Chapter 144: Plans For the Ruins

After Chu Cheng finished his breakfast, Friday cleared the dishes and said, "There's still a class scheduled for this afternoon. Should I ask for leave, sir?"

"Yeah, I don't have time for that right now," Chu Cheng replied.

He wiped his mouth and walked back to his computer to start it up.

"Okay. I finished the homework for you. You can submit it after checking if there are no issues," Friday said.

"I've already looked it over, and it looks good. Thanks, Friday. At least my grades won't be too terrible this semester."

"No problem, sir. Also, your clean clothes have dried. Where would you like me to put them?"

"Ah, just put them in the closet."

In the past, Chu Cheng would struggle to find time to do laundry when he was busy. He often tossed his clothes into the laundry basket, leaving them for ages. Sometimes, he'd throw them in the washing machine, only to forget about them until he needed to wash another batch. By then, the clothes left in the machine would have been sitting damp for too long.

With Friday around, these issues were a thing of the past. She took care of everything without needing reminders unless told otherwise. Unlike humans, Friday never forgot anything, and she always kept things in order and on schedule.

As a digital assistant, she even created daily schedules for Cheng. However, his current routine mostly consisted of a cycle of playing games, eating, sleeping, and playing games again.

"They should give you a cool nickname, like 'Electric Man,' sir," Friday joked.

"I'd prefer 'Keyboard Man,'" Chu Cheng replied.

"Very funny, sir."

The computer booted up, the game loaded, and the familiar logo flashed on the screen. Chu Cheng was back at the hero selection screen.

"Secret Service Nine is gathering personnel. The advance team will likely depart from the aircraft within the hour. If the structure is confirmed to be safe before sunset, they'll proceed into the ruins," Friday informed him.

"Perfect. We need to be ready," Chu Cheng said.

He chose Batman, and after logging in, summoned the Batplane. Using his grappling hook, he swung into the cockpit.

"The coordinates for the ruins have been marked," Friday said, tilting her head. "Do you want to head straight there and wait?"

"No. We don't know enough about the ruins yet. Unlike infiltrating other buildings, we can't survey the area using cameras or blueprints. If we're unfamiliar with the layout, it will be harder to sneak around and stay hidden," Chu Cheng explained.

Though Batman could probably manage, it would be risky, and he might get caught. 

"I have a better idea," Chu Cheng grinned.

He wanted to try out some new gear that had recently been unlocked for Batman.

"And then we need to head to the airship and bring Gwen back. We'll have the Winter Soldier take her place on the airship," he added.

When Chu Cheng spoke, the screen had already switched to the cockpit view of the jet. The jet's black tail spewed blue flames as it shot off into the night.

"Are you taking Miss Gwen on a mission, sir?" asked Friday.

"Yeah, with Spider-Man," Chu Cheng replied. "There are signs we might need backup for this mission."

…

Secret Service Nine, Aircraft Carrier.

"Beep! Beep!"

Felix woke up, confused. He reached out to turn off the alarm clock but couldn't find it. Half asleep, he realized he wasn't even in bed.

The cold floor under him slowly brought him back to his senses. The first thing he saw were white tiles and a water pipe leading up to a marble sink.

He was in the aircraft's bathroom.

Felix stood up, dazed. He recognized the place as the aircraft carrier's lavatory but couldn't remember how he got there or why he had passed out.

The beeping noise was still going, and he realized it was his wrist communicator.

He quickly answered it. "Hello? It's me."

"Where have you been? The team's gathering, and we're about to head out. What are you doing?" It was his squad leader.

"Sorry, I—"

"Just wake up and get over here. We don't have time for this," the squad leader snapped, hanging up.

Felix rubbed his eyes. He was supposed to be going to some underground ruins to recover evidence. How did he end up here?

He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face, hoping it would clear his head. When Felix looked up into the mirror, he was startled by his own reflection. His wet hair was dripping, and his bangs hung over his eyes, giving him a gloomy, sarcastic look.

He grinned at himself. Who gets scared by their own reflection?

He was just tired. Felix quickly left to gather his gear.

…

Grove Group.

"Sir, there's news from the young master." A tall maid in a lace outfit handed a tablet to Felix's uncle, Galadin Grove.

"The advance team of Secret Service Nine is mobilizing. They're expected to take off within an hour," the maid said. "They've set up a temporary camp near the ruins and completed some initial assessments."

"When the rogue agents first found the ruins, they blew up the entrance. The expert team thinks digging or blasting it open again could cause more damage and maybe even destroy the whole place."

Galadin stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So they won't use the original entrance?"

"Correct." The maid showed a sketch on the tablet. It depicted a heavy machine with a large-caliber cannon pointed straight at the ground.

"The plasma drilling machine from Secret Service Nine will be flown to the ruins with the advance team," the maid explained.

"After meeting with several experts overnight, they've chosen a spot based on sonar feedback. It looks like an open space down there with no dangerous machinery, perfect for landing."

"They plan to use the plasma drill to make a new entrance. It's gentler than explosives and less likely to damage the ruins."

"Once the entrance is made, and if the ruins are still stable, the advance team will go in before sunset."

After the maid finished, she stood aside respectfully.

"Our men are ready and on standby. Should we send them now?" she asked.

"Of course," Galadin replied.

"Secret Service Nine's moves leave us no choice. Give the order."

"Yes, sir."