"I never said she was." Meng Nian took a step forward. "But she's not stupid either. She knew her limits and made the call to rest. You barging in now might just get in her way."
For a moment, Yu Song looked ready to argue. But then he deflated slightly, his shoulders sagging under the weight of helplessness.
"She could be bleeding out in some basement, Meng Nian."
"She could also be sleeping. Recovering. Thinking."
That last word hit harder than intended. Yu Song looked away, chewing the inside of his cheek.
"She wouldn't leave us hanging."
"No," Meng Nian agreed quietly. "She wouldn't."
He sighed, they could only wait for her to come back.
The encrypted call connected with a soft chime, and a holographic silhouette materialized in front of Fengya.
The figure was faceless, shrouded in static, with a voice filtered into a deep, mechanical tone.
This was elite security protocol, standard procedure for upper-echelon contacts.
"Fengya, report.." the voice commanded.
