Volume 1, Chapter 118: Scheming

"Since this winter camp is going to last a while, if you’re really that furious, you could just go and pick a fight with him," Ning Chengfeng said. He was still pondering the man who had appeared so suddenly, though unfortunately, he had too little information to conduct any further analysis.

"You don't have to tell me that. I’m going to challenge him to a duel sooner or later!" Ning Muyu waved her fist, saying it fiercely.

"Just don't cry if you lose."

"Ning! Cheng! Feng! Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Yours, of course, big sis. That’s why I’m giving you a heads-up..."

Outside the cafeteria of the Third Ability University’s south campus, a figure stood in the shade of some ornamental trees, appearing to wait for someone.

"I’ve sniffed it out," a blond man said as he pushed open the cafeteria door and walked toward the prearranged meeting spot, carrying four or five packed meals in his hands.

The tall, thin man standing in the shade stepped out to meet him. As they walked along the path toward the dormitories, they began discussing the intelligence they had just gathered.

Not until they neared the male student dormitory building did the blond man part ways with his companion. He carried the takeout boxes back to his own dorm, ready to feed the ravenous bunch waiting in his room and the one next door.

The thin man watched the blond man disappear into the dormitory entrance, sneered, and then headed straight for the school gate.

After leaving the university, the thin man avoided the street cameras. With a quick motion, he tore off his disguise mask, turned his jacket inside out, and, now looking completely different, headed toward a rental apartment deep in the alleyways.

"The people who arrived are just visiting students for that winter camp. No word has leaked from our side," the thin man said as he entered the apartment to report to his companions.

"Is the information reliable?" asked a man with glasses, looking up from his laptop.

"Basically error-free. I sent a 'well-informed source' to probe the camp students, and the information gathered seems solid," the thin man said after lighting a cigarette.

"We weren't exposed, were we?" a plain-looking woman with thick, long braids asked, spinning an eyebrow pencil in her hand while sitting in front of a vanity mirror.

"You know your own handiwork, don't you? That guy didn't suspect a thing," the thin man said, smiling softly at her. He subconsciously reached up to stroke his mustache, only to remember that he had shaved off the well-groomed facial hair that morning to facilitate the disguise.

"Well, if you aren't used to a smooth chin, I can reconstruct that goatee for you," the braided woman said, switching to a different cosmetic brush and dabbing a few freckles onto her cheeks.

In the mirror, she looked like a simple, naive village girl.

"I'll pass. It’s not the same when the hair didn't grow out naturally," the thin man said, waving off her offer.

"The deadline set by our employer is drawing near. As long as there are no hitches in the plan, that's fine. Confirm once more: how many powerful figures are actually remaining on campus at the Third Ability University?" the burly man who had been sitting silently by the wooden table suddenly spoke up.

The others agreed and returned to their preparations. After all, this was no small job; their lunatic of an employer had actually set their sights on the Third Ability University.

However, matched against the incredibly high risk was an astronomical sum of money that this group of outlaws could not refuse.

Men die for wealth just as birds die for food. As long as there was money involved, they would dare to curse out the gods themselves.

Furthermore, this was a campus; even if the opponents were powerful, they would certainly have reservations about fighting here.

The people wandering the campus right now could all be counted as their hostages when the time came.

...

By now, the sky had completely darkened, yet the number of people on campus had actually increased. Many students, having finished their evening classes, were walking around the campus to digest their dinner, chatting and joking.

Among the crowd, two figures walked side by side around the artificial lake on the south campus, taking in the night views of the ability university.

It was Mo De and Mu Qing, who had just finished their dinner.

The teaching staff had gathered in Ms. Chu’s room for a regular meeting after dinner, so Mu Qing had slipped away after telling Chen Yue, meeting up with Mo De, who was waiting outside. The two had found a place to change their outfits before beginning to openly tour the campus.

Mu Qing wore trendy black-and-red clothes: a motorcycle jacket, knitted jeans, and pink basketball shoes. Her style, which might have been a bit flashy elsewhere, didn't look the least bit out of place in a university campus teeming with young people.

Mo De was dressed in black cargo pants with a black short-sleeved shirt over a printed long-sleeve top. His overall vibe had changed significantly; at the very least, he no longer looked like a studious high schooler. As for his shoes, they were the same model as Mu Qing’s.

These spare outfits hadn't been prepared by Mo De, but had been bought by Mu Qing while her family member was busy with remedial classes.

When the shop assistant asked for her boyfriend’s size, Mu Qing had hesitated for a moment before laughing and saying she was shopping for her younger brother.

Perhaps due to muscle memory, Mu Qing didn't actually remember Mo De’s exact height or shoulder width, but when she raised her hands, she instinctively gestured to his silhouette.

After buying the clothes, she couldn't be bothered to pick out shoes, so she just pointed to a decent-looking pair of basketball sneakers and bought two pairs in different sizes.

She had the distinct feeling that the shop assistant was watching her with a hidden, knowing smile...

Finally, she pulled out two hats—one for herself and one for Mo De—and after a glance at each other, they were both very satisfied.

If anyone who didn't know them well saw them, they would likely never recognize them.

This disguise should be more than enough to fool the members of the Forty-Man Group, who had only met them a few times.

Mu Qing and Mo De walked along the artificial lake embankment, the cool night breeze blowing against them. Mo De was somewhat intoxicated by the relaxed atmosphere, as he hadn't had a chance to properly unwind since the Lunar Tide began.

People around them were walking in groups, laughing and talking.

This was the feeling of peace—leisurely and comfortable, quiet and warm.

As for Mu Qing, she hadn't been outside to breathe fresh air in a long time.

She stretched her arms out wide, her ample chest nearly breaking free from the constraints of her oversized jacket, pushing the tightly zipped zipper to its absolute limit.