Listening to Yun He's words, Gu Mingze felt a little guilty and disappointed.
If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have come. Otherwise, Cang Liu-ge would have been able to complete the mission normally. Now, with him being a burden, Cang Liu-ge couldn't act freely.
"Yun He, I'm going to retreat first and discuss something with my master. You can search ahead."
What Gu Mingze didn't expect was that after Cang Liu replied to Yun He about retreating, he grabbed Gu Mingze and withdrew to the safe zone without a second word.
Yun He quickly agreed.
"Ge, am I slowing you down? Why don't you go by yourself?" Gu Mingze scratched his head.
"Miss Bai asked me to bring you along, precisely to nurture you." Cang Liu glanced at the dejected teenager and said with a comforting tone, "If I left you behind and encountered an unexpected situation, I wouldn't be able to retreat with you in time. Besides, if it weren't for you, I might not have found this place yet."
So, it was actually because he was afraid he would get hurt, afraid he wouldn't be able to cope with unexpected situations if he wasn't by his side, that's why he didn't want to leave him alone.
Although it was heartwarming, it still made Gu Mingze feel uneasy.
"Thank you for the map." Cang Liu continued, "This is our first mission, and we weren't prepared beforehand. You've been a great help this time."
"Ah? Oh? Really?" Perhaps Cang Liu was deliberately comforting him, but Gu Mingze was still very happy and cheered up, grinning, "It's nothing, really. Actually, you don't have to bring me next time. I can hack the system from behind to scout for you."
Gu Mingze said it casually, but Cang Liu nodded very seriously, "Yes."
Gu Mingze: "..."
Ge, please don't be like this. Hacking the system takes time. I was just joking. I can't hack the system on the spot. I'm not the male protagonist in a novel who can paralyze enemies in three seconds.
"Can you hack the surveillance?" Cang Liu suddenly asked.
"Ah? I think so, but it takes time." Gu Mingze scratched his head. "I don't have a particularly good computer, and I'm not a TV protagonist who can do it all with just a phone... Hey, hey, hey?"
Before Gu Mingze could finish, the scenery in front of him suddenly changed. Knowing that Cang Liu was taking him to travel again, he quickly covered his mouth.
Gu Mingze initially thought they had been discovered and needed to move, until he was placed in front of Meng Qinghuan by Cang Liu and came to his senses.
"Give him a computer," Cang Liu said concisely, looking at Meng Qinghuan.
Gu Mingze didn't know where they were, only that the surroundings were enclosed, like a small container. Meng Qinghuan was curled up on a small bench, looking at Cang Liu meaningfully.
"Little Cang, you need to think carefully. The person who controls rear information must be the leader or the commander. If you let Little Gu do it, it means he is your commander." Meng Qinghuan said with interest, "Little Gu, can you command?"
Gu Mingze grinned awkwardly, "I, I'm good at command-type games..."
But this is not the same concept. Gu Mingze wanted to cry but had no tears.
If you lose a game, you can start over. But if you lose here, whether you can live to walk away is another matter. If he were the commander, wouldn't his companions' lives be in his hands?
[I'm fine with anything.]
Yun He's voice came through the headset, surprisingly calm, with no hint of objection. Cang Liu's attitude was also firm, remaining silent and saying nothing more.
"Sigh~ Alright, alright. It's your first mission anyway, so it doesn't matter if you fail. Play however you want~" Seeing that neither of his little disciples had any objections, Meng Qinghuan shrugged and directly pulled Gu Mingze over, "Come on, come on, there's a computer and all sorts of equipment. It's up to you now."
"Ah? Look, look at me!?" Gu Mingze was completely taken aback. Even if he wanted to make a name for himself, it shouldn't be in this way!
From the lowest-level cannon fodder to the highest-level commander, isn't there a need to adapt step by step? He really couldn't handle such a bungee jump!
"We are all fast and action-oriented. A decisive blow is no problem. I have no body temperature, so thermal imaging devices are ineffective against me." Cang Liu stated the basic situation and then flashed out of the container. Only Meng Qinghuan, holding Baimeng, stayed behind, grinning slyly at Gu Mingze.
Gu Mingze's scalp tingled. Suddenly being pushed into a position that left him bewildered, but with the arrow already on the string, Gu Mingze could only bite the bullet and proceed.
He was good at games, his APM (Actions Per Minute) could normally reach 600.
Even though Bai Cha held knives and guns with such steady hands, when Lucifer taught him how to make chocolates, the melted chocolate he squeezed out kept trembling. It was made according to the mold, but Bai Cha turned the puppy into an unrecognizable blob.
