Chapter 19: Intelligence - Lin Yilin

May 31st, morning.

As the alarm rang, Lin Yilin opened her eyes with the mechanical precision of a robot, immediately checking the messages on her phone. Her various intelligence networks had already compiled a summary of events that occurred during the "non-existent" 30th.

For the people of the White World, it was merely a night of deep sleep, but that extra day had undeniably existed.

A world of differing expressions.

After spending three minutes confirming the details, she rose, quickly washed and groomed herself, dressed, and headed out.

On the streets, she could see students of all ages making their way to school.

Overflowing with youthful vitality.

Although Lin Yilin had only graduated from university not long ago, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Without lingering, she walked toward the subway station.

The Da-Du subway system was highly developed, with rail networks woven into every White District. When Lin Yilin purchased her new home in the Raphael School District, she had chosen a location near the subway station for the sake of efficiency, despite having other options.

Xixikoke Street connected to the Raphael School District, and as a massive Grey District, it too was serviced by the rail network.

On the surface, there was no longer much difference between Xixikoke Street and the White Districts.

People from the White Districts often commuted to Xixikoke Street for work, and residents from there frequently traveled to the surrounding White Districts for employment.

The daily flow of people between the two was considerable.

She had arrived a bit late, and there were no seats left on the train. Standing, she pulled out her phone to study the intelligence reports in detail, hunting for potential "business opportunities."

The violent overlap of worlds had just ended; it was bound to have left a mess behind.

Agencies like hers were essentially profiteers, operating between Da-Du and various worlds much like mercenaries or war profiteers.

The Da-Du subway had few strict regulations—or rather, the lines connecting to the Grey Districts were loosely controlled. You could see homeless beggars and itinerant vendors on the trains.

"Young lady, take a look at this," an elderly man with a weathered face greeted Lin Yilin, holding out his wares to hawk them.

"Keep your distance, pickpocket from the Little River Society."

The old man paused. "Miss... what are you talking about? I’m just a peddler..."

"Niele, joined the Little River Society a year ago. You manage the 'business' on this subway line between Xixikoke Street and the Raphael School District for a gang whose primary trade is petty theft. Because you look honest and unassuming, you easily prey on the sympathy of young students. You are calculated and steady in your work, and you’ve become a key figure in the Little River Society."

Cold sweat beaded on the old man’s forehead; his small eyes widened.

"You should know me. I’ve been riding this line far longer than you’ve been pickpocketing on it. You manage the local intelligence network, so you couldn't possibly not know who I am. To dare to approach me—who put you up to this?" Lin Yilin continued.

"This..."

"Don't bother glancing around. The two people from the Banmu Agency by the priority seating in the front car have been staring at us for a while. Their tailing is so amateurish I can't even be bothered to expose them; it feels like they’re lowering my own IQ just by being here."

Niele felt miserable.

He certainly knew that the young girl who was the sole remaining operative of the Zero-One Agency was no pushover. But the Banmu Agency had inexplicably ordered him to cause trouble for Lin Yilin, offering a tip that outweighed a full day’s earnings. Naturally, he took the money and the job. The Banmu Agency was a force his low-tier gang, the Little River Society, couldn't afford to offend.

He had thought he’d just cause a little nuisance and get lucky.

Instead, he found this girl was even more formidable than the rumors suggested!

He had been petty-thieving and running his intelligence network here for a year, always careful to remain hidden. Having started as a vagrant, his background was "clean," and he usually went unnoticed.

Yet, in one encounter, Lin Yilin had stripped him bare.

As a fellow intelligence gatherer, he couldn't imagine how deep Lin Yilin’s network went, nor could he fathom that such ability resided in a girl less than half his age.

"...I..." He offered a bitter, awkward smile.

"It’s not easy for you, so I won't blame you. But if you don't do your job well, you won't make money, and you might get dragged into something bigger. It really is an undeserved disaster."

Niele nodded frantically, thinking, *Is this girl actually reasonable?*

Lin Yilin looked up at the subway progress indicator on the carriage wall, then looked down again.

*Swish.*

Her hand, tucked inside her bag, pulled out a gun and pressed it against Niele’s forehead.

People around them glanced over but paid little mind. The weapon looked like a comical toy cat-head gun, completely non-threatening, and Lin Yilin’s appearance was quite deceptive.

But Niele didn't think so. The cold touch—he had been held at gunpoint before, and he knew that while this thing looked ridiculous, it was absolutely real!

"Spare me! Spare me!" he whispered, sweat pouring down his face, filled with regret.

Suddenly, Lin Yilin tossed something in front of him. He looked down and saw a sticky note, unsure of its meaning.

"This is a pretty girl's contact information. Keep it safe. From now on, whatever you see, and however you handle the intelligence chain for the Little River Society, copy it exactly and send it to this contact."

Too terrified to think, Niele nodded frantically.

As the subway entered the station and was about to come to a stop, Lin Yilin suddenly raised the muzzle upward.

*Meow!*

*Bang!*

A cat’s meow replaced the sound of a gunshot, but the impact of the bullet against the train carriage was real. The interior of the car descended into chaos, the passengers startled and frightened.

By the time the carriage doors opened, Lin Yilin had already vanished into the flow of the crowd.

The two agents from the Banmu Agency in the front car were startled. The morning subway was too crowded, and the sudden gunshot caused a commotion that made them think something had gone wrong.

They had no time to worry about Niele; they tried to chase after her but were blocked by the chaotic crowd. Worse yet, the gunshot would surely attract station security.

Those guards usually turned a blind eye to them, but if a suspected shooting occurred, they would have to report to their superiors. If they, as "unclean" elements, were caught on the scene, they would face endless trouble, even if they were ultimately innocent!

...

102 Xiding Road, Xixikoke Street.

Lin Yilin pushed the door open to see a lively, bouncing piece of toast.

She looked up at the ceiling. A pitch-black bat with a chilling human face and grey, glowing eyes was hanging upside down, staring back at her.

"Has Mr. Hallucination learned to fly?" Lin Yilin asked calmly.

"Just a little, I'm gradually getting the hang of it." The "bat" spoke in a human voice, then spread its wings and flew a circle around the room. It was clearly still a struggle, as it flew in a disoriented, dizzy manner.

Transforming back into human form, Zheng Fan landed on the floor, clutching his head as he stood up. "This will make going out and conducting operations much easier in the future. However, I’m still limited by the body structure after transformation. Growing wings on my own and taking flight in human form is still a distant dream. I’m thinking of saving up some Singularities and just buying myself a flight ability one day."

The special ability of that black orb—Zheng Fan felt that calling it a "black orb" was unappealing, lacked style, felt like filler, and was a mouthful.

So, he had come up with a better-sounding term: Singularity.

"Was the non-existent May 30th fun?" Lin Yilin entered the room and sat down at her desk.

"It was great. It felt like my worldview was updated, and I found a rather interesting 'Host No. 2'."

"..."

"Why did you suddenly stop talking?"

"Huh? Nothing, just thinking about something. What is this 'Host No. 2'?"