Chapter 128: Special Agent's Instinct

In the world outside the screen, time quietly arrived at 6:00 AM.

The sky outside the window had already been dyed fish-belly white, the city gradually awakening. Only the occasional sound of vehicles driving past in the distance broke this tranquility.

Xu Yunzhou suddenly realized something and unhesitatingly exited the game, turning off the computer.

Then he got up, walked to the room door, and gently moved that solid wood chair that had been propped behind the door back to its original place.

No other reason.

Just now in the game, he accompanied Xu Nuo training in the game for nearly a year.

Although the physical strength of his body in reality couldn't keep up, those training contents that were harsh almost to the point of cruelty, the action breakdowns precise to the millisecond, the cold and emotionless command feedback... had already been branded into his consciousness through the screen like a brand.

To some extent, he almost "experienced" a crash course of a qualified special agent.

And at this moment, his tempered senses were capturing the subtle movements of the real world.

For example, the extremely slight rustling sound of fabric rubbing coming from the master bedroom next door, and the almost inaudible sound of bare feet stepping on the soft carpet.

As a qualified special agent, he had already accurately deduced:

Song Jiaru had already woken up, wasn't wearing many clothes, and was walking toward the door.

Five seconds later.

The door opened.

Song Jiaru, wearing only a soft silk nightgown, walked out barefoot. The moment she saw Xu Yunzhou standing in the living room, her eyes instantly lit up.

She pounced over, her whole person hanging on Xu Yunzhou's neck, burying her cheek in the crook of his shoulder.

Her voice carried the soft stickiness of just waking up and a trace of undispersed palpitation:

"Big Brother... I thought you disappeared again..."

She hugged very tightly, as if afraid that if she let go, the person before her eyes would suddenly disappear like many years ago:

"Scared me to death..."

Xu Yunzhou's heart softened slightly, and he also felt somewhat emotional.

This Queen of Pop, who was radiantly shining in the eyes of the outside world, was actually so clingy in private.

Everything was exactly like when they first met that year when she was eighteen.

He raised his hand, gently and slowly stroking her smooth back:

"How could I, you prepare properly, you will be very busy today."

Tonight is her "Wedding Dress Concert," destined to be a day recorded in the annals of her career.

Song Jiaru, however, shook her head, rubbed in his arms, and raised her face. Her eyes were wet, carrying undisguised reliance and coquettishness:

"Wait a moment..."

She stood on tiptoe, her red lips close to his ear, her breath warm:

"I want to cuddle..."

Mhm.

This cuddle went from the doorway, to the sofa, and then to the messy large bed...

An hour later.

Xu Yunzhou was getting dressed somewhat hurriedly, his gaze glancing somewhat guiltily toward those tightly closed, heavy curtains with extremely good blackout effects.

Mhm...

Even if Xu Nuo is nearby, she shouldn't be able to see, right...

Moreover, there are no cameras in this room. At most, she hacked the surveillance in the corridor...

Should be... fine, right?

He rubbed the center of his brows, trying to temporarily suppress those "anti-reconnaissance common senses" repeatedly instilled in the game regarding surveillance, wiretapping, infrared thermal imaging, and the like in his mind.

Outside the room door.

Song Jinxuan had been waiting for a long time.

She stood by the car, hugging her arms, expressionlessly looking at the tightly closed room door, and then looked down at her wristwatch.

Half an hour.

When the room door finally opened, and Song Jiaru walked out with flushed cheeks, water in her eyes, and slightly floating footsteps—

Song Jinxuan rolled her eyes, her voice carrying undisguised disgust and helplessness:

"Teacher Song, I have already waited outside for half an hour."

She paused, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Song Jiaru and Xu Yunzhou who walked out subsequently, her tone chilly:

"You guys sure know how to dawdle."

Xu Yunzhou awkwardly rubbed his nose.

Indeed dawdling...

Song Jiaru didn't care at all. She turned around and waved at Xu Yunzhou, her smile as bright as the morning sun:

"Big Brother, I have to go to the stadium to prepare!"

Her eyes curved into crescents:

"You absolutely must come tonight oh!"

Xu Yunzhou waved his hand, his voice gentle:

"Be careful on the road."

Watching Song Jiaru get in the car and fasten her seatbelt, Song Jinxuan finally couldn't hold back. While starting the car, she muttered:

"My Teacher Song, you, a thirty-one-year-old person, calling a twenty-six-year-old kid Big Brother..."

She glanced at Song Jiaru's face that was still flushed with redness:

"You guys play really wildly."

