Chairman Lisa had yet to surface on the secret network, but Thien Anh crossed paths with several "old acquaintances" of the trade. Almost as soon as he logged into the Inverse organization's security system, his notification tray pinged with messages from two notorious assassins.
Shadow Devotee: "Oho! It's you again, Ice Frog."
Child of Sin: "Greetings, Frog! You seem remarkably free these days?"
Thien Anh watched the messages scroll across the cyan monitor, a flicker of surprise in his chest. His fingers flew across the keys in response: "You lot seem just as idle. I'm looking for someone. If you know anyone with top-tier tracking capabilities, give me a name."
Shadow Devotee replied almost instantly: "What happened to the usual crew you used to run with?"
Thien Anh smirked, his fingers blurring: "They've all evaporated. If they hadn't, why would I be crawling back here? Could you ask a smarter question? Bottom line: do you have a lead or not? If you do, lend me a hand."
Shadow Devotee: "Who are you looking for? Send over whatever intel you have; I'll have someone extract the coordinates."
Thien Anh didn't hesitate, immediately attaching Tomy's dossier. Seconds later, the response came: "With data this clear, it'll take ten minutes for a result. By the way, how's the situation in your sector?"
Thien Anh paused before typing: "Everything is getting grimmer. Too many new mutated species appearing. I lack data on them, so neutralizing them is a struggle. I was going to head out to buy intel, but since I have you two, send over whatever data you have on the local fauna."
The moment the sentence finished, Child of Sin transmitted a compressed data packet with a note: "Consider it a gift. This came down from the higher-ups in the organization. It only covers common mutations up to Tier 4; no data on anything higher."
Thien Anh opened the file for a preliminary check. Recognizing it as a priceless archive, he nodded in satisfaction. He transferred the data to an isolated laptop, then swiveled his chair toward Lam Linh: "If you have nothing to do, study this. If we encounter these monsters later, you'll know how to help me deal with them."
Lam Linh, who had been curiously eavesdropping on the chat history over his shoulder, was startled and nodded quickly. She replied softly, "Understood."
She pulled a chair close and began meticulously studying the bizarre biological records. Meanwhile, Thien Anh returned to the chat. A message from Shadow Devotee was already waiting: "We found your guy. Though, he's in a bit of a pickle. He's currently in the hands of the Medellin."
Thien Anh narrowed his eyes in surprise. "The Medellin? What the hell did he do to fall into that hornet's nest? A man like him shouldn't have any ties to those butchers."
Shadow Devotee: "He was at a bar and bumped into some Medellin members. A scuffle broke out, and he was naive enough to call the police for intervention. You can guess the rest."
Thien Anh understood immediately. Once the police intervened, Tomy might have been exonerated, but it was a public humiliation for the Medellin cartel. Once those thugs finished their fines or community service, they would inevitably return for a brutal revenge. He thought for a moment and messaged: "Bail him out for me. I need him for some critical work. That should be within your reach, shouldn't it?"
Shadow Devotee: "Child's play. I'll handle it for you."
Thien Anh continued exchanging intel with his two colleagues. During the conversation, they extended an invitation for him to join the new organization led by Lisa. Thien Anh neither refused nor accepted, remaining noncommittal by stating he had to wait and see if he survived Noi Ha first.
They also shared intel on the "Evolved Ones"—the glamorous title for those who successfully mutated. According to the data, the failure rate was around 30-40%, resulting in insanity or grotesque deformities. However, the majority succeeded, and even these two had reached Tier 1. When asked about himself, Thien Anh brushed it off, revealing nothing of his true strength.
Just as the conversation reached its peak, a violent tremor shook the bunker. The entire structure swayed so fiercely that Lam Linh had to desperately clutch the edge of the desk to keep from falling. Her face drained of color as she asked tremulously, "Why is there an earthquake all of a sudden? What's happening?"
Seeing the sheer terror in Lam Linh's eyes, Thien Anh offered a faint, reassuring smile. He replied with steady composure, "If we die, we die together; it's not like you're going alone." He reached out his hand, winking. "If you're scared, come here."
Lam Linh didn't hesitate for a second, instantly gripping his hand. Thien Anh gave a gentle tug, pulling her onto his lap and wrapping a firm arm around her trembling shoulders. Sensing her racing pulse, he surmised she had a traumatic memory related to seismic events, as a woman brave enough to wield a gun wouldn't be this easily broken.
Thien Anh gently rubbed her back, his voice low and warm. "It's alright. Don't be afraid. I've got you."
Lam Linh buried her face in his chest, clinging to him as if seeking a sanctuary. She whispered amidst the rumbling of the earth: "If we survive this... will you come back to my hometown with me?"
Thien Anh nodded, a gentle smile appearing on his lips. "Sure. You aren't originally from here, are you?"
Lam Linh shook her head, recounting softly, "No, I'm mixed-race. My hometown is very far away. Lam Linh is just my Vietnamese name." She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering. "My real name is Alisa. And you? What is your real name? You lied to me last time."
Thien Anh chuckled, his hand caressing Alisa's slender, fragile back. "A woman's intuition is terrifying. I've lied countless times and no one ever caught me, not even in prison."
Alisa looked up, the terror in her eyes fading, replaced by a pout of dissatisfaction. "You still haven't answered my question."
Thien Anh let out a wry laugh, yielding to her stubbornness. "It's just a name; do you have to interrogate me like a convict? Fine. My real name is Thien Anh. Surname, Ly."
Alisa let out a soft "Oh" of realization. "No wonder that fat dog is named Thien Lang and the cute little snake is Thien Thanh. You named them after yourself, didn't you?"
Under the dim yellow glow of the bunker, amidst the final aftershocks, two lonely souls seemed to have found one another beneath the mask of the apocalypse.