The lunch concluded in an atmosphere of surface calm masking turbulent undercurrents. After bidding farewell to Ye Jin, Yun Che walked alone down the marble main path back towards his apartment.
The Rose Manor sprawled like a miniature kingdom. Beyond the clusters of buildings lay vast riding grounds and a shimmering artificial lake. An autumn breeze swept through, causing waves of grass to surge and the lake's surface to ripple with tiny crests. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, almost unreal. Yun Che recalled Ye Jin's coat of arms – the intertwined symbols of a hawk, a viper, and a rose – perfectly embodying his power, ruthlessness, and unparalleled beauty.
Halfway back, he passed a meticulously maintained garden. It was filled with expansive blooms of white and pink roses, unnaturally vibrant for the season. Yun Che didn't pause, his gaze casually sweeping over the flowerbeds. He noticed a gardener wearing a wide-brimmed bamboo sun hat and soil-stained work clothes, intently watering the delicate blossoms with a can.
Yun Che paid him little mind and was about to continue when a clear voice suddenly rang out from amidst the flowers:
"Headquarters has received your message."
Yun Che's steps instantly froze! He whirled around, sharp eyes locking onto the gardener, his face adopting a mask of perfect confusion. "Are you talking to me?"
The gardener set down his watering can and straightened up. Beneath the hat's brim, strands of deep brown hair were visible. When he lifted his head, Yun Che saw his eyes clearly – the left was a clear azure blue, the right a deep, dark brown! It was an unmistakable sign of mixed human and demon heritage!
Yun Che remained impassive. "What message? I don't understand what you're saying."
The gardener – or rather, the mixed-blood youth – took two steps closer, his voice calm and direct. "There are no cameras here, no third pair of ears. Drop the act. I'm like you," he stated, meeting Yun Che's gaze squarely, enunciating each word, "an agent from the Human Federation Security Bureau."
Yun Che's face instantly paled! Seconds later, he swiftly pulled his phone from his trouser pocket, fingers flying as he dialed three numbers (911). He held the lit screen towards the youth, speaking with feigned seriousness: "You're a spy? Then I have to call the authorities."
The youth: "..." His mouth twitched. He hurried closer, lowering his voice urgently. "Hold on, warrior! 'Brothers born of the same root, why scorch each other with fire'?!" (本是同根生,相煎何太急!)
He leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, tinged with exasperation: "Stop testing me, I'm not lying. Your operational codename is AC. The entire mission is codenamed 'Project Alice,' correct?"
This time, Yun Che was genuinely stunned! His pupils contracted slightly.
"Project Alice" – the codename stemmed from his solitary infiltration into the Demon Federation, like Alice stumbling into Wonderland, isolated and walking a razor's edge. It was the highest level of secrecy, equivalent to the ultimate recognition signal! No one outside the innermost circle could possibly know this!
The youth extended his hand, palm calloused. "My name is Qing Lan."
Yun Che hesitated for only a moment before reaching out for a brief, firm handshake. The other's grip was dry and strong. "When did you arrive?" Yun Che asked.
"About seven years ago," Qing Lan replied.
Yun Che was startled. "That long?" Two years before him!
Qing Lan sighed, his tone laced with self-deprecation and resignation. "What good is 'long'? I've been undercover for seven years, watered flowers for seven years, weeded gardens for seven years. I haven't executed a single substantive mission. I can't get anywhere near the Demon King's inner circle, nor can I gather any truly valuable intelligence." He paused, his gaze turning complex as he looked at Yun Che. "You're the only one who truly penetrated the enemy's heart. You're the nail driven into the Federation's core. And now, suddenly, you want to pull out..."
Yun Che's heart leapt into his throat. "Headquarters doesn't approve?"
"Not exactly," Qing Lan shook his head. "Director Mo Ting approved your extraction request. However..." His expression turned grave, "...before you leave, he wants you to execute one final mission – steal something."
"Steal what?" Yun Che pressed.
"The core schematic for a Photon Disintegration Matrix Weapon." Qing Lan's voice dropped even lower, carrying undeniable weight. "According to reliable intelligence, it's stored in the Central Mainframe on the third basement level of the Rose Manor."
Yun Che's brow furrowed deeply. Unconsciously, his hand reached out and plucked a petal from a nearby, fully bloomed rose. His voice was thick with concern: "The Central Mainframe has the highest security level! And I'm definitely under heavy surveillance now. The difficulty is immense..."
"Hey hey hey!" Qing Lan reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, throwing his arms protectively around the flower, crying out in distress, "Have mercy! My little darling is expensive! One bloom costs half your monthly salary!"
Yun Che: "..." He stared at Qing Lan's fiercely protective stance, momentarily speechless. Had this guy lost his mind watering flowers?
