Chapter 49: Your Identity Is What You Make It Outside the Door

“Asshole!”

Leina flung the notebook in her hand straight at Luo Ge’s face.

She was furious—truly, utterly furious.

After she deployed patrols on the streets twenty-four hours a day, the number of Hot Thief’s heists had indeed dropped.

That bastard had some kind of precognitive ability, always finding openings to steal.

But as long as Leina gave her no opportunity, no matter how strong her precognition, it was useless.

Leina had thought exactly that.

But who knew?

Every time Luo Ge was on duty, the Hot Thief struck.

Every place Luo Ge patrolled, the Hot Thief committed a crime.

Leina even suspected the old bastard was a mole.

But after she interrogated him with the Voice of Temptation and forcibly scanned his memories using psychic energy,

she confirmed Luo Ge had zero connection to the Hot Thief.

He was just slacking off—many times when he was supposed to be patrolling, he sneaked off to drink at taverns.

Even when not in taverns, he carried a bottle of liquor, drinking as he walked his rounds.

And wherever there was unusual noise, he kept far away.

Any place that might be dangerous? He never approached.

He’d even seen the flame-cutting glow of the Hot Thief’s weapon a few times.

But the old bastard chose to turn and run.

Even afraid of retaliation, he didn’t dare report it to anyone.

No wonder the Hot Thief struck only when Luo Ge was on patrol.

With his patrol style, the Hot Thief’s precognition wouldn’t even classify him as a threat.

Looking at Luo Ge’s memories of his recent patrols,

Leina felt her blood boil, and she couldn’t help but pinch her philtrum hard.

She feared that if she kept interrogating, she’d become a psychic out of control.

“Get out! Get out of here!”

Leina growled through clenched teeth:

“Deduct all losses from your salary!!”

“No! My Lord, I’ll starve to death!” Luo Ge wailed.

“You don’t need to patrol anymore! Go do hard labor!!”

Veins bulged on Leina’s face, her finger trembling as she pointed at Luo Ge:

“Die? Even if you died, I’d spend a fortune to turn you into a servitor!”

As Leina was screaming, the door to the room opened.

Zhou Yun stuck his head in from outside and looked at Leina: “Finished yelling? I need to talk to you.”

As he spoke, he waved a letter in his hand.

Luo Ge saw Zhou Yun and instantly felt as if the Emperor himself had descended.

He rushed forward, tears and snot streaming down his face:

“Brother Zhou Yun, my good brother, save me!”

“The Holy Mother wants to send me to hard labor—I can’t handle it—”

Before Luo Ge finished speaking, Zhou Yun kicked him out of the room and slammed the door shut.

Watching Luo Ge finally roll out,

Leina’s expression eased slightly.

She pinched her philtrum hard, whispering sacred verses from the Scripture of Saints to calm herself.

Zhou Yun noticed the flight log on her desk.

“Any findings?” Zhou Yun asked, sitting across from her.

Leina rubbed her temples.

Hearing Zhou Yun mention the flight log, her mood seemed to lift slightly.

She opened the flight log and pointed at the rows of data and text:

“Look here—this is where the colonial ship landed.”

“The colonial ship crash-landed on Asford; most of the hull was damaged. The crew dismantled it to build the first outpost.”

“The warp engine was left in place and buried underground as the city expanded.”

“It’s beneath what is now the Undercity of Fardia—but the exact location remains unknown.”

It really exists.

Zhou Yun stared at the data and records in the flight log, rubbing his chin.

A full warp engine, buried deep in the Undercity’s lowest levels.

Maybe I really should go to the Undercity.

Not just to find the warp engine and earn Leina’s reward,

But also to fulfill Augustus Flax’s commission—to investigate the Netherworms.

Zhou Yun himself was curious about the Gene Thieves.

He knew the Tyranid Leviathan Hive Fleet would descend, but the exact timing was unclear.

Zhou Yun currently had only 3.35 million in savings—still far from the Gate.

While rushing to earn money, he needed to figure out how much time he had left.

If time ran out, he’d need a Plan B.

As for risk—

Hmm, with the gear I currently have, a trip to the Undercity is still feasible.

Besides, Meng and Malkit brothers seem to have some standing down there—could be worth contacting.

“By the way, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?” Leina looked up at Zhou Yun.

“Yes. Take a look at this.”

Zhou Yun handed Leina the letter, ignoring the note on it: “Do not disclose the contents of this letter to anyone.”

Leina glanced at the letter.

“Written by the Hot Thief? And it’s in High Gothic?!”

Leina’s tone was startled.

Not just in the Undercity,

Even in the Upper City, outside households steeped in the Imperial Creed, few could read High Gothic.

“Orleans Wings—is that the Hot Thief’s self-proclaimed name?”

Seeing the signature, Leina couldn’t help but snort:

“Sounds appetizing.”

She carefully read through the letter.

She wasn’t fluent in High Gothic—she could barely stumble through it.

“He wants to meet you? At the dump beside District Thirteen?”

Leina was slightly surprised:

“Be careful—the dump near District Thirteen is close to the Undercity entrance. It might be dangerous.”

“That’s why I came to you,” Zhou Yun said, shrugging.

“.Huh?” Leina blinked. “Aren’t you here because you can’t read it and need me to translate?”

“I have some familiarity with High Gothic,” Zhou Yun said, face completely calm.

Outside the door, your identity is self-made.

He ignored the gaze of the winged figure in the corner of his eye.

“Impressive,” Leina couldn’t help but praise. “What’s your background? Are you some noble playing at being a commoner?”

“What a bizarre piece of tech—and you know PDF high-ups?”

That wasn’t a PDF high-up—that was the Viceroy.

Zhou Yun muttered inwardly.

Leina still thought Augustus Flax was just a PDF official.

“I’m just a regular Undercity trash-picker.”

Zhou Yun said sincerely.

“I want to borrow some people from you.”

“Borrow people?” Leina thought. “The Hot Thief’s precognition is stronger than mine. Are you sure bringing people will catch her?”

“We can try. She probably won’t predict my involvement with such clarity,” Zhou Yun said, stroking his chin.

Leina’s gaze toward Zhou Yun grew increasingly strange.

“How many do you need?” she asked.

“Start small—two hundred. Equip them all with Agrippina Mk.III automatic rifles.”

How much???

(End of Chapter)