The afternoon sunlight was slowly being devoured by dark clouds, and the wind carried the chill of autumn.

Mori had been waiting downstairs for quite some time, and the silhouette of a blonde girl reflected in her eyes. Before she could greet Xu Xiaoyou, a heavy thud came from the back of the motorcycle.

Seeing Xu Xiaoyou putting the helmet on her head without saying a word, Mori raised her eyebrows, sensing something unusual. She withdrew the leg that supported her on the ground and gripped the motorcycle tightly. “We’re running out of time. I’ll be driving fast, so hold on tight.”

The girl’s motorcycle had undergone several modifications. Although not as exaggerated as those of the biker gangs, the engine’s roar was still ear-piercing until the wind rushed in from both sides, easing the discomfort a bit.

Like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, the Ranger raced on the ring-road overpass of Dragonfly Town. The moisture in the wind condensed into ice shards, which etched the girls’ skin like sharp blades. In the distance stood massive city walls, towering into the gloomy sky like two rows of silent giants.

This overpass was an emergency military supply route during wartime, and few people drove here on normal days. The surroundings were quite desolate; engines roared under the gray sky, from where the entirety of Dragonfly Town could be overlooked.

Dragonfly Town wasn’t large, spanning only a few dozen square kilometers. Nestled between two giant cities, even breathing felt slightly oppressive. The dim sunlight hid behind the clouds, enveloping the entire city instantaneously in darkness, transforming it into a silent gray shadow. The thick moisture in the air hinted at impending rain, and the cold wind grew more piercing.

Finally, Mori couldn’t help but speak first:

“What’s wrong, You? You seem preoccupied the moment you see me.”

Xu Xiaoyou shook her head, still contemplating matters related to Moon Sugar. Rules generally stood by justice; they encompassed and contradicted each other. The chemistry teacher dared to challenge the moral and rule boundaries in the name of justice. Undoubtedly, in any law-based Nest City, his actions would be utterly intolerable.

But here is Chichu Heaven, where the underworld has no clear legislative regulations. People gauge their actions based on moral standards, leaving no room for defense when crossing moral lines. Military might and autocrats would suppress any voices challenging their authority.

The law is absolutely just, ironclad and impartial, with powerful constraints. Morality breeds atrocity without boundaries. If blind justice is used to measure everything, people’s inner evil will continuously grow on the other side. When those committing minor mistakes and heinous crimes face the same punishment, then no crime is too great, no error too small to ignore, and the collapse of the tower of order becomes inevitable.

Sin City has a myriad of reasons for its existence. Sheer evil serves as a warning to the lost, drawing lines between evils.

Before long, they arrived at an abandoned steel mill, where Night Owl and Owl were lying in shrubs half as tall as a person. Owl wrapped bandages around his arm, while Night Owl chewed on an energy bar, peering through binoculars at the steel mill’s outline. The steel mill was heavily guarded, with over a dozen guards armed with submachine guns just on the outer zinc-steel fence. The Octagonal Spider tattoo on their exposed arms was very noticeable.

“Seems the intel is true. A batch of Moon Sugar will indeed be traded here, and there’s only ten minutes left until the transaction. Let’s move,” Night Owl stood, wiping cookie crumbs from his mouth and dusting himself off.

Everyone looked toward Mori, who spread her hands with a helpless tone: “I promise this time I won’t let my temper drag everyone down again, really!”

The group waded through the grass, one person tall behind the outer walls of the park, infiltrating the interior shortly after disabling a guard who was relieving himself. Seeing the tattoo on the guard’s arm up close, Mori suddenly realized it seemed familiar, like she’d seen it somewhere before.

The group communicated silently, slipping through a small gap in the fencing into the steel mill’s site, hiding behind an abandoned armored vehicle. Using the cover of light, they spotted two patrolling figures walking not far away, showing no sign of noticing their presence.

The group breathed a sigh of relief. Mori turned back to see Xu Xiaoyou still crouched by the unconscious guard outside the wall, lost in thought. Mori, anxious to speak up, was held back by Night Owl, who shook his head.

The characteristically elusive, unpredictable blonde girl had been acting with them for half a month. She often deviated from plans, performing actions they couldn’t understand. Yet despite that, it was often her seemingly incomprehensible actions that ultimately greatly aided their objectives, hence they no longer restrained Xu Xiaoyou, allowing her to act freely during operations.

Watching as the group ventured deeper, slowly disappearing from view, Xu Xiaoyou thoughtfully crouched to pick up the unconscious guard’s holster, skillfully ejecting the magazine and noticing there were no live rounds inside before a barely noticeable smile curled her lips. She chuckled twice, changed into the guard’s clothes, completed her disguise swiftly, and, without restraint, walked confidently toward the steel mill’s securely guarded passage, meeting the eyes of several guards along the way.

…

Ten minutes later, an SUV crept into the yard. A man inside clutched a briefcase tightly, his hood removed, and through the window, he could see his predicament, his panic palpable even through the mask. As he began to move, the dark muzzle of a gun was pressed against his head.

“Get out of the car, Mr. Heidelberg?”

“Didn’t I say the exchange was supposed to happen in the city?” the man’s voice trembled, “Why have you brought me to such a remote place?”

“Do you still want to proceed with the transaction or not?”

Without waiting for his response, the car door opened, and a guard smoking a cigar, holding an Akhad assault rifle, yanked him out of the car, dragging him roughly to the ground. Were it not for his death grip on the briefcase, its contents might have scattered everywhere.

“Are you planning to rob me!?” The man clung desperately to the briefcase, yelling, “Aren’t you afraid news will spread about Octagonal Spider’s breach of trust?”

“I’m the only one capable of producing this new type of Moon Sugar. Harm me, and I promise the Romans will not let you off!”

The guard took a long drag of his cigar, exhaling smoke, and crouched slowly. A scar ran from the corner of his mouth to his eye, a menacing sight, with muscled arms like those of an ox’s. He lifted the man from the ground with the ease of hoisting a chick, smirking malevolently, and pointed the gun at a young man accompanying him.

The gun flashed, and in a flicker of light, the reaper’s scythe of death claimed the young man’s life instantly. Seeing the youth slump to the ground, the man who called himself Heidelberg nearly lost his sanity, crawling desperately toward the youth like a squirming worm. The guard seemed to relish this scene, his smile like a poisonous snake, and he patted Heidelberg on the shoulder:

“Damn you, making a fuss on our turf. Get up, old man.”

Engulfed in extreme grief, spittle dripped as he dry-heaved. Seeing this, the guard yanked Heidelberg by the hair, attempting to pull him up. Another relatively slender guard stopped him, causing Heidelberg to look up through his daze of pain, seeing the slender guard’s flowing golden hair.

Xu Xiaoyou placed a finger on her lips, gesturing for silence.

“You scum, I won’t let any of you get away… None here will escape me…”

Heidelberg clearly couldn’t comprehend her intent, continuing his relentless curses, until Xu Xiaoyou slammed him unconscious with the butt of her gun.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep