The bleak evening wind swept through the branches, lifting several withered yellow leaves and carrying them along the ruined avenue.

Rustle rustle rustle.

The Hive City at night was as lively as ever.

Raising his head, Li Chen saw the Upper Hive at the far end of the skyline already enveloped by multicolored projection screens. Even across such a great distance, that intoxicating, decadent atmosphere still seeped down into the Lower City.

But it was only an atmosphere.

Whoosh—

Yellow dust filled the sky, blocking his vision.

Unable to exchange enough credits for clean energy and fresh air, the Lower City was blanketed every night by toxic substances discharged from the Bottom Hive.

“Cough, cough!”

Several faces numb with exhaustion and suffering looked even more desolate amid the wind and sand.

“Hey, team leader, how long until the next shift starts?”

A woman squatting in the corner removed her worn safety helmet. Half her face bore a shocking crimson scar, her rash-covered skin twitching as she sighed and asked.

“Five minutes.”

Click.

Lighting a cigarette and ignoring the rancid stench in the air, the foreman narrowed her eyes and savored the addictive substance as she exhaled smoke into the sandstorm.

“That short?” The worker clutched her head in despair, “The energy in the new prosthetic I bought with a company loan is almost gone. What should I do? If it runs out, my work allocation quota…”

“Want me to talk to the section chief for you?” The foreman asked with visible reluctance as she removed the cigarette from her lips.

“No, no! The Discipline Department inspector already said the system analysis put my work efficiency five percent below the industry average and put me on the watch list. If it happens again, I—I’ll be fired!”

The woman clawed frantically at her dry hair, madness flickering across her face as her lips trembled uncontrollably.

“No, team leader, I—I still have a daughter to raise. I want her to go to school…”

The worker collapsed to the ground, eyes reddened as she cried in desperation.

Li Chen, who had only been passing by, subconsciously slowed to a stop as he listened, a trace of pity flashing across his face.

While Upper Hive citizens spent their evenings enjoying post-work entertainment, throwing money around in a neon-drenched world of excess, Lower City residents still worried about where their next meal would come from.

The gap between people was this stark.

“If only I’d given birth to a son back then. You know the new manager, right?”

The woman spoke with envy in her eyes, “I heard his son caught the attention of a high-ranking member of the Black Tiger Gang and that’s how he rose overnight.”

“A son?”

The foreman shook her head, “Hard. Natural birth ratios are one male to five females. The odds aren’t good. And with your situation, where would you even find a man willing to help you conceive?”

“Yeah…” The worker lowered her head, quietly sobbing as despair spread between them.

“But…”

Seeing her subordinate’s defeated expression, a glint flashed in the foreman’s eyes. She shifted topics and pulled a vial from her pocket.

“How about you try this?”

She waved it in front of the worker like a prized treasure, raising her voice slightly, “I got this from the back alley market—the one controlled by the Black Tiger Gang. I heard even a lot of martial artists use it.”

“A drug? A stimulant? Hormones?” The worker hesitated as she took it, “There won’t be side effects, right?”

“Heh, what are you thinking? If you wrecked your body with junk like that, what good would that do me?”

Rolling her eyes, the foreman scoffed, “I already told you—this is what martial artists use. Still don’t get it?”

“Martial artists… you mean—!”

The worker’s eyes lit up, “Combat drugs? But if it really alters genes, how could people like us ever get something like that?”

“Keep it down!” The foreman lowered her voice and covered the worker’s mouth, “This batch’s origin is… complicated. You know what that means. Don’t spread it around, or I won’t be able to protect you.”

“Complicated origin?”

Rather than retreating, the worker clutched the vial like a lifeline, her desire intensifying. She stared at it eagerly, unable to wait any longer.

‘That drug… has a problem.’

Watching silently nearby, concealing himself with martial movement techniques, Li Chen’s gaze sharpened the moment he saw the vial and he moved.

‘So this is the drug the Black Tiger Gang is pushing? No—a Lower City street gang doesn’t have the capability to make something like this…’

He clenched his teeth.

‘Unless… unless it’s her.’

His thoughts drifted to the hacker group Scissorhands mentioned in his recent conversation with his fiancée and the criminal organization behind them.

‘No… even if she betrayed me, that was only a clash of ideals. She wouldn’t stoop to something like this…’

Yet the more he denied it, the weaker his conviction sounded.

People change.

A righteous dragon-slaying hero can become a new dragon after reaching the peak of power.

‘No. I have to confirm it.’

