They were out of the hostel in less than five minutes.
Shen Fu's system warned him again.
[Infiltration Confirmed – 3 Hostile Agents Nearby]
Hostile Crew: Wanshou Circle
Status: Searching
Time Until Discovery: 2 minutes 38 seconds
Escape Routes: 3 Viable Paths
Xiaodie moved like she'd done this before.
"Back stairwell. Exit through the laundry shed. Cut through Jiangyuan Alley. Don't ask, follow."
They ducked out, slinking through the half-lit hallway, backpacks tight, cash and devices wrapped in cloth bundles inside.
Downstairs, the lobby light flickered.
Someone was already inside.
Shen Fu caught a glimpse—dark jacket, scarred lip, and a glint of metal in his hand. Scar-Lip was here.
[Skill Unlocked: Adrenaline Focus]
You may activate once per 24 hours to slow perception and boost reflexes for 10 seconds.
Activate? [YES]
He didn't hesitate.
YES.
Time slowed.
Every sound sharpened—the squeak of sneakers on tile, the creak of a vending machine, Xiaodie's breath beside him.
They moved.
Down the back stairs, through the service hallway. Shen Fu held the door while Xiaodie disabled the CCTV with a flash of her custom jammer.
Outside, the alley greeted them with steam, garbage, and neon flickers.
"Left," she barked. "Then we jump the rail."
"Jump what?"
"Just trust me!"
When Wanshou's crew figured out which direction they'd gone, Shen Fu and Xiaodie were scaling a rusted fence behind an old electronics factory.
Xiaodie's hoodie snagged.
She yanked it free, hissed, and rolled over the top, landing beside Shen with a grunt.
They ran through puddles, cut across silent courtyards, and graffiti-covered construction zones.
At one point, a dog barked loudly behind a metal gate. Shen thought they were caught.
But no one followed.
Only their own footsteps and the pounding of his pulse.
They didn't stop until they were three districts away—at a tiny food stall beneath a forgotten pedestrian bridge, where the smell of old oil clung to everything.
He dropped into a plastic chair, sweating, breath heavy.
Xiaodie didn't sit.
She pulled her phone, tapped into an encrypted map.
"Okay. I've got three crash spots we can hit for 48 hours."
Shen Fu looked up. "You've done this before?"
Xiaodie snorted. "You think the street's all cute and fried noodles? I've been dodging gangs and city cleanup since I was fourteen. You only made it this far because I was watching."
He didn't argue.
"You knew they'd come," he said finally.
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
"I saw Scar-Lip's crew creeping near your hostel yesterday. Had my boy 'Zizi' on lookout. Figured you'd need to be ready."
The system pinged again.
[Trust Bond Increased – Xiaodie: 27/100]
Trait Upgrade: "Quick Exit" – Escape routes highlighted when with Xiaodie.
Later, they found refuge in a half-renovated arcade above a defunct internet café.
Dusty machines. No lights. But the roof didn't leak.
Xiaodie hung her jacket on a chair and flopped onto a sofa covered in old receipts.
Shen Fu sat opposite her, face grim.
"They're not going to stop, are they?"
She stared at the ceiling.
"No. You made money too fast. You stepped on toes. Wanshou smells blood. They'll want tribute… or a head."
A long silence followed.
Then she said:
"…You thinking of quitting?"
He laughed, dry and bitter. "You think I'd run this far just to quit?"
His eyes darkened.
"No. I'm going to burn them."
She looked at him, quietly impressed.
[New Goal Activated: "Street Cleanse" – Eliminate Wanshou Circle's Local Power]
Reward: District Reputation Boost | New Market Unlock | Hidden Item Drop
But he knew brute force wasn't enough.
He needed leverage.
He needed information.
He needed… a plan.
And next time?
He'd be the one watching.