By the time Huai Shi regained consciousness, it was already evening.
"Speaking of which, last night's incident made the headlines in the East Asia edition." Raven fiddled with her phone screen, tsk-tsking in admiration. "After all, it was an emergency mobilization. Even the White Emperor's Son was called into action. They definitely couldn't hide it from those damn reporters, always buzzing around like flies."
"Tomorrow's News?" Huai Shi struggled to crane his neck for a look. He was stunned when he saw the app. "Isn't this that crappy newspaper that claims to tell nothing but the truth?"
This crappy newspaper was always peddling unreliable rumors and that goddamn health encyclopedia; it's a miracle it's survived this long.
"Ermm, as long as you pay, they occasionally tell the truth... probably?" Raven sighed. "After all, it's the biggest, priciest, and shadiest information broker and intermediary group across the Border. As for their operations in the Current Circumstances, having transport channels is sufficient. However, when it comes to news about Sublimators, they are usually quite reliable."
Raven handed her phone over for him to see. "Now the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes has been exposed too. He's a Third Stage Sublimator, originally an officer of the Roman guard. He vanished mysteriously for several years. When he reappeared in Bagdad, 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. You have to admit, it's a very fitting codename."
"There's a front-facing photo too?" Huai Shi leaned forward, scrutinizing the face in the photograph and squinting. "He looks quite friendly."
"Yeah. It's said that over these years, he's been very active in the Current Circumstances for Green Day, secretly connecting with quite a few factions."
"His Soul Ability is 'Sneering Fish Tank.' You've already seen it, so you should have a vivid memory of it. He splits his Source Substance into goldfish and implants them into others' bodies to covertly issue commands."
"Before the goldfish fully hatch, they're incredibly concealed, but they can only issue subtle suggestions. Once hatched, they can completely turn their hosts into his puppets."
"There are only seven goldfish, 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. They're known as the legendary living dead, incredibly tenacious. As long as their brain is intact, their life isn't in danger. Their signature trait is the ability to dissipate their presence, achieving an invisibility effect."
"Once the Stigmata is activated, even in a bustling area, no one would notice... This skill would be perfect for a certain green-themed forum."
"The drawback is that the invisibility effect stems from warping people's subjective perception, so it doesn't work on cameras, photographs, or reflections."
"They investigated him that thoroughly?" Huai Shi was astonished.
"Of course, otherwise how could they sell the information?" Raven sighed. "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 fork out several more..."
"Wait a minute—" Huai Shi suddenly realized something. "Where did you get the money?"
Raven smiled mysteriously.
Huai Shi hurriedly took out his own phone. Upon seeing a string of payment notifications, his eyes widened in fury, practically popping from their sockets. The over 20,000 I earned risking life and limb moonlighting as a Cowherd these past few months... all gone! And my credit line is overdrawn by more than 3,000!
"You damn cheat! Couldn't you have just bought a cheaper one?"
"You get what you pay for," Raven retorted. "Besides, since you were planning to go get yourself killed, keeping the money wouldn't have done you any good, right?"
"Who said I was going to get myself killed!" Huai Shi glared, grabbing his phone. "Don't I know how to call for help?"
Raven was stunned.
She looked at Huai Shi, her eyes full of surprise, shock... and a suspicion that screamed, "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Didn't you just claim you wanted to kill him two hours ago?" Raven's eyes widened. "Besides, who did you learn this rotten habit of calling for help at the first sign of trouble from? You are recorded in the Book of Fate! Don't you have any self-awareness as the protagonist?"
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 challenge a top-tier player just to be cannon fodder? Even a protagonist wouldn't be this reckless!"
"He's crippled now, friend! Can't you even deliver a coup de grâce? When in doubt, just charge in! Killing monsters above your level gives double experience, you know!" Raven gave him an exasperated look, thoroughly disappointed. "And who are you planning to call? Liu DongLi is still lying in the ICU!"
"Er, Ai Qing?"
"She said she had to go to Jinling immediately. She's probably on the plane by now. Everything will be over by the time she gets back!"
"The 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 sighing in resignation. "...And what do you plan to tell them? Some modern fantasy story so pretentious that if you posted it on a webnovel platform, people would think you're a literary poser?"
"Besides, even if you managed to find the Special Affairs Department, how would you explain how you know all this? They'd probably suspect you of being a Green Day mole! Believe it or not, as soon as you finish telling them all about me, they'll hand you a VIP prison membership card!"
