At the Yueguang Operations Tower, Bao Wei sat alone, sipping coffee as he worked. The plan to eliminate their target had already begun. Eve's voice came through his headset at intervals.
"Fatty, I need the Yamamoto building layout."
"Alright, give me a sec." Bao Wei uploaded the image onto his monitor. "Okay, sending it now. And remember, you can just take the elevator. This isn't a video game where you're forced to detour. Or, if you're feeling like Feng, you could climb like a monkey in the wind. Your choice."
"Monkey in the wind? I'm not Sun Wukong, I'm just a small lady, not a mountain climber. I can use the elevator like anyone else!" Feng's voice snapped back.
"Small? At sixty-two kilos? That's your definition of petite, Kung Fu Queen?"
"Arghhh! When we're done, I'm going to kick your ass, you dumpling!"
"Heh, heh. Bao Master at your service. Fine, fine. I've got eyes on you through the CCTV. Once you starts, I'll shut down every camera in the building. You'll have five minutes to finish the job. Five minutes, that's all." Bao Wei narrowed his eyes at the monitor.
He saw Feng and Eve ascending in the glass elevator toward the business tower. Both wore yukata dresses in shades of violet and crimson. Eve leaned against the wall as the elevator rose, while Feng crouched to tie the straps of her high heels.
"You know Rose has a heart, just like anyone else," Feng murmured.
"I know," Eve replied. "He's more special than either of us."
"Yeah. More special than any other machine. But sometimes… you know… maybe you're not right for him."
"So you care about him too, just like I do. Don't overthink it, Mu Ling. We still have a mission."
"I wonder… do you still have a heart like his?" Feng's words hung in the air. The two locked eyes in silence until the elevator reached the top floor. Eve smiled mysteriously as she stepped out.
"You may be shorter than me, but your words stand tall. If your heart is bloody red like everyone else's… then what colour is mine? We'll find out when the job's done." She walked away, leaving Feng inside to continue upward.
"Black wouldn't be surprising." Feng muttered.
"Did you just insult me?" Bao Wei's voice cut in.
"No, Fatty. I just want to know which room Rose is in." Feng folded her arms, clearly annoyed.
Inside a suite, a geisha in white kimono adjusted her sleek black hair. Her pale face glowed under the city lights outside the window. Neon signs flickered, rain streaked across the glass, and kanji letters scrolled across the opposite building. He traced a single character into the condensation:
"心 (Heart)."
Knock, knock. A voice called from behind the door.
"Rose~ are you ready yet?" The sweet tone belonged to a woman outside, sharpening a tanto blade with his nail.
"How many of them?" the geisha asked coldly.
"Thirteen, including Tetsuo. Are you planning something?"
"Just a little gift. This is Hokkaido, the client wants good service, we deliver." Rose slid the blade into his sleeve. The door opened to reveal Feng, his hair tied in a bun, a black yukata draped over his frame. A tri-colored comb adorned his hair, and his left eye was a mechanical replacement, gleaming differently from the right.
"Let's go," Rose said.
They walked together down a glass corridor, reflections trailing behind them. A tall man in a pinstriped black suit blocked their path, half his face hidden behind a black mask. His eyes burned with hostility.
"What are you staring at? If you're thinking of callin' to your boss, no siree~" Feng quipped, pulling a tranquilizer pistol from under her thigh. But sparks crackled—the weapon shorted out.
"Damn it!" She tossed aside the useless gun and crushed a gray capsule in her hand. It unfolded into a red steel baton.
"I'll handle him," Rose said calmly. He darted forward, light as a panther. The man raised his firearm, but Rose deflected the barrel with one hand and drove the tanto into his chest. A sharp elbow strike to his ribs dropped him. As he fell, the corridor lights went out.
Bang! Dum! Dum! Taiko drums thundered from the banquet hall next door, masking the gunfire. Rose's face was smeared with crimson. He wiped it with his fingers, blending the blood into his makeup until it looked natural. Feng shivered at her eerie composure, so much like Eva's.
"My makeup doesn't smell of blood, does it?" Rose asked.
"Of course not. The perfume covers everything. Damn, you hit hard—he's nearly dead. Fine, I'll clean up. You go to the tea ceremony. Don't worry about the tanto, we've got spares. Go, go! He's waiting in the tea house."
"Then I'll leave the rest to you," Rose said, walking away.
He pushed open a massive red door. Inside, fifteen tattooed men sat draped in white cloth, unarmed but grinning strangely. Rose bowed, his voice softened by digital modulation into something sweet.
"Minasan, konnichiwa~"
"Ohhh, what a lovely lady you are," one man said.
"I really appreciate your compliment, sir." Rose replied coyly, scanning the room. At the head table sat an old man sipping tea. The target: Tetsuo Shinsai.
The drums slowed, joined by the haunting strings of a shamisen.