The next morning, the abandoned factory was cordoned off by logistics officers from the Execution Department for post-mission cleanup.
Angers and Schneider stepped over the cordon and entered the warehouse.
"Are you sure your star pupil isn't a hidden Pure-blood Dragon?"
Schneider looked up at the warehouse gate shredded by brute force, then turned to Angers beside him.
Angers shifted his gaze from the torn gate, smiled, and walked inside, pressing a silk handkerchief from his breast pocket to his nose. "Cheng Sui hides many secrets we've yet to uncover, but of one thing I'm certain."
Meeting Schneider's eyes, Angers spoke evenly: "This child is absolutely not a dragon. The Night Watchman tested his bloodline—no issues."
At the mention of the Night Watchman, Schneider gave a slight nod and dropped the subject of Cheng Sui's lineage.
The man who hated dragons most in the world and the most authoritative alchemy master had both vouched for Cheng Sui's blood.
With those two endorsements, any suspicion felt feeble.
After Cheng Sui slew the Dangerous Hybrid yesterday, Execution officers had cleaned the site at once; the mountain of corpses was gone, only dark-red stains remained.
Schneider surveyed the ravaged warehouse and rasped,
"Our assessment of that Dangerous Hybrid was wrong. None of us expected it to degenerate into a Dead Apostle mid-battle. If any main-campus student could single-handedly slay a Dead Apostle within four years, a direct transfer to the Execution Department would be a given—yet for you it's just an interview."
"Your Chinese is improving, Schneider; you're even using idioms." Angers chuckled. "The target's mutation into a Dead Apostle caught us all off guard, so last night I had R&D examine the corpse."
Staring at the dark-red floor, Angers's tone hardened: "We found a special chemical agent in its blood. It catalyzed the creature's draconic genes, forcing it into Deadly Transformation."
Schneider's iron-grey eyes stayed flat. "Source of the agent?"
"We checked its computer. It was bought on the 'Hunter Website.' The shipping address was cloaked and bounced through multiple IPs; norma has only traced the origin to Japan—nothing more so far."
Schneider frowned. "So the Japanese Hybrids are involved?"
"Ever heard of Yintai Dumela?" Angers suddenly changed tack.
"The legendary Lion King?" Schneider answered, puzzled.
"Exactly. Yintai Dumela was a legendary lion in Bosu, Africa. Called the 'Hyena Slayer,' he killed over fifty hyenas, twice stormed hyena packs alone, and tore the hyena queen to death."
"Whether the Japan Branch is involved or not, lions don't explain themselves to hyenas. When the lion patrols his turf, the hyenas slink away."
Schneider knelt, scarred hand brushing the round crater left by a Rasengan: "So what's your move—another trip to Japan?"
Angers rolled up his suit sleeve, revealing thick, sinewy forearms and the flicker of a tiger-and-yaksha battle tattoo. "Sixty years ago I landed in Japan and tamed every Hybrid with steel. But it's a new era; we need a youth to re-establish authority, or the hyenas will think we have no successor."
"You already have someone in mind." A rare smile showed beneath Schneider's mask.
Angers tilted his head, motioning toward two human-shaped dents in the warehouse ceiling.
"The target's fall into a Dead Apostle did surprise us, but Cheng Sui's performance exceeded everyone's imagination, didn't it?"
Angers dropped his sleeve and walked out of the warehouse.
"Our young Lion King has bared his fangs. Once he's back from Egypt, we'll set him on the hyenas."
"Senior Ye, are you even trying? Let me take over."
In Cheng Sui's dorm, Nono watched Ye Sheng's clumsy moves on the PS2 and lunged for the controller.
"Hey, don't mess me up—I'm still learning the buttons. Lemme play a bit more."
Sakatoku Aki smiled at their antics and peeled another lychee into the bowl on Cheng Sui's nightstand.
"Hey, you two—weren't you here to visit me? You bust in and hog my Street Fighter. Can't you act useful like Senior Aki?"
Sakatoku Aki stifled a laugh; Nono glanced back and rolled her eyes.
"We came first thing because we're classmates and worried about you. Then we find you glued to Street Fighter—why would we care? Ugh, Senior Ye, tech the throw!"
Cheng Sui popped a lychee into his mouth, resigned.
He'd finished his morning workout and wanted a couple rounds for fun; that Japanese salaryman was actually online. He'd barely played two matches with 'Eriyis Duck' when Nono burst in.
Moments later Ye Sheng missed a punish and got combo'd to death.
Nono pointed at the huge K.O. on-screen and mocked, "Senior, you're hopeless. Even the snot-nosed kids who followed me in grade school played better."
Veins bulged on Ye Sheng's forehead; Nono ducked behind Sakatoku Aki.
Eriyis Duck: You tired?
From behind Sakatoku Aki, Nono pointed at the screen. "Senior Cheng, your buddy messaged you—in Japanese. Did you pick up some kawaii waifu?"
Cheng Sui glanced over, but couldn't read it. "Not a waifu—probably just some overworked salaryman squeezing in a match. I don't speak Japanese."
"He's asking if you're tired; he noticed your level dropped. The tone feels childish, not like an old guy," Sakatoku Aki translated, peering at the screen.
Cheng Sui slapped his forehead—of course, Aki was Japanese, a live translator right there.
He rubbed his hands. "Senior Aki, tell him someone else was playing just now, and say he played awesome."