Chapter 193

Chapter 193: The Dark Boundless Realm Part 48

“Tell me, what kind of face should I be getting?” He Kangshi held a mirror to his face covered in burn scars and said, “Should it be ordinary or more handsome? Maotoufu has given me a lot of funds; it’s enough for ten plastic surgeries, and she agreed that part of it could go towards my appearance transformation.”

A black slime condensed into a hand at He Kangshi’s feet and wrote onto the desk, “Ordinary is better, blending in will make you inconspicuous.”

“Hmm, before my injury, I was still somewhat good-looking,” He Kangshi sighed.

The shadow double wrote again, “You could turn yourself into a foreigner, get a whitening injection, and change your ethnic traits. That would make it even harder for others to recognize you.”

“That makes sense… After all, the Second World is a multi-language, multi-ethnic society. The other day, I saw a black man greet someone in the shop with ‘zami mase,’ which was rather well-pronounced.” He Kangshi stroked his chin and said, “Forget it, I’ll just let my cosmetic surgeon design whatever image they think appropriate.”

It was already evening the next day, and Kui Xin hadn’t returned yet.

He Kangshi closed the store during regular business hours, hung up a sign indicating it was closed, and went upstairs to the rest room for a nap and some food. Su Rong’s shadow double disappeared for several hours during the closure and then quietly returned. She needed time to recover her strength after maintaining her Shadow Double.

As night began to fall, the shop had to open for business.

He Kangshi pressed a button on his desk, and the neon sign outside the shop changed from “closed” to “open for business,” and the automatic roller shutter door slowly rose.

Just ten minutes after opening, someone pushed the door open.

He Kangshi felt a jolt at the sound and looked up in surprise, “You’re back!”

The Shadow Double also peered out and waved at Kui Xin.

“Everything go smoothly?” He Kangshi asked anxiously.

“If it didn’t, I wouldn’t have come back,” Kui Xin replied as she walked into the shop, “Did anyone cause trouble?”

“No one caused trouble, but there were no customers either. It might be because everyone nearby knows there was a bloodbath here last night and are avoiding the area,” He Kangshi said, “The situation lately has gotten very tense; we need to start our plans and preparations.”

Kui Xin snapped her fingers, and a blue Spatial Vortex opened, revealing an ordinary-looking man who stumbled out, “This is a new staff member. While this shop is under his care, we can use it for our current needs.”

The Narwhal gang was too conspicuous. Kui Xin couldn’t draw from their ranks, so she had diverted their financial resources, taking over another moderately powerful gang instead, from which she could now draw manpower.

“Do you need me and Ember to do anything?” He Kangshi understood quickly.

“You need to get a new face; your current appearance is too distinctive,” Kui Xin said. “There are many people who know your face from your previous job, which poses a risk. You need to break ties and become unrecognizable,” Kui Xin explained, “We need to act swiftly.”

He Kangshi immediately replied, “Alright, I have already found a reliable plastic surgeon after looking for weeks.”

“Give me the address,” Kui Xin said.

He Kangshi informed her of the cosmetic surgeon’s shop in the Black Market and added, “I heard this person is discreet, considered trustworthy.”

“Good.” Kui Xin recorded the address.

He Kangshi caught a hint of something unusual in Kui Xin’s behavior.

“Are we in serious trouble?” His sharp senses detected a change.

“Yes, we’re not only dealing with the Popov Clan, but also several powerful secret organizations.” Kui Xin declared, turning on her heel, “Let’s start with the Hunter Falcon operation; there’s no time to waste.”

The Shadow Double tugged Kui Xin’s pant leg, and she retrieved the communicator to receive a message from Su Rong: “I want to get a face change too. My face is too eye-catching and I want a new one.”

“I agree, I planned for you to do just that,” Kui Xin responded.

After setting up the shop, Kui Xin opened a spatial vortex and gestured for He Kangshi to enter.

Tense, he stepped in, passing through a thin barrier to smell a foul stench. It was almost overpowering.

“This must be Garbage Alley?” He Kangshi walked out through piles of garbage bags into a street near the cosmetic shop.

“Come on,” Kui Xin walked out of the vortex.

The blue vortex closed.

“Such a convenient ability,” He Kangshi remarked.

They navigated a narrow street and arrived at a small, unassuming shop.

Upon entering, the mechanical dog-shaped device attached to the shop greeted them, “Do you have an appointment?”

“No,” Kui Xin said.

“If you don’t have an appointment… then you’ll need one,” the dog device replied as its mouth moved, “Our schedule is booked for a week. Please come back later.”

“You can pay extra,” Kui Xin added, “double the price.”

The dog instantly changed its mind, “You are welcome, esteemed guest.”

The rusted metal doors creaked open, and He Kangshi watched the dark lobby with a sudden lack of trust in the cosmetic surgeon’s integrity. If money alone allowed priority, this person seemed to prioritize profit.

