"...Egypt?" After pondering for a moment, Bai Lingqiu tentatively asked.
"It seems the information network of the three families is indeed quite nimble."
"Through Ya Qiaoxi’s network, we noticed the information spreading in Dragon City. At that time, I thought that if it’s not a joke or a code, then the person issuing this mission can only be Dubhe Tower," Bai Lingqiu said.
"Good, it saved me quite a bit of time," Sun Hang said.
"Can I refuse?"
In Sun Hang’s view, Bai Lingqiu’s response was quite reasonable. After all, missions of this level were virtually a death sentence, and for a young lady from a wealthy family, she could enjoy her life without worry even if she did nothing. Material rewards held no attraction for Bai Lingqiu.
"What if I told you that if you participate in the mission in Egypt, I could help remove the Mysterious Creature meme from your body and turn you back into an ordinary person?"
Bai Lingqiu was stunned.
"That’s impossible!" Bai Lingqiu’s decoy quickly said, "Meme infection is irreversible... If Dubhe Tower had such technology..."
At this point, her expression shifted from shock to fear—being Bai Lingqiu’s decoy, she was certainly not a naive girl, and she quickly realized a crucial issue.
If Dubhe Tower truly possessed this technology, they could never make it public.
The reason is simple: fighting mysterious creatures requires a large number of Mysterious Creature Hunters, who can only "emerge" from this special group of infected individuals. Once Dubhe Tower reveals the means to cure meme infection, the number of infected would undoubtedly decrease... and the number of Mysterious Creature Hunters would also decline.
She even thought of some darker possibilities... If the young lady rejected this man’s demand, would both she and the lady be silenced?
Bai Lingqiu’s decoy suddenly regretted—she shouldn’t have brought the young lady to meet this man, or at most, she would only die herself... No, if the young lady wasn’t here, this man wouldn’t know about the young lady’s ability and wouldn’t invite her...
Bai Lingqiu’s decoy slowly turned to the side, redirecting the holster on her waist to Sun Hang’s blind spot, while slowly extending her right hand towards the holster.
If he intended to silence them, then striking first was her only option.
She wasn’t sure she could take down Sun Hang, but she wasn’t someone who would sit and wait for death.
But just as her fingertip was about to touch the magnetic clasp of the holster, the man sitting nearby suddenly laughed, "Do you really think killing me would stop Dubhe Tower from bothering you?"
"At least... at least..." The decoy’s intention was quickly seen through; she immediately pulled out the gun and aimed at Sun Hang, biting her lip hard.
"Don’t shoot!" Bai Lingqiu immediately shouted softly.
"I’ll take full responsibility!" Bai Lingqiu’s decoy showed a hint of ruthlessness in her eyes, and then directly aimed the gun at Bai Lingqiu. In the next instant, she shifted the gun a few degrees and pulled the trigger at Bai Lingqiu’s shoulder.
Her idea was admirable: if she wounded Bai Lingqiu first and then killed Sun Hang, Bai Lingqiu could, in one way or another, turn from a perpetrator to a victim. From Dubhe Tower’s perspective, either this decoy had gone mad, or someone behind her besides the Bai Family was manipulating her... But regardless of the situation, once Bai Lingqiu was shot, the Bai Family would instantly shed the label of primary suspect, as long as...
The gun did not fire.
Bai Lingqiu’s decoy’s face turned bright red, concentrating all her strength in her index finger, yet the trigger seemed impossible to pull, as if welded shut.
"What’s wrong with my gun?!"
The decoy hadn’t reacted, but Bai Lingqiu rushed forward, snatched the gun from her, and tossed it aside.
"Are you crazy?" Bai Lingqiu grabbed "Bai Lingqiu" by the collar and asked sternly, "Do you realize what you’re doing?!"
"I... I just..."
"It’s fine, I don’t mind," Sun Hang said. "Additionally, regarding your doubts, I can tell you that Dubhe Tower indeed does not have the means to remove human memes...but just because Dubhe Tower doesn’t have it doesn’t mean I don’t."
"What do you mean by that?" Bai Lingqiu couldn’t help but reassess Sun Hang. "Why do you say that? Who... are you?"
In her communication with Chen Jing, Bai Lingqiu already knew this young man before her was a powerful Hunter, but the issue was that she couldn’t feel any meme presence from him, as though he were an ordinary uninfected person... From this distance, it’s impossible not to leak a trace of presence unless his Meme Ability specializes in disguise and concealment.
"It’s up to you whether or not to believe. I’ll give you time to think," Sun Hang said. "Until the hunting action concludes, you can make your decision anytime."
"Moreover, regarding my ability—although many inside Dubhe Tower are aware, I’d appreciate it if you keep it confidential as much as possible," Sun Hang added. "As for silencing, honestly, you’re overthinking it."
"I’ll think about it... By the way, could you tell me your name or code name?" Bai Lingqiu nodded, "From what I know, the renowned Hunters in the ranking don’t seem to match with you."
"Sun Hang."
"Sun Hang?" Bai Lingqiu’s pupils mildly contracted, "The one who solved both the Eternal Night and Chimera crises in Celestial City not long ago?"
"That’s me."
Bai Lingqiu stared at Sun Hang for a few seconds, then solemnly nodded, "I believe what you’re saying, but I need to think more about this... I’ll give you a reply soon."
"There’s no rush; time is ample. Besides, I won’t conceal the risk of the operation from you... Anyone thinking straight knows how perilous this action, stretching across half the globe into the Surrendered Area, truly is. If you decide to join, there’s a good chance you’ll die in the Surrendered Area, and won’t even have the chance to claim your reward."
Sun Hang stepped forward, picked up the gun from the ground, removed the liquid metal blocking the trigger, and handed it back to Bai Lingqiu’s decoy, then walked past them, out of the tent.
As the tent’s flap fell, almost blocking his silhouette, Bai Lingqiu suddenly called out, "Could you disclose a bit more about the mission to Egypt? At least... let me know what the mission’s goal is?"