Chapter 38 — Adventure
“Your Highness, please give me fifteen more minutes.”
Nangong Zheng lit an expensive natural cigarette and stared out the window.
A-Mian had said she was going to sleep last night, so he didn’t dare disturb her. He didn’t even allow his subordinates to make any noise.
But by mid-afternoon, he finally sensed something was wrong. No one answered when he knocked. When he forced the door and windows open, he saw the wide-open window—and a homemade rope dangling straight down to the lake surface.
She was no longer in the room.
The temperature difference between day and night on Ilika Star was huge. The lake water was bone-chillingly cold. Yet that frail, delicate little female actually dared to jump into the lake and escape.
It surprised him. And infuriated him.
“We found it!”
Nangong Zheng leaned over and saw the light-brain’s locator showing a position in District Five.
“Heh. Bring her back.” He took a long drag of his cigarette.
No wonder she insisted on an unopened light-brain yesterday. She had planned her escape from the start.
He hadn’t even figured out the source of the rose scent on her body—how could he let her slip away so easily?
Four hours later, Hua Mian and A-Ning landed not far from Mine F3 in District Seven.
“Can I really pull this off?” A-Ning asked awkwardly.
“What do you mean can you? I can’t see even a trace of you being a beastman!”
A-Ning touched the wig and scarf on his head, unsure whether Mian’s words made him relieved or faintly depressed.
After all, telling a beastman he looks like a female wasn’t exactly a compliment.
Hua Mian herself was dressed like a tomboy. Fortunately, A-Ning wasn’t very burly, and under her “Asian sorcery,” he indeed didn’t look like a beastman—just a bit rough.
“Remember what I taught you.”
“I will.” A-Ning tried his best to ignore the strange red dress he was wearing.
After the great collapse in District Seven, most residents had moved away. Those who couldn’t leave were barely surviving on the fringes of the collapsed zone.
Originally, there were people living around the F3 mine area as well, but ever since rumors spread that the collapse would expand to F3, the remaining residents gritted their teeth and fled.
A-Ning’s role now was a young female who had left home long ago and returned with a servant to revisit her hometown.
The red dress stood out starkly against the yellow dirt.
Patrolling beastmen spotted them quickly.
“What are you two doing here?!”
Hua Mian stepped forward to block A-Ning. “Who are you supposed to be?”
The beastman looked A-Ning over carefully, then paused at his painted red lips. The sternness on his face melted into a smile.
“Young lady, where are you headed?”
He completely ignored Hua Mian.
“I… I came back to take a look.” A-Ning didn’t dare lift his head, which only made him look even more shy.
Even the deliberately tightened, slightly soft voice didn’t sound out of place in the wind.
“Our lady wants to visit her old home,” Hua Mian added.
The beastman tilted his head and caught sight of Hua Mian’s dark, pock-marked face—ugly enough that he didn’t want to look twice.
Someone this ugly was truly a rarity. Hurt his eyes just to look.
The beastman moved closer to A-Ning. “Where exactly are you going? I’ll guide you. I know this whole area well!”
Hua Mian signaled to A-Ning with her eyes.
A-Ning lowered his head. “I want to go to No. 132 in the F3 mining area.”
The beastman froze at the location, then examined A-Ning again. Seeing the nervous grip on the skirt, then glancing at the scrawny, mouse-like ugly servant beside “her,” he concluded there was no threat.
He agreed readily and began leading them there.
Along the way, the beastman kept chatting enthusiastically with A-Ning while completely ignoring Hua Mian.
Hua Mian listened carefully. Thankfully she had disguised A-Ning as a female; otherwise, with this beastman’s probing questions about the mine area, she definitely would’ve slipped up.
They finally arrived at a cave-dwelling with a broken door.
A-Ning naturally showed a look of nostalgia. The beastman saw it clearly and relaxed a little more.
So they really were here for sentimental reasons.
With the situation being so tense lately, his caution made sense.
“Let’s go inside and take a look!” Hua Mian suggested.
A-Ning gave Mian a quick side glance, then obediently nodded and walked in first.
Hua Mian deliberately fell behind a few steps.
“Ah!” A-Ning pretended to trip on something and stumbled sideways.
The beastman’s eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward to catch “her”… but the moment his hand touched “her” chest, something felt off. Instinctively, he squeezed.
“You—”
Thunk!
Hua Mian struck swiftly—a rock came down on his head, and the beastman collapsed.
They tied him up, gagged him, then stripped off his clothes. Hua Mian put them on, disguised herself to match his appearance, added the scarf, and checked the ID badge—close enough.
She then had A-Ning change into the expensive tailored suit they had rented.
“Watch my cues.”
“Okay.” A-Ning stared at Hua Mian with admiration.
“Don’t look at me like that. You need to act cold. Look down on everyone. Be aloof and untouchable, got it?”
A-Ning nodded again.
Hua Mian put on shoes stuffed with height-insoles. Luckily her feet were small, so it didn’t affect her movement.
“Headquarters sent someone over!” Hua Mian—imitating the beastman’s voice—called out urgently.
A dozen beastmen rushed over at once, staring curiously at the sunglasses-wearing, suited, aloof “beastman.”
“You are…?”
A beastman pushed through the crowd. The others quickly made way.
Smack!
A sharp slap sent the questioning beastman reeling.
The onlookers all stepped back.
“What’s with that video?! Because of your incompetence, we lost Mr. Jin’s order! Idiot!”
Hua Mian glanced at his chest badge. Daniel.
Originally Daniel was furious at this unknown person who barged in and slapped his subordinate. He even suspected this person’s identity—after all, higher-ups hadn’t notified them of any visit.
But what the stranger said was true—they had lost Mr. Jin’s order. And that information was internal, known only to the higher levels. Daniel himself had only learned it by chance.
Daniel’s gaze swept the crowd darkly, including Hua Mian.
“You—” Hua Mian stepped forward on purpose.
Daniel stopped her with an arm. “Lucas!”
Then he turned to A-Ning. “My apologies, sir. May I ask your purpose for coming today?”
A-Ning pushed the sunglasses up slightly, glanced at Hua Mian, and nodded coolly. “At least you have some backbone.”
“I’m here for a classified mission from above. If word leaks out, your death will be miserable.”
After the warning, he continued, “Headquarters wants me to extract the beastman who was recently brought in.”
“May I ask… the reason?”
“If you shouldn’t be asking, don’t ask!” A-Ning barked. Seeing Daniel’s expression darken, he leaned in and whispered, “He has some connection with the Crown Prince. I’m to take him out quietly and deal with it. Do not spread this.”
At the words “Crown Prince,” Daniel’s pupils shrank.
“Yes, sir.”
Hua Mian stepped forward. Daniel tapped his light-brain, then selected her name.
“Lucas, guide the gentleman.”
“Yes.” Hua Mian awkwardly swiped the ID card at the gate.
Beep—the door opened.
