Cube and Rose

In Yanhuang Awakening, there was no such thing as an exact duplicate of an ability.

Even within the fire affinity, some could conjure fireballs, while others condensed fire spears. They were ever-changing, as varied and unique as the lines on one's palm.

Just like how there are no two identical fingerprints.

Liu Zheng tapped his fingertips lightly on the tabletop, producing a muffled thumping sound, his eyes fixed intently on a photo on the tablet.

In the photo, blood-red crystals spread from the wounds of a corpse. Their form was bizarre yet magnificent, with every sharp edge exuding a deadly chill.

"Are you sure this is the Frozen Killer's ability?" Liu Zheng's voice was heavy.

"It's all on record. I've reviewed it carefully. The crystallization pattern is exactly the same as in the files. The only difference is the wounds. The Frozen Killer uses a dagger and usually kills with a single strike; he wouldn't leave behind so many wounds like this."

Old Bai finally couldn't hold back. "What about the interrogation results? You guys interrogated the guy, you must have gotten something out of him."

The hooded man, however, shook his head.

"Strictly speaking, that wasn't a human. To be more precise, it was a beast—a beast that only follows orders."

"Then what do we do?"

Old Bai looked at Liu Zheng.

"We go to the Ning family manor again. There is definitely something wrong with that place. Sending people to guard an empty manor for no reason—if that's not a guilty conscience, what is?"

"I agree," the hooded man nodded.

"I'll go with you this time. Also, there's one more thing."

Liu Zheng and Old Bai both looked at the hooded man.

"The boss is on his way to Pengcheng, accompanied by interrogators transferred from out of town."

Old Bai and Liu Zheng exchanged a glance and nodded.

After a moment of silence, Liu Zheng rubbed his protesting stomach and suddenly smiled, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

"It's about time. Let's head out immediately after we eat."

Liu Zheng rubbed his stomach again.

This was actually the first time Liu Zheng and Old Bai had met the hooded man.

The man, codenamed Cube, was one of Dongfang Shuye's subordinates.

He was also one of the first people dispatched to Pengcheng.

Cube had not revealed his face to them, but Liu Zheng had already confirmed his identity with Dongfang Shuye.

Moreover, he had memorized Cube's energy fluctuations.

No one could hide themselves in front of him, Liu Zheng.

Leaving the basement, his phone vibrated. Liu Zheng casually picked it up to take a look.

It was full of messages sent by Shou Zhen.

Because there had been absolutely no signal in the basement earlier, he was immediately bombarded with messages the moment he stepped out.

After reading them all, Liu Zheng frowned.

Ning Qingcheng being taken away was one problem.

Ma Wenlong being a traitor was another.

But the most important problem was that the group of them had actually driven over here.

Ning Qingcheng had been sent to Pengcheng, but he still had to go to the Ning family manor tonight.

The plans were all completely messed up.

Thinking carefully, Liu Zheng casually asked, "I want to know, are you guys really planning to get to the bottom of this?"

Cube, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He slowly turned around, the shadows beneath his hood aimed at Liu Zheng like a silent beast.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm afraid of dying." Liu Zheng's expression was incredibly serious, without the slightest hint of a joke.

The air fell silent for two seconds.

Cube suddenly let out a cold sneer.

"Afraid of dying? You're trying to feel out the boss, wanting to know exactly what his attitude is toward the Ning family, right?"

Liu Zheng did not deny it, simply stating a fact calmly:

"The Dongfang family and the Ning family are both founding elders of Yanhuang Awakening. Caught in the middle, I'm nothing but an insignificant little shrimp."

He took a step forward, lowering his voice.

"Forget the Ning family, forget the Dongfang family. The boss is much more impartial than you imagine."

Facing the other party's oppressive aura, Liu Zheng slowly nodded.

This was exactly the answer he wanted.

Liu Zheng nodded and finally said, "Then there's a change in tonight's operation. Once Team Leader Dongfang arrives, there are some things I need to tell him."

The gaze from beneath Cube's hood scraped back and forth across Liu Zheng like a scalpel, as if trying to see right through him from the inside out.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

"Fine. It won't take long for him to get here from Yangcheng anyway."

Liu Zheng hadn't originally wanted to show his cards so soon, but Lin Mo and the others were already on their way.

There was another person in the room.

It was a woman wearing a gorgeous red dress. It was well-tailored, perfectly accentuating the curves of her figure.

She sat casually on the sofa with her long legs crossed. Rather than an agent of Yanhuang Awakening, she looked more like a wealthy heiress preparing to attend an evening banquet who had stumbled into this remote residence by mistake.

Seeing Liu Zheng and Old Bai enter, her red lips parted, her voice carrying a trace of laziness.

"All done? The boss is already on his way. Have something to eat first to pad your stomachs."

Liu Zheng's gaze fell upon the table, where several exquisitely packaged food boxes were laid out, their gold-stamped logos somewhat dazzling under the lights.

This made even him momentarily stunned.

Cube, however, was not the least bit polite. He walked over and directly lifted the lid of one of the boxes.

An aroma blending truffles and butter instantly filled the air. Inside lay an elegantly plated Beef Wellington and baked lobster; every dish looked like a work of art.

"Are your funds really this abundant?" Liu Zheng felt a bit speechless.

In his meager imagination, the absolute ceiling for a mission meal was a boxed lunch with four meat dishes and two veggies.

"Funds?"

The woman sneered, as if she had heard a joke. "With those pitiful peanuts the bureau gives us, what could we possibly buy? I paid for this out of my own pocket, so just eat with peace of mind."

Cube picked up his utensils and explained to Liu Zheng without looking up, "Rose comes from a very wealthy family. She really does look down on those peanuts they call funds."

As he spoke, Rose handed everyone a bottle of leaf beverage.

Looking at this leaf drink, Liu Zheng's eyelids twitched.

He remembered that when he left the Yangcheng branch office that day, Dongfang Shuye had also given him a bottle of this exact same thing.

It tasted bland and flavorless, but paired with the greasy dishes in front of him, it was just right to cut through the richness.

Liu Zheng discreetly pulled a yellow talisman paper folded into a triangle from his pocket, and taking advantage of the moment he lowered his head to pick up some food, swiftly stuck it to his waist.

Old Bai, standing to the side, also made a similar subtle movement.

After all, they had just received news that Ma Wenlong had used drugs to knock out Shou Zhen and the others.

Against knockout drugs, jadeite would be of no use.

Therefore, it was only natural for them to be wary of Cube and Rose.

The food was indeed excellent, but the group ate absentmindedly.

Right at that moment, someone suddenly knocked on the front door of the living room.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Hello! Is anyone home? We're from the neighborhood committee, here to verify resident information."

The voice outside the door sounded perfectly normal, even somewhat polite.

But Old Bai's hand gripping his chopsticks instantly tensed, and his other hand quietly reached for the gun grip at his lower back.

Cube, however, pressed down on his shoulder, signaling him to stay calm and not be rash.