Chapter 57: Unfortunate Sighting

"You know I should charge you for that decoding I did back there, right?"

"Are you going to?"

"Nah, I'm too nice," Hunter said as circled something on a paper.

He then tore off the paper from a notebook and handed it to Feng Biao.

"I'm pretty sure they're coordinates."

"Thanks, Hunter," Feng Biao said as he reached over to grab his PDS, however before he could his hand stopped.

"Hunter, how much of our minds can these things read?"

"The stuff it can grab. Which tends to be stuff you're focusing on."

"Umm, then does that mean its useless to hide secrets from the HCF?"

"Not really, just don't think about the fact this has any relation to Song Zhilan and you should be fine."

"Alright," Feng Biao said as he gripped his PDS doing his best to focus only on the coordinates and not on anything else.

Looking at the ariel view of the location Feng Biao recognized the surrounding.

"It's in the slums," Feng Biao said as he looked towards Hunter.

"Hmm, it's not impossible to get there and back on your own. Just make sure you get back before the guards change shifts or you'll be paying triple."

"Ah, about that I'm kinda short on Merits," Feng Biao said with a chuckle.

"I got ya covered, just be safe Biao," Hunter said as he handed Feng Biao a few Merits.

"Thanks, I'll be off then."

Feng Biao marched off to the gate. When he got there bribing the guard wasn't particularly difficult and Feng Biao thought that was a bit odd. Alone with his thoughts, Feng Biao's mind wandered.

'It's a bit too easy to leave the base. I guess it's just something we're allowed to do unofficially.'

'I wonder if I should even participate in that spar. Hunter says I got good results from the exam and doing poorly in the spar would be worse than not participating in it at all.'

When Feng Biao reached the slums he decided to just run on the rooftops. Even if it drew some attention to himself he felt it was the best way to get where he needed to go as fast as possible.

'It's a bit deeper in the slums than where Hunter and I drank.'

The "slums" was a general all-purpose term for the inevitable congregation of poor non-Marked humans. Some slums were better than others, in Feng Biao's case growing up in China he had been afforded basic necessities.

There was plumbing and electricity. Even if the HCF Urban Taskforce did not respond to sightings of monsters around the slums the CCF did. And after enough prodding, the HCF itself would inevitably be forced to deploy Marked.

South America lacked the presence of any sort of governmental structure and the slums there were said to be like living hells. If Feng Biao had been born there it was doubtful he would even know what clean water looked like.

"Hey, that Marked that punched that dumb idiot you kicked out is back. You know the guy what was his name again? You know he had a beanie I think? Or was it a hat?," a woman said to a man who was adopting a pose indicating he was in deep meditation.

"Hmm, maybe he got the message I sent him."

"What if he didn't? What if he's just here to play around?"

"If he's a decent Marked I'd let him go either way."

"So should I go grab him? Cause he looks like he's running deeper into the city."

"We have business elsewhere, call it his lucky day he didn't run into us."

After about 10 minutes at full speed, Feng Biao made it to where the coordinates were listed. It was an alleyway.

'Maybe they hid something under the dirt?'

That was all Feng Biao could guess as he didn't see anything indicating the presence of people around the immediate area.

Jumping down Feng Biao landed on the ground. A circle began to form beneath Feng Biao's feet along with letters in a language he could not decipher. And in the next instant, he was no longer standing in an alleyway.

Looking around his new surroundings Feng Biao saw he was now in a cave. Glowing crystals shoved through the walls and illuminated his surroundings in a wide variety of hues.

"Hey Biao, over here," said a voice from up ahead.

"Wei, how'd I get here?"

"Just one of the perks of being a Primordial Marked," another voice interjected.

Song Zhilan stepped forward.

'She's still dressing well.'

Song Zhilan's fashion choices had always been something Feng Biao took note of. While most of the Marked wore very minimalist clothing, or even standard garments sold within the base, Song Zhilan always wore clothes that did not fit the idea of her doing much else but going to a tea party.

'One of the perks of being strong I guess.'

"Hey Song Zhilan, what's going on? I heard something happened during your exam? Is that why you're here?"

"Mhm, I'm kind of in big trouble haha!"

"What happened?"

"My parents pulled strings and got me an automatic pass on the exam. I didn't agree with that so we got into an argument and I talked to the Director of China's HCF Branch. He was able to get me into the exam."

"Now my parents are pretty mad so I'm just hiding here until they calm down."

"Why not just apologize?"

"Right now I really don't like talking to them. Every conversation we have they end up asking when I'm going to go to America. It gets more serious each time."

"So you gonna participate in the spar then or are you just planning to stay here?" Feng Biao questioned.

"Yeah, she has a plan about that," Liu Wei said excitedly.

"I'm going to beat Brandon. The Director said if I do that he'll have the leverage he needs to say I'm more valuable of an asset as a member of the HCF than a political marriage into the FSA."

"I don't hate Brandon. I just don't want to marry him, I'd rather we be just friends."

"There's also another reason you were invited here, Biao. Song Zhilan isn't worried about Brandon so much as the sibling he's bringing along. They're without a doubt the culprit who is behind the consistent harassment she's gone through."

"Yes, that's why I'd like to tell you to just stay here until the spar. I can't leave until the spar, and Mark Steele can get to either of you without my protection."

"You mean I could skip the rest of the boot camp?"

"Yeah, it's not really a big deal for me to do my own thing at this point."

"About that, I can't stay," Liu Wei said reluctantly.

"Liu Wei are you sure?" Song Zhilan said looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm actually doing research right now. I can't just up and disappear or I'll lose my position."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"How about you Biao, you gonna stay?"