Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
After Jia Lu raised her hand, Tu Zheng, Yu Wangyuan, and the others showed their paper slips respectively—all blank.
Seeing that Lou Cheng and Jia Lu didn’t have violent objections, Zhang Shouyan heaved a surreptitious sigh of relief. Smiling, he said, “Then it’s decided. Come to the club as usual tomorrow. Transport will be provided to send you there. The people in charge on the other side will tell you the details of the arrangement.”
“Alright.” Since he’d joined the Longhu Club, Lou Cheng had mentally prepared himself to earn his keep and take on similar tasks. Plus, it wasn’t dangerous and would only cost him a weekend.
He watched as Zhang Shouyan left, then took out his phone and related his misfortune to Yan Zheke.
She quickly replied with a [covers mouth forcefully] emoji.
“I’m not laughing!”
Lou Cheng laughed for a moment and replied with a [sighs while covering face] emoji.
“Ke Ke, you have changed! You didn’t use to be like this! In the past, you would only console me!”
“...Since when did you master all my lines...[sits with a blank expression]”
The idle chat helped Lou Cheng forget his bit of unhappiness. He began researching about the Samanno Royal Family as he consumed his meal, getting into a lively discussion with his wife.
The morning of the following day, when he was done with his training, he arrived at the club in the familiar multi-purpose vehicle. Jia Lu was in loose-fitting black overalls, her hair tied into a ponytail. Her bright and moist eyes had faint signs of makeup around them. In her hand was a sheathed dagger, adding gallantry to her manners. Still, she stayed true to her indifferent, spectator-like attitude.
“You are dressed rather professionally,” she laughed softly after giving Lou Cheng a once-over.
Lou Cheng was mainly in loose clothing too, but not in his martial arts suit, since that would be too telling of his identity, and navy-blue suited him well.
“You too,” Lou Cheng replied out of courtesy.
“Sigh. It’s honestly such a bother. Wouldn’t this time be much better spent studying kungfu, or practicing some moves?” Jia Lu said, flourishing the dagger in her hand.
Currently, she was in the phase where she desired self-improvement the most and desperately wished that there were no interferences!
There always has been, and always will be, feelings of competitiveness brought by a competitive environment, but that feeling also comes in highs and lows. It’s impossible for it to remain intense over time. When a few people have known each other for some time, the desire to compete dies down, just like how it was like in the Reserve Team before a newcomer came in and roiled the calm waters. That’s what made the competition alive and active again.
Because of that, Jia Lu felt threatened by Lou Cheng’s presence, which helped her notice that everyone else was working hard. Of course, she wasn’t willing to take things easily or procrastinate.
Lou Cheng smiled, saying, “Can’t help it, it’s been decided. It will only ruin your mood if you dwell on it. Just take it as a change of pace—winding up for the future.
“Guess that’s the only way—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a black sedan had pulled up before them.
“Good morning to the two of you!” greeted a smiling man. His upper and lower leg were almost of the same thickness.
He had a ponytail as well and wore Hawaiian-styled shorts and violet-framed glasses. He looked more like a director than a security company employee. Of course, the likeness would be greater had he not equipped a gun...
“Hello.” Lou Cheng and Jia Lu returned the greeting politely, putting on their game face.
“I apologize for troubling the two of you. We’ll talk in the car,” said the ponytailed man, displaying his identification.
As Inhuman Mighty Ones, their boldness could only match their capabilities. Also, they noticed that the driver was the familiar Zhang Shouyan from the External Affairs Team, so they sat into the backseats casually.
The ponytailed man shut the door, then went to the front passenger seat. Turning his head around, he said, “I’m Xue Jian. I used to be from the club too. Currently, I’m working in a security company. You don’t have to be too stressed out by the mission this time around, since everything will be dealt with by professionals. You just have to act according to the plan and remain within a certain radius, so that if anything really happens, there would be an immediate response from our side... There are more people and activities in the day, so it’s best if both of you are on duty. At night, you can take shifts. The Samanno Royal Family will return to Europe on Monday morning...”
Nodding at his words, Lou Cheng and Jia Lu’s expressions relaxed. After Xue Jian was done with the briefing, they clarified some things with him before taking out their phones at the same time and minding their own business.
In the hours that followed, they went to the airport, then the hotel, where they finally arrived at the large banquet hall. Throughout that time, they didn’t have to monitor the surveillance systems or be on alert. There were others in charge of those things.
To put it plainly, before any accidents happen, they were only there to fill the numbers.
