novelraw Chapter 90: Artificial Souls - (17)
Chapter 90: Artificial Souls - (17)
“That’s the men’s restroom. You go inside, and I’ll stake it out here,” Kui Xin said to Yu Liang.
Without wasting any words, Yu Liang turned and entered the restroom, while Kui Xin positioned herself inconspicuously in a corner, keeping watch over the exit.
“The male has a signal from a locator; it was made to resemble a transparent sticker, making it hard to detect,” Adam observed. “His overall appearance also matches the informant’s description—a height between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet, slightly broad shoulders, and medium build. Wearing an unremarkable black cloak and a mask.”
In the black market, buyers varied in their attire, but sellers all wore uniform clothing—black cloaks and masks.
“Is the informant reliable?” Kui Xin whispered in an extremely soft voice, “Will the locator be detected?”
“No one can guarantee that the locator will remain undetected with 100% certainty,” Adam said. “It’s normal for any unexpected incidents to occur during missions; at such times, it comes down to your ability to adapt… For example, right now, the locator signal has suddenly disappeared. The suspect has likely discovered the tracking device.”
Disappeared?!
Kui Xin scrutinized the restroom entrance skeptically. A tall man dressed in a suit emerged, and based on his attire, he appeared to be a buyer—not the person who had entered earlier. After two seconds, another well-built man in server’s clothing walked out of the restroom, adjusting his clothes before crossing the corridor, seemingly heading to attend to customers.
Neither of these individuals matched the physical characteristics of the person from moments ago.
Kui Xin observed the two men who just exited, noting their direction of movement while simultaneously listening to Adam’s report: “The restroom has been scanned; there were five people inside. Two have left, leaving three to go. Captain Yu forcefully opened the restroom stalls to inspect.”On the other side, Yu Liang disregarded the curses and forcefully opened the toilet stalls, feigning ignorance as if he had accidentally opened them. While apologizing, he swiftly closed the doors again.
Not a single individual’s characteristics matched those of the suspect.
Yu Liang’s expression darkened, realizing something was amiss. No longer holding back, he pulled out a drowsiness spray from his pocket and efficiently incapacitated the remaining three people in the restroom one by one.
“Captain Yu, I must remind you that you should strive to avoid such extreme actions to prevent harming innocent individuals. The guests here are either wealthy or influential, and causing a major disturbance could lead to difficult consequences,” Adam said.
“I’m wearing a mask; with this mask on, I’m not representing the Investigation Department. My actions have nothing to do with the department,” Yu Liang blatantly lied. “I’m just a passerby thief looking for quick gains. Knocking them unconscious is a way to facilitate stealing their belongings. The drowsiness agent I used causes temporary memory loss, so they won’t remember what happened. This will minimize the impact of the incident. Adam, under the temporary authority granted to me by the Deputy Director, I order you not to report this matter.”
“As you wish, Captain Yu,” Adam replied.
Calmly, Yu Liang removed one of the unfortunate individuals’ watches who had gone to the restroom, pretending as if he were there solely for theft.
He lifted their masks to examine the faces of those rendered unconscious and searched their bodies, but found nothing fruitful.
Yu Liang then opened the toilet tank covers in each stall for inspection. As expected, inside one tank, he discovered a cloak crumpled up and hidden away, along with several bottles containing bright red liquids—evidence left behind by the suspect.
Leaving the restroom, he gritted his teeth and said, “The person has disappeared. Their ability must either allow them to pass through walls or use a use a shape-shifting disguise. How could a fully grown human vanish out of thin air?”
“Understood,” Kui Xin responded. “Just now, two individuals left; one went down the west corridor, and the other headed towards the south corridor. I’ll go to the west side, Captain; you take the south.”
“If I encounter someone matching the description of those two, I will alert you,” Adam stated. “Of course, it’s also possible that the suspect may change their appearance again.”
Kui Xin and Yu Liang exchanged glances before splitting up to cover different directions.
The server had walked towards the west corridor. After entering, she hadn’t taken more than a few steps when she spotted another server approaching from the opposite direction.
The waiter was not wearing a mask, so Kui Xin immediately noticed that this person’s appearance differed from the one who had left the restroom earlier.
As Kui Xin and the waiter passed each other, he courteously bowed to her and said with enthusiasm, “Which exhibition hall would you like to visit? I can guide you there.”