Lucifer, on the other hand, directly carved a bunch of roses with the same amount of chocolate. Each petal and even each thorn was lifelike. Bai Cha looked at the chocolate rose bouquet, then at his own crookedly held puppy with a heart, and was speechless.
Fortunately, the materials were the same, and they were all delicious.
All the way, Bai Cha ate the chocolates made by Lucifer vigorously, as if venting his frustration. Lucifer found it both amusing and exasperating.
He was still just a child, not even eighteen yet. Although he usually acted very mature, he still had a bit of a childlike temper.
"What are you laughing at? It's my first time, and unlike you, I don't practice cooking every day!" Bai Cha glared at Lucifer.
"Yes, my master. Your first time is already perfect in my eyes. I like it very much." Lucifer's lips curved into a smile, his peach blossom eyes showed a pleasant arc, and there was a light in his eyes that warmed Bai Cha so much that she dared not look directly at him.
"My balloon! My balloon!"
Just then, a child's cry sounded from not far away.
There was a clown performing. Even during times when the crowd was sparse, they still had to do their best to complete their performance.
And just now, he had given the only child in the audience a balloon. However, this little boy accidentally let go of the balloon's string, causing the balloon to fly away.
This was also the last balloon in the clown's hand. Seeing the child's tear-streaked face, the clown was also a little flustered and quickly made various gestures to try and make the child smile again.
"Your balloon."
With a gentle voice, a hand reached out and held the balloon, offering it to the little boy.
The little boy looked at Bai Cha with longing the moment he saw her. He stopped crying and then smiled when he saw the returned balloon.
Bai Cha knelt on one knee and gently tied the balloon to the little boy's small backpack. The little boy wiped his tears haphazardly and mumbled, "Thank you, sister."
"Thank you, young lady." The little boy's father also repeatedly apologized to Bai Cha.
"Oh, you are? I've seen you on the news." The little boy's mother recognized Bai Cha.
After all, the battle that day had caused quite a stir and had been in the headlines for many days. Coupled with Bai Cha's distinctive appearance, anyone who hadn't been offline would have an impression of her.
Bai Cha didn't pay much attention. She waved her hand and walked to another spot with Lucifer. There was an old man making sugar figurines who was about to close his stall. Bai Cha and Lucifer had truly had a great time playing for most of the day. Seeing that it was almost time for the evening session, Bai Cha and Lucifer planned to meet up with Cang Liu and the others first.
The old man's skill in making sugar figurines was indeed remarkable. Bai Cha had only heard of many things here but had never truly experienced them. Suddenly coming here and being taken on a tour, Bai Cha actually calmed down, with a hint of sweet joy.
"How does it feel?" Lucifer naturally held Bai Cha's hand. Although it was a time with sparse crowds, the evening session would actually be more crowded. Some office workers who had bought annual passes after work would be happy to come here to relax at night.
"Thank you, Lucifer." The two walked side by side on the dimly lit tree-lined path. The natural colored lights didn't seem out of place but rather warm.
Bai Cha felt a little dazed. When she was a child, Bai Ze had also held her hand like this as they walked through streets to take her home after practicing in the training room.
[Chacha, why are you working harder than me? Relax a bit. I will protect you forever, so you just need to protect yourself.]
[Don't worry, everyone changes, but I won't. I will love you until I die.]
Bai Cha instinctively clutched the crystal at her collarbone, feeling a little lost. She remembered the man who broke his promise but kept his vow.
He didn't protect her all the time, but he truly loved her until his death, loved his only sister.
"My master never needs to thank me." Lucifer smiled and squeezed Bai Cha's hand, a little helplessly, "You're thinking too much again, my master."
Bai Cha smiled softly, "I sincerely want to..."
Before Bai Cha could finish speaking, she suddenly sensed someone rushing towards her from behind. Bai Cha's gaze sharpened. She thought it was some attacker, but when she turned around, she was stunned to find that a woman had directly knelt down in front of her.
"Miss Bai, have you seen my son!" The woman's eyes were teary. She grabbed Bai Cha's arm, her face filled with panic, "My son is missing!"
"What!" Bai Cha and Lucifer were both shocked. They were still standing here, yet the mastermind behind this case dared to be so arrogant?
What made Bai Cha even more concerned was that she hadn't sensed anything wrong. Even people who trafficked children for their kidneys would have basic hostility and killing intent towards children, yet Bai Cha hadn't felt anything at all.
A child had disappeared right under her nose.