Without hesitation, Kui Xin stepped forward, and they descended into a well-lit space thanks to electronic eyes.

Two floors down, they reached the door to a workroom.

Opening the door, a cosmetic surgeon welcomed them with a broad gesture, “Welcome. What service do you require?”

He Kangshi said immediately, “Plastic surgery. Nothing too recognizable, but I don’t want to look like anyone else. I’ve heard some unethical surgeons make two patients identical so often that people mistake them for twins!”

The surgeon chuckled lightly, “Each one of my clients requests something similar. I am a professional, and no face looks the same. Trust in my skills; every face I sculpt is unique. I won’t repeat designs.”

He paused, “Do you have cash ready?”

Kui Xin pulled out a gold bar from her waist pouch and tossed it to him, who scrambled to catch it, verified it was real, and cheerfully continued, “You’re lucky; I finished a surgery this morning and planned to rest. But, if you insist on paying extra…”

“Enough talking, start immediately,” Kui Xin commanded.

“Alright,” the surgeon sat at a terminal and adjusted the facial model, “Whatever kind of face—beautiful, ugly, inconspicuous, distinctive—I can do anything.”

He adjusted the model slightly and showed it to He Kangshi, “Would this suffice? An ordinary yellow-skinned face, quite natural.”

He Kangshi was indecisive, but finally agreed, “This one is fine. Can you alter my ethnicity?”

“Technically, yes. But I advise against it. Different ethnicities have distinct skeletal features; experts might identify your true ethnicity through your body shape,” the surgeon said professionally, “Cosmetic surgery is only meant to be nondescript. Overuse can backfire.”

“You know what you’re talking about,” Kui Xin noted.

“We see plenty of such cases in our line of work. Every month, criminals and fugitives find us to alter their appearances,” he shrugged, “Don’t be fooled by how shabby it seems. I hide here to evade federal clearance, but I’m equipped with everything necessary.”

He pointed to a precise instrument in the corner; it was in pristine condition, free of dust.

“I use artificial skin for facial modeling and synthetic bones to fill hollows. Post-surgery, your appearance remains indistinguishable, down to pores and textures,” he explained proudly, “For an even more realistic look, I can harvest skin cells for artificial reconstruction, though it takes considerable time…”

“Artificial skins will do,” He Kangshi sighed.

“Most prefer artificial skin for its versatility and lower cost,” the surgeon smiled slightly, “If the price is right, I can make you disappear off the grid entirely.”

Kui Xin probed further, “Tell me more about it?”

“Face changes involve much more than just the face. Your iris encodes your identity,” the surgeon said, “I can replace your iris with optical devices, your fingerprints, and lip prints. I can alter your fingerprints, lips, even your voice to make it totally different.”

“These transformations are possible, except for DNA,” Kui Xin stated.

“It’s true; we lack such technology currently. It probably requires extraordinary abilities,” the surgeon lamented.

Genetic mimicry type extraordinary abilities are rarer than mental or spatial abilities.

“Regardless,” the surgeon took out a carved facial mold and tried it on He Kangshi, “It’s too brutal to replace everything mechanically. Hard lines aren’t for me; I prefer artistic, soft lines on human forms.”

The face worked well, the surgeon nodded approvingly, “Excellent. We will now numb you for the surgery.”

“Also change his fingerprints, lip prints, voice patterns,” Kui Xin slapped another large gold bar down.

“Oh, high-end clientele!” the surgeon exclaimed, “Next time, a 20% discount!”

“Sure, you get any repeat customers?”

“Quite often,” he squeezed a syringe needle. “Once someone gets mixed up the first time, they’re likely to do it again. So, here I come in handy, right? Few learn to stop before getting dragged in deeper.”

He Kangshi, watching the gold from Kui Xin, felt gratitude, “Sis, you’re too kind! From now on, you’re my sister. I’ll repay you by working day and night.”

Kui Xin ignored him and fixed her gaze on the surgeon who would undergo the operation, while planning to bring Su Rong as well.

Getting facial modifications was mandatory, yet the surgeon knew too much. Hence, Kui Xin decided to make him part of her team.

She was also thinking about changing fingerprints and voice as well. In the Second World, Kui Xin was dead, and she wanted to stay that way forever.

Just then, Augus sent an alert.

“The micro surveillance set in Ye Fium’s office went off. Two people went in.” Augus reported, “The images are coming through. Check it.”

Kui Xin’s eyebrows twitched. Activating Data Manipulation, her heart raced.

The audio captured by the devices in the office, “Something big has happened.”

Ambereye said, “His mental state isn’t normal, seems… under control. I’ve detected signs of mental invasion in his brain.”

Ghost drawled, “Oh? Is a little mouse trying to take over our nest?”