Chapter 475: Whispers of Deceit and the Cold Night

After saying goodbye to Lu Xin, Han Bing walked into the hotel with a smile.

As she stepped into the elevator, the smile on her face began to fade and the ringing of her satellite phone started.

Yet Han Bing did not answer. Instead, she strode down the long corridor and returned straight to her room…

She took off her jacket and hung it on a coat hanger, then unfastened her riding boots.

Pouring herself a glass of water, she sat silently in the room, lost in thought for a long while.

Suddenly, the phone in her room began to ring with short, insistent bursts, as if someone were urgently pressing her.

Han Bing took a deep breath, grabbed a crumpled piece of paper nearby, and formed it into a small paper ball before flicking it away.

The paper ball hit the phone’s speaker button, and then a calm voice echoed through the room:

“You’re too slow to pick up.”

Han Bing gently rubbed her forehead and said, “After all, I’m technically on leave now.”

“For our work, there’s no such thing as a day off.”

The voice on the phone continued, “How did your close encounter with Mr. Lone Soldier turn out?”

Han Bing paused before replying, “He’s a good man.”

“Your response doesn’t seem very rational.”

After a brief pause, the voice added in a low tone, “You know I can listen in on your conversations. Your trip to Second Satellite City was meant to get you up close and personal—assessing Mr. Lone Soldier’s stability and gauging his true feelings.”

“You didn’t execute the mission well. In the end, your questioning might have raised his suspicions.”

Han Bing just listened in silence without replying.

Unable to wait for her response, the person on the other end added:

“Besides, this isn’t the first time you’ve breached our communication protocol with Mr. Lone Soldier recently.”

“…”

“Phew…”

Finally, Han Bing spoke up, tugging at her hair in exasperation.

“Because I’m really getting frustrated.”

She added with a note of disgust, “I can’t keep pretending anymore.”

“Compared to the identity and rules you’ve been assigned, I’d rather approach him as my true self.”

“Maybe your plan was flawed from the start. What exactly do you expect me to do?”

“Act as a simple little girl to get close to him, keep him company when he feels lonely, and counsel him…”

“Even to the point of making him fall for me?”

“After you notice some special connection between him and that kid, you rush to pull me out?”

“Are we expendable agents willing to sacrifice everything for the mission, or are we meant to be stabilizers for these dangerous Ability Users?”

“…”

Listening to Han Bing’s response, the voice on the phone fell silent for a moment.

Then, in a somewhat detached tone, it said, “You should have anticipated this when you accepted the job.”

“Ability Users cannot be confined and controlled like soldiers or agents, yet they wield immense power.”

“That’s why we must seek other forms of insurance.”

“In a way, you can see this as an unsolvable sorrow.”

“…”

“I used to be prepared for it, just like everyone else.”

Han Bing seemed to ponder her words, sighing softly before continuing, “But now, I can’t agree with that decision.”

“On a personal level, Mr. Lone Soldier is kind and sincere—I can’t keep acting in front of him.”

“I’d rather be real with him.”

“Work-wise, Mr. Lone Soldier might not be as dull or insensitive as you think.”

“Do you really believe he doesn’t notice our forced pleasantries and artificial closeness?”

“…”

After a long pause, the voice on the phone said in a low tone, “But according to the data, he enjoys talking with you.”

“Different…”

Han Bing raised her hand slightly and, with a frustrated feint, said, “I don’t even know how to describe it.”

“Maybe what he likes is just our way of communicating…”

“But that method might open up opportunities, yet it fails to let me truly understand him.”

“…”

“Your mission did include understanding him, but only for analysis.”

The voice on the other end turned serious:

“If you lose your sense of boundaries, you might fall into a different trap.”

“You need to realize that you’re dealing not just with a person, but with a powerful Ability User.”

“Or perhaps even someone with deep-seated mental issues.”

“Only rational words and meticulous planning can steer things toward the outcome we all desire.”

“…”

Han Bing’s irritation grew as she said, “Rationality only breeds distance and indifference.”

“Every recruited Ability User has an intel specialist meant to buffer or placate them.”

“But have you ever considered that from another angle, each Ability User…”

“…is caught in a web of deceit?”

“…”

It was as if she had thought over this question countless times before blurting it out.

The person on the other end replied, “We mean no harm to them.”

