"Good morning, 47. We're sending you to China to deal with a batch of contracts, all at the request of ICA's intelligence director, Myung Soo-min. According to her, a network of people from socialites to average civilians are on the verge of compromising the ICA. For the sake of our very existence, we are to eliminate the threat posed.
"Your first destination is in Furong, a rural town in the Hunan province where your target is Nishi Li-mei: the heiress of an affluent household that moved from Japan generations ago. Although typically staying in a busy office environment in Beijing, Nishi is visiting her hometown for a marriage meeting arranged by her family.
"Before you get any ideas, 47, no. She won't mistake you as her to-be groom. That role goes to a childhood friend of hers, Shih Tianyu. Their families are collaborating for a prospective wedding, and each of their youngest happen to be the perfect bond.
"While I consider Myung's intents to be more personal than she lets on, we cannot go against the wishes of the board. A contract is a contract.
"To help you infiltrate the household, I've prepared a business card for a marriage agency, filled with the credentials for your usual alias, Tobias Rieper. Whether it will hold any weight to the families, however, is up to you. Myung's pressure for a hasty assassination has left us unable to fill out information beyond the card.
"I will leave you to prepare."
Location: Furong, China
Target: The Aristocrat
"Anything catch your eye, sir?" The shop owner, hunched and wrinkled to the smile, asked.
The customer browsed through the catalog of dresses, pinching each of them as though to discern their quality. For a foreigner, he was more scrupulous than the usual tourist.
"Do you have something more... exclusive?"
He smiled a wiry smile. "I have one in the back. I think it will match what you are looking for."
The owner made his way behind the counter. He wheeled out a hanger, revealing a dress protected in a coat of plastic. "This cheongsam is woven entirely from the finest silk I could get my hands on. Words cannot describe the beauty of its design, befitting of the best of women. I would know—this was my wife's."
He chuckled as the customer circled it, feeling its cloth and eyeing the detailed gold-trimmed knitting that flanked the dress like vines.
"Don't worry, she hasn't touched it in decades," the owner added.
The bald man looked at him. "I'll take it."
"Wonderful." He wheeled the dress over to the counter, slipping it off with the utmost delicacy. He folded it into a pristine square, sliding the cloth into an equally ornate packet, finalized with a ribbon wrapped around it. "And who is the lucky lady?"
"Nishi Li-mei. Do you know her?"
The owner paused in recognition, then broke into a reminiscent smile as he wrote her name on the package. "So the Shih household sent you. It's about time those two got together, I say. Youngins take the time of their lives to get things done."
He pointed out the shop's balcony, which watched over the layers of waterfalls on the other end of the town. "Every year, those two would venture out on the falls and sit. My grandson always told me how frustrating it was that they never took their relationship further. He would be ecstatic to see them now..." His expression dipped downward. "But he died in an accident during a company trip in South Korea."
"I'm sorry."
The owner smiled again. "No, no, I'm sorry. You're here to shop, but instead, you had to listen to the ramblings of an old man. Thank you for your purchase."
47 left.
He passed by stores and restaurants that sandwiched the road he walked on. Many people he saw held an unlit paper lantern, eyes on the evening skies. An air of anticipation pervaded the ambiance.
The hitman walked past the Cheung Chau Fish Restaurant. It was unusually empty, despite willing customers coming to the receptionist—then being turned away. Someone had reserved the entire restaurant.
The hall of buildings let up for the time as he walked by the cliff face, giving a perfect view of the town's graceful waterfalls. From there, he could see tourists and civilians walking in an opening behind the falls.
A team of maintenance workers stood in a closed-off area, dealing with a burst sewage pipe. The smell spread beyond the tape, and they stood in puddles of murky liquid.
Two children kicked and chased a ball, barely avoiding crashing into 47.
The abundance of buildings and people lessened the further he walked. The overwhelming chatter fell to an occasional conversation dipping in and out of volume.
"I'm not getting any internet... Any luck on your end?" a passerby remarked to his friend.
"Nothing. Maybe it's on the provider's end..."
