Well, seeing my confusion, Eighty-Seven stopped discussing these matters with Forty-Three. With a cunning smile, he asked me, "After all this talking, haven't you felt even the slightest impulse to find Princess Guge and ask her for the truth?"

The truth? I scoffed twice. "You don't even know it yourselves. You just want to use me to find her. Too bad for you, I truly dislike her and have no desire to speak with her. Your grand scheme is likely to fall through."

Eighty-Seven’s expression didn't change. "Are there things in this world we cannot achieve? You think too little of us. I just suddenly recalled that Zhuoma Yangjin seemed to ask me to bring you something, but my memory is poor, and I forgot where I put it. Since you aren't even interested in asking her about something that important, you certainly won't be interested in what she gave you, so I won't bother looking for it."

I cast a sidelong glance at Eighty-Seven and turned my head away. "I will never trust any of you again. So don't waste your energy trying to manipulate me into using or approaching Zhuoma Yangjin—including her herself. I won't trust her either."

Eighty-Seven smiled faintly. "What Zhuoma Yangjin knows, we probably know more of. If anything, she should be the one pleading with us."

At this point, Forty-Three interjected, "When we tried to take you in Chengjiang County, after we revealed our identities, do you remember how nervous and uneasy she looked?"

If he hadn't mentioned it, I might have forgotten. But bringing it up reminded me of something. "She was scared? You mean she was afraid you were from the National Security Bureau's Ninth Branch? Haha…" I burst into mocking laughter. "That’s a department you founded yourselves. You’re the boss and the grunt all at once."

"You!" Forty-Three glared at me, starting to lose his temper. Eighty-Seven quickly tugged his sleeve. "Forget it, he simply doesn't know. Don't bother." Forty-Three shot me two hateful glares before sitting back down properly.

Eighty-Seven turned back to me. "Young man, what you don't know, or what everyone doesn't know, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Understand?"

I gave a contemptuous smile and remained silent.

Eighty-Seven seemed quite helpless with me. "Zhuoma Yangjin made me promise to ensure your personal safety, and she made a strange request: that you shouldn't feel lonely."

Hearing the word "lonely," my heart suddenly ached. Yes. I had always been a solitary and lonely person. But how could she know that during the time I’d known her, I was either desperately trying to escape or engaged in constant fighting, leaving no time for sentimental reflection? How had she seen through it?

Eighty-Seven didn't notice my sudden melancholy and continued on his own. "But I can't figure out how to stop you from being lonely. It's truly a peculiar request. I can’t just find a pile of women for you—besides, she definitely wouldn't like that. So... then I suppose I’ll have to find you a companion to talk to. Hmm... Forty-Three, take him to 176. These two can be considered comrades in adversity."

And so, for this strange reason, I ended up in 176. When I entered, Old Li was sitting in ** in a daze, with two lackeys watching him.

Seeing me, he was quite surprised. "Technician Luo, why are you here?" Then he looked suspiciously at Eighty-Seven and Forty-Three, asking, "Who are they?"

Eighty-Seven was exceedingly humble and easygoing, quickly introducing himself. "I am Eighty-Seven." Then, indicating the man beside him, "This is Forty-Three. That tall one is Thirty-Eight."

Old Li sized up Eighty-Seven and Forty-Three from head to toe, nodded expressionlessly, "Understood." Then he stopped giving them any real attention, focusing instead on inviting me to sit.

Thankfully, Eighty-Seven and Forty-Three stopped their chatter. They dismissed the two lackeys, saying they’d come back later for a chat, then shut the door and left. Our handcuffs remained locked, presumably to prevent our escape.

As soon as they left, I immediately ran to the door, pressing my ear against it and listening intently for a long while. Finding no movement, I went over and huddled close to Old Li, whispering, "They left. Did they ask you anything?"

Old Li glanced warily out the door and whispered back, "No. Only that tall Thirty-Eight came by and told me not to overthink things, that there were tasks to be assigned, and he mentioned you were next door, telling me not to worry. That was all."

I then recounted to him everything Eighty-Seven and Forty-Three had said to me, explaining the whole sequence of events. After listening, Old Li hesitated slightly. "Their demeanor and bearing always suggest they are like us—it’s intuition, something you can’t just fake by throwing two random people together."

I had a similar feeling in my heart, but I dared not trust it. The main issue was their bizarre shoulder insignia and the ridiculous name they used—the National Security Ninth Branch, which everyone knew didn't exist. Something still felt off. But what was even more frustrating was that they knew nearly everything that should have been absolute secrets, giving the impression they’d been shadowing us silently all along.

This was terrifying. Who could guarantee our current conversation was safe?

