Ryosuke felt cold sweat trickling down his forehead as he stared at the person before him.
The sweat slid into his eyes.
An excruciating, scorching pain.
Yet Ryosuke didn’t dare to blink.
On the contrary, he widened his eyes even further, keeping them fixed on the woman in front of him.
He recognized this woman.
The rising-star female fighter!
Powerful, ruthless, and merciless—encounters with her warranted extreme caution!
Such a warning was prominently noted in her file.
When Ryosuke first read it, he took it to heart.
So now, he recognized her at a glance.
Staring at her, Ryosuke instinctively began to step back.
His movements were subtle, almost imperceptible.
At the same time, he secretly tried to contact the "bugs" he had stationed in the area.
Those bugs were to be his final trump card.
But what brought a sinking feeling to his heart was the lack of any response.
All 22 "sentinels" had not only failed to detect her approach but were now unresponsive.
The result was self-explanatory.
And the two specially trained "commanders" he had cultivated?
They, too, had gone silent.
Ryosuke pondered this grim reality as he, one of the newly established Blossom Cherry officials acting as Ryosuke’s "contact," finally spoke.
"Good evening, Miss Hui Lixiang."
"I believe we can have a civil conve—"
Ryosuke hoped to buy some time, but Hui Lixiang gave him no such chance.
Her figure flickered, and in an instant, her foot slammed into Ryosuke’s chest.
Accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, Ryosuke was sent crashing heavily into a rooftop water tower nearby.
The metal water tower screeched with a sound that made one’s teeth ache.
Ryosuke’s body ended up embedded within it.
Ryosuke opened his mouth to say something, but as soon as he did, a mouthful of blood burst out.
It was mixed with fragments of his organs.
If I don’t get treated immediately, I’ll die here.
Feeling the changes within his body, Ryosuke quickly arrived at this bleak conclusion.
Faced with the choice between his life and his duty, Ryosuke unhesitatingly chose the former.
But before he could finish his sentence, a distant gunshot rang out.
Ryosuke’s head shattered like a watermelon crushed under a truck.
The already-damaged water tower couldn’t withstand any more.
Groan, groan... CRASH!
After a few groans, the water tower burst apart.
Its contents—an enormous surge of water—rushed out, surging toward Hui Lixiang with unstoppable force, carrying Ryosuke’s lifeless body with it.
It was like a tidal wave during high tide.
More importantly, from a distance, deadly intent locked onto her.
The sniper who had just killed Ryosuke was now aiming at her.
As soon as she evaded the oncoming wave, the sniper would pull the trigger again.
An open rooftop with no cover—this was the perfect terrain for a sniper.
But Hui Lixiang’s lips curved into a slight smirk.
Then, Hui Lijing didn’t retreat but advanced instead.
Facing the rushing tide, she charged straight into it, her legs kicking rapidly.
One kick after another.
Each faster than the last.
Her kicks formed a relentless and overlapping barrage, creating a layered and intricate pattern, resembling a blooming rose.
In the blink of an eye, the oncoming "wave" was "blocked."
The water enveloped Hui Lixiang but couldn’t advance an inch further. Furthermore, the redirected flow obscured Hui Lixiang’s figure completely.
When the "wave" finally spilled off the edge of the rooftop—
The sniper, seeing the now-empty rooftop, was just beginning to feel perplexed when their neck was suddenly snapped beneath a descending foot.
In the clear sound of bones breaking, a crisp voice followed.
"As I expected, Blossom Cherry’s begun taking precautions."
Dressed in tight pants and a martial arts uniform, with a pair of boxing gloves, long hair tied in a single braid, and a red headband across her forehead, Yuli couldn’t help but voice her admiration.
"Blossom Cherry’s people aren’t fools. After so many of our operations, it’s only natural they’d react."
"If they hadn’t reacted by now, I’d start suspecting they were doing it on purpose."
Kaoru, casually dressed, spoke with a calm tone.
"Are you implying I’m a fool?"
With her unusual line of reasoning, Yuli puffed up her cheeks and glared at her friend, Kaoru, indignantly.
"I’m talking about Blossom Cherry, not you."
"But I didn’t see it coming either."
"So you’re saying I’m a fool!"
Frustrated, Yuli pounced toward Kaoru.
Her movements fast and extraordinarily agile, like a swallow darting through a storm.
Kaoru, however, stood her ground without moving an inch.
She allowed Yuli to close in.
Then, at the exact moment Yuli raised her hand, Kaoru struck suddenly.
Kaoru’s hand moved like lightning, grabbing Yuli’s outstretched wrist firmly before twisting it slightly.
Yuli, who had just approached Kaoru, was flung aside effortlessly.
"Ahhh, how did you catch me again!"
"I swear I’ll avoid it next time!"
Landing steadily on her feet, Yuli shouted in defiance, charging toward Kaoru once more.