[Xinyuan: Aren’t you going to get Nuo?]

[Zhaohe: She’s better off with the CEA than with me right now. Besides, our contract was already nearing its end. We only had one week left.]

[Xinyuan: Alright then. Is there something else I need to know?]

[Zhaohe: Like what?]

[Xinyuan: Kaiwen. And Wenzhi’s friends. The CEA found out we all lied.]

[Zhaohe: Every man for himself, remember?]

Xinyuan’s lips curled.

[Xinyuan: I know. That’s why I don’t trust you either.]

"I don’t understand why you’d wake someone up at four in the morning," Wenzhi groaned from the passenger seat. "It just proves you’re a monster because who the hell wakes people up at 4AM?"

His messy hair stuck out in every direction as he leaned against the car window with an exhausted expression.

Xinyuan quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket before Wenzhi could glance over.

Wenzhi looked terrible.

His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and every few minutes, his hand drifted unconsciously toward his pocket only for him to remember there were no cigarettes there anymore.

Xinyuan noticed every single time.

The past two days had been spent driving through outer high-city routes that hadn’t experienced major rift activity yet.

After the destruction of the research facility and CEA headquarters, every surveillance system in the inner sectors was probably searching for them already.

Fortunately, Xinyuan had prepared beforehand.

He had repainted his car, changed the registration records, and replaced every traceable document attached to their identities.

With Zhaohe and Kaiwen quietly feeding him information and underground contacts, moving around had become much easier.

Kaiwen’s family, unlike the destroyed Pei family, had deep internal connections with the Old Blood faction.

And right now, those connections mattered.

"We’re almost at the airship port," Xinyuan said calmly.

That information did absolutely nothing to improve Wenzhi’s mood.

Eventually, the vehicle entered one of the outer industrial sectors.

The airship port spread across the district like a rusted mechanical jungle.

The entire area was crowded.

Massive cargo airships continuously lifted into the sky while others descended through the thick fog overhead. Workers shouted across loading docks while armed mercenaries stood watch near shipping crates and fenced checkpoints.

This place specialized in smuggling goods, weapons, information and people.

Xinyuan and Wenzhi stepped out of the car wearing caps and black masks that partially concealed their faces.

Wenzhi handled the negotiations to sell the car while Xinyuan stood nearby carrying both travel bags silently.

Within minutes, the car was sold off for a large amount of cash.

Easy. No questions asked.

That was the kind of place this was.

A place where identities disappeared as quickly as money changed hands.

Afterward, they headed deeper into the loading sectors where massive airships towered overhead like metal beasts.

Xinyuan carried the bags while Wenzhi walked ahead, scanning the surrounding ships carefully beneath the brim of his cap.

All of a sudden, a loud grunt echoed across the port followed by the sound of fists colliding against flesh.

People began gathering nearby.

A fight.

Xinyuan barely glanced toward the disturbance. But he felt it. A familiar pressure.

Wenzhi slowed, his attention moving to the gathering.

"Give me my fucking money, old man!" A voice rang out sharply through the crowd.

As they moved closer, they found a familiar figure standing in the middle of the gathering.

A man in a black trench coat with long red hair flowing behind him held another man nearly twice his size off the ground by the throat.

The larger man’s face was already bruised horribly, like he’d been punched repeatedly.

"Yuzhen?" Xinyuan asked in disbelief.

Shu Yuzhen turned. His ember-colored eyes widened the moment they landed on Xinyuan despite the disguise.

Then he threw the man aside like discarded trash and strode toward them excitedly. "You guys!"

The surrounding crowd quickly dispersed with disappointed grumbling once they realized the fight was over.

"What are you doing here?" Yuzhen asked before suddenly blinking as realization struck him. "Oh right. The CEA and all those factions are hunting you now."

He sounded more fascinated than concerned. "It’s crazy, you know? I heard it was the Old Blood that blew up the Pei estate."

Wenzhi, already overwhelmed by the dense Esper pressure around Yuzhen, walked past him without responding.

Yuzhen blinked before looking back toward Xinyuan. "So where are you guys heading?"

"Somewhere," Xinyuan walked past him.

Yuzhen followed beside him anyway.

"Come on," he groaned. "I’m not going to tell anyone. Maybe we could trade information."

Xinyuan merely glanced at him before looking ahead toward Wenzhi.

Near one of the larger cargo airships, Wenzhi stood speaking with one of the traders while workers continuously carried crates of fruit, supplies, and raw food into the ship behind them.

Wenzhi’s grey eyes looked stern beneath the brim of his cap while the trader across from him appeared visibly exhausted already. Like he was steadily losing the argument.

Finally, the man frowned deeply and walked away.

Wenzhi turned toward Xinyuan.

The deal had clearly been settled.

Beside him, Yuzhen pouted openly, his expressions as readable as ever since he hadn’t even bothered disguising himself properly.

"There’s nothing to trade," Xinyuan said, walking toward Wenzhi.

"Oh," Yuzhen suddenly said brightly, looking toward the ship. "It seems we’re riding together."

Xinyuan paused in surprise.

Standing near the doorway of the cargo ship was another familiar figure.

His brown eyes landed on Wenzhi first before slowly shifting toward Xinyuan and Yuzhen.

Unlike Yuzhen, he looked confused about what exactly was happening.

Yuzhen waved enthusiastically. "Zhiyao!"

Zhiyao blinked once in response.

Wenzhi let out a heavy sigh the moment he saw them and simply started walking toward the ship instead. Up the metal stairs. Without a word.

Xinyuan followed after him carrying the bags while Yuzhen trailed closely behind them, still talking. "Are you guys going to Sector One too?"

The question caught Xinyuan completely off guard.

"You are?" Yuzhen asked, sounding genuinely amused. "Well, that’s a surprise."

"Yes." Xinyuan braced himself, every instinct instantly on high alert. "Very surprising."