Around a turn, the high walls of a courtyard house came into view. At the entrance, a group of people stood. Coming closer to them, Diana was able to make out the youngest of the three. "That is Shih Tianyu, Nishi's friend and prospective lover. He appears nervous."
Clutching a gift box, he dawdled in circles despite being closest to the door. A middle-aged man, his father, went up to him and they exchanged a few words. His mother joined their conversation. Tianyu left the gift box on the trunk of their car.
Crouching, 47 used the cars as cover as he neared. He snuck around the fronts of each vehicle, reaching the gift box. Peeking out to see the family distracted with each other, he pulled the dress parcel from his suit and swapped the contents of the present.
Seconds later, a delighted cheer rang out from within. The mother and another woman engaged in loud conversation, hanging out at the entrance. Tianyu returned to their car, taking the gift box with him. Save for the women, they walked inside.
"I don't understand why my daughter is suddenly so apprehensive."
"My son is, too! I remember when I was his age, and I got jitters thinking about my future with my husband!"
"No, this is different! Li-mei is scared nervous. I saw her reading a letter earlier, and she went pale like a ghost. I asked her about it, and she brushed me off like nothing!"
The other woman gasped. "You don't think... she could be seeing someone else?"
They were brought out of their talk by approaching footsteps. They looked out to see a bald man in a suit and tie.
He stopped in front of them. "Good evening. I am Tobias Rieper." He produced a business card, stepping closer. "I'm from Jade Reflections."
"The marriage agency?"
"Correct. I believe you were expecting me?"
The two women looked at each other. "Ming, did you hear anything about this?"
Li-mei's mother shook her head. "No, Father didn't say he was looking for one. I'll go ask him." She glanced at 47 with a polite smile. "Please excuse me."
She departed, walking through the courtyard to the main hall on the other end.
Inside, she called out, "Father?" Ming found him sitting in a seiza, reading a newspaper. "There's a man from Jade Reflections, the marriage agency, out the door. He said we hired him."
He lowered his reading glasses. "I did no such thing... Unless Shih Liu hired them." He sighed. "I wish he would have told me. Or maybe I missed the memo."
"Do we turn him away?"
He shook his head. "It would be disrespectful to Liu and the Shih household. If he believes a matchmaker will help his grandson's love life, then so be it. I will see him in." Li-mei's grandfather rose, accompanying Ming back toward the entrance.
They found 47 akin to a sponge, soaking up every bit of gossip and conversation that Tianyu's mother had to say despite his only responses being one to two-word sentences. Their arrival promptly quieted her.
The old man spoke first. "I am Nishi Aoki. I apologize if you had to wait long, things have been frantic."
"Tobias Rieper." He exchanged the greeting, also providing the business card, which Aoki looked over nonchalantly. "I was hired to ease the process and, ideally, make my clients happy."
Aoki smiled. "Come in." He led 47 inside, and the two mothers re-entered their gossip. "I'm afraid you will need to wait before your employer is available to provide your instructions." They entered the open courtyard, where the sounds of faint festivities emanated from the surrounding halls. "He's still recovering from a torn knee ligament, but I will pick him up, soon. Please, make yourself comfortable."
47 nodded. "Thank you very much. May I speak with the partners involved?"
"Tianyu is still with his parents, and since they hired you, you're probably fine." He motioned to the hall on 47's left. "Li-mei, though, is off-limits. She wants alone time before we get things started." Aoki grinned. "She's already beautiful, but she's still doing all her lady stuff just for Tianyu! I'm so proud of her."
"Thank you again. I can work with this."
Before leaving, Aoki remarked, "I have to say, your fluency is excellent."
"My line of work takes me around the world. I pick things up."
"Pick things up? I wondered how a foreigner like yourself joined Jade Reflections, but you're one efficient man!" He laughed, returning to the main hall where his newspaper awaited him.
From the left hall, 47 heard faint chatter and laughter through the door. Three voices, presumably Tianyu, his father, and Li-mei. To the right, the building's doors and windows were shut quietly. Li-mei's room.
As he neared, a conversation made itself known.
"This is the schedule? There's no time left at all for the lantern festival..."
"Oh, you've seen that a million times!" 47 recognized the voice as Ming, one of the women at the entrance. "It's good to do something different!"
