The Vanishing Gem and an Unlikely Alliance

The item was gone… The last gem, entrusted to the Supervisory Bureau, had vanished.

Senior Yao Jing, his eyes deeply shadowed by fatigue, gazed with a throbbing headache at the now-empty safe. Despite the outer casing remaining perfectly intact, the item locked within had inexplicably disappeared.

He questioned the guards stationed outside, only to receive a startlingly consistent reply: they had seen nothing, heard nothing.

Such an utterly baffling answer only intensified his headache. One must remember, this was a secure chamber deep within the Supervisory Bureau, fortified by layers of defense. Aside from the dense array of surveillance equipment, the sheer number of seasoned veterans who had endured the crucible of war was countless.

In such a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair, let alone a thief, even a mosquito, in theory, couldn’t slip through without proper authorization. It should have been so…

“Have the surveillance systems detected any anomalies?” he called out into the seemingly empty air.

Before long, a flustered voice responded:

[Rep-report, we’ve reviewed the surveillance footage around the secret chamber, and found no anomalies whatsoever.]

“Check the entire Bureau’s surveillance system—no, check outside the Bureau as well. Immediately!”

[B-but, the workload is too immense; we simply can’t in such a short time…]

“If you wish to continue working here, then you will investigate this thoroughly and precisely. I currently have the authority to dismiss any one of you, do you understand?”

The merciless words, spoken by Senior Yao Jing, instilled such a heavy sense of oppression that the unknown staff member on the other end remained silent for a long moment, terrified.

“I said, did you hear me?!”

[Y-yes, sir… I’ll go check immediately…]

Hearing the faint sniffles, Senior Yao Jing awkwardly rubbed his nose, internally questioning whether he had been too harsh. However, he quickly dismissed such a weak thought. This was a critical juncture in the campaign against the Bloodkin; if this stolen gem were to enter the fray, it could very well trigger even more terrifying variables, plunging an already chaotic situation into deeper turmoil.

Furthermore, his specific purpose in returning had been to guard this gem, to prevent any unforeseen incidents. Yet, the outcome was that it had been stolen right under his nose, completely and utterly. Being humiliated and having to self-reflect was one thing, as it was, after all, his responsibility. But if a certain young lady were to learn of this, she would undoubtedly nag him relentlessly.

“No footprints, no fingerprints, no hairs…”

Senior Yao Jing meticulously examined the floor and walls once more, yet still couldn’t find the slightest trace of a break-in. He pondered with a troubled expression, turning over every possibility, ultimately arriving at a grim conclusion: it was likely, or perhaps certainly, a psychic theft.

This revelation only deepened the mystery of the situation. Heaven knew what peculiar abilities the thief possessed to steal the gem from such a location.

After waiting a while longer, he again inquired about the surveillance team’s progress. The answer remained the same: no anomalies had been detected thus far.

To prevent the critical moment from receding too far into the past, Senior Yao Jing finally resolved to use his ability of Time Reversal. As a sharp sensation pierced his body, he once again returned to the past.

****

Indeed, it had been stolen again… There hadn’t even been a sound. When Senior Yao Jing reopened the safe, it was already empty. This time, he had stood guard in the secret chamber the entire time, his eyes fixed intently on the safe, yet the gem had still been taken without a trace, as if by ghosts or spirits.

He routinely questioned the surveillance personnel again, and as expected, the response was: [No anomalies whatsoever].

‘I truly don’t know how they manage to utter those four words without a shred of shame. How can something vanishing right under their noses be considered “no anomalies whatsoever”? If I were director, I’d cut all your salaries and reassign you.’

After venting his frustration, Senior Yao Jing once more reverted to the moment before the gem’s theft. Passing through numerous checkpoints, he returned to the familiar secret chamber, gazing at what was touted as [Humanity’s highest crystallization, unbreakable even by Black-blooded]. He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly:

‘Others can simply take the item without even needing to open the lock. Why would they need to break through your turtle shell of a defense?’

