Chapter 65: Another Familiar Face

The three Falcon brothers, weakened by hunger and lying helplessly on the ground, wondered when—or if—rescue would ever arrive. Perhaps it never would. Still, they knew they had to conserve their strength as best they could.

Fortune, however, favored the determined. Someone had indeed come. As the wall before them began to move, the Falcon brothers realized that someone outside had triggered the mechanism. It mattered little who this person was—whether friend or foe—the chance for escape had arrived. Summoning what energy remained, the three struggled to their feet, bracing themselves for whoever was about to enter.

Down the narrow corridor, a man in a trench coat approached from the shadows. His stern, silent demeanor was somewhat intimidating.

The guard looked at the three brothers, now alert and ready for anything. Instead of making a move, he spoke in an indifferent tone, “Do you truly not recognize me?”

The question caught them off guard, and the brothers exchanged confused glances.

The guard suddenly remembered something. He reached behind his ear and gently rubbed, then peeled off a mask he had worn for who knows how long.

“Yan Ze?” Zhang Xingmin was the first to recognize him.

In their memories, Yan Ze was always a refined, courteous man—almost as if untouched by the mundane world. What could have happened after their parting at the Wild Mountain? It was impossible for them to reconcile the Yan Ze they remembered with the disheveled man from the night before.

Seeing the complex expressions on their faces, Yan Ze knew exactly what they were thinking. Yet he cared little for others’ opinions—his only purpose here was to rescue them. He wasn’t even sure why; perhaps it was simply because their enemies wanted them dead, and saving them felt right. Still, their reaction left him somewhat uneasy.

“What’s with those looks?” Yan Ze asked, a bit annoyed at their hesitation.

“N—nothing… We just didn’t expect it to be you.”

“That’s right! We didn’t recognize you yesterday at all. Your disguise is impressive.”

“Exactly! How did you manage to slip in? If it weren’t for you, we’d have met our end right here.”

…

Yan Ze was taken aback by their sudden warmth, feeling a bit out of place. Their change in attitude was astonishing, and he realized they weren’t as close as they seemed to think. They were curious how he managed to infiltrate—he found it amusing. In Falcon, everyone lived together daily, yet spies hid among them; meanwhile, he kept to himself in Golden Rooster Ridge, making his hidden identity effortless.

When Yan Ze mentioned the Falcon brothers had a Dark Organization infiltrator among them, the three were deeply troubled. How had they never noticed anything wrong with Zhao Nana, whom they spent every day with?

As they complained, Yan Ze found their ignorance amusing. They only realized Zhao Nana was an issue, but failed to notice this was no longer the original Zhao Nana.

Yan Ze’s reminder prompted the brothers to recall past events, realizing something was indeed off; yet they found it hard to believe.

Watching their painful attempts to remember, Yan Ze thought to himself that men truly are careless. He’d told them outright that Zhao Nana was an impostor, yet they couldn’t recall when the switch happened.

Truth be told, Yan Ze admitted he wouldn’t have noticed either, had he not witnessed the change by chance—the fake Zhao Nana’s performance was uncanny. Still, he seized the opportunity to tease the brothers a bit, tired of them always using his past mishaps against him.

“Honestly, you really didn’t notice? No matter how convincing a man’s act is, he’s still not a real woman! You truly never suspected?” Yan Ze’s tone was tinged with pride.

The Falcon brothers shook their heads.

“Hand it over! I’ll tell you when this impostor Zhao Nana joined you, as well as his true identity.” Yan Ze naturally reached out to Yang Dalong.

Yang Dalong knew exactly what Yan Ze wanted. He approached Yan Ze, found the video they’d recorded that night, deleted it in front of him, then said, “Now will you tell us?”

Yan Ze nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.

“Hey! Are you playing games with us?” Brother Long protested, reaching out to stop Yan Ze.

Yan Ze didn’t pause, glancing at Brother Long’s hand. “This isn’t the place for talk. If you want to live, follow me.”

With that, Yan Ze shook off Yang Dalong’s arm and strode away.

The Falcon brothers hurried after him.

As it turned out, following Yan Ze was the right decision. This time, Yan Ze genuinely intended to save them—not for any personal reason, but simply because they were enemies of the Dark Organization.

Of course, that’s another story. For now, they were about to meet the overseer sent by Young Master Xie. Indeed, the Young Master didn’t trust Yan Ze, and just as the four had left Area A103, his informant arrived.

They found some scapegoats—bodies too mangled to identify. No matter how hard Young Master Xie investigated, there would be no clues.

Returning to their dormitory was out of the question, so the Falcon brothers had no choice but to follow Yan Ze’s arrangements, settling in a cramped underground room. This place seemed to be largely unregulated; many who evaded the control of Future City gathered here. Though the living conditions were far from satisfactory, at least they enjoyed the rare luxury of freedom.

Hadn’t a foreign poet once said, “Life is precious, love is dear, but for freedom, both can be sacrificed”?

Moreover, they discovered friends—or at least acquaintances—here. One was the young man they had once helped in the arena, though they failed to recognize him.

When Yan Ze led the Falcon brothers inside, Gangzi immediately recognized them. Even a fleeting glance was enough; the ordeal had left an unforgettable mark, and without their help, he would have been devoured by beasts.

As soon as the three entered, Gangzi greeted them enthusiastically. This time, it was Brother Long and his companions who were left puzzled—they truly did not know this young man, and he wore no mask or disguise.

“You really don’t remember? In the arena, you helped me!” Gangzi was visibly moved, his tone urgent.

“Oh, it’s you! I never expected to meet you here. Hello, let me introduce myself properly: I’m Yang Dalong; this is Zhang Xingmin; and this handsome fellow is Lin Xiaofeng.” With Gangzi’s reminder, Brother Long finally recalled. Who would have thought a simple act of kindness would lead to such a fateful reunion?