The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 267: Meeting of the Big Three

Gao Yang knew his way around the underground sixth floor. He soon made it to the Snake Door and found his way to Qing Ling’s single room. The door was opened by a crack. Gao Yang pushed it open and gently closed it behind him.

The light was off, the room dim.

Swoosh.

Before Gao Yang could take a step forward, a blade came out of nowhere, splitting air and bringing about a current, almost touching the hair on his neck. It was apparent how much the wielder had mastered the way of blades.

Gao Yang neither flinched nor startled, unfazed by the sudden threat.

Two seconds later, he rested a finger on the blade and pushed it aside gently. “No need for the passionate welcome next time, Qing Ling.”

In the dark, Qing Ling made a quiet sound of acknowledgement and quickly pulled away her Tang Dao, coming up to push Gao Yang against the door and feel around his body.

On her left hand was a scanner, checking parts of Gao Yang’s body that could be hiding something but would be inappropriate for her to touch.

Half a minute later, Qing Ling said, “We’re clear.”

Officer Huang chuckled from the side. He had been hiding in a shadowed corner of the room. With a flick, he lit a cigarette with his lighter. “I hope you don’t find that an overreaction, Gao Yang. It’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s for your sake.”

“I know,” Gao Yang said quietly. “There’s something you need to talk to me about?”

“Yes.” Officer Huang took a drag, the cigarette lighting up half of his face in the dark. “Qing Ling and I gave you a signal, but we weren’t certain that you’d notice.”

Gao Yang smiled wryly. It was indeed a discrete signal: a tiny amount of milk had been added to the black tea.

Gao Yang wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t have good attention to detail as well as remembered Qing Ling’s habit of drinking milk after training.

He had excused himself and visited Qing Ling’s room just to confirm his suspicion; it turned out that he was right. The milk was a signal from Qing Ling.

“I only have three minutes. We should make this quick.”

“Are you doing alright on your end?” asked Officer Huang.

Gao Yang felt conflicted. So they were worried about him.

Actually, he almost got executed by Qilin earlier this noon, but he ended up benefitting from the crisis in the end.

Gao Yang nodded. “Doing alright.”

“Okay, be careful.” Officer Huang hesitated for two seconds before asking, “Have you heard anything about the procreation between a human and a monster?”

As expected, that was what Officer Huang was most concerned about, which was only natural. After all, his wife’s pregnancy must be showing more and more by the day.

On one hand, he looked forward to the birth of their child; on the other hand, he couldn’t stop worrying.

Could a human and a monster give birth to a normal child? No one had an answer to the question.

“Not at the moment.” Gao Yang then asked, “Didn’t War Tiger say that he would look into it for you?”

“He had someone look into it, but he told me to be patient because it would take time.” Officer Huang seemed agitated. “I did wonder every now and then if he was just humoring me, but it didn’t seem to be the case.”

He sighed heavily. “And now the Crimson Tide is coming. Nothing is going my way.”

“We can only take one step at a time,” said Gao Yang. “Let’s see what Surnamed Li has to say first.”

“Alright. I don’t have anything else to say.” Officer Huang turned to Qing Ling. “And you?”

Awash in darkness, Qing Ling was quiet for a moment before she reached out to Gao Yang. “Take this.”

Gao Yang couldn’t make out what it was. He only realized it was the SOS button he had gotten once before when he took it from her palm.

This time, Qing Ling had given it to him herself rather than through Little Qing Ling.

Gao Yang was touched.

“I didn’t have the chance to thank you for what happened with Black Tortoise.”

Officer Huang teased, “I’m gonna suspect you of changing sides for real if you keep acting like we’re strangers, Gao Yang.”

“Seconded,” Qing Ling chimed in coolly.

Gao Yang smiled wryly. You’ve succumbed to the bad influence around you, Qing Ling.

Officer Huang waved a hand in the dark. “Alright, you should go back, Elder Seven Shadow.”

...

Five minutes later, Gao Yang returned to the reception room like nothing had happened.

Lying on the sofa, Vermilion Bird had just finished a call. She put her phone away with the corners of her mouth quirked up, smirking at Gao Yang.