"But..." The other girl sighed. "Next year it is."
"Also, what have you even been doing in here? I thought you were prettying yourself up for Tianyu, but you haven't even touched your makeup!"
"I'm sorry, Mother."
"You're beautiful, anyway, come on."
"Wait, may I have a little more time to—"
"Poor Tianyu is trying to drink his nerves away! You don't want to spend the day with a drunk version of your man, I would know! Your father becomes more of a disaster than he already is." Her laughter continued out the door, drowning out Li-mei's protests as they entered the courtyard.
"That is Nishi Li-mei, the youngest of the Nishi household. Though Myung failed to provide us specifics, she is apparently on the ICA's tail, making her a necessary target."
Their eyes were only on the west building. 47 emerged from the corner where he hid, walking into her room.
It was neat and orderly. Nobody could have guessed two people were inside just moments ago.
That is, save for a letter on her desk, recently opened. 47 looked over it, gleaning mostly purple prose and best wishes for the couple's future. One passage, though, stood out.
"For your own safety, you need to stop investigating the Kronstadt Explosion. As your friend, I beg of you." Signed, Yoshihara Nozomi.
"The Kronstadt Explosion... that wasn't too long ago," Diana said. "Kronstadt Industries, a tech consortium, was looking to expand their business into Korea. They were showing off one of their innovations to a room of Nunchi Electronic employees when it malfunctioned and blew up in a similar fashion to a bomb. The blame fell squarely on Kronstadt Industries, subsequently barring them from the expansion."
Besides the letter was another piece of paper: the aforementioned schedule. It captured the rest of the day, dragging them around the town.
Diana chipped in. "That is certainly a packed schedule... If I'm thinking what you're thinking, perhaps we can do the couple a favor and open up some time for Nishi?"
Across the courtyard, the two families gathered in jovial conversation over drinks. Gathered at a table, their many conversations could still be heard beyond the room they stayed in.
An uncomfortable silence befell them all, however, when the door slid open for a stranger. He glanced over everyone's confused looks, unfazed. "Tobias Rieper." He produced his business card around. "I'm a matchmaker from Jade Reflections."
Their faces changed to one of recognition. Ming and Jie, Tianyu's mother, whispered around that he was the matchmaker they talked about from the entrance.
Huang, Li-mei's father, rose, meeting 47 with a smile. The two shook hands. "Thank you for coming. Would you like a drink or anything?"
"No thanks. I'm waiting for my employers to return."
As if on cue, the door on the other end slid open.
"We're all here!" Nishi Aoki entered, helping a slouched man of similar age walk in. The families knew him as Shih Liu, the grandfather, and head of the Shih household. He offered a thin smile to everyone's greetings.
To 47, though, was an inquisitive look. Aoki answered. "That is Mr. Rieper, the matchmaker from Jade Reflections."
Liu nodded gently. "I see. Thank you for coming." I wish Aoki informed me he was dragging a marriage agency into this, he thought. Regardless, he smiled kindly at 47. "I fear we may have done your work and made a full plan for today." Liu cleared his throat, side-eyeing Aoki.
"It's fine. I looked over the schedule, and I have a few suggestions. But right now, I don't mind if you continue your day as if I don't exist. I tend to work best out of everyone's minds."
The families settled in more than comfortably at that arrangement. None of their plans accounted for a third party to their gathering, even if the other family "invited" him.
True to his word, 47 sat in the corner, appearing to take notes for what they presumed to be ideas for the rest of the day.
Eventually, Tianyu presented his present in an over-the-top manner. Li-mei accepted it, revealing the parcel for all to see.
"A cheongsam?" Her voice fell soft, twisting and turning the attire in all its beauty. "And it's from Tang's place?"
Tianyu's eyes widened. "That's—!" His gaze then met his father's, one that reminded him of his two wishes: to not embarrass the family and to be the "perfect man" for Li-mei. Somehow mixing up a gift's contents fit neither of those criteria. "That's something I knew you would love."
"It's..."
"It's so beautiful!" Ming sat beside the couple, picking at the dress in awe of the fabric and designs. Li-mei held in her grievance. "You should go put it on!"