Just as the worker was about to inject the drug, Li Chen acted.

Snap.

A shadow flashed past. The worker blinked in confusion, then stared in shock as the vial vanished from her hand. A cloaked figure now stood beside her.

“You—you are!” The foreman stared at Li Chen in disbelief.

“I’m taking this vial.”

“You’re taking it? Do you have any idea how much I paid—”

“Hm?”

Li Chen released a trace of his aura.

“What?!” The foreman froze in terror, every hair on her body standing on end, her instincts screaming at her to flee.

“A martial artist?”

“Where did you buy this drug?”

Li Chen stared coldly at her. Even without proof, her earlier behavior made it obvious—pushing unknown drugs under the guise of goodwill.

“I—it was from the back alley market.”

“You’re lying.”

Li Chen shook his head and pressed a hand onto her shoulder, applying slight pressure.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”

The foreman bent over, face red, nearly unable to breathe, “A Black Tiger Gang captain gave it to me! Told me to let others try it—but I used it myself too!”

She cried pitifully, “It really works! Ever since I injected it, I can work over twenty hours straight without getting tired!”

‘…Hopeless.’

Li Chen turned to the other worker, unwilling to waste words.

“Take this instead.”

He tossed her another vial.

“One dose per day. It’ll directly supply all the nutrition you need for the day. It should get you through this month.”

He didn’t give her credits, choosing a more indirect form of help.

After years of transmigration, he understood well that this kind of distanced aid was better for both sides.

He pocketed the dangerous vial and disappeared back into the crowd.

Beep beep.

Li Chen opened his communicator and contacted a certain intelligence broker.

“Well, if it isn’t our noble Public Security Bureau executive’s husband.”

Weasel lazily lifted her eyelids, “What, buying intel again? Or hiding things from your wife?”

Ignoring her teasing, Li Chen took out the vial.

“Do you recognize this?”

Her expression hardened instantly.

“Where did you get that?” She warned solemnly, “Since you already have such a good wife, listen to me—don’t try to save money in places like this.”

“So it really is a problem.”

Li Chen asked urgently, “Any information? I can pay credits.”

“For old times’ sake, I won’t charge you this time.”

Her voice turned cold, “This originated underground—below the Bottom Hive, completely outside City Hall’s control. According to my contacts, it traces back to the criminal organization Utopia.”

So it really was her.

“According to Newborn Pharmaceuticals’ assessment of stolen data, they’re likely planning to use this batch for human experimentation to gather data. As for the purpose… probably reverse-engineering singularity technology.”

She warned him gravely, “Li Chen, listen to me. Don’t get involved.”

“I know.”

Li Chen nodded bitterly and ended the call.

Everything matched.

Staring at the shimmering vial, Li Chen whispered, “Mengya… is this your choice? You betrayed me for forbidden power, just to do something this vile?”

The pain was even worse than when he’d been betrayed by the girl he once rescued from a laboratory.

His mind replayed her tear-streaked face and resolute gaze.

“I’m sorry, Master. But to defeat those evil conglomerates, I need this power!”

Squelch—

A blade pierced his heart.

A golden gemstone was torn from his body and taken without hesitation.

The roar of engines snapped him back to reality. Trucks pulled up as armed personnel in combat gear leapt out, carrying alloy briefcases into a nearby warehouse.

The Black Tiger Gang had arrived at the black market.

“Xiao Mengya, my beloved disciple.”

Li Chen whispered coldly. “I will stop you.”

Melting into the shadows, he infiltrated the black market.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep beneath the Hive City.

In a corner of the underground world beyond SkyNet’s reach.

“Supreme Commander, this is the data Scissorhands obtained by hacking Newborn Pharmaceuticals’ employee database.”

A woman with a respectful expression presented the information.

“Good.”

Seated on an old wooden chair, the stunning girl nodded faintly, not even glancing at it.

“…How is he?”

After a long silence, she finally asked hesitantly.

“He’s doing well. He’s preparing a wedding with his fiancée.”

“A wedding… Master is getting married?”

She pressed a hand to her chest as the golden gemstone embedded there stiffened slightly.

“Master, I miss you so much…”

She whispered, devoid of any Supreme Commander’s dignity, “Wait for me. Once I finish this plan, I’ll destroy those evil conglomerates. Then… then Mengya and Master can be together… Forever.”

She looked up, a sick smile spreading across her youthful face.

The towering walls before her were covered in photographs—each taken from different angles, yet all featuring the same man.

Her finger traced across them gently.

“Master, you promised me.”