"Hey, can you hear me? Hey, hey?"
"I can hear you, stop shouting, I havenāt adjusted the volume yet."
Celestial Fortune Minerals Third-Phase residential compound, fifth floor rooftop.
Jiang Chuan took off the headphones, rubbed his ears which were buzzing from the sound, and quickly adjusted the communicator volume to 30%, before putting them back on.
Standing here, leaning against the low wall at the edge of the rooftop, he could see most of the B and C zones.
Itās one of the best observation points in the Buffer Zone.
This includes the distant Zone B7, as well as Mu Shuangās location in Zone C11.
At this moment.
He picked up the high-powered binoculars beside him and slowly scanned the windows of the apartment buildings: "Iām already at the vantage point, but Iāll remind you once more, donāt mess around."
"Worried about what? If I were to mess around, I wouldāve flipped the Hundred Ghosts Gang outside by now."
Inside the room, Mu Shuang stood sideways behind the curtain, her fingertips creating a small crack to peek through, glancing at the few abnormal figures suddenly appearing downstairs, couldnāt help but smile.
"Inspector Chengās underlings are indeed diligent; Iāve only been back less than ten minutes, and theyāre already watching me."
"Did you think they were just loafing around?" Jiang Chuanās voice came through the earphones with a hint of seriousness, "I donāt care about ordinary guard pistols; figure out how to dodge them yourself. But if someone points a rifle at you, consider this mission failed."
"Alright, alright, if Iām really pointed at with a rifle and canāt escape, Iāll be the first to surrender with my hands up."
Mu Shuang let go of the curtain, turned and sat on the bed, opening a bulging backpack.
Inside were various gadgets prepared last night.
Two palm-sized smoke bombs, fine steel wire wrapped around her wrist, grappling hook and cable, some flash disks disguised as buttons, a strong flashlight, and some miscellaneous items.
In the Wasteland, some tactics might not be presentable, but they are the best way to survive.
"Also, you donāt have the quota to harm anyone, you can only knock them unconscious. Ordinary bruises are acceptable, but if anyone bleeds or gets seriously injured, itās an automatic mission failure."
Jiang Chuan continued reciting the "rules" with an undeniable tone, "Moreover, if someone engages in close combat with you, no weapons are allowed, no lethal moves can be used, only basic combat strength of the Embryo Realm..."
He paused and emphasized: "Most importantly, your extraordinary power is prohibited throughout this mission!"
"Yes, Officer Jiang!"
Mu Shuang replied in a drawn-out tone, followed by a crisp series of laughter.
"Donāt worry, that Long is just an ordinary Tendon Gate who embraced a fake embryo. Catching you is impressive enough; he surely canāt catch both of us, right?"
"Heh, heh heh." Jiang Chuan snorted twice, just in time to see Long directing personnel around the apartment building, not very professional, yet the subordinates followed orders diligently.
"Wait until someone points a gun at the back of your head and see if youāll still act so cocky."
"Canāt you say something nice? If I really get caught, wouldnāt you as my observer be at fault too?"
"I only provide you with key information; donāt count on me when escaping."
"Key information is more than enough~"
Mu Shuangās fingers danced like they were performing ballet, expertly winding the fine steel wire around the inside of her wrist, hiding it in the sleeve, wrapping the smoke bomb in soft cloth, and stuffing it into the boot shaft.
Next, she rummaged through the bag for a few bottles and jars, unscrewing the lids and started applying them to her face.
"Four people, two picked problematic locations, slept in shanties crowded with homeless people, ended up surrounded and trapped in their sleep. Another panicked during escape, almost fell from a repairing pipeline and broke a leg."
She recalled, giggling, "That pretty-boy was the smartest; he noticed being tailed first, tried to detour to escape, only to end up in a deliberately set pocket trap, escaping so long only to trap himself in a dead-end in the slum area, total self-ensnarement."
"So are you planning to stay in the city?"
"What else?" Mu Shuang evenly patted the loose powder on her face, which had turned into the common wax-yellow darkness seen in the Buffer Zone, "Go to the North Suburb? I havenāt grown wings; how am I supposed to fly away?"
She pulled out a wig from the bag, long dusty hair, purposely tousled a few strands.
Then she took out a jar of gel, used her fingertips to apply it over her cheekbones and brow bones, slowly changing the facial contours.
Lastly, she picked up a dark eyeliner, applying it under the corner of her mouth, blending it with her finger, then stuck on a prepared mole prop to add some authentic "urban vibe."
After finishing everything, Mu Shuang stood in front of the mirror.
In the mirror was the face of a strange middle-aged woman, wax-yellow and thin, with eyes deliberately drawn with fine lines, the black mole at the corner of the mouth remarkably prominent, anyone seeing her would think sheās an ordinary community resident.
"Jiang Chuan, you donāt really think Iād go to such lengths to play cat and mouse with Inspector Cheng, do you?"
"Oh?" Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow, "What, the task given by the station head isnāt challenging enough?"
"Of course itās challenging; forget the station head, Director Liu explicitly instructed me to safeguard him at all costs."
Mu Shuang leaned against the headboard, chuckling, "Though protecting him is my mission, no problem. But Inspector Cheng has quite the appetite; if he learns my identity, Iām afraid heāll have me do other things."
"Hah, I wonder what kind of potion he gave you that makes you think so fondly of him. Iām curious too; if he can pass my level, Iād act like you, doing whatever he asks."
"Oh wow, are you looking to switch bosses, not wanting to work for Director Liu anymore?" Jiang Chuan held back but eventually laughed.