“I’ll go greet the others. Just wait here for a bit.”
After leading Shen Ning to the parking lot entrance, Xu Chuyao headed off to meet the rest of the team.
“Okay,” Shen Ning replied, unusually gentle and obedient.
What she really needed right now was a quiet place alone—because a melancholy, poetic version of herself was whispering in her ear, murmuring heartfelt words and even singing when the mood struck.
PseudorandomContentGeneratedByCustomAlgorithm“The most beautiful moment of my life… was meeting you. Quietly watching you in the sea of people, both familiar and strange~”
Just then, a second shadow appeared on the ground. The sexually repressed reflection had also arrived.
PseudorandomContentGeneratedByCustomAlgorithm“I’ve heard Chuyao sing that song before,” she said. “But you sing it with more emotion.”
It felt like her emotions were being echoed by some deep, internal resonance.
Shen Ning rubbed her temples, mildly exasperated. “If you two are going to appear, could you say fewer weird things and be more useful?”
These sudden interjections were making her seem like she had split personalities in public.
“Alright, time to get serious,” said the repressed reflection cheerfully. “Let’s talk about your next mission—kiss her or pet the bunny. Which one first?”
“Kiss… I guess.”
The other option sounded weirder.
“That’s easy. Just get close, and when she’s not expecting it, grab her and kiss her. Say, ‘If I can’t kiss you, I’ll just graze you with love!’”
“Could you not be so crude? You should choose a clear, sunny morning, take her to a quiet, scenic place, sit down together, and when the wind blows, gently tuck her hair behind her ear, lean in slowly… let it happen naturally.”
After some thought, Shen Ning decided to go with the Melancholy Reflection’s idea. The repressed one’s suggestion was too unhinged—she didn’t see herself as that kind of person.
“Tch, fine, do it your way,” the repressed reflection muttered. “Let’s see what happens when Chuyao tilts her head, dodges you, and says ‘Hah, even a low-tier scrub like you wants to make a move?’ Then we’ll talk.”
Before long, the rest of the group arrived and exchanged greetings.
Xu Chuyao came over last, holding a small loudspeaker. She addressed the group:
“I already told you what to look out for before we left. From now on, stay alert. If you sense anything wrong, fall back to the entrance. We just need to hold one point—no matter how many enemies there are, they won’t be able to break through. Don’t worry about getting dragged into a war of attrition either. Our instructor is stationed on the outer street. If things go bad, she’ll step in.”
That last part was a huge morale boost—no one expected their teacher to be watching from the sidelines.
“Captain Xu thinks of everything!” Cheng Li gave her a thumbs-up.
“Less talk, more focus.”
Choosing the parking lot entrance had many advantages, but also a drawback: they gave up visibility. They couldn’t see most of the plaza from their position.
Xu Chuyao took out a pair of binoculars and strained to see the stage. She spotted the trade group already setting up the booth. Samples and displays were in place—everything ready for the product launch.
“Leader~” Shi Lei called, holding up his phone. “There’s a livestream. Gives a front view of the scene.”
“Send me the link.”
Turns out, a streamer was already broadcasting from below the stage. The angle wasn’t perfect, and the area was crowded. A bubbly, voice-filtered host was narrating to the audience:
PseudorandomContentGeneratedByCustomAlgorithm“Hey family, hey bros, we’re here at the main city’s commercial plaza for the new-gen spirit ore battery product launch. You can see, the crowd’s huge. Even in times like these, people still care about tech. And I gotta say, for tech nerds, this crowd’s surprisingly quiet!”
Each team member watched the stream on their phones.
Zhong Ming scratched his head. “I’ve been to the plaza a few times. Never seen this many people near the booth area. It’s just a new battery launch.”
“That’s because they’re not tourists,” Xu Chuyao said, eyeing the livestream feed. “Most of them are from the Clown Gang.”
“What?!”
The group exploded with shock.
“Look closely. See the people in front of the streamer? Their attention’s not on the booth. They’re just looking at each other silently, with eye contact only—no conversation. And that guy on the right—keeps fiddling with his coat like he’s hiding something. Probably one of their signature masks.”
Following her directions, the group observed carefully—and sure enough, it checked out.
“If that’s true,” Yu Yuwei whispered, “then does that mean there are dozens—maybe even hundreds—of enemies hidden in the plaza?”
Gulp. The sound of nervous swallowing filled the air.
“I don’t know the exact number, but it doesn’t matter. We just need to hold the entrance. No matter how many there are, only a few can engage us at a time.”
Her calm explanation reassured the group.
Meanwhile, at the booth, all the equipment had been tested. The launch officially began. The host made a flashy opening speech, then welcomed the product manager to the stage.
Xiao Wu, holding a microphone in one hand and the product in the other, began presenting its specifications, uses, and potential. He also mentioned its origins:
PseudorandomContentGeneratedByCustomAlgorithm“We’ve mined natural raw materials from the excavation zones, carefully selected the best granules, processed and tested them repeatedly. Multiple pressure tests ensure both safety and quality…”
As he said this, Xiao Wu suddenly thought of the two girls from earlier—especially the one who’d mentioned the mining disaster. A flicker of guilt crossed his face.
Right then, chaos erupted below the stage.
Hidden assassins in the crowd threw off their coats and donned clown masks.
PseudorandomContentGeneratedByCustomAlgorithm“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
The livestreamer was the first to be shoved to the ground. His phone flew out of his hand and was stomped on, ending the stream instantly.
PseudorandomContentGeneratedByCustomAlgorithm“Murder! Help!”
Despite the cries, the clowns didn’t actually attack civilians. They just shoved people aside and began charging toward a specific direction, shrieking bizarrely.
“Enemy attack!”
One of the trade group’s guards shouted, rallying others to protect the booth. They quickly surrounded the display in a defensive circle.
Oddly, the clowns only threw a few symbolic objects—random water bottles picked off the ground, nothing resembling real weapons. Then they turned and dashed off toward another area.
They’re not targeting us…
Xiao Wu quickly realized the situation and rushed to find his team leader.
“Professor, they’re not coming after us. I think they’re headed for the students. Should we dispatch some of the guards to help them?”
Swina glanced at him coolly.
“You feel guilty after hearing that mining tragedy?”
Xiao Wu stiffened. “Professor, I…”
“Your guilt is meaningless.”
Swina didn’t even look at him. His eyes followed the direction the clowns had gone.
PseudorandomContentGeneratedByCustomAlgorithm“You can’t change the conditions of the miners. You don’t command the guards. You’re too insignificant. Your guilt, your anger—they’re both meaningless.”