Report
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Griffin Scans
Translator – Hero of death
Proofreader – Sleepyhead
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Chapter 17 – Mysterious Yellow Balloon
“So cold!”
Ning Xin shivered as the chill brushed past her. Hugging herself tightly, she kept complaining in her heart about the person who transferred her from logistics to the combat division.
That guy totally doesn’t know how to cherish a delicate beauty!
Her voice made Old Zhang pause. Just as he was about to continue opening the door, the captain, cigarette dangling from his lips, let out a snort and said with irritation
“Old Zhang, the guy just came out of the room. You’re gonna check it again? What, you think he’s hiding something? Use your brain, man.”
Old Zhang froze for a moment, then silently walked to the door and said in a low voice,
“Nothing unusual.”
After speaking, he turned toward Lu Yu and added, “Sorry.”
He wasn’t a man of many words, but his earlier action had indeed been out of line. After all, Lu Yu had just exited the room—checking it again would be like accusing him.
“No worries,”
Lu Yu replied with a casual wave.
He hadn’t expected them to be so courteous. After all, they were Awakened; for one to apologize to an ordinary person showed a pretty decent personality.
Avoiding conflict was ideal anyway. Unless his secret was exposed, Lu Yu had no desire to go on a killing spree.
The captain gave a slight nod and said,
“Alright, let’s head to the next apartment. Still got a few buildings to go.”
He turned and walked off. Ning Xin, unwilling to leave, gave Lu Yu’s handsome face a few more longing glances before waving goodbye and catching up.
Lu Yu watched her walk away with mild disappointment. She was an interesting girl—if that captain hadn’t interrupted, he could’ve gotten a lot more useful intel out of her.
But oh well. He yawned and turned back to go to sleep.
Meanwhile, the trio from the Special Division continued forward. When they reached a corner, Ning Xin apologized
“Sorry, Captain. I got talkative again. I promise it won’t happen next time!”
The captain gave her a sidelong glance and said,
“Unless you sew your mouth shut, I doubt it.”
“That’s way too dramatic!”
Ning Xin shot back loudly. But seeing the look in the captain’s eyes, she lost her confidence. Her eyes darted, and she changed the subject.
“Captain, is it true there’s an ancient being awakening in this city?”
The captain glanced at her, then looked around to confirm no one else was in the hallway. Only then did he speak mildly
“Doesn’t matter if there is or not—our job is the same. Don’t slack off.”
Ning Xin blushed, but it quickly faded. She defended herself:
“I wasn’t trying to slack. I just want to understand the mission better to work more efficiently.”
“And then go home to play video games, right? Your dad already told me about you and he also told me to show you how brutal the world is, instead of letting you game all day.”
The captain saw right through her, leaving Ning Xin speechless. She rolled her eyes.
“Captain, don’t be like my dad. Playing games isn’t bad! It’s like your smoking, just a hobby.”
The captain popped a piece of gum in his mouth and replied carelessly,
“As long as you finish the job, I don’t care about your hobbies. But next time you leak information again, you’ll face disciplinary action.”
Honestly, the captain hated having women on missions. Always chatty, squeamish, and panicky. Sometimes they just made everything worse.
“Well, that guy was hot, so I chatted a little longer…”
Ning Xin’s voice trailed off under the captain’s disapproving stares. She quickly shifted topics:
“Let’s talk about how to find this ancient being.”
The captain blew a bubble and chewed, muttering sarcastically:
“You think ancient beings are as common as cabbages? They transcend time itself and possess terrifying power beyond imagination. And HQ only said the suspect carries a yellow balloon and wears a mask. That’s like fishing a needle out of the ocean.”
Ning Xin nodded thoughtfully.
“So we’re supposed to follow the balloon clue?”
“Wrong!” the captain said, seeing her confusion. He explained slowly
“Our job is just to assist the affected residents. As for the ancient being, if we find clues, we report them. Don’t do anything extra.”
“But… isn’t that our mission?”
Ning Xin stopped, baffled at the captain’s nonchalant attitude.
The captain took a deep drag and exhaled a smoke ring. Looking at her sideways, he said with a roguish smirk:
“Ever heard of coasting through your shift? Report an injury here and there, pocket some extra benefits, what's not to love? Why bust your ass for nothing? Even if we find the guy, there’s barely any reward. Better to finish early and go sleep.”
“You’re such a slacker!” Ning Xin rolled her eyes, though she didn’t refute him. She also wanted to go home and get some beauty sleep, so she hurried to catch up.
The captain walked ahead, his eyes scanning the dark night sky through the stairwell. The rogue-like expression faded from his face, and he murmured in his heart:
“Because… I don’t want anyone else to die.”
Ancient beings aren’t something you can just probe. Even if they bear no ill will toward humanity, attempting to peek into their nature invites misfortune and disaster.
His former comrades had all fallen victim to such disaster. He alone survived.
Not because he was stronger—just because he happened to be away at the time. That powerless feeling was something no one else could ever understand.
Old Zhang, walking alongside, knew the captain’s past. Yet he still couldn’t help wondering aloud
“That ancient being with the balloon… what does it symbolize? The sky? Air? The moon?”
He believed there had to be meaning behind the balloon and if he kept studying the old texts, he would surely uncover the truth.
Too bad he’d never figure it out—the being was holding the balloon simply because the balloon was stronger than he was. Everything was actually done by the balloon. All the mysterious narrative? Entirely their own imagination!
And so, the three of them continued on, each lost in their own thoughts.
Meanwhile, Lu Yu, the culprit behind all of this was already fast asleep in his room, completely unaware that the mysterious persona he invented had been blown out of proportion once again. All because of a balloon, he had now been mistaken for an ancient, god-like being who held dominion over the unknown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter End~~~~~~~~~~~
