Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Shi Liming froze and glanced at her. “Where?”


  Qin Ran lowered her hand and squinted at Cheng Mu as he slowly climbed up from the training ground.

  She didn’t speak again.

  Beside her, Shi Liming stared at her profile, hesitant.

  Cheng Mu looked battered and exhausted, but his injuries weren’t serious. He just didn’t expect a person smaller than him to beat him up and cut a sorry figure of him. Hence, he walked out of the martial arts field with his head hung low in defeat.

  Looking at him, Shi Liming coughed. Instead of asking about Jerry, he spoke as if nothing had happened. “Brother Cheng Mu, I’m bringing Miss Qin to the underground city. Do you want to come along?”


  Because Qin Ran and Shi Liming stood on the upper deck, Cheng Mu hadn’t noticed them from his angle.

  Hearing Shi Liming speak as if nothing had happened, Cheng Mu secretly sighed in relief. They might not have noticed the incident.

  “My clothes are a little dirty, I’ll go back and change them first,” Cheng Mu said.

  Qin Ran leaned against the woodpile behind, her eyes squinted while playing a game on her phone. Without looking up, she replied in a plain tone, “Okay, hurry up.”


  She sounded normal as well.

  Cheng Mu heaved another sigh of relief. “Okay.”


  He quickly returned to his room to change his clothes.

  He lived on the first floor of the old castle in the middle, beside Cheng Shui.

  Shi Liming stood beside Qin Ran and watched as Cheng Mu left. Unlike Cheng Mu, he had climbed up from the bottom, step by step. Although he wasn’t powerful enough to enter the law enforcement hall, he was still considered capable in the procurement hall.

  He hadn’t experienced the same disparity that Cheng Mu now felt and so couldn’t understand his feelings, but he could empathize with the pressure placed on him.

  Within seven minutes, Cheng Mu returned.

  “Let’s go.” Shi Liming took out the car key from his pocket and led them out of the gate.

  **

  Not far away, a group of people was also walking towards this side.

  Cheng Shui walked in front, followed by Cheng Huo, a young blond woman, and several leaders.

  The leaders were talking enthusiastically to the young blond woman.

  Qin Ran reached out to pull her hat down.

  Both parties had already seen each other.

  When Tang Qing saw Cheng Mu and Shi Liming, they weren’t extremely familiar-looking. However, she had some impressions of Cheng Mu from seeing him in the chamber just now.

  He was probably not an important person, so she simply averted her gaze quickly.

  As for Qin Ran…… she directly ignored her.

  She thought they would bypass the three people, but unexpectedly, the group around her stopped.

  Leader Zhou said politely and respectfully, “Miss Qin.”


  Even Cheng Shui stopped and bowed to Miss Qin. Then, he asked carefully, “Miss Qin, are you going out to play?”


  Leader Zhou’s lips twitched involuntarily at the word “play”.

  “Yeah,” Qin Ran responded lazily.

  “Shi Liming, follow Miss Qin well……” Cheng Shui turned to Shi Liming and asked where he was going. Then, he carefully gave him instructions again.

  Cheng Huo had already heard of Miss Qin through Cheng Mu.

  “Miss Qin,” he called and looked up at Qin Ran curiously.

  Qin Ran pulled down her down jacket hat, covering her face and revealing only her white and delicate jaw.

  Her face looked extremely pale against her black clothing.

  Some people had good-looking features, and even if their faces couldn’t be seen clearly, it still couldn’t hinder others’ judgments.

  “This is Cheng Huo.” Cheng Shui immediately introduced him to Qin Ran. “I was going to bring him to visit you at night.”


  In front of Qin Ran, Cheng Huo coughed and maintained a serious attitude.

  He introduced himself solemnly to her.

  Cheng Huo held a reputation beyond just Continent M. Even in the world of hackers, his name was like thunder piercing the ears.

  This was why Tang Qing was willing to follow him.

  She actually didn’t know which force Cheng Huo was loyal to in Continent M, but the forces that could hire him were definitely not simple. After entering the manor gate and seeing the red spider lily pattern on the gate, she had already estimated his power.

  As expected, his status was high.

  The other men respected Cheng Shui and Cheng Huo very much.

  Aside from their mysterious boss, this was the first time Tang Qing saw Cheng Shui and Cheng Huo behave so respectfully to another person, especially a woman who seemed to have little offensive power.

