Chapter 79: Train, Abyss
“I’ll join the Company.”
A few days later, the gloomy, black-haired girl sought out Cen Xiangyun again.
Looking at Luo Ling’s still-indifferent expression, Cen Xiangyun smiled.
“It seems you’ve made up your mind. Do you want to be outsourced or regular?”
“Whatever you arrange,” Luo Ling said calmly, then added, as if having a premonition,
“But I have a condition.”
This didn’t surprise Cen Xiangyun. She could guess what the condition would be.
“The Company has a branch in a city two cities away. There’s a P9 director stationed there, and a few P8 specialists on par with Uncle Shaoheng,” Cen Xiangyun replied with a smile. “Even Artist and Scientist together wouldn’t be able to breach their defenses, even with the deceased Performer, they wouldn’t stand a chance.”
She had also made preparations.
The Harbingers of Calamity’s previous attack had been more of an impulsive act than a premeditated one. If it had been planned, their first target would have been Su Wan, not Luo Ling.
…And now, the Harbingers had time to plan.
They couldn’t possibly not have noticed Su Wan’s existence.
An ordinary person targeted by those ruthless villains… even death would be a merciful end.
“Thank you,” Luo Ling nodded.
Talking to smart people was easy.
Cen Xiangyun had been visiting Luo Ling’s home frequently these past few days, bringing a large amount of expensive ingredients each time.
Su Wan had been embarrassed and tried to refuse, but Cen Xiangyun used the excuse that the nutritious food would help Luo Ling recover faster, and she couldn’t refuse.
During this time, Cen Xiangyun had witnessed the bond between Luo Ling and her sister, so it was no surprise that she could guess Luo Ling’s condition.
Luo Ling hadn’t just been recuperating these past few days. She was about to entrust her sister to someone else; she couldn’t just leave her with a bad person.
So, as the White Witch, she had requested information from the exchange group and, through several days of interaction and covert Spore surveillance, confirmed that Cen Xiangyun had no ulterior motives.
Miss Cen’s purpose wasn’t entirely pure, Luo Ling could tell even without using her abilities, but this lack of purity was precisely what reassured Luo Ling.
Someone who was unconditionally kind, without any other motives, was often more suspicious.
“She probably has a recruitment quota or something,” Luo Ling guessed, not far from the truth.
Actually, recruitment was just one of her quarterly OKRs. Cen Xiangyun hadn’t had much success in the past few months, and the Jiangcheng County mission had been primarily led by Li Shaoheng.
Luo Ling had been wary of another attack from Artist and Scientist, but they seemed to have vanished without a trace.
The Baiyan Village incident had subsided, the Puppet Ballad seemingly dormant, and no similar incidents had occurred… The reason the two Company members remained in Jiangcheng County was to deal with the two Harbingers of Calamity members.
Not only that, but the Company branch had also sent a few P7 specialists, which didn’t require any more sacrifices from Ji Shinian, considered a value-added service.
“When are you planning to leave?” Cen Xiangyun asked.
“As soon as possible,” Luo Ling replied.
“Miss Luo Ling, you really are concise,” Cen Xiangyun said, wanting to pinch the girl’s icy cheeks but restraining herself.
“If you prefer, I can be more verbose,” Luo Ling said politely. “In any case, I’ll be entrusting my sister to your care.”
“Don’t worry, it’s no problem,” Cen Xiangyun snapped her fingers. “The train leaves tomorrow afternoon. Prepare yourself, and you should probably talk to your sister.”
“…I’ve been preparing for a long time,” Luo Ling’s eyes flickered.
It was almost evening when she returned home. Her sister was busy in the kitchen, another sumptuous meal in preparation.
Every time Cen Xiangyun visited, she brought enough ingredients for seven or eight meals. Su Wan had tried to refuse, saying they might spoil, but the next day, Cen Xiangyun had sent a small refrigerator, which fit perfectly in their small apartment.
“Welcome back. Is Miss Cen not coming today?”
Su Wan was counting the bowls and chopsticks, wondering how many to set out.
“Mm, she’s busy with something,” Luo Ling nodded.
“Celebrities are always busy.”
Su Wan chuckled. It seemed she had a good impression of Cen Xiangyun.
Luo Ling sat at the dining table, picked up her chopsticks, and hesitated, wanting to say something.
“Xiao Ling, if you have something to say, just say it. Sister is not an outsider.”
Su Wan seemed to see through Luo Ling’s hesitation and sat down opposite her.
Although she still wore her usual gentle smile, Luo Ling felt something was different.
“Sister…”
Luo Ling lowered her head, her chopsticks untouched.
“I know, both you and Miss Cen are hiding something from me,” Su Wan nodded, speaking frankly. “You haven’t mentioned it, so I haven’t asked, but since you want to talk… Sister will listen.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Miss Cen isn’t obvious, you are, and together, you’re even more obvious.”
As expected of her sister, who had lived with her for so long. Although she hadn’t received much education, it was too much to treat her like a fool.
