The Creatures That We Are

Can and Gao Yang talked for a few minutes at the Witch’s Club. Then Nainai, Qing Ling, and Heavenly Dog arrived one after another.

Gao Yang closed the door, briefly explaining that a mysterious woman had held some sort of evil ritual at midnight, and that they should all be careful.

Then Nainai, in an uncharacteristically normal manner of speech, briefed them on the follow-up investigation she had helped Azure Dragon conduct on the No.7 Winery in West Nation.

After that, she supplied Gao Yang’s and Qing Ling’s red crystal necklaces with the impression of wanderers, thus marking the end of the meeting.

Nainai stayed in the room. The Witch’s Club had become her second dorm room.

Heavenly Dog, on the other hand, was called away by his classmate, and Qing Ling also left to attend to some business. It seemed that she was returning to the main base of the Twelve Zodiac Signs.

Soon, Gao Yang was left with Can in the hallway outside the club room.

On their way back, Can kept bringing up random topics.

Noticing it, Gao Yang offered, “Just tell me what it is.”

Can paused before smiling with embarrassment. “Haha, didn’t you forget something, Captain?”

“Which is?”

Disappointment flashed through Can’s eyes. She waved at him with an awkward smile. “It’s alright. If you don’t remember, you don’t.”

“Ah.” Gao Yang finally remembered. “I owe you barbecue.”

“Yeah yeah yeah!” Can perked up immediately, nodding happily for a few times.

Gao Yang asked, “You want to go tonight?”

“Sure sure.”

“But we just had dinner.”

“It’s okay. We can walk around to digest the food before going to get barbecue as a late night snack!”

Gao Yang thought for a moment before making up his mind. “Alright. Come with me to do something then. After that, I’ll buy you barbecue.”

“Okie-dokie!”

...

Twenty minutes later, Can and Gao Yang emerged from an underground station to reach a crossroad in the Nanji District. They ordered a cup of fruit tea at a shop by the road, waiting nearby.

Behind them was a shop for women’s clothes. The photos of models in the display window were tall and slim. They had changed into newly designed winter’s clothes before the season arrived.

Holding onto her cup of fruit tea with both hands, Can looked at one of the models. The black-haired woman was wearing a fashionable red coat with polished design.

Can stared at her, looking envious. If only I looked good in clothes like that too.

“Do you like it?” Gao Yang asked casually.

Can nodded. “I do.”

“Then buy it. Winter is coming soon.”

“Do you know what you’re talking about, Captain?” Can had no delusion about herself. “It’s a coat on her, but wearing it will turn me into a human mop.”

Gao Yang laughed. “You aren’t that short. You should be able to wear it with high heels.”

“Really?” Can wavered a little. She walked up to the display window and stood on her tippy toes with her back pressed to the window, trying her best to match the model’s height. “Captain, check for me how much difference there is between us...”

“Hm, not too bad,” Gao Yang said with some difficulty, his eyes flickering. “You’re just a little shorter.”

“How much is a little?” Can pressed.

“Not much, just a little.”

Can insisted, “Tell me the truth, Captain! I can take it!”

“A head.”

The air was quiet for two seconds.

“Ha, haha.” Can covered up her awkwardness with laughter. “I’ll stick to oversized jumpers. The money is better spent on buying skins for my Da Qiao.”

A silver sedan parked by the road then. The window rolled down. Chen Ying, dressed in a professional outfit, was the driver, while Little Tian, dressed in suits for children, was in the passenger seat.

“Hop in.” Chen Ying waved at them with a smile.

“Hello, Brother Seven Shadow, Sister Can,” Little Tian said politely like the good boy he was.

Gao Yang and Can smiled in response, getting into the car.

Gao Yang asked, “Do I have to put on a blindfold this time?”

Chen Ying chuckled. “There’s no need for that.”

Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at the headquarters of the Hundred Rivers Union, located underground in a forest in the suburban area.

Under Chen Ying’s lead, Gao Yang and Can walked across the large hall office. The desks were sparsely occupied by about a dozen members of the back office.

Compared to the last time he was here, there were even more empty desks, the personal belongings put away. They once belonged to those who had gotten killed in action during the Crimson Tide.

Soon, Gao Yang and Can entered the reception room.

Not long after Chen Ying left, Colorless, the first team leader, and Goldthread, the sixth team leader, showed up.

As always, Goldthread was wearing suits, a baseball cap, sunglasses, a mask, and a pair of black leather gloves, covering as much of his skin as possible. He was holding a small briefcase made of Black Gold.

Colorless had a black suit jacket draping on her shoulders, under which was a white crop tank and a black high-low pleated skirt, one side reaching her calf while the other side was short enough to reveal her alluring thigh. And her black boots were long enough to reach her knees.

Her red mullet had grown quite a lot longer, the large curls giving her an air of careless seduction. Combined with her well-placed facial features and fiery red lips, she looked beautiful and cool.

“It’s been a while, Elder Seven Shadow,” Colorless greeted them in a composed voice, sitting down across from Gao Yang. Without a word, Goldthread sat down beside her.

“It’s been a while, Team Leader Colorless,” Gao Yang said.

“And this is?” Colorless looked at Can, who was next to Gao Yang.

It was Can’s first time seeing Goldthread and Colorless. They were cool both in terms of the way they dressed and their presence, making Can feel nervous and inferior. She had looked it up on the internet; it was a phobia against fashionable people.

“He-hello! I’m an Elite of the fifth operations team of the Qilin Guild. I’m now, now a member of Team Heavenbreaker. I-I-I’m Can.” The more Can tried to introduce herself smoothly, the more she stuttered.

Corloress’ lips quirked up. “Relax. I don’t bite.”

Can’s face became flushed red. She picked at her jeans with her hands, unsure of where to even look.

Colorless turned to Gao Yang and got into business. “I heard that you want to use our Support Rune Circuit to level up your Talent?”

“That’s right,” said Gao Yang.

“What’s the Talent?”

“Double, serial number 65, Support-type. It’s level 3 and needs the Rune Circuit to reach level 4.”

“Alright, please demonstrate it for us,” Colorless explained calmly. “It’s not that we don’t trust you, but it’s standard procedure. You get the drill.”

The Gao Yang sitting on the sofa said calmly, “I am demonstrating it.”

The moment he said that, he became translucent and vanished into thin air.

“Whoa! Cap-captain...” Can jumped. How did a person just disappear from her side?

“Here.”

Gao Yang’s voice came from behind her. Can whirled around to see Gao Yang holding a disposable cup before the watercooler in a corner.

Colorless was much more composed. She nodded slightly and glanced at Goldthread.

Goldthread put the Black Gold briefcase on the tea table, putting in the code to open it. Inside was the Support Rune Circuit, the upper side etched with an abstracted flag.

Colorless said, “According to the rules, Elder Seven Shadow, you have to stay in the special monitored room at the Union the next few days, strictly following...”

“There’s no need for that.” Gao Yang smiled faintly, going up to her with his cup of water.

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