Chapter 13 – ZERO
Lin Xi understood that Shuguang Technology was a behemoth, and the waters surrounding it were deep.
“But the monster they created in their lab destroyed an entire town!”
“Does no one care? Is there no justice? Is there no law?!”
“Wait, that monster was eventually taken out by the Dark Realm Disaster Countermeasures Bureau. Didn’t the people from the Countermeasures Bureau realize the monster didn’t come from the Dark Realm?”
Shi Yu sneered. “You think the Dark Realm Disaster Countermeasures Bureau is impartial? You probably don’t know that Shuguang Technology is their biggest sponsor.”
“The Countermeasures Bureau eats from Shuguang Technology’s hand. Do you think they’d bite the hand that feeds them?”
Ah, well…
Lin Xi had still underestimated Shuguang Technology’s influence.
“So, we have to rely on ourselves. We rely on ZERO.”
“ZERO?” Lin Xi asked. “The terrorist organization you joined is called ZERO?”
Shi Yu rolled her eyes at her. “Do you really want me to kill you that badly?”
“Uh, the justice organization you joined is called ZERO?”
“Yes. Both Lu Yi and I are members of ZERO.” Fragments of the past flashed through Shi Yu’s mind. “ZERO took me in when I was at my most helpless.”
“It was also ZERO that gave me the means to seek revenge against Shuguang Technology.”
“This robbery of Jinrui Bank was a mission assigned by my superiors.”
A mission? Lin Xi thought to herself. Since when is robbing a bank a mission? It should be categorized as terrorist activity by a terrorist organization.
Shi Yu, however, told her, “There was a reason for robbing Jinrui Bank.”
“Jinrui Bank is one of the banks under Shuguang Technology’s umbrella.”
“Our mission was to seize the contents of a safe inside the vault.”
“Originally, the operation was supposed to be carried out by me, Lu Yi, and another member, but she got injured.”
“Just as we were planning to postpone the mission, I found out you were the Blazing Blast Witch.”
“We thought that with your power, you could easily melt the safe’s combination lock. Compared to using explosives, doing it that way wouldn’t cause a scene, making it easier for us to get away clean.”
“But as it turns out…”
Shi Yu glared at Lin Xi.
Lin Xi shrugged. “Don’t pin this on me.”
“You didn’t tell me who you were or what you were doing beforehand, and you didn’t ask if I was willing.”
“Is this behavior of yours a sign of moral bankruptcy or a twisted sense of humanity?”
“Shut up!” Shi Yu commanded.
But Lin Xi still had to speak: “If your mission was to steal something from a safe, then why did you steal the money and kill that man?”
“That man named Wu wasn’t just the manager of Jinrui Bank,” Shi Yu said. “He was one of Shuguang Technology’s key middle-managers.”
“Don’t let the suit fool you; he didn’t do a single decent thing in his life.”
“What… what did he do?”
“Predatory lending that destroyed families, human trafficking, organ trading, acting as a pimp and a broker… he was involved in every vice imaginable: drinking, gambling, whoring, and drugs. He didn’t miss a single one.”
This… Lin Xi was speechless. This guy was a walking encyclopedia of depravity.
How could such a toxic person be hired as a bank manager?
Then again, was Z City really this filthy and chaotic?
Was it trying to model itself after Gotham City or something?
If what Shi Yu said was true, then shooting Wu Tian was indeed a matter of eliminating a public menace and delivering justice.
“As for this big bag of money,” Shi Yu patted the backpack full of cash beside her, “consider it ‘sponsorship’ for our operational expenses from Shuguang Technology.”
Lin Xi understood. Shuguang Technology was Shi Yu’s enemy, and if you can take your enemy’s money, you might as well take it.
At this point, Lin Xi finally understood the whole story.
She could only blame her own bad luck for getting dragged into this by Shi Yu.
Since she had ruined their operation and now knew so many things she shouldn’t, Lin Xi prepared herself to be silenced.
“Shi Yu, before you kill me, I have one last request! And that is-” Lin Xi looked to the side at the Neko, who was happily devouring her second can of yellow croaker.
“Give me a can of yellow croaker!”
Lin Xi had long since been captivated by the aroma of the fish.
“Just think of it as my last meal.”
“If you don’t give it to me, I’ll haunt you as a ghost!”
Shi Yu: “…”
“You Perverted Trash Witch, who said I was going to kill you?”
“Eh?!”
“I have no intention of killing you. You’ve been overthinking things this whole way, acting like a death row prisoner being sent to the execution ground.”
Lin Xi froze. It seemed… that was exactly what happened. “You… you’re really not killing me?”
