By the time Huai Shi came to from his faint, it was already evening.
"Speaking of which, last night's incident made the headlines in the East Asia edition,"
Raven fiddled with the screen of his phone and clicked his tongue in admiration, "After all, it was an emergency mobilization, even the White Emperor's Son was called into action, definitely couldn't hide it from those fly-bitten reporters."
"Tomorrow's news?"
Huai Shi tried hard to crane his neck for a look, and was stunned to see the APP, "Isn't this that crappy newspaper that only tells truths and nothing else?"
This crappy newspaper was constantly breaking unreliable news of all sorts and that damned health encyclopedia; it's a miracle it has survived until now.
"Emmm, as long as you pay, they occasionally tell the truth... probably?"
Raven sighed, "After all, it's the biggest, priciest, and most underground information broker and intermediary group across the border. For industries under current circumstances, it's enough to just be able to do transport channels, but when it comes to news about Sublimators, they are usually quite reliable."
Raven handed over his phone for him to see, "Now the identity of the mastermind behind the scene has been exposed too, a Third Stage Sublimator, originally an officer of the Roman guard, vanished mysteriously for several years, and when he reappeared in Baghdad, he was already a member of the notorious terrorist organization Green Day. After joining Green Day, following their rules, he erased his own name, leaving behind only a codename—Red Gloves—it's just too fitting."
"There's a front-facing photo too?"
Huai Shi leaned forward, scrutinizing the face in the photograph, squinting his eyes, "He looks quite friendly."
"Yeah, it's said that over these years, he's run around in the Current Circumstances for Green Day, secretly connecting quite a few forces."
"His soul ability is 'Sneering Fish Tank', you've already seen it, should have quite the impression. He splits his Source Substance into goldfish, implants them into others' bodies, covertly giving orders.
"Before the goldfish fully hatches, they're incredibly concealed, but they can only suggest subtle commands; once hatched, they can completely turn the hosts into his obedient puppets.
"The number of goldfish is only seven, and it takes quite a long time to recover if any are lost.
"And the Stigmata implanted in him belongs to the Third Stage of the Tombstone School Branch - Taxis, the legendary living dead. Extremely tenacious in life, as long as his head's intact, there's no danger to life, characterized by the ability to melt away his presence, achieving the effect of invisibility.
"Once the Stigmata is activated, even in a bustling area, no one would notice... a skill that would suit a certain green forum well.
"The drawback is that the invisibility effect stems from warping the subjective perception of people, hence it doesn't work on cameras, photographs, and reflections."
"It's been investigated this thoroughly?"
Huai Shi was astonished.
"Of course, otherwise how could it be sold for money?" Raven heaved a sigh, "With the funds I have at the moment, I can only buy this popular version. Fortunately, this guy's quite active, otherwise I'd have to pay much more..."
"Wait a minute—"
Huai Shi realized something, "Where did you get the money?"
Raven smiled mysteriously.
Huai Shi hurriedly took out his own phone, and upon seeing a string of payment notifications, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets: the over twenty thousand he had earned risking his life moonlighting as Cowherd... all gone!×
And even his credit account was overdrawn by more than three thousand!
"You jackass! Couldn't you have just bought a cheaper one?"
"You won't find good stuff cheap," Raven retorted. "Besides, since you were planning to head off to die, keeping the money wouldn't have done you any good, right?"
"Who said I was going off to die!"
Huai Shi glared, grabbing his phone, "Don't I know how to call for help?"
Raven was stunned.
He looked at Huai Shi, his eyes full of surprise, shock... and the suspicion that you must be joking.
"Didn't you just claim you wanted to kill him two hours ago?"
Raven widened his eyes, "Besides, who did you learn that bad habit of calling for help at the first sign of trouble? You're a recorded in the Book of Fate, don't you have any consciousness of being the protagonist at all?"
Huai Shi got mad and pointed at the message on her phone: "He's already Third Stage, am I, a level zero newbie, supposed to wave a flag at a boss? Even protagonists aren't this foolhardy!"
"He's crippled now, buddy, can't you even do a coup de grâce? When in doubt, be bold first, killing above your level doubles the experience you know!"
Raven gave him a look of exasperation, "And who are you planning to call? Liu DongLi is still lying in the ICU!"
"Er, Ai Qing?"
"She's said she had to go to Jinling immediately, probably on the plane by now, everything will be Cold by the time she gets back!
"Special Affairs Department?"
"Do you have their contact information?"
"Well..."
Huai Shi hesitated for a moment, "Would calling 110 work?"
Raven quietly scrutinized him for a long time, finally heaving a sigh of resignation, "...And what do you plan to tell them? A modern fantasy story so pretentious that people would think you're a literary poser if posted on a Webnovel platform?
"Besides, even if you managed to find the Special Affairs Department, how would you explain that you know all this? Might as well fear being a Green Day mole! Believe it or not, as soon as you finish spilling about my affairs, you'll get a VIP card to jail right away?"
"Damn, this won't do, that won't do..."
Huai Shi slammed the table in frustration, then suddenly deflated, "Then... let's just forget it?"
"That's also fine,"
Raven glanced at him, "From now on, you follow the broad road, and I walk my timber bridge. Red Gloves brother roams free, and continues to mess around. And you, by working hard and with your golden finger, reach the pinnacle of life... If you can accept that, I don't mind either."
