Xiao Feng stared at the man before him, struggling to recall where he had seen him before. With the keen, almost photographic memory of a hunter, Xiao Feng felt a faint familiarity but could not quite place it.
The armored figure chuckled softly, "Looks like you've truly forgotten. Let me jog your memory—do you recall that bandit gang that ambushed you back in Godo City?"
Suddenly, a vivid image of that bandit gang flashed in Xiao Feng's mind. He sifted through the memories swiftly until it crystallized upon a face that left him utterly astonished.
Xiao Feng compared the man before him with the image in his mind, certain they were the same person. Yet, the transformation was so drastic that it was difficult for him to accept.
"You… you're Tugou?" Xiao Feng finally blurted out in surprise.
The man laughed heartily. "That's right, I'm Tugou. Didn't expect that, did you?"
Xiao Feng circled the armored man in amazement. "Whether it's your demeanor, height, or facial features, you've changed so much—turning into someone from Victoria Corporation. It's almost unbelievable."
"Heh, curious how it happened?"
Xiao Feng nodded. "I am."
Tugou glanced at the busy staff behind him and then said, "Let's find a quiet place, and I'll tell you everything…"
Xiao Feng turned to Brada. "Keep an eye on things here. We need to talk somewhere private."
Brada, recalling his few encounters with Tugou, couldn't believe it—how a mere petty bandit had become this.
In a small office in the hangar, Tugou handed Xiao Feng a cigarette. Xiao Feng shook his head, "I don't smoke… thanks."
"Heh, come on, a real man doesn't refuse a smoke."
Reluctantly, Xiao Feng accepted. Tugou lit it for him, and after a small puff, Xiao Feng said, "Alright, start talking."
Tugou began, "Remember when I left Godo City? You gave me a lot of money back then—without it, I'd have been dead long ago. Honestly, I was overjoyed to leave those thugs and swore to repay your kindness."
Xiao Feng waved his hand, "Don't make such a big deal. It was nothing."
"There's an old Eastern saying: 'Repay a drop of kindness with a spring.' Without those alliance coins you gave me, I wouldn't have come this far."
"Alright, if that's the case, you owe me your thanks. What happened to you after that?"
"I went straight to New Capital City, sneaking in secretly. I thought, 'This safe city will be a fresh start.' But no one would hire me—I had no ID. After more than a month, my money was gone, and I was starving, almost fainting. Then suddenly, two men in black appeared."
"They scanned me with some device and asked, 'Do you want to starve to death?' Of course I didn't. They offered me a chance never to go hungry again. I was desperate, so I agreed and went with them."
"Later, I found out they were Victoria Corporation's recruiters, seeking those without identity for experiments. For someone like me, it was a good opportunity, but I hated how they operated—it left a bad taste in my heart."
Xiao Feng sighed after hearing Tugou's story. "Even if you feel that way, what could be more meaningful than surviving in this damned world?"
Tugou smiled wryly and continued, "They put me through a machine-human fusion experiment. Unexpectedly, I was chosen from hundreds as the perfect candidate. I never realized I had such strength. After selection, they took me to a secret lab—no idea how—and began transforming my body. Now, this is what I've become. They even implanted a chip in my brain to control my thoughts."
Xiao Feng nodded, "Sounds harsh."
Tugou grinned, "Want to see something worse?"
Xiao Feng stubbed out his cigarette, "Bring it on."
Standing before Xiao Feng, Tugou's expression twisted into a bitter smile. Then, with creaking sounds, his lower limbs began disassembling—muscle parts falling away to reveal an array of weaponry, unlike anything Xiao Feng had ever seen.
Next came his torso, similarly composed of weapons. Stripped of all this, only a simple metal skeleton and his head remained—strictly speaking, only his head was truly his.
Xiao Feng was utterly stunned. "You… you…"
Tugou chuckled, "You thought I was just wearing armor, right? Wrong. Now, only my head remains. Not even my brain fully belongs to me—I'm just a robot, the pinnacle of Victoria Corporation's technology."
Xiao Feng gazed at Tugou's exposed metal frame in disbelief, recalling Hades—now sealed by Lin Bing, yet pale in comparison. Hades had already given Xiao Feng's group hell; encountering someone as formidable as Tugou could be fatal.
Fortunately, Tugou stood with Xiao Feng.
Inspecting Tugou's chest, Xiao Feng noticed a red glow pulsating in his heart area. "What's that?"
Tugou laughed softly, "A magic crystal. It powers all my energy."
Xiao Feng studied the crystal's hue and asked, "A Class C magic crystal?"
Tugou nodded, "Yes. Before, I used a Class D crystal, which wasn't ideal. A few dozen days ago, Victoria Corporation acquired this Class C crystal, enabling me to become a fully functional combat robot."
Xiao Feng did the math and chuckled, "I guess you owe me again. I likely captured that crystal. Without me, you wouldn't be complete."
Tugou paused, then smiled, "Heh, another debt to repay. Don't worry, I will."
Xiao Feng looked at Tugou's intimidating form and said, "Put your 'clothes' back on. This looks embarrassing."
Tugou glanced at the weapons on the floor and shook his head. The weapons reassembled automatically, melding back onto his body. Within seconds, Tugou transformed back into his armored appearance—indistinguishable from an ordinary armored man.
Xiao Feng shook his head. "Even like this, you stand out too much. I'll get you a military uniform—that'll help you blend in."
Tugou raised an eyebrow. "Good idea."
As Xiao Feng was about to leave, he remembered a polite question. "How's your boss, Jason, been lately?"
Tugou's expression turned serious. "Not good. Honestly, I came to talk to you about that. Jason was assassinated."
Xiao Feng frowned. "What do you mean, assassinated?"
"One day, Jason was dining at a hotel when a sniper's bullet struck him. Though his psychic bodyguard noticed the bullet and shielded him with his armored body, the bullet still wounded Jason severely. He's still hospitalized."
"What kind of gun packs such a punch?"
"Probably the legendary Black Angel."
Xiao Feng's brow furrowed further. "There were only two Black Angels in the world, right?"
"No. There are three now. We know of two—one with you, the other with Athena, one of the Alliance's Seven Gods. But we've confirmed neither was the shooter. That means the third Black Angel has appeared."
Xiao Feng's frown deepened. "The third Black Angel? We must be vigilant. Its lethality is terrifying. Anyone struck by it would face unimaginable consequences."
"You're right. We must capture whoever wields this Black Angel soon. Otherwise, not just our company's leaders but even the top brass of the Brown Corporation could be in grave danger."
"I'm aware of all that. Rest here for a moment—I'll make arrangements, and then we'll hunt down this Black Angel wielder."
Tugou looked at Xiao Feng's resolute expression and asked doubtfully, "Are you sure you can find him?"
Xiao Feng thumped his chest with his thumb. "Don't forget—I'm still an outstanding freelance hunter. Let's go capture this formidable prey together."