Chapter 253 192: The Desire to Survive
Leaving the Tiger Base, KK and Cao Yilin returned to Edge Mansion one after the other.
To prevent anyone from getting suspicious, the two returned half an hour apart, and as Ou Chenyu requested, they came up with an excuse for leaving.
KK arrived at his apartment on the 88th floor, and as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he ran into Dongdong walking towards him.
Dongdong grinned mischievously at KK, "Hey, you're back, Emperor. Was it smooth sailing? Did you run circles around those idiots from the Tiger Teeth Mercenaries?"
KK's gaze was empty and unfocused, like a walking corpse. Even when he brushed shoulders with Dongdong, he didn't react, just silently walked back to his room and shut the door.
Dongdong stared at the closed door, scratching his head and muttering, "What's up with him..."
After returning to his room, KK collapsed onto the bed, all he could think about was the bomb inside him, exhausting his mind and leaving him feeling faint.
His eyes gradually rolled back as he fell into a stupor, sleeping motionlessly until the next day, in a deep, dream-filled sleep.
Despite sleeping for a long time, he was plagued by nightmares and woke up with bloodshot eyes and sunken cheeks, too exhausted to fully straighten his back.
He went to the dining area hoping to have some lunch, and after getting his plate, he suddenly noticed a mercenary not far off ordering poached chicken.
Looking at the dismembered "pieces" of chicken on the other's plate, and imagining himself blown apart by the bomb, KK felt bile rise in his throat and his stomach churn.
"Ugh—" He stumbled, spilling his food everywhere, and rushed to the trash can to vomit.
At this moment, Su Mo was eating nearby.
All the recent chaos at Edge, like a gambling addiction or getting beaten for theft, was part of the "script" created by KK and him.
The aim was to set a trap for Cao Yilin, the top intelligence officer, to send KK back into the Tiger Fang Mercenary Corps as a double agent, and then, inside and outside forces could take down Ou Chenyu.
The snare hinged on two crucial points.
First, Su Mo knew Cao Yilin's identity and had his "Celestial Eye" open from their initial encounter, planning from a god's-eye view.
Second, KK's acting skills honed from years at the frontier, along with his ability to adapt and lie convincingly, allowed him to work with Su Mo to ensnare Ou Chenyu and Cao Yilin.
According to the "script," the two were already on bad terms, and Su Mo wasn't supposed to care.
Moreover, KK mentioned that while fooling Cao Yilin, there would be a lot of unscripted "improvisation," advising everyone not to overreact to avoid blowing their cover.
So Su Mo didn't intervene, just watched KK from the shadows, thinking: Vomiting on cue, what divine acting... but what's his angle now?
Only Su Mo, Dongdong, Future, and KK himself knew the script's secrets, all kept strictly confidential.
In the eyes of other mercenaries, KK was just a gambling-addicted leech, borrowing money without repaying, so nobody paid him any mind.
KK vomited until nothing was left, tears and snot streaming down his face, as he struggled to crawl away.
He washed his face and rinsed his mouth at the restroom sink, dry heaving occasionally, his face devoid of any color, hands shaking as he turned on the tap.
"Whistle~"
A whistling sound from behind made him shudder.
He turned around to face Cao Yilin, asking grudgingly, "What do you want?"
With no outsiders present, Cao Yilin dropped his facade of friendliness, sneering, "Is it worth getting so scared?"
KK retorted, "Screw you, it's easy to talk big! Try having a bomb inside you!"
Cao Yilin languidly replied, "Relax, it's just a failsafe. As long as you cooperate with the Tiger Fang Mercenaries, the bomb won't explode, and you'll get paid what you're owed."
KK merely gave a bitter laugh, saying nothing.
"To business." Cao Yilin handed over a USB drive, "This is your first assignment."
KK took the USB and asked quietly, "What's this for?"
Cao Yilin said nonchalantly, "Just insert this USB into Future's computer in the underground lab, while it's on, then remove it and return it to me. Simple as that."
KK's face darkened, "Only about twenty people have access to the underground lab. If I mess around there and Su Mo finds out, what then?!"
Cao Yilin casually continued, "That's your problem. You were a thief before, capable of stealing without leaving a trace, inserting and removing a USB shouldn't be hard for you, right?"
Reluctantly, KK ground his teeth and pocketed the USB, leaving without another word.
Cao Yilin's voice followed him, heavy with implication, "Do it well, the Tiger Fang won't shortchange you."
KK entered the elevator, undergoing iris scan approval, unlocking underground access.
His finger hovered above the elevator button.
But then he paused.
He stood there, finger frozen.
A complex, deep expression flickered in his eyes.
After a momentary hesitation, he gritted his teeth and forcefully pressed the button.
...
That evening, an unexpected visitor arrived at the underground laboratory.
Future lifted her head from the lab bench, slightly surprised to see KK walk in, "Wow, I didn't expect to see you here."
KK pulled a wry smile, "Tired of playing games, just wandering around."
"Wandering around, and ended up in my lab?" Future chuckled, casually noting data on her computer, "Wander all you like, just don't mess with the equipment, some things are very dangerous."
KK kept his hands in his pockets, giving a brief chuckle, "Don't worry, I'm not that much of a meddler."
"Mmm hmm." Future focused on her data, stopping any further conversation.
KK wandered around the lab, glancing here and there.