Halloween Bonus: The Raven's Nest
Halloween Eve, London
The chill of autumn permeated the banks of the Thames, and night fell earlier than usual.
The abandoned brewery where the headquarters of the Xuyue Organization was located appeared less somber and more... eerily fitting in the twilight of the last day of October. Withered vines entwined the mottled brick walls, rustling softly in the wind like some kind of whisper.
However, in stark contrast to the desolate scene outside, the headquarters was unusually noisy? Or rather, a restrained "livelyness" bearing the unique mark of the organization.
The incident stemmed from a small bag of pumpkin-shaped hard candies that Lin Zhi had casually brought back a few days earlier during a shopping trip. In her words, they were "oddly shaped and barely edible." This girl, who usually ignored everyone except Dalia and had a fierce look in her eyes, simply threw the candies on the long table in the common area with a pout and bluntly said, "I picked them up on the street. They're awful. Whoever wants them can have them."
But this unassuming bag of candy, like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, stirred up unexpected ripples among the core members.
Zhong Si was the first to show interest in the candy. Perhaps it was because Mu Ye's intelligence training intensity had been adjusted recently, or perhaps it was because his secret and warm relationship with Qian Xu Wu Yun had made him feel a little more open-minded. For once, he didn't immediately rush into the training room or library. Instead, he curiously picked up a piece of orange pumpkin candy and examined it carefully in the dim light of the gas lamp, his violet eyes sparkling with childlike curiosity.
"What is this? A pumpkin? Can we eat it?" he asked Lin Zhi, who was wiping a delicate little knife next to him, in a low voice.
Lin Zhi didn't even raise his head, and snorted, "I won't poison you to death."
Zhong Si hesitated for a moment, then carefully peeled off the candy wrapper and put the candy in his mouth.
The hard candy melted in his mouth, cloyingly sweet with a cheap artificial flavor, but for a boy who had long lived in a stressful and oppressive environment and rarely encountered such ordinary snacks, it was a novel experience. His eyes lit up slightly, and he mumbled, "...So sweet."
At that moment, Xiya had just finished her patrol of the outer perimeter and strode in, bringing with her the chill of the outdoors.
His red hair shone like a flowing flame under the lights. His sharp gaze swept across the public area, immediately locking onto Zhong Si and the candy in his hand. His brows furrowed habitually as he strode over.
"Where did this come from?" His voice was as wary as ever. He reached out and took the candy wrapper from Zhong Si's hand to examine it, as if it were some suspicious piece of evidence.
"Sister Lin Zhi brought it back," Zhong Si answered honestly, even subconsciously pushing the remaining half of the candy in his mouth towards his cheek, like a child caught stealing a snack.
Xiya's gaze shifted to Lin Zhi. Lin Zhi then raised his eyelids and glared at him impatiently: "What are you looking at? Bought from a roadside stall, is there a problem?"
Ignoring her attitude, Xi Ya carefully smelled the candy wrapper again to make sure there was no unusual smell before turning her gaze back to Zhong Si.
Seeing the boy's somewhat uneasy eyes, the lines on his face softened imperceptibly for a moment, but his words remained harsh: "Eat less, or you'll get a toothache."
After saying that, he took a piece of candy from the bag, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. Then, frowning, he commented, "Too sweet. Inferior quality."
But with the candy still in his mouth, he turned and walked to the wall, crossed his arms and leaned against it, continuing to fulfill his duty of guarding. Only the occasional twitch of his cheek betrayed the fact that he hadn't spat out the candy.
This scene was witnessed by Gongyang Yan Daosi, who walked in. This guardian, who was known for his composure and even some anxiety, looked at the bag of colorful candies on the table, then at Zhong Si, who was sipping candy, and Xi Ya, who was obviously also eating candy. A very faint, almost helpless smile flashed in his silver-gray eyes.
He walked over, but didn't touch the candy. Instead, he carefully folded the bag back up to prevent it from getting damp, and then spoke in a calm tone: "On Halloween Eve... according to local custom, some children dress up as ghosts and monsters and go door-to-door asking for candy. 'Trick or treat.'"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was as if he had flipped a switch.
Xu Yue, who had just finished an encrypted communication with Lian Yeyi, came out of the study on the second floor. She was about to give some instructions when she heard Gong Yang's words and paused slightly. Her gray eyes swept over the bag of candy on the table, then over the members below who showed a rare hint of relaxation. A barely perceptible curve appeared on her cold lips.
“Troublemaking?” she repeated the word, her voice still flat, yet carrying a peculiar meaning. “Troublemaking here will likely come at a high price.”
Her words caused the atmosphere to freeze for a second. But then, Xu Yue instructed the ram standing to the side, "Dao Si, since this 'custom' exists, then make some preparations. Is there still that batch of Swiss chocolates we got in the storeroom from the last transaction? Take it out. And see if there's anything... suitable to 'get rid of the brat'."