"Right now?"
She took her daughter's arm, tugging her to go. "Of course! Tianyu would love to see you in it! Right?" She glanced at him; the stunned mutter he replied with was a good enough agreement. "It's only respectful!"
"Excuse me." Ming jumped at the voice; she'd forgotten the matchmaker was there. "Before you go, would you be willing to alter the schedule?"
Li-mei lit up at the suggestion—a stark contrast to the look her mother gave. "Why? It's perfect as is."
"I wanted to include some time for the lantern festival. It would be—"
"We've seen it a million times, I'm sure Li-mei and Tianyu want something more exciting!"
"Have you asked them what they'd want?"
She scoffed. "I know my daughter. Are you sure you're qualified for your job?"
Li-mei sighed, offering an apologetic smile.
"I am very sure," 47 said.
With a 'hmph,' the two left for Li-mei's room.
Huang laughed. "I'm sorry about my wife. When she really wants something, she will get it, especially for our daughter. You might've been called here for nothing if Ming's got it all under control."
"That may be so," was all he said.
In the back, Tianyu and his father discussed in quiet bewilderment over the jewelry-turned-dress.
47 now knew the families' schedule, extra info about the target and her situation, and the silk dress was delivered. He faced everyone. "Excuse me, but I believe I'm at the wrong household."
The families exchanged glances; most of them landed on the heads of the families. Aoki spoke up. "I thought Liu called for one, so I let him in..."
"I thought you hired him!" the man in question said. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"It would've been disrespectful if you were the client!"
"I... thought that, as well."
The parents broke into laughter (save for a huff of exasperation from Ming) while Li-mei and Tianyu sighed light-heartedly.
Huang approached the matchmaker again. "I'm terribly sorry about this, it's our fault for not questioning anything. I can see you out."
He nodded at the offer, letting himself be escorted outside. There, 47 departed wordlessly.
...
Back at the burst sewage pipe and the maintenance crew, they had finally sealed it up. All that was left was for them to mop up the spilled fluids. One of them had gathered the foul liquid into a bucket, which he was tasked with disposing of into the nearby river.
Alone, he wandered down into the darkness, carrying the swashing buckets. He hummed to himself, unable to tell he was being followed.
As far as his memory would tell him, by the next morning, he was walking down the steps, and the next thing he knew, he was laid in wild shrubbery and stripped to his underwear with a splitting headache. The buckets he carried had also vanished.
But for now, the new maintenance worker, wearing a mask, went to the start of the waterfall path. 47 brought the bucket with him.
Back at the household, the families left to start what was to be a joyous outing. For the youngest couple, though, it was everything but.
"Is everything okay, Li-mei?" Tianyu asked, following close behind her.
"You don't need to do this," she spat flatly. "Don't you think it's weird for you to be clinging to me when we're only friends?"
Tianyu paused. "You said you thought it was cute."
She clicked her tongue. "It's creepy, is what it is."
Their relatives, unaware in blissful conversation, passed by. The first destination was the tourist spot: the path leading behind the waterfalls. While it was a glanced-over staple for the locals, the charm was undeniable. Not to mention, both families knew the two enjoyed hanging around there.
None anticipated a chain with a big "CLOSED" sign blocking off the entrance. Hooking it in was a maintenance worker, masked and hard at work.
Ming stepped forward. "What is this? What are you doing?"
"Sorry for the inconvenience, ma'am." 47 stopped to face her. "The sewage leak spread to the path, so we're containing the area for later cleaning."
"I have lived here for more than 40 years, and I have never seen the waterfalls closed off." She pointed at the trail in the distance. "There are still people out there!"
"We're starting work when they've cleared out."
"Are you sure you're not being stupid?"
Li-mei grimaced. "Mother!"
47 remained still, even as Ming—though short in comparison—sized up to him. "I know exactly what I'm doing," he said.
She huffed. "I feel like I've been running into people like you a lot..."
As if on cue, the putrid smell of sewage drifted over. Everyone's noses twitched, and they grimaced. Even Ming couldn't argue against physical proof.
Aoki cleared his throat. "Well.. what does everybody think of having dinner, now?"