  At first, she didn’t even pay attention to her, but now, she couldn’t help but take a second look at Qin Ran. However, she really couldn’t see anything in her.

  Cheng Shui said a few more words and didn’t stop Qin Ran for too long. He stood and watched as Qin Ran and Cheng Mu left.

  “Why does Cheng Mu look like his wife just died?” Cheng Huo put one hand in his pocket and raised an eyebrow.

  Cheng Shui glanced at Cheng Huo and said sternly, “.…… Cheng Huo, don’t talk nonsense.”


  Cheng Huo nodded and looked away. He wanted to inquire about Miss Qin but temporarily held himself back in front of all the people.

  After Qin Ran’s group disappeared, Cheng Shui continued taking Tang Qing around the whole manor.

  **

  Shi Liming spotted Qin Ran’s black car at the manor gate the moment they came out.

  He drove while Cheng Mu sat on the co-pilot seat.

  Fastening his seat belt, Cheng Mu turned and glanced in the direction they had come from. “Who’s that blond woman? Do you know her?”


  He glanced curiously at Shi Liming.

  After entering the manor, Cheng Mu had suffered several heavy blows. Especially today, after seeing Cheng Huo bring back a woman. She was so capable that even Cheng Huo entertained her personally.

  Cheng Mu felt like a random cleaning servant in the manor was probably better than him.

  “Yeah, someone in the procurement hall told me before.” Shi Liming turned the car key and slowly drove into the avenue. “That’s Tang Qing, Mr. Cheng Huo’s junior. She’s a hacker.”


  At the back, Qin Ran was playing with her phone when she heard the word “hacker”. Looking up, she expressed her interest. “Hacker?”


  Seeing that Qin Ran was interested, Shi Liming quickly sat upright and answered, “I heard that she’s a hacker and the latest member of the Hacker Alliance. Her most recent feat was breaking into the Koeln Triangle building and retreating safely. Mr. Cheng Huo said she’s only a little behind him in terms of skills and is very powerful, so he’s preparing to add her as a new member of the information hall.”


  There was a hint of awe in his voice.

  After all…… no one would disrespect a powerful hacker……

  Cheng Mu listened in awe as well. The Hacker Alliance didn’t sound like a simple organization.

  But he glanced at the rearview mirror and wondered, was she better than Qin Ran?

  Was Qin Ran the third party who had infiltrated the aircraft parking ground’s system the night before?

  Qin Ran seemed to be pressing on her phone in the rearview mirror, but the phone didn’t look ordinary and was fluorescent.

  Before he could take a closer look, Qin Ran looked up.

  Cheng Mu was so shocked that he quickly turned around.

  Qin Ran looked away and casually reached out to turn her phone over. It flipped into a mini-computer.

  Soon, a sweet female voice came from the speaker—


  [Go straight at the traffic light intersection one hundred meters ahead.]

  When the system prompt sounded, Shi Liming was shocked. It happened to be the red light, so he stopped the car and picked up his mobile phone while waiting for the green light. “What’s going on? I didn’t turn on the navigation?”


  Shi Liming had stayed in Continent M for so long. Although the underground city was a money squandering establishment, he had been there before and knew it very well. Hence, he didn’t need navigation.

  The navigation ringing by itself had shocked him.

  “Let’s follow the navigation.” Cheng Mu saw that Qin Ran remained silent and looked to Shi Liming.

  Miss Qin…… Suddenly, Cheng Mu fully understood.

  “Brother Cheng Mu, you scared me to death.” Shi Liming didn’t know that Qin Ran was a hacker. He thought Cheng Mu had been responsible for the navigation.

  Cheng Mu glanced at him and said nothing.

  **

  The car drove further and finally stopped at a black street junction.

  Shi Liming was familiar with this place.

  Many people in the manor who sought breakthroughs would come here.

  But Shi Liming didn’t come here often. He couldn’t adapt to the atmosphere here.

  “Miss Qin…… here?” He parked the car but didn’t get down. He sat in his seat and glanced at Qin Ran apprehensively.

  The expression on Qin Ran’s face didn’t change much and could even be said to be indifferent. Desolate coldness was obvious in her silent eyes. “Let’s get down.”


