The RZ Unit was in a bustle. No one had noticed Su Qing’s disappearance. Suddenly, a sharp alarm different from previous ones came from the tech department. Everyone’s first assumption was that Xu Ruchong was performing dangerous experiments again. But they waited and didn’t hear the familiar sound of an explosion, and the cry of the alarm became sharper and sharper. 

Fang Xiu opened the door of the tech department and went in. He found all the members with their heads tilted back, staring blankly at a screen, all with perplexed and vacant expressions. There was nothing that looked especially inhuman on the experiment table. Fang Xiu frowned and, along with all the researchers, looked in bewilderment at the screen where data and grids were constantly appearing. Up, down, left, right—only in a corner was there was string of small warning characters that he understood—strong unusual energy reaction. 

Fang Xiu turned on the communicator hooked over his ear. “Captain Hu, come over here. It seems like something isn’t right.” 

Hu Bugui hurried over three minutes later with Xue Xiaolu. Miss Xiaolu was hugging a big stack of documents and had trotted the whole way. Gasping for breath, she joined the others in staring blankly at the big screen. With emotion, she said, “Gracious, Master Xu is gone for one day and this thing gets lovesick?” 

Hu Bugui asked, “Is it a breakdown or an emergency?” 

One of the researchers finally remembered that he was in charge when Xu Ruchong wasn’t there. He saluted. “Reporting to Captain Hu, the factors of a breakdown have basically been eliminated, but we’ve still never received such an explosive energy signal. The database is unable to classify…” 

But before he finished speaking, he saw the grids on the big screen slowly take shape and converge into a figure and break free of the background—this was a circle composed of two half-moon shapes, faintly sparkling with a dim luster. The image grew larger and larger, until it filled the whole screen. 

Hu Bugui realized something and pressed on the button of his communicator, contacting Su Qing, but the signal was distorted. Xue Xiaolu looked furtively at their Captain Hu and clearly saw the corner of his eye twitch several times. He said, “Locate the site of the unusual energy ASAP!” 

Then, ashen-faced, he turned and strode away. He made straight for the surveillance room, kicking open the unlocked door—there was nothing inside but a stack of cigarette butts. By the time Hu Bugui noticed that Su Qing’s defense box was set intact on the floor, he could entirely have gone on stage to substitute for the grim-faced Zhang Fei. 

Hu Bugui went right to the sixth floor and pounded on Su Qing’s door several times. No one paid attention. Xue Xiaolu very tactfully said, “I’ll go get the tech department to order the fingerprint recognition system to open the…” 

She didn’t finish, because she saw Hu Bugui get a fingerprint mold out of his pocket and press it twice to the scanner. A beep, and the door opened. Hu Bugui went in. 

Xue Xiaolu felt her worldview collapse in that moment—could this…could this be the legendary secretly getting the keys to your house without letting you know in case of emergency, for example in case of an attack at night, all this and that…

Captain Hu, your exterior is virtuous and moral, but inside you’re a beast in human clothes, full of unspeakable things! A beast in human clothes! 

Tu Tutu had been playing a game. The moment the door opened, he could tell that the person opening the door at this frequency wasn’t Su Qing, so he did one thing—he quickly plugged his headphones into the headphone port on his laptop and with lightning speed pulled the headphones over his ears.

Hu Bugui opened the door and came in. He saw Tu Tutu sitting in the room alone, his ears covered by the big headphones, the music on them so loud that he could hear it even by the door. It hopped around along with the jumbled little people on the screen. He raised his hand to pat the child on the shoulder, and Tu Tutu pretended to be extremely startled. He immediately took off the headphones and turned around. Then he patted himself on the chest. “Oh, my goodness, I thought it was the Prince Regent coming back! If he saw me playing games, it would have been another self-criticism service.” 

There was a fire in Hu Bugui’s heart, but he didn’t show it in front of Tu Tutu. At least seeming even-tempered, he asked, “Where is Su Qing? I need him for something.” 

Tu Tutu blinked his big eyes. “I don’t know. He usually only comes back at night, doesn’t he?” 

