"Serial No. 01AE86, name Shi Shanyan, height 189cm, weight 82kg. In 2160, he passed the Black Panther Test and entered the Special Operations Unit. In 2162, he was expelled from the unit and incarcerated in Guangtong Prison. The Special Operations mission review stated that he has poor self-control, lacks empathy, and possesses a strong domineering tendency. He repeatedly broke rules during missions, with a danger index designated as S-class."

Yan Junxun picked up the cold beer. He didn't pull the tab, but instead pressed it against the side of his neck to cool down while it was still chilled. His black hair was messy, and his skin was quite fair. As he listened to Jiang Lian speak, he gently shook the sweat-dampened hair from his forehead, revealing his eyes.

His eyelids were thin. When they drooped, he lacked any imposing presence, looking as if he had just woken up, somewhat absent-minded.

"Oh."

Yan Junxun watched the distant, dusty road and replied to Jiang Lian just like that.

Jiang Lian found this difficult. He tugged at the leg of his suit trousers, squatted down, and said, "We received Fu Chenghui's support during the 'Mite' arrest operation. SN 01AE86 was the term of the exchange. Now that the 'Mite' arrest is over, Fu Chenghui wants you two to collaborate on a case in the Docking Area. Did you ever hear of him when you were in the Special Operations Unit?"

Yan Junxun said, "Never heard of him."

The beer quickly lost its chill. Beads of water trickled down Yan Junxun's neck and into his collar. He seemed not to notice, his eyes fixed only on the setting sun about to sink below the horizon.

"Number 01," Yan Junxun said slowly, "this person is either mentally ill or psychologically disturbed."

Zone 01 of Guangtong Prison is the re-evaluation area for severe problem cases. The danger index of those incarcerated there must meet a certain standard. According to SN 01AE86's Special Operations mission review, he performed exceptionally well in the destructiveness test.

"He's good at disguise and likes to act alone," Yan Junxun said, moving the beer can away. "He's probably a sniper."

SN 01AE86's empathy and domineering tendencies would have required his teammates' awareness. The fact that he could stay in the Black Panther Special Operations Unit for a full two years before being expelled indicates he's highly independent. Only snipers have the smallest operational unit structure; they can be assigned an Observer and a kill witness, or they can act alone.

"His reconnaissance, tracking, intelligence gathering, and survival skills are all quite outstanding," Yan Junxun's thumb was already wet from the beer can. "How long did it take Fu Chenghui to catch him?"

Jiang Lian held up a finger and said, "One day. He just stayed in his dorm room, waiting for Fu Chenghui to open the door."

"Then he did well in Black Panther. He knew his own value and knew Fu Chenghui wouldn't have the heart to kill him. Zone 01 of Guangtong Prison is a round-the-clock surveillance area. The fact that he can get out now proves he performed normally in the Black Panther re-evaluation. He knows how to manage psychological stress and has great patience. He had a pleasant time in Zone 01; once he no longer had to carry out dangerous missions, he had no more sleep problems. He can focus with high intensity; the Black Panther re-evaluation was simple for him." Yan Junxun put down the beer can and said melancholically, "I don't want to team up with him."

This kind of person could easily disrupt Yan Junxun's methods and tangle his thoughts into a messy ball of string. He didn't like his mind being in a mess.

Jiang Lian chose his words carefully. "Last night, SN 01AE86 was already delivered to the Docking Area prison. You'll have to go with me to pick him up."

Yan Junxun thought for a moment, then asked, "Do I need to bring a gift to meet him?"

Jiang Lian sighed and said, "...Just consider yourself the gift."

The distant sun had already disappeared. The evening clouds were obscured by the dust-filled sky, resembling a crumpled, oily rag. The Docking Area's unique transport Light Rail passed by not far away, sending a numbing vibration through the soles of one's feet. The air was filled with the stench of coal burning and steelmaking, and every building in sight was covered in a layer of soot.

"Welcome him to the Docking Area," Yan Junxun said, pulling the tab on the beer can and taking a sip. "He'll soon discover that Guangtong was paradise."

Three days later, the sky was gloomy, and a storm was raging.

