No One Can Catch Her

"From now on... I'm your hostage?" Fang Xiaoxia stared blankly into space. In the howling wind and streaking lights, this familiar city of Tinghai had suddenly turned strange. "How did it turn out like this?" Experiencing an unforgettable surprise for the first time, riding in a luxury Maserati for the first time—two joyful things had coincided. And those two joys should have brought even more joy, yielding what was supposed to be a dreamlike, blissful time... So why, why did it end up like this? "It was just a metaphor. Don't worry, I'm not some kidnapper harboring ill intent... The people behind us are." Bai Zhou glanced over, noticing Fang Xiaoxia's anxious expression, and spoke up to comfort her. "Then who on earth are you? You seem awfully familiar with me." Fang Xiaoxia looked at him, her gaze growing alarmed. "Have you been surveilling me this whole time? Showing up in my old house wearing nothing but an apron wasn't a coincidence?" "No, that really was purely a coincidence... and I have never worn a naked apron in my life!" Bai Zhou solemnly refuted the rumor. But that did not dispel Fang Xiaoxia's suspicions in the slightest. This was because Fang Xiaoxia recalled the things Bai Zhou had said. This mysterious boy knew her birthday and knew what video games she liked to play; every word he spoke carried a deep familiarity. He even knew the exact scenarios she had fantasized about—how she had daydreamed that on her birthday, a group of black-clad warriors would suddenly come to capture her, but at the critical moment Superman would descend from the sky, announcing that the world was facing doom, whereupon she would feign reluctance while following her boy on an adventure to save the world. There had to be an audience watching, and under the stunned gazes of her classmates, she would buckle on her transformation belt and become light itself; a magical girl wielding the Plasma Spark would complete her transformation and save the world amidst the panicked school... She had never told anyone about such embarrassing daydreams, of course, yet Bai Zhou had looked completely certain, as if saying, *Come on, I know you've imagined this.* It was as though Bai Zhou had always been by her side as an important friend, once so close that they shared everything... only she had forgotten him. "By the way," Fang Xiaoxia heard Bai Zhou ask, "do you mind if I ask—do you know someone named Sun Zhizhou?" "Sun Zhizhou?" Fang Xiaoxia blinked, suddenly shivering. "That's my homeroom teacher's name." "Just as I thought." Bai Zhou adopted a knowing posture. "The worst-case scenario has come true." "Why ask that all of a sudden?" Bai Zhou's expression remained unchanged. "Because he's sitting in that Maybach behind us, pursuing you at two hundred kilometers per hour." "Holy crap, my homeroom teacher is in a Maybach chasing me down?" Fang Xiaoxia's eyes widened. "This really feels like seeing a ghost!" "In a sense, people like us love going on underground adventures the most, so it's not wrong to say you're seeing ghosts when you look at us." "There are always a few pivotal moments in life that make people feel like they've seen a ghost," Bai Zhou said. "Today is the day you see a ghost!" "That doesn't sound like a ghost; that sounds more like a grave robber," Fang Xiaoxia retorted dryly. Yet Bai Zhou actually nodded in deep agreement. "Hit the nail on the head!" "Looks like there really is something special about you. You have a natural connection to the occult world." Fang Xiaoxia: "?" "So I'm being chased by a bunch of grave robbers driving Maybachs? Do I have some grave-robbing journal left behind by a great-grandfather on me?" Fang Xiaoxia asked in bewilderment. "And besides, why do you look at me through some weird filter? I really can't figure out where that rose-tinted lens came from..." Being seen in a special light was an entirely new experience for Fang Xiaoxia. It was as though even if she casually blurted out that aliens existed, he would light up and say, *You sensed that too? As expected of the prodigy we hold in high regard—you were born to join us.* As a proud, solitary girl, she had long grown used to being ignored. She had never experienced being viewed through such flattering filters. Just like a certain boy who lived—growing up in a cramped cupboard, bullied and overlooked. Yet from the moment he stepped onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, his name was spoken everywhere, from Knockturn Alley to Hogwarts, from Gringotts to Azkaban. Everyone said he was the chosen one destined to save the world, born with the fate to defeat the Dark Lord, while he himself remained utterly clueless about it all. This stark contrast left Fang Xiaoxia with deeply complicated, subtle feelings. "If you knew you were being hunted down by nine freaks and the Third Young Master of the Zijing Group, and that you've become the key to the safety of all of Tinghai..." Bai Zhou replied offhandedly, "you'd have an even stronger filter than I do." "The... the Zijing Group?" Fang Xiaoxia froze. She didn't understand the rest of what Bai Zhou said, but she knew what the Zijing Group meant. Every resident of Tinghai lived under the shadow of the Zijing Group; it was a genuine corporate behemoth. Targeted by such a behemoth? Her? Fang