The next day, Jiang Sui used the method that Group Leader Fu had left her to send him a message. After waiting for half an hour, she received only a single reply, which contained the time and place for their meeting. Then, the account deleted itself.
That afternoon, Jiang Sui used the excuse of going out to buy groceries to stop by the meeting place, a local café.
After walking inside, she quickly spotted Group Leader Fu waiting for her and sat down opposite him.
“I’m glad it only took you a day to think things through,” Group Leader Fu said with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll have a very pleasant cooperation from here on out.”
The rich aroma of coffee lingered around the girl’s nose, but Jiang Sui did not look nearly as pleased as Group Leader Fu. Just then, the waiter brought over a cup of coffee.
“I thought about it for a long time. I’ve decided that I’d rather stay with the Luo family.”
“What?”
He had never expected her to say something like that. Group Leader Fu nearly spat out the coffee he had just taken into his mouth and stared at Jiang Sui in astonishment.
“You’re serious? I didn’t hear you wrong, did I?”
“I’m serious. You didn’t hear me wrong.” Jiang Sui remained completely composed. “I’m rejecting your invitation, Group Leader Fu. I also hope you’ll keep the promise you made yesterday and delete the video.”
Otherwise, Jiang Sui would have to consider using other means to make sure this group leader disappeared forever—with his secret.
It took Group Leader Fu several minutes to recover before he spoke in a low voice.
“Were my terms not good enough? Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear yesterday. After you and your mother leave and go somewhere far away, the Operations Department will give you enough money to live on.”
“It’s not about the money,” Jiang Sui said. “Your offer is indeed very good, but I still can’t leave the Luo family.”
“Can you tell me why?” Group Leader Fu frowned.
“Because…”
Jiang Sui picked up her coffee and took a small sip.
“There’s still something I need to accomplish before I can leave.”
She had thought about it all night. Even if she decided to leave, she had to take Lu Yunze with her. She couldn’t let him continue foolishly working himself to death for the Luo family.
But obviously, that was impossible. Lu Yunze would never easily abandon the people who had once helped him, just as Jiang Sui would never easily abandon him.
Perhaps one day, when he finally came to his senses and no longer felt attached to the Luo family, if an opportunity like this presented itself again, Jiang Sui would accept without hesitation.
Unfortunately, Group Leader Fu had appeared at the wrong time.
“I see. What a pity. I suppose our relationship ends here, then.” Group Leader Fu sighed. “The video is right here. There’s no backup. Go ahead and delete it yourself.”
Jiang Sui took the phone, dragged the progress bar, and quickly watched through the video once before deleting it herself.
When the words “Deletion Successful” appeared on the screen, the weight in her heart finally lifted.
“I thought I’d finally found an opportunity to deal with the Luo family. What a shame.”
Group Leader Fu muttered as he got to his feet, preparing to leave.
“Wait, Group Leader Fu. I’d still like to talk to you.”
“What?”
“Why are you so determined to go after the Luo family?”
Jiang Sui knew that the Operations Department had a poor relationship with the Luo family, but apart from Lü Ziyi, she had never seen anyone else take such a hard-line attitude toward them as he did.
It was almost as if he had some kind of deep obsession with the matter. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.
Group Leader Fu asked in confusion, “Why are you asking about that?”
The corners of Jiang Sui’s lips curled upward as she rested her arms beneath her head.
“Although I rejected your recruitment, Group Leader Fu, I never said I wouldn’t help you deal with the Luo family.”
It took Group Leader Fu several seconds to understand what she meant.
“You mean…”
Jiang Sui raised an eyebrow at him.
“Group Leader Fu, as long as you’re willing, we can form a cooperative alliance at any time.”
“But you…”
Group Leader Fu felt as though he had been played. Yet Jiang Sui’s smile was so harmless that he couldn’t quite bring himself to be angry.
It seemed as though he was the one at a disadvantage, but in reality, she was the one walking away with the greatest benefits.
“Who said that dealing with the Luo family requires me to leave the Luo family first?”
Group Leader Fu crossed his arms, then pointed toward his own cloudy, gray-white eye.
“I only have half the field of vision an ordinary person has. The injury that left this scar directly took away the sight in my other eye.”
“Then who did this to you?”
“It happened during the disaster in Donghai City eleven years ago.”
At those words, Jiang Sui immediately became interested.
