The collective meeting provided Cyrus with little useful intelligence; most of the content was about work reassignments. Her biggest takeaway was getting to see all the members of the Field Operations Group, matching some faces with the information in her files.

The files didn't encompass every member of the Field Operations Group. Some personnel only had brief introductions and names. Those with more detailed records were generally members who had served for over a year and had earned some degree of merit. For those with less notable achievements, their files weren't particularly valuable.

As the teams gradually dispersed from the meeting room, Lan Lan leaned towards Cyrus, "How about we get together for a meal after work, Cyrus?"

"A dinner gathering?" Cyrus was caught off guard.

It was customary to bond over meals with new colleagues, a practice in any workplace. Cyrus had no intention of getting emotionally close to anyone in this second world. Her interactions were limited to chatting and joking; she hadn't even considered dining out.

As a competent undercover agent, personal relationships were a necessity.

Cyrus had seen a spy movie where the female spy said, "Do you know why I'm successful? Because I gave them real emotions, genuine feelings. They felt my sincerity, so they trusted me."

Emotions and trust needed to be nurtured; spending time and effort was the only way to gain others' trust, and dining together was an excellent way to foster relationships.

The dinner invitation from her teammates was a reminder for Cyrus not to appear too distant from those around her.

"Everyone's going, and the captain is treating," Lan Lan added.

Jiang Ming joined in from Cyrus's other side, "We're getting reassigned to the port; we might not have leisure time like today anymore. Let's relax on our last day."

"We have patrol duties tomorrow, so no drinking," Liu Kangyun interjected. "Just having a meal together is good enough."

"Can't turn down a meal when someone's treating," Cyrus agreed after brief contemplation.

Shu Xuyao wove through the crowd to his teammates, "Ten minutes till we're off. Head back to the rest area to change into casual clothes, then meet up on the first floor."

"Alright," Lan Lan whistled cheerfully.

"By the way, Cyrus, what would you like to eat? I'll make the reservation," Shu Xuyao smiled.

Cyrus thought for a moment, "Meat, any kind of meat is fine."

The disgust from the exotic creatures had faded, and after a long afternoon of training, she was severely depleted of energy, her stomach acid churning with hunger.

"Let's go for barbecue then," Shu Xuyao suggested. "There's a good barbecue place in the city center."

They all changed clothes and headed out. In the restroom, Cyrus checked her wrist device for messages. There was nothing new from Red, but Argentum had sent her a barrage of texts.

"You haven't been exposed, have you?"

"I can't tell if you've been captured and can't reply, or you're just busy... You should be okay, right? If you were caught, Red would tell me."

"I went to headquarters and updated my gear, got some weapons, and brought back a professional disguise mask for you."

"Busy day, no time for lunch."

"Are you coming back to the safe house tonight or going home?"

Cyrus replied indifferently, "Not exposed, still alive, going home tonight, sort out your own dinner."

Argentum responded instantly with a string of ellipses.

Dressed and ready, Cyrus took the elevator to the first floor, where Lan Lan, Jiang Ming, and Liu Kangyun were already waiting.

"The captain drove there... Here he comes!" Lan Lan pointed to the reception hall's entrance.

A flashy azure sports car pulled up in front of the Enforcement Department building, its sleek lines reminiscent of a predatory shark. The car's window rolled down to reveal Shu Xuyao sitting inside.

He had changed into a casual black T-shirt, his entire demeanor different from when he was in uniform.

"Ah... this," Cyrus hesitated.

"I'll say it for you; this car is too showy, totally not the captain's usual style," Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow. "Riding in it makes you look like a rich playboy out with his entourage."

"Old Jiang, don't say that," Lan Lan chuckled, holding the door open for Cyrus to enter first. "The captain is indeed a rich playboy."

The honest Liu Kangyun added, "But we're not his entourage."

Shu Xuyao's voice came through the car speakers, "...I can hear what you're saying."

Cyrus settled into the car, the seat automatically adjusting to her posture.

A pleasant perfume scent filled the car, subtle enough not to be overwhelming.

"This car is cool and flashy," Cyrus commented. "I just didn't expect this to be the captain's taste."

