Qianben Xixi was a bit dazed sitting in the Porsche, and even more so when she found herself holding an American-made M24 SWS sniper rifle inside the Porsche.
This was a genuine, real sniper rifle, with an effective range of over 850 yards—not some toy from a shooting game.
If she still hadn’t realized that things were going in a strange direction, then she really must have… lost her mind.
“What, do I need to teach you how to use a gun?” Gin urged, looking at the person in the passenger seat who was staring blankly at his sniper rifle. “Hurry up and change your clothes. You’re not really planning to wear that outfit on the mission, are you?”
As he spoke, Gin leaned back leisurely in his seat and lit a cigarette. “Vodka, get the new set of clothes from my trunk.”
“Yes, boss,” Vodka, who had been relegated to the back seat, quickly replied.
Watching Gin—the man who had visited her shop just that afternoon—issuing orders to his subordinate while puffing away in the car, Qianben Xixi silently rolled down the window beside her.
Then she received a death glare from the driver’s seat…
“I understand,” Qianben Xixi closed the sniper rifle case, closed her eyes, and a flood of information and images flashed through her mind, eventually forming a clear and complete picture.
She finally understood where the sense of familiarity from the past few days had come from. This was the world of the Detective Boy, no wonder the System called it the Kexue World… Hah, so much for an ordinary world and a peaceful life. And she was actually a member of the Organization—that System really hadn’t done anything good!
After a long moment, Qianben Xixi opened her eyes again and met Gin’s gaze, her expression now cold and detached. “Who is my target?”
Seeing that she was finally taking things seriously, Gin curled his lips into a satisfied, characteristically malicious smile.
“Kuchikita Shigehiko,” he extinguished his cigarette and took a photo from his pocket, handing it to Qianben Xixi. “A politician who accepted bribes. Eliminate him before the police make contact.”
“Oh, does he have information about the Organization?” Qianben Xixi took the photo. It showed an ordinary middle-aged man with a rather large nose and unremarkable features. After one glance, she had no desire to look again and handed the photo back to Gin. “I’ve memorized it. No need for the photo.”
Gin gave her a skeptical look and hesitated before taking the photo back.
“Too ugly, don’t want to look at it again,” Qianben Xixi said flatly, with a hint of disdain. “As a woman, it’s inconvenient for me to carry another man’s photo in my pocket.”
Gin: …
“Suit yourself,” Gin didn’t press the issue and simply put the photo away. He then explained, “The target is attending a memorial service at the Haido Hotel today. We’re only providing support—someone else is handling the kill. You just need to keep watch from the rooftop of the building across the street and follow my orders at all times. If the other party fails, then you take action. Understood?”
As he spoke, Gin handed her a wireless earpiece. Qianben Xixi took it and put it on her left ear.
“Understood,” she nodded. It seemed there wasn’t much for her to do—just keeping watch, so she could slack off a bit.
“Boss, the clothes!” Vodka finally managed to fish out the new spare trench coat from the cramped trunk with great difficulty.
"Give it to her." Gin motioned for Vodka to hand the clothes to Qianben Xixi, then added mockingly, "The clothes are a bit big, but they'll cover up that ridiculous fluorescent green of yours."
As dusk fell, the fluorescent white suit on a certain someone grew increasingly bright.
Qianben Xixi didn't want to speak. If she had known she was a member of the Organization, she would never have worn such an outfit and endured the sarcastic remarks. She genuinely thought it was a school club activity!
Qianben Xixi took the clothes and was about to switch places with Vodka to change in the more spacious back seat when Gin stopped her. "Change here."
Qianben Xixi: …
"Your car is too small. I can't move around properly here."
She spoke bluntly, earning another death glare from the man beside her.
"OK, OK." Qianben Xixi didn't mind. This man was too cautious—he didn't trust her and didn't want to turn his back to her.
It was understandable. After all, they had only met today, and trust was a luxury neither of them could afford. She didn't trust him either, for that matter.
Qianben Xixi quickly put on the black trench coat. It was indeed a bit large but still within an acceptable range. After adjusting her clothes, she was about to grab the gun and get out of the car when Gin called out to her again.
"Wait." He spoke quickly. "If you see Sherry later, you can shoot, but don't kill her. I still have questions for her."
"Got it, got it." Qianben Xixi impatiently slammed the car door shut.
Gin: …
"Boss, Asti seems quite spirited," Vodka couldn't help but remark. "It's the first time someone's dared to slam your car door."
Gin shot him a cold look. "If you don't know how to speak, then don't speak."
Vodka immediately fell silent.
…
Winter nights always arrived sooner. By six in the evening, the sky was completely dark.
On the rooftop of a high-rise building seven hundred meters away, directly opposite the Haido Hotel, Qianben Xixi set up her sniper rifle and idly admired the snowy scenery through the scope.
The heavy snow showed no signs of stopping; if anything, it seemed to be falling even harder.
It was a bit cold, but thankfully, there was the trench coat and hat someone had given her. Qianben Xixi turned up the collar to block the biting wind that kept creeping in.
Gin had not only given her clothes but also lent her his beloved gun, making it impossible for Qianben Xixi to slack off.
It wasn't that he was being particularly kind—it was just that, given the sniper distance today, she was the only one in the Organization who could pull it off.
Although the Haido Hotel stood in the city center, the area in front of it was wide open. Aside from a small, unsuitable building too close for concealment, the only optimal sniper position was this newly built office building over seven hundred meters away.
Knowing this, Qianben Xixi had no qualms about slamming Gin's car door, and he wouldn't say anything about it.
That's right—she did it on purpose. Who told him to spend all day mocking her? Hmph, women hold grudges.
Just as she was mentally tallying her grievances, Gin's low, raspy voice suddenly came through her earpiece.
"Asti, one o'clock direction, rooftop of the old Haido Hotel building. Stand by and remain alert."
"Roger." Qianben Xixi shifted the gun barrel slightly to the right, toward the one o'clock direction. At that moment, there was no one there.
Just as she was puzzled, she saw a woman in blue work clothes suddenly climb out of the old chimney on the rooftop.
"Oh, I think I see Sherry," Qianben Xixi said into her earpiece. Not long after she spoke, she spotted two men in black appear on the rooftop as well.
"Oh, I think I see you, Gin."
On the other end of the earpiece, Gin's rising excitement and murderous intent upon seeing Sherry were abruptly interrupted by the words, "I think I see you, Gin."
"Shut up," Gin snapped, his first shot having missed its mark, now flushed with anger and humiliation. "I don't need you to tell me that!"