Chapter 442: Chapter 264: Light-Eating Bee, Decision, Third Member
"Light-Eating Bees..."
In the passenger seat of the Maybach, Gu Qiye furrowed his brow and murmured softly.
The orange-yellow lights of the parking garage flickered on and off, his gaze fixed firmly on the photo on the tablet.
A half-human half-bee monster vibrated its transparent wings, flying in the sky, bending to chew on the human embedded in the billboard. The side facing the camera was fully exposed, showcasing brutality and ferocity, with human organs left over at the corners of its mouth, dripping blood.
At the moment he saw this photo, Gu Qiye’s heart instinctively rose with awe and shock towards the unknown, as if he had seen creatures from a primitive world suddenly emerge, bringing the brutal laws of the jungle into the modern city.
The curtain woven by human logic and order was shredded overnight by them.
He began to worry about the whereabouts of the photo-taker, wondering if they had ended up like the victim in the billboard, becoming food for the monster.
"The difficulty of the mission isn’t high; it’s only been elevated because it involves members of the Japanese royal family," said You Ruirui. "If we choose to accept the mission here, we must head to Osaka, Japan within two days to begin investigating the ’Light-Eating Bees.’
"Is the goal to lure all the Light-Eating Bees out of the city?" Gu Qiye asked.
"No, our mission target isn’t simply to eradicate the bee swarm within Osaka. Rather, it’s to locate the Light-Eating Bees’ stronghold, evaluate their combat capabilities afterward, and if their combat capabilities are average, then wipe them out entirely."
"What if their combat capabilities far exceed our expectations?"
"Temporarily retreat. Leave it for higher-ups to evaluate; if needed, the Rainbow Wings might be activated... though that’s unlikely."
After speaking, You Ruirui set the tablet down, twisted the key, starting the Maybach. Pressing the engine, the black car roared out of the underground parking garage, and onto Fifth Avenue in New York’s Manhattan District.
The noon sunlight was fierce and scorching, baking the earth, the glass facade of the Empire State Building cast a beam of light onto the long street.
The sunlight came rushing in. The whole world brightened. Gu Qiye silently watched outside the window, with hot dog stands lining the long street, yellow taxi cars zipped by one after another, with most pedestrians holding a beverage cup in their hand.
"Do newcomers generally have elder members guiding them within the Rainbow Wings?" Gu Qiye casually asked.
"Indeed." You Ruirui said slowly, "I will be responsible for helping you adapt to the rules and rhythm of Rainbow Wings in the short-term, so we’re grouped together for the mission. Once it’s determined that you no longer need my help, you’re free to collaborate with other members."
"Which mission should we choose?" Gu Qiye asked.
"Doesn’t matter." You Ruirui said, "Heard you fell short at the auction; if you want to exact revenge on the White Crow Travel Brigade, you can leave the Light-Eating Bees investigation to others."
She paused, "They haven’t made a choice yet; neither mission piques their interest, so you can accept the task of capturing the brigade, I’ll submit an application in the files."
"Then we’ll... be responsible for capturing the brigade," Gu Qiye took a moment, then made a decision.
"Reason?"
"Compared to the Light-Eating Bees, I find the White Crow Travel Brigade to be far more dangerous pests."
"Oh, then I’ve submitted it." You Ruirui said, "This task team consists of three members, meaning one more will be assigned, but it’s not clear who will take on this task yet."
She pressed the accelerator, speeding up, the Maybach like the wind weaving through New York’s streets, towards the pre-booked restaurant.
"Do we have another teammate?" Gu Qiye asked softly. He suddenly recalled Rainbow Wings member number twelve, "Father of Puppets," the trench coat and bandaged man whose superpower was manipulating superpower user corpses.
"I have a question: if we die, will the puppet master turn our corpses into puppets?"
"All aspects would need approval. Technically speaking, China wouldn’t allow your corpse to be turned into a puppet," You Ruirui said, "The predecessor number eight ’Ajaya’ was a special case."
"I understand." Gu Qiye nodded.
A brief silence enveloped them, as he watched the scenery outside swiftly pass by. You Ruirui’s silhouette was reflected on the car window, in a daze, her almost transparent white hair overlapping with the sunlight, appearing ready to melt like snow.
"By the way, do you have a driver’s license but are underaged?" Gu Qiye asked casually.
You Ruirui remained silent for a moment.
After a while, she spoke, "If I recall correctly, the document I gave you mentions that due to superpower side effects, I haven’t grown taller. In reality, I’m an adult."
"Then how old are you?"
"Impolite question."
"Are you older than me?"
You Ruirui suddenly stopped talking, or rather, she simply didn’t respond.
"Sorry, looking at your appearance, I instinctively took you to be the age of my younger sister."
"You’re not the first to think so, but I’m not... although there are actual children in Rainbow Wings."
"Gothic Puppet, Overloader, and that armory queen?" Gu Qiye listed, images of the three appeared in his mind.
Gothic Puppet, a catastrophe-level superpower user from the United Kingdom, dressed in a Gothic Lolita dress, a blonde-haired red-eyed girl, resembling a puppet and creating a strong sense of unrealism, staring too long even induces an uncanny valley effect;
Overloader, a small blue-haired boy in a high-neck sweater, he looks no more than thirteen;
Armory Queen, also known as "Jiushijiu." Jiushijiu in full Russian military attire, with two pink ponytails, looking no older than sixteen.