"The car was bought by my family, not a reflection of my taste," Shu Xuyao clarified helplessly.

The doors closed, and the car smoothly navigated towards the destination, soft piano music playing from the sound system.

Only police vehicles were allowed to fly within the city limits; private cars could only travel on the ground. However, most high-end sports cars were equipped for both ground and hover driving, a feature designed for the rich to race in suburban tracks.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

The navigation selected a clear route, and they arrived at the restaurant in just twenty minutes.

The restaurant's holographic sign read "Foreigner's Barbecue Bar."

"Foreigner?" Cyrus stared at the sign, puzzled.

The second world had unified globally, and while each region had a high degree of autonomy, there was only one government—the Federal Government. Theoretically, everyone shared the same nationality, and the concept of "foreigners" didn't exist.

"The owner of this barbecue restaurant is a Pole who migrated to Blackwater City. Their cooking style is robust—big portions of meat. You should like it," Shu Xuyao parked the car.

A blond, blue-eyed waiter greeted them with a beaming smile, "Your reserved room is on the third floor, please take the elevator with me."

The waiter turned and spoke rapidly in an incomprehensible language to his colleague... Cyrus listened, and something felt off. Wasn't that language Russian?

"Every time they speak their regional language, it sounds like they've got springs in their mouths," Lan Lan muttered.

The rest of the team nodded in agreement.

It was a multi-ethnic, multilingual society, with different common languages in different regions. Cyrus's theory was that the second world was essentially a parallel timeline of the first world. The official language in her region was English, and the language spoken by the fair-haired, blue-eyed waiter sounded like Russian... Other regions' languages probably corresponded to English, German, French, and so on.

"Perfect World" was a global game, attracting international players who also posted on the beta forums. Cyrus had used a translator to decipher those posts.

The overlap of languages between the first and second worlds meant that transmigrated players at least didn't have to worry about communication issues with the indigenous residents upon arrival.

The barbecue restaurant was decorated with simplicity in mind, free of unnecessary furnishings and decor. Upon entering the room, the rich aroma of spices and a hint of charcoal filled the air.

A chef with a bushy brown beard wheeled in a trolley carrying a whole roasted lamb, the meat resting on a bed of onions, potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower.

Speaking in heavily accented Mandarin, the chef proclaimed, "Pure natural spices and pure natural charcoal, not synthetic. Industrial spices and charcoal can't produce such a perfect roast lamb!"

The ice bucket on the trolley housed several chilled bottles of wine. As the chef reached for the corkscrew, Shu Xuyao stopped him, "We'll have to pass on the wine."

"Wine is complimentary with the roast lamb," the chef urged passionately. "Eating barbecue without wine is soulless—big bites of meat deserve big sips of wine!"

Shu Xuyao declined once more, and the chef reluctantly set down the corkscrew.

Most people nowadays consumed synthetic meat, with real meat costing three times as much. The price of a whole roast lamb must be exorbitant, but for Shu Xuyao, who could afford such an expensive sports car, the cost of this meal was likely just a drop in the bucket.

Shu Xuyao poured juice for everyone and raised his glass, "The most celebratory event today is that our seventh squad, originally a team of four, has welcomed our fifth member—a new comrade worthy of watching our backs."

"Let's give it our all, Cyrus," Lan Lan toasted.

"Everyone here is reliable. As teammates, we'll spend a lot of time together, so let's communicate well," Jiang Ming smiled and raised his glass. "Welcome, Cyrus."

Lastly, Liu Kangyun lifted his glass, "If you have any questions, ask me. I'll teach you. Welcome to the team."

Cyrus clinked glasses with each of them, putting on a serious face, "Thank you, everyone! I'll do my best to be a dependable teammate."

...

After a hearty meal that left half the roast lamb uneaten, everyone packed some to take home.

Cyrus declined Shu Xuyao's offer to drive her back, opting to roam the city center streets alone with her portion of roast lamb.

People bustled along the streets under the glow of neon lights, with various advertisements morphing around her, but she no longer watched with the same curiosity as her first time.

Cyrus didn't want to go home. At home, she would have to deal with Argentum, discuss her transfer to the Coast Security Team with Red, and worry about the mole.

All these responsibilities wore on her.