At least when it came to Luo Ling, her sister was an expert.
“I want you to go on a trip for a while,” Luo Ling looked up and said. “Look, I can be independent now, I’m used to living in the school dormitory, and there’s Miss Cen…”
Before she could finish, Su Wan nodded.
“Okay.”
“Eh?”
Luo Ling was taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected her sister to agree so readily.
“I said, okay,” Su Wan smiled. “I’ve been wanting to go on a trip for a while now.”
“Is… is that so…?”
Luo Ling was flustered.
She had prepared many excuses to persuade her sister, even considering leaving with her and then secretly returning.
After all, the Harbingers of Calamity were targeting her, not her sister. As long as her sister left Jiangcheng County and went to the Company branch for protection, she wouldn’t have to worry.
But she hadn’t expected her sister to agree without hesitation.
“Of course, Sister gets tired too,” Su Wan chuckled, seemingly enjoying Luo Ling’s flustered expression.
“…”
Luo Ling fell silent. Her sister agreeing so quickly was a good thing, so why did she feel a sense of loss?
“In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown up so much, a big girl now,” Su Wan ruffled Luo Ling’s hair. “It’s normal for a big girl to have her own thoughts, her own secrets. I went through that phase too.
“It’s normal that you don’t want to tell Sister everything, like your illness, your frequent absences from school, and Miss Cen, a big celebrity, taking such good care of us, these are all your secrets.”
Hearing these words, Luo Ling was stunned.
Her sister… seemed to know everything.
Even though she was just an ordinary person.
No, being an ordinary person didn’t mean being stupid, especially not her sister.
She was an expert when it came to Luo Ling.
“I’ll only ask you one thing,” Su Wan’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“Eh…?”
“Are you doing anything bad?” Su Wan asked in a low voice.
“Of course not,” Luo Ling immediately replied.
“That’s all I need to know.” Hearing her firm reply, a smile returned to Su Wan’s face. “Everything else… Sister doesn’t need to know.”
Perhaps because of the recent good news, the wrinkles around her sister’s eyes seemed to have lessened, and she looked much more energetic.
“When will you be back?” Su Wan asked.
“Probably… one or two months?” Luo Ling estimated.
“That’s a bit short, you might not have enough time to enjoy yourself,” Su Wan frowned.
“Uh…”
“Just kidding. Any longer, and I’ll miss you too much,” Su Wan said playfully.
“…Me too,” Luo Ling mumbled, blushing.
“That’s cheesy, you really shouldn’t say things like that.”
Su Wan teased, and Luo Ling’s blush deepened with a hint of annoyance.
“Let’s eat, the food’s getting cold.”
Su Wan tapped the plates and picked up her chopsticks.
“Mm.”
Luo Ling lowered her head and ate slowly.
“By the way, I think that Miss Cen… might be interested in you.”
“…Hmm?”
“Sister doesn’t object. She’s a good person, and rich…”
“Huh?”
“Don’t understand? You’re still a child.”
“…”
An awkward, silent girl and a smiling older woman, dinner ended under the fading light of the setting sun.
…
The next day.
Unexpectedly, it wasn’t just Cen Xiangyun who visited Luo Ling’s home, but a few other unexpected guests.
Li Shaoheng, of course, was there to escort Su Wan. Until they reached their destination, the Harbingers of Calamity still posed a threat.
As for Jiangcheng County… even with Li Shaoheng gone, it was fine. The Company’s reinforcements had arrived, and the P7 specialists, working together seamlessly, could handle Artist and Scientist, even if they couldn’t kill them.
Besides them, Luo Ling also saw a few familiar faces… of course, they weren’t so familiar with her current form.
—An Yu and Elsa.
After the Baiyan Village incident, An Yu had been deeply traumatized and hadn’t fully recovered.
Elsa, with her unclear connection to Scientist, couldn’t stay in Jiangcheng County and face them.
So, they would be accompanying Su Wan to the Company branch, temporarily leaving this place of danger.
“Senior? Is that you…?”
An Yu looked surprised to see Luo Ling.
She hadn’t expected her travel companions to be the senior she had met a few times and her sister…
Luo Ling nodded at her without saying a word.
An Yu seemed to understand that some things were best left unsaid and kept quiet, her gaze shifting between Luo Ling and Su Wan.
Elsa usually didn’t speak in crowds. She didn’t recognize Luo Ling, just felt a sense of familiarity and a hint of confusion.
Bella, the teddy bear in her arms, seemed to recognize Luo Ling, but wasn’t sure, a look of suspicion in her button eyes.
“They asked us to take them to the Company branch for protection, so it should be alright for them to travel with Sister Su Wan, right?” Cen Xiangyun whispered to Luo Ling.
“Whatever you want,” Luo Ling nodded slightly.
But a suspicion had formed in her mind.
Sending An Yu and Elsa away… were the Company and the exchange group planning something big?
But the group chat had been quiet; it didn’t seem like they were planning anything major.
