Volume One, Chapter One Hundred Twenty: The Mask

"Hello? Yes, hello. Is this Mr. Ma Lei? Your delivery has arrived; please come and collect it."

Inside the rented apartment, the bespectacled man hung up the phone and glanced at the thin man curled up on the sofa playing with his phone. "Old Wang, the goods are here."

"Then go get it yourself. It’s not far, and it’ll be good for you to get out and move around. Staring at a display screen all day isn't healthy." Old Wang, who had spent the entire afternoon scouring the campus for intelligence, was feeling too sluggish to move.

"You even used my phone number for your delivery—you’re impossibly lazy." After cursing under his breath, the bespectacled man, who went by the alias Ma Lei, closed his laptop lid. He took his jacket off the hook, patted his pocket to ensure his keys were still there, and prepared to head out for the delivery.

"Little Ma, remember to bring back some desserts for me," said a woman in front of the vanity mirror, busy coiling her hair. The jade hairpin in her hand was a brilliant, deep green, looking as if it were worth a fortune.

The woman, who had previously been dressed like a village girl, had transformed into a charming and mature young lady.

"Bring me a cola, too!" Wang Hai chimed in.

"Go drink the northwest wind!" Ma Lei shot a glare at Wang Hai on the sofa, turned around, and slammed the door behind him.

After collecting the package and stopping by a convenience store, the bespectacled man returned to the apartment carrying a large bag of food and drinks.

"See if these are the right ones." Ma Lei tossed the delivery box to Wang Hai on the sofa while walking over to the vanity to hand the desserts to the woman.

The woman at the vanity had changed her outfit again; she was now wearing a sharp, professional suit skirt that made her look striking, her appearance and temperament entirely different from before.

"Where’s my cola?" Wang Hai asked the bespectacled man as he tore open the package.

"It’s over there. Come get it yourself." The man set the bag down by the vanity and returned to his laptop to resume his work.

The initial infiltration of the Third Ability University’s perimeter surveillance system was complete, which would make their future movements on campus much easier.

The thin man on the sofa took several masks out of the box and pulled out his phone to compare them with the secret photos he had taken.

"Spot on. They're identical to those breath-concealing masks from the Fighting Club, just missing the number on the forehead." Wang Hai set his phone down and trotted over to grab his cola. "Damn it, why is it sugar-free?"

"Take it or leave it!" Ma Lei snapped back, refusing to indulge him.

"Can’t you two be quiet? All you do is bicker from morning till night..." A young man walked out of the inner room, yawning and complaining. "Where are the Boss and Knife?"

"The Boss had business to attend to, and Knife said he was going to scout the area—probably just wandering around campus," the young man asked, rubbing his eyes. Wang Hai, after some hesitation, decided to settle for the sugar-free cola and returned to the sofa.

"I sent the map to your phone. Memorize it beforehand; we won't have time for you to be checking your phone when we're busy," Ma Lei urged, pushing up his glasses.

"I'm memorizing it, I'm memorizing it." The young man stretched, pulled up a chair, and took out his phone to review the images sent by Four-Eyes.

He never imagined that being a thief would be this much work. Even back when he was in school, he had never studied this hard...

***

With Mu Qing’s incessant chatter gone, Mo De felt the world grow a bit quieter as he strolled through the university campus. Leaving the lake behind, he headed toward the cluster of academic buildings.

"Academic Building C..." Mo De looked up at the brightly lit building, guided by the lights.

Stepping inside, he walked along the corridor, peering into the various classrooms.

Some classrooms were still in session; teachers stood at the podiums, waving laser pointers at the screens. The students inside were doing all sorts of things: some sat in the front row, taking notes diligently; some were zoned out or playing on their phones in the back; others had slipped out through the back door as soon as attendance was taken. The teachers didn't seem to care, continuing their lectures at their own pace.

If Senior Yu Jiuchuan were to get into this university, she would definitely be the ultimate overachiever grabbing a seat in the front row, Mo De thought, smiling at the memory of her always carrying a book.

As he walked, he passed classrooms with only a few people scattered in corners, some watching shows, some studying, and others napping. Everyone maintained a tacit silence, careful not to disturb one another.

Some doors had "Reserved" notices posted, indicating when the room would be occupied to prevent others from claiming the space.

After his walk, Mo De encountered many students. They moved in small groups, chatting about where to go for a late-night snack.

The atmosphere on campus was far less tense than in high school. It was filled with a sense of freedom, where everyone had the space to do what they enjoyed.

Stepping out of Building C, Mo De looked up at the night sky. The stars and the city lights illuminated the darkness.

Suddenly, his relaxed heart tightened. Mo De raised his arm, glanced at his nonexistent watch, and turned toward the other side of the building.

Rounding a corner, he vaulted through an open window into an empty classroom, crossed the hallway, and slipped into the room across the way.

A student was sitting in the front row of this room, studying quietly with headphones on, completely unaware of his presence.

Moving softly, Mo De crept to the windowsill, hid behind the curtains, and peered out, locking his gaze on the roof of the opposite building.

On the roof of Academic Building D, someone sat on the edge, blending into the shadows while observing the people below.

The figure suddenly received a call, patted their pants, and stood up to head back inside.

Mo De firmly memorized the person's aura, stepped out of the classroom, and ran toward the opposite building.

He needed to confirm whether that ice-cold figure was a student of the Third Ability University, a faculty member, or something else entirely.

If it were an outsider, things might become complicated. If an unstable variable were brewing within the university, their winter camp activities would surely be affected.

To be safe and ensure the security of Junior Feng, Senior Jiuchuan, and their class monitor, Mo De decided to follow the individual and see exactly who they were.