When Carey regained consciousness, he found himself handcuffed to a chair, his wrists shackled behind his back by none other than Xiao Feng's restraints.
He shook his head and looked at Kelly in confusion. "Sister... why would you do this?"
Dressed in a form-fitting black leather outfit that accentuated every curve of her figure, Kelly's expression remained cold. "I'm sorry, brother... I've fallen in love with Xiao Feng."
Her words stunned both men, though Carey's astonishment far outweighed Xiao Feng's. He blurted out, anxious and disbelieving, "Sister, I don't understand... How could you fall for him? Don't you realize? He's a rogue ability-user. His fate is lifelong imprisonment!"
"I know," she replied calmly. "But as long as he's never caught, then there's nothing to fear... is there?"
They quarreled. "Yes," Carey countered, "he's safe only if he remains free. But can you protect him for three days? Five? Ten? Can you guard him for a lifetime?"
Before Kelly could respond, Xiao Feng, visibly irritated, stepped forward. He looked directly at Carey's angry, helpless expression, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You need to understand something, Carey—I don't need your sister to protect me. On the contrary, I will be the one protecting her. Perhaps I lack the strength now, but that won't always be the case. You've seen it—I possess more than just speed now. I have electrical powers as well. Do you know why?"
Startled by Xiao Feng's self-assurance, Carey blinked. "Why?"
Xiao Feng leaned in and whispered a few words into Carey's ear. The moment he heard them, Carey's face filled with disbelief.
—
A few minutes later, Carey was rubbing his wrists and straightening his sharp black suit. He glanced at Kelly with a bitter smile. "I never thought you'd go so far as to side with an outsider against your own brother."
Kelly offered an apologetic smile. "You were going to hurt him, weren't you?"
"Tch. He was the one about to attack me! Enough small talk—our priority now is to get Xiao Feng out of the city. It's far too dangerous for him to stay."
"You're right," Kelly nodded. "But the city is under lockdown. How are we supposed to smuggle him out?"
Carey fell into silent thought.
Xiao Feng chuckled. "You don't have to smuggle me anywhere. I'll leave tonight—on my own."
Kelly asked, "Where will you go?"
"Back to the X Mercenary Corps."
"But Henry will send people after you again!"
"Then I'll kill whoever dares to come for me," Xiao Feng replied with a cold smile, void of any jest.
Carey shook his head. "That's not a solution. Henry has already deployed fourth-level ability users. He also has access to elite fifth- and sixth-level operatives. They're stationed at the Alliance headquarters, but if Henry makes the call, they can be flown in within five hours. You couldn't even defeat Charles—what chance would you have against the elites? They're living weapons. If those agents are dispatched, it means you're already marked for execution."
Xiao Feng remained unfazed. "To be honest, I welcome the challenge. Only by facing stronger foes can I unlock greater power."
Carey and Kelly fell silent. There was no persuading Xiao Feng. All they could do was let him follow his own path. With four or five hours remaining until nightfall, they hoped that under cover of darkness, he might just slip away unnoticed.
But they had duties to attend to. Both Kelly and Carey needed to report back to the sub-bureau, or face disciplinary action.
They left Xiao Feng behind and drove to the Bureau of Ability-User Affairs. As they stepped out of the car in front of the First Division building, they spotted Charles emerging from the entrance.
Charles sneered as he saw them. "Well, look who it is—the useless sibling duo. Guess what? I finished the mission you two failed. Impressive, right? How do you even have the gall to show your faces here? This division doesn't shelter incompetents."
Carey's eyes flashed with a cold gleam. "Watch your mouth, Charles, or I'll end you."
Feigning fear, Charles patted his chest dramatically. "Ooooh, I'm shaking, little Carey. You've terrified me."
"You're one to boast," Carey snapped back. "Didn't Xiao Feng and his people chop off one of your arms?"
Charles lifted the arm in question, which now appeared perfectly intact. "Impressive, isn't it? William grafted a new one on me, and Director Henry healed it with his ability. It's as good as new—maybe even stronger. Absolutely perfect." He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a thick, muscular arm, the sheer size and definition rivaling even White's.
Kelly gave Charles a withering glare and said coolly to Carey, "Enough with him. Let's collect our assignment."
Carey nodded, brushing past Charles without another word.
From behind, Charles let his eyes roam shamelessly over Kelly's figure, licking his lips with lascivious intent.
—
When White and the others finally emerged from the sewers, they were cloaked in a stench so foul that even Lin grimaced. "Damn it! If anyone ever tells me to crawl through a sewer again, I'll kill them."
White chuckled. As a seasoned free hunter, he'd braved far worse. "Now that we're inside the city, how do we find Xiao Feng?"
Lin spat on the ground and said, "First, we need a shower and clean clothes. This smell is intolerable."
White frowned. "This isn't the time for bathing. We should rescue Xiao Feng."
"Relax. I have my ways," Lin said. "But first—showers."
Lin, evidently familiar with Black Whale City, led the group to a public bathhouse, one of the few that offered unlimited hot water during the biting winter. On the way, he purchased a change of clothes for each member of the team.
Now soaking in the warmth of the bath's steaming pools were Lin, White, Rice, Storm, and another K-unit member known as Thunder Eye. Lin's expression was one of sheer bliss.
Impatient, White asked, "When do we move?"
"We wait until nightfall," Lin replied calmly. "Then we strike."