But the little fox was after all a little fox; his attainments were insufficiently deep. Hu Bugui stared at his little face for a while, then bent down and brought his gaze level with Tu Tutu’s. He quietly asked, “Tell uncle the truth, did he tell you something?” 

Tu Tutu’s eyes turned, and he continued to fight with his back to the wall: “Oh, he tells me so much nonsense every day, what do you want to hear, sir? Our Imperial Presence is busy with affairs of state. There’s a lot I don’t remember.” 

“Did he tell you not to open the door to anyone?” 

Tu Tutu’s eyes flashed. 

“He told you not to have contact with anyone until he came back, not to trust anyone, right?” 

Tu Tutu slowly extended his hand and made a gesture of zipping his lips. 

Hu Bugui’s eyes dimmed. He put his hand on the back of Tu Tutu’s head and looked straight into Tu Tutu’s eyes. Softening his voice, he asked, “Child, do you trust me?” 

Tu Tutu immediately nodded rapidly. Hu Bugui’s heart felt bitter. He quietly said, “Tell the truth.” 

So Tu Tutu opened his big, limpid eyes wide and met his gaze fearlessly. He neither nodded nor shook his head. 

Hu Bugui sighed. “If I can bring your Uncle Su back this time, then trust me, all right?” 

Tu Tutu looked at him uncertainly. However clever and crafty he was, he was still a child barely ten years old. He didn’t understand the complicated expression in the man’s eyes. Hu Bugui held down his communicator. A technician’s voice came from it: “Captain Hu, the disruption signal is strong, we’ve basically determined the concrete location.” 

So he forced out a smile, stood up, and gently patted Tu Tutu on the head. He instructed, “Don’t forget to do your homework, and don’t strain your eyes.” 

Su Qing felt an unbearable pain in his thigh. He stumbled and went to one knee. Then something very peculiar happened. The pain seemed to cancel out much of the numbness coming up from the soles of his feet. Blood flowed down his pants, and the double core energy system began to automatically muster a great quantity of energy, gathering it at the wound, actually lightening some of the pressure and inhibition coming from the big net outside. 

Su Qing remained on one knee, not moving. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. His senses had just been restored. Following Xu Ruchong’s nonstop screaming, he caught his footsteps. 

He knew that that bullet just now hadn’t been shot by the killer from last time. That shuddering sense of being aimed at was still there. 

Then a person appeared in his line of sight—an acquaintance. The square-faced homicidal maniac from back at the grey house, Shi Huizhang. When he saw him, Su Qing simply felt in perfect physical condition. He could have cut down five blue seals in one breath without any effort. 

He had thought things through. He had known that Xu Ruchong had no intention of hurting him and had arranged to meet him alone because he perhaps wanted to communicate some things he couldn’t say to others. That was why Su Qing had confidently left the RZ Unit headquarters—after all, no risk, no reward. 

When Xu Ruchong had revealed that he was this mysterious Dr. Zheng’s adopted son and his emotions had suddenly gone bizarrely out of control, Su Qing had understood that this business had turned around; the person to be caught wasn’t Xu Ruchong, it was him. 

But no pain, no gain—Su Qing still felt confident. He believed that putting his life on the line this time was worth it. Otherwise, what was he supposed to do? Pass up this opportunity for nothing…or get the RZ Unit’s Daddy Hu to act as back-up? Su Qing obstinately believed that it was all the same whether Hu Bugui was there or not. If he succeeded, everyone would win, and if he got in over his head, it was still more free and convenient for one person to retreat than two.  

He had been counting on being able to gaze reverently at how many nostrils and eyes this doctor surnamed Zheng had, but it turned out that he continued to reveal himself only in glimpses and had sent this old acquaintance. 

As soon as he saw Shi Huizhang, all the anger and memories suppressed in Su Qing’s heart struggled to be first to get out—the lightless grey house, the woman tied by a dog collar, the countless dead…

He thought, Enemies truly are destined to meet. 

Shi Huizhang looked at him in satisfaction. There was a laser gun against his shoulder. He turned his head and said in another direction, “Jiang Lan, what did you shoot him for? What are we going to tell the doctor?” 

