"Why did you kill Xu Nian?"
"It seems you still don't understand the situation. Who exactly is in control here?"
A brief silence followed.
Xu Xiaoyou didn't speak, merely staring at the wolf-man before her. Her fingertip tapped a coin against the table's surface.
Wilson wasn't in a hurry. He waited for the girl's reaction amidst the rhythmic, crisp clinking, looking as though he held all the winning cards.
Eventually, Xu Xiaoyou broke the silence:
"So, what do you want?"
"Take a look at these photos."
Wilson didn't answer her question directly. He unhurriedly pushed a stack of photos across the table.
They were bloody images. Set against a backdrop of bright red liquid gel were countless terrified faces. These people seemed to have witnessed something of extreme horror before their deaths; every one of them looked mangled and desperate.
Even though Xu Xiaoyou was used to such scenes, she still felt a surge of psychological discomfort.
"Do you know what this is?"
"Alley No. 5," Xu Xiaoyou said calmly.
"Good that you know. Saves me the explanation."
"They were all employees of the security department's Section C. These photos were sent back by the neural crystal recorders they were wearing before they died."
"I see."
Only company employees who signed lifetime agreements with Universal Heavy Industries would undergo neural crystal chip surgery. Once connected to the nervous system, these chips could turn a person into a machine, granting them enhanced motor coordination and sharper senses.
Similarly, like machines, they were controlled by Universal Heavy Industries through these chips. Should they ever attempt to defy company orders or escape control, a single command could dissolve their brains into mush inside their skulls.
Only those driven to desperation, whose debts to the company were too massive to ever repay, would sign such a slave-like agreement, selling their souls to the corporation.
These expendable employees were mostly placed in the security department, with a few exceptionally capable ones being assigned to the headquarters' Special Operations Section.
Xu Xiaoyou responded without showing any emotion.
"And? It’s not like Alley No. 5 is specifically targeting them, is it?"
Wilson raised an eyebrow, fiddling with his sharp claws. After a long pause, he said:
"Those dismantlers in Alley No. 5 owe us money. About two hundred thousand credit points."
"You're saying a group of urban eldritch creatures borrowed money from Universal Heavy Industries and won't pay it back?" Xu Xiaoyou's face twitched slightly. "The company's business range sure is broad."
"And this sum, a full two hundred thousand—how was it even approved?"
"Knowing full well the other party is a bunch of urban eldritch creatures, didn't the company evaluate the risk?"
"How it was approved is none of your business." Wilson was indifferent. He pointed at Xu Xiaoyou and said, "Those people failed to get the money back. Now it's your turn to collect this debt."
So this was his purpose for calling her here!
Xu Xiaoyou's expression turned cold.
"That's impossible."
"Setting aside the fact that an urban legend like this would require at least a dozen grade 2 fixers to handle..."
"It's not even known if communication is possible. You know perfectly well this is an impossible task!"
"Yet you still sent so many employees to their deaths. If the existence of those monsters truly affected the company's development, you should have applied for support from the Special Operations Section at headquarters."
"I'm not negotiating with you."
Wilson suddenly interrupted.
He slowly rose, his massive frame looming over her. His thick, fur-covered arms braced against the desk, his voice dripping with threat.
"I recall that an investigator has been looking into the matter of those three fixers recently, hasn't she?"
"What does that have to do with me?" Xu Xiaoyou asked coldly.
"You know better than anyone whether it has anything to do with you."
Wilson paced the office before finally tapping the desk heavily.
"I guarantee that if I report you to that three-winged investigator, your secret will be exposed. Want to try your luck?"
"Are you threatening me?" Xu Xiaoyou clenched her fists.
"How can you call it a threat?" Wilson said smoothly. "This is an equal partnership."
"You are very capable—far more capable than Xu Nian ever was. Someone with a fake identity who just joined the company and, in less than a month, recovered so many debts, many of which were considered lost causes."
"A guy like Xu Nian could never do that. If I had to grade you, you'd certainly be far above an A-rank."
"Yes! You definitely have the capability of an S-rank employee."
"An S-rank employee should do S-rank things, like recovering the money from Alley No. 5. I'm entrusting you with this heavy responsibility precisely because I believe in you!"
Listening to the mocking tone, Xu Xiaoyou's expression remained unchanged.
"I know what you're worried about," Wilson continued. "I promise, as long as you can get that money back, I'll act as if the Xu Nian incident never happened."
"That investigator lady won't find out a thing."
