Ashes Residential Community

Cube stepped up to the door. Instead of opening it, he simply pressed his palm lightly against the cold metal panel.

The very next second, something miraculous occurred.

At the point of contact, the solid security door turned transparent, rippling like water. This transparency spread rapidly, forming a clear "window" about a meter square.

The scene outside was clearly revealed to everyone.

There were no nosy neighborhood committee aunties—only several fully armed personnel clad in tactical vests and wielding weapons.

Their positioning was tactical, fanning out in a formation that screamed "not police." They exuded a ruthless, death-defying aura typical of mercenaries who lived on the edge of the blade.

Cube’s gaze turned cold as he glanced back at Rose.

Rose didn't even look at him; she simply gave a slight nod.

The tacit understanding between them suggested they had rehearsed this moment thousands of times.

With a deft flip of her fingertips, three glinting throwing knives materialized between her fingers out of thin air.

With a flick of her wrist, the knives shot forward, slicing through the air with a faint whistle.

The three knives passed through the transparent section of the door created by Cube without the slightest resistance, as if the barrier didn't exist for them at all.

It was no wonder these two were partners; such a seamless Martial Soul fusion technique truly made them the perfect team.

*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*

Outside, the three mercenaries directly in front didn't even have time to react before the knives struck them precisely in the heart.

The immense impact sent them flying backward as if they had been hit head-on by a speeding truck, knocking over two of their companions standing behind them in the process.

The formation instantly fell into chaos.

"Fire!" Cube shouted in a low voice.

Old Bai immediately drew his gun and opened fire.

He didn't aim to kill; instead, his bullets drilled precisely into the arms and knee joints of the remaining enemies.

Screams of pain mixed with the clatter of dropped weapons.

Liu Zheng furrowed his brow. He didn't join the fight. Instead, he quickly scanned the layout of the living room before turning to Rose, who had already stood up.

"Is there another extraction point?"

Rose was already efficiently packing up the food containers on the table, as if the gunfight and screams outside had nothing to do with her.

"Yes." She slung a backpack over her shoulder. "Bring the beast along. Cube, lead the way!"

Cube walked to the front without hesitation.

Liu Zheng’s mind was still reeling regarding Cube's ability.

He only remembered that one second they were surrounded, and the next, Cube had led them through layers of space. By the time he came to his senses, they were already sitting in a speeding car.

His code name was Cube, but his actual ability was opening doors.

He possessed the ability to open a door anywhere.

Even though they had been surrounded, they broke out with ease, leaving no trace for anyone to follow.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Rose’s cool voice pulled Liu Zheng back from his shock. She fished a black taser out of the passenger side glove compartment and handed it back without turning her head.

"Give our prisoner a shock. He's carrying contraband."

Liu Zheng understood immediately and took the heavy device. Looking at the unconscious Frozen Killer in the back seat, he didn't hesitate for a moment. He pressed the taser against the guy's muscular kidney area and pulled the trigger.

*Zzzzt!*

The harsh sound of electric current exploded within the car cabin. Frozen Killer’s body arched violently like a fish out of water. His muscles spasmed wildly, yet only a suppressed groan escaped his throat.

This was an enhanced taser, too.

The guy's physical constitution was truly impressive; he didn't die even after a shock like that.

"Low-pulse tracker hidden under the skin. No wonder we couldn't find it during the search."

Cube glanced at the rearview mirror and yanked the steering wheel. The car deftly darted into a narrow alley, narrowly missing an oncoming truck.

"How often does that thing send a signal?"

"I don't know. To be safe, give him a recharge every minute," Rose said, fishing a lollipop out of the glove box and popping it into her mouth.

"Don't worry about the battery, we have plenty in the car. And that son of a bitch can take it."

Cube wove through the streets before merging onto the main road, heading toward Huizhou.

Evading the surveillance cameras in Pengcheng was their best option for now.

Rose was making a call.

"Boss, change the rendezvous point. Our location was compromised, and we're currently being pursued..."

It was obvious that Rose and Cube were accustomed to this sort of thing; they didn't show a hint of nervousness.

Her tone was as relaxed as if she were discussing what to have for dinner.

Liu Zheng’s mouth twitched, and he gave Frozen Killer another zap.

"We're supposed to be the good guys. Why are we scurrying around like rats?" Liu Zheng leaned back against the seat, feeling as if his internal organs were being shaken out of place.

Old Bai gazed out the window. "Does justice delayed count as justice?"

"Since justice runs slow, I have to step on the gas for it," Cube joked, surprisingly relaxed while driving.

"So, do you think those guys were from the Ning family?"

"They were mercenaries. You could tell at a glance they were just ordinary people with no special abilities—hired guns bought with money. The Ning family wouldn't be sloppy enough to leave a trail like that."

Cube frowned as he drove.

"If they dared to mobilize the police or the military, it wouldn't be people like us responding to it."

Over ten minutes later, the car silently glided into an almost entirely pitch-black residential complex.

The place was terrifyingly silent. Most of the windows were dark, making it look like an isolated island within the city.

The five of them got out of the car, dragging Frozen Killer, who was still twitching intermittently.

The silence following their narrow escape actually made Liu Zheng feel more on edge.

"I prepared this safe house in advance. A lot of people buy units here to use as columbaria—apartments for urns. It’s secure enough for us to wait for the rendezvous here."

The property management still operated normally, but they generally ignored vehicles entering or leaving.

After all, this was a famous "urn district."

A spot in a public cemetery only lasted twenty years before you had to pay renewal fees.

Buying an apartment to store ashes was much simpler.

The property rights lasted seventy years, and ashes didn't need any care; you just left them there.

Consequently, these "urn apartments" had suddenly become very popular.

The elevators and lights here worked perfectly fine.

It just felt a bit gloomy and cold.

Once they went upstairs and opened the door, Liu Zheng gave Frozen Killer another zap.

After the door was closed, Cube spoke up. "Let me handle it."

As he spoke, he placed his hand on Frozen Killer. The man's skin turned transparent.

Cube searched through the skin and muscle layers for the tracker.

Sure enough, he found a tiny tracking device embedded in Frozen Killer’s calf.

Cube reached directly in, plucked out the device, and crushed it with a gentle squeeze.

Rose walked over. "Even though we changed the location, the Boss has already arrived downstairs."