"Damn it, this won't work, that won't work..." Huai Shi slammed the table in frustration, then suddenly deflated. "Then... maybe we just forget about it?"
"That's fine too." Raven glanced at him. "From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine. That Red Gloves fellow roams free and continues to wreak havoc. And you, through hard work and your golden finger, reach the pinnacle of life... If you can live with that, I don't care either."
Huai Shi wilted.
Raven shook her head, lifted her wings, and patted Huai Shi's shoulder. "Young man, would your big sister I ever steer you wrong?"
"Yes, you would!" Huai Shi glared at her. "You've been messing me up from start to finish!"
"Ahem, let's not talk about the wanted fugitive issue for now..." She coughed awkwardly, then spoke earnestly, "Besides, think about it. This is about revenge, divine revenge! A classic plotline! The kind of drama the masses adore! You only get a chance like this once in a 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, the only law applicable among Sublimators was 'Retribution in Blood, an eye for an eye!'"
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 itself.
"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 gotten to know your big sister all over again, right? I spent all last night thinking up that epic line! Hurry up and praise me!"
"..."
The fleeting aspiration that had risen in Huai Shi's heart instantly deflated. He sincerely doubted: This big sister talks such a big game; she's probably all bark and no bite, just trying to fool a noob like me.
Although... what she said did seem to make some sense.
He pondered for a long time, looking earnestly at the Raven before him, and suddenly had a bold guess.
"Ermmm... are you saying you have some hidden combat power? Will you transform at the critical moment? We can do a human-bird fusion, you become 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 telling me to go take that guy down single-handedly with just an Axe?"
"Relax, no guns, no cannons..." Raven looked out the window at the car parked in the courtyard. "You can still mooch off our allies, you know."
Seeing Liu DongLi's car.
Huai Shi's eyes lit up too. "Right, Old Liu has tons of good stuff!"
Soon, he was dragging an Iron pick out the door. He walked several circles around the car Liu DongLi had left at his house. Then, finding the right spot on the rear window, he swung the Iron pick, sizing it up.
"Old Liu, I'm going to avenge you now, so... don't sweat the small stuff like this, okay?"
CRASH!
The clearly expensive, flashy red sports car suddenly shook. The window was smashed open cleanly, triggering a blaring alarm.
As Huai Shi fished out an iron box emblazoned with the Astronomical Society's Earth logo from behind the broken glass, he couldn't help but laugh. "Aha, I knew it would be here!"
Over the past two days, he had seen clearly that Liu DongLi's arsenal, his "Cowherd's long spears and short cannons," all came from this box. He hoped his brother in misfortune had left him some spark of hope.
And indeed, opening the box did not disappoint.
Inside, apart from a sawn-off shotgun and two pistols that had already been taken, there remained a military saber, a black bulletproof Vest, and a pistol that looked incredibly badass...
Model unknown, origin unclear; anyway, it just looked totally badass.
Casually tucking 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 keys were on the table. Why did you have to smash the window?"
"...I forgot." Huai Shi awkwardly took the keys, realizing he had even saved the money for a taxi. Good thing I saved the money, really good. Otherwise, I probably couldn't even afford a cab.
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? My rank is pretty high, you know," Huai Shi mused, then quickly grabbed the Raven as she tried to get out, strapping her into the passenger seat with the seatbelt. "Where do you think you're going? Trying to bail from my car? Weren't you the one egging me on to get revenge? Sit tight, we're off!"
"No way! I'm not ready to die on your revenge quest yet!" Raven panicked too, struggling fiercely. "Huai Shi, I get carsick, really! I'll lend you money, please, can you call a cab? Even a luxury stretch Lincoln would be classier! If not, just call for backup! I have the Special Affairs Department's contact number..."
"Who has the luxury of time to wait for people?" Huai Shi gave her one last glance. After quickly searching online how to drive, he inserted the key into the ignition, twisted it hard, and fired up the engine.
"Time's tight, let's go!"
BOOM!
Like a mad dog breaking loose from its cage, the car's engine and Raven simultaneously let out a tormented scream. The flashy red sports car shot out of the Stone Marrow Pavilion, grazing half the iron gate, and careened recklessly onto the bumpy road of no return.
Sometime during all this, dark clouds had obscured the moonlight. Muffled thunder rumbled from deep within them. A wind blew in from the distance.
It was about to rain.