The person standing there was Bronya. She was so deeply absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Pei Guang and his group quietly opening the door and approaching.
In the darkness, the small gap in the trash bin seemed like an abyss, drawing the sleepless Bronya to this place. Cocolia's orders had revealed more issues to her, problems she was too afraid to think about or question, forcing her to keep them hidden inside.
She couldn't trust them, and she didn't want to, because if these things were true, the only path left for Belobog would be destruction.
Under immense pressure, she felt like she was going crazy. She wanted to do so many things, but her mother wouldn't allow her to. Without the Supreme Guardian's orders, no matter how much prestige she had, there were things she simply couldn't do.
She needed to release this pressure.
And then her mind was drawn to the dark trash bin: it was like a beacon of light in the deep night, offering a small comfort to Bronya's troubled heart.
Though the street was empty, she stood in the glow of a streetlamp, staring at the crack in the trash bin.
With no one around, she didn't have to worry about being caught doing this. And even if she was caught, she already had an excuse prepared: she was on patrol and just happened to notice something suspicious!
Yes, Bronya was fully prepared. Like a girl committing her first mischievous act, she carefully reached her hand into the gap of the trash bin.
She swallowed, making a major decision in her mind.
She pushed harder. The gap in the trash bin widened, and in the darkness, it felt as though a golden light was beckoning her, as if a Star Destroyer battleship that could carry the entire city to safety was waving at her!
At that moment, Bronya felt a warmth spreading through her body, and not even the stench from the trash bin could affect her.
"Hmph! Compared to his rotten eggs bomb, this is nothing!"
Bronya's eyes sparkled. If she could, she really wanted to meet Pei Guang. She wanted to ask why he tried to assassinate her mother—or rather, why her mother claimed he did.
If what Pei Guang said was true, she could beg him to try and take the people of Belobog to a safer place. The universe was vast: there had to be somewhere they could survive, right?
Even if the chances were slim, she was willing to try anything for survival. She couldn't understand why her mother wouldn't give it a shot. They had no way out now: no matter what they tried, it couldn't get any worse.
"Sigh..." Bronya sighed.
With these thoughts weighing on her, she felt even more pressure. Under this stress, she opened the trash bin.
Unfortunately, there were no colorful treasures inside, nor was there a rare spaceship: all she found was some bread that had fallen to the ground and spoiled food.
At that moment, she felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. The dirty bread seemed to mock her, turning even more black and rotten, while the trash inside felt like it was pulling her into a deep abyss, surrounding her with its stench.
But just then, all the trash inside disappeared, and in its place was a cup of coffee.
"Drink it."
A voice telling her to drink, soothing like a lullaby, yet also a temptation from the abyss. The stench around her vanished, leaving only a hand holding a cup of coffee in front of her.
Staring at the dark brown liquid and inhaling its magical aroma, Bronya felt like she had found the perfect remedy to release her stress.
She instinctively took the cup and sipped the coffee. The rich flavor made her reminisce: how long had it been since she last tasted something so wonderful?
Looking at the half-full cup in her hand, she couldn't resist taking another sip. The smooth bitterness and aroma flowed from her tongue to her stomach, and in that moment, her grievances and frustrations melted away. She felt her mind clear for the first time.
She looked down at the last sip of coffee, lifted the cup, and drank it. As she did, she instinctively turned to thank the person who gave it to her. But as the coffee entered her mouth and she turned to look at the person, her eyes widened.
It's said that after three times it's not a coincidence anymore, and for Bronya, this was the fourth time she had seen Pei Guang and remembered his face. She wanted to speak, but before she could, the last sip of coffee took effect, and she felt her consciousness fading, falling asleep.
Seeing this, March 7th and Stelle couldn't help but applaud.
Stelle: "The coffee really has a special effect on everyone!"
March 7th: "Amazing! As expected of you!"
Dan Heng: "..."
Looking at the unconscious girl slung over Pei Guang's back, March 7th asked, "What are you planning to do with her?"
Pei Guang: "Take her with us! She's the Supreme Guardian's daughter, after all. We'll keep her as leverage. Even if we can't use her as leverage, she must know something important. If we're lucky, we might even get her to switch sides. The coffee's effect lasts ten minutes—enough time for us to get moving!"
Stelle: "Do you want me to give her a whack with my bat, just in case?"
Pei Guang shook his head: "No need. If you accidentally killed her, it wouldn't be fun anymore. Look, she's quite pretty—maybe we can make her our mascot one day or something!"
March 7th: "???"
Dan Heng: "Alright, let's move quickly. It's already past midnight!"
Pei Guang: "Yeah! Let's go, let's go!"
Pei Guang started moving with Bronya on his back. Even he hadn't expected to capture such an important NPC right in front of Serval's house. But no big deal—if they take her along and have a good talk, they might even witness a touching mother-daughter reunion!
The station wasn't far, and after walking for five or six minutes, they arrived. At the entrance, a Silvermane Guard on duty saw them approaching and calmly called out, "Who goes there? I have a mission!"
Pei Guang: "I'm taking over!"
Hearing this, the guard immediately understood. He clutched his chest and held up an envelope: "Curse this "mission assassin", argh!!!" To avoid any confusion when encountering a real assassin, the guard on duty had exchanged a special code, which confirmed that Pei Guang was legitimate.
With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, still holding the letter aloft.
Stelle ran over to the guard and took the letter from his hand: "We'll take on this mission!"
Feeling his letter being taken, the guard closed his eyes completely.
The group quickly descended the stairs. The sound of their footsteps and the shouts of "Mission assassin!" from outside made the guards inside understand what was happening. The two guards at their posts turned their backs to the train, pretending to chat casually.
Guard 1: "Brother, be careful—there's an assassin on the loose lately."
Guard 2: "Brother, no worries! Even if the assassin was Superhuman, he wouldn't know to pull this lever first, then press the red button to start the train."
Guard 1: "Brother, keep your voice down! We can't let them know they have to pull the lever first and then press the red button!"
By this time, Pei Guang and his group had boarded the train. Looking at the lever and button, Pei Guang pulled the lever and pressed the red button: the train started up!
The moment the train began to move, the guard on duty suddenly shouted: "Damn! There's an assassin! Ah..."
The other guard walked over to where Pei Guang's group had passed, rolled on the ground a few times, then lay still and knocked his helmeted head on the ground: "Ah!!!"
Inside the train, Dan Heng and March 7th watched the over-the-top performance of the two guards on the platform, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Pei Guang was gathering up the 'mission items' left by the task-giver inside the carriage.
Pei Guang: "Hmm, this person's home is here."
Pei Guang: "This person's daughter is named this."
Pei Guang: "Ah! These medicines are for Natasha. They seem pretty valuable, so let's complete the medicine delivery task first."
As the train moved forward, the contact in the Underworld heard the sound of the approaching train and questioned himself.
"That's strange, it's not the day for a supply exchange—why is there a train coming?"