After a long flight, the plane finally landed at an airport in the United States.
Luo Keke dragged her suitcase out of the airport. A wave of heat hit her, carrying unfamiliar languages and the scent of foreign perfumes.
Not long after, the car she had booked online from a luxury hotel pulled up beside her.
The driver got out, opened the front passenger door, and said in English, “Miss Luo, please get in. I’m here to pick you up on behalf of the Echoes of the Era Hotel!”
Luo Keke replied in fluent English, “Thank you. I’ll be in your care.”
Her English was incredibly fluent, without even the slightest trace of a Chinese accent.
After all, Luo Keke had once been a leading figure in the medical field as well as a highly skilled martial artist. She frequently communicated and exchanged expertise with top talents from all over the world.
So, besides English, she also spoke Russian, German, Italian, and many other languages—more than ten in total. It was no exaggeration to call her a true prodigy.
Upon entering the presidential suite of the Echoes of the Era Hotel, Luo Keke casually tossed her suitcase onto the Persian carpet. Her fingertips brushed over a vintage brass table lamp, but her attention was soon drawn to the Manhattan nightscape reflected in the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The hotel, which had been converted from a century-old theater, was now the perfect cover for her to conceal her identity.
She opened the encrypted laptop she had brought with her and connected to a private underground network. As the blue light of the screen flickered, she logged into an underground trading forum known as the “Obsidian Arsenal.”
The account registered under the ID “Polaris” had been lying dormant for six months. Now, it was finally coming in handy.
In the “Special Requests” section, she posted a purchasing request using encrypted code:
“Seeking modular assault rifles, portable anti-aircraft missiles, and various types of firearms…”
Within ten minutes, private messages began flooding in.
One of them came from a user named “Night Owl.” The attachment contained a blurred weapons list, ranging from MP5s equipped with suppressors to shoulder-fired rocket launchers.
Luo Keke’s pupils contracted slightly. She quickly sent an encrypted file containing the coordinates.
“Tomorrow night at ten. An abandoned pier in New Jersey. Inspection and transaction.”
To ensure everything went smoothly, she disguised herself inside her space.
When she emerged, she was no longer a young woman. Instead, she appeared as a tough-looking figure dressed in tactical camouflage, with camouflage paint covering her face. Beneath her camouflage cap, part of a vicious-looking fake scar was visible, while a simulated tattoo sticker covered her neck.
Luo Keke had prepared this outfit specifically for the weapons transaction. She didn’t want the other party to realize that she was a newcomer to the underground world.
The searchlights at the New Jersey pier flickered through the fog. Luo Keke arrived at the meeting point an hour early.
The salty sea breeze whipped the edges of her camouflage uniform. In the distance, the horns of cargo ships mixed with the scraping sounds of metal, echoing through the steel framework of the abandoned pier.
When her watch showed 9:30 p.m., three dark figures emerged from behind an abandoned crane.
All three walked toward Luo Keke.
“Are you Polaris?” one of them asked in English.
He was wearing a black leather trench coat with a silver skull emblem pinned to the collar, which gleamed coldly beneath the dim lights.
He wore black tactical gloves with sharp metal studs embedded across the knuckles. A modified shotgun was slung diagonally across his waist, its body wrapped with loops of brass-colored ammunition belts.
The hem of his trench coat fluttered violently in the sea breeze, occasionally revealing a tactical vest beneath it, covered with numerous concealed pockets. Every pocket was bulging, though it was impossible to tell what was inside.
The other two men followed closely behind. Both wore entirely black combat uniforms covered in scale-like bullet-resistant material that reflected faint cold glints under the moonlight.
They wore full-face gas masks, their eyes cold as snakes behind the lenses. Each carried an assault rifle fitted with a suppressor, their weapons remaining in a guarded position.
“Yes. Are you Night Owl? Did you bring the goods?” Luo Keke asked calmly in fluent English.
The man in the trench coat looked her up and down. Seeing that she had come alone, a trace of surprise flashed across his eyes.
“Yes, of course I brought the goods. But why are you alone?”
Luo Keke remained completely composed and calmly replied in English, “That’s right, Night Owl. When we do business, what matters is trust. If we deal with each other sincerely, why would we need a large group of people?”
“Hahahaha…”
Night Owl burst into hearty laughter, admiration filling his eyes.
“What a great line—‘If we deal with each other sincerely’! You’ve got courage. I like you!”
With that, he turned to the two masked men beside him and ordered in English, “Wolf Seven, open the container and let our distinguished guest inspect the goods.”
Following Night Owl’s command, the masked man known as Wolf Seven quickly walked toward a nearby shipping container.
With a deep mechanical rumble, the doors of several shipping containers slowly opened. Inside, the weapons gleamed with a cold metallic sheen beneath the searchlights.
Luo Keke looked focused as she slowly approached the containers.
She picked up an MP5 equipped with a suppressor and expertly checked it, then carefully examined the connection point of the suppressor to make sure it was properly secured.
Next, she removed the magazine and inspected the ammunition, checking that there were no visible scratches or deformations and that the primer at the bottom of each cartridge was intact.
After reinserting the magazine, Luo Keke simulated a firing stance toward some abandoned oil drums in the distance, assessing the weapon’s balance and handling. Her movements were smooth and confident, demonstrating her familiarity with firearms.
After setting down the MP5, Luo Keke walked toward the shoulder-fired rocket launcher.
She crouched down and carefully examined the launcher, checking its overall condition for visible damage.
She also inspected the sighting system and checked whether the scope appeared clear and properly aligned.
She examined the rocket ammunition as well, checking for any obvious damage and making sure everything appeared intact.
After inspecting the two weapons, Luo Keke raised her head and calmly looked at the man in the trench coat.
“These two weapons appear to be fine at first glance. Make sure the rest of the weapons meet the same quality standards.”
Night Owl stared at her in surprise before smiling and nodding.
“Polaris, you really know your stuff. Don’t worry. My goods are guaranteed to be high quality.”
Luo Keke then proceeded to inspect the other weapons one after another, making a show of examining every detail.
After confirming that everything met her requirements, she asked, “What about the blueprints?”
“Don’t worry. The blueprints and instruction manuals for the weapons are all included,” Night Owl replied.
Seeing that everything was in order, Luo Keke took out her Apple phone and transferred the money she had previously converted into U.S. dollars into Night Owl’s account.
When the notification confirming the successful transfer sounded, a satisfied smile appeared on Night Owl’s face.
He clapped his hands and said to Luo Keke, “Pleasure doing business with you, Polaris. I didn’t expect someone so young to be so decisive and efficient. If you have more business in the future, remember to come find me.”
Luo Keke smiled as well.
“Night Owl, you’re not bad yourself. Until we meet again.”