  She took the lead in getting down.

  From time to time, someone on the black street would wobble around with weapons.

  Beside the street was a particularly chaotic slum.

  Qin Ran looked down at the entrance.

  The people stared at the newcomers. A strong man biting on a cigarette narrowed his eyes at Qin Ran. But when he saw the red spider lily pattern on her sleeves, even the cigarette in his mouth trembled.

  He quickly withdrew his gaze.

  “Follow me.” Qin Ran first walked in one direction.

  There was only one place here: the arena.

  Shi Liming originally wanted to lead the way. He didn’t expect Qin Ran to walk directly in the right direction.

  “Xiao Shi, where are we going?” Cheng Mu followed behind Qin Ran and whispered to Shi Liming.

  Shi Liming didn’t answer. The gate of the arena was already in view.

  The scary cross logo of two black skulls exuded an inexplicable sense of oppression.

  Taking out a black card from her pocket, Qin Ran handed it to Shi Liming and said, “Go and get a VIP card.”


  In the arena, other than those fighting in the ring, the rest were spectators who bet and gambled. VIP cards started at a minimum price of 10 million M coins. VIPs had special aerial stands and rooms as well as special permissions. When the rich wanted to seek excitement, they would even work as goalkeepers on the side of the arena.

  The three of them went in. It was like a contrast between heaven and earth. It was so noisy inside, and the sounds of cheering and cursing could be heard from time to time.

  They played black boxing here. Even if it was an ordinary ring, the people here would stop at nothing to win.

  Some people were forced to fight for life or death here……

  If they won, they would be the national hero. If they lost, they would lose all their money or even their lives.

  Although Cheng Mu had experienced bitter and stern special training before, it mainly challenged the human body and wasn’t vicious.

  Even though he had been on missions with Hao Dui several times and had experienced countless life-threatening situations already, never had he witnessed such a dark scene of oppression.

  His face turned pale.

  He couldn’t take it. “Xiao Shi, let’s bring Miss Qin somewhere else……”


  He turned his head and wanted to see the state of Qin Ran and Shi Liming. Shi Liming was frowning slightly and didn’t seem much different.

  As for Qin Ran……

  Cheng Mu’s expression changed. Qin Ran’s expression was much calmer than he imagined.

  “We’ll leave after one match. Do you have a cigarette?” Qin Ran glanced at Cheng Mu.

  Cheng Mu hesitated before taking out a pack of cigarettes. He would really be killed by Cheng Juan if he found out. Qin Ran reached out and pulled one out quickly.

  Looking down, she didn’t smoke nor ignite the cigarette. She just looked at Cheng Mu and smiled mysteriously. “Cheng Mu, you have to pay a high price if you want to become strong.”


  Her frivolous attitude finally felt familiar to Cheng Mu.

  He returned to his senses.

  Qin Ran patted his shoulder and chuckled in a low voice. Then, her eyes narrowed and she said lazily, “Cheng Shui and the others all walk on the edge of hell. Those more powerful than you weren’t naturally born to be so. You’re strong, and your qualifications aren’t weak either. You might not die if I let you fight, but you might be disabled. You have to go all out in every game and stay on edge. Do you dare to fight?”


  She stared at him.

  Shi Liming stood between them, not daring to speak.

  Cheng Mu was shocked. If he hadn’t experienced what he had these days, he really might not dare.

  But at this moment, he squeezed his fists, stared at Qin Ran, and said roughly, “Miss Qin, I dare!”


  His eyes reflected his fear of life and death.

  Qin Ran touched her chin and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  “Got it.” Qin Ran reached out to pull down her hat. Then, she turned around and walked out. “Let’s go back.”


  Stunned, Cheng Mu caught up with her quickly. “Miss Qin, aren’t we fighting?”


  Shi Liming also followed behind Qin Ran. He thought she would let Cheng Mu fight in the arena.

  “Xiao Shi, do you have a small indoor training ground in your manor?” Qin Ran walked out and took out her mobile phone. She then pressed on Gu Xichi’s profile—


  [Do you have medicine? The kind for quick recovery of the cells after getting beaten…… I need them all.]

  She made a long list.

  Gu Xichi’s reply was very fast—


  [Yes.]

  Qin Ran sent the manor address directly.

  But only then did she feel like something was wrong.