“No… Have you seen your colleague heading this way?” Kui Xin asked. “He has an ordinary appearance, is around 175 centimeters tall, has a slender build, and walks with good posture. Perhaps you’ll remember him.”
“Uh, it seems he just returned to serve guests at Auction Room Three,” the waiter replied politely. “May I ask if there is something specific you need from him? If he caused any inconvenience, please accept my apologies on his behalf.”
“It’s alright.” Kui Xin observed the waiter’s expression. “Can you please take me to Auction Room Three to find him?”
“Certainly, it would be my pleasure to assist you,” the waiter responded courteously.
Kui Xin followed the waiter to the entrance of Auction Room Three. The auction inside had already commenced, and the guiding waiter pointed towards the interior. As expected, Kui Xin spotted the familiar-looking server amidst the crowd; he was pouring wine for a guest.
“That’s him. Is there anything else I can assist you with?” The server replied with a standardized smile.
“Facial matching shows discrepancies; similarity is only seventy percent,” Adam’s robotic voice stated. “The nostrils appear larger, and the upward curve at the corners of the eyes differs. Though they look alike, my analysis shows they are different people.”
There were two possible scenarios. First, the suspect had disguised himself to resemble this server, and now the server in the auction house was genuine, having already escaped during the confusion. Second, the suspect took over the server’s role to serve guests directly, aiming to evade capture.
Kui Xin hadn’t encountered anyone else during her journey here, except for the server guiding her right now.
Noticing Kui Xin’s prolonged gaze at the server in the auction hall without speaking, the escorting server repeated, “May I ask if there’s anything else I can assist you with?”
A few seconds later, Yu Liang reported his findings.
“We found that man in the suit, but it’s not our target,” Yu Liang calmly said.
Kui Xin looked at the server before her and, using a gentle and harmless tone, asked, “Could you please take me to Exhibition Hall 1?”
“Certainly, I’ll guide you there,” the server responded.
They returned to the long corridor, with the attendant leading the way and Kui Xin following closely behind with her gaze fixed on the attendant’s neck.
The corridor was empty; all the guests had gathered at the auction venue, and the attendants were also serving. One-way corridor—entry from this entrance, exit through the same point, no other exits.
As the attendant silently guided her, Kui Xin softened her footsteps, stealthily approaching. She swiftly reached out, locking her arm around the attendant’s neck. With both the muscles of her forearm and upper arm exerting force, she completely choked off the attendant’s throat and vocal cords. Simultaneously, Kui Xin leapt onto him, using her body weight to restrain any struggling movements.
In just ten seconds, the attendant ceased struggling and fell into shock.
A naked chokehold! This was something Kui Xin learned during physical training. By utilizing the motion of both arms to immobilize the opponent’s vulnerable areas, temporarily deprives their brain of blood flow.
The attendant collapsed, and Kui Xin dragged him by the legs into a corner. Then, she focused intently on observing the attendant’s face.
After merely two or three seconds, the attendant’s face began to melt, and his body started swelling, gradually transforming into the appearance of an average-looking man of medium build.
“It’s him; I found him,” Kui Xin said into her communicator. “I’ve captured the mission target.”
Yu Liang was taken aback. “… Not bad, you!”
Adam asked curiously, “How did you discover it? This waiter’s behavior showed no abnormalities; he didn’t exhibit any signs of guilt, and he even actively served you. Which action made you suspicious?”
“Intuition?” Kui Xin replied. “I rely on gut feelings.”
“That answer is quite dismissive,” Adam said. “I thought you would be more concerned about the waiter in the auction hall.”
“No particular reason, just coincidence. I can’t enter the auction hall immediately, and that waiter won’t emerge for a while either. Nevertheless, this waiter was right beside me. He seemed too normal. If I were in his position, I might have employed similar tactics to dispel suspicion from myself,” Kui Xin explained. “Even if this person wasn’t the suspect, it wouldn’t affect me very much. I knocked him out just to confirm whether he was the one we were after. It’s better if he doesn’t, as it eliminates one potential suspect. Then, I’ll simply focus on others next.”
“Very fortunate indeed; he is the suspect. You can save some effort now,” Adam said. “This operation has gone remarkably smoothly—the suspect is still alive.”
