After I told the girls the truth about Lan Xiao Su and who she was, they all collectively sighed.
"And? Don't tell you're worried about her just because she helped you out a little," Feng Mian said. "You aren't that nice of a person."
"Uh...ouch?" I murmured. "But...you're right. That's not the only reason."
"Then what is?" Yu An Yan asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Her last na...Lan. I'm curious about what her relationship with Lan Gui Ying is. Of course, Lan Gui Ying is already dead, but..."
"Lan Gui Ying? Who's that?" Feng Mian raised an eyebrow. "Another girl we don't know about? Really, Xuan Kai?"
I quickly shook my head. "No, no...just ask Qing Yue, she knows."
Qing Yue nodded. "Mhm! Basically, Lan Gui Ying is Big Brother Xuan Kai's ex-fiancee...oh, but rest assured, the two of them don't like each other in any way. In fact, quite the opposite. Lan Gui Ying hates Xuan Kai."
"The feeling is mutual," I added.
"Right, and...well, that's all I know. I never heard anything about her dying," Qing Yue finished.
i Gui then spoke up. "Allow to explain. Long story short, Lan Gui Ying had been hit by the rainwater outside, and ended up transforming inside the mall. One thing led to another, and eventually the entire front half of this place burned up."
"So, in other words...this Lan Gui Ying person was the one who caused the fire?" Feng Mian deduced.
I shrugged. "Inadvertently, but yeah."
"And you think that Lan Xiao Su is sohow related to Lan Gui Ying, so you're determined to get to the end of this?" Yu An Yan followed up.
I nodded. "Well, it's not sothing I must do, but I feel like I should at least tell her Lan Gui Ying died, whatever their relationship is."
Qing Yue sighed. "Big Brother Xuan Kai, you do realize just because they have the sa last na, it doesn't necessarily an they are 100% related? There are many people out there with the sa surna."
"I know that, but...two of them in the sa city? I can't help but feel that's a bit weird. I don't know much about the Lan family except for the fact that they are a subsidiary family to the now-gone Xuan family, but I just have this gut feeling that Lan Xiao Su is sohow related to them."
"Gut...feeling..." Yu An Xue murmured, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
Oh, wait...this is an opportunity! A chance to get away and avoid having to tell them how I truly feel! Yes!
"Alright, look. I'll ask around, see if anyone's seen her in the mall...and if she isn't here, then...well, I'm not going out there again to look for her," I finally said. "This is just sothing I'm curious about, not like with you guys, where I..."
I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. The girls stared at in confusion, but I shook their gazes off, and stood up.
"A-Anyway, I'm going to go look around now. If you need for anything, just give a call or sothing. Peace."
Without waiting for a response, I left the dubious looks of the girls behind, and exited the cafe successfully without have that 'discussion' with them.
*****
Just as I was about to begin looking around, I felt a vibration coming from my pocket, where my phone was located.
You serious? I just got out, and you're already calling back...? Looks like they realized my true intentions of escaping that situation-
Hm? Wait. The caller...Song Qian Long?
After moving sowhere with less people around, I pressed the 'answer' button, and placed the phone over my ear. "Yes?"
"Kai Kai! Oh, thank the heavens...I finally got through to you," Song Qian Long's hoarse voice ca through over the call. "Since you are able to receive phone calls...I assu you are safe back in the Coastal tropolis?"
"Yeah," I replied. "I found Qing Yue and the Yu sisters as well."
"I see...good. You must be tired. I'll let you rest, then. Goodby-"
"Hold on, old geezer," I interrupted before he could hang up. "You definitely didn't call just to check in on , I can tell. There's sothing you need to tell , isn't there?"
"..." he fell silent, but didn't outright end the call, either. It seems my guess was on the mark.
"So?" I continued. "What happened?"
After a long silence, Song Qian Long let out a deep sigh. "This...it's better to et in person. Wait by the staircase leading up to the administrative floor."
If he wants to rendezvous there, then it must be sothing important, sothing no one else can hear...
"Got it. Heading over now," I replied briskly, before promptly hanging up and proceeding to the specified location.