“What?” Gao Yang tried not to sound guilty. “Is there something on my face?”

“No.” Vermilion Bird blinked and brushed her curls back. “I just called White Tiger.”

“And?”

“I told him that Elder Seven Shadow was craving milk tea and had asked him to bring two cups on the way.”

“Sister Xia...” Gao Yang was exasperated. “That’s too much!”

“Don’t be like that. It’s fine. I’ll pay for the milk tea. Then you can pay White Tiger. Consider us even then.”

Vermilion Bird waved a hand dismissively as she wired Gao Yang the money.

Staring at the notification for incoming wire, Gao Yang suppressed a sigh.

It’s not about the money! You’re damaging my image!

...

Mouse Room, ten o’clock in the evening.

The leaders and core members of the three major organizations in Li City had gathered for a meeting.

In the main seat was Dragon. On his sides stood the two core members of his organization, War Tiger and White Rabbit.

Taking the central spot of the left side of the table was Qilin, and behind him were the four Elders: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Seven Shadow.

Right across from him sat Surnamed Li, and there were also four people behind her; they were the leaders of the first, third, fourth, and fifth team of the Hundred Rivers Union respectively.

As a show of goodwill, none of them wore a face mask or a surgical mask, but instead presented their actual appearances to each other.

Gao Yang discretely observed the three unfamiliar faces on the side of the Hundred Rivers Union.

The first team leader was Colorless, a woman in her thirties with her long red hair in a wolf cut. She was tall, her facial features projecting a strong presence, and there was an air of aloofness about her.

She, along with Chen Ying—the third team leader—and the other two team leaders, were all wearing the same business suit of shirt, dress pants, and tie, making them look like elite employees of a modern company.

The fourth team leader was Joker, and he looked the part.

He was a thin, frail man whose age was difficult to tell. His afro stood out in contrast with his numb expression, while the deep red lipstick he had applied from the corners of his mouth to his chin made it look like his mouth had been sliced open.

It painted an image of absurdity and stark contrast to see a clown wearing a set of business suits.

The fifth team leader was Green Tea, a name that almost made Gao Yang break into a grin when he heard it.

The man himself, however, was entirely different from the image the name would conjure[1]. He was a tall burly man with square jaw, small eyes, and strong nose, and his skin was clear, his muscles brimming with power. It was clear that he had trained himself systematically, and he looked to be a personable, dependable, and down-to-earth man.

Gray Bear, while being a strongly-built man as well, was the polar opposite of Green Tea with his unkempt appearance, rough temperament, and lack of care for his physique. And Gray Bear was always wearing worn-out clothes, making him seem more like a thug than anything.

While Gao Yang eyed the three team leaders he hadn’t met, the three were also checking him out.

Of course, their gazes didn’t linger on him, but quickly shifted to the other Elders until finally stopping on Qilin and Dragon.

Surnamed Li sat on a wheelchair dressed in a silver gray customized qipao and a cloud collar made of pearls[2]. Her hair was put up into an elegant hairdo, a pair of tortoiseshell glasses perching on her nose. She looked much more spirited than she did in the morning.

She drank some tea and took the initiative to say, “I’m pleased that Mr. Dragon and Mr. Qilin are willing to work together with us. Both of you are men of your words. Since we’re running out of time, why don’t we forgo a formal agreement?”

“As you wish.”

Dragon was the host in his home territory, but he didn’t hold himself like one.

Still dressed in youthful casual clothes, he sat with his legs tucked in, holding a cup of black coffee and taking a sip every once in a while.

“I agree.” Qilin, on the other hand, was wearing an elegant gray shirt and a pair of black rimmed glasses. He looked like a proper gentleman with a smile on his face.

“Then as per my end of the deal, I’m going to tell you all about the future I saw in my dream.”

Everyone in attendance looked at Surnamed Li with full attention.

“In that future, everyone in this room, including me...”

Her eyes lowered, her voice serious and solemn. “...will be dead.”

1. In Chinese slang, ‘green tea’ refers to the kind of people who seduce, gaslight, manipulate people to get what they want. ?

2. Yunjian, an accessory of traditional Chinese garment that comes in the form of detachable collars with cloud patterns. ?

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