“Who could it be?”
Chen Xiaolian and Roddy looked at each other as they sat inside the hotel room.
If there is a chance, let’s meet up in the instance dungeon …
In other words, the one who took the metal sphere was an Awakened! Otherwise, that person would not have mentioned about the instance dungeon in their message.
If so, there was another question.
How could an Awakened take away the metal sphere?
Additionally, how could the other party even know the importance of the metal sphere? Or rather… why did they not take anything else and chose to take the metal sphere instead?
Unless, the other party knew the role of the metal sphere? They knew what it could be used to do?
If so, just how much do they know?
Most importantly, how much of the Irregularities’ secrets do the other party know?
Lastly…
Who was this other party?
Naturally, the first one that the two of them suspected was Selina!
No matter how they looked at it, this woman was the most suspicious one.
She was the last to leave the room. Additionally, she did not go to the police station to meet the two of them and instead left hastily.
Could it be out of guilt?
Was she the one to have taken it?
“At present, the question becomes, how much does the other party knows,” said Chen Xiaolian with a frown on his face. “Additionally, the other party is unknown to us, while we are out in the open… hmm, if there is a chance, let’s meet up in the instance dungeon.”
This matter was causing Chen Xiaolian to brood somewhat. There was also some self-blame.
At the end of the day, he was the one who messed up!
Roddy sighed and said, “Nothing is going to come from us pondering here… since the other party had gone into hiding, it won’t be easy to find them. Perhaps, they have already left New York by now. This world is a big place, where are we supposed to go to find them?”
Chen Xiaolian sighed as well. “Oh well… we’ll have to leave this matter as it is for now. Let’s hope… the ‘let’s meet up in the instance dungeon’ day comes soon. I feel like there is a thorn stuck in my heart!”
Roddy reciprocated and waved his hand. “If even you can’t figure it out, then I can just forget about it. Let’s leave it as it is.”
Since they have settled their matters in New York, the next thing for them to do was naturally to return home.
However, when they were discussing about it, Roddy mentioned something.
“Before we return, I want to visit San Francisco. I want to meet Nicole!”
“Eh?”
There was a clear look of decisiveness in Roddy’s eyes as he said, “Did you forget? Before the punishment instance dungeon began, I had said, no matter how it ends, if I make it out alive, I would go meet up with her once! I am going to meet her face-to-face! I will need to resolve this issue and face her.”
Chen Xiaolian pondered the matter in silence before asking, “What do you plan to say?”
“I still don’t know. Perhaps, after we meet, I will have the answer.” Roddy smiled wryly.
Seeing that he had already made up his mind, Chen Xiaolian was uncertain if he should feel happy or sigh for this bro of his.
However, he still decided to support Roddy’s decision.
The two of them booked flight tickets heading to San Francisco for tomorrow morning.
However, after reaching and staying at San Francisco for some time, Roddy became highly depressed.
Nicole was not there anymore.
When he called her home, the one to answer him was the answering machine. As for her workplace… he was informed that she was on a long vacation.
Regarding trying to find out more from her workplace… do you think you can casually inquire where a special agent of the Homeland Security is? Stop joking around.
Roddy who had been so excited about this trip was naturally unwilling to simply give up.
On the next day, the two of them got on a flight to Texas. Roddy decided to go to Nicole’s home to find her. As for Chen Xiaolian, he decided to accompany him…
…
Fitness centre, evening.
Xia Xiaolei walked out of the fitness centre’s training room while carrying a sandbag on his shoulder. After tossing the sandbag onto the corner of the room, he used the towel on his neck to wipe away his sweat.
After undergoing days of intense training, the enhancement on his body and also the special training regiment, this youngster’s body had long since shed off the thin image that he had back when he was in the village.
The outlines of muscles were visible on his body and the early lines of a budding six-pack were showing on his abdomen area. Add his above average looks to the mix and some personal care in; he would be able to pass off as a dashing Kpop star.
For the past few days when he was going to the fitness centre, he would occasionally see some girls eyeing him in a strange manner.
After walking out of the training room, Xia Xiaolei walked to the cupboard and retrieved a bottle of mineral water. He gulped down the contents of the bottle and exhaled.
He looked at the empty fitness centre and a frustrated expression came over his face.
Sigh… the inhumanity!
