“What’s this?”
Inside the reception room at the police station, Lu Yunze, Luo Yao, and Luo Heng all craned their necks to look at the documents Dong Youer had handed over.
Dong Youer adjusted her glasses, looking quite proud: “This is the fruit of our hard work over the past few days. We’ve identified the people pulling the strings behind those two.”
“That’s impressive… wait, didn’t Commissioner Wang go crazy?”
“He may have lost his mind, but we still found a way to pick his brain apart bit by bit.”
When Dong Youer got to this point, she seemed to recall some tough times, and her expression suddenly turned bitter.
Over the past few days, in order to cooperate with the secret arts practitioner specializing in mental illness, they had played the role of both father and mother, practically coddling Commissioner Wang like their own biological son.
All that effort was just to get Commissioner Wang to divulge the memories he hadn’t yet forgotten. Fortunately, their persistence paid off, and none of their hard work was in vain.
Dong Youer took a deep breath, tapped the blackboard, and drew everyone’s attention.
She pointed to a photo pasted on it: “This is our target for this mission.”
In the photo was a mature, beautiful woman who looked like a refined, married older sister. Yet there was a hint of alluring charm in her brows and eyes, as if a fox had become a spirit.
“Gu Lan, a budaoshi of the Black Star Cult, has long been on the Execution Division’s wanted list, but she’s never been captured.”
“Is she dangerous?”
“That’s exactly the point.” Dong Youer continued, “She once seduced a high-ranking member of the Execution Division, stole important intel through despicable means, and caused us massive losses.”
The file described Gu Lan as an extremely dangerous enemy. She excelled at concealing her tracks, which was why the Execution Division hadn’t been able to find her until now—and even then, only by digging it out of her dimwitted subordinate.
Once they learned Gu Lan was behind the trouble, the Execution Division spent several more days pinpointing the locations where she might appear.
That turned out to be a local foot bath city in Donghai City.
The group immediately rose and joined the operation.
Lu Yunze rubbed his chin: “When do we leave?”
“Today, right now. We can’t let Gu Lan slip away.”
“If there’s a budaoshi in Donghai City, does that mean there’s also a bishop here?”
Lu Yunze recalled the enemies he’d faced in Central City a year ago. Although he’d never actually faced any bishop of the Black Star Cult—including one bishop—that guy had only called himself an apostle. Of course, Lu Yunze didn’t factor in the hundred ghosts he’d battled.
As he walked out of the police station, Lu Yunze was in high spirits, ready to respond to any attack at a moment’s notice.
“Hmm, maybe if we take down this enemy, most of the Donghai City problems will be solved.”
“Brother Lu, you seem to be in a good mood?”
After all, this was his ancestral home. Ever since the Hand of God Incident, Lu Yunze would occasionally go look at the streets still being rebuilt, and the more he looked, the harder his heart grew.
To have someone casually wreck a person’s hometown—of course he’d be angry.
Lu Yunze was now full of confidence. No matter what happened, it wouldn’t shake his mindset. Yeah, definitely not.
Walking up to the car parked at the police station entrance, Lu Yunze opened the door and immediately saw the person sitting inside wave at him.
“Young Master, hello there.”
Lu Yunze thought Jiang Sui had harassed him so many times that he was having hallucinations. But when he saw her greeting Luo Yao too, his expression instantly froze.
“You—how are you here?”
“You can see her?”
“How could I not see her? Jiang Sui isn’t a ghost.” Luo Yao gave him a strange look.
“Why is Jiang Sui here?”
“Because this operation is fairly important. If an emergency comes up, we need someone on the outside to back us up.” Luo Yao explained, “Compared to the Execution Division’s people, I trust our own more.”
Lu Yunze froze.
“Relax, Lu. Jiang Sui is a maid I trust very much.”
Luo Yao said as she got into the car, but Lu Yunze remained rooted to the spot.
“Young Master, what are you standing there for? Are you going to keep Miss waiting?”
Jiang Sui said the words, but her expression meant something else entirely. As she spoke, she pulled Lu Yunze into the car.
The engine started, and they set off for the foot bath city.
The entire ride, Lu Yunze was on edge. His earlier excellent state evaporated the moment Jiang Sui appeared, and he felt like a deflated balloon.