A murmur of agreement was the sentiment. The chatter among everyone fell short after that. The group continued their march towards Cheung Chau Fish Restaurant.
Tianyu hurried to place himself beside Li-mei. Her face wrinkled up again, glancing away—but she didn't yell. "Didn't I tell you off earlier?"
"You did. I'm sorry I wasn't aware of your sudden boundaries, but I've known you long enough to know your ways of handling problems. And that our feelings are mutual."
Her hands clenched into fists and shook, but she still looked away.
"Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it when you're ready," he said softly.
I hate you. I hate how you always convince me things will be okay. When she realized frustrated tears almost escaped, she turned her eyes up. I hate how I keep falling back to you.
Cheung Chau Fish Restaurant came into view. Standing outside, an unusually worried manager waited to greet his expected guests. "Maybe he's nervous about our party size," Aoki remarked, but there was no unburdening the wariness everyone felt.
Ming stomped to the front. The manager got only a few words out before, "What do you mean closed?" Ming's ferocious voice cut through the air.
"I offer my sincere apologies. Something made all the sprinklers go off, one by one, so—"
"And!?"
He winced. "I'm afraid you will need to go elsewhere unless you can wait a few hours."
Unamused grumbling pervaded the families. They peeked over, peering through the windows of the restaurant. Or rather, tried to—the windows were all blurred from water. "But there's no fire!" Ming pointed.
"Our tables, floor, and our kitchen are soaked. It will take hours for us to clean and dry everything, more or less prepare food."
"Something is wrong with you." Ming sized up to the man, making him step back. "I give you my money for a perfect day ahead. My daughter is going to marry. And here you are, ruining everything!"
"Mother." Li-mei grabbed her arm.
"Again, I offer my deepest apologies..." The manager bowed his head. "If you wish, we can dry enough tables and chairs, and we can only prepare the necessary appliances in the kitchen for your convenience."
"There will be no need for that," Li-mei spoke, this time. "It's not your fault. What made the sprinklers go off, anyway?"
He only shrugged. "The waiters say they heard a metal 'bang' before each went off. Like something collided with each sprinkler. I still don't know, this has never happened before..."
So, defeated, the families treaded back. A sour air fell upon everyone, and silence replaced the amicable chatter at the beginning. "Can we sit down somewhere?" Liu suggested. "We need to think of a new plan."
Nobody else had any ideas.
They walked to the nearest opening in the road, where they knew stone benches were erected amid shrubbery, overlooking the waterfalls. A picture-esque scene to many, but for now a reminder of today's plans.
Adjacent to them, the two boys still kicked around their ball, running around like ricocheting projectiles. They screeched to a halt when another foot stopped their ball. Their beady eyes looked up at the bald man. Wordless, he kicked it. The two didn't hesitate in running after.
At the resting area, Liu had just found a clean stone bench when a loud bouncing noise took his attention. He turned to see a ball flying down the road, through the gathering of people.
Then a crash. He yelled in pain as something collided with his knee, sandwiching his torn ligament between it and the bench. He gripped the seat as support.
"Father!" Tianyu's parents rushed to his aid.
Eyes turned to the scene, then the perpetrator who had toppled to the ground. One of the children, dazed, had run into Liu at high speed. His recovery came much hastier than the old man. "Sorry!" he shouted, though both he and his friend rushed past for the ball.
Some took a few steps after the kids, yelling, but they knew they weren't going to catch them. "It's not their fault," Liu said through gritted teeth. "It's this damned leg..."
Surrounded by ruined plans and now injury, Li-mei's mother was first to break. She scoffed. "I'm done. Fortune clearly isn't in our favor! I'm going home!"
"Ming!"
"Leave me alone!" She stomped off, disappearing into the streets. Her husband sighed.
"We will be heading home, as well, for Liu's health," Tianyu's father added, with nodded agreement from his family.
While the families sulked in the events of today, Tianyu met with Li-mei. "I'm sorry about this. I might just be the unluckiest man in the world."
She shook her head, smiling. "On the other hand..." she motioned for him to look around—people were coming onto the roads, each carrying a sky lantern, "we might be incredibly fortunate."