The Docking Area had no tracks for Light-Transporter Vehicles. In this densely populated place, people still relied on cars for transportation, so traffic congestion was one of the Docking Area's problems, especially on rainy days. Looking down at the traffic situation of the entire area right now, it was like a bowl of eight-treasure congee spilled on the ground—completely impossible to clear.

Rain pattered against the glass, blurring Yan Junxun's reflection on it. The car was stuck in traffic, and he was stuck in the car. The ID Communicator was ringing constantly, and the car's driving system prompted, "Mr. Yan, the prison is requesting to speak with you."

Yan Junxun didn't make a sound.

The driving system guessed that he was in a bad mood. While honking the horn, it turned on the interior lights for Yan Junxun, projecting the image of a charmingly naive Little Orange Dragon.

"Mr. Yan," the Little Orange Dragon blinked, "the prison is requesting to speak with you."

Yan Junxun tapped open the light screen and unwrapped a lollipop. "I'll be there in an hour—"

The communication signal in the Docking Area was poor on overcast days; the light screen only showed static. The person on the other end repeated themself several times without getting a response and could only shout, "Hello? Hello! I'm the special envoy from Guangtong Prison, when will you arrive?"

Yan Junxun tilted his head away from the light screen and drew out his words, "I'm—on—my—way."

"On your what?" The person on the other side couldn't hear clearly and said irritably, "I don't care where you are, you have to be here in twenty minutes, dammit!"

While popping the lollipop into his mouth, Yan Junxun said politely, "Alright, big brother."

The person on the other end had already hung up.

The Little Orange Dragon driving system was silent for a moment, then said in a childish voice, "System calculation complete. Due to poor road conditions in the rain, it is impossible to arrive on time in twenty minutes."

Yan Junxun raised his hand to turn off the autopilot system and asked it strangely, "Why did you specifically switch your voice?"

"I'm scared," the driving system paused for a moment, then shrieked, "Mr. Yan, please do not speed!"

Before it could finish speaking, Yan Junxun had already turned the car around. The old sports car squeezed out of the traffic lane and, like a brute ox, scraped against trash cans as it charged into an empty alley. The roads here were in a constant state of disrepair, with the most primitive drainage ditches exposed at the edges and a section of the road stacked with manhole covers. The driving system let out a series of "Ahhh"s, and alarm sounds enveloped Yan Junxun.

"Mr. Yan!" the driving system cried. "I'm going to report you to the Special Inspectorate Bureau!"

Yan Junxun floored the accelerator. The sports car bucked so violently it almost went airborne. The ornament hanging inside bounced excitedly, and the buildings of varying heights on both sides cast a myriad of colorful lights in the downpour. The car sped over an abandoned road with menacing rebar, like an untethered wild horse, splashing dirty mud and water and making the driving system dizzy.

The sports car screeched to a halt as it shot out of the alley, its tires leaving a half-meter long skid mark on the asphalt, letting an old-fashioned truck with its lights on from the other end pass first. The truck was moving very slowly, and Yan Junxun saw a "Punctual Cleaning" advertisement on its side. The rain was so heavy that it had washed the advertisement, causing it to curl at the edges and fade, looking very shabby.

"I think I'm going to be sick," the driving system said dramatically. "I'm really going to puke. I can, I'm about to—"

Yan Junxun crunched the candy, tapped the driving system to mute, and just then the ID Communicator rang, displaying the name Jiang Lian.

"Coming..." Yan Junxun answered.

The truck's window wasn't rolled up. The woman in the driver's seat was cursing at someone while driving. It was impossible to hear through the rain; one could only see her slam the steering wheel hard, not bothering to wipe away the flecks of spittle that flew from her mouth.

"...Be there in five minutes." Yan Junxun said, turning the steering wheel and passing the truck.

Jiang Lian was sitting in the prison's gatehouse checkpoint drinking tea. Hearing the sound of a car outside, he immediately went out to greet it, holding an umbrella and shouting toward the car, "Driving on a rainy day, it's so inconvenient!"

Yan Junxun got out of the car and entered the facial recognition area of the gatehouse checkpoint.

