Chapter 200 - 199: Must Be Good at One Thing

Chapter 200: Chapter 199: Must Be Good at One Thing

"Why would we meet? We’re not going to," Feng Ling said. "Tonight, you’ll hide somewhere nearby. When it shows up and doesn’t see you, it will leave. Then, you turn into a Ghost Shadow, follow it secretly, find the Alien Species’ nest, and come back to tell me the location. It’s very simple."

Huangfu Miaomiao: "..."

’It did sound simple, but she was terrified. She would rather go track a Pollution Body...’

Feng Ling added, "Oh, right. I think there are some mini-cameras in the box. Take one with you."

Huangfu Miaomiao looked at Feng Ling with pleading eyes. "Then... you’ll be watching the whole time, right?"

"Mm," Feng Ling nodded and pulled out her phone. "But I don’t know how to connect my phone to the camera’s feed yet. I’ll have to read the instruction manual."

Huangfu Miaomiao pouted.

Feng Ling found Han Xu’s name in her contacts. She thought about calling him, but then considered that he might have worked all night and could be catching up on sleep. Texting would be more polite.

She carefully composed her words and politely sent him a message:

[Feng Ling: I’ll be baiting a target near the pedestrian street and Xiangqing Road at 9 PM tonight. An Alien Species will be present. To avoid tipping it off, please have the Inspection Bureau cooperate and keep its patrol vehicles away from the area.]

Feng Ling thought for a moment and added another message:

[Feng Ling: On second thought, maybe have one patrol car pass by. If there are none at all, the Alien Species might get suspicious.]

[Han Xu: Received.]

Feng Ling paused. ’He replied so fast. Has he not been sleeping?’

Feng Ling sent another, more probing message:

[Feng Ling: I need a secluded place to park the truck, preferably inside the city and away from residential areas.]

In less than two minutes, Han Xu sent a message with a map location.

Feng Ling clicked on the map. It was a construction site, about a ten-minute drive from the pedestrian street.

—It was a similar situation to the one back in Qingjiang City. The frequent murders by Alien Species had caused many real estate projects to grind to a halt.

Feng Ling was very satisfied with the location Han Xu had provided.

Su Yuqing’s work style was meticulous and detail-oriented, covering every possible angle. Han Xu, on the other hand, was brutally efficient—a man of few words and decisive action.

Having confirmed the parking location, Feng Ling waited for Cao Hongyi and Xu Yiming to arrive and had them drive the truck onto the unguarded construction site.

The site was desolate. Other than two tall mounds of dirt, there was nothing but overgrown weeds and swarms of mosquitoes.

Feng Ling let the Cat Spider and Cat Owl out for a bit.

Ye Zheng was also able to leave the cargo bay to get some air.

Aside from the swarms of mosquitoes, Feng Ling felt the place was a quiet refuge in the middle of a bustling city, making it quite suitable as a temporary base.

Now, it was all up to Huangfu Miaomiao.

Feng Ling found the mini-camera in a box filled with various equipment and began to study the instruction manual intently.

Huangfu Miaomiao was on edge all day. She kept checking the time, then opening her virtual screen to look for messages.

But ever since she had agreed to meet that player tonight, no other players had contacted her.

’Are they from the Star Association?’

’The Star Association tried to hunt the Abyss once. Even though they failed, it at least proves they have formidable strength.’

’There must be a lot of incredible people in it.’

’Even though my Ghost Shadow Skill makes me good at hiding, what if the Star Association has players who specialize in detection?’

’What if...’

’What if they see through my disguise immediately? What do I do?’

Huangfu Miaomiao paced back and forth across the construction site, her anxiety palpable. She wore a path through the weeds, flattening them underfoot.

Her anxiety was plain for everyone to see.

But no one tried to comfort her.

Li Qing, sitting in the truck’s cargo bay, looked over at Feng Ling, who was still fiddling with the camera. He couldn’t help but ask, "Are you sure she should be the one to go?"

"Yes. She’s the most suitable choice," Feng Ling replied without looking up from the manual.

Li Qing fell silent, thinking. ’Huangfu Miaomiao really is the best choice. For one, her Ghost Shadow Skill is perfect for stealth. For another, being a player herself, she can easily tell other players apart from ordinary humans.’

’But she’s so young...’

"If it’s just a regular player who shows up tonight, she should be able to handle it. But if it’s someone from the Star Association..." Li Qing said hesitantly. "If a player from the Star Association captures her, something terrible could happen."

Feng Ling glanced up at him, then immediately went back to the camera. "Are all administrators this soft-hearted? I don’t think Little Skeleton sees you that way. She’s probably wishing you’d be the one to get into trouble."

Li Qing said quietly, "She hates the game, so she hates me for being its administrator. There’s no personal grudge between us."

"Tch. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders." Feng Ling held up her phone and exhaled. "Finally got it working. I can see the camera feed now."

She turned and waved to Huangfu Miaomiao outside. "Little Skeleton! The camera’s all set up~"

Hearing this, Huangfu Miaomiao ran back over.

Feng Ling attached the camera to the butterfly-shaped hair clip in Huangfu Miaomiao’s hair.

"Alright, now move a bit further away from the truck. I want to check the signal reception," Feng Ling said.

To Huangfu Miaomiao, the camera was like a trump card. She suddenly felt much more courageous and trotted off happily.

The signal was stable, the picture clear.

Feng Ling was very satisfied.

She smiled, watching the video feed on her phone. "If she’s going to stick with me, she needs to be good at either killing or escaping. She has to master one."

Then, with a cryptic smile, she glanced at Li Qing. "Same goes for you."

Li Qing: "..."

He said nothing.

In Li Qing’s experience, Feng Ling had always been a bit unhinged and impossible to predict. She would sometimes say things that were so cold they made his heart skip a beat.

...

That afternoon, Cao Hongyi reluctantly departed.

Although he desperately wanted to stay and fight the Alien Species alongside Feng Ling, he had work back in Qingjiang and had no choice but to head back.

As the sun began to set, Xu Yiming drove the truck near the breakfast stall.

Huangfu Miaomiao’s heart hammered in her chest as she pressed against the wall of the cargo bay, observing the scene outside.

The street was still crowded. The shops lining the road hadn’t closed for the night, and numerous food stalls along the curb made for a bustling scene.

"Relax," Feng Ling said, gently patting Huangfu Miaomiao’s shoulder. "The meeting is at 9 PM. It’s only just turned eight."

"Mm..." Huangfu Miaomiao took a series of deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves.

She wanted to do a good job. She didn’t want to disappoint Feng Ling.

A patrol car, its red lights flashing, drove into the area. Several police officers got out and began shooing away the roadside vendors.

"Pack it up! Everyone, pack up your stalls! Obey the curfew, maintain public safety—"

The harsh announcement blared from a loudspeaker on a loop.

An older male vendor, unhappy about leaving, shouted at an officer, "The curfew isn’t until nine! It’s only eight o’clock! Don’t get in the way of my business!"

The officer’s face was a mask of helplessness and irritation. "The rule is that the streets have to be completely empty by nine, so of course we have to start clearing them at eight! Hurry up and pack it in! What’s more important, your money or your life? You know there’s an Alien Species on the loose and you’re still not leaving?"

The older man grumbled and cursed as he packed up his stall. "What’s the point of having a life if I don’t have money! You people are the ones who’ve ruined Guangshan City’s economy!"