Crow, Can I Trust You?

"...I took such painstaking care raising him for so long that I almost grew fond of him." Adjutant Han sighed with apparent sentimentality, narrowing his alluring peach-blossom eyes. "Still, it couldn't be helped." "If someone's going to rise, someone has to step down." "I'm quite looking forward to the newcomer's performance, after all..." Suddenly recalling something, Adjutant Han gave further instructions to the bald man: "Come by again past midnight the night after tomorrow. By then, there should be some 'fresh stock' over here." "Understood," the bald man responded solemnly. Adjutant Han gave a satisfied nod, then drew a black notebook from his coat. The leather cover looked aged, clearly having seen long use, yet it was carefully preserved, without the slightest scuff or wear. Turning toward the back of the notebook, he picked up a pen and jotted down some notes following the previous entries. The bald man took two steps back, keeping his eyes straight ahead, not daring to peek in the least. "Very good. Consider the transaction concluded satisfactorily." Stowing the notebook away, Adjutant Han signaled his subordinates to pick up several large briefcases, then glanced back and remarked, "Be quick on your way. Any later and the patrols will be coming around." "If anyone spots you..." The corners of his mouth curved upward in a playful smirk. "I'll skin you alive~" The tone was flirtatious, yet the words were utterly perilous. Especially when paired with the giant Black Cat Sheriff doll sitting on the ground with its belly split wide open... A chill ran down the spines of the bald man and his crew. Leaving behind Adjutant Han's soft chuckle, both groups went their separate ways. The bald man and his well-behaved underlings departed first. After surveying his surroundings, Adjutant Han turned and left with his subordinates. The Resting Cemetery returned to dead silence. Yet... None of them noticed that not far from that spot, beneath a silently standing tombstone, a pair of eyes stared out from the gap in the darkness at their departing backs— his eyes nearly splitting with fury! ... The truth behind the missing body seemed to have an answer now. Was that... Section Chief Liu? Likely. The cold, cruel scene assaulted Bai Zhou's nerves over and over. What were they doing, and what were they trading? What on earth was this so-called "Human Material"? Rage, bewilderment, and horror took turns battering Bai Zhou's senses. A nightmare he had never conceived of had unfolded before him without warning. He desperately wanted to follow them and find out the truth. Yet simply looking at Adjutant Han standing there made an inexplicable chill run through his whole body. That man was dangerous! Making any reckless move when knowing nothing at all would be the height of stupidity. Reckless courage was not true bravery; a blind man running in haste will inevitably plunge into a deep pit! His remaining sanity barely forced Bai Zhou to stay hidden in the deep pit. ...Still, this matter would not end here. Staring intently at the departing backs of Adjutant Han and the others, Bai Zhou's expression was as dark as still water in the shadows, his grip on the urn tightening even further. Before tonight, Bai Zhou had actually been able to accept Section Chief Liu's death. Because from the day he joined the organization, it had been Section Chief Liu who repeatedly emphasized the Special Control Bureau's high casualty rate to newcomers like them. His teacher, his colleagues, his superiors... And now, it had been his turn. Danger and opportunity were ever-present here, yet there were also many passionate people filled with ideals who stood ready at any moment to sacrifice themselves for the Federation and its citizens. If so, dying on the path of upholding one's ideals, immortalized as a hero... while sorrowful for the living, did not call for regret. Because that was a worthy death. —That was how it should have been. Yet now, a hero, a familiar and warm-hearted senior, had seemingly been reduced to that horrifying monstrosity. His daughter was still lying in a hospital bed. This was neither normal nor right. Someone had to pay for this. The day after tomorrow... Bai Zhou furrowed his brow. The day after tomorrow was when the Blood Worship Cult would invade. Evidently, Adjutant Han planned to do something on that day. Perhaps... he could also prepare himself and do something then. —Before that, however, there was one thing Bai Zhou urgently needed to understand. Had Adjutant Han turned traitor, colluding with outsiders to betray his colleagues for profit? Or was there someone else behind Adjutant Han, meaning he represented the will of the entire organization, or at least its upper echelon? Or could it be... that the entire mystical world of Blue Star was like this—a world where people devouring people was treated as routine? This question was of vital importance. If Adjutant Han were merely an isolated case, the matter would be simple. Bai Zhou was no outsider; he was an official bureau specialist and newly promoted to P3. He could easily leverage internal forces within the organization. As long as the higher-ups learned the truth, Adjutant Han's fate would be obvious. —Yet if the entire Special Control Bureau were rotten like this, Bai Zhou would have to reconsider his position entirely. And if all of Blue Star's mystical world was like this... He would rather go back to Wancheng, back to the Reflected Ruin Realm, and dance with that pale fatty; at least that would bring more peace of mind. ...Fortunately, as things stood, the former possibility seemed more likely. After all, Adjutant Han was still actively avoiding patrols and acting in secret. In fact, a piece of logic felt entirely inconsistent no matter