The two brothers Lun Tai and Bei Tai had gone for another vacation while Chen Xiaolian and Roddy had also left. Thus, he was the only one left at home.
He had not participated in the London instance dungeon… if this were to continue, his already miniscule existence within this guild would further transform into an invisible one.
Could it be that he could only be a humanoid discount card?
No way…
That would be too bitter a pill to swallow.
As he was thinking about that, Xia Xiaolei suddenly heard a knocking sound coming from outside of the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
He turned around and looked at the door.
Standing outside the glass door of the fitness centre was a slim looking figure.
Observing her through the glass door, Xia Xiaolei saw that although the figure was not tall, it was very slender with exquisite curves. The figure wore a lovable looking sleeveless shirt and the outline of her upper body caused the young and innocent Xia Xiaolei to blush. There was a ¾ sleeve jacket on top of the sleeveless shirt and the shorts she wore exposed the slender and well-toned legs. A pair of bouncy sport shoes could be seen at the bottom.
Xia Xiaolei opened the door and looked at the figure standing there. He was unable to help himself and was dazed by the sight for a few seconds. Thankfully, he was able to recollect himself quickly.
“That… may I know who are you looking for?”
The young woman had her side facing the door. When she heard Xia Xiaolei’s question, she turned around to face him.
When he saw the young woman’s face, Xia Xiaolei was unable to restrain himself from feeling a twinge of regret.
How unfortunate…
A nine out of ten body, but an average face…
Even so, despite the average look on her face, there was a certain liveliness in her eyes.
“May I ask, is this a fitness centre?”
The words she used were very standard. However, when Xia Xiaolei heard it, he sensed something weird about it… how should he put it? It was like those American-born Chinese that he had seen before on TV.
“Eh?” Xia Xiaolei was momentarily taken aback.
The young woman looked at Xia Xiaolei and a peculiar glint flashed across her eyes. She smiled and continued, “Is this a fitness centre?”
“Err… something like that. Is there anything?”
The young woman laughed. Although her looks were average, when she smiled, there was a sense of brightness in her smile. It was one that would bring up the scene of a sunny beach in others. Additionally, her skin colour was that of healthy light wheat. Altogether, she gave off a sense of vibrancy.
“The thing is, oh, greetings, my name is… Ye Zi. I had just moved in to this city and live nearby. I like sports and body building exercises and I’m now looking for a suitable fitness centre. Coincidentally, I saw that you have a fitness centre here. So, I decided to come and ask what your rates are.”
Xia Xiaolei was dumbfounded.
Rates?
The youngster had an embarrassed look on his face and he said in a whisper, “This… I am sorry, this fitness centre is not open for business.”
“Why?”
The young woman’s gaze swept past Xia Xiaolei and into the room. She said, “From what I can see, you have all the necessary equipment. This should be a professional fitness centre, right?”
“Err, I am very sorry… we are not here to do any business. This is a private place.”
The young woman nodded her head and gave Xia Xiaolei a meaningful glance. “A private place eh…”
She abruptly strode forward from beside Xia Xiaolei. Xia Xiaolei was stunned and had subconsciously dodged aside to allow her passage. By the time he recovered, the young woman had already made her way into the room.
There was a natural air to her movements. There was no feeling of unfamiliarity as she surveyed the equipment within the room. “The equipment are all very much intact. A place as good as this is very hard to find in places near here… is this really just a private place? Not open to the outside at all? If it’s a membership thing, I can make do with that.”
“No, no, you misunderstood me,” Xia Xiaolei was an honest youngster who lacked experience in dealing with someone of the other gender. He waved his hand and said, “It’s not a membership thing. This place is simply a private place that is not open to others… that… you…”
Looking at the passionate smile on the young woman’s face, Xia Xiaolei felt troubled by having to shoo her away.
Ye Zi smiled faintly. She watched Xia Xiaolei and laughed secretly. Back when we met in Tokyo, this fellow was just a scrawny little kid. But now, he seems to have matured quite a bit. Unexpectedly, he is still such an innocent guy.
Naturally, the name Ye Zi was a fake name. She was in fact, Nicole, the Floating Angel!
“If so, let’s make a deal.” Nicole smiled and continued staring at Xia Xiaolei. “At any rate, I am still unable to find a better fitness centre for now. This place of yours is so big, I believe having me here or not would not make a difference… whenever its convenient for you and when I have the time, let me come here to exercise a little, all right? If you want to accept a fee, I am willing to give as well. Besides… I am just living nearby. Just consider it as making things more convenient for your fellow neighbour, how about it?”