Jiang Sui sat quietly to the side, seemingly watching the scenery outside the window, but in truth, she was watching Lu Yunze’s face through the reflection in the glass.
After they arrived near the destination, Jiang Sui watched Lu Yunze and the others get out of the car, then secretly followed behind.
Lu Yunze and the others still needed to go undercover, using the old method of entering the foot bath city as plumbers.
Places like this always needed plenty of appliances, so slipping in under the guise of repairing equipment was the safest approach.
Lin Ying might be gone, but the methods he taught Lu Yunze were deeply etched in his memory.
When Jiang Sui approached him, she made no effort to hide her footsteps. The sound of her little leather shoes tapping against the ground was exceptionally crisp.
Sure enough, Lu Yunze heard the noise, turned around, and saw her. He let out a sigh and said:
“Why did you follow? It’s dangerous.”
Jiang Sui clasped her hands behind her back and replied playfully: “It’s precisely because it’s dangerous that I have to be here. I can’t let my Young Master face danger alone.”
She’d only told half the truth. The other reason Jiang Sui came here was because her target was also Gu Lan inside.
The Black Cat’s investigations were far faster than the Execution Division’s, and given the friction between her and the Black Star Cult, the accuracy of the intel in this regard was also very reliable—it almost never missed.
And although the Black Cat hadn’t said it, Jiang Sui was certain she and Gu Lan probably knew each other. This was a perfect opportunity for Jiang Sui to learn more about the Black Cat and the Black Star Cult.
“You should know, even out here it can be unsafe sometimes.” Lu Yunze scratched his head.
“It’s fine. Young Master, just go do your mission. Don’t worry about me.”
Jiang Sui stepped forward, carefully straightening the collar of his work uniform, seemingly unconcerned about getting dust and grease on her hands. She also adjusted the old duckbill cap onto his head.
Looking at Lu Yunze dressed as a plumber, Jiang Sui couldn’t help but remark:
“Not a good look. This outfit doesn’t suit you, Young Master.”
“Can’t be helped, right?” Lu Yunze gave a wry smile.
Jiang Sui giggled: “Young Master, make sure you come back in one piece. Otherwise, even if I wanted to reward you, I wouldn’t know where to start, right?”
“Isn’t the way you’re saying ‘one piece’ a bit off? Even if I got hurt, it usually wouldn’t be there, right?”
Jiang Sui was about to say more, but she heard light footsteps approaching, so she took the initiative to put some distance between herself and Lu Yunze.
“What are you two doing here?”
Unsurprisingly, the only person who’d come to meddle at a time like this was Luo Yao.
“Miss, I was helping Young Master change.”
Jiang Sui immediately withdrew all her lively expressions.
Luo Yao walked over, her eyes full of suspicion: “Brother Lu isn’t a little kid. Why would he need your help? And if I hadn’t heard it from someone else, I wouldn’t even have known you came here. Aren’t you overstepping a bit?”
Facing Luo Yao’s aggressive demeanor, Jiang Sui remained completely unruffled: “How could that be? I’m just following orders. If Miss doesn’t like it, I’ll leave right now.”
“You’d better mean what you say.”
The tension was growing thicker by the second. Lu Yunze quickly stepped in to smooth things over:
“I asked her to help. Luo Yao, don’t misunderstand.”
“Brother Lu, why are you taking her side?”
“It’ll give you pimples.”
“Really? I’m just… hmm… I hope you’re not mad at me.”
Luo Yao put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow slightly: “Is Lu worried I’d be angry?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Luo Yao couldn’t help but laugh: “What, Lu is overthinking it. I’m not that petty.”
Then why were you radiating killing intent just now? And didn’t you say you trust our own people?
Lu Yunze didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Luo Yao squinted at him for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction:
“Who would’ve thought Brother Lu has learned how to fix his own collar. It used to be me who did that for you.”
“Well of course, I’m not a kid anymore.”
Listening to their voices fading into the distance, Jiang Sui’s footsteps gradually slowed, and her expression seemed to be covered in a layer of frost.
Even knowing the truth wasn’t what Luo Yao imagined, she still felt a hint of gloom in her heart.
Was she feeling gloomy because she couldn’t prove herself?
The one who’s truly useful to Lu Yunze—sooner or later, it would be—