Gongyang paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, boss. I'll take care of it right away." A knowing glint flashed in his eyes, and as he turned to leave, his steps seemed a little lighter than usual.
Mu had silently appeared in the shadows on the second floor, like a real raven. She held an encrypted information board the size of a tablet in her hand, but at this moment, her cold, silver-gray eyes were silently watching this rare scene below through the one-way glass.
When she saw Zhong Si squint his eyes slightly as he ate the candy, when she saw Xi Ya still sucking on the candy despite her disgust, when she heard Xu Yue's instruction that implied indulgence... her pale fingers, which were resting on the edge of the information panel, tapped almost imperceptibly twice, like a silent rhythm.
The real "chaos" began with Dalia's return.
The woman, as gentle as a nightingale, lit up with a bright light upon hearing "Halloween" and "costumes." She excitedly pulled Lin Zhi, whose face clearly showed boredom but who offered no resistance, and they slipped into the storage room. Half an hour later, when the two reappeared, even Sia, who was leaning against the wall, raised an eyebrow.
Dalia used old curtains and ribbons that she found somewhere to do a simple "dressing up" for herself and Lin Zhi.
Dalia wore a slightly comical little witch's hat made of a black veil, while Lin Zhi... had a crooked "vampire" bow tie made of white cloth tied around his neck, which, combined with her "I'll kill anyone who laughs" expression, created a hilarious contrast.
"Hey, Redhead!" Lin Zhi, seemingly trying to cover up his embarrassment, gestured with his chin toward Xiya with a defiant look in his eyes. "Don't you have anything to say? Today is 'Ghost Festival'."
Xiya snorted coldly, a wicked glint flashing in her red eyes.
Suddenly, he moved with the speed of a ghost. The next second, Zhong Si felt a weight on his head—Xi Ya had somehow put a furry wolf head mask with two pointed ears on his head.
Zhong Si: "???"
The boy wore a huge wolf head mask that was completely out of place with his delicate features. He looked bewildered, his purple eyes blinking under his furry ears, making him look both pitiful and adorable.
"Pfft—" Even Mu Ye, who was in the shadows on the second floor, seemed to hear a very faint, breathy sound.
The ram then returned with several boxes containing beautifully packaged chocolates and some fruit hard candies.
He paused for a moment when he saw Zhong Si wearing a wolf mask and Lin Zhi with a ridiculous bow tie, then casually placed the box on the table and added meticulously, "It's been distributed according to the average amount per person. Also... I've placed extra candy baskets at several entrances, marked 'take-out points'."
That night, the headquarters of Xuyue remained heavily guarded, with countless eyes watching the darkness warily from the shadows.
But under the limited lighting in the core area, there was a strange yet warm atmosphere that was completely different from usual.
Wearing a wolf head mask, Zhong Si ate small bites of the chocolate distributed by the ram, which was of far superior quality to pumpkin candy. His eyes were sparkling, and he would occasionally try to rub the ear on the head mask against Xi Ya's arm next to him, only to be met with a disgusted look from the latter, but he was not pushed away.
Although Lin Zhi looked annoyed, he didn't take off his white bow tie. He even secretly drew a small, crooked bat pattern with syrup on the back of the high-backed chair that Mu Ye usually sat on, at Dalia's urging.
Xu Yue did not participate in these "childish" activities. She simply sat in an armchair a little distance away, holding a cup of black tea, and watched quietly.
The lamplight cast a soft shadow on her cold face, and a faint warmth, almost imperceptible, seemed to melt deep within her usually icy eyes.
Perhaps, this seemingly meaningless, even somewhat foolish, interaction is another form of "order" and "safety" for this group of people who walk on the edge of a knife and whose hands are stained with darkness—a brief proof that they have not been completely reduced to cold tools and that they still retain a little bit of "humanity" deep in their hearts.
Night fell, the candy was gone, and the jokes had ended. The wolf head mask was removed, the vampire bow tie was ripped off, and the syrup bat on the chair back was silently wiped away by the ram. Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
But before returning to their posts or rooms, everyone tacitly and discreetly put away the few candies they had been given. Perhaps they would put them in a pocket close to their body, or perhaps they would hide them in a corner of a drawer.
In this world fraught with danger, where tomorrow is uncertain, these tiny, insignificant, cheaply sweet "abnormalities" may be the most precious "sugar" that keeps them going.
While other parts of London were filled with children dressed as monsters and ghosts, shouting "Trick or treat!" as they roamed the streets, in this fortress hidden in the shadows, a group of people, more fearsome than monsters and ghosts, spent a Halloween Eve in their own way—a night unknown to anyone, yet enough to bring a touch of comfort in the long, cold winter.
After all, for them, every day feels like a real, life-or-death Halloween. And tonight's little bit of sweetness is like a piece of candy stolen in the darkness, something to savor for a long time.
(End of extra)
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