Chapter 48: The Girl in Red

“Ah this…”

For a split second Lu Xin thought Gecko was trying to kill himself.

He stretched his neck to look, only to see that just as Gecko’s body was about to hit the ground he quickly reached out grabbed onto the water tower with uncanny precision catching a protrusion. His body then twisted strangely in mid-air landing his feet on the tower itself. It was as if he’d redirected his downward momentum, effortlessly launching himself outward.

Beneath the Red Moon he scuttled rapidly and strangely towards the factory building like an odd insect.

“We should also…”

Lu Xin had just turned to glance at his Sister when he saw her staring intently in the direction Gecko had left seemingly a bit angry.

She suddenly grabbed Lu Xin and the siblings leaped high into the air. As they descended they landed perfectly on an electric wire stretched beside the water tower. Using both hands and feet they scrambled along the wire like phantoms rushing towards the factory building just as quickly.

Lu Xin entered the factory building just a step behind Gecko.

At that moment following Zheng Yuanxiong’s collapse a bizarre atmosphere settled over the entire factory floor.

Although Zheng Yuanxiong had fainted all the workers continued woodenly mechanically processing the work before them. The whole factory reeked of an acrid pungent smell mixed with the heavy stench of blood and even urine.

They were so busy they didn’t even have time for bathroom breaks resorting to relieving themselves right where they stood.

As for Gecko and Lu Xin who had just entered the factory the workers didn’t even spare them a glance.

“Knocking out Zheng Yuanxiong with the tranquilizer gun is only the first step!”

Tie Cui’s voice came through the channel: “Because Zheng Yuanxiong has shown clear signs of Mental Alteration and is extremely close to Loss of Control the effect of this tranquilizer which could knock out an elephant for three days is uncertain. He could wake up at any moment. To be safe we need to put a special containment device on him to prevent him from affecting others again…”

“And what you need to do is…”

While listening to Linda’s words Lu Xin closely followed Gecko arriving at Zheng Yuanxiong’s side.

By the time Linda said the words “keep watch for him” Lu Xin was already standing beside Gecko warily scanning the surroundings.

…

…

Gecko’s movements were quick and agile. Reaching the unconscious Zheng Yuanxiong he immediately flicked his foot hooking Zheng Yuanxiong’s neck up then placed the iron and glass hood over his head. That wasn’t all. With a swift motion of his hands he retrieved two pairs of handcuffs and a pair of leg shackles from under his leather jacket fastening them all onto Zheng Yuanxiong.

Seeing Zheng Yuanxiong trussed up like that Lu Xin was quite certain that even if he woke up it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

“Haha, done…”

After finishing all this Gecko sat down on the ground rather pleased with himself tilting his head back cockily.

“Bro am I awesome or what?”

He looked genuinely wild at that moment.

But Lu Xin felt that Gecko deserved to brag a little right now. After all watching him handle this pollution incident although he’d been rambling nonstop he truly hadn’t wasted a single second or made any mistakes.

“This is what you call professional…”

Lu Xin thought vaguely looking forward to becoming that professional himself one day.

“Well done!”

Linda’s emotionless praise came through the channel followed by: “Send in the Support Team immediately!”

“Ah the almighty Support Team…”

Gecko said with a chuckle then looked up at Lu Xin. “Bro wanna grab a drink somewhere later?”

Just as Lu Xin was about to agree his Sister suddenly tugged him gently.

He turned around and then froze slightly seeing a nearby office desk.

Underneath that cluttered desk piled high with various documents and bills huddled a small young girl in a red dress.

She looked only seven or eight years old clutching a cloth doll with a body woven from coarse cotton thread two buttons for eyes and wearing a clean little red dress. Her two dark eyes stared timidly towards Lu Xin and Gecko looking somewhat scared and also somewhat puzzled. In a small voice she asked “Big brothers why aren’t you working?”

“Who is she?”

A great sense of surprise mixed with wariness instantly arose in Lu Xin’s heart.

Right now everyone in the entire factory except Zheng Yuanxiong was working frantically uncontrollably. Even though Zheng Yuanxiong had fainted they were still repeating their previous orders. But… why was there a little girl here?

“There’s a little girl here…”

Just then Gecko also spotted her his expression turning extremely strange as he spoke lowly into the channel.

“What little girl?”

Linda’s voice on the channel turned slightly grave.

“Looks seven or eight years old wearing a red dress two little braids… has a mole between her eyebrows…”

Gecko described her quickly and quietly while gently raising his hand intending to take her picture.

But the little girl under the desk had already slowly crawled out by this time. She just looked quietly at Lu Xin and Gecko before her tilted her head slightly and said softly “Big brothers everyone else is working why are you…”

“…not working?”

…

As her voice sounded the entire factory suddenly became exceptionally quiet.

Only the sound of machinery turning continued.

At this moment all the busy workers stopped what they were doing. Then woodenly uniformly they turned their heads to look at Lu Xin and Gecko as if only now noticing these two outsiders or rather these two people who weren’t working.

Then some expressions gradually twisted while others turned angry their hateful and sinister gazes fixed upon them…

This bizarre change made Gecko’s raised hand freeze slightly preventing him from making any further obvious movements.

“A little girl with a mole between her eyebrows?”

Linda’s voice came through the channel: “The materials indicate Zheng Yuanxiong had one daughter eight years old.”

Her voice paused slightly seeming to tremble: “But she died a year ago…”

“The cause of death was… because Zheng Yuanxiong was busy with work and neglected her care leading to her trying to retrieve a certain plush toy…”

“…and getting caught in the machinery!”

…

The glaring lights the hollow monotonous whirring of the machines the hateful and angry glares of the surrounding workers.

The little girl’s strange questioning expression right before them.

All of this formed a visually intense and absurd composition.

Gecko’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly his voice low as if afraid of startling something: “Secondary Pollution Source…”