The three entered the small café. The smell of stale coffee lingered in the damp air. Xiaobing, uninterested in the ambiance, sat down directly and placed his wet umbrella beside him.
"Now, what's this deal about?" Xiaobing began without preamble.
Simon took a deep breath. "I'm looking for a former comrade. He was expelled today."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Xiaobing asked coldly.
"You're an unofficial power-bearer," Simon said. "You can move freely without being tracked by the Organization's systems."
Xiaobing laughed mockingly. "So you want to use me as a search tool while you stay safe on the sidelines."
"That's not it," Lizzy interjected angrily. "Simon is risking a lot just by talking to you!"
"A calculated risk," Xiaobing retorted. "You're asking me to look for someone I don't know, in a city I'm not familiar with, while I'm being hunted by your Organization. Where's the logic in that?"
Simon stared intently at Xiaobing. "Because I think you might be interested."
"Interested in what?"
"In the monster you saved today."
Xiaobing's eyes narrowed slightly. "A monster I saved today? Huh... Do you mean that black-scaled creature? Wait... How do you know I saved it?"
"My friend told me in a telepathic message... just before he left. He described you to me," Simon said, his voice low and urgent. "And I recognized you quickly."
Xiaobing fell silent for a moment. A telepathic message? That person had contacted him and described him? This changed things.
'So the monster was conscious enough to send a message. And to describe me. Interesting,' Xiaobing thought to himself, his mind racing. 'This means there was still human consciousness within that form.'
"Even if that's true," Xiaobing said aloud, maintaining his cold facade, "why come to me? I just happened to crash into him with a flying rock. It was an accident, not a rescue mission."
"But you intervened when the serial killer was about to finish him," Lizzy pressed. "We saw it in the artifact's mirror reflection. You chose to block that attack."
Xiaobing shrugged. "I was protecting myself. That attacker was a threat to me too. Another coincidence."
Simon leaned forward, his expression earnest. "Coincidence or not, you're the only person who has interacted with him in his transformed state. He might remember you. That gives you a chance to get close to him where others would only meet hostility."
'He has a point,' Xiaobing admitted to himself. 'If the monster retains any memory of that encounter, it might not attack me on sight. That's a tactical advantage.'
"And what's in it for me?" Xiaobing asked, returning to practical matters.
"Practical information," Simon offered quickly. "Not deep Organization secrets—I don't have access to those. But safe places to hide. Weaknesses in the surveillance network. How to avoid pursuit teams."
"And," Lizzy added, "if you find out what happened to him, you might understand something about the nature of dark powers. And that might help you control your own powers too."
Xiaobing was silent. The practical information was definitely useful. And understanding dark powers... after seeing the Winged Knight, and after the strange mark that appeared on his chest, this had become important.
But suspicion remained within him. Simon could be deceiving him. This could all be a trap.
'But... if there's a chance to understand the source of these dark powers...' Xiaobing thought. 'It might be worth the risk. Especially if I'm going to face the Winged Knight again.'
"Alright," he finally said. "But on conditions."
"What are they?" asked Simon.
"First: You'll provide me with a map of surveillance points in the area I'll search. Second: You won't follow or watch me. Third: If I find him, I have the right to speak with him first before telling you anything."
Simon contemplated the conditions. "Why should your conversation with him be first?"
"Because he might be dangerous," Xiaobing said simply. "And if I'm going to risk approaching him, I want to know what I'm dealing with."
"And if he refuses to talk to you? Or attacks you?"
"If he attacks me, I'll defend myself," Xiaobing said. "And if he refuses to talk, I'll just tell you his location. But the attempt will be mine."
Simon looked at Lizzy, then back at Xiaobing. "Alright. But be careful. He... is not as you know him."
"I didn't know him to begin with," Xiaobing reminded him. "Now, the map."
Simon took out a small notebook and began drawing expertly. "This is the Eastern Cemetery. He frequented it often. And these surrounding areas... have gaps in the surveillance system."
Xiaobing took the notebook and studied the map quickly. "I'll start there."
"Why the cemetery specifically?" Lizzy asked.
"Because death attracts darkness," Xiaobing said as he stood up. "And darkness is what I'm looking for."
He took his umbrella and headed for the door. Before leaving, he turned back once more.
"Tell me one thing," he said to Simon. "Why do you care about him so much?"
Simon looked at the table for a moment. "Because... before he changed, he was my friend. And that's enough."
Xiaobing didn't comment, he only nodded his head and walked out into the rain.
End of Chapter ~ To be continued