Sweat emerged from Xia Xiaolei’s forehead. Naturally, those were not from exhaustion, but anxiousness.
As he was lost for words…
An indifferent and faint voice suddenly came from outside the door.
“Sorry, it’s not convenient. We are also not the owner of this place. We cannot allow people to enter without the owner’s permission. That is why we cannot help you with your request.”
The moment he heard that voice, Xia Xiaolei’s eyes brightened up and he turned his gaze to the door.
“Da Gang, you’re back!”
Outside the door stood Da Gang with a backpack over his shoulder. He slowly made his way inside.
Tian Lie had already changed his appearance back to Da Gang, his body thin and his face wooden. After entering, he tossed the backpack to the side of the wall right next to the door.
Tian Lie cast a smile and Xia Xiaolei and said, “I went back home to get some things fixed. I didn’t expect to be held back by a few days.”
Seeing that Da Gang had returned, Xia Xiaolei gave a sigh of relief. He walked forward and smiled, “This lady here…”
“I heard everything when I was at the doorway.” Tian Lie smiled. He walked to the back of a cupboard and pulled out a bottle of mineral water. After thinking for a moment, he pulled another one and tossed it to Nicole.
Nicole casually accepted it and said, “Thanks.” After saying that, she unscrewed the bottle and took a gulp.
“No need for that. Ignoring others, since a guest has arrived, it is only natural to serve some drinks,” Tian Lie said calmly. “However, your request to use this fitness centre… I am sorry to say we cannot promise you that. As I said earlier, we are not the owner. Besides… the owner of this place has quite a temper, it won’t be convenient to have outsiders enter… furthermore, everyone here are males. When we are training, we don’t wear much. At times we do wear t-shirts, but sometimes, we just do without… since you are a female, it makes things inconvenient.”
Xia Xiaolei’s eyes suddenly lit up and he quickly added, “Right, right! It’s not convenient!”
He secretly cast a glance at Tian Lie and thought to himself: This is a good excuse. Why did I not think of that just now? Da Gang seems to have become smarter after going out for a few days.
Nicole responded with a faint smile and regarded Tian Lie for a moment before nodding her head. “All right then… since that is the case, I won’t continue forcing the matter. I will come by again if there is an opportunity to visit in the future.”
After saying that, Nicole waved her hand and turned to leave.
Tian Lie looked at Nicole’s turned back and suddenly revealed a frown. He said, “Wait a minute.”
Nicole turned around and asked, “What is it?”
“Your water.” Tian Lie pointed at the bottle of mineral water still on the table. Back then, Nicole had just drunk just one mouth worth of water from the bottle. “It’s not good to waste water.”
“Sure, thank you for the reminder.” Nicole smiled coolly, picked up the bottle of mineral water and walked out of the door.
Tian Lie regarded her back as she left. His eyebrows knitted together in a thoughtful expression.
After leaving the fitness centre, Nicole walked out of the building. She then made her way across a street and turned into an alley. Then, she casually pinched her face. A paper like transparent film that resembled a mask appeared on her fingers.
After pulling out that mask, her original face was restored.
“Humph, they are quite cautious… but, who is the one together with Xia Xiaolei? Could Chen Xiaolian have recruited some new people into the guild?”
…
Tian Lie walked into the fitness centre and rearranged his bag. Then, he turned around to look at Xia Xiaolei. “Xiaolei, did you just finish your exercise?”
“Mm.” Xia Xiaolei smiled and said, “I did not think that you would leave for so many days.”
“Mm, I had some matters to deal with back home.” Tian Lie replied ambiguously before asking. “That woman earlier. Is this her first time here?”
“Yes, I have never seen her before. I was puzzled myself. This place of ours is not near any central city area so we rarely see anyone knocking on our doors.”
Tian Lie was silent for a moment before speaking up, “You be careful… this year, there are many liars.”
Xia Xiaolei laughed and replied, “Liars? Which liars dare to come here?”
However, Xia Xiaolei was quick to remember that Da Gang was not a member of the guild. It would be inappropriate to be saying such things to him.
“Mm, where are Xiaolian and the others?” Tian Lie looked at the empty fitness centre.
