Chapter 48: This Is What You Call Professionalism

“Ah, what…”

Caught off guard, Lu Xin almost thought Gecko was committing suicide.

Sticking his head out, Lu Xin saw that just as Gecko’s body was about to hit the ground, his hand shot out incredibly fast, grabbing a protrusion on the water tower with uncanny precision. Then his body twisted strangely in mid-air one full turn, both feet now planted firmly onto the water tower. It was as if he had redirected his downward momentum sideways, allowing him to spring outwards effortlessly into the night.

Beneath the Crimson Moon, he looked like a bizarre bug, scuttling towards the factory building with rapid, unnatural movements.

“Let’s also…”

Lu Xin had just turned to glance at Little Sister when he saw her staring intently at the direction Gecko had gone, a hint of anger flickering in her eyes.

Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Lu Xin. Brother and sister soared high into the air. When they landed, it was precisely upon a power line running horizontal beside the water tower. Then, crawling on hands and feet, they sped down the line like phantoms, equally swift as they charged towards the factory.

Following closely behind, Lu Xin entered the factory building just a step slower than Gecko.

At this moment, as Zheng Yuanxiong lay unconscious, the entire factory building was saturated with an eerie atmosphere.

Despite Zheng Yuanxiong being incapacitated, all the workers continued their tasks with dull, mechanical precision. The air was thick with a pungent, acrid odor, heavily mixed with the reek of fresh blood and even urine — evidence they hadn’t time to use the bathroom, relieving themselves where they stood.

Neither Gecko nor Lu Xin, entering the space one after the other, drew the slightest flicker of attention from any worker.

“Using the tranquilizer pistol to take down Zheng Yuanxiong is just the first step!”

Linda’s voice crackled over the comms channel: “Because Zheng Yuanxiong has already undergone a clear Spiritual Mutation and is extremely close to Loss of Control, the effect of this tranq—strong enough to down an elephant for three days—on him is uncertain. He could wake up at any moment. As a precaution, we need to secure him with a specialized containment device immediately, preventing him from affecting others again…”

“And what you need to do is…”

Listening to Linda’s instructions, Lu Xin followed closely behind Gecko as they reached Zheng Yuanxiong’s side.

As Linda said the words “keep lookout for him,” Lu Xin was already positioned beside Gecko, warily scanning their surroundings.

…

Gecko was incredibly swift and agile. Once beside the unconscious Zheng Yuanxiong, he used the tip of his boot to hook and tilt Zheng Yuanxiong’s head back. He then swiftly placed the glass dome attached to a metal clasp securely over Zheng Yuanxiong’s head. That wasn’t all; with smooth movements, he retrieved two pairs of handcuffs and a set of leg-irons from beneath the back of his leather jacket, methodically fastening them on Zheng Yuanxiong, front and back.

Looking at Zheng Yuanxiong’s thoroughly trussed-up state, Lu Xin was quite certain that even if he woke up now, it wouldn’t pose much of a problem.

“Haha, done…”

Finishing his task, Gecko sat back on the floor with a touch of arrogant satisfaction, his head tilted smugly backwards.

“How about that, buddy? Pretty impressive, huh?”

He genuinely seemed a bit brash in this moment.

However, Lu Xin couldn’t help but think Gecko deserved this burst of arrogance. After all, having just watched him handle this entire Contamination Incident — despite the constant chatter — he hadn’t wasted a single second, and hadn’t slipped up even once.

“This is what you call professionalism…”

Lu Xin thought, feeling a faint anticipation for the day he might become this competent himself.

“Well done!”

Linda’s voice came over the channel, offering praise devoid of any emotion, then added, “Dispatch the Support Team into the field immediately!”

“The ever-useful Support Team…”

Gecko chuckled softly, then looked up at Lu Xin, “Buddy, wanna grab a drink later?”

Lu Xin was about to agree when Little Sister gave his sleeve a small, sharp tug.

He turned to look, and instantly froze, his gaze landing on a nearby office desk.

Crouched beneath that cluttered desk, piled high with papers and receipts, was a small girl in a red dress. She looked about seven or eight years old, clutching a soft cotton Doll in her arms. Its body was made of rough yarn, its eyes were two sewn-on buttons, and it wore a pristine little red dress. Two black, jet-black eyes fixed themselves warily on Lu Xin and Gecko, a mixture of fright and confusion warring within them. Her voice soft, she said, “Big Brother, why aren’t you going to work?”

“Who is she?”

A wave of intense surprise washed over Lu Xin, instantly followed by heightened vigilance.

Right now, inside this whole factory building, everyone—except Zheng Yuanxiong—was caught in a frenzy of uncontrolled work. Even though Zheng Yuanxiong was unconscious, they continued mindlessly repeating their previous orders. So then… why was there a little girl here?

“There’s another little girl here…”

At the same moment, Gecko had also spotted her. His expression became profoundly strange as he whispered urgently into the comms.

“What little girl?”

Linda’s voice in the channel immediately hardened slightly.

“Looks about seven or eight… wearing a red dress… two little braids… and… a mole right between her eyebrows…”

Gecko rapidly described her in a low voice, simultaneously raising his hand slowly, trying to capture an image.

But the girl beneath the desk was slowly crawling out now. Her expression remained calm as she looked at Lu Xin and Gecko before her. Tilting her head slightly, she asked gently, “Big Brothers, everyone else is working. Why aren’t you…”

“…not working?”

“…”

As her voice faded, the factory went unnaturally silent.

Only the creaking of machinery filled the air.

In that instant, every single worker, busy at their tasks moments before, stopped dead in their tracks. Then, in a motion both wooden and synchronized, they turned their heads towards Lu Xin and Gecko. It was as if only now, at this precise moment, had they truly registered these two interlopers—or perhaps, these two who were not working.

Then… faces gradually contorted with rage. Hateful, accusing, sinister stares locked onto them…

This bizarre shift was so palpable it made Gecko pause, freezing mid-movement, avoiding any further overt action.

“A little girl… with a mole between her eyebrows?”

Linda’s voice came through the comms again: “Records indicate Zheng Yuanxiong had an eight-year-old daughter.”

Her voice hitched, a slight tremor evident: “However… she died a year ago…”

“The cause of death… because Zheng Yuanxiong was so obsessed with work, neglected her care… leading to her going to retrieve some plush Toy…”

“…being pulled into a machine!”

“…”

Piercing lamp lights, the empty, monotonous drone of machinery, the hostile, furious gazes of surrounding workers turning upon them.

Before them, the little girl wore a questioning expression deeply unsettling.

All these elements formed a scene starkly surreal and visually potent.

Gecko’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. Afraid to disturb something, he breathed into the comms, his voice barely audible:

“Secondary Pollution Source…”