However, important matters were rarely discussed in the group chat. They usually held meetings in Ward Zero, which seemed to have some kind of soundproofing effect.
As for the White Witch…
The exchange group seemed to have forgotten about her. Only Elsa occasionally sent her private messages—a rare friend who could communicate through messaging apps, Elsa cherished it.
She couldn’t type, and her voice carried a strange power, so she could only send emoticons in the group chat.
While the two girls were still slightly wary, Su Wan approached them warmly, chatting with An Yu, perhaps because she had called Luo Ling “Senior” earlier.
Soon, the travel companions became acquainted, the atmosphere harmonious, even Bella was unusually quiet.
“The train leaves in two hours,” Li Shaoheng announced. “Please check your luggage. If everything is in order, we’ll head to the station.”
The middle-aged man, a high-ranking member of the Company with connections to Ji Shinian, seemed quite reliable, at least more so than his niece, Miss Cen.
He had driven them to the station today. Luo Ling had assumed that wealthy people like him and Cen Xiangyun would drive luxury cars, but unexpectedly… it was an eight-seater minivan.
Looking at the cobbled-together logo and the reliable-looking middle-aged man in branded clothes sitting calmly in the driver’s seat, Luo Ling felt a sense of dissonance.
Even Cen Xiangyun seemed to find it a bit shabby and couldn’t help but explain to Luo Ling,
“We have a few larger vehicles at the branch, but we came here by train, so we had to buy a car for transportation.”
Li Shaoheng had bought the minivan after arriving in Jiangcheng County. After all, he had been driving around the county investigating, and even a Spatial Distortion user didn’t want to waste their power on transportation.
“Why not just drive here directly?”
Luo Ling asked, puzzled.
The distance between the two cities was only about two hundred kilometers, less than half a day’s drive.
“Uncle Shaoheng refused. He said he can’t drive long distances,” Cen Xiangyun shrugged. “I can drive, but he said something cryptic about how this is the only way now, and I’ll be like him soon, only able to take the train.”
“That’s strange.”
“Right? I think so too.”
The two whispered in the back of the minivan.
Li Shaoheng just glanced at them through the rearview mirror, not saying a word.
Either because he felt it wasn’t necessary, or because he didn’t want to ruin his image in front of outsiders.
Luo Ling would be going with them until she was sure her sister was safe, then she would return to Jiangcheng County.
Cen Xiangyun had suggested that Luo Ling stay at the Company branch with her sister, but Luo Ling knew she couldn’t delay any longer and declined the offer.
Luo Ling’s home wasn’t far from the train station. With traffic lights and a bit of congestion, it took about half an hour to arrive.
The train station in the small county couldn’t compare to those in larger cities. There were only a few platforms, and the waiting hall was less than half full… after all, it wasn’t a holiday or the time for students to travel.
While waiting for the train, Cen Xiangyun and Li Shaoheng kept watch on their surroundings, giving the girls a chance to chat.
As before, Elsa just sat quietly and listened. An Yu, however, seemed more curious about Luo Ling, subtly asking her about Awakened Ones, but Luo Ling just gave vague answers.
For some reason, the closer they got to departure time, the more anxious Luo Ling felt.
Her sister sat by the window, staring blankly outside, lost in thought.
“Woo—”
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the whistle of the train echoed from afar, a pristine white train pulling into the station, the conductor urging passengers to board.
They boarded the train in groups of two or three. Fortunately, although they were taking the train, Li Shaoheng had bought first-class tickets, so the seats were spacious… At least when it came to finances, the Company was quite generous. It was only with Awakened resources that they were stingy.
The girls, taking the train for the first time, looked at everything with curiosity, even Luo Ling couldn’t help but look around. Only Su Wan, among those “on vacation,” seemed unfazed.
She continued to stare out the window, silent.
Luo Ling wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say, so she just sat quietly beside her sister.
“It’s okay, it’s just a temporary separation,” Luo Ling reassured herself.
Then, she also stared out the window.
The train station was located in a relatively desolate suburban area, surrounded by forests and birds, reminding her of the scenery around Baiyan Village.
But this wasn’t Baiyan Village, just similar.
Luo Ling watched listlessly until the train slowly started moving, the warning whistle echoing again.
Just then, she saw a familiar figure in her peripheral vision, and her eyes widened in shock, almost jumping to her feet.
“Ji Ying!”
A tall woman, her figure flickering among the trees, her cold, indifferent expression unforgettable.
Her mouth opened and closed, as if trying to say something to Luo Ling.
But Luo Ling couldn’t hear, couldn’t see clearly.
She stared intently at the distant figure, trying to make out what she was saying.
But then, her sister’s voice echoed beside her ear,
“Xiao Ling, do you see that?”
Her sister’s voice was soft and gentle, but Luo Ling noticed a subtle difference, something unusual.
Her sister pointed towards the distance, the direction the train was heading.
“Over there… it looks like an abyss.”
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