"I told you! If you give that little rich girl a chance to meet her so-called 'Dan Heng,' she'll follow you like a puppy!"
"Ha! Rich kids are so easy to fool!"
Inside a large parasitic Hollow, several members of the Red Fang gang huddled together, laughing as they mocked the young lady they'd tricked into coming today.
Still, not all of them were so confident.
"Even if it's to avoid Public Security, did we really have to hide inside this Hollow?" one of them muttered uneasily.
"No choice," another replied. "Who knew the cops would move that fast? We can't afford to be picky. The boss said if we want to rebuild the Red Fangs, this is the only way. Fortune favors the bold! Besides, with our boss around, what's there to fear?"
They said the words to reassure each other, but none of them truly believed them.
This particular Hollow was infamous — filled with chaotic Ether energy and high-risk Ethereals. Rumor had it that someone had once thrown bombs into it continuously, destabilizing its structure. Because of its eerie glow and violent energy bursts, locals had given it a name — Fireworks Hollow.
Though the name was unofficial, everyone used it.
As they talked, one scrawny thug decided to join in.
"Yeah, exactly! The boss said if he'd been there when that White guy died, that Sam wouldn't have stood a chance!"
The laughter immediately stopped. The others turned toward him, staring as if he'd lost his mind.
"He said that to make you feel better, idiot."
"In all my years, I hate morons like you the most!"
"Sam's temper is legendary. If you so much as looked at him funny, he'd burn you to cinders. 'Take down Sam'? Go tell that to White Miguel in the afterlife!"
The scrawny thug fell silent, cheeks burning in embarrassment. After the others finished venting, they finally decided to get back to work.
"Enough talk. It's time for patrol — make sure no rats have snuck in."
But before they could move, a confident voice echoed from behind them.
"Hold it right there, gentlemen. I'd like to discuss something with you. Refuse… and don't blame us for getting rough."
They turned toward the sound — and froze.
A pink-haired girl with twin tails stood before them, flanked by a humanoid robot in a red vest, its twin pistols aimed steadily at them, and a white-haired girl resting her hand on her sword.
"Three people? Hah! Brothers, let's crush them!"
The gang members charged. Seconds later, the sound of gunfire and fists colliding echoed through the Hollow.
When the dust settled, it was over. The Cunning Hares had won.
Billy stood with his boot pressing down on the last conscious thug, pistol aimed squarely at his head. Nicole stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"Talk. Did you kidnap a child today?"
"Y-yes! She's with our boss right now! Please, don't kill me!"
Beaten and terrified, the thug spilled everything. Once Nicole got the confirmation she needed, she nodded to Billy, who casually tossed the man aside. Then she looked toward the low wall nearby.
"Phaethon, we've got confirmation. It's the remaining Red Fang members. We're moving out!"
"Everything's clear? Then let's go. This way!"
Eous peeked out from behind the wall, then hurried over. After double-checking the intel with Nicole, he led the Cunning Hares deeper into Fireworks Hollow.
"Huh?"
Anby suddenly stopped, turning her head sharply.
"What's wrong?" Nicole asked, walking up beside her. Both of them looked back down the path they'd come from.
"...It's nothing," Anby said after a moment. "Just felt like someone was following us. Probably my imagination."
"Let's keep moving. We're running out of time."
After scanning the area one last time and finding nothing, Anby followed the team deeper into the Hollow.
But behind a crumbling wall not far away, a small figure hid, heart pounding.
It was Bailu.
If she hadn't ducked back just in time, she would've been spotted.
"That was close…" she whispered.
"Yeah, I almost got caught right along with you."
Startled, Bailu spun around — and found herself face-to-face with a grinning cat Thiren with two tails.
Before she could scream, the Thiren quickly covered her mouth and made a shushing gesture.
"Shhh. Don't make a sound."
Bailu froze, realizing the stranger didn't seem hostile. Then, when she got a better look, her eyes widened — she recognized her.
Nekomiya Mana.
Seeing that Bailu had calmed down, Nekomiya let her go.
"You are…?" Bailu asked softly.
"Don't be scared, little one," Nekomiya said gently. "What's your name?"
"B-Bailu."
"Bailu, huh? My name's Nekomiya Mana. Don't worry, I'm not a bad person. But tell me — what's a kid like you doing in a Hollow like this? It's dangerous here."
"Well…"
Bailu hesitated, fidgeting. The truth was, she'd only followed the Cunning Hares because she'd been upset. When she saw them rush out earlier, she'd snuck into their SUV's trunk on a whim.
But after overhearing Nicole's call with Wise and learning that the missing person was Niya — Helen's younger sister, and someone close to Jiang Qi — Bailu couldn't sit still.
And now, somehow, she'd ended up here — in Fireworks Hollow.
She sighed. "I was worried. They came to rescue a friend who went missing here. I just wanted to make sure she's safe…"
"I see," Nekomiya said, nodding thoughtfully. "But if you've already got people handling it, you shouldn't have followed. Still—" She gave a small grin. "—it just so happens I'm also here to rescue that same young lady."
"Really?" Bailu's eyes brightened.
"Really. I was stuck because I couldn't go deeper without a proxy. Luckily, those people ahead opened the way. The terrain here's tricky — and dangerous. How about I take you back to the exit first?"
"No!" Bailu shook her head firmly. "I want to follow them!"
Nekomiya studied her determined expression, then sighed. "Alright then. If you're coming, stay close. We'll lose them if we waste any more time."
"Mm!"
Bailu nodded eagerly — but before she could take a step, Nekomiya suddenly lifted her up.
"I'll carry you. We'll move faster this way."
"W-wait—!" Bailu stammered, blushing.
But Nekomiya just smiled and darted forward, agile as a cat, carrying Bailu effortlessly as they raced deeper into the Hollow.
I hope nothing goes wrong, Bailu thought, holding on tightly.
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A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon.
patreon.com/deadlygoober