Senior Yao Jing stood in the secret chamber, mulling over the situation, and finally conceived a method worth trying. He deactivated the safe’s defenses, took out the gem, and slipped it into his pocket.

[Captain Yao, this isn’t quite right. Removing items from the safe requires prior application…]

“Don’t meddle. Just pretend you didn’t see anything.”

After a moment of silence, the voice spoke again:

[D-d-do you, do you want me to delete the surveillance records?]

‘No, why is this turning into a criminal act?’

Ignoring the timid surveillance personnel, Senior Yao Jing navigated a winding path to the [Detention Center for Special Individuals] located within the Supervisory Bureau, commonly known as the prison.

“Well, well, long time no see.”

He ordered the guards to disable the defense system and strolled leisurely into the cell. Until the conclusion of this operation against the Bloodkin, his authority was arguably second only to the Director’s—no, in theory, even the old man had to cooperate with his actions. After all, no one else dared to take command of this battle. One misstep could turn them into a sinner for a thousand generations.

“If my calculations aren’t mistaken, only five days have passed since our last meeting. Your sense of time seems to be malfunctioning.”

The masked man in the cell casually replied, his expression serious as he sat before a computer, his gaze fixed intently on the monitor, rapidly typing on the keyboard.

‘Tsk, this guy’s living quite comfortably. We’re out there fighting for our lives, while this jailbird is just enjoying his days. I need to find an opportunity to cut his internet cable.’

Seemingly noticing Senior Yao Jing’s resentful gaze, The Doctor paused his busy hands and said with disdain, “I am currently discussing Bloodkin and Bloodthirsters-related intelligence with your research team. Unless absolutely necessary, please do not disturb me, alright? Senior Yao Jing…”

The Doctor’s words trailed off as he fixed his gaze on the red gem Senior Yao Jing held.

“What do you intend to do?”

Placing hope in a former adversary was a desperate measure, a dangerous gamble that could backfire at any moment. Success or failure hinged entirely on The Doctor’s disposition. Perhaps in the eyes of others, this was a high-stakes gamble risking everything. But for Senior Yao Jing, with his ability of Time Reversal, it was an infallible winning strategy.

“I see, I understand.”

Having listened to Senior Yao Jing’s explanation, The Doctor grasped the predicament the Supervisory Bureau now faced: an unknown enemy lurked in the shadows, its predatory gaze fixed on the gem. How, then, did Senior Yao Jing know this?

Suppressing his internal doubts, The Doctor probed, “You trust me so implicitly not to abscond with the gem? The current Supervisory Bureau might not even possess the means to stop me.”

“I believe we can become comrades with shared aspirations.” Senior Yao Jing’s sudden declaration of camaraderie startled The Doctor, who scrutinized the hunter from head to toe, beginning to wonder if something was amiss with his mind.

Feeling the suspicion radiating from The Doctor’s gaze, Senior Yao Jing continued his outlandish claims: “The research into Bloodkin Transformation has been prohibited. Where do you suppose that order came from?”

Without waiting for The Doctor to reply, Senior Yao Jing unilaterally explained, “It was The Association. They issued the order to ban the research, prohibiting a study that could benefit countless Bloodthirsters, all for their own selfish desires.”

“Now, I fully comprehend what you told me that day: as long as The Association stands, humanity has no hope of progress. Whatever we wish to accomplish will be rigidly constrained within the boundaries they dictate.”

“Therefore, I am willing to cooperate with you to oppose The Association.”

‘Stop talking, just stop, master, please stop!’

The Doctor was utterly mortified. He could no longer fathom Senior Yao Jing’s thought process. Were these truly the words to be spoken in this place? In this single cell alone, he had discovered a double-digit number of surveillance devices, and who knew how many more were hidden in the shadows. He could guarantee that the topic they had just discussed would be on the desks of the Supervisory Bureau’s higher-ups within half an hour.

To prevent Senior Yao Jing from uttering any more words that would make his scalp tingle, The Doctor interrupted the hunter’s eloquent speech: “If that thief truly is as formidable as you claim, I suggest you bring Irina here.”