the narrow space within the rift.

Soul ability - Foam Shadow: Creates a fleeting and tiny fragment of a border. Although its duration varies, it's almost as convenient as a storage ring.

The flowerpot, encased in a plastic bag, was stuffed in as well.

Feng Ping calmly walked out the door, locked it behind him, and headed upstairs.

「. . .」

Ten minutes after Huai Shi and the others were reported missing to the person in charge at the Jinling Branch, Huai Shi awoke from his stupor, feeling his Source Substance nearly dissipating.

It had shattered under that terrifying impact.

His head throbbed.

Fortunately, the Book of Fate had given him a last-minute assist, preventing him from becoming a drooling idiot, but he still felt utterly exhausted.

He could barely move.

Moreover, no one could move while being nailed to a wall.

He felt a series of intense pains in his hands. Through his mask, he caught a glimpse of the nails that had pierced his hands and were deeply embedded in the wall.

There were shackles around his neck and feet too.

He was locked up.

In the silence, only the sound of dripping water could be heard.

Huai Shi closed his eyes, attempting to struggle, but he suddenly convulsed—whatever damned enchantment had been applied to the nails in his hands didn't cause injury when passing through flesh, but any attempt to struggle or to use his Source Substance brought near-fainting agony.

Both his Soul Ability and Stigma were restricted.

In other words, he was now an incontrovertible prisoner.

But the question was... who the hell would kidnap a nobody like him?

Using the enhanced perception granted by KP, Huai Shi faintly heard muffled voices behind the iron door, and immediately recalled Feng Ping's face.

That son of a bitch...

A hoarse voice quietly asked, "Did you get the item?"

"There was a change in plans," Feng Ping sighed. "We were about to succeed when suddenly those Astronomical Club Officers started a brawl. It was insane; when did the quality of the Astronomical Club Officers drop this low? Just as I went upstairs, I saw they had initiated a yellow alert inside. There was no way to get close to P1 level, no chance to make a move. I only had time to blend into the action team and take the Locust Plague out with me."

Outside Huai Shi's cage, in the dim yellow light, quite a few people were already sitting by the table.

The old man with a monocle listened to Feng Ping's words but didn't erupt in anger despite the unexpected twist in their long-prepared plan. He simply nodded. "At least the rescue operation was a success."

He paused, then suddenly asked, "What about Xuanwu Lake Hotel? Xiao Qi and his six men must have been sacrificed, right?"

"They were wavering and indecisive to begin with; throwing them away as pawns is no loss," Feng Ping replied indifferently, shaking his head. "If it really came to a dead end, he'd be the first to betray us."

"We should have given him a chance," Uncle Bian sighed and said nothing further, merely gesturing for the people beside him to place some food on the table.

Feng Ping didn't stand on ceremony. He wolfed down the food vigorously, wiped his mouth, and waited for Uncle Bian to speak.

"I'll keep the hostage here while you leave with the Locust Plague," Uncle Bian said straightforwardly. "This isn't exactly the most secret of places, and it's only a matter of time before the Astronomical Society finds it. Since the leader has entrusted you with this important task, don't hesitate or feel regretful."

"..." Feng Ping opened his mouth, as if to object.

"I know you're going to try to persuade me; there's no need," Uncle Bian shook his head. "An old man like me, my legs aren't what they used to be. I'd be nothing but a burden. Better I stay behind and make myself useful one last time... Anything else I can help you with, just tell me."

"Got any guns?" Feng Ping asked curiously.

Uncle Bian glanced back. A burly man stepped forward from the corner, drew a handgun from his waist, and laid it on the table along with two magazines.

Feng Ping took them, immediately excited as he fiddled with the gun. "Do people in the Current Circumstances all use these types of firearms? They're rarely seen on the Border."

"They are only handy here in the Current Circumstances."

Uncle Bian asked, "What are your plans for all these captives?"

"Tell the Astronomical Society to lift the blockade and let us leave freely. Otherwise, we'll execute one of their Astronomical Club Officers every hour on a Darknet live stream."

"And then?"

"And then?" Feng Ping said with a mysterious smile, sliding the gun into his pocket and picking up the flowerpot on the table, spinning it on his fingertip proudly. "What happens after that, we'll discuss later."

Uncle Bian nodded and said no more.

He watched as Feng Ping turned and left.

In the silence, Uncle Bian picked up his teacup and took a sip, instructing, "Rod, go check. We don't want any trouble."

A hunched middle-aged man got up. With a nod and some effort, he took a gun from the cabinet, shuffled to open the door, and entered the basement.

As the iron door opened, Huai Shi listened intently to the breathing outside.

One, two, three... a total of seven people. One old man, but I don't know how many Sublimators there are...

The hunched man entered, seeming worried about something. He first picked up a stick from the corner and cautiously poked Huai Shi a couple of times. Only then did he lower his guard somewhat. Gripping the gun, he approached Huai Shi and kicked him twice.

Only after confirming Huai Shi couldn't do anything did he put away the gun. Then, he reached out to pull off Huai Shi's helmet but couldn't figure it out at first, struggling for a while before finding the buckle at the back.

Once he forcefully pulled the helmet off, Huai Shi's long hair, which had been stuffed inside, spilled out like water, fanning out on the floor and framing his pale face.

Although his nose was still bleeding from the Source Impact, at a cursory glance, he possessed an undeniable beauty.

Rod looked at him in astonishment. His eyes lit up, and with a sleazy smile, he reached out and pinched Huai Shi's chin. "My, turns out it's a little sister?"

"Damn you! Who the hell are you calling that?"

Huai Shi looked up, his raspy male voice causing the hunched man to stand there stunned.

"A man?"

Seemingly unable to accept this harsh reality, he stood in shock for a while. His face turned ashen as he forced a smile. "No matter, a man will do..."

As he spoke, he roughly pulled Huai Shi's hair, lifting him. He then whispered close to Huai Shi's ear, "Wait until Uncle Bian rests tonight. I'll keep you company."

In the shadows, Huai Shi gently moved his fingers, feeling the iron embedded in his palms. As he breathed, it was as if he could see countless viruses spreading from his protective suit with each breath.

Tonight?

Huai Shi hung his head and gave a silent, cold laugh.

If I, a human vector, have entered your lair and you're all still alive tonight, I'll write my name Huai backwards...

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