137: Chapter 137 Under Surveillance

He had to ask this question in person.

It wasn't because he truly cared that K knew his address; his identity had long ceased to be a secret to The Resistance.

Rather, it was because he couldn't let The Resistance know that he was already aware that K was a B-rank ability user.

When they met, his attitude toward K was cooperative and obedient, perfectly matching the reaction a normal peripheral Healer should have when facing a high-level powerhouse of the organization.

If he were to directly question, "Why send a B-rank?", it would be tantamount to admitting that he could instantly judge K's true strength, a capability that was a trump card he didn't want to reveal.

Therefore, he had to treat K as just an ordinary liaison who was slightly more capable than himself. By approaching the confrontation with this mindset, his dissatisfaction would be directed at the exposure of his address itself, rather than at how strong the person sent was.

Sun Yi set his cup on the table and leaned back in his chair. After listening, his expression didn't change much, as if he were dealing with a trouble he had long anticipated.

He remained silent for a moment before speaking, his tone carrying a bit more of an explanatory weight than usual:

"This is an instruction from the higher-ups for this period. There is an important mission in two days, and the higher-ups need to control every detail. You playing Mr. A to hold the line is a crucial part, so someone must control the pace. This is something that can't be helped."

He paused, looked up at Zhen Lu, slowed his speech, and added a personal guarantee to the official phrasing he had just used:

"But rest assured. Once these few days pass and the matter is resolved, K won't stay at your place any longer. We'll arrange for a departure immediately; it won't have any other impact on your identity."

"I hope you keep your word."

Zhen Lu pushed his cup toward the edge of the table. His tone had softened slightly compared to before, but it still carried an unmistakable seriousness,

"I don't want to become someone everyone wants to beat up."

Then, he changed the subject:

"Alright, let's leave it at that. I'm going to browse the game and play for a while."

After hearing this, Sun Yi didn't reply immediately. He rubbed his fingers along the rim of his cup twice before speaking, his tone carrying a hint of caution:

"Because of the organization's recent affairs, you cannot act alone while playing the game."

Zhen Lu looked up at Sun Yi:

"What does that mean? Is this surveillance?"

"This doesn't count as surveillance."

Sun Yi met his gaze, keeping his tone as relaxed and casual as possible,

"This can only be called us supervising each other. Since I'm also in the game, we'll just be keeping an eye on each other."

"Does that mean you want to form a team and play with me?"

"Sure. Playing games, teaming up is quite good too. It's evening anyway, we have plenty of time."

Zhen Lu picked up his cup and took a sip, not saying anything more.

The words were well-spoken, but the packaging wasn't hard to unwrap; this was naked surveillance, just with a less harsh phrasing.

There was no need for him to refuse either. With the play having reached this point, having Sun Yi following along was actually more controllable than having him watching from the shadows.

Matthew hadn't replied to his message yet; he was probably still looking into the situation.

In fact, he wasn't afraid of K, this B-rank, right now.

Back when he was C-rank, he already didn't fear opponents of the same level. Now, with passives like Energy Affinity, Cellular Activation, and Slow Healing stacked up, plus the five-fold capacity of Energy Storage, his stamina and survivability were on a completely different level.

If it really came down to running away, he had enough trump cards to endure tracking and pursuit.

What he feared was what would happen after running: the chain reaction from The Resistance, the identity crisis regarding the Church, and the escalation of his wanted status by the Guardians.

Therefore, this play had to continue to be performed.

"Alright then, let's team up today." Zhen Lu didn't waste any more words and directly sent a team invitation to Sun Yi.

Sun Yi accepted, and both their names lit up on the panel.

Sun Yi leaned back in his chair, holding his cup, and asked casually: "What do you usually play?"

"Nothing special. I spend all my money in the game, so my level is quite high now. I usually just do temporary missions and wander through various worlds. I'll pick a temporary descent mission, and you can just follow me."

Sun Yi nodded: "Sure."

Zhen Lu had Xiaoguang filter the mission list directly. His gaze stopped on the first item that popped up.

World Name: Iron City.

As soon as he saw this name, he remembered it. The last time he entered Iron City, he had descended naked, was caught and beaten up as an adulterer. The skill he got back then was Pain Suppression.

Iron City had spawned again this time, and the attached skill was Early Warning, with no extra requirements.

He needed this skill quite a bit right now.

Without hesitation, he clicked accept. A white light flashed, and both of them disappeared from the plaza simultaneously.

The soles of their feet stepped onto the dark carpet of a hotel lobby, the air filled with a faint scent of aromatherapy and the chill of air conditioning.

Zhen Lu opened his eyes and discovered that he was wearing clothes this time, letting out a sigh of relief.

He was in a well-tailored black suit, his tie knotted neatly, his leather shoes polished until they shone, and a pair of sunglasses clipped to his chest.

Sun Yi, beside him, was in the same attire, currently looking down and examining his own outfit.

Before he could take another look at the surroundings, a person standing in front made him almost laugh out loud.

It was that familiar figure, that same cocky demeanor; it was the Summoning Master who had hired him to be a body double and take a beating when he descended naked in Iron City last time.

"Long time no see, Brother Naked." Zhen Lu walked straight up and extended his hand toward him.

The other party turned his head, froze for a moment, and then recognized him. The expression on his face changed from surprise to delight, and he grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously:

"Long time no see! Brother Naked! I didn't expect it to be you who accepted my mission this time!"

Both of them addressed each other this way, and after speaking, they couldn't help but smile at each other. Sun Yi, standing nearby, watched this scene with a look of confusion on his face.

The Summoning Master let go of his hand, skipping the polite opening remarks, and cut straight to the point:

"Since we're acquaintances, I'll speak directly. Brother, you know my hobbies; I didn't bring any subordinates today. A friend just called me over to the room upstairs, and I don't know when her husband might come."

He took out his phone, swiped a few times, and a photo popped up on the screen. The photo showed a square-faced middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses; he looked quite refined, but there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes.

"It's this guy, her husband. In case he comes, help me block him and buy me some time."

Then he turned to look at Sun Yi:

"This brother here, you just watch downstairs for me. If you see her husband coming, just come up and notify me. I'll send you the room number."

He picked up his phone and gestured,

"Just this little thing, it won't take long. By tomorrow morning, 8 hours, it'll be over. No problem, right?"

"This is a good gig, don't worry. It's better than last time; this time I don't have to take a beating for you." Upon hearing the mission content, Zhen Lu was amused on the spot.

Upon hearing this, Brother Naked's smile became even brighter, and he patted him on the shoulder:

"Brother, you're being too polite. There's nothing to it this time. Once it's over, don't worry, I'll add another twenty thousand to each of you. I won't be stingy, brother!"

"Alright, then go ahead, don't waste your beautiful evening." Zhen Lu waved at him. Brother Naked didn't stand on ceremony anymore, turned, and walked quickly through the lobby toward the elevator area, his steps light, showing he was in quite a good mood.