Red Notice

The man adjusted his glasses. The situation Zane was now facing had come about because Sarah had leaked the information.

The Masked Fool had already left a classified file in the hands of the authorities.

"Aren't you worried he might actually be one of your colleagues?"

Sarah asked casually, her tone light, with a faint smile.

"It doesn't matter. Even if we're both from the Wise Society, our paths diverged long ago..."

"If we can recruit him, great. If not, it's no loss."

"For the cause—for our shared vision—every obstacle must be removed."

Sarah maintained her subtle smile.

"His methods are... rather unconventional."

"Are you sure the forces deployed this time can take him down?"

"From what I've heard, many higher-ups have their eyes on you. These pawns are limited—once used, they're gone. If you come back empty-handed, you'll become a laughing stock..."

Her tone carried a faint mockery, like a thorned rose—painful to approach.

"A laughing stock, huh..."

"Let's wait and see."

A cold glint flashed behind his glasses, then faded into silence.

...

"Senior, sometimes I really envy you..."

Zhu Yuan yawned, gazing at the massive Hollows in the distance. She no longer looked as lively as she had during the day.

"Envy me? For being able to work overtime without a care?"

Qingyi leaned against the wooden railing, tea in one hand. With her other hand, she gently rubbed the lid of the cup.

"Of course I envy your steady state of mind. If I could stay that composed, my efficiency would skyrocket."

Zhu Yuan stretched, her graceful figure briefly on display. As her arms lowered, the strand of hair on her head wobbled slightly.

"Humans are naturally lazy. You, rushing into work like this, are a rare breed."

Qingyi said calmly.

"Come on, senior, I just mean I'm doing what's assigned to me."

Even someone as diligent as Zhu Yuan wouldn't be happy with extra work dumped on her.

Like now.

"If you're really tired, Zhu Yuan, go rest a bit."

"If it weren't for us being in charge of Vision Industry—and me running into the 'Fire Picker'—we wouldn't even have this temporary task."

"But it's fine. We just need to coordinate for the night, and by tomorrow it'll be..."

As Qingyi spoke peacefully, a siren wailed in the distance, catching Zhu Yuan's attention.

"Senior, sounds like something big's going on."

Qingyi's gaze stayed on her teacup, unfazed.

"It has nothing to do with us. Acting without authorization isn't allowed, Zhu Yuan."

"I know you care, but have a little faith in them. The Public Security Bureau can't be all incompetents."

Qingyi smiled, but her words were sharp.

Zhu Yuan glanced at her, realizing Qingyi was still upset about the corruption within the bureau.

Though what exactly irked her remained unclear.

As Zhu Yuan suspected, Qingyi's flashing gaze betrayed her irritation.

Back then, she had clearly sensed Zane's shifting attitude toward the bureau—how he avoided the topic entirely...

If not for that, she might've already "lured"—no, recruited—her little disciple into the bureau.

Taking Qingyi's words to heart, Zhu Yuan let the sirens go and decided to take a short break. But just then, her phone chimed.

Puzzled, she checked it—it was a red notice just issued by the Public Security Bureau.

As part of the Criminal Investigation Special Task Force, she naturally got early access.

But as she looked at the photo on the notice, she tensed up.

"Senior, something's really wrong!"

Zhu Yuan rushed over, holding up her flip phone to show Qingyi the screen.

"What is it? Why the panic..."

Qingyi looked up curiously—then her expression changed.

"A red notice? The Masked Fool?"

"What's going on?"

Her hand froze mid-motion, the cup lid tipping slightly as all her attention turned to the screen.

Previously, due to showing up at the demolition command post, the Masked Fool had drawn the bureau's notice, but it hadn't led to much scrutiny.

But now—what was this?

Why the sudden red notice?

Even if there were similar masks, the name "Masked Fool" was personally given by Zane.

As the highest-level alert the branch bureau could issue, Qingyi understood its gravity.

The notice updated again. Zhu Yuan frowned.

"Senior, it says the Masked Fool emerged from the Hollows. Officers on the scene confirmed his identity, and he's currently on the run. Nearby officers are being mobilized for the arrest."

"So... that was him just now?"

Zhu Yuan pieced it together. Qingyi got it instantly—and sensed the trouble.

"That troublesome disciple... how did he stir up such a mess?"

She knew Zane wasn't ordinary—but she didn't think he'd land on a red notice.

That tier was reserved for heads of major criminal syndicates.

"Senior, Zane... this Masked Fool..."

Zhu Yuan only knew they were the same person. Beyond that, nothing. In her mind, Zane was still just a law-abiding citizen bullied by raiders.

Now she was completely blank—utterly lost.

And Qingyi's earlier words only deepened her confusion.

"Disciple? Senior, since when did things get to that level between you and Zane???"

They were just friends in the bureau—how did it become a mentor-disciple thing?

"Doesn't matter now. Let's go see what's happening."

Qingyi downed her tea, packed the set away, and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Zhu Yuan had no choice but to follow. Clearly, her senior's "What does this have to do with us?" had long since been forgotten.

...

Overhead, armed helicopters buzzed through the sky, their searchlights sweeping to track the target's position.

Being in the city, they couldn't open fire—just locate the suspect.

Even so, the spectacle drew plenty of attention. Many civilians were snapping photos.

"That light's blinding!"

Down in a narrow alley, Zane skidded to a halt. He spun, hurling an ice spear backward at lightning speed. The helicopter's radar had only just picked up the unidentified object—

Before the spear struck its mark.

"Engine failure! Emergency landing! Emergency landing!"