The chandelier shone brightly like crystals. In the luxurious yet unostentatious banquet hall, Lou Cheng and Jia Lu stood in a corner, wearing indiscernible earphones, like the most ordinary of security guards.
Still, they were only like security guards. Lou Cheng, without an ounce of professionalism, was smiling as he stared at his phone, rapidly typing. At times, he narrowed his eyes to a half-opened state, using whatever chance he could find to ponder about the remaining secret arts in the Fire Sect Dan Stage Chapters. The simulation played out in his mind.
For the 39th time on that day, Jia Lu began pacing up and down.
Looking to her side, she asked, curious and in awe,
“Aren’t you feeling bored?”
“A little?” replied Lou Cheng with a look that bespoke incomprehension.
“You seem rather—rather comfortable?” said Jia Lu after trying to recall the word “self-amusement” and failing to.
That’s because I have a wife... Perhaps what you need is a boyfriend... Lou Cheng jested to himself. “Does it really matter where I play my phone?”
“...” Jia Lu was rendered speechless at first, then said meaningfully,
“In my martial arts school, the ones who are addicted to their phones get hit on the palm.”
“You guys sure had it hard,” commented Lou Cheng, completely oblivious of the shade thrown at him. Smiling, he pointed his chin before him. “Just enjoy the view then. Come to think of it, the members of the Sammano Royal Family are rather good-looking.”
They were, in fact, not just rather good-looking, but handsome men and beautiful women with dark hair and scarlet eyes. They were more than qualified to be on the big or small screen!
“It gets dull after a while... Right now, all I want to do is get into a stance and practice a set of moves,” said Jia Lu as she looked ahead sullenly. It was the feeling of being lonely in the most bustling place.
Lou Cheng’s mouth twitched. Before he could make fun of her, Xue Jian’s voice came from his earphone.
“Look to your nine. There’s a young prince acting suspiciously. He’s a powerful supernatural ability user. One of you should follow him. If he wants to go out or is up to no good, please show up to stop him.”
“Got it,” acknowledged Lou Cheng. He turned to Jia Lu, signaling her with eye movement— Weren’t you feeling bored? Here’s your chance!
Jia Lu turned her head away, pretending to have seen and heard nothing.
You only want trouble until it actually knocks on the door... Lou Cheng derided internally. He walked towards where Xue Jian described and saw a boy of about 13 to 14 sidling towards the washroom.
He was in a tuxedo with a red bowtie, his dark hair spiking to the back. His scarlet eyes were like gemstones, betraying a hint of childishness despite his meticulous manner.
“...That’s him—Prince Sinde. Follow him, but keep your distance for now,” Xue Jian affirmed through the earphone.
Lou Cheng massaged his ear, then slowed down in his movements as he followed Prince Sinde into the passageway leading to the washroom.
After a few steps, he saw his target’s ears twitch before he turned directions and concealed himself in the shadow outside the female washroom. His body then turned dark quickly, as though blending into the shadow, but that was only a relative description since Lou Cheng could still see the outline of his silhouette clearly.
He stood there, completely still, with his shoulders and back shrunken in, as though he was already invisible.
You think I’m blind or something... thought Lou Cheng with a blank expression. He hesitated shortly, but still went up to him, smiling as he said,
“Excuse me, but this is the female bathroom. The male bathroom is further ahead.”
Prince Sinde’s body gradually became visible again. With a stunned expression, he asked,
“You can see me?”
Well, I’m not blind... Lou Cheng found himself at a loss of words.
Troubled, Prince Sinde blinked his scarlet eyes.
“People always said my Shadowify powers are extraordinary and they couldn’t see me at all... I get it! You must be a very, very powerful Mighty One!”
I am more than willing to accept your assessment of me, but that didn’t have anything to do with being a Mighty One... Anyone with normal eyesight would have seen you...’People’? Those ‘people’ should really have an eye checkup! Lou Cheng squeezed a smile.
“As you say.”
“I knew I could meet a Mighty One this way...” mumbled Prince Sinde, showing a childlike smile. Wait, no, he is a child. “Mister, can you be my opponent? I want to test out my powers. No, no, no! Not a battle! I just wish to know what level my supernatural abilities are at! My relatives, friends, and servants are always going easy on me, so I never quite sure. Mister, mister, pretty please?”
Wide-eyed and gaping, Lou Cheng whispered into the miniature microphone at his collar.
“Calling HQ.”
“What is it?” On the other side, Xue Jian immediately got nervous.
Choosing his words carefully, Lou Cheng said, “I think I ran into a scammer...”