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because you've proven your value!"
Wilson pressed down on the coin that had rolled from Xu Xiaoyou's hand onto the desk.
Heads up.
His narrow, emerald eyes glinted with a predator's sharpness.
"Only those with enough chips and enough value avoid being kicked off the gambling table."
"Am I right?"
Xu Xiaoyou clicked her tongue.
"You've been watching me since the day I entered the company?"
"To be honest, I used to be in the headquarters' Strategic Investment Department. I've always been sensitive to these things. I keep an eye on everyone with potential value."
Ultimately, Xu Xiaoyou accepted the debt collection task in silence.
Before walking out of the office, she slammed her hand onto the desk, staring dead at the wolf-man.
"Wilson! If you dare lie to me, I promise this will be the most regrettable thing you do in your life!"
"Don't worry. The company loves valuable employees; they treat them like national treasures. Whether you can prove your value depends on you, doesn't it?"
As Wilson spoke, he tossed the coin back to Xu Xiaoyou.
"Good luck. Oh, right. You only have three days. Don't say I didn't warn you."
...
In the bathroom.
Xu Xiaoyou lowered her head, the wolf-man's final words echoing in her ears. Her hands gripped the edge of the ivory-white ceramic sink so hard her knuckles turned pale.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Xu Xiaoyou did something uncharacteristic: she smiled and shook her head. She cupped some water and splashed it onto her face, the icy sensation helping her calm down.
This feeling of being controlled by someone else made her furious.
She had vaguely suspected that this matter might be related to the company, but she hadn't expected that damn Wilson to be the mastermind.
Why did he want to get rid of Xu Nian?
How did such a ridiculous loan even get approved?
At this moment, she felt like she was trapped in a vortex of thick haze, with chaotic thoughts popping up one after another.
Collecting a debt from a group of urban eldritch creatures? How absurd.
Xu Xiaoyou closed her eyes.
Three days.
It seemed she was left with only two paths.
Either she actually went to Alley No. 5 to collect a debt that was virtually impossible to recover.
Or her secret would be exposed, and she would have to face Bai Youyou's wrath.
Entering Alley No. 5 alone was no different from suicide; the man clearly wanted her dead.
As for the second path, the ending would likely be countless times more miserable than death.
An unsolvable crisis lay before her; no matter which path she chose, she would fall into an abyss.
What should she do?
Xu Xiaoyou thought calmly. Finally, her gaze fell upon the peace bracelet on her wrist...
Upon returning to the office, Glos looked agitated the moment she saw her.
"Nian! Are you serious? I heard you took on an S-rank debt collection commission, and it's related to that bloody Alley No. 5 from the news?"
"How dare you take on something so dangerous? Do you have a death wish?"
A bald, burly man beside her added, "While I can understand a young man being full of vigor and ambition..."
"Isn't this a bit too rushed?"
"How did you all find out..."
Before Xu Xiaoyou could finish, she realized this was surely Wilson's sick sense of humor. He had intentionally spread the news to leave her with no way out.
Feeling the eyes of everyone around her, Xu Xiaoyou fell silent.
Now, presumably, the entire security department knew about it.
Fine, fine. You like playing dirty, don't you? Fine by me.
When the attention of the crowd was no longer on her, she leaned against her desk.
"I'll take it one step at a time,"
Xu Xiaoyou thought as she dialed a string of numbers.
The call was declined twice. It wasn't until her third attempt that it was picked up.
The other end first emitted a nauseating sound, like two masses of slimy flesh being pressed together while soaked in a thick liquid.
Next came the breathing of some creature through a thick metal mask—heavy, like a wild beast's.
"Kata?"
It didn't sound like a human sound. It was like two pieces of rusted metal scraping against each other, ear-piercing and grating.
Linguistic Artist took effect at that moment. Those obscure, difficult-to-understand words were automatically translated into Chinese and echoed in Xu Xiaoyou's mind.
"Kata (Who is it?)"
"What's wrong, Ala?"
"I don't know. It seems like a cookie is calling?"
"A cookie? Oh, one of those idiots with two legs and two hands."
"Hee hee hee, I love eating cookies. Fold them together, sandwich cookie."
The other side was chaotic and noisy. The voices of these dismantlers were mashed together, sounding like hundreds of gramophones playing damaged old records simultaneously. It gave Xu Xiaoyou a headache.
She found it harder and harder to understand how these creatures had managed to get a loan from Universal Heavy Industries.
