Translator: AnubisTL
"How's the situation with Wang Jili?" Chen Jiang asked, reclining in his chair. He had stopped thinking about the vacuum bomb and turned to look at Scar Dog.
"He's apparently waiting for the right moment, but it should be soon. After all, it's just a small matter of snatching someone from the federation. A trivial task like that has virtually no chance of failure."
"Hmm," Chen Jiang nodded slightly, closing his eyes again without another word, his thoughts unreadable.
"Bullseye."
Wang Jili stood before a wall, swinging a golf club with satisfaction as he watched the virtual display on the wall. He casually tossed the club to a nearby man in black, stretched his limbs, and turned to Hu Biao, who was sitting nearby.
"What do you think? Hole-in-one material?"
"I don't get it," Hu Biao rasped, shaking his head as he stared at the virtual screen. "I'll never understand why you rich folks are so obsessed with this sport. It looks utterly boring."
"That's perfectly normal."
Wang Jili tossed his coat aside and casually settled into a chair. He poured himself a glass of wine, took a sip, and smiled. "Because on the golf course, we can build more trust than in a teahouse. People naturally gravitate toward the light, don't they?"
"Then why not go to a golf course outside the city?"
"Real golf courses don't allow cheating, which makes the game less satisfying. But no matter—I've already acquired a two-star rule item: a golf club that lets me cheat. I had someone buy it for me, and it should arrive soon."
"We can discuss these trivial matters later. According to my intelligence, the Federation is under immense pressure and growing impatient. They've already identified a Chaotic Faction."
"It's a group called 'Albatross,' which roams the dozens of stars near Orange Red Star."
"Yes, as you suspected, this is the Chaotic Faction I mentioned—the one we can manipulate. Everything is proceeding as planned. The Federation has given Albatross until 5:00 AM tonight to complete a series of tasks."
"Hmm."
He glanced at his wristwatch. "It's 5:00 PM now, which means Albatross has only ten hours left. That's quite a tight deadline."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's start now!" Hu Biao said urgently.
"What's the rush?" Wang Jili snapped irritably. "My people haven't gathered yet. They're all smuggled in, and it'll take time to assemble them in Ash City."
"You don't think I can just order the Albatross around, do you? Stop being ridiculous. I can only intervene and access some key internal information. We'll still need to snatch your mother from the Albatross's clutches—there's going to be a bloody fight."
"This might upset you, but with your mother's status, she's hardly worth such a costly rescue operation. All you can do now is wait patiently."
"The Albatross is expected to move at 2 AM. We'll strike at 2 AM as well. Hmm, a lot of people are going to die. Prepare yourself mentally. Your mother could easily be caught in the crossfire and lose her life. But since you've entered this line of work, you must have already steeled yourself for such possibilities."
"Alright, I'm going to take a shower. If you want to play some pool, ask my men for a new cue. Don't touch mine—I don't like anyone touching my cue."
"After you shower, I'll take you to see someone. After all, this person isn't as heavily guarded by the Federation as your mother was."
Six o'clock in the afternoon.
It was the time for the last class of the day.
Hu Yue sat at her desk, utterly unable to focus on the teacher's lecture. More than a full day had passed since her brother launched his terrorist attack.
The Federation had taken over the aftermath: distributing humanitarian aid to the victims' families, clearing the rubble of the destroyed buildings, reopening bidding for the project, selecting a new contractor, and resuming investment promotion efforts.
The manhunt for Hu Biao continued, with public announcements and statements issued. After a day of turmoil, Ash City gradually returned to normal.
Shops reopened, schools resumed classes, and pedestrians once again filled the streets, though in smaller numbers than before.
This wasn't the first time Ash City had been bombed.
Just recently, Jiang Cheng Company had shelled the city. Now, with another attack, anyone with the means had fled Ash City overnight. What a cursed place this is, they thought. Who knows if Jiang Cheng Company will come back tomorrow?
Those still remaining in Ash City were mostly people who couldn't leave. Their entire lives were rooted here—their homes, social networks, jobs, and businesses.
Leaving Ash City meant starting over from scratch.
For many, having nothing was more terrifying than death itself.
Unable to leave, they could only continue their lives with uneasy hearts, clinging to the slim hope that the federation would swiftly apprehend Jiang Cheng Company and Hu Biao's gang, restoring peace to their lives.
"Class dismissed."
