Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Artificial Soul 16

“Captain Yu.”

“What’s up? You tell me.”

“It’s nothing, just our mode of transportation for this undercover operation caught me off guard.”

“So what if we use the electric tram? It’s fast, convenient, and saves money on fuel.”

“Isn’t this too important a task to be traveling by public transport? I feel weird about it.”

Kui Xin walked side by side with Yu Liang along a long corridor, preparing to take the elevator downstairs.

She had changed into her regular clothes. Inside her clothes, she wore body armor. A gun was tucked into her lower back, with its ammunition magazine wrapped around her abdomen. Her sleeves concealed a folding knife, earphones were hidden in her ears, and her buttons acted as miniature cameras and scanners.

“We can’t use the hover police car; they would spot us immediately,” Yu Liang said. “But normal disguised cars don’t have flight privileges and can only drive on ground level. You know the traffic conditions in Hei Hai City, it’s always congested. Driving on the ground could take us at least two hours, which would waste too much time! Given all that, the electric tram is more comfortable.”

“If any unforeseen circumstances happened, we wouldn’t have transportation to evacuate…” Kui Xin worried.

Yu Liang took out his smoking pipe and confidently said, “There are two motorcycles near the black market streets. They’re specially placed there for emergency evacuations. We’ll do surveillance before going to the black market.”

“Alright then,” Kui Xin relaxed. “What’s our objective today? Xenomorphs? Heterogeneous Blooded?”

“Neither.” Yu Liang spoke solemnly. “It’s the buyers and sellers.”

Kui Xin looked back, urging Yu Liang to continue.

“I’ve already told you before. The substance called Divine Blood was once circulated in the black market. Following our crackdown, its circulation decreased, but it still exists,” Yu Liang explained. “Xenomorphs rarely come from the sea, and those with Heterogeneous Blood hide very well. So most times, our targets are the ‘buyers’ and ‘sellers.'”

“If someone’s a buyer, it probably means they believe in ancient deities or want to become Heterogeneous Blooded, making them unstable factors. If they’re a seller, it indicates they have some unclear connection with Secret Cult factions. Since Divine Blood is extracted from Xenomorphs, purification is necessary. To obtain Divine Blood, one needs skills to kill Xenomorphs and specialized equipment,” Kui Xin said. “The circulation of Divine Blood in the black market must involve certain powerful forces.”

“That’s exactly right.” Yu Liang continued, “Arresting the buyers and sellers will help us uncover more people involved. However, Kui Xin, remember not to act rashly. Even if you witness the transaction happening, you cannot arrest them immediately. Report this first and get approval from your superiors.”

“If they escape during that waiting period?” Kui Xin asked. “We just let them go?”

“Yes.” Yu Liang firmly said. “Without approval, that’s the only course of action.”

“Why?” Kui Xin looked directly into Yu Liang’s eyes.

Yu Liang said, “We’ve reached the elevator.”

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Kui Xin and Yu Liang stepped into the elevator and stood still.

She probed further, “Why is the approval process so strict? Other tasks regarding Xenomorph investigations didn’t require such procedures.”

Yu Liang lit a cigarette and said, “Well… This is precisely what I wanted you to experience today.” He patted her shoulder, “I advise you to be tactful and not rigid. Sometimes, you have to act like you’re clueless. Follow my instructions. This is my first time as a trainer, and I really want to do well. You need to learn carefully.”

Kui Xin pulled back her gaze and said, “Alright, I’m not rigid. Captain Yu.”

“Hmm, I appreciate clever people,” Yu Liang replied.

The strict approval process was likely linked to the Investigative Department and financial conglomerates.

Adam revealed that the Python Sphere was an informant for the Investigative Department. It was the Python Sphere that placed the red cryptic insect on Thorn Rose. A cryptic insect is a parasitic Xenomorph. The Python Sphere alone couldn’t have produced this species. Someone else must have given it to them.

When Shu Xuxiao was training Kui Xin, he clearly showed the research findings on various Xenomorph types. He stated that the Investigative Department collaborated with laboratories and research institutes under the Federation and financial conglomerates. These institutions shared common study subjects—Xenomorphs.

The official organizations in the Second World and financial conglomerates delved deeply into Xenomorph research. They undoubtedly possessed methods to purify Divine Blood. Perhaps the Divine Blood circulating on the black market had close ties with financial conglomerates of the Federation.

The stringent approval process reminded Kui Xin of a word: dread. They feared something, so they refrained from acting recklessly. If the buyers and sellers had connections with the Federation’s financial conglomerates, it explained why they were hesitant.

As for Yu Liang, he understood the Investigative Department’s reasons thoroughly. Thus he warned Kui Xin to be flexible and appear innocent, praising her for being clever.

In the Investigative Department, everyone had two faces—hypocrisy on the outside.

Unclear words and hidden rules could be hazardous if not comprehended correctly.