how one looked at it— As an Extraordinary, Section Chief Liu was undoubtedly middle-to-high management in the organization. He was a P4 personally promoted by the Major, whom he practically revered as the base's supreme authority. Given his loyalty to both the organization and the Major, plus his role as section chief of the Maintenance Department's Inspection Section, if the entire leadership had gone bad, there was no reason Section Chief Liu wouldn't have caught wind of it. Why wouldn't they have brought him into the fold? There was no sense in him being a bottom-rung victim rather than a vested beneficiary of this "cannibalism." Even with Adjutant Han... Section Chief Liu had clearly trusted him, or he wouldn't have told Bai Zhou that he had "backing." If he was willing to place his trust in this "backer," he must have had reasons to do so. Even for Adjutant Han himself, he shouldn't ignore other bureau specialists and Extraordinaries just to kill a capable right-hand man under his command. Why turn the knife solely on his own people, weakening his own strength? And why risk exposure to go through the trouble of murdering a dangerous Extraordinary who possessed the ability to fight back and never let his mechanical briefcase out of reach? It defied common sense. In the Special Control Bureau, there was no shortage of people with lower rank, weaker strength, and far easier to target than Section Chief Liu. Bai Zhou could not make sense of it. Furthermore, according to Section Chief Liu's hints, securing Bai Zhou's promotion wouldn't have been possible without this "backer" pulling strings. So Adjutant Han had helped Bai Zhou get promoted out of respect for Section Chief Liu, while simultaneously doing this to Section Chief Liu. He had even approached Bai Zhou on his own initiative, encouraging him to work hard and become an Extraordinary soon. Was this man schizophrenic? ...Perhaps Adjutant Han's actions should be separated from the "organization." Maybe the cause was simpler than Bai Zhou thought. Could Section Chief Liu have accidentally stumbled upon some secret of Adjutant Han's, leaving Han with no choice but to silence him? Yet there were far too many possibilities like this. All of them dissolved into a dense fog that enveloped Bai Zhou. *Crack—* The concrete slab before the tombstone was pushed open. A hand reached out. Bai Zhou crawled out of the grave, standing amid the quiet of the Resting Cemetery. His posture was slightly hunched. Yet in the end, he took firm, resolute steps forward. Standing in place and daydreaming was pointless— no matter how thick the fog, one could see clearly by stepping closer; no matter how swift the river, one could gauge its depth by wading into it. Bai Zhou had resolved to take action. He knew he had to prepare for the worst, maintaining absolute vigilance toward everything around him from this moment on. —Two days. Only two days remained until the Blood Worship Cult's arrival. Bai Zhou knew that if he were to act, his best opportunity would be on that day. Before then, he had to uncover the truth hidden behind Adjutant Han. "Let's see what happens," he told himself. This unsettling, intense sense of crisis made him inexplicably nostalgic for Wancheng. Everyone had told him how dangerous and absurd Wancheng was. Yet... As he was about to leave the Resting Cemetery, Bai Zhou looked back. He gazed upon the monuments standing all around. Dazzling light from the overhead lighting strips poured down, splashing across Section Chief Liu's "grave." Bai Zhou's eyes carried a trace of mockery and doubt. Here, on Blue Star, in the Special Control Bureau... was it really any better? —Hard to say. For now, though... He could only pray that the Special Control Bureau and Adjutant Han were two separate matters. Because entering a fight to the death with one person was easy. Making an enemy of an entire official organization sounded dashing, but it would get him killed fast. That kind of pressure was suffocating. "Even so, am I still going to investigate?" Walking down the deserted corridor, Bai Zhou quietly asked himself. What if he truly uncovered a massive problem? Yet the answer came before he could even think about it. —Was that even a question? Though everything was currently shrouded in heavy mist, and Bai Zhou had countless questions waiting for answers, he knew one thing with absolute clarity— Someone was going to die. At the very least, Adjutant Han had to die! And perhaps there were even more people who deserved death. No matter what, he would uncover the truth of this matter. And then, those who deserved to die... —he would kill them all! ... "Back so late?" In the dormitory, Crow was reclining on a suspended ribbon, reading a book. Hearing Bai Zhou open the door and walk in, she casually asked without lifting her head. There was no reply. "Hm?" Puzzled, Crow raised her head, taking in Bai Zhou's silent, grim expression. This was the first time she had seen Bai Zhou in such low spirits. Moreover... The look in his eyes was exceptionally distant. Even when looking at her, there was none of his usual warmth. He seemed guarded against everything, distrusting everyone around him. Just as he had been when he first emerged from Wancheng. ...Slowly closing and putting away the book, Crow's expression grew serious. She stepped toward Bai Zhou's side. The familiar scent of coffee reached Bai Zhou's nose, mingled with a mysterious fragrance carrying hints of orange. "What happened?" Crow drew closer and spoke softly: "Can you tell me about it?" "..." Bai Zhou pressed his lips together, hesitating. There was one thing he could not accomplish on his own. Yet Crow could do it with ease. "Crow." At last, after scrutinizing Crow earnestly for a long while, he spoke: "Can I trust you?"