His eyes widened. Tianyu approached his parents, while Li-mei did the same to her family. "Grandfather, may I stay out for a little while with Tianyu?" The question caught him off guard. But of course, she would ask that; they've done this every lantern festival. Every time, he answered with a resounding yes.
Yet, something gnawed at Aoki this time. Li-mei noticed this, the moment he spent more than a second in thought. "There's always next year."
Her expectant grin fell away. "Why not now?"
"Today hasn't been a good day."
"You're being superstitious!"
"Come home with us. Please." Li-mei hesitated. Aoki never bore a tone less than stern or confidently jovial.
Before she could answer, her father stepped between them. "Father..." he began, "we've been dragging them around the whole day, and it's been a bust. There's no harm in letting them have some fun." Huang took his lack of response as acceptance. He smiled back at Li-mei. "Go on."
She grinned. "Thank you, Father!" Then she ran to Tianyu, who also met success with his family. "Come on. Let's go to our old spot."
The couple hurriedly ran down a path, bouncing along each familiar step, taking them down to the waterfalls.
"That takes me back..." Watching them disappear, Huang moved to go home when he noticed Aoki again. "What's the matter? Why are you... crying?"
Aoki patted his face, only now feeling the wetness of his tears. "I don't know..." He wiped his eyes, returning to the stoic expression they knew him for. "I don't know."
The Nishi family began their trek home, passing by a man in a suit preparing a lantern. He held a finger in the air, feeling the wind.
Down at the running waters, Li-mei and Tianyu skipped between rocks and over the streams. They made it to the edge, finding the familiar spot where they sat with a relieved sigh.
They remained silent for a while, just in time to catch the cloud of sky lanterns flying across the air.
Li-mei was the first to break the silence. "When I'm up here, I feel untouchable."
Tianyu opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated, then forced himself. "I want you to be honest with me."
"About what?" She knew what he meant. "I don't want to marry you."
"But why?"
"I've only seen you as a friend..."
"Really?" Tianyu laughed. Laughed as though he heard the silliest thing today, much to her dismay. "You've always been a terrible liar."
47 released his lantern into the sky.
Her eye twitched. Li-mei snapped. "It's too dangerous for you to know!"
That stopped Tianyu's chortling, a stone-faced countenance taking its place. "Dangerous?"
Li-mei turned away, only now realizing her words.
"All the more reason for you to tell me." She grimaced; he was always persistent with her. "Talk to me, Li-mei. Your burden is my burden."
Sighing, she forced the words out. "Zihao. It has to do with Zihao."
Tianyu's gaze softened. "I'm sorry. It's not easy to move on, is it?"
Li-mei shook her head. "I'm not mourning. It wasn't an accident—he was murdered!"
Amid their silence, a single lantern strayed above.
"The news says the Kronstadt Explosion occurred from that engine they were showing off, but when Zihao was in the hospital, he told me a Korean came in and did something to it, and left. Then it exploded."
"He... said that?"
"It wasn't just me who was there. My other friends, Yingpei, Ju..."
"Bao Ju?"
"She had to pose as a distant relative to get in. When I told her what he said, she wanted to come out of hiding..." Her breath shook. "After Zihao died, Yingpei found out one of the Nunchi employees, a man named Fàn Liang, was imprisoned shortly after. I got him out. He knew what happened."
47 climbed onto the roof of a cliffside building, walking adjacent to the lantern. He clutched his Silverballer pistol at his side. There was still one more bullet in the magazine.
"Nunchi Electronics hired someone to sabotage the engine. Hired them from an organization specialized in assassination. They didn't want Kronstadt Industries competing with her company, and they sacrificed their own employees to stop it."
Tianyu felt his knees go weak. "Li-mei... are you telling the truth?"
"We have the evidence. We're going to blow this whole thing up, but... but if she retaliates, I wanted you to be safe. I wanted you to stop caring about me. Yet... I couldn't bring myself to do that to you."
47 pulled the trigger. The lantern dropped.
"For what it's worth, Tianyu... I always loved you."
The sound of crinkling paper and flame overtook the falling water.