*****
- Administrative Floor, The Coastal tropolis -
I leaned on the wall beside the door leading to the staircase heading upwards to the administrative floor of this mall. After around 5 minutes, Song Qian Long pushed open the locked door from the other side, and signaled for to enter. I complied, after making sure no one was looking our way.
Once we were safely on the administrative floor, Song Qian Long spoke. "Kai Kai, you rember the reconnaissance squad we sent out to the highway connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen, correct?"
I nodded. "They were pretty strong, too, if I recall."
"Indeed. Led by an early Golden Monarch stage, this mission was of utmost importance."
"And? What about them?"
Song Qian Long cast his gazed downwards, and clenched his fists. "...We lost contact them two hours ago."
I narrowed my gaze. "Lost contact? As in..."
He nodded. "Yes. They exited the city, and at approximately the ten kiloter mark on the highway, our communication was suddenly terminated. The last thing we heard...was a human scream, and a rush of static quickly following up. I'm afraid the people we sent...they have all been eliminated."
I fell into thought. "In other words...my guess about the Midnight Syndicate was correct. They are indeed using the highway to initiate Phase II of their plan."
Song Qian Long nodded. "And this occurred two hours ago. Assuming whatever it is the Midnight Syndicate is sending has the speed of an average walking human...they should be entering city borders right about now. It won't be long before they arrive at this safe zone."
"...And we don't stand a chance against whatever is coming?" I asked.
He closed his eyes. "Kai Kai...they say the unseen enemy is always the most fearso. But in this case, it is not just that we do not see them - we do not even know the first thing about them. The other city's reinforcents have just entered the city as well and are making their way over here as we speak, but even with them...the point is, we have no idea how powerful the enemy is."
I sighed. "Why are you telling this? I've already saved Qing Yue and the Yu sisters. I'm not going out there to fight again."
Song Qian Long nodded. "Yes, I and I do not wish for you to fight, either. I am rely informing you of this because you were the one who first ca up with this guess in the first place. The reconnaissance squad we sent...they died, but it was for a good reason. We can now confirm that the Midnight Syndicate is indeed on the move, and can anticipate where they will be coming from. If we do manage to fight them off by so miracle...a lot of the credit will go to you."
"Huh? I don't care about credit, though," I muttered. "And besides, I didn't really do all that much? Just the random guess of a 14-year-old. You can just chalk it up to luck.
My godfather chuckled. "If you were just any 14 year old and not my very own godson, I would've believed you there. But Kai Kai, I can confidently say you are not the type of kid to randomly spout whatever cos to his mind. Everything you say is thought about carefully before it cos out of your mouth...for better or worse."
'Thought about carefully', huh...I can't count the number of tis I've blundered in front of the girls, but...there's no point arguing with this old geezer here, anyway.
I sighed. "Whatever. Also...the Midnight Syndicate murdered my parents, and I will never forgive them for that, but I would like to avoid trouble until I'm stronger. Once that happens, I can hunt down every single one of them. That's why, for this battle - and this is just a suggestion - I think we should evacuate."
Song Qian Long frowned. "Evacuate? You an...leaving this city behind, and collectively moving sowhere else?"
I nodded. "If we can't beat them in a fight, we can at least run."
However, the mage known as the Dragon of Shenzhen imdiately stopped my words with a hand gesture.
"That proposal is not happening," he said defiantly. "This city...Shenzhen...it's where I grew up and where I call ho. I cannot just abandon it in dark tis, and I am sure many others feel the sa. We could evacuate all the citizens who truly wish to leave, but...I, along with the majority of others, will remain here to fight to the death with the accursed Midnight Syndicate."
I blinked a few tis, then sighed deeply. "Whatever. So be it. Like I said, it was just a suggestion."
With this, I turned around and left the administrative floor through the sa staircase.
Old geezer...you really are a fool. A brave yet stupid...fool. The line between courage and idiocy is very thin, and...I'm honestly not too sure which side of that line you're on. But one thing is clear - you are definitely soone I've co to respect, and although I don't want to admit it, I'm warming up to you as well, as your godson. At this point, you're practically family to .
Which is why...when the ti cos, you better not die, godfather.
...I don't want to lose any more family.
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