Chapter Three: The Team Leader?

They didn’t linger long making small talk in the elevator. Su Xiaoxiao led Chen Hongxu out, leaving the hapless Fan, who was still rolling around, completely ignored. Justice was nowhere to be found, yet somehow, it all felt justified.

Chen Hongxu followed behind Su Xiaoxiao, glancing around at his surroundings. Generously, one could call it high-tech, what with all the sensors and control panels; less kindly, it was just a fancy version of reinforced concrete. One thing, however, was certain—Chen Hongxu could feel that they were underground.

He walked behind Su Xiaoxiao along a long corridor, while she occasionally raised her hand to introduce the various labeled areas and their functions. Before long, they arrived at a hall as large as a football field.

The hall was surrounded on all sides by transparent glass of unknown material. With the lights shining from within, one could see not only the reflections of everything in the hall, but also, faintly, the uneven traces of stone beyond—confirming Chen Hongxu’s suspicion that this base had indeed been carved out underground.

Su Xiaoxiao, unhesitating, stepped barefoot onto a lift platform. She turned and beckoned to Chen Hongxu and to Fan, who was being half-dragged along by Bear.

The four of them descended into the hall on the lift.

Though the hall was the size of a football field, the arrangement of various equipment and the division of space gave it a sense of substance, dispelling any emptiness.

At the center of the hall stood a middle-aged man in a white lab coat, staring intently at an LCD screen before him, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of the newcomers.

It was not until Su Xiaoxiao approached and let out a dissatisfied huff that the man visibly flinched. He paused his work and slowly turned around.

Dashing and charming—that was the first impression Chen Hongxu had of this man. For a man to earn such praise from another man was rarer than a loser alluring a goddess on the street. Yet Chen Hongxu truly had no other way to describe him: a rakish smirk, a handsome face, and even the grave seriousness in his eyes could not obscure the brilliance of his appearance. But why did he look so much like Fan?

Su Xiaoxiao clearly had little patience for this man. With a nasal humph, she said, “Everyone’s here. Can we talk about the mission now?”

As she spoke, she glanced at the instruments beside her, swept the miscellaneous files off them onto the floor, and hopped up to perch on the console, swinging her legs as she waited for his answer.

The man’s face twitched slightly, but catching sight of the still-woozy Fan, he sensibly pretended not to notice Su Xiaoxiao’s behavior. Swallowing nervously, he forced an explanation: “The team leader isn’t here yet.”

“Team leader?” Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes, propped herself up with her hands, and planted her feet on the delicate instrument. Her expression frosted over as she stared at the man. “Fan Tianhua, you know my temper. The team leader better not die mysteriously in the middle of the mission.”

So Fan Tianhua was the man’s name. He continued to feign ignorance, but didn’t dare treat Su Xiaoxiao as invisible. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he sighed, “It’s been decided by the organization. You know how it is—I’m just the errand boy here, I have no say at all. Otherwise, I’d have let you lead the team straight away.”

Su Xiaoxiao still looked displeased, but upon hearing the organization had decided, she refrained from further protest.

Fan Tianhua breathed a sigh of relief, having pacified this “witch” for the time being. He glanced at Fan, who looked like he might drop dead at any moment, but, seeing he was still breathing, paid him no further mind. His gaze landed on Chen Hongxu. “You must be Chen Hongxu? Hello, I’m Fan Tianhua, uncle to your good-for-nothing friend here.”

That “good-for-nothing” was uttered with gritted teeth, clearly laced with anger. Watching his own nephew fail to defend him as Su Xiaoxiao bullied him so thoroughly—couldn’t he at least draw her fire away? Isn’t that what younger relatives are for?

Chen Hongxu nodded, shook his hand, and at once realized Fan Tianhua was just an ordinary man. Yet for such a man to have a position of some standing in an organization like the Black List, he must have abilities beyond mere family connections. It made Chen Hongxu wonder what Fan Tianhua’s true skills were.

Su Xiaoxiao, as if reading his mind, answered before he could ask. “Geniuses come in many fields. Fan Tianhua has unique talent in computer networks, so he handles intelligence and decryption. But don’t think he’s too important—he’s just the intel chief, nothing more.”

Her blunt dismissal left both Chen Hongxu and Fan Tianhua forcing awkward smiles.

Time passed, and Su Xiaoxiao’s patience was wearing thin. Glancing at Fan, who still looked half-dead, she grew increasingly irritated. She knew exactly how hard her strike had been! She pressed one hand to the console and, in a blur, launched herself at Fan.

What seemed a sure hit missed. Bear was still standing with arms out, as if supporting Fan, but the one who should have been in his arms was now far away, clutching his chest and panting in terror.

Su Xiaoxiao gave a cold laugh. “I knew you were faking. I can’t stand your dying act.”

Fan pulled a long face, muttering, “Can’t a guy just try to scam a bottle of recovery serum from his uncle…”

Fan Tianhua could only stare in disbelief—was this really his relative? What a scheme!

They waited a while longer, and now even Chen Hongxu was beginning to feel impatient. Was this team leader, whom they had never met, perhaps getting too big for their boots? Missions were, after all, a matter of life and death. If someone who couldn’t even show up on time was in charge, how could they be trusted with everyone’s lives?

A cold gleam flickered in Chen Hongxu’s eyes. Any unknown variable was best dealt with early. He and Su Xiaoxiao exchanged a glance, and both seemed to see the flicker of murderous intent rising in the other’s gaze.

Fan Tianhua and the others suddenly felt an icy chill crawl up their spines.

Just then, the glass door above the hall slid open with a chime. A figure stepped out, a wooden sword slung across their back, and descended onto the lift.

“It’s her?” Chen Hongxu and Su Xiaoxiao exchanged looks. Their reactions to the newcomer could not have been more different.