A blinding orange outshined the moonlight. An explosion of heat pushed Tianyu back, and a scream pierced the air—a scream he had never heard a person make before. A fireball engulfed his lover, licking the silk outfit and claiming it as its own. It worked its way to her nape and kissed down her body.
"Li... Li-mei!" Tianyu took his jacket to swat at her, but the fire danced and roared all the same.
Curtained by flame, Li-mei couldn't see. She couldn't sweep the fire off. But there was water at her feet. Li-mei dived into the thin layer of water, worming around like a thirsty fish. No longer was her vision obscured by orange, but now by murky greens and black.
She rolled over to snuff the inferno still on her back.
But where she rolled, there was only the 60-meter drop of the waterfalls.
The sound of a consuming blaze became another yell, ending with a cracking impact.
"Li-mei!" Tianyu scrambled over the edge, staring down with the hope that his love would be there, looking back at him.
He trembled in relief, seeing her move. A feeling that didn't last.
Her eyes rolled to the back. Blood pooled from her head, turning the shallow waters a crimson color. The current made her limp body writhe—the very same movements he saw.
The faint yell of Tianyu cast a silence over the festival.
"Target down. Now find an exit. You'll be in the field again quickly, so rest while you can."
47 climbed down, walking away. Families had gathered together, their festive spirit dazed by the grating yell. An air of confusion settled in.
Charging from up ahead, Nishi Aoki ran towards the falls, panic clear in his eyes. He brushed past 47, who sat waiting for the bus.
FATAL SKY LANTERN ACCIDENT
In Furong, tragedy strikes as a sky lantern falls and burns a young woman alive!
The deceased, Nishi Li-mei, youngest of the affluent Nishi family, was sitting near the edge of the iconic waterfalls with her close friend, Shih Tianyu. A sky lantern fell on her, igniting her in what Shih describes as "an instant fireball." According to him, Nishi attempted to lie in the water to extinguish herself, but was pushed over the edge by the current. She fell over 60 meters, landing on her head.
A panicked Shih called for help, but when people found her, she was already deceased.
Other witnesses saw the sky lantern, which was alone and far from the rest of the lanterns. They claim that it dropped suddenly with no warning or indication.
That evening, Shih gifted Nishi with a silk cheongsam. Authorities believe the dress contributed to the spreading fire.
Nishi Li-mei was known to be a bright, headstrong young woman. She believed in the best of people and valued integrity heavily. She cared deeply for her family, often calling and sending them care packages while she worked in Beijing.
Both families are now pushing for a ban on any more lantern festivals from taking place in Furong...
REMEMBERING THE KRONSTADT EXPLOSION
It has been five years since an explosion at Kronstadt Industries' now-defunct factory claimed the lives of five, but for the victims' families, the pain is still fresh. Even now, they fight for proper conviction and justice.
During a press conference in what was to be a Kronstadt factory, a car engine meant for exhibition exploded as it was presented. The shrapnel killed five: Ding Yu, Xun Huan, Tang Zihao, Tan Xiang, and Cheng Lingxin.
The incident prematurely ended Krondstadt Industries' expansion into South Korea, leaving Nunchi Electronics as the sole, biggest tech firm in the country. The factory manager and several engineers were accused and put on trial, but all were acquitted. CEO Robert Knox declined a comment.
In response to accusations that Nunchi Electronics was behind the explosion, Myung Soo-min—the wife of company Chairman Myung Chul—says, "Our hearts go out to the affected families and victims. We value human life dearly, and we would not dare to commit something so atrocious."
All investigations have found no evidence of foul play, and it was declared a tragic accident...
CICADA BOARD DENIES INVOLVEMENT WITH WARREN PAXTON
CICADA, a globally active private military contracting company, has seen many controversies and accusations throughout its existence. Often referred to as "legal mercenaries for the rich," their soldiers have been at the site of many illicit crimes. The common ones have been scenes of weapons and human trafficking.
Their current controversy revolves around software CEO turned-on-the-run criminal Warren Paxton. Using only a leaked photograph, internet sleuths tracked him to Westmoreland, Jamaica.
These reports coincide with local sightings of CICADA operatives in the area. This has led to widespread speculation that the company aided in Warren's escape from the U.S., and is actively assisting a wanted criminal.
