Chapter 130: New Clues
Tom leaped out of the car window, watching as the driverless Wuling Hongguang sped off on its own. A slight smile played on his lips as he turned and vanished into the dense forest.
Abandoning the vehicle was merely a diversion. No matter where it crashed, it would buy Tom precious moments to make his escape.
How much time exactly? He couldn’t predict.
But as a top-tier assassin, shaking off pursuers was second nature to him.
As he moved through the wilderness, Tom carefully erased his tracks. He even planted a few smoke bombs with a pungent odor at strategic points, anticipating the use of police dogs in the pursuit.
For a fugitive on the run, a bloodhound’s keen nose was his greatest enemy.
No matter how well he concealed his tracks, the dogs would sniff him out.
Their noses were sharper than any radar.
______
Future Timeline – Villa No. 5
The door creaked open as a slender woman in black, her face concealed behind a mask, stepped into the living room of Villa No. 5.
She glanced around, chuckling in disdain beneath her mask.
“A simple trick, and you fell for it.”
“Still as brainless as ever.”
Muttering to herself, she strode toward the sofa and sat down gracefully. Picking up a tablet from the coffee table, she casually tapped a few times—and the screen lock was instantly bypassed.
“After all these years, some habits never change,” she sneered.
With a white, delicate hand, she scrolled through the screen. Moments later, she lost interest and placed the tablet back on the table.
“Hah—formatted.”
She scoffed before rising to her feet and heading upstairs, inspecting each room one by one.
“The safe should still be in the basement.”
She murmured to herself before making her way downstairs.
Five minutes later…
The woman stumbled back into the living room, her once-pristine black coat now covered in dust and fine powder.
“So many damn traps!”
She grumbled, clearly irritated.
Returning to the coffee table, she grabbed the tablet, stuffed it into her backpack, and turned to leave.
The moment she exited, the television wall in the living room shuddered slightly before parting to reveal a hidden passage. From within, a figure emerged—a person with a katana strapped to their waist.
It was Hot Noodles.
“Betraying me…”
“Did they offer you more?”
Staring at the door, Hot Noodles murmured to herself.
“Nightingale has turned traitor. Cold Night Bird is likely dead. Begin the hunt for Nightingale immediately, and if possible, recover Cold Night Bird’s remains.”
Hot Noodles pulled out her phone and sent a message to a contact labeled “Howling Celestial Dog”.
“Understood, my princess!” came the swift reply.
“This Tom… always playing the fool.”
Hot Noodles shook her head, a wry smile on her lips.
Three minutes later, an explosion rocked the villa district.
Hot Noodles stood by the second-floor window, gazing at the thick black smoke rising in the distance.
“Why is Tom making a move inside the villa district?”
She muttered in confusion.
[Gua Gua Gua~]
Ten minutes later, her phone buzzed.
She unlocked it and checked the message.
[Howling Celestial Dog: Nightingale has indeed betrayed us. She was hiding in the villa district, planning an attack on you.]
[Howling Celestial Dog: So, I struck first.]
“Be careful. Withdraw for now.”
She quickly replied.
[Howling Celestial Dog: Received!]
______
Hotel Room 507
After finishing her workout, Fang Xiaocao took a hot shower. Wrapped in a bath towel, she stepped out of the bathroom and sat on the bed.
Picking up her phone, she noticed a new WeChat message.
She blinked, unlocked her phone, and checked the message.
[Hot Noodles: I have some intel. You need to be careful.]
Fang Xiaocao frowned slightly and quickly replied, “What intel?”
Stuck inside Room 507, she felt like a blind and deaf beast, completely cut off from the outside world.
Right now, Hot Noodles’ messages were crucial.
Until Tom returned, Hot Noodles was her only source of information about the outside world—a source she could only decode through guesswork.
[Hot Noodles: I have confirmed that Han Xue and Axi are indeed involved. Their connection dates back to your timeline.]
Fang Xiaocao arched an eyebrow.
“Anything else?” she asked.
[Hot Noodles: It seems that Han Xue and A Xi were recruited by a secret organization—one that deliberately brought them together.]
“Could it be the Blacklist?”
Fang Xiaocao immediately thought of the infamous “Blacklist”.
[Hot Noodles: Absolutely not.]
[Hot Noodles: The Blacklist wouldn’t waste time on nobodies like Han Xue and Axi.]
Fang Xiaocao furrowed her brows.
“If it’s not the Blacklist, then who is it?” she murmured.
[Hot Noodles: I can’t determine their exact origins. But I do know that they still exist in the future, and they have grown to rival the Blacklist.]
[Hot Noodles: However, this organization has remained shrouded in secrecy for over a decade. No one knows their name.]
“That is… quite mysterious.”
Fang Xiaocao sighed.
“Any other useful intel?” she asked.
[Hot Noodles: Not much else. But in their early days, they recruited many fugitives, expanding rapidly. However, their overall quality was poor, and they suffered heavy losses when targeted by multiple factions.]
[Hot Noodles: But, like weeds, they never truly disappeared. No matter how many times they were struck down, they always resurfaced.]
“Got it.”
Fang Xiaocao replied.
She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Can you confirm Han Xue and Axi’s location in this timeline?”
[Hot Noodles: No, but they will appear at your hotel.]
[Hot Noodles: Be especially wary of lone women, children, or mother-child duos among the guests.]
Fang Xiaocao froze.
Her mind flashed back to lunchtime, when she had heard the sound of a child crying outside her door.
(End of Chapter 130)