“In the black market, people disguise their appearance,” Yu Liang explained. “Today’s target is a seller who has sold Divine Blood for a while and even interacted with several buyers. Our agents noticed him and pretended to be potential buyers to lure him in. Tonight, we catch our prey.”

“Do you have details of his appearances?” Kui Xin asked.

“He disguises himself when selling things,” Yu Liang replied. “Our informants will lure him into contact. Once he shows up, we can place a tracker on him if everything goes smoothly. According to intelligence, this man might be part of a secret cult, actively developing their congregation.”

They reached the ground floor, went to the waiting area for the tram. After a while, the electric tram arrived, and they silently sat down, waiting to reach their destination.

“Where do we get off?” Kui Xin asked.

“Warrior Dragon Avenue,” Yu Liang said slowly.

“Central city?” Kui Xin noted.

“Yes, central city,” Yu Liang affirmed.

Kui Xin fell silent, as electric trams were not the best places for conversation.

She was puzzled. Shouldn’t the black market typically be hidden somewhere secluded? Opening it so brazenly in the city center implied the supporting power was far greater than she had imagined.

When they reached their destination, Yu Liang lowered his voice. “The location of the black market is undisclosed, requiring special connections to enter. This time, it just happens to be in the central city. It looks normal on the surface, yet only those knowing proper ways can access deeper underground trading grounds… Our ultimate destination is Tower 069.”

They navigated through the hustle and bustle of the central area, stopping first at the parking lot where the motorcycles were parked.

The motorcycles were parked in an underground garage, completely fueled up and ready for immediate use.

“See that side door over there?” Yu Liang pointed towards a nearby fire exit. “The black market we’re heading to connects to that fire exit, but it has a one-way entry. We can’t enter from here. We must enter from the market’s main entrance. In case of emergency, we’ll exit through the fire exit and ride away on motorcycles.”

Kui Xin tilted her head, scanning the area. “There are many luxury cars in this parking lot.”

“Some people participating in black market trades have similar intentions, planning to flee if something goes wrong,” Yu Liang explained.

“People with high positions participate in the black market rides as well?” she asked.

“Yes.” Yu Liang affirmed. “There are some things you should realize. Try to handle yourself cautiously; avoid causing too much commotion, or it could spiral out of control.”

Kui Xin silently nodded in agreement.

After finishing preparation, they arrived at the front of Tower 069.

A red carpet was laid out in front of the tower. Inside, people were constantly coming and going. People dressed in all kinds of attire wandered about. Some sold jade artworks, others antique vases or vintage gramophones, presenting an bustling trade hub.

“Please show your pass,” a server said hurriedly upon seeing Yu Liang and Kui Xin.

Yu Liang took out his golden membership card and waved it in front of the server. The server instantly replied, “Please enter.”

“This is all fake,” Yu Liang mouthed to Kui Xin. “It looks legitimate, but it’s all a facade. We need to enter the real trading markets below ground.”

Kui Xin nodded impassively, observing everything around them with keen attention.

Many people were in the exhibition hall on the first floor, leading to unavoidable friction. She tried to relax and suppress her impulse to grab the gun from her waist, wanting to avoid appearing aggressive.

They navigated past numerous stands and stalls until they reached the elevator.

Inside the elevator, a smiling server said, “The antique market is on floors one through six. The mechanical market is on seven through twelve. Above that are the exhibition halls showcasing the latest technological advancements. Where are you two heading to?”

Yu Liang replied with a peculiar line, “The golden rose blooms on the prairie.”

The server maintained his smile, but pulled out a scanner to scan Yu Liang and Kui Xin’s entire bodies. They had brought advanced technology to shield themselves, so the scanner remained silent.

Once scanned, the server pressed the button for level -5 beneath the ground. “Wishing you find what you desire.”

On reaching the fifth basement, another server approached, carrying a tray with masks, “For your safety and privacy, please put on a mask.”

Each mask contained built-in voice modulators.

This black market seemed to have prepared meticulously… Kui Xin muttered to herself as she placed the mask on.

Once everyone wore the masks, the server stated, “Exhibits one and two are free-trade markets, exhibit three is a public auction. Would you require assistance navigating?”

“No thanks,” Yu Liang guided Kui Xin further inside.

Kui Xin tugged at her clothes. Hidden inside the buttons were micro-cameras and scanners, recording each visitor’s features and details.

Adam reported, “Target spotted, two o’clock direction.”

Beneath the mask, Kui Xin’s eyes shifted upward, catching a suspicious silhouette disappearing into a men’s restroom nearby.

Inside the bathroom, the “seller” targeted by Kui Xin sat frantically shaking his legs.小心翼翼地撕下一片透明的贴纸，差点惊叫：”靠！啥时候被贴上的定位器！”

他吓得魂飞魄散，急忙从裤兜取出一面小镜子照看自己：“换张脸，快换，来得及！”