Xiao Feng went out and found Rice, Turner, and Old White to inform them that he was setting out on a long journey, entrusting the stability of Black Whale City to their care.
Rice furrowed his brow and asked, "Where are you headed?"
Stretching lazily, Xiao Feng replied, "To deal with someone. Oh, and I'm taking Rush with me. As for Kill, it's time he learned what Godo City is like. But the defenses in Black Whale City should be sufficient now."
Old White sighed deeply and said, "Child, though I don't know what exactly you're off to do, I only want to tell you to be careful."
"Heh, don't worry, Uncle Old White. I'm not so easy to kill. By the way, shouldn't we bring Alice over? Once Black Whale City stabilizes, it's still safer here."
"Mm, I'll go pick her up today. But you'll be in trouble if she doesn't see you."
"I'll apologize to her when I return." With that, Xiao Feng turned and left, calling Rush along, then adding Tdog to the group. The three of them sped out of Black Whale City in Lin's modified sports car.
The sports car Xiao Feng had acquired from Carrie had been given to Lin, so they had to make do with Lin's vehicle. Yet, the driver wasn't Xiao Feng—it was Tdog, whose robotic driving skills far surpassed Lin's. Racing down the desolate highway at top speed, Tdog, clad in a helmet, looked every bit the mechanical automaton.
Xiao Feng reclined in the back seat, able to lie down and rest. Rush and Tdog hailed from the same company, but Rush looked down on this robot covered in mechanical parts, leaning back with eyes half-closed.
Tdog appeared tireless, maintaining a speed above 150 km/h. The car flew over the ground like a jet in the air, swiftly heading toward another city.
That city was Norton, the place where Jason had been assassinated. Like Black Whale City, it was a secondary city within the alliance.
The distance from Black Whale City to Norton spanned nearly a thousand kilometers. Tdog drove the car for almost seven hours before they arrived. Along the way, they paused briefly to refuel and have a light lunch. Tdog, no longer needing food or feeling hunger, drank only some water—his human components still required hydration, lest the scorching heat turn him into jerky.
Upon reaching Norton, Tdog led Rush and Xiao Feng into a hotel. The hotel's emblem revealed it was also part of Victoria Corporation's holdings. Since both Tdog and Rush ranked very high—just below Victoria's senior management—they were granted free accommodation. Naturally, Xiao Feng stayed for free as well. He had already decided that if they tried to charge him, he'd simply contact Jason to get a waiver.
After tidying up briefly in their rooms, the three gathered in the lobby, clad in sleek black combat suits. Such gear was popular among soldiers for its durability and discreetness.
Xiao Feng carried the flat case housing the Black Angel on his back—no blade remained. Rush carried nothing in hand, while Tdog was laden with weapons, as expected.
Xiao Feng said to Tdog, "Take me to the spot where Jason was shot. Let's see if we can uncover any clues."
Tdog nodded. "Let's go. It's just a short distance from here—at a tavern. Jason came to Norton on official business that day and wanted to relax at the tavern in the evening, but didn't expect to get shot."
...
The three entered the tavern. Xiao Feng stood where Jason was attacked. Tdog pointed to a small table near the wall. The shattered glass there had already been replaced by the owner—business had to go on, and a family had to be fed.
Following Tdog's direction, Xiao Feng glanced at the nearby building across the street. The distance was close. As he walked, he pondered with curiosity: if he were the sniper, he would never choose that floor as a shooting position—it was far too exposed.
The building had only five floors and was surrounded by taller structures. Any sniper hiding there would be easily spotted. At such a short range, a sniper rifle wasn't even necessary. Even an automatic rifle would suffice to kill Jason.
Xiao Feng ascended to the dilapidated rooftop, a relic from before the great purge. Trash and wild grass swayed in the breeze. At the rooftop's edge, he looked toward the tavern window, shaping his fingers like a gun to aim. It was an excellent spot for a sniper, yet everything felt suspicious.
No traces of a sniper remained.
Xiao Feng muttered, "How is it no marks were left behind?"
Rush examined the surroundings carefully. "Indeed, no signs at all. Not even footprints."
Tdog crossed his arms. "That sniper must be an expert."
Xiao Feng shook his head. "No. At such close range, using the Black Angel— even if Jason was blocked once by an armored esper, the bullet's power would have killed him outright. The Black Angel's power is unquestionable. Not just one, but even two or three espers standing in front of Jason would be futile."
Turning to scan the horizon, Xiao Feng spotted a twenty-story skyscraper farther away. His eyes locked onto its rooftop. A faint smile curved his lips: "If I'm right, the real sniper position is up there." He pointed at the towering building, about a thousand meters from the tavern, separated by two streets.
Tdog and Rush followed his gaze and nodded—the tall building was indeed a perfect sniper's nest.
Xiao Feng didn't bother with the stairs; he jumped down from the five-story building and sprinted toward the taller one. For Tdog, such a drop was trivial. For Rush, an eighth-level esper, it was even easier. The three landed in quick succession, startling pedestrians, then dashed toward the high-rise.
Out of breath upon reaching the rooftop of the tall building he'd identified, Xiao Feng looked back toward the tavern and frowned. "Not bad. This has to be the spot."
He removed the flat case, swiftly assembling the formidable Black Angel sniper rifle. Setting it on the rooftop ledge, he noticed two faint scratches—likely marks from the rifle's recoil support bracket.
Gazing at the scratches, Xiao Feng shook his head in thought. If he were the sniper, he wouldn't need a support bracket. The two reasons a sniper might use one were: first, to stabilize the Black Angel for the utmost accuracy; second, because the sniper couldn't handle the rifle's recoil.
Xiao Feng confirmed it was the latter. The sniper simply couldn't bear the recoil force.
Peering through the scope toward the tavern's glass two streets away, he affirmed, "This is the place. I need all surveillance footage from around here—starting from three days before the incident. Every piece of video, I want it all."
Tdog frowned. "That won't be easy."
Xiao Feng looked at him in surprise. "Aren't you a robot? You can't handle this?"
Tdog protested, "I am a robot, yes—but a combat robot. This kind of thing is beyond me."
"Fine. Find me a computer. I'll get someone to investigate."
After descending, Tdog quickly procured a computer. Connecting to Wi-Fi, Xiao Feng linked to Mark's team. Soon, Mark's image appeared on the screen.
Xiao Feng smiled. "Dr. Mark, is Ray still around?"
Mark, busy at multiple monitors, glanced at Xiao Feng and smiled. "Yes, he is."
"Connect me to him."
Mark typed swiftly, and Ray's image appeared, eyes glued to the screen as he typed furiously.
"Ray," Xiao Feng called.
Ray turned, frowning. "Xiao Feng, what do you need?"
"I need your help." Xiao Feng relayed the exact location of the building. "Find every surveillance camera within a 500-meter radius."
Ray hesitated. "That's complicated. May I ask why you need so much footage?"
"None of your concern. Just get it done."
Ray nodded. "Alright, right away. But I need to use your computer for a bit."
Xiao Feng gestured assent. The screen shifted abruptly, as if a program was being installed—streams of code flickered rapidly.
Rush and Tdog exchanged astonished glances, not expecting Ray to possess such formidable skills—remotely accessing Xiao Feng's computer to retrieve the footage.
Tdog sighed, "What a monster..."