Qing Lan cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "The situation you described has been considered by headquarters. But this schematic is critical! If conflict erupts between our nations, and the demons possess this weapon, combined with their innate magical advantages, humanity stands no chance! We must possess equivalent deterrent power to maintain strategic balance and prevent war."
Yun Che fell silent. He understood Qing Lan's reasoning perfectly. Unilateral military superiority easily provokes war, while the terrifying balance of mutual deterrence paradoxically underpins peace. This responsibility now weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Who wanted to see the flames of war? Who wanted to witness the suffering of innocents? The demon bloodline carried a thirst for battle; even with the current facade of peace, who could guarantee war wouldn't reignite?
After a full minute of silence, Yun Che lifted his head. His eyes turned sharp and resolute. "I understand. Three days from now. Midnight. I'll do it."
"But I'm definitely under tight surveillance. Once the schematic is copied, the system alarm will be triggered within fifteen minutes at most! My safe window is only fifteen minutes!" His tone was ironclad, carrying the determination of one burning their bridges. "Therefore, the extraction team must arrive by 00:15! On time! Otherwise, I have no chance of escape!"
Though unspoken, this was tantamount to entrusting his life. Despite this being their first meeting, despite Qing Lan's mixed demon blood, Yun Che chose to trust him at this moment, placing his survival in the other's hands.
Qing Lan's expression instantly became profoundly serious. He nodded firmly, his voice low and forceful: "Understood! I'll report to Director Mo Ting immediately, requesting the urgent deployment of the elite 'Night Owl' Support Squad to infiltrate and stand by! We'll ensure your safety at all costs!"
They quickly and discreetly finalized a few key details – signal protocols, escape route codes, contingency plans. For Yun Che, accessing the schematic itself, given his current clearance level, might not be an insurmountable challenge. The true test of life and death lay in escaping this impregnable fortress, riddled with eyes, after securing it! The Bureau's external support was his only lifeline.
Three days passed in a blur of tense, oppressive waiting.
Eleven PM. Yun Che locked his apartment door and began his final preparations.
He changed into matte-black tactical gear. Sleeves and pant legs were tightly secured with high-strength nylon straps to prevent noise or snagging. On his outer thigh, his trusted, poison-tipped combat knife was securely fastened to its sheath. At his lean waist, holstered securely, was his modified Glock 19 pistol, spare magazines clipped next to the knife.
All was silent. Apart from patrolling guards, the entire manor slept. Sentries were posted below his apartment building. Yun Che didn't choose the door. He went to the balcony, braced a hand on the railing, and vaulted over with the weightless grace of a shadow. Without a safety rope, like a spirit cat prowling the night, he used protrusions and window ledges on the building's facade, silently sliding down floor by floor, finally landing lightly on the soft grass below.
He immediately dropped low, sharp eyes scanning his surroundings. Not far away, a squad of heavily armed guards marched towards him. Yun Che held his breath, melting completely into the deep shadow of dense shrubbery, becoming one with the night itself. The guards passed by, oblivious, their footsteps fading.
Without a moment's delay, Yun Che rose and moved swiftly towards the dimly lit administrative building.
The building was laid out in a hollow square, seven stories tall, centered around a large, meticulously landscaped atrium garden. The main entrance had a 24-hour guard post, heavily secured. Fortunately, there was an extremely discreet maintenance access door, known only to a few high-level personnel.
The small door was shut, secured by a triple-encrypted electronic lock. This was Yun Che's final gamble; exposure was no longer a concern. He swiped his high-level access ID card, then pressed his thumb to the cold fingerprint scanner.
Beep— A soft chime, a green light. The heavy alloy door slid open silently.
Yun Che slipped inside, eyes fixed ahead, heading straight for the elevator bank. The cold metal doors slid shut before him, enclosing him in a small space filled only with the faint hum of machinery. He lifted his gaze, his expression impassive, briefly meeting the tiny red light of a micro-camera in the ceiling corner.
The elevator descended, heading straight for Basement Level Three.
Here lay the true, forbidden heart of the Rose Manor. Countless secrets vital to the Demon Federation's existence were stored here. Outgoing network channels were sealed behind layers of impregnable quantum firewalls; any hacker attempting intrusion would be like an ant trying to shake a tree. Stealing the schematic required physical access to the Central Mainframe – the only way!
Before him, seven massive curved screens dominated the wall, emanating an eerie blue glow. Yun Che strode quickly to the central console. His fingers flew across the virtual keyboard, inputting an incredibly complex dynamic cipher. The Mainframe awoke. A torrential cascade of file directories began scrolling across the screens.
Time ticked by, second by second. The cold light from the screens reflected deep within Yun Che's impassive eyes, dyeing his jet-black pupils with a strange, icy azure hue. He focused entirely, searching the vast ocean of data for the weapon blueprint that could alter humanity's destiny...