They didn’t go directly to the place Su Qingyu mentioned.
First, they went to the mall to buy a new pair of panties for Bai Xiaoya.
The previous ones were… no longer suitable for wearing.
Bai Xia chose a pure white cotton pair for her, the innocent type, but Bai Xiaoya rolled her eyes.
“How old are we, and you’re still into this?”
She grabbed her beloved tie-string panties and slipped into the fitting room.
Truly lacking in innocence, Bai Xia thought.
But the tie-strings did look nice, and they were easy to take off.
Bai Xiaoya entered the stall, and while changing her panties, she took the chance to settle last night’s reward.
[Drawing from the Primary Prize Pool—Congratulations, you’ve obtained a reward classification: Special.]
Oh?
Bai Xiaoya looked closely.
[Why Do Birds Weep: When someone is about to die an unnatural death nearby, you shed tears. Range: 200 meters radius. Duration: Random within ten seconds. Can be freely toggled on or off.]
Bai Xiaoya’s elegant brows furrowed.
At first glance, it seemed useless.
But upon focusing, she noticed the word “about to”.
In other words, she could predict in advance if someone around was about to die, and specifically an unnatural death.
If luck was on her side, the warning could be… up to ten seconds in advance.
Still seemed pretty useless.
No, being able to draw a special reward from the Primary Prize Pool was already hitting the jackpot.
Besides, whether it was useful or not, anything with a fate attribute had high prestige.
Thinking this, Bai Xiaoya felt pleased.
She finished changing, pushed open the fitting room door, held her head high, and marched out carrying the General Big White Rabbit.
“Let’s go, Bai Xia, let’s find Little Su!”
Bai Xia felt puzzled.
How did changing panties turn into such a powerful display?
***
The address Su Qingyu provided was the same apartment complex she rented.
Both Bai Xiaoya and Bai Xia had been there before.
But according to the latest message, they didn’t enter immediately.
Instead, they waited outside for a while until the subordinates at the gate left.
Su Qingyu stood just inside the main entrance.
“I just sent them away. Hurry in.”
She glanced over the two girls, especially Bai Xiaoya, scanning her from head to toe.
She discovered—
“Aya, why are you so energetic today?”
Bai Xiaoya paused.
“I didn’t have class today, so of course I’m energetic.”
Shouldn’t I be?
“Mm-hmm, that’s good.”
Su Qingyu said cheerfully, glancing at Bai Xia.
She thought Bai Xia definitely wouldn’t have missed the chance last night, but seeing Bai Xiaoya still full of energy in the morning meant… they were on the same level as her!
She felt inexplicably happy.
“Come on, let’s talk inside.”
It was still the same room.
A clean corridor, a compartment, a bedroom, and a small bed.
Bai Xiaoya remembered this bed.
She had spent some happy times on it… the kind that lasted a few minutes.
Su Qingyu took out two paper cups, poured tea, and placed them on the table.
She sat down.
“The current situation is, I applied for an item from the family for cleanup purposes. The delivery will arrive by noon. At that time, I’ll submit the final report, stating that the danger level here is low and the item is not present.”
She took a breath and continued.
“This means there’s no reinforcements. Whatever happens next, we’ll have to handle it ourselves.”
Bai Xiaoya took a sip of tea.
“We can’t have reinforcements?”
“If the family sends more people to investigate, aside from anything else,” Su Qingyu nodded at Bai Xia, “she’d definitely be in trouble. She might end up called ‘Bai Xia’s Pocket Watch.'”
Remains-Style Naming.
At this, Bai Xia looked up in surprise.
“I didn’t expect you to care about that.”
“Of course. One thing at a time,” Su Qingyu circled her small hands, speaking seriously.
“Besides, we have similar things between us.”
She referred to technical skill, but Bai Xia didn’t understand, only finding her puzzling.
“Let’s get to work. I’ll go receive the goods. You two head to Xinglong International. I’ll catch up soon.”
Su Qingyu stood next to Bai Xia, rose on tiptoe, and patted her shoulder in comfort.
“It’s okay. It’s only human.”
“?”
***
Xinglong International.
In an office high up in the building, Zhang Cheng was anxiously making calls.
Seven or eight bodyguards guarded the door.
The suit he ordered last year was perhaps a bit tight now.
A tattoo not fully washed off peeked from under his sleeve.
“Big brother, this can’t go on. If they’re looking, they’ll find us sooner or later,” he said into the phone.
“Those people said before they’d help us…”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already contacted them. They’ll help. But until then, you need to hold on a bit longer.”
Beep, beep, beep.
Zhang Cheng hung up helplessly, then called the Security Division, asking them to send more men up.
Was that so-called Management Family really that terrifying?
Scary enough for two bosses to hide overnight.
If not for being reluctant to abandon Baiyuan City, they might have run already.
***
“Extremely terrifying.”
Afternoon.
In a quiet café near Xinglong International, Su Qingyu returned with her small backpack.
She unzipped it, showing Bai Xiaoya and Bai Xia several black feathers inside.
“If you stick this into someone’s mouth, years of memories vanish. If unlucky, they become a vegetable.”
Truly terrifying, Bai Xiaoya thought, steadying herself with a sip of coffee.
Cough, cough, cough.
So bitter.
Bai Xia crossed her arms.
“You said its grade isn’t high.”
And she received several just by applying, so it looked mass-produced.
Su Qingyu zipped up the backpack, shrugging her small shoulders.
“Because it’s only effective when shoved into someone else’s mouth. Its only advantage over normal poison is that forensic analysis can’t detect it.”
“…True.”
Bai Xiaoya felt her previous sip of coffee was wasted.
“Anyway, cleanup is the easiest part. Now, our main focus is the assault.”
Su Qingyu shouldered her backpack and laid out the prearranged tactics.
“We go up, I handle the bodyguards quickly, Bai Xia acts against unexpected situations, any problems?”
Bai Xia nodded, indicating no problem.
Bai Xiaoya nodded as well.
“Then let’s move. Quick and decisive.”
***
Ding-dong~
The elevator doors opened.
Four newly added bodyguards greeted the other eight and took up positions nearby.
But the corridor outside the office was getting crowded.
They exchanged awkward smiles.
None of them knew why so many people were needed to guard an office, but the boss had ordered it.
Still, the air conditioning on the upper floors was better than in the first-floor lobby.
The bodyguards stood watch, bored.
After a while, the elevator rose again.
“Another addition?”
“No idea.”
They assumed new colleagues were arriving, but when the elevator doors opened, there was nothing inside.
As their attention was drawn to the elevator, a melodious flute sound drifted in from the stairwell, entering everyone’s ears.