"Welcome," the prison's automatic detection doors opened to both sides as a gentle voice said, "A warm welcome to you. The Docking Area prison is willing to provide you with the warmth of a home."

"Thank you," Yan Junxun said earnestly, "I don't have any plans to move in for the time being."

Jiang Lian's leather shoes were soaked with rainwater, leaving wet footprints in the corridor. He wiped his glasses with a cloth as he walked and said, "Special Operations Special Envoy Fu Yun is Fu Chenghui's nephew. He serves as the Warden at Guangtong Prison and is responsible for the transfer of SN 01AE86. He has a short temper and speaks bluntly."

As he spoke, Yan Junxun already saw the person at the end of the corridor. Jiang Lian put his glasses back on and smiled apologetically as he shook the other man's hand. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Fu."

Fu Yun's handshake with Jiang Lian was slightly hesitant. His gaze swept quickly behind Yan Junxun but saw no one else. He nodded, as if forgiving their tardiness, then frowned and said, "Mr. Yan is truly young."

"He is," Jiang Lian said, taking the cue. "If Commander Fu hadn't specifically requested him, I really wouldn't have dared to hand this person over to him."

"To be honest, I don't approve of letting SN 01AE86 out to collaborate on a case, but Old Fu was dead set on it, so there was nothing I could do." Fu Yun walked ahead. While passing through layers of identity verification, he turned back again to size up Yan Junxun. "Have you had any contact with the Black Panther Test?"

Yan Junxun, as he had expected, answered with great shame, "No."

"Right." Fu Yun hadn't held out any hope in the first place; it was just a casual question.

The prison doors slid open layer by layer with a "swish." The warning system in the corridor began flashing red lights, repeating in a mechanical voice: "SN 01AE86 has been delivered. Please maintain high alert. I repeat, SN 01AE86 has been delivered. Please maintain high alert."

After three final access control checks, the tightly interlocked gears opened silently. The light inside was dim. With his back to the light, Yan Junxun could only see the old cell door of the Docking Area prison.

"Your prison facilities here are from the last century. They're too unsafe." Fu Yun raised his hand and roughly banged on the sensor, shouting, "SN 01AE86!"

The cell was silent.

"SN 01AE86," Fu Yun didn't look at Yan Junxun but spoke to the sensor over the alarm. "SN 01AE86, don't fucking play dead!"

The current in the prison's Restraint Lock surged, making a sound like nails scratching a wall, but no one showed their face from inside the cell.

At Guangtong Prison, Fu Yun never needed to get close to SN 01AE86. Now, the light screen at the Docking Area prison didn't show the inside of the cell, so he could only move toward the door, one hand on the baton at his waist as he stepped inside.

"SN 01AE86!" Fu Yun didn't approach rashly, only continuing to peer inside the cell with his eyes. If not for the heat signature still showing on the sensor, he would have suspected SN 01AE86 had escaped.

"Dammit, stop playing games," Fu Yun pressed his hand on the door and shouted inside, "Shi Shanyan—"

A face suddenly appeared on the door. Fu Yun's hair instantly stood on end, and he instinctively recoiled. Who knew the transfer port on the Docking Area prison cell was so large? His belt was grabbed, and the moment he tried to step back, his whole body had already slammed into the cell door.

The system immediately went into a frenzy, blaring: "Warning! Stay away from SN 01AE86! Warning! Please move away from SN 01AE86 immediately!"

"On guard!" Jiang Lian immediately drew his gun.

"Just saying hello."

SN 01AE86's voice was deep, like that of a beast patrolling its territory. His dark eyes were fixed on Fu Yun, as if staring at a panicked piece of prey. He moved a little closer to the cell door, a murky, indistinct laugh rumbling in his throat.

"Don't panic," SN 01AE86's gaze swept around, finally landing precisely on Yan Junxun, while he was still speaking to Fu Yun. "Listen, that splashing sound... you've wet your pants."

Fu Yun looked down in a panic, only to find that he hadn't at all. He flew into a rage out of humiliation, "Fuck your dad!"

But amid the system's chaotic warning blares, SN 01AE86 gave a casual whistle in Yan Junxun's direction and said cheerfully, "Hello there."