"Sorry, Master, they're using high-tech satellite phones. I can't intercept," Moonchild's voice buzzed in her ear, delivering bad news. "Shall I hack the system?"
Moonchild's intelligence could breach satellite communications, but not without risking detection. Hua Yunxia didn't want to expose Moonchild's capabilities prematurely. "Abandon tracking. Find another way," she ordered. "Moonchild, locate their address."
A moment later, Moonchild's synthesized voice replied, "Location: the capital!"
Hua Yunxia's heart skipped. Longteng's mastermind was in the capital—no wonder they'd hidden it so well. Wang Jiansheng lacked the genius to craft such a system. Now, she was eager to meet this system's creator.
For years, Hua Yunxia had chased this breakthrough. Moonchild, a semi-intelligent entity, was stalled by foundational limits. Longteng's system offered a stable path forward. No matter what, she needed its core code.
Genius Haven brimmed with talent, yet even their collective efforts failed to crack Longteng's code after months. Defying her father's orders, Hua Yunxia returned East to find the system's developer, hoping to collaborate on true AI.
"My sister's in the capital," she mused. "Should I visit, meet her?" The thought thrilled her, but her father's warning loomed: If you meet, even my power can't ensure your safety. It's not your fault, but it's your fate. Yunxia, heed me—never return East.
What terrified her father enough to keep his daughters apart for over two decades? Even Hua Yunxia, self-proclaimed genius, couldn't unravel it.
Three days passed swiftly. Wang Jiansheng called, arranging a meeting.
Hua Yunxia hadn't left her hotel room, not even for meals. Genius Haven's fame made them targets. When promises failed, nations resorted to dirty tactics—even kidnapping. Every trip demanded caution.
Tucking her compact laptop under her arm, Hua Yunxia donned her face-concealing hat and sunglasses. Even close acquaintances might pass her unrecognized. Her sleek figure and fashionable aura, paired with an untouchable mystique, drew men's gazes but deterred advances.
This distance was exactly what she needed.
Unbeknownst to her, as she left the hotel, a Toyota sedan trailed her. Inside, two men in wide sunglasses sat stone-faced. The passenger spoke coldly, "Target locked. Prepare to act. Support team, move into position."
Hua Yunxia was vigilant, but Moonchild detected danger first.
"Master, I'm picking up threat signals. We're being followed," Moonchild warned, its semi-intelligent habits mimicking human speech, saying "we."
"Where's our nearest combat team?" Hua Yunxia asked, not turning. She knew some faction had her in their sights. Genius Haven had its own elite task force protecting allies worldwide. She'd alerted them before coming East, but for unknown reasons, they hadn't arrived.
"Three hundred kilometers away," Moonchild replied. "Master, we're on our own."
"Damn, they're closing in—too many," Moonchild assessed. "Master can't handle them alone. Call the police!"
Hua Yunxia frowned, dialing Wang Jiansheng. "Mr. Wang, your city's security is abysmal. I'm under attack and need help. I'm on Tianhe Tower Road, heading to Longteng—"
She hung mid-sentence, deliberately stoking urgency. Longteng's meteoric rise surely meant robust security. She hoped they'd rush to her aid.
"Driver, floor it to Longteng Group, or—" Her words cut off as a car rammed them. Gun barrels protruded from its windows. A man in a black shirt barked, "Miss Hua, apologies for the disturbance. Our boss requests your presence. Care to join us?"
Pop! Pop! Streetlights exploded, showering sparks and glass onto the attacking car, which swerved aside. Hua Yunxia, startled, yelled at the stunned driver, "Go!"
Moonchild had triggered the chaos, always ready to aid her master.
The driver, terrified, floored the gas, muttering, "Ambush! Terrorist attack! I'm calling the cops!"
Green lights guided them, turning red as they passed, but three pursuing cars followed. One, running a red, collided with an oil tanker, killing its two occupants. Worse, someone ignited the tanker, obliterating the bodies and evidence.
Lei Zhengyang, at Longteng Group, was jolted by Hua Yunxia's distress call. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Uncle, mobilize all forces to protect that woman! Tianhe Road, Southern District. I'm heading there. Send elite security to back me up!"
Her importance to the Golden Dragon Project made her safety non-negotiable.
Bullets flew, but the attackers avoided shooting Hua Yunxia directly, targeting tires and the car to force a stop. The trunk was blown off, the vehicle riddled with holes. Each gunshot elicited a frantic yell from the driver, who sped faster.
"Master, the city's on high alert," Moonchild reported. "Look, police are coming." It had hacked the city's alert system before Wang's call, and the high-speed chase on Tianhe Road drew traffic police, with nearby units mobilizing.
But against such ruthless foes, regular police were useless. The attackers spared Hua Yunxia—she was too valuable—but unleashed full firepower on the cops. Three police cars were obliterated on arrival.
Two officers cowered, radioing for backup.
Lei Zhengyang broke all speed limits, covering a half-hour trip in six minutes.
Hua Yunxia's car was boxed in by two vehicles, their doors blasted off. Two black-clad thugs tried boarding, but Hua Yunxia's kicks sent them flying. Though lacking her sister's true qi, her black-belt taekwondo dispatched average foes effortlessly.
Without thinking, Lei Zhengyang rammed one enemy car. At the last second, he executed a dragon-tail whip, spinning his car 720 degrees, sending the thug's vehicle skidding ten meters, flipping like a turtle.
But seeing the woman, Lei Zhengyang froze. Her sunglasses were gone, her woolen hat torn, revealing a stunning, delicate face streaked with grime. He recognized her instantly—or so he thought. "Hua Yunyue?"
As their cars passed, he spun back, ramming the second enemy car aside, then laughed. "Hey, Yunyue, what's going on? Why're you in the South? Changed your name—what's the plan?"
He'd mistaken Hua Yunxia for her sister, Hua Yunyue. How could he know the world held such identical twins, unaware Hua Yunyue had a sister?
His shouts stunned the panicked Hua Yunxia. Who is this guy? He knows my sister? The man looked familiar, as if she'd seen him before.
"Master, no need to guess," Moonchild chimed in. "He's Lei Zhengyang, the capital's top playboy, the man your sister said she loves. Not bad, huh? Want to steal him? I can spill his weakness: he's a womanizer. Wear my upgraded lingerie, strut before him, and I guarantee he'll be smitten, your loyal servant."
Moonchild's voice, audible only to Hua Yunxia, would've made Lei Zhengyang die laughing if he'd heard.