Huai Shi wilted.
Raven shook her head, lifted her wings and patted Huai Shi's shoulder, "Young man, would I ever steer you wrong?"
"Yes, indeed!"
Huai Shi glared at her, "You've been messing things up from start to finish, okay?"
"Ahem, let's not talk about the fugitive issue for now..."
She awkwardly coughed twice, speaking earnestly, "Besides, think about it, this is about revenge, divine revenge! A classic plotline! Something the masses love to see! To have such an opportunity in your lifetime, aren't you satisfied?
As the master of the Book of Fate, now that you have become a Sublimator, you shouldn't bind yourself with those weak dogmas anymore.
Before the Jurisdiction Bureau's Ten-Member Committee enacted the Twelve Bronze Statutes law, the only law applicable among Sublimators was 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!'
She stared at her Contractor, her crimson pupils full of solemn coldness, her tone devoid of any banter or laughter, as if declaring the Truth:
"If there is anything I can actually teach you during this process, then this is the first lesson—this world has no compassion or consideration for the weak, nor does it offer cowards any place to escape.
Just like everything you've encountered—if you don't take control of your fate, then fate will control you!"
"..."
Huai Shi was stunned, staring blankly at the Raven in front of him as if seeing her for the first time. Seeing his bewildered look, Raven immediately puffed up with pride, "How about that? Feels like you've got to know your sister all over again, right? I spent the whole night thinking up that epic line! Hurry up and say something nice to praise me!"
"..."
Huai Shi's heart, momentarily lifted by a fleeting aspiration, instantly deflated, and he sincerely doubted: This big sister's words are so grandiose, she's probably a bluffing king, conning a noob like me.
Although... it seemed to make some sense.
He pondered for a long time, looking earnestly at the Raven before him, and suddenly had a bold guess.
"Emmmm... are you saying you have some hidden combat power? Could it be that you'll transform at a critical moment? We merge human and bird, you become my armor, and I become a Saint Seiya..."
Raven rolled her eyes at him, looking at him as if he were an idiot, "Give your sister a break, right now I'm just a bird."
"Then why did you say all that?" Huai Shi glowered, "Are you expecting me to go fight that guy alone with nothing but an axe?"
"Relax, no guns, no cannons..."
Raven looked out of the window at the yard, where a car was parked, "You can still mooch off our allies."
Seeing Liu DongLi's car.
Huai Shi's eyes lit up too, "Right, Old Liu's got lots of good stuff!"
Soon, he was dragging an iron pick out the door, walking several circles around the car Liu DongLi had left at his house. Then, finding the right spot on the rear window glass, he swung the iron pick and sized up the window.
"Old Liu, I'm about to avenge you, so... don't sweat the small stuff, okay?"
Crash!
The clearly expensive flashy red sports car suddenly shook. The window was smashed open cleanly, triggering a cascade of alarm sounds.
As Huai Shi fished out an iron box with the Astronomical Society's Earth logo from behind the glass, he couldn't help but laugh, "Aha, knew it'd be here!"
In the past two days, he had seen clear as day that Liu DongLi's arsenal of Cowherd's long and short guns came from this box. He hoped that his difficult brother had left behind some hope for him.
And indeed, opening the box did not disappoint.
Inside, apart from a sawn-off shotgun and two pistols that had already been taken, there was a military saber, a black bulletproof vest, and a pistol that looked pretty badass.
Not knowing the model or the place of origin, it just looked badass, that's all.
Casually pushing the Mateba autorevolver into the back of his waistband and shoving a handful of bullets into his pocket, Huai Shi felt his confidence surge.
"I have a question..."
Behind him, Raven sighed helplessly, shaking the item in her hand, "His car key was on the table, why did you have to break the window?"
"... I forgot."
Huai Shi awkwardly took the key, realizing he had even saved the money for a taxi ride, which was good, really good, otherwise he might not have been able to afford one.
Once he got into the car, the Raven on his shoulder asked one last question, "By the way, do you know how to drive?"
"Hmm, does playing KartRider on my phone count? I'm pretty highly ranked in that."
Huai Shi thought for a moment and then quickly grabbed the Raven trying to get out, strapping her with the seat belt to the passenger seat, "Where do you think you're going? Wanting to jump out of my car? Weren't you the one who egged me on to seek revenge? Hold tight, off we go!"
"No, don't! I'm not ready to die on your path of vengeance!"
Raven panicked too, struggling fiercely, "Hai Shi, I get carsick, really, I'll lend you money, please call a car, okay? A luxury stretch Lincoln has class too! Or maybe you should just call someone! I have the Special Affairs Department's contact..."
"Who's got that Roman time to wait for people?"
After giving her one last glance, Huai Shi quickly looked up how to drive online, inserted the key into the ignition, and twisted it hard, igniting the engine.
"We're on a tight schedule, let's go!"
Boom!
Like a mad dog breaking loose, the car's engine and Raven let out a simultaneous scream of torment, and the flashy red sports car had already shot out of the Stone Marrow Pavilion, bounding recklessly down the bumpy road of no return.
The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds at some point, and a muffling thunder came from the depth.
A wind was blowing from afar.
It was about to rain.
.