Kui Xin’s fingers twitched involuntarily.
She didn’t intend to leave any survivors; acquiring his shape-shifting ability was highly desirable for her.
However, under these circumstances, her life wasn’t directly threatened, and the Investigation Department preferred capturing suspects alive. She couldn’t simply strangle him without cause; there was no justification for doing so. Killing a suspect who should have been taken alive without any valid reason would raise suspicions, among others.
Temporarily sacrificing this opportunity allowed for more stable development and growth, prioritizing caution.
It was just one superhuman ability, anyway. There were numerous Extraordinary Ability Users in the world, and she could find more suitable ones later to enhance herself.
After Yu Liang arrived, he administered additional doses of intoxicating spray on the suspect’s face, ensuring his prolonged unconsciousness.
Together, they carried the man through the fire escape route and then entered the underground parking lot.
They waited for ten minutes until their discreetly arriving colleagues from the Investigation Department approached by car. The suspect was stuffed into the vehicle’s back seat, and Kui Xin and Yu Liang rode back to the inspection building.
“This mission wasn’t as perilous as I imagined,” Kui Xin said. “Is this the dark side you wanted me to witness? In the black market, everyone wears masks, concealing their true identities—beneath them lie individuals who are either wealthy or influential. On the surface, they appear glamorous, but in reality, they engage in various unsavory activities.”
“Mm-hmm,” Yu Liang responded vaguely. “That’s precisely why we must be cautious.”
“The Investigation Department can’t afford to provoke those people,” Kui Xin stated.
“It’s not that we can’t provoke them… It’s that we can’t provoke the interest groups behind those individuals. Our Investigation Department is already quite assertive, able to wield influence throughout the entire city. However, when encountering those at the top, we still have to tread carefully and watch our step,” Yu Liang said. “Heh, no wonder others call us lackeys.”
The true essence of Yu Liang’s statement was that the purpose of the Investigation Department’s existence was to safeguard the interests of the elite.
“Does it feel stifling?” Yu Liang asked mildly.
Another function of the Investigation Department was to maintain public order in the city, which, to some extent, also represented justice. Many young people, harboring dreams of righteousness, joined the department only to become tainted over time.
“What’s there to feel stifled about?” Kui Xin smiled. “Captain Yu, why did you initially join the Investigation Department?”
“Because… the high salary with comprehensive benefits?” Yu Liang replied.
“Same here,” Kui Xin said matter-of-factly. “I do as much work as I’m paid for. I only handle what I should and can; anything else doesn’t concern me.”
Yu Liang glanced sideways at her. “At such a young age, just entering your career, you already have the mindset of a seasoned veteran. Your captain, Shu Xuyao, is quite dedicated, and so are the team members under him. As for you…”
“I’m also very committed,” Kui Xin said. “I give it my all because my teammates do too. When someone has my back while we are charging together, I go all out. But if someone stays behind, pushing me forward alone to clear the path for them, then I won’t exert myself… unless they pay extra.”
Yu Liang remarked, “I like your attitude. If only I had this level of clarity when I was younger.”
“How about that? Were you a naive hothead in your youth?” Kui Xin teased.
Yu Liang shrugged. “Well, indeed I was… but not anymore.”
The day quickly passed by.
This was Kui Xin’s second day of training, and as Shu Xuyao had mentioned, the tasks were relatively easy. She hoped that the upcoming days would remain similarly light-hearted.
After work, Kui Xin returned to Anning Street. Under Silver Mask’s resentful gaze, she packed up her belongings without hesitation, leaving without looking back.
Once she entered her assigned employee residence, Adam’s voice echoed in her room.
“There is an independent bathroom here, and the communal laundry room is on the first floor. This floor of employee dormitories is relatively spacious with fewer than ten occupants,” Adam said. “When you applied for employee housing, I specifically arranged for your accommodation to be here.”
“What’s special about this place?” Kui Xin asked.
“He Gaoyi lives next door to you,” Adam replied.
Kui Xin was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Oh.”
“Timing has arrived to eliminate Lin Xinji; I have his schedule for these past two days under control,” Adam stated.
“If you help me kill him, I’ll help you kill He Gaoyi,” Kui Xin said.
“Of course, that’s what we agreed upon from the beginning,” Adam responded.