It was only her fourth day—just the fourth day since her transmigration.

On the first day, Cyrus had been recuperating in the healing pod, encountering two robbers on her way home that night. It was her first time taking a life.

The second day was relatively peaceful as she studied the knowledge of this world, looking through the files.

On the third day, she received a field assignment and shot the player Swordwood. That evening, she met with members of Mechanism Dawn and was attacked by a mole on her way home, narrowly escaping death.

Today, the fourth day, she had passed the examination by the heads of the Enforcement Department and became an official member, then underwent orientation training with Shu Xuyao.

Recalling the events of the past few days, Cyrus couldn't help but curse, "What kind of life is this!"

She felt like flipping off the heavens.

Life was too full. In just a few days, Cyrus had become a master of time management—working at the Enforcement Department by day, for Mechanism Dawn by night, and cramming knowledge in between...

Now it was the evening of the fourth day, and Cyrus didn't head home. She wandered the streets, occasionally checking her wrist device for new messages, wondering what "surprises" awaited her tonight.

Cyrus remained emotionally unshaken, no matter what surprises or scares came her way. Anyone's mindset would undergo dramatic changes after facing so many life-and-death crises in just four days.

Like the first time entering a haunted house might startle you, but frequent visits make it hard to scare you again. Your courage grows with each encounter, and seeing the ghouls jump out becomes almost laughable.

Even though tonight's surprises and scares hadn't yet arrived, Cyrus had a hunch the evening wouldn't pass so peacefully.

And indeed, it didn't.

Red sent a message: "Madame Riches, the mole has been identified, consistent with your intuition—it's Python."

"Do we have a plan?" Cyrus asked, her tone detached.

Red replied, "Kill Python, retrieve his blood, then bring it to me. You know my supernatural ability. With his blood, he'll have no secrets from me. I need to know who planted him as a mole in our organization."

Red's power related to memory reading? And the medium was blood?

"Okay," Cyrus paused before adding, "What about Thornrose?"

"She's clean," Red assured. "She'll assist you. I trust her capabilities."

"Understood," Cyrus responded. "I'll proceed swiftly."

"Do it quickly, Madame Riches," Red urged. "Our harbor bombing mission can't afford any mistakes. Best to act within the next two days and nip the danger in the bud. Mixologist and I aren't suited for combat, but we can provide remote support. If you need manpower, call headquarters... but knowing you, I think you'd prefer to handle the traitor yourself, right?"

Cyrus ended the communication, her mind racing.

The mole was Python, just as her instinct had guided her.

She halted at a bustling intersection, deep in thought, considering how to kill Python safely and securely.

She calmly deduced, methodically devising a murder plan.

Plan One involves using a mission as a pretext to draw Python out and have Argentum and Thornrose ambush him.

Plan Two would have Thornrose report Python's whereabouts and take him out on his inevitable route.

Both strategies offer some room for execution, but they come with a caveat: they only have one shot at this. If Python senses anything amiss, the mission will fail. Knowing his cover is blown, Python won't give them another opportunity to act.

"Do you have any guns in the gear you brought back?" Cyrus messaged Argentum.

"I've got a handgun and some mini explosives," Argentum replied immediately. "Only brought a small box of bullets; couldn't carry much."

"Not enough. Head to the port's armory and get a sniper rifle. See if they have a K80 model. If not, take another model," Cyrus instructed. "And get more bullets."

"Alright... Looks like I'll be making several trips; can't carry it all in one go," Argentum complained.

After a moment's thought, and to ensure Argentum's continued enthusiasm, Cyrus offered an incentive: "I brought back roasted lamb."

"I'm heading to the armory now!" Argentum's response was even quicker.

The traffic light turned green, and Cyrus crossed the street with the flow of people, making her way to the hover train station to wait for her ride.

While waiting, Cyrus calculated all the possibilities, determined to make this murder plan foolproof.

What drove her to be so proactive, so careful, and so resolute in her desire to kill Python wasn't Red's directive, not the fear of her undercover identity being exposed, but a strong desire for retribution.

A fierce desire for retribution.

Cyrus could not tolerate someone who had tried to kill her living comfortably in this world. It was the first time she genuinely wanted someone dead.