The Chinese Hunter Association

The bridge had a diversion to the side that led to a lower floor where people were working in open cubicles.

At the end of the bridge stood three people, conversing with each other. His boots clanked against the metal, drawing the attention of several figures below. Workers sat at cubicles, their faces illuminated by the glow of their monitors. None of them looked up from their tasks.

Wang Chen ignored everything and kept walking. At the end of the bridge stood three individuals. Two of them he knew well. One of them seemed to have sensed his arrival and turned toward him—a weary-looking older man with sharp black eyes. His features softened slightly in recognition.

"Ah, Wang Chen. Just in time—"

Then his expression changed. His gaze flickered over Wang Chen's bandaged body, and a deep furrow settled between his brows.

"What happened to you?" His voice seemed to carry a genuine hint of concern. "You don't look to be in good shape."

"It's no big deal; I encountered two vampires on a site I was told to check. I will tell you the details later."

Wang Chen exhaled sharply, dismissing his injuries with a wave of his hand and a dull look. His attention shifted to the young man standing beside a woman dressed in tight formal pants and a fitted shirt that accentuated her curves.

"So, who is the kid?"

Sensing the sensitivity of the matter, the old man narrowed his eyes before easing his expression into a smile again. "Xue Wu brought the kid along with her; apparently, he was found by the police on top of the second tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, unconscious."

Wang Chen shot an unimpressed look to the woman named Xue Wu.

"Since when did we start taking on the police work? I asked you to report back, not to look for kids to adopt."

Feeling the disdain in his tone, Xue Wu's jaw clenched, and anger and irritation flashed through her cold eyes. But before the situation could escalate, the old man smoothly intervened.

"Look at his arm."

Wang Chen paused, then he lowered his gaze at the young man's exposed forearm. He saw two puncture wounds, almost healed, but they still looked unique and eye-catching due to their size and depth.

His eyes flicked back to the boy's face; for the first time, Wang Chen looked at him properly.

"What is your name, kid?" After giving the kid a quick look over, he asked with a slightly curious look on his face. "How did you get this mark?"

"My name is Wu He."

Wang Chen hummed nasally; the name rang no bells, but he waited for Wu He to explain everything that happened to him.

Wu He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was standing in an alley looking at my phone when suddenly two people knocked me out, and by the time I woke up, I found myself on the rooftop with this mark."

There was a slight flush to his face as if embarrassed. 'He's hiding something.'

Wang Chen wasn't the only one who noticed—both the old man and Xue Wu exchanged knowing glances but chose not to call him out just yet.

The old man leaned forward slightly, his voice calm yet probing. "Did you see their faces? Or was there anything unique or weird about these people?"

"Indeed!" Wu He furrowed his brows as if trying hard to remember, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "One of them was a young man with long black hair, glowing red eyes, and—yeah! He also had long teeth, like a vampire!"

His voice took on a nervous tremor. "Was he… actually a vampire?"

Wang Chen saw through the act immediately. He rolled his eyes. "And the other one? Did you see them?"

After hearing the description of the first person, a strange feeling appeared in his gut. The young, newly turned vampire he had come across a while ago and the woman he had fought flashed through his mind.

Wu Hen nodded. "There was someone else…" His voice shifted into a dreamier one. "There was a woman beside the man. She…" He paused, appearing as if he was seeing the woman again, before continuing, "She was very beautiful." 

"She had this… incredibly attractive scent, and her long—

"Ahem!"

Before he could continue, Xue Wu cleared her throat loudly, shooting him a sharp glare. "Useful details only.

Seeing the look of disdain in her eyes, Wu He blinked, snapping out of his daze. He coughed awkwardly before continuing, "She was wearing a black kimono with golden patterns—"

"What?!"Wu He flinched as Wang Chen's hand clamped down on his shoulder, his grip iron-tight. His bloodshot gaze was staring at him like a predator. "Tell me everything about the incident, kid; don't hide anything!"

The sudden change in his momentum and aura sent a cold shiver down Wu He's spine.

Both Xue Wu and the old man looked startled. Even the old man's hand, which had been stroking his thick beard, stilled. Xue Wu recalled a similar instance from their mission together and shivered a little.

Wu He swallowed hard. The look in the man's eyes left no room for rejection or deception for him.

And so, he got so scared that he told everything that happened—minus, of course, the fact that he had willingly let Alvin drink his blood. There was no way he was going to admit he had been scammed.

He only mentioned that the man fed on him before he lost consciousness, leaving him unable to retaliate.

Wang Chen resisted the urge to smack him when he felt that the young man was still hiding something from them, but he held himself back. He turned to look at the old man and gave a small nod.

The old man returned the gesture.

"Xue Wu, take the kid to the briefing room. Explain our organization and protocols to him."

He offered Wu He a reassuring smile before giving the order.

"Yes, Chief!"

With a salute, Xue Wu motioned for Wu He to follow her. The two disappeared into the elevator, leaving only the old man and Wang Chen behind.

Upon seeing the doors of the lift sliding shut, the friendly expression on the chief's face vanished, replaced by a solemn look. "Now tell me everything that happened and why you reacted that way."

Wang Chen didn't hold back. He recounted his encounter with the vampires, his suspicions about Alvin's identity, and every detail that seemed relevant.

The room fell into silence.

After a long pause, the old man sighed.

"From what you've described, the young vampire was recently turned. And the woman…" His voice grew heavier. "She is no ordinary vampire."

Wang Chen's eyes narrowed.

"Chief, that tone… You know something, don't you?"

The old man turned toward the massive screen, his expression unreadable.

Then, he glanced back at Wang Chen with an intensity that made the hunter straighten instinctively.

"Wang Chen, vampires are not as simple as you think. Against the strongest of their kind, even Black-Rank Hunters like you are nothing but ants."

A chill ran down Wang Chen's spine.

"What are you saying?"

The chief didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to the right side of the room—toward a thick, secured metal door.

"Follow me."

Wang Chen hesitated only for a moment before stepping forward. "Where to?"

The old man didn't stop walking, but his voice carried weight.

"It's time for you to become the fifth Legendary-Rank Hunter." He stopped before the metallic door that opened with a deep hiss and revealed a white passageway lit up with several dim ceiling lights.

Wang Chen's breath hitched. His eyes widened slightly before a cold look flashed through his eyes, and then he nodded with a resolute expression.

His steps now gained more weight as he walked behind the old man.

The two of them stepped inside the passageway, and the thick, metallic doors closed behind them with another hissing sound.