Jiang Lan didn’t show herself to respond, and Shi Huizhang took no notice. He snorted and spat at Su Qing. “I was wondering who it was—tsk-tsk, you’re a lucky one, aren’t you? Chen Lin’s gone to the labor camp in hell, and here you are still hopping around in the mortal world, and you’ve become this…what’s it called? Well, Su, a good-for nothing like you, what dog’s shit did you eat to get this kind of dumb luck?” 

Su Qing gave a cold laugh. “Nothing you shat, anyway.” 

Shi Huizhang had been insulted, but he didn’t take much notice. He gave another very superior laugh from on high, put on gloves, and got out a set of shackles made of some unknown material, flashing with sparks. He raised his hands to put it on Su Qing’s neck. 

Just then, Su Qing quickly stuck the knife in his hand into his already wounded leg, just as though it didn’t hurt, agitating the existing wound. The already stopped blood immediately spurted out, and the binding feeling of the big net instantly broke again. A smile appeared on Su Qing’s face. Even more nimbly than usual, he raised his hand and slashed at Shi Huizhang’s wrist. 

Shi Huizhang was startled, as though he hadn’t expected at all that Su Qing could still stand up. But, after all, a blue seal’s reflexes were fast. He immediately stepped back and dodged. But just then, another bullet flew from another direction, piercing right through Xu Ruchong’s body. Xu Ruchong’s voice came to a sudden halt. His eyes slowly opened wide. He shook, then fell over. 

As soon as he fell, Su Qing felt that, while the big net was still there, it was no longer restraining him. So he slowly stood up with the most savage smile he could produce on his face. His voice a little hoarse, he enunciated: “Old friend, it’s truly been a long time.” 

Shi Huizhang actually took a step back. Even though he knew that Su Qing had been wounded and that the strange net was still enshrouding him, he still couldn’t resist becoming a little fearful—a person who bullies the weak is essentially very weak himself. In a direct confrontation, if you advance a step, he’ll retreat a step. This has been an unchanging law from time immemorial. 

A clear female voice spoke behind him. Jiang Lan had finally shown herself. “We’ve detected a large convoy on the way. They’re hostiles. We’re withdrawing.” 

This was just what Shi Huizhang had been waiting for. While Su Qing was still tangled up in the big net and couldn’t chase him, he immediately turned and left. At the last moment, he fiercely dropped a classic “parting refrain”: “Just you wait for next time!” 

But Jiang Lan looked at Su Qing from far away. For some reason, the look in her eyes didn’t quite seem like herself. She seemed to want to say something to Su Qing but stopped herself. 

But at this point Su Qing was too busy to give it much thought. He struggled to take a step forward. The net was no longer making his whole body numb, but, perhaps because he had lost too much blood from his leg, he had the impression that the net was absorbing his life force as though it were a living thing. 

Xu Ruchong was looking at him with wide eyes. He stuck out a finger. His expression had finally returned to normal, but his face was turning grey at a speed visible to the naked eye. 

Su Qing could already hear the sound of the RZ Unit’s convoy. He quickly asked Xu Ruchong, “What did you want to tell me?” 

Xu Ruchong opened his mouth laboriously. “Cheng Ge…Cheng Ge’s drawing…it wasn’t me…I didn’t show him the photo, I…don’t know who it is either…only you…only you’re…”

The sentence caught in his throat. He couldn’t get it out no matter what. But Su Qing understood intuitively: “You can’t be certain who it was and didn’t want to create enmity between the internal personnel. I’m the only one who’s new. I don’t have deep connections to everyone, so I can have an objective point of view, right?” 

Xu Ruchong gave an extremely faint nod. He looked up at the pale sky. His lips stirred. At a volume others couldn’t hear, he said, “I am…the…orphan of Zhao, I have lived…lived a great dream…for thirty years…¹”

Then his expression froze forever in that moment. Su Qing couldn’t hold himself up any longer. His legs went weak, and he went to his knees once more, holding himself up grimly with both hands on the ground. 

There was the sound of a car braking sharply, and someone rushed over, gripping the net covering him with both hands. A sharp smell rose. In his haze, Su Qing heard someone scream. Before he could turn his head to look, he lost consciousness.