He Ling stood in front of the map, her eyes fixed on the marked target. Determination flickered in her gaze. The room was thick with tension, as if every second was draining the last of their chances.

“We have 24 hours,” He Ling broke the silence. “The Bureau’s security system upgrades in 24 hours. You need to infiltrate before then.”

Li Chuan stood nearby, a sense of unease tightening in his chest. He was familiar with the Bureau’s systems, but this mission was different. He glanced at Suna, who was calmly adjusting her gear, her movements precise, her expression unreadable.

“We're going in as security system engineers?” Li Chuan scratched his head with a wry smile. “And if we get caught, what do we say? ‘Sorry, just here to fix the lights?’”

Suna looked up briefly and replied, “Maybe you should practice your talking skills.”

Li Chuan shrugged. “I just hope they don’t ask too many questions. I’m bad at lying.”

Suna sighed softly, her tone still calm. “Then don’t give them a reason to ask.”

He Ling glanced at them, nodding slightly. “Our insider has prepared fake IDs and credentials for you. According to the plan, enter the outer perimeter, gather intel, and don’t engage the core areas directly.”

“Understood,” Suna replied simply.

Li Chuan muttered under his breath, “Let’s hope these guys aren’t too chatty.”

They walked into the outer security checkpoint, dressed as engineers. Li Chuan tried to look casual, but his heart was racing. The security officer scanned their credentials, his eyes shifting between Suna and Li Chuan.

“Mission details?” one of the guards asked coldly.

Suna didn’t hesitate, pulling out a prepared mission order from her pocket. “We’ve been sent for emergency security system upgrades. Urgent orders.”

The guard frowned but waved them through.

Li Chuan exhaled quietly, but the tension inside him remained. They entered the outer section of the research facility, the cold blue lights flickering around them, casting an oppressive aura.

“What’s the plan now?” Li Chuan asked quietly.

Suna scanned the area, her eyes sharp with caution. “We’ll pretend to do routine checks. Keep a low profile. And move quickly.”

They reached an electrical control area, where Li Chuan faked inspecting the systems. Suna stood nearby, silently keeping watch.

Suddenly, a group of security personnel walked past. One of them stopped, eyeing them suspiciously. Li Chuan's heart skipped a beat, his hands freezing mid-motion.

“I need to verify your IDs,” the guard demanded, extending his hand.

Li Chuan tensed, his mind racing through scenarios. He shot a quick glance at Suna, who remained calm as always.

Just as the guard was about to scan their IDs, Li Chuan had an idea. He quickly accessed his device, entering a few lines of code to simulate a “system delay.”

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“There seems to be a problem with the system…” Li Chuan swallowed nervously, pretending to stay calm.

The guard frowned, glancing at the screen. “Fine. Just get on with your work.”

Li Chuan let out a quiet breath of relief, but the tension didn’t fade completely. For a moment, he realized how much Suna had been relying on his technical skills. A strange sense of confidence surged through him.

When the guards were gone, Li Chuan whispered, his voice trembling, “That was close.”

Suna glanced at him, her gaze cold. “Focus. The mission is far from over.”

They continued deeper into the facility, approaching the core area where security grew tighter. Surveillance equipment blinked ominously around them, and Li Chuan's pulse quickened once more.

“Maybe we should turn back,” he whispered.

Suna didn’t answer, her focus on a nearby control panel, looking for a way to breach the system.

Suddenly, the control panel flickered to life, and a sharp alarm rang through the hall.

“We’ve been spotted!” Li Chuan exclaimed.

Suna immediately worked the controls, trying to shut off the alarm, but it was too late. Heavy footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor. Li Chuan turned, spotting security robots rapidly closing in on them.

“Prepare for combat,” Suna said coldly, drawing her weapon and firing ahead.

The robots reacted quickly, but Suna’s aim was precise. Several shots slowed their movement, but it wasn’t enough to stop them.

“They’re calling for backup!” Li Chuan warned urgently.

“Get to the control panel. I’ll hold them off,” Suna commanded, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Li Chuan rushed to the control panel, frantically attempting to shut down the system. Just as he disabled one of the robots, another set of heavy footsteps approached, accompanied by the metallic sound of grinding steel.

Li Chuan’s head shot up. At the end of the corridor, a sleek liquid metal figure approached silently.

His heart lurched, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. “A remolder…”

Suna’s eyes narrowed, quickly assessing the situation. “We need to retreat. Now.”

They turned and bolted, Suna firing behind them as they ran. The bullets hit the remolder, but its liquid metal body absorbed the shots effortlessly.

“It won’t go down!” Li Chuan's voice was laced with despair, but he kept running.

Suna glanced at him coldly, gritting her teeth. “Stop talking and find an exit.”

The remolder closed in, its steps growing faster. They dashed into a narrow hallway, the lights dimming around them. Li Chuan’s eyes scanned the walls, suddenly spotting something familiar—the Bureau’s automated defense systems.

His heart leapt. “Those are defense turrets! They can attack it!”

Suna shot him a quick glance, understanding instantly. She slowed her pace deliberately, baiting the remolder closer.

With a click, a laser grid activated from the ceiling. The mechanical arms whirred to life, and Suna rolled to the side, dodging out of range. The lasers struck the remolder head-on.

The liquid metal trembled under the assault, and the remolder's movements slowed.

“Let’s go!” Suna grabbed Li Chuan, pulling him toward the exit.

Behind them, the lasers and mechanical arms continued their barrage, filling the air with the smell of burning metal. Li Chuan glanced back, his voice tight. “It won’t hold for long. It’s adapting to the attacks!”

Suna's gaze remained focused ahead, her voice cold and decisive. “While it’s trapped, we find the next safe point.”

They burst through the exit, the door slamming shut behind them. The lasers and mechanical arms continued to work behind them, holding the remolder at bay. But they knew it was only a matter of time before it broke free and resumed its pursuit.

Their footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, the distant sound of the remolder’s cold chase haunting the silence. They both knew that the worst was still to come.

“Every step we take is a gamble,” Li Chuan muttered under his breath.

Suna let out a sharp laugh. “Then let’s win the bet.”

But as they rounded the next corner, the remolder appeared again, this time blocking their path entirely. Its metal arm rose slowly, a blade glinting in the dim light.

Just then, the remolder’s movements faltered. Its metal form trembled, as if… thinking.

“Awakened?” The remolder’s cold voice broke the silence.

Li Chuan and Suna froze, stunned. They had never expected the remolder to possess such awareness.

In the next moment, the remolder stepped back, retreating down the corridor, vanishing into the shadows as if it had deliberately spared them.

Li Chuan stood there, his voice trembling. “Why… why did it let us go?”

Suna frowned, her gaze filled with complexity. “The remolder… it’s thinking.” She looked at Li Chuan, her voice steady. “This remolder has consciousness. Things just got a lot more complicated.”