Meanwhile, somewhere in Zone Seventeen.
In an inconspicuous small dark room, there was equipment comparable to that of the Law Enforcers headquarters.
Soon, a woman pushed open the antiquated decaying wooden door and entered the room.
"We found out that Lu Xiang was a graduate of the 111th period, and he was the top student in his class."
This result was both surprising and somewhat expected. After witnessing Lu Xiang's method of killing Barna, the three of them had vaguely guessed about his status.
The surprising part was that they struggled to understand why a top student from any batch would, after graduation, be stationed in a remote small city like Zone Seventeen, a situation akin to the ancient punishment of being exiled to the frontier.
"Can't understand what those people are thinking."
The woman couldn't help but complain once more.
As fellow students, they had all undergone the same "learning" process, and naturally knew the prestige associated with being the top student in any period.
After nine years of countless tests and numerous brushes with death, such talents are typically either hired directly by a major family after graduation to become a guard for a significant figure in the core area or they, like them, abandon their identities and names to join the organization.
Having Lu Xiang as the director of a Law Enforcers department in Zone Seventeen could be described as a waste of talent.
"I think it's pretty understandable."
The man sitting in the chair replied, the intelligence his companion had brought back added the last piece to his hypothesis. "The first thing Lu Xiang did after parachuting into Zone Seventeen was to plan the operation to capture Chai Ke. The intriguing part is that the same night after Chai Ke was arrested, prosecutor Angel Foster delivered a speech in the city center square, declaring to the citizens that she intends to bring Chai Ke to justice."
"Typical behavior of the Foster Family."
The woman sneered.
When there's real work to do, they are nowhere in sight, but when there's credit to be taken, they are always at the forefront.
Before she was even curious why even a person like Angel Foster could become a city light. Now it seems that the so-called city hero simply stole the credit for arresting Chai Ke, making the citizens of Zone Seventeen believe she is the one who orchestrated the operation.
"It's not that simple. If she merely wanted to take credit, there would have been no need for her to secretly release Chai Ke. Assuming that nothing unexpected had happened that day, the result would have been Chai Ke escaping from prison, Law Enforcers being killed, and the city hero being taken hostage. This series of events would have put Lu Xiang on the spot. At that point, the Foster Family would have enough reason to suspend Lu Xiang on the grounds of an investigation."
"I see, Lu Xiang was sent by the United Government, so if the Foster Family wants to remove her, they still need some legitimate reasoning."
The woman said, understanding suddenly.
"When you went to investigate Lu Xiang, we also heard some rumors — apart from Barna, the minor leaders of Chai Ke Group remnants died unnatural deaths within a day. While it seemed like a battle between criminal organizations on the surface, in reality…"
"Your mission is to investigate the assassin who disappeared from the crime scene."
The sudden voice made the three of them stiffen immediately, almost reflexively reaching for their weapons.
In fact, when the man's speculation was halfway through, the three of them had already grasped his intentions.
Someone was hunting the remnants of the Chai Ke Group.
Or more accurately, someone was doing cleanup work for the Foster Family, in order to distance their relationship with Chai Ke Group.
What they didn't expect was that the person would appear in this room right now.
The three of them looked around, but couldn't locate the speaker.
"Do your jobs well. Next time we meet, it won't be a friendly reminder."
.....................
May 7, 2166, 23:08, late at night.
Song Lan woke up from his sleep, the wall clock told him the current time.
After returning home, he took his superior's advice to get a good sleep and tried to put aside the events of the day.
Lu Xiang wouldn't be coming home today, leftovers from yesterday were enough for him.
At present, Lu Xiang should be guarding the hospital to prevent the last survivor from being killed by the assassin.
Huh...?
Upon realizing this, Song Lan's heart skipped a beat. Through the door ajar, he could clearly see a light on in the living room.
The person in the living room did not seem to be trying to hide their presence. Song Lan soon heard the clattering of pots and pans, and the air was filled with the aroma of meat.
Could it be that after the situation at the hospital stabilized, Lu Xiang came home temporarily?
Song Lan took out his phone, intending to send Lu Xiang a message to inquire about the situation. However, he found that he had no signal. Not only that, but his computer's internet had also been cut off.
After hesitating for a moment on the bed, Song Lan left the bedroom.
"Remarkable culinary skills, almost on par with the chefs in Zone Three. No wonder Lu Xiang thinks highly of you."
When he saw Song Lan come out, the man sitting at the dining table simply glanced at him, before continuing to feast.
Short hair, a hooked nose, and the most noticeable feature was the scar that almost ran across his entire face.
The man was wearing a heavy black leather coat, and his hat was casually placed next to his plate.
"Director Lu, she..."
Song Lan's question was cut off abruptly as he noticed a set of instruments at the kitchen counter: surgical knives, tweezers, and many other tools he could not name at a glance. They looked like a surgeon's toolkit, and next to them was a vial of stimulant.
Lu Xiang had mentioned that her colleagues at the Crime Analysis Department had been tortured before dying.
The torturer had injected them with stimulants, keeping them awake during the torture.
All the signs indicated that the uninvited guest was not sent by Lu Xiang to protect him.
The assassin had anticipated that Lu Xiang would be guarding the hospital at that moment, and instead sneaked into her apartment.
"With your culinary skills, you could easily become a chef in Zone Three."
After finishing his late-night snack, the man wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth and gestured for Song Lan to sit. "Sit… I understand that you're a person who prefers a steady life, fears conflict with others, and desires peace. I believe that the new identity we arrange for you in Zone Three could meet all your desires. I'm here today to discuss the planning of your future."
A professional assassin had come to discuss his future life plans?
And it sounded like they were going to send him to Zone Three?
Bear in mind that Zone Three is the core area governed by the United Government. It's the sought-after refuge of countless people. Many spend their whole lives without having the privilege to go to Zone Three.
At the indication of the man's eye, Song Lan sat across from him.
Theoretically, the life plan the man mentioned could indeed be true. He had heard that for the great families of the core cities, living in the core urban area was just a nominal matter.
The experiences he was going through now were seemingly identical to Philosophus Gromash's, so Song Lan also held the same question.
But, what's the catch?