"How to resolve it?" Sun Hang showed a sowhat cheeky grin.
At the mont the elevator doors closed, Yang Lian, with a tense face, flipped Sun Hang off viciously from within the corridor.
...
...
In the coordination office of the "Pesticide Plan," Sun Hang found Song Yarong grumbling at piles of paper docunts.
"I'm exhausted, let's just destroy it," said Song Yarong as she stopped her work on seeing Sun Hang enter. She took off her prosthetic eye and threw it on the table, letting her body slump into the swivel chair.
"What's all this?"
"Progress reports from various departnts. My task is to read all of them, sign, and coordinate based on each departnt's progress in eight hours, ensuring no piece is too long or too short in the barrel," Song Yarong said listlessly. "This was originally Yang Qi's work... sigh, I kind of regret convincing her to rest now."
"Nothing to regret. If she suddenly drops dead, this work will end up with you anyway," Sun Hang said. "Why not use a computer?"
"You think I don't want to? It's not like I can, for confidentiality reasons." Nestled like a cat in the big swivel chair, Song Yarong stretched, her silver ponytail swaying against the chair back. "Despite all the scanning devices, the research area is crowded with mixed personnel... electronic files are much less secure than paper files. If soone from the tech departnt were attacked, all the files stored on the servers would beco unsafe... if they were paper docunts, only the attacked departnt's part of the files would leak."
"Has Chira 17 still not launched an attack during this ti?"
"No, at least we haven't detected any attacks related to it." Song Yarong shook her head. "Maybe it doesn't think it's the right ti yet... rather than waste energy interfering with us, it might want to speed up its incubation and have a 'race' with us," Song Yarong said. "Speaking of which, did you gain anything in Chunming City?"
"Gained a lot, but I can't say." Sun Hang placed a finger on his lips.
"Why not... oh, right." Song Yarong paused, then quickly realized. "That's good too, holding so aces up your sleeve to catch Chira 17 off guard."
"When will Yang Qi wake up?"
"Probably around noon tomorrow?" Song Yarong thought for a mont before answering. "I lied to her saying that the sleep ti was set for only six hours, but actually I asked colleagues from the dical departnt to set her up for a twenty-four-hour deep sleep... with her condition, six hours is absolutely not enough!"
"Yang Lian said if I'm free, I can co to you." Sun Hang beckoned at the door. "Also, help find a place to accommodate this person."
"This person? Who?" Song Yarong glanced at Shinkata Misaki walking in, showing the sa puzzled expression as Yang Lian.
"Tang Jing, from the Abnormal Ability Managent Departnt, responsible for monitoring Ling Xiao's condition," Sun Hang said.
"Oh... her. Couldn't you just have her live with Ling Xiao together?" Song Yarong suggested.
"She's very important, and needs to be treated with caution." Sun Hang looked at Song Yarong aningfully, speaking deliberately.
Song Yarong imdiately straightened up, looked Misaki Shinkata over, then shifted her gaze to Sun Hang, whispering, "Are you saying she's... that person?"
"Looks like Yang Qi ntioned it to you."
"Yes... you, , and Yang Qi, only the three of us in the whole project team know about this step... even the old director doesn't know she exists." Song Yarong nodded. "In that case, I suggest you don't let her out of your sight... or, better yet, let her stay in your ho."
"I don't have any extra room at my ho," Sun Hang said.
The villa was quite big, but after a bunch of won moved in in unforeseen ways, space got a bit cramped... even the study was converted into a bedroom.
"You can sleep on the floor." At this, Song Yarong glanced at Shinkata Misaki again, and in a probing tone asked, "Disguise skill?"
"More or less," Sun Hang nodded.
"And here?" Song Yarong gestured at her own chest. "Padding?"
"Real, no fakes," Sun Hang said.
"How do you do it?"
"Secret."
"Alright... I was just asking casually." Song Yarong imdiately backed off. "As for you saying you're idle... just stay on standby at ho for now. The security forces at the research institute are currently at an overflowing level. To ensure the smooth execution of the pesticide plan, nearly all the Hunters and elite troops across Shuzhou have been concentrated here."
"Have the other cities and towns... been abandoned?" Sun Hang squinted his eyes.
The whole Shuzhou is still shrouded in eternal night. Although the ergence of Chira 17 has captured most of human society's attention, it doesn't an other strangeness will stop moving... strange attacks happen every day, and both their number and frequency keep increasing.
"Temporarily abandoned," Song Yarong corrected. "There are priorities, and tasks are ranked accordingly... the Pesticide Plan is currently the highest priority."
"A lot of casualties added every day, right?"
"I don't know the exact numbers... to prevent excessive psychological pressure on us, this data is also confidential to the project mbers of the Pesticide Plan," Song Yarong explained.
"Confidentiality is pointless. Anyone can guess a lot of people die every day."
"It's slightly better than directly seeing the bloody death toll... everyone's nerves are very tense, and if provoked, that taut string might just snap... there have already been several suicides in the research institute, two couldn't be saved in ti. One was buried the day before yesterday, another is set for cremation later today," Song Yarong said.
"You won't commit suicide, will you?"
"Not for now, but if I have to work overti for another couple of days, who knows," Song Yarong sighed. "I was going to let you assist so of the villages and towns around Tianfu City... but then thought better of it."
"Why change your mind?"
"Those villages and towns have only militia and sheriffs as defense now. If attacked, by the ti we get the news, it's probably too late for you to offer support," Song Yarong said. "Besides, as one of Tianfu City's strongest fighters currently, you'd best stay in the city to prevent any incidents."
"Interesting, I've only been a Hunter for a few months and already I'm considered one of the strongest..." Sun Hang chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"For a Hunter, talent often trumps effort and experience," Song Yarong shrugged. "There's nothing fair or reasonable about it."
"It's almost alti; aren't you going to eat?" Sun Hang looked at his wristband, asking.
"No ti... plus, those pre-made dishes in the cafeteria are barely different from instant noodles. I'll just find sothing simple later," Song Yarong replied.
"Need to bring you so food?" Sun Hang asked, "Not from the cafeteria."
"You can cook?" Song Yarong asked, slightly surprised.
"I can't, but soone else can, and they're pretty good at it," Sun Hang said. "Just not sure if she's ho right now."
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