Chapter 340: Misfortunes Never Come Singly
Wise lingered by the edge of the alley, letting the distant cacophony wash over him. The background noise courtesy of Nicole and the Cunning Hares echoed through the desolate streets—a chaotic medley of muffled explosions, the harsh screech of tearing metal, and faint, adrenaline-fueled shouts.
He drew in a deep breath of the gritty, dust-laden air unique to the Outer Ring. Brushing the dirt from his rumpled clothes and smoothing out the creases, he climbed into his vehicle and steered it back toward the gleaming skyline of New Eridu's city center.
The drive back was accompanied by the occasional distant rumble of Hollow activity and siren wails. True to Nicole's confident guarantee, the primary wave of pursuers had taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. The roads ahead remained completely clear, allowing for an unexpectedly smooth and uninterrupted journey home.
The moment the glowing neon sign of Random Play came into view, the tight knot of tension in Wise's chest finally loosened. He exhaled a long, quiet breath, pulling up to the curb.
Pushing the front door open, the familiar, crisp chime of the entry bell rang through the quiet storefront.
Before the chime even faded, Belle's voice drifted from behind the counter, dripping with absolute, unapologetic snark. "Well, well, if it isn't my dear brother. How was it? How does it feel to catch a swift elbow to the gut for lying through your teeth? Still nursing that stomachache? Want me to dig up some actual painkillers for you?"
Wise's quiet relief evaporated in an instant. His jaw tightened slightly, and he waved a hand in the air as if physically swatting away her teasing. "Alright, Belle, let it go. You know perfectly well that was a last resort."
Desperate to shift the focus, he straightened his posture, his expression shifting back to his usual calm, analytical demeanor. "Let's get down to business. Have you and Fairy managed to track down any leads on Perlman's whereabouts?"
Belle barely opened her mouth before a holographic interface flared to life beside the counter. Fairy projected a vibrant, cheerful blue glow, her synthetic voice pitching upward in a clear attempt to fish for compliments.
[Report, Master! Thanks to the recent computing power upgrades and the supplementary energy support you provided, my monitoring range and tracking accuracy have experienced a massive enhancement!]
[Just moments ago, your most capable and efficient assistant successfully intercepted a faint life signal. It boasts a 98.7 percent match to Perlman's specific physiological parameters! The source of the signal is currently located deep within the Hollow zone near the Ballet Twins!]
"The Ballet Twins?!" Belle's voice shot up an octave. Her nose wrinkled in open disgust, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Why is it always that cursed place! Do these people just love burrowing into the worst possible spots? Seriously, what kind of cleaning job did Victoria Housekeeping even do last time? That is way too inadequate!"
Wise maintained his composure. He crossed the room to the small coffee table, pouring himself a glass of water to soothe his dry throat. "Take it easy, Belle. Now isn't the time to complain. Besides, it has been quite a while since Von Lycaon and his team conducted a large-scale sweep of the Ballet Twins."
"You know how Hollows operate. Ether corrosion is cyclical, and the internal environment constantly shifts and mutates. The most crucial detail right now is that we have a solid lead on where Perlman was taken. Now we just need to formulate a plan to extract him."
Belle crossed her arms over her chest, her brow remaining tightly pinched. She paced over to her brother, tapping a finger against her chin. "Speaking of which, Wise... I can't shake the feeling that something about this entire setup is incredibly strange."
"Think about it. The opposition dispatched a massive wave of mercenaries, caused an absolute scene, and clearly paid a fortune for the operation. Why go through all that trouble just to snatch Perlman away from us and Section 6? Why not just... kill him on the spot to silence him?"
"A bullet to the head would be infinitely simpler, far more direct, and permanently guarantee that whatever secrets he holds never see the light of day."
Wise's hand froze halfway to his mouth. The water in his glass rippled slightly. Belle's observation hit the nail squarely on the head. Orchestrating a live capture in the middle of a chaotic firefight was exponentially more difficult—and vastly riskier—than a simple assassination.
For the enemy to go to such extreme lengths, keeping Perlman breathing had to offer them a significant tactical advantage. Either the man possessed something they desperately needed, or... simply silencing him wouldn't actually bury the problem they were trying to hide.
Before the siblings could unpack the anomaly any further, the ambient light in the room shifted violently. Fairy's cheerful blue projection flashed into a harsh, warning yellow. When the AI spoke again, the synthetic voice carried a sharp, urgent edge.