“Oh? They… they came back from London. However, they left again. Right now, Lun Tai and Bei Tai are having another vacation. They’re going around Tian Nan Hai Bei [1]. As for Xiaolian and Roddy… they said they were out dealing with some affairs. I didn’t ask anything more.”
Tian Lie’s heart skipped a beat. However, he did not say anything. Instead, he turned around and retrieved a small bag from his backpack. “Come, on this trip, I brought some delicacies from my hometown back with me. Have a try.”
Nothing happened that night.
With Chen Xiaolian and Roddy away from home, when night came, Xia Xiaolei had no interest in staying at Chen Xiaolian’s home. Since there was no one at home, it was pointless to return. Also, their fitness centre had a rest room. Thus, Xia Xiaolei simply chose to stay behind to accompany Tian Lie.
The two of them casually ate and chatted away before going to sleep.
The next day proceeded as usual.
Xia Xiaolei locked himself up in the fitness centre and trained himself rigorously, punching furiously at the sandbag.
As for Tian Lie, he was seated at the table outside. He had produced a comic book from who knows where and held it as he sat there. Occasionally, he would direct his gaze at the sweating figure inside the training room and smile faintly.
In the afternoon, however, clanging sounds could be heard coming from the outside.
Both Tian Lie and Xia Xiaolei heard the sound and they walked out to have a look.
The same building…
The door of a vacant room beside the fitness centre was being taken down.
There were several workers performing construction work while some work and renovation materials were being offloaded.
One of the workers was drilling holes on the wall. After finishing up with his task, he began hammering a signboard on top.
Xia Xiaolei spotted someone he knew among the group of people – one of the administrators managing the building. He walked over and said, “Mr Liu, this is…”
After seeing Xia Xiaolei, the administrator smiled warmly and said, “Xiaolei ah… I was just about to go tell you fellows about this. Someone had rented this lot this morning. Not only that, the tenant was in a hurry as well. Their side had gotten renovators to begin working in the afternoon. I wanted to go tell you fellows that there will be some noise during this renovation period. I hope you fellows can put up with it for a bit.”
As a straightforward person, Xia Xiaolei said, “No, no, this is nothing.”
Tian Lie who was standing beside him had a thoughtful look in his eyes. He suddenly asked, “May I ask who the tenant is? Is someone planning to open up a company here?”
The administrator was surprised by the question for a bit. However, he then smiled and said, “Not exactly a company… the renovation for that would be quite troublesome! Don’t worry, the other side had promised that it will be a very simple renovation. The walls and tiles will not be touched. They’ll just repair any broken tiles and place a mirror on one or two sides of the wall… from what I hear, it is for a dance room of sorts. It seems that it will be for dance training classes. However, their side is quite generous. Even though they haven’t gotten any profit from the lot, they have already signed a contract… I have to say, people like this are rare. Just like your boss, Chen Xiaolian. If only everyone else is like that, our job would be so much easier. Ha ha ha ha!”
After saying that, the administrator moved to discuss some matters with the renovation workers. Then, after giving his regards to Xia Xiaolei and Tian Lie, he swaggered out of the building.
“Dance training class?” Xia Xiaolei was feeling curious. Opening a dance training studio in a place as remote as this… could this business turn a profit?
“It’s not dance training class.”
A cheerful voice sounded out from behind him.
“It’s yoga class.”
Nicole was standing at the staircase and she smiled as she looked at Xia Xiaolei and Tian Lie. She slowly walked forward, a bag with items bought from the supermarket in her hand. She pulled out two bottles of mineral water and tossed them to Xia Xiaolei and Tian Lie. “Take it, it’s my treat.”
“Yoga?” Xia Xiaolei scratched his head.
“That’s right, yoga.” Nicole looked at the youngster and smiled coolly. “If you are interested, after the renovations are done, you can come and try it yourself. Don’t just spend all your time training. Yoga can increase the flexibility of your body. You are still young after all, don’t train until your muscles become stiff.”
After saying that, Nicole cast a glance at the tight-lipped Tian Lie and walked through the door of the room. After entering, she began talking to the renovation workers.
“That… Da Gang, what is a yoga?” Xia Xiaolei looked at Tian Lie and asked.
There was a frown on Tian Lie’s face as he whispered, “… I fear… it’s something troublesome.”
…