Han Bing immediately retorted, “A harmless scam is still a deception!”

The voice fell silent for a long moment before saying, “We’ll revisit that issue later.”

“Right now, I need to know from your observation: will he impact the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan?”

“…”

Han Bing exhaled deeply and, after a long pause, whispered, “He’s a man who truly loves life. What do you think?”

The voice on the other end remained silent, punctuated only by the sound of rapid typing.

In that quiet moment, Han Bing sighed softly, “Do you know what I find most tragic?”

“Many of us don’t believe in Ability Users, yet we force ourselves to believe…”

“…”

“Your heart is in chaos; your performance is utterly unsatisfactory.”

From the other end came the voice again, “I remind you, you have one last chance to quit.”

“I won’t quit.”

Han Bing answered without hesitation.

After a moment of silence, she suddenly stood up and slipped her boots back on.

Sensing the change on her end, the voice asked nervously, “What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to find a bowl of wontons.”

With a slightly annoyed tone, Han Bing said, “Because you want me to appear pure and adorable, I didn’t even have enough to eat earlier.”

The voice fell silent for a moment before adding,

“It’s late, so be careful.”

“Also, I shouldn’t have to remind you: you are not allowed to meet Mr. Lone Soldier privately without our permission.”

“…”

Han Bing hung up the phone abruptly.

She stepped out of the building and pulled her white down jacket tightly around her.

Walking along the dimly lit streets of Second Satellite City, she searched for a wonton stand—a food spot that should be easy to find in this city.

The streetlights stretched her shadow long, and the crisp sound of her riding boots on the pavement rang out.

On this chilly night, her face seemed unable to light up with joy.

Her mind replayed Lu Xin’s sincere smile when facing her, and every time she had cautiously planned every word before speaking to him, filling her with inexplicable irritation and a hint of oppression.

Looking up, she saw a grand, imposing city under the dim glow of the Red Moon, as rigid as iron laws.

Yet the soft glow of the Red Moon subtly distorted the spires of distant buildings.

Han Bing’s mood worsened; she wasn’t sure if she had come out for wontons or merely to catch some cold air.

“Hey, little beauty…”

Not far away, a whistle pierced the air as several people huddled around a metal bucket for warmth. Some had oddly dyed hair, others sported exaggerated nose and ear rings, while one carried a bottle, clearly drunk.

Unwittingly, she had ended up on this deserted street, encountering these dangerous characters once again.

Seeing this group—the very kind of notorious figures even Lu Xin would avoid—she momentarily froze.

Then a sweet smile spread across her face as she waved at them:

“Hello there…”

Placing her hands near her mouth, she chuckled softly, “It’s so cold tonight…”

The small-time thugs were visibly startled by her friendly smile.

They hadn’t expected such an approachable and charming girl to be so forward.

“Oh my…”

Surprised and elated, a stream of cheeky remarks burst forth from their lips.

Then, noticing Han Bing’s bright eyes and bashful smile, one of them ventured:

“So, if I were to rough you up a bit to warm you up, you wouldn’t refuse, right?”

“…”

The little thug froze, and before he could speak, a small, white fist struck him with precise force.

“Thwack!”

One thug’s nose was hit; his eyes starred and tears streamed as he crouched on the ground.

The other thugs were shocked and quickly closed in. Yet among this group of streetwise, albeit slight, tough guys, Han Bing moved with remarkable agility. She casually seized a bottle and smashed it onto a drunkard’s head. Then, with a swift side kick, she sent another thug flying.

Clashing against a metal bucket, sparks and embers scattered. Against the backdrop of flickering flames, Han Bing’s face wore a cool, determined expression.

In under ten seconds, four or five thugs lay groaning on the ground.

None of them suffered any serious injuries.

“Somebody is risking their life for you, and you whistled at the girl in the back seat of his car?”

“Don’t ever do that again…”

Angrily, Han Bing kicked the leader once more, her mood noticeably lightened by the fight.

As she spoke, she pulled her down jacket tighter and briskly walked away.

……

……

Not far away, in a shadowy little alley where light couldn’t reach, Lu Xin sat quietly on an electric bike, watching.

“Actually…”

After a long while, he turned his head and murmured to a nearby empty wall, “I quite enjoy our way of communicating…”

“I never thought I’d cause her so much trouble, and I can’t even apologize…”

“Sigh…”