Listening closely, she could faintly hear the sound of a chainsaw revving and human screams.
"Food, stay quiet. You'll be joining our family soon."
Obscure, ethereal background noise echoed through the phone as a group of creatures chanted in unison, performing some kind of ritual.
"Should we hang up, or play with this cookie for a bit?"
"Hahaha, this moron definitely can't understand what we're saying. They wouldn't even know they're being insulted."
"Pay back the money." Xu Xiaoyou's head was throbbing from the noise. She rubbed her temples and suddenly interrupted. "Do you understand?"
"You bunch of idiots," she said, enunciating every word.
Her voice was likewise translated into their language.
The other end of the phone suddenly went silent.
"She understands us!!" one dismantler shrieked.
"Nio, that's impossible! Only family can understand the words of family. How could she understand what we're saying?"
"Could it be... she is our family?"
"What did she tell us to do?"
"She said, pay back the money."
"Gurgle gurgle?"
Beep— beep—
The call was disconnected.
No matter how many times Xu Xiaoyou dialed after that, the call was never picked up again.
She began to doubt if there was any real possibility of communicating with these creatures.
Are these dismantlers' cerebellums even fully developed?
"Honestly, every piece of garbage work lands on my head."
Xu Xiaoyou massaged her brow and set down the company phone.
At least she had confirmed that these dismantlers were social creatures with a certain level of cognitive ability and their own language.
Judging by their exchange, there seemed to be family divisions within their group.
To get the money, she at least had to determine the specific location of Alley No. 5 in the city.
This alley would activate and wake up every night at 8:15 PM. Before then, it surely had a fixed resting place.
If she hadn't misheard, the background of the call just now featured the sound of flowing water, intermittent echoes of dripping, and the clanging of pipes.
Xu Xiaoyou judged that they must be somewhere in the city's sewer system right now.
However, the city's underground drainage system was intricate and complex, like a giant labyrinth. Trying to find that group of dismantlers through this single clue was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
She had to think of a way to pinpoint their exact location...
Time flew, and night soon arrived.
In the company's underground garage.
The air was filled with a faint smell of gasoline and damp mold.
Dim white lights illuminated this man-made cavern, where rows of vehicles sat silently, casting long shadows.
Very few employees came here after work. At this moment, not a single person was in sight.
To them, the credit points required for a float-car were enough to take a lifetime of hard labor.
Purchasing a float-car just for a daily commute was pointless for most.
Only those in the high ranks of power could enjoy the luxuries of life in this city.
In the empty underground garage, the wolf-man's footsteps echoed, heavy and sluggish.
Wilson's figure passed through the pillars. He arrived at his car, drunk and swaying, looking as if a gentle push would knock him over.
He gave a boozy belch and leaned against the vehicle.
"Damn... those old fogies... can really drink. I think I overdid it."
This wolf-man manager was very concerned with appearances. This Skyline Wanderer Rolls was one of only twenty in the entire hive city, worth millions of credit points—a dream far out of reach for countless people at the bottom.
He held his breath and looked up. Just as he was fumbling for his car keys, his gaze caught something in the side mirror.
"Huh?"
Wilson rubbed his eyes and spun around. Nothing was there.
Had he seen wrong?
He thought he saw someone in a hoodie standing behind him, with a few strands of long golden hair peeking out from the hood...
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
In the car's mirror, that hooded figure appeared once more. A ball of fire ignited in their hand, roaring toward his head.
"Holy shit!!!"
In a panic, Wilson instinctively rolled to the side. The scorching flame grazed his sideburns, leaving them singed and blackened.
BOOM—
The fireball exploded in the distance with a violent roar.
The alarms of every car parked in the garage went off, creating a cacophony of shrieks.
"Are you crazy!?"
Wilson screamed at the blonde girl. He lay on the ground in a pathetic heap, using his hands to crawl backward.
The wolf-man manager was now a mess, his face crawling with terror. Where was any trace of that smug, self-assured man from earlier that day?
Xu Xiaoyou was expressionless. She silently pulled down her hood, concealing her face, and walked toward Wilson one step at a time.
As expected, compared to solving a problem...
She much preferred solving the person who caused the problem.
Thinking about this and that was a massive pain.
Walking this path or that path—no one could force her to take a path she didn't want.
She only walked her own path.
Xu Xiaoyou looked down at Wilson, who had retreated into a corner against the wall.
As long as she got rid of this company manager without anyone knowing...
No one would ever discover her secret.
Rate on N.U.