While she was lost in thought, the teacher finished the lesson. Instead of leaving as usual, the teacher turned to Hu Yue with a calm expression and said, "Today, Hu Yue demonstrated great righteousness by reporting her own brother, allowing the police to quickly identify the criminal suspect and significantly accelerate the case's progress."
"The Law Enforcement Bureau has specially presented Hu Yue with a commendation banner for her righteous act of turning in her own family. The school is also awarding Hu Yue a commendation banner for being an outstanding student."
The teacher then pulled two banners from under the lectern and placed them on the desk, casually remarking, "Let's give Hu Yue a round of applause," before leaving the classroom without looking back.
Class was dismissed.
The day was over.
But no applause followed.
The classroom fell silent as students packed their bags and hurried out, leaving it empty in moments.
Today, nearly every classroom buzzed with discussion about Hu Yue's brother, but their classroom remained eerily quiet. Only thirteen students had attended class; the rest had called in sick.
Hu Yue rose, her expression slightly agitated, bracing herself for the teacher's judgmental gaze and the remorseful looks of her classmates, who had misunderstood her. Before she could speak, she realized the teacher and all the students had already left.
"I..."
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, unsure what to say. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly walked to the podium in her expensive dress, picked up the two brocade banners, and examined them closely.
When she saw the Ash City Enforcement Bureau's seal on the "Righteousness Over Family" banner, she took a deep breath. With newfound resolve, she rolled up both banners, tucked them into her handbag, and strode out of the classroom, heading purposefully toward home.
Only then did she truly understand the meaning of the saying:
In a flock of crows, even a swan is guilty.
When you're surrounded by darkness, even the smallest spark of light will be devoured by the overwhelming darkness, making you the enemy of all.
Because the sight of light is blinding to them.
She hadn't done anything wrong; the fault lay with them, not her.
As for her brother, he would face the justice he deserved. The Federation would arrest him and clear her name. In a backwater like Ash City, everyone was ignorant, unable to distinguish right from wrong.
Once she got into a good university and moved to a better city, where people were well-educated, she would finally find a sense of belonging. The saying was true: "Poverty breeds cunning." The textbooks hadn't lied.
Soon, she arrived at the entrance of her residential complex.
At the gate, she carefully removed the princess shoes she had bought for 1800 credits, tucked them into her tote bag, and slipped on her usual sneakers. Then, pinching up the hem of her skirt, she stepped over the foul-smelling gutter.
It was a short distance, but avoiding the surrounding filth made the journey take much longer.
Finally, after nearly half an hour, she returned to her familiar home. But now, the house was silent, devoid of her mother's constant coughing and her brother's familiar body odor.
Alone in the cold, empty house, she seemed cleaner and more composed than usual.
She set down her handbag and gazed around the meticulously cleaned home, nodding in satisfaction. From now on, this house would depend solely on her. Though bearing such responsibility at her age was daunting, children from poor families had to grow up quickly, and she was ready to accept it.
With a serious expression, she carefully hung two silk banners on the wall.
Humming a cheerful tune, she twirled in her skirt, clutching the hem as she admired herself in the mirror, striking poses like a ballerina.
The room was dimly lit by an energy-saving bulb, which provided only weak illumination but significantly reduced monthly expenses.
"Does the skirt look good?"
Suddenly, a calm, raspy voice emerged from the shadowy corner of the room.
"Who's there?!"
Hu Yue froze, whirling around to face the voice. She saw two men sitting calmly in the corner chairs, staring at her. One of them was her familiar... brother?
Almost instinctively, she prepared to bolt out of the room, simultaneously screaming at the top of her lungs, "Guards!"
But her cry was cut short the next instant.
Bang!
A deafening gunshot echoed through the spacious room.
Hu Yue froze, trembling slightly as she stared at the shattered vase before her. Suppressing her terror, she forced a faint smile and turned to Hu Biao, who sat calmly in the corner, her voice trembling.
"Brother, what are you doing? Do you intend to kill me too? I'm your sister!"
Hu Biao, seated in the corner, gazed calmly at the woman he once knew so well. He turned to Wang Jili and asked softly, "Senior, how do you usually deal with those who betray you?"
"Me?" Wang Jili licked his lips with a hint of relish, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling light. He chuckled, "My methods might be a bit crude and unpleasant, but if you don't mind, I'd be happy to tell you."
(End of the Chapter)