Yet, I couldn't avoid discussing these matters with Old Li, so countless questions tangled in my mind, refusing to dissipate.

I began looking around the room, checking the ceiling for any suspicious-looking surveillance cameras. After searching for a long time, I found nothing. Judging by their style of operation, even if there were any, they must have been expertly concealed, impossible for us to detect.

But this didn't mean we were afraid or dared not think otherwise.

The furnishings in Old Li's room were similar to mine, except the plastic washstand was replaced by a small iron frame. That was manageable; there was a way.

Old Li and I exchanged a look, walked over with unspoken understanding, and easily pried a thin wire from the wire mesh holding the wash basin.

Picking handcuffs—I had practiced that move countless times. No matter how complex or sturdy the cuffs, in my eyes, they were nothing. Especially after unlocking Old Li’s cuffs, his look of admiration further confirmed this.

I grinned smugly and then unlocked my own. Haha, next was the door lock. That minor bit of technical work was even less of an issue. Old Li casually dismantled the small washstand, producing two small, spindly iron rods. While I worked on the lock, he rubbed them against the concrete floor. This way, we had weapons for close-quarters combat; crude as they were, they could still prove fatal with enough force.

This lock was proving tricky. Although I could hear sounds suggesting I had found the right spot, the force kept feeling wrong. If I slipped up and jerked my hand, I’d miss the mark. Worried that those people might return soon, I grew tense, and sweat beaded on my forehead. Old Li, who had been grinding the two small iron rods, stopped when he saw my distress, afraid to disrupt my concentration.

As fate would have it, unusually clear footsteps sounded right outside the door at that moment. My heart tightened. I quickly stood up, snatched one of the small iron rods from Old Li’s hand, and gestured for him to get ready too. Someone was coming in. In our current state—no handcuffs and having dismantled the iron washstand—if the newcomer wasn't immediately hostile, they’d be fools.

Sure enough, the footsteps quickly reached the doorway—more than one person, perhaps two or three. They paused at the threshold, then Eighty-Seven’s voice came through. "Those two must be bored by now. You open the door first."

An unfamiliar voice answered, "Yes." Then came the sound of the lock turning. The door then swung open. Old Li and I instantly darted behind it, preparing to strike when the moment was right.

The people outside didn't enter immediately. Eighty-Seven seemed to peek inside for a moment, then said, "They must not like it here. In that case, let’s escort them to a place that’s fun; I’m sure they’ll love it."

Old Li and I exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what Eighty-Seven was planning. But we weren't afraid. Since he was a normal living person—a human being—I felt much more assured dealing with him than with those monstrous entities against whom we had no defense. Thus, we remained calm, waiting to see what else he intended.

"Go ask Thirty-Eight if he’s confirmed the location of the incident with above—and make sure it's accurate... Also, Forty-Three, you contact Zhuoma Yangjin's people again and see if they can be persuaded to guide us. If not, don't force it. And finally, go invite those two's superior here and explain the situation." Two voices immediately affirmed the orders and retreated, a rapid rhythm of footsteps fading into the distance.

Once his instructions were given, Eighty-Seven walked over and stood by the door. "What are you two doing hiding behind the door? If you want to test my skills, I should warn you, I generally just run around haphazardly, not exactly capable. You two are both formally trained; please don't put me in a difficult spot."

As he spoke, he casually pushed the door inward with a gentle motion and stepped inside.

In the blink of an eye, Old Li and I simultaneously burst out, flanking him, one in front and one behind, with the two sharpened iron rods pressed against his neck. I felt a surge of excitement that it was so easy to capture someone who appeared to hold some status, Eighty-Seven. I hissed fiercely, "Be smart. Take us out of here, now!"

Eighty-Seven’s expression didn't flicker; he smiled faintly. "Did I ever say I wouldn't take you out?"

"Stop giving me that BS!" I kicked him hard in the shin. "Hurry up!"

If he had been an ordinary person, a kick like that would have at least left him reeling in pain. But Eighty-Seven seemed entirely unaffected, still smiling politely. "So, this is Luo Lian and Li Zeng, the ones who supposedly dealt with numerous Xiangbala monsters? Why are you so impatient, so rash? Tell me, have you bothered to figure out my identity and background? The moment I walked in, you two behaved so rudely and impulsively. Aren’t you afraid I might shout once, alerting whomever? Think about it: with just these two useless little iron rods, do you think you can fight your way out?"

I snarled back viciously, "I don't care about your background or identity. Even if you were the King of Heaven, you were in the wrong first, so why should I be polite? You want to shout? Go ahead and shout. I don't mind taking you with me when I die."

Old Li added, "If you want to live, just listen to us obediently."

Eighty-Seven maintained his unruffled smile.