Xiaoxia could not comprehend it. "I don't understand what it is about you that attracts them either," Bai Zhou shook his head. "That's why I'm running away with you... We can uncover the truth in due time, but in any case, we can't let them have their way." "Just like those video games you've played—being chased through a sinful city by an overwhelming swarm of pursuers..." Bai Zhou offered as a friendly tip. "If you treat what comes next as a game, maybe you'll adapt a lot faster." Yet those words brought Fang Xiaoxia no comfort whatsoever. Her pale face drained of color. "In the game, I've never managed to escape the final pursuit! The helicopters in the sky always shoot me full of holes!" "That's just a skill issue." Bai Zhou answered placidly, "No game is ever designed with an unbeatable mechanic... In the end, games exist to be conquered." "Reality is no different." Hearing that an easy smile helped relieve tension, Bai Zhou flashed a grin at Student Fang. "Don't worry. This might be my first time driving, but when it comes to being hunted down, I'm an expert." "Now I'm even more worried!" Fang Xiaoxia took a sharp breath. "And you still claim you're not a bad guy?" Right then, the Maybach in the rearview mirror steadily drew closer. "Closer, they're getting closer! Here they come!" Fang Xiaoxia cried out in warning. "Relax, they won't catch us for now," Bai Zhou said, shaking his head. "It's a little slow at the start because the tires take a bit of time to warm up... In one minute, we start sprinting." "What do you mean... 'a little slow'?" Fang Xiaoxia stared wide-eyed. Bai Zhou said nothing, his gaze darting across the maze of control buttons before him. Standing on the car's hood, Miss Crow's voice was carried clearly over the howling gale: "I keep feeling this car's limits go far beyond this." "As an organization holding an exclusive monopoly over the [Mechanical Walker] pathway, the Special Control Bureau loves nothing more than vehicle modification. Liu Zhen probably wasn't an exception, either. Maybe you could look around and see if there's an acceleration button." Crow was right. Bai Zhou instantly remembered the scene of him and Liu Zhen wearing miner helmets while riding that fire-spewing, propeller-driven minecart. If the Special Control Bureau could modify a minecart into that sort of monstrosity, how could employees and cadres steeped in Bureau culture resist modifying their own beloved rides? After mashing several buttons at random— Even Bai Zhou wasn't sure which functional control button he had hit. Regardless, amid windshield wipers waving so furiously they nearly blurred into afterimages, and surrounded by the blare of the car stereo at maximum volume— At this moment, the Machine Spirit rejoiced! As if receiving a mystical command, the goose-yellow sports car abruptly transformed! "There really is one!" Bai Zhou's eyes widened slightly. Overcome with novelty, he couldn't resist whistling. "Cool!" With a heavy clunk, Fang Xiaoxia felt a tremor rise from beneath her seat. Then, before her stunned eyes, the Maserati's nose tilted up slightly as if gathering momentum. Right after, a low, melodic whirr echoed from underneath the chassis. Two elegant, streamlined, bright yellow wing panels slid smoothly outward like a swan spreading its wings. At the same time, in the rearview mirror, a magnificent spoiler slowly rose above the rear, lifting high into the wind like a swan's proud neck. What was more, beneath the rear bumper, the metal sheeting snapped open to reveal eight steel exhaust pipes gleaming faintly with metallic luster. The next instant— The goose-yellow sports car unleashed a beast-like snarl completely at odds with its elegant appearance. An even more powerful force pressed her back into the seat as another jolt struck— *Vroom—BOOM!!!* As if a swan were beating its wings, feathers fanning wide, the eight exhaust pipes erupted with dazzling plumes of afterburner fire. At this moment, a comet streaked across the moon! The digits on the speedometer surged past 300. Everything on either side blurred into a torrential backward rush. Sitting in the passenger seat, Fang Xiaoxia felt as though no one could ever catch her now. Not even time. And not even her former self. *** At an intersection not far ahead. In the pitter-patter of drizzle, a traffic patrol car sat quietly by the roadside. Next to its front bumper stood a device resembling a camera, faintly blinking with a rhythmic red light. Two uniformed traffic officers leaned against the car doors, chatting casually. The older officer pointed at the device, seemingly passing down experience to the rookie. "See that? This little baby is the new smart radar gun issued from above. If anyone speeds even a fraction over the limit, it goes off immediately." As he spoke, the senior officer tapped his toe idly against the ground, puffing on the stub of a cigarette whose ember flickered in the late-night drizzle. Just then, a deep sound of tearing wind surged from the distance, like the bizarre scream of a high-speed projectile ripping through the air. Both officers instinctively looked up. *Rumble, rumble, rumble—SWOOSH!