Not dying was, of course, the best possible outcome.
“Shi Yu! Don’t you worry!” Lin Xi patted her chest, giving her word. “I promise I won’t breathe a single word about today’s events to anyone. I’ll take this secret to my grave.”
Just as Lin Xi was about to swear a solemn oath, Shi Yu flashed a wicked smile.
“I never said I was going to kill you, but I never said I was letting you go, either.”
“Then what do you want with me?”
“I want you to join us. Join ZERO!”
“Join you? No way!” Lin Xi refused flatly. “Even if you’re the ‘good guys’ and Shuguang Technology is evil, what does your little war have to do with me?”
“I’m just a background character. Do you really think I’m some kind of novel protagonist?”
Lin Xi didn’t want to embrace justice, nor did she want to lean toward evil. She just wanted to live a quiet life without getting involved in anything.
“Heh heh heh…” Whenever Shi Yu made that half-smiling, half-mocking sound, Lin Xi knew the girl was cooking up something bad.
Sure enough, Shi Yu spoke.
“First of all, I know your true identity. I still have a firm grip on that leverage.”
“Secondly, after this bank robbery, we’re already birds of a feather.”
“Lin Xi, you’ve long since run out of choices.”
“Unless, of course, you kill both me and Lu Yi. If you erase us, no one will know your secrets.”
“But can you actually kill us right now?”
Lin Xi felt more than just wronged; she felt like she’d swallowed a bitter pill with no way to complain. Shi Yu was right-she had no way out unless she could eliminate the two witnesses.
But right now, she was the lamb led to the slaughter…
“You’re ruthless, Shi Yu. Are you even human? Are you a demon from the Dark Realm, or some non-human species even more evil than a demon?”
With no other choice, Lin Xi had to temporarily submit.
Shi Yu clapped her hands. “Welcome to the team, Perverted Trash Witch!”
“From today on, Lin Xi, your codename is ‘Perverted Trash Witch.'”
“No!” Lin Xi protested. “I want to see the superior officer! At the very least, I should have the right to choose my own codename!”
Shi Yu had everything planned out for her. “You’re just an intern; you’re not qualified to see the higher-ups. I’ll report to them and make sure you’re assigned to me.”
“Hard pass!” Lin Xi protested again. “I’d rather follow Lu Yi than you.”
The Neko girl seemed quiet and peaceful. Aside from the fact that she played with bombs-which was a bit terrifying-she was still better than a demon like Shi Yu.
“Protest denied.” Shi Yu exercised her veto power. “Not only are you an intern under my command, but you’re also my slave. Have you forgotten who your master is so soon?”
“Slave? Master? You two certainly have some colorful hobbies,” Lu Yi chimed in unexpectedly after finishing her hearty meal.
Shi Yu: “…”
Lin Xi: “…”
“No, Lu Yi! It’s not what you think!” Lin Xi explained frantically, desperate to preserve her reputation.
Lu Yi waited for her to finish before offering a flat welcome.
“Welcome to the team, Perverted Trash Witch.”
“No! I am not using that codename!” Lin Xi flopped onto the sofa, nearly throwing a tantrum.
Seeing this, Shi Yu took a step back. “Fine. I’ll give you a new codename. Let’s just call you ‘Perverted Witch.'”
Lin Xi: “…”
No matter how much she protested, it was futile.
“You’re a Perverted Witch anyway,” Shi Yu said. “I’ll leave out the ‘Trash’ part for now.”
“I’ll help you remember how to use your power. If we fail, I’m adding the ‘Trash’ part back on.”
Lin Xi was puzzled. “Help me? How are you going to help me?”
Shi Yu grinned. “I know the ‘Great Memory Restoration Technique.’ I guarantee your memories will return.”
Lin Xi had a very bad feeling about this…
Lu Yi welcomed her again.
“You’re one of us now, Perverted Witch.”
“By the way, Shi Yu,” Lu Yi turned to look at her. “How exactly is the Perverted Witch… perverted?”
Shi Yu replied, “She tried to grope me this morning before I woke up.”
“Grope your ass! Stop lying through your teeth!” Lin Xi shouted excitedly at Lu Yi. “I’m really not a pervert! Shi Yu is just framing me and slapping labels on me!”
“Shi Yu is the one who’s a 24-karat pure pervert!”
“Lu Yi, you probably don’t know this, but Shi Yu is a doujinshi artist! An H-manga artist!”
“I know,” Lu Yi said tonelessly. “I’ve even modeled for her.”
With that one killing blow, Lu Yi effectively shut Lin Xi up for good.
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