"My maid has to be over 175 cm," Chen Xiao recited, perfectly serious. "Perfect figure. Great presence. Big eyes, high nose bridge. High ponytail, cold voice. Military region background. And—there must be a teardrop mole at the corner of her eye."
An Xinning's pen hovered over her notebook, then she slowly realized she'd been played. Every single requirement described her to a tee. The color drained from her face.
"Chen Xiao, change the list," she snapped. "This is absurdly specific. Loosen it up and we can start the search sooner."
"Nope." Chen Xiao shook his head. "No changes. Two days. She has to arrive in two days. I need someone to help me change clothes first thing in the morning."
An Xinning's jaw clenched. "You're serious?"
"What, you don't want to?" Chen Xiao arched an eyebrow.
Her satellite phone buzzed in her chest pocket. She shot him a warning look, answered it, and within moments her face went pale.
"What did you say?" she demanded. "Dachang is under attack? Opportunity Snatchers? Two of them with Divine-General-level strength? Confirmed?" She listened, then barked, "I'll be there right now."
An Xinning turned back to Chen Xiao, corners of her composure gone. "Chen Xiao, are you a citizen of Huaxia?"
He blinked. "No."
"Good." She forced a smile and then dove straight into the problem. "Star-Moon Base—the heart of Dachang—has fallen. They've been hit by Opportunity Snatchers. Reports say two of them are as strong as Divine Generals. Dachang's defenses are shattered; their main forces are dead or fled. I can get reinforcements faster than anyone, but it'll still take hours. I need help now."
Chen Xiao listened, expression unreadable. "Opportunity Snatchers?"
"Spies," she said. "Predators that steal evolution chances. They wait in the shadows. This time their target was Dachang's auctions and the treasure inside."
Chen Xiao's answer came flat: "No."
She stared. "You're refusing?"
"That place is empty." Chen Xiao folded his arms. "I cleared it out already. What are they going to take that I didn't already take?"
An Xinning's eyes flashed with outrage. "You joke about lives! This is an entire city's people—"
"You came to apologize to me, not to collect debts," Chen Xiao interrupted. He smiled. "But—if you find the maid I want, I might reconsider."
Her cheeks warmed. "I'll find her. I swear it."
"How long?" he asked.
"One week." She ground out the word and meant it. The military region would be turned upside down if she had to; she'd do whatever it took to save Dachang and keep face. They suspected the bandits were from Sakura Country—the An family's old enemies—so this was personal.
"Fine." Chen Xiao waved a hand. "Put the bunny suit away. If the maid refuses to serve, treat her humanely. Don't enslave her."
He pronounced one last term: "My bottom line is half a month."
An Xinning's lips twitched between anger and relief. She produced a black hole—a military teleportation node—and tossed him a black earpiece. "Follow me. The earbud is a translator; these Opportunity Snatchers may speak foreign tongues."
He popped the earpiece in. A polite tone confirmed a simultaneous translator activated. Chen Xiao smirked. "Handy."
They stepped into the black hole together. The world folded and vomited them out over Dachang's Star-Moon Base.
The night hit like a slap. Blood stank on the freezing air. Streets were strewn with bodies. Makeshift teams of B- and C-rank awakeners were rallying amid smoke and shattered stone. The base was a wreck—lights blown out, banners torn, the kind of chaos that tasted like history ending.
An Xinning grabbed a passing young soldier. "Where are the two Sakura men?"
The soldier gaped, shook his head—no clue. Chen Xiao didn't wait. "No need," he said, and vanished, leading the way south.
"How many talents do you have?" An Xinning asked as she tried to catch up, stumbling over the absurdity of the night.
"Not talents," Chen Xiao corrected lightly. "A sixth sense that's usually accurate."
They arrived at Dachang's grand theater—the largest reception hall in the city, now a cratered, desolate carcass. Chen Xiao scooped An Xinning into a princess carry, lifting her like a child with surprising ease. Her long legs swung as he rode the Divine Wind up to the roof.
"Next time," she said stiffly, arms windmilling, "warn me before you touch me."
He grinned. "I will. Maybe."
On the skyline, two silhouettes moved like gods—calm, composed, and impossibly fast. Opportunity Snatchers, by the looks of it: predators who'd come to tonight's feast with knives already between their teeth. Soldiers below looked up and felt their knees go soft.
But Chen Xiao was already moving, cloth and metal and cold focus, ready for whatever they'd come to steal.
He looked down once at the ruined plaza, at the forces rallying to defend the helpless. Then he turned, and the grin on his face was enough to be a promise—or a threat.