Song Jiaru leaned back against the seat back unconcerned, her tone relaxed, even carrying a little bit of smugness:

"Your cousin even calls him Daddy..."

Song Jinxuan:

"!!!"

Her hand trembled, the car almost drawing an S-shape!

She wished she could cover her ears!

What the hell?

That domineering, crazy, decisive, and dictatorial cousin of mine?

Calling him... Daddy?

Her persona collapsed! Completely collapsed!

Why is this world becoming increasingly incomprehensible?

Xu Yunzhou watched the car disappear at the street corner.

He turned around, gazing into the distance at the sparkling West Lake nearby.

The morning light spilled on the lake surface, jumping like broken gold.

The outlines of the Su Causeway and Bai Causeway in the distance gradually became visible, sparsely dotted with figures doing morning exercises.

A patch of tranquility and peace.

He looked left and right.

No anomaly.

He spoke softly:

"Ah Nuo, are you nearby?"

No one answered.

Only the rustling sound of the morning breeze brushing through the leaves, and faint bird calls from afar.

Xu Yunzhou sighed.

Forget it.

If she really is nearby and doesn't want to show herself, I won't be able to find her either. After all, her anti-reconnaissance ability at this time is definitely far above my own.

He turned around and returned to the room.

Picked up that crucially important laptop.

Continued to clear Xu Nuo's stage.

After all, there are still too many unsolved suspicious points.

How did Xu Nuo transfer from the Crescent Group to Shadow?

Why was she hunted down with a bounty by the Crescent Group?

How did Takemiya Susumu die, and what happened after his death?

...

In the game.

Time: The day before the Kisei tournament finals, 3:00 PM.

Location: Nihon Go Institute.

Kirigaya Nuo was just pretending to review a game. She picked up the slightly cool genmaicha tea by her hand, took a shallow sip, and her gaze landed outside the window.

The lead-gray sky, fine snow spray began to drift and sprinkle.

Right at this moment—

"Buzz..."

The phone placed on the edge of the tatami silently lit up its screen.

Her gaze calmly swept over the SMS content, only staying for two seconds.

The text message had only one line, from a number displaying garbled characters:

"The wind has risen, the firewood is prepared. The old place, warm wine."

Then, she pressed the screen off.

Got up, walked to the coat rack, took down that hanging black cashmere coat, and picked up a light gray cashmere scarf.

Pulling open the wooden lattice door of the quiet meditation room, in the corridor outside, a few familiar professional Go players happened to pass by.

"Ah, Kirigaya-san!"

Leading was the lively 1-dan Xie Yiwen. Her eyes lit up and she waved her hand,

"The finals are tomorrow, still studying hard?"

An older Go player beside her, 7-dan Waya Shinichiro, also nodded gently in greeting:

"1-dan Kirigaya, tomorrow please go all out, but also please be sure to take care of your health and rest well."

Another, Isumi Yoshitaka, smiled and patted Waya's shoulder:

"Relax, look at Kirigaya-san's calm and composed appearance. How is she like you when you first entered the league back then, so nervous you didn't sleep all night?"

Kirigaya Nuo stopped at the door, nodding slightly:

"Thank you everyone for your concern."

Her voice was the usual coldness, but her tone was peaceful.

"I have some small matters to handle, I'll take my leave first."

"Nuo-chan, do your best tomorrow oh!"

Xie Yiwen smiled and cheered her on.

"Relax your mindset."

7-dan Waya reminded again.

Kirigaya Nuo nodded again, didn't say more, turned around, and walked toward the side door in the opposite direction of the administration building.

Behind her, she could still faintly hear the Go players' lowered laughter and discussion:

"So steady... completely can't tell it's her first time making it to a title match final."

"After all, it's her. From becoming a professional until now, crushing all the way over, her mindset has long been trained out."

"So this is what a genius looks like... feels like a creature not from the same dimension as us."

"Shh, keep your voice down..."

Leaving the Go Institute.

Whoosh—!

The violent wind, wrapped with large snowflakes, smashed head-on, instantly sweeping away all the warmth from indoors.

Kirigaya Nuo pulled up her scarf, covering the lower half of her face, revealing only a pair of eyes as quiet as an ancient well.

Without any hesitation, she stepped into the wind and snow.

"Teacher."

"The time has come."

"It's time to haul in the net."

Xu Yunzhou understood.

Takemiya Susumu... has reached the end of the road.

According to the timeline in his memory, the time of Takemiya Susumu's death should be December 24, 2016, the exact day of the third game of the Kisei tournament.

This is not just an assassination.

This is a... bloody feast that will make her famous worldwide, while simultaneously completely burying the past.