* A blurred yellow afterimage, skimming the pavement like a low-flying jet, flashed past the speed radar in the blink of an eye. The instant the yellow streak whipped by, the senior officer felt his fingers suddenly lighten. The half-smoked cigarette stub pinched between them had been forcefully plucked away by the sheer wind pressure dragged along by the yellow flash. *Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!* The violent gust threw the smart radar's tripod to the ground. The device chimed frantically as the red digits on its screen leaped skyward, ultimately locking at 321 km/h, leaving both officers questioning their own eyes. Immediately following, a harsh pop came from inside the device, and a wisp of dark smoke drifted out... The brand-new smart radar gun had broken just like that. In the wind and rain, only two dazed faces remained on the spot, staring at the smoking device lying on the asphalt. "S-Sarge!" The rookie officer stared dumbstruck, pointing toward the empty road ahead. "S-Sarge... did they build a high-speed rail line here? Did my eyes play tricks on me, or was that... the front engine of a bullet train?" Before the words completely left his mouth, the senior officer smacked the rookie's cap askew. "Damn it! We've got work to do!" The veteran officer was so furious his nose twitched. "Radio the boys ahead to set up roadblocks! Catch that bastard, no matter who he is!" Hardly had he finished speaking when another familiar rumble rolled in from behind. *Rumble, rumble, rumble—SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!* Four dark shapes zipped past in rapid succession, hot on the heels of the fleeting yellow flash, leaving behind only acrid exhaust fumes and two officers staring at each other in utter shock. "Goddammit, they're working together?!" The veteran officer completely lost his temper. He leaped into the cruiser and flipped on the siren. *Wee-woo-wee-woo-wee-woo!* The speedometer needle surged. The very second the rookie slammed his door shut, the patrol car launched forward like an arrow from a bow. Mingled with the screech of burning rubber, the veteran's furious cursing rang out through the air: "A provocation! This is a blatant provocation! We're coming down hard on them!" *** Inside the speeding Maybach, Luo Si received and compiled reports from his subordinates. "Report from the rear team: they checked the six men and found no signs of spiritual manipulation. It looks more like... ordinary hypnosis?" "We traced the vehicle's origin. The registered owner belongs to someone who is supposed to be dead—a Rank P4 Commissioner from Branch 36 of the Special Control Bureau, Section Chief of the Black Box Maintenance Department's Inspection Section, Liu Zhen!" Liu Zhen? How was that possible?! The name caused Luo Si's gaze to turn instantly icy. "Report!" Just then, a fresh piece of intelligence arrived: "We ran a bodily profile match on the target and found..." Over the comms, the subordinate's voice carried a hint of hesitation. "Found that there is a 91.3% probability that the individual is... Bai Zhou!" "The Special Control Bureau's Class-A wanted criminal! The culprit behind the Tinghai serial bombings, and also... our enemy!" The moment he heard the name "Bai Zhou," Luo Si nearly leaped right out of his seat. "Bai Zhou? Bai Zhou!" Luo Si inhaled deeply. *I must contact Father immediately!* At the same time, he issued rapid orders to his subordinates without missing a beat: "Pass this news to the Fine Arts Society immediately!" "Haven't their people been looking for Bai Zhou all this time? I heard a Master Painter has been frequently active lately, hasn't he?" "Let them come!" After giving the order, Luo Si's eyes flickered with suspicion as his mind raced. *Why of all times does Bai Zhou have to show up now...?* *Does this mysterious 'enemy' truly know Father's secrets?* *Before Father achieves Ascension to Sainthood, he must be executed!* With his mind made up, Luo Si ordered his subordinate to accelerate further. "Send word back: report that Fang Xiaoxia has been taken by Bai Zhou, and request additional reinforcements to intercept them!" "Even if we have to cast an inescapable dragnet, they must never escape Tinghai!" *** Beyond all doubt, this was a pivotal rainy night. Along this route leading out of Tinghai, both the fugitives and the pursuers held reasons they could not afford to fail. Bai Zhou's reckless speeding with utter disregard for anything had long caught the attention of many. The Special Control Bureau took notice of this wanted criminal's reappearance, baffled by his brazen audacity. Countless phone lines rang off the hook, and secret communications were exchanged behind the scenes on the darker side of the world time and again. The Fine Arts Society mobilized upon catching wind of it. Operatives from the Zijing Group and Major Luo gathered, while the Nine Dragons of the Luo Family rushed to the scene carrying secret weapons. Even the Traffic Control Bureau and law officers on the surface of the world joined in the commotion. Meanwhile— Far across the horizon, the Gem Witch also received word that Bai Zhou—the wanted criminal she had constantly obsessed over—had resurfaced. Everyone was converging toward that lightning-fast Maserati. In the pitch-black, rainy night, storm clouds surged, and the downpour grew heavier. A story of flight, of truth, and of vengeance slowly unfurled its scroll. The grand stage was about to open.