"Let's go shopping while we're at it." Han Feng smiled and handed over a napkin to Liu Mengran, wiping the coffee stains from the corner of her mouth.
Liu Mengran stared at Han Feng's actions, unsure of what to do. Seeing her shyness, Han Feng said, "Once things in Europe are done, let's go back in a couple of days. Military training should start soon."
Liu Mengran fiddled with the hem of her clothes: "Mmm."
Zero: "Host, we have detected that Mu Xiaoxiao has left her residence and seems to be making some moves."
Han Feng silently replied to himself, "I understand. Continue monitoring."
Han Feng stood up and said to Liu Mengran, "It's getting late, let's go back first."
---
Back at the hotel, Han Feng stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and tapped the miniature communicator in his ear. The call was quickly connected.
"Sir, I've found out that Mu Xiaoxiao has made a move." His voice was extremely low, and the double-paned glass, typical of the German-speaking area, kept the sound waves firmly locked inside.
The rustling sound of papers turning over came through the communicator, and Lin Zhengguo's voice, slightly distorted by electronic interference, said, "Longyuan Intelligence has tracked her down to recent contact with the remnants of 'Blood Blade.' Don't alert them yet; we're investigating her funding chain and the people she's been in contact with."
"good."
"Maintain the normal itinerary," Lin Zhengguo interrupted, the beeping sound of encrypted communication coming from the background. "We'll return to China tomorrow as planned. We'll have the Snow Wolf team on standby at the airport."
The moment the communication was cut off, Han Feng tossed the encrypted communicator into the electromagnetic shielding box on his bedside table. The box door closed with a soft "click," like some invisible trigger being pulled.
"What a coincidence," his voice was icy, "I just signed the final agreement with Silicon Crystal Technology the day before yesterday, and she shows up today."
"Zero," he called out to the air.
A holographic projection bloomed with a blue halo on the desk. The chibi-style little boy, dressed in a Swiss Army uniform, held up an electronic road sign: "Host's adrenaline level detected to have increased by 12%."
"Mu Xiaoxiao's real-time location."
The image of Zero suddenly disintegrated into countless points of light, reassembling into a 3D map of Zurich. A red dot flashed on the top floor of a building: "47 Central Avenue, penthouse apartment, currently in the basement restaurant. But..." The data stream suddenly became erratic, "The restaurant's surveillance cameras only cover the outside, not the inside, so the signal I can intercept is interrupted at the restaurant entrance."
Han Feng's pupils contracted slightly: "It seems that Mu Xiaoxiao really does have some unspeakable secret."
"Zero, keep an eye on things for me. Looks like I need to go check it out."
Soon, following Zero's instructions, Han Feng arrived at the underground restaurant. As he pushed open the heavy oak door, the hinges groaned from years of disrepair. A pungent, stale scent of whiskey, cigars, and some expensive perfume wafted out. He adjusted the cuffs of his dark gray stand-up collar trench coat and stepped inside.
"Zero, environmental scan." He commanded in his mind, while pretending to look around as if searching for a seat.
A floor plan of the restaurant appeared in Han Feng's mind. This restaurant, hidden underground in Zurich's old town, was far more complex than it appeared on the surface. There were three concealed exits under the Gothic vaulted ceiling, the wall behind the wine cabinet showed a metallic reaction, and around the mahogany round table at the deepest part, there were six heat source signals.
"Confirm Mu Xiaoxiao's location, 11 o'clock, 23 meters away." Zero's mechanical voice was exceptionally clear through bone conduction. "The environment here is too noisy. I'll switch to lip reading mode to gather information for you, otherwise we'll have to get a little closer."
"Then let's read lips."
Han Feng walked calmly to the bar, his leather shoes making almost no sound on the vintage tiles. "A Glenfiddich 18-year-old, on the rocks," he said to the bartender in German. Soon, Han Feng, holding a glass of wine, began to wander around the restaurant.
Fifteen seconds later, a loud noise suddenly erupted from the other side of the bar. Han Feng had used a little trick to cause a minor altercation between two customers, and he took the opportunity to slip into a booth in the shadows, where he could see Mu Xiaoxiao's profile. She was wearing a custom-made red suit today, and the diamonds on her earlobes looked like congealed blood drops in the dim light.
The blond man she was talking to had his back to Han Feng, but Zero had already noted his biological characteristics—54cm broad shoulders, a three-pointed star tattoo behind his left ear, and a skull ring on his right pinky. When the man raised his crystal glass, Han Feng noticed unique calluses on the back of his hand, like marks left from long-term use of some kind of specially made pistol.
"...Then I wish us a pleasant collaboration." Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly raised her voice, her English tinged with a Russian-accented rolled "r". Her fingers, painted with dark red nail polish, swished across the tablet, the screen's reflection casting eerie blue patterns on the man's face opposite her.
"Zero, can you help me confirm this man's identity?"
"I'm comparing the data and also relaying the information back to the Longyuan base for you."
Just then, the blond man suddenly stood up, the outline of a holster revealed as the hem of his suit jacket was lifted. Han Feng immediately looked down and fiddled with his phone until the two men's footsteps disappeared into the hallway leading to the kitchen. He put down his wine glass; the ice cubes had melted into blurry, round shapes.
After a while, Han Feng called over a waiter.
\"Bill, please.\"
As I stepped out of the restaurant, I was greeted by the cold rain of a late night in Zurich.
"It has been confirmed that Mu Xiaoxiao has returned to her residence."
"Any news from the comparison?"
"I've got it. The situation is rather complicated. I suggest you negotiate with Longyuan first."
After returning to the hotel, Han Feng called Lin Zhengguo.
"Can you find any information about the image I just sent back?"
"We've already got news. How did you run into him in Europe?" Lin Zhengguo asked, puzzled.
“He’s the one who’s been in contact with Mu Xiaoxiao,” Han Feng replied. “Is there a problem?”
Lin Zhengguo, on the other end of the phone, sighed. This seemed to have gone beyond the scope of the plan: "This person is Roger, an underling of Europe's largest black market arms dealer."
"Is it very impressive?"
"They're more than just powerful; they supply nearly 70% of the mercenary groups with their weapons, and it's said they also have the latest weapons from the US. You could say their influence is all over the world. I just don't know how Mu Xiaoxiao got involved with them."
Han Feng was also baffled: "How would I know? By the way, I've almost finished on my end. Now you can arrange for some undercover agents to come."
"I'll arrange it as soon as possible. Be careful. Since Mu Xiaoxiao has colluded with them, it's not a good thing. Be careful."
---
Meanwhile, in Mu Xiaoxiao's apartment, Mu Xiaoxiao looked at the photo in her hand and murmured, "It's been three years. Since you've torn my family apart, don't blame me for taking action against the people around you."
The photo clearly shows Liu Mengran and Han Feng being photographed during their freshman enrollment.
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