These three left an initial impression on Gu Qiye of being "underage." He originally thought Rainbow Wings consisted of uncles and aunts, but seeing You Ruirui and others was startling, even causing him to suspect whether Rainbow Wings illegally hired too many child laborers, thus being forced to conceal members’ personal information from the outside.
If this were exposed to the public, just imagine the massive public storm it would create?
The world’s top-ranked superpower organization currently has nearly one-third of its members as minors, being sent to the most dangerous battlefields for missions every so often. It just sounds absurd.
"Jiushijiu is indeed a minor, just like the Overloader ’Garfield,’" You Ruirui paused, "but the Gothic Puppet ’Esther’ is not."
"What’s the reason?" Gu Qiye turned his head to look at her.
"She is like me, affected by her superpower’s side effects, causing her age to be frozen. Rather than frozen... her body has essentially turned into a puppet, never to change again, while also having limited active time, spending most of her time asleep in a coffin."
"Such harsh side effects."
"The stronger the superpower, the stronger the side effects generally are. Most cases are like that; only a few lucky ones escape." You Ruirui said while driving, "Your superpower has no side effects?"
As she spoke, she turned her head slightly, her icy blue eyes looking at Gu Qiye.
"Yes." Gu Qiye thought for a moment, "The side effect makes me feel disconnected from this world for a long time."
"Disconnected?" You Ruirui said, "Your description is unclear."
"For instance, it’s like being in an elevator, an incessant weightlessness. Then at night, I hear electrical signals buzzing through my brain, so during the initial awakening of my superpower, I barely slept and filled my schedule with activities, resting only two hours a day."
"Sounds like quite a significant side effect." You Ruirui commented, "Sleep quality significantly impacts one’s execution and judgment."
"If I have to say, I feel there’s an even deeper side effect."
"What is it?"
"Guilt."
"Guilt?" You Ruirui asked, glancing at him.
"I can’t help but think... why, even though I’ve become faster and stronger, can’t I save everyone, especially those who are already lost." Gu Qiye leaned his head on the chair’s back, gazing at his right hand in a daze.
You Ruirui withdrew her gaze, silent for a moment, then calmly said, "That is arrogance, no different from an adolescent’s mentality."
"I know."
Neither of them spoke further.
"I’m still a bit curious... who eventually killed Ghost Bell?" Gu Qiye asked softly, lowering his head, "Didn’t I already join Rainbow Wings?"
"I’ll tell you after the mission." You Ruirui thought for a while, "You seem to be different from your appearance, holding grudges. Are you still resenting him?"
Gu Qiye suddenly went silent. A moment later, he turned to look out the window and laughed lightly, "Yeah... maybe I still resent him."
"Mutant Blue Arc, you’re more immature than I thought." You Ruirui said softly, "But after all, you’re university-aged, so it’s understandable."
"I don’t want to hear that from someone whose tablet is full of mobile games," Gu Qiye said.
"Everyone needs a way to decompress." You Ruirui said slowly, "Besides, my superpower gives me symptoms similar to hyperthymesia."
"Hyperthymesia? Photographic memory?"
"Yes, so I need to play many games to distract myself; otherwise, the memories in my head are annoying. Not being able to forget... is sometimes scarier than forgetting."
You Ruirui paused for a moment, slowly turning the steering wheel and subtly changing the topic:
"By the way, I forgot to tell you. After your superpower’s second mutation, it might bring new side effects. So, as per the organization’s strict requirement, you’ll need to undergo a comprehensive body check every week for the next six months."
"Alright." Gu Qiye said, "Remember to remind me."
You Ruirui stepped on the brake, "We’ve arrived. This is the restaurant I reserved."
Gu Qiye looked out the car window at a Michelin-starred Italian seafood restaurant named "Marea," located south of Central Park, brightly lit inside.
"After helping you so much, treat me to a meal." You Ruirui suddenly said, sounding more like a statement than a request.
"No problem, after all, Comrade Blue Arc just retired and has a lot of blood money." Gu Qiye said impassively, taking out his phone from his pocket.
At that moment, a text message popped up at the top of the phone’s interface.
[Black Cocoon: Welcome to New York, Mr. Gu Qiye (Smiley face).]
[Black Cocoon: If you have time, meet up with me. I’m eager to know what kind of strange people are in Rainbow Wings.]
Gu Qiye ignored Black Cocoon’s message, glancing at You Ruirui with the corner of his eye to ensure she hadn’t seen it.
"Get out." You Ruirui said.
He was about to unbuckle his seatbelt and exit when You Ruirui, sitting in the driver’s seat, suddenly spoke up: "Wait."
"What now?" Gu Qiye turned his head to ask.
You Ruirui glanced at the tablet, where a number "3" had suddenly appeared below the mission briefing.
"Someone’s joined our team." She said.
"Who?"
"Urushibara Ryuri." You Ruirui looked up, "She’s joining us to head to Hokkaido for the mission to capture the White Crow Travel Brigade."