Chapter 63: The Young Master

Zhao Nana, having just walked out of the laboratory, hadn’t actually gone far. She realized someone was following her. She guessed it was Lin Xiaofeng, so she deliberately found an excuse to shake him off, but to her surprise, the persistent fellow still trailed behind.

Fine! If he’s so oblivious, let him play the hero. In any case, the three of them were doomed to be trapped here. Did it even matter in what capacity one met their end?

Zhao Nana sealed off the space behind her, strode away in her high heels without so much as a backward glance, and took out the communication device she always carried. She tuned it to Future City’s exclusive channel, quickly sent out the information she’d acquired as an email, then shut down the device and headed straight for the city’s innermost core.

Inside the government hall of Future City, a staff member received an unsigned document, merely stating that an important figure was about to arrive and preparations should be made. At first, the worker thought it was just another piece of junk mail—the sort he received dozens of every day. He was about to delete it when the sender’s address caught his eye—strangely familiar. Curious, he checked it more closely and discovered it was actually the address used by the organization’s upper echelons. He hurriedly reported this up the chain of command.

The city master was astonished when he received the news. No one had informed him that the organization was sending someone important. Could it be that Elder Wu and his people, whom they had so kindly given refuge, had called someone in? Clearly, he should never have agreed to shelter them in the first place.

He sent someone to ask Professor Wu, who was just as baffled. Though he had always felt uneasy about staying in another's territory and had long wanted to leave, he truly hadn’t been in contact with the higher-ups lately.

With this, the city master only grew more perplexed. He immediately ordered an investigation into the origin of the email, hoping to pinpoint its location. To everyone’s surprise, it had been sent from within Future City, though the precise spot was unclear because the sender was on the move. It could only be narrowed down to somewhere between Area A103 and the restricted zone.

Could it be a secret inspection sent by the upper ranks, and they’d already been here for some time? He was aghast—how had his subordinates failed to notice the arrival of a high-ranking figure? When all this was over, he’d have to give them a thorough dressing-down.

Not daring to waste even half a minute, the city master began preparing an official reception for the distinguished visitor, while simultaneously contacting his superiors to confirm the identity of the newcomer.

Upon receiving a message from the Golden Rooster Ridge side, the headquarters of the Dark Organization was equally confused—they hadn’t dispatched anyone recently. They asked the Golden Rooster Ridge team to forward the sender’s email address for verification.

Soon, headquarters replied: the device belonged exclusively to the Young Master. Something must have happened. They, too, had received no prior notice. If the Young Master needed anything, the Golden Rooster Ridge team was to offer every assistance. The city master of Future City agreed without hesitation.

He had heard of the Young Master before—a rumored assistant to the chairman of the Central Committee, young, talented, shrouded in mystery, with few ever glimpsing his true appearance. Yet, it had been ages since the Young Master had last been seen. Officially, he was said to be out gaining experience, but rumors whispered that he might no longer be alive. Now, unexpectedly, he had appeared here.

As for the welcoming ceremony, there was little that could be done. No one knew from which direction the Young Master would arrive, nor his time of arrival, nor, indeed, his appearance. They simply issued the notice.

The news that the chairman’s assistant, the Young Master, was coming soon made the administrative center of Future City buzz with excitement. Nothing new had happened in ages; boredom had nearly swallowed them whole. Now, finally, they had something to talk about. What did the Young Master look like? How old was he? Why was he coming? The place teemed with idle gossip.

Upon hearing the news, Professor Wu’s face was clouded with worry. He had met the Young Master before—and witnessed his methods firsthand. Outwardly, he appeared as a gentle young man in his twenties, a true gentleman, but beneath the surface lurked a demon—cold-blooded, ruthless, with a taste for killing. Most troubling of all, the two shared a personal grudge. Was the Young Master’s sudden arrival aimed at him?

Meanwhile, Zhao Nana, having sent her notice, paid no further attention to the rest. She was unaware that word had already spread of "her" impending arrival. Emerging from the restricted zone, she walked the city streets and noticed nothing amiss except for the hurried, anxious movements of the local populace.

She casually stopped a passerby to ask what was happening. He replied that a very important person from above was rumored to be coming, and the city master was preparing a grand welcoming ceremony. There were even rumors of special benefits being distributed, so he was on his way to join the fun.

At the mention of a welcoming ceremony, Zhao Nana instinctively wanted to avoid it. She had always disliked appearing in public, and given her current circumstances, it was even less convenient. She’d also heard that the so-called Grand Elder, maintained at the organization’s expense, was here. She’d missed the chance to meet him back in the Great Wilderness Mountain’s underground city. Now seemed the perfect opportunity.

Professor Wu, outwardly calm but inwardly in turmoil, was quietly waiting. He knew that person would come for him, sooner or later. If he remembered correctly, there was still an old score unsettled between them.

As he gazed silently out at the leaden sky, Professor Wu heard the door to the laboratory open. The footsteps that followed—high heels clicking against the floor—told him it was a woman.

“Grand Elder, I hope you’ve been well!” A clear, bright male voice sounded from behind him.

Professor Wu recognized the voice at once. It was indeed the so-called Young Master, or so people called him. Outwardly, he was the chairman’s assistant, but veterans of the organization like Wu knew the truth: he was the chairman’s illegitimate son, his real name Zhao Zeyi.

But what about those high heels he’d just heard? Perplexed, Professor Wu turned around. In front of him stood a stylish young woman—scarlet high heels to match her lipstick, a British-style coat, and a sharp, short haircut.

Had he heard wrong? Professor Wu wondered.

“What, you don’t recognize me?” It was still that same male voice, emerging from the mouth of the fashionable young woman. The heavy sense of dissonance was overwhelming. Were it not for seeing it with his own eyes, Professor Wu would scarcely have believed it.

“Who are you, to dare impersonate the Young Master?” Professor Wu said sternly, feigning authority.

“Professor Wu, you really are forgetful. If you can’t recognize my face, surely you know my voice? I—Zhao—Ze—yi—have returned!” The Young Master pronounced each word deliberately.

“You…?” Professor Wu stammered. He had heard that the Young Master had been wounded and had spent nearly a year recuperating, but he had never imagined this outcome.

“What about me? Am I not dressed beautifully?” The Young Master, delighting in Wu’s shock, swayed over to his side, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “I became this way all because of you. If my father hadn’t intervened, your miserable life would have ended long ago. This grudge—I’ll remember it. One day, I’ll come to settle the score.”