“What’d he say?” In the back alley of the shoddy i cafe he docks, Sue and Luoshan Zi were looking right at Gloria while she was on the phoh Marcus.

  “He said he will go to the cafe with his friends. And then he’ll go to your apartment.” Gloria sighed and turo Luoshan Zi: “Are you sure? I don’t imagine you’d have another secret apartment to hide?”

  “No. But we’re not gonna anyway, right?” Luoshan Zi shrugged.

  “What? You’re not gonna wait for us?” Sue asked.

  “No - I’m going to go ask some of my old friends for help. I think - ” Luoshan Zi paused, sighed, then shook her head: “I am irely sure how many of them would be willing or able to, since - well, sihey’re all kinda old, much older than us. But hey, I’ve gotta try. I’ll tact you when I’m done.”

  “Okay.” Gloria nodded: “Then - be safe and stay in tact - we’ll be right back. And we’ll - go meet in this i cafe’?”

  “We’ll see.” Luoshan Zi nodded.

  It was only a brief pause for them. They were here to collect things from Gloria’s temporary hideout, and to it up, if possible.

  The ndlord wao ask some questions when he saw the three of them ing in, but he retreated bato his ower receiving a warning look from both Gloria and Luoshan Zi - instinctually, he khat this was not the best time to put his nose where it probably didn’t belong.

  Small knives, a few daggers, a taser, some pepper spray and a baton. Even Gloria herself did not remember she had so many stashed ons. And they took some cash out of one of her easier to find safeboxes - they might , they might not. But it’s always better to have it and not .

  They split on their way into the street where street vendors gregate. Luoshan Zi was heading to the border between the South-Western and South-Eastern Districts to find her tacts; and Gloria would be going to the closest unity archive with Sue, to have an emergency meeting with Turner Ouyang.

  The unity archive was at least 40 minutes away on foot, which meant walking would not be the optimal option. For a taxi, it took them 20 dolrs and 10 minutes.

  The unity archive was less crowded than it normally was. No one was he entrance, only a few old folks hanging by the gate and parking area. And when they walked through the front door, no one was standing behind the reception’s desk.

  “Something’s nht. ” Gloria she air a few times, before pushing her Qi through her meridians: “Find a er to hide. I’ll go forward and take a look.”

  “You are here.” Just this moment, four men walked out from the book shelves in the open space immediately past the entrand reception’s desk. Three of the men were in bck jackets and somewhat rugged looking. They looked like thugs, or worse, skilled fighters. Another man was skinny, weak looking, had his hands tied behind his bad had a cloth sack over his head. The man in the middle, ironically the shortest one, with a vertical scar under his left eye: “Look, I am so gd we didn’t e here in vain. I’m sure this poor chap thinks so.” He said as he pulled the cloth sack away from the one held by him - it was Turner Ouyang, with tapes over his mouth and bruises on his face.

  “Who are you? ” Gloria took a deep breath and asked: “What do you want?”

  “Now that’s a weird question, isn’t it?” The man in the middle chuckled: “Because we’re w the same thing. What the hell do you want? Why are you looking into things that shouldn’t you, huh? Why do you, and your scared friend hiding back there, e here and dig your noses into pces where they don’t belong?”

  “We’re just casual schors, looking into the city’s history.” Gloria answered.

  “STOP LYING!” The man in the middle pulled out a kh saw teeths on the spine and grunted: “What do you want? Tell me now or I’ll spill his fug guts right here in this fug dump of a library! What do you know!?”

  “Wait wait wait!” Sue burst out and raised her voice along with Gloria: “Please! Please don’t hurt him!”

  “How fug rom-. How fug toug.” The man grunted: “Ahe fug question! What do you want?! What do you know!?”

  Gloria had to stall and wait for a ce to strike. The two men on the side were ing in, fnking them on both sides. Lucky for them no one was ing in from behind. And upon closer iion, some kind of bck mist shrouded all three men’s shoulders and foreheads.

  “What the hell are you looking at!? Tell us, NOW!”

  “We just wanna know about the infrastructure project that went on decades ago!” Sue screamed her answer.

  “What?!” The man in the middle seemed surprised. “WHY?”

  “Because my parents died in that project - or - in that flict.” Sue wiped her eyes: “No oold me at the time. I knew by act, so now I want to know - I o know. I MUST know.”

  “Who told you?” The man’s voice was cold, he was ready to kill.

  “Some - some guy iy. He’s dead now.” Sue sniffled.

  The man on the left, with a n and piergs on his brows, lu Sue, a short sword in hand. Gloria shot in front of Sue and blocked the man’s way. Two of them collided.

  Blood dripped on the floor.