One of CICADA's directors, Yoshihara Nozomi, addressed these claims in an interview. "These allegations are ungrounded and misleading," she claims. "CICADA has always followed a strict honor code. Criminals are off-limits, and if any of our brave soldiers are seen working with them, they are traitors. Otherwise, these accusations are meant to besmirch our reputation."
Detroit, Michigan
The television fizzled out. Its screen cut to static, then to a masked face. Feathered with a beak protruding out, akin to a crow-themed masquerade mask, the figure sat facing the camera.
The static lowered, and he spoke. "Admiral Trent Umphenour." The voice was low and digitally deepened. "Murderer, rapist, and a prime example of corruption in the U.S. military. Nicole Boyer did not happen to kill herself in your tent. She did not glue her gloves over her hands, nor did she pour acid over her genitals. It was not suicide.
"She was a bright, young girl who loved her family. Nicole had her entire life ahead of her, but you snuffed it out for the sake of your sick abuses of power and greedy delusions. Our pathetic government may have glossed over your crimes, but we haven't. We, the TruthSpeakers, can only speak the truth."
Disconnected.
Drystan Wright shut off his mic, leaning back into his creaking, half-rotten, wooden chair. He sighed, living in the usual silence of the apartment. His stomach grumbled for lunch.
He forced himself up, stepping over the mattress and college books-turned doorstop. Drystan shook his bangs out of his eyes, pulling a jar of jelly from the empty fridge. From a cabinet with only one working hinge, he retrieved the peanut butter and sliced bread. He found one of three plates, setting to work.
However, mealtime on the stained couch was interrupted before he could take the first bite of his sandwich. A knock on the door.
The landlady?
Drystan's face scrunched up. Trudging over, he responded by hitting the door with force tenfold. "Like I told you the other day, give me another week! I'll have the money by—"
"I don't want your money."
The landlady wasn't Czech. Somehow, he felt more irritated. "I'm not selling my computer. And there's nothing else you'd want in this shit hole, so fuck off." He was satisfied to leave it there, walking back to his lunch.
"Hm. Corvus really is just a boy. A sad, angry boy." Drystan stopped in his tracks. "Makes sense, considering the namesake."
He cracked the door ajar, bound only by a loose chain lock. Standing here was a woman in black. "How did you find me," he asked, though coming off more as an accusation than a question.
"My boss is the one who found you. I'm just the messenger."
Drystan snorted, indignant. "I see how it is. So, your boot-licking and money-starved ass tracked me down because your sugar daddy of a boss told you to. Let me guess, he wants to give me a warning; tell me it's not my fight, that I should let the oh-so trustworthy government stamp out the world's most obvious corruptions. Disgusting pigs just like him. Well let me give you a message of my own: I will never bend my knee to the likes of you."
She remained unmoved throughout the tirade. "You're definitely who I was looking for." She chuckled, far more amused than the boy. "You're mistaken. I am not here to antagonize you. Quite the opposite, in fact."
He didn't slam the door; her cue to continue.
"You can keep hacking into TVs and DDoS'ing government websites, but you will always be a mosquito to an elephant. Annoying, but they'll live."
Drystan huffed. "You're wrong. What I do and what I say goes on the news. People will hear about it. They will talk. And the government will listen to our voices."
"Don't be ridiculous. People will talk, but nobody is obligated to listen. The topic will fade from everyone's minds, save for a select few. And at that point, it's practically forgotten."
"Are you trying to tell me this is pointless? That my fight will never amount to anything? I won't stop. I will never stop. The moment I shut up, I admit that this life is my fault; that I am powerless, and the truths will always stay under wraps."
"That's just what I wanted to hear." The woman smiled. "People down on their luck, just like you, can change things. We're lending you the gun to kill the elephant."
"We?"
"Like you, my boss has seen the worst of the worst. Hands from ivory towers and corrupt temples have beaten and broken him—us—to the ground. But he has not given up. This is a broken world, run by broken systems. You realize that—we realize that." Her monotonous, messenger-like tone disappeared in lieu of a fit of passion. "A broken world needs its fixers."
Drystan unlatched the chain.