[Warning! High-intensity data streams from an unknown source are currently attempting to breach my outer firewall. The attack pattern is highly complex, displaying clear intentions of deep infiltration and structural scanning! Preliminary assessment indicates a highly organized, coordinated system attack!]
[Synchronized alert! A group of six individuals equipped with standard New Eridu Public Security gear has been detected approaching the storefront. Estimated time of arrival at the main entrance is exactly one minute.]
[Behavioral pattern analysis complete. This is a non-routine patrol. The subjects display a clear, targeted objective. I strongly suggest Master immediately contact Officer Qingyi and Officer Zhu Yuan, who are currently patrolling the adjacent blocks, to request immediate backup.]
A dual alert.
Wise's gaze sharpened into icy daggers. A sophisticated cyber attack on their mainframe and a squad of NEPS officers swarming their physical location at the exact same moment? There was absolutely no way this was a mere coincidence.
"Belle," Wise ordered, his tone clipping into pure business. "Get out front and handle those Public Security officers. Stall them for as long as you can. Act completely normal, like just another day at the store. I will stay locked in the back room with Fairy to intercept this system attack."
The playful, teasing light vanished from Belle's eyes, replaced by the hardened focus of a veteran Proxy. "Understood." She smoothed down her clothes, took one last deep breath to center her racing heart, and strode out of the staff lounge, pulling the door shut behind her.
"Welcome to Random Play, officers! How can I help you today?" Belle greeted them the second the front door swung open. A sweet, perfectly practiced retail smile stretched across her face, her tone light and effortlessly natural.
The towering NEPS officer leading the squad stepped inside. His face was a mask of cold indifference as he flashed his badge. "Routine security check," he stated, his voice stiff and mechanical. "The surrounding district hasn't been particularly peaceful lately. We are required to inspect the premises to ensure there are no hidden safety hazards."
"Oh, of course! Cooperating with Public Security is our duty as upstanding citizens." Belle stepped aside, gesturing toward the aisles with an air of complete, eager compliance.
"The main shelves are right here, our private bedrooms are upstairs, and we have a small garage out back. Please feel free to look around. Just... please be careful, officers. Some of these videotapes are extremely rare collector's items. I would hate for them to get damaged."
However, the ensuing actions of the supposed NEPS squad had absolutely nothing to do with the word careful.
They tore into the aisles, roughly shoving videotape boxes aside. Plastic cases clattered loudly against the floor as they swept their hands across the shelves, completely disregarding any potential damage to the inventory.
One of the officers casually jabbed his heavy baton into the upper displays, violently shifting the stock and nearly sending a stack of highly expensive, limited-edition box sets crashing to the ground.
A genuine spike of irritation flared in Belle's chest. Her smile strained at the edges as she took a half-step forward. "Officers, please. I asked you to be gentle. Those tapes are—"
"Enough nonsense!" A burly officer standing near the counter snapped, cutting her off. He turned, leveling a fierce, intimidating glare directly at her face.
The squad ignored her completely, continuing their destructive sweep. Heavy footsteps and the loud thuds of overturned furniture echoed from the upstairs bedrooms. From the back garage, the harsh, metallic clanging of tools being carelessly kicked across the concrete floor rang out.
This was not a routine security check. It was a targeted, deliberate raid. Every shattered case and overturned box was a calculated act of provocation and blatant intimidation.
It was painfully obvious that their true objective went far beyond locating imaginary safety hazards.
Belle retreated behind the safety of the counter. The sweet retail smile finally melted from her lips, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. Warning bells shrieked in her mind. The aggressive, destructive behavior of these men practically screamed that they were here to pick a fight.
Her eyes darted briefly toward the heavy door leading to the staff lounge. She silently prayed that Wise and Fairy were managing to hold the line on the digital front.
The atmosphere inside Random Play grew suffocatingly thick. The presence of these unwelcome guests charged the air with a dangerous, volatile tension, like a spark hovering just inches above a powder keg.
Meanwhile, sealed inside the dimly lit lounge, Wise stood rigid before the main terminal. His eyes tracked the frantic, cascading streams of light that represented the brutal digital warfare playing out across their network. He leaned closer to the microphone. "Fairy, can you trace the origin point of this attack? Or at least manage a reverse-lock on their system?"
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