When Yuan stepped out of the building, night had already settled heavily over the city.
Russia…
It was nothing like it appeared on maps. The cold wasn't dry it seeped into the bones. Each breath burned his lungs, forcing the body to shrink inward against it.
Coming here from America had already been exhausting. The long flight, the time difference, the mission details that refused to leave his mind…
Yuan's shoulders felt heavy.
His first stop was a hotel near the city center nothing flashy, but secure enough to stay unnoticed.
As he approached the reception desk, the hotel clerk spoke with a mechanical smile.
"May I see your identification, sir?"
Yuan nodded and reached into his bag out of habit.
But
One second.
Two seconds.
His brows furrowed.
He searched the bag again. Faster this time. Rougher.
The passport wasn't there.
"…What?" he muttered.
He opened the bag completely. Pockets. Hidden compartment. Side zipper.
Nothing.
His heart sped up for a brief moment. He didn't lose his composure, but unease crept in.
"Is there a problem?" the clerk asked.
"One moment," Yuan replied without looking up.
But it was gone.
Completely gone.
He clenched his jaw, closed the bag, and walked away without another word. He didn't hear whatever the clerk said after him.
No ID…
In Russia.
The moment he stepped outside, the cold struck his face like a slap.
Snow fell slowly. City lights blurred in the distance. The streets felt foreign. Yuan pulled his coat tighter and walked aimlessly into the alleys.
His steps quickened.
Morning.
The man he had collided with earlier.
A brief contact…
And now his passport was gone.
Minutes passed or hours. He couldn't tell.
His fingertips had started to turn purple from the cold. The freezing air was no longer just numbing his skin it was slowing his reflexes. His eyelids felt heavy from exhaustion and lack of sleep.
He stopped at a corner, leaning against a wall like a homeless man. Snow gathered around his boots.
Just a few minutes…
That was when a black car slowly pulled up in front of him.
The engine purred quietly.
The vehicle was far too elegant. Far too expensive for this street.
The door opened.
A tall man stepped out. A perfectly tailored coat, gloved hands, a posture that radiated innate arrogance. Under the streetlight, his face became clear.
Cold eyes.
A familiar presence.
The man walked toward Yuan and stopped a step away. He leaned slightly forward, a mocking smile on his lips. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled something out.
A passport.
He dangled it between his fingers.
"Hey," he said calmly, condescending.
"Is this yours?"
Yuan's eyes locked onto it instantly.
The man's smile widened.
"You're a tourist, I assume."
Yuan straightened up and reached for it.
But the man pulled it back.
"Were you the one who ran into me this morning?" he said.
"Careless enough to drop your passport?"
The mockery in his voice was unmistakable.
Yuan's expression didn't change. Not a single muscle moved. His eyes were cold, calculating. He didn't recognize the man and there was another problem.
He didn't speak Russian.
After a brief pause, he spoke.
"Sorry," he said.
"But I don't speak Russian."
The man raised an eyebrow, then smirked.
"Hm… is that so?"
He switched to English effortlessly.
"Either way," he continued casually,
"how careless do you have to be to drop your passport?"
Yuan grabbed it in one swift motion and slipped it back into his bag. He gave a brief, distant bow.
"Thank you."
Cold. Formal.
It should have ended there.
But the man grabbed Yuan's arm.
His grip was firm.
Yuan reacted instantly, pulling free. His gaze sharpened.
"Was there something else?" he asked.
The man smiled faintly, lying without hesitation.
"Yes," he said.
"When you ran into me this morning… you injured my arm."
Yuan exhaled quietly. It was dark, and he was facing a stranger in an unfamiliar city. His instincts were fully alert.
"I don't even remember bumping into you," he replied in a flat tone.
"But if it happened… my apologies."
The man's smile deepened.
This encounter
Was not a coincidence.
And neither of them had realized it yet