“I’ve worked for the Operations Department for more than thirty years. Twenty years ago, I was transferred to this city. From that point onward, I was already the leader of an action team.”
Group Leader Fu would never forget what happened that night.
He had already fallen asleep when his subordinates informed him of the disaster in Donghai City. By then, the disaster had already spread rapidly.
The entire city had turned into a living hell. A strange, sweet scent drifted through the air, and many of the citizens seemed to have lost their minds, transforming into murderous monsters.
When Group Leader Fu witnessed that scene, he was so terrified that he froze. A crazed citizen managed to approach him and slashed him across the face.
“Although that disaster lasted only one night, Donghai City was completely destroyed because of it. Countless people were killed or injured.”
After listening, Jiang Sui thought for a while before speaking.
“As for that disaster, the government’s explanation to the public was that an explosion at a chemical plant caused multiple hazardous chemical gases to leak.”
“If you believe that too, then you’re still too naïve.”
Group Leader Fu shook his head.
“That disaster completely reshaped Donghai City. Buildings collapsed, the Luo family moved away, and the Lu family was destroyed. Only the Operations Department struggled to survive until today. I’ve also been searching for the truth this entire time.”
That’s some serious persistence. No wonder you and the current director get along so well.
“Since the Lu family was destroyed in that disaster, you placed your suspicions on the Luo family. But didn’t there also seem to be traces of the Black Star Cult?”
“You even know about that?” Group Leader Fu froze for a moment. “We did capture some members of the Black Star Cult back then. But after the disaster, their people stopped appearing in this city for a long time.”
“Until recently?”
“Group Leader Fu, do you remember if there was anything strange about what happened back then?”
Group Leader Fu thought for a moment.
“There was.”
“Although it was nighttime, I could see a purple, sweet-smelling gas drifting through the surrounding air. Anyone who inhaled it would become abnormally excited.”
Jiang Sui raised an eyebrow.
“That alone isn’t enough to determine anything.”
“If you’re talking about a chemical plant, there was indeed a large factory in Donghai City at the time. It was also destroyed that night.”
Group Leader Fu paused.
“The owner of that factory was the Lu family.”
The deeper they dug, the more complicated things became.
Even Jiang Sui felt a headache coming on.
The Luo family, the Lu family, the Black Star Cult, and the Operations Department—multiple forces had been entangled in that disaster.
Except for the Operations Department, Jiang Sui had a feeling that none of the other three could completely clear themselves of suspicion.
Why had the Luo family left Donghai City after the disaster, yet left Luo Qiaoying behind?
What connection did the Lu family’s destruction have with the disaster?
And what role had the Black Star Cult played in it?
There were countless questions. Even after saying goodbye to Group Leader Fu and returning to her room, Jiang Sui continued staring at the ceiling for a long time.
That was, until Lu Yunze found her after dinner.
“You look like you’re in a bad mood again.”
“No, I’m just thinking about a few things.”
“Look how worried you are. You’re going to get ugly.”
Lu Yunze smiled when he saw Jiang Sui frowning and did everything he could to cheer her up and make her smile.
She had to admit, getting out of the house and simply breathing the fresh air outside was enough to improve anyone’s mood.
Jiang Sui silently nodded and accompanied Lu Yunze outside.
Besides, having Lu Yunze around was an excellent way to distract herself. He was still the same as ever.
Before long, Jiang Sui found herself carrying a huge pile of snacks. Officially, she was “helping Lu Yunze carry them,” but in reality, no matter how much she ate, Lu Yunze never had any objections.
Jiang Sui was drinking her milk tea when she suddenly spotted a black cat in a corner by the roadside, waving at her.
While Lu Yunze was busy ordering some skewers, she hurried over.
“Jiang Sui, I’m going to be leaving for a while.”
“Leaving again? Who are you going to assassinate this time?”
The black cat’s expression turned serious.
“I’m not going to assassinate anyone. I’m going to retrieve something I abandoned a long time ago.”
“The troubles we encounter from now on will only become more and more numerous. We need to make more preparations.”
“…All right. I hope everything goes smoothly for you, Senior.”
The black cat nodded, said goodbye to Jiang Sui, then turned and darted into the alley.
She hurried back to the deserted hillside and entered the little wooden house.
The black cat approached the grave and stared at the tombstone for a while.
Then…