Illusion Report

November 23rd. What a truly memorable day.

Reports called Blackmoor City a massive center for noise pollution; the city was constantly subjected to noise levels as high as ninety decibels. Walking down the street was practically the equivalent of someone screaming directly into your ear. But as Jin Xueli walked along at this moment, the only sound that reached her ears was the song of a choir—bright, ethereal, and soaring to the heavens.

She couldn’t resist opening her handbag to peek inside again.

’How many times have I checked it on the way here? I’m always afraid that the next time I open it, it’ll be gone.’

But every time she opened it, Jin Xueli saw it, pinned to the side of her bag by an umbrella and a power bank.

Still, none of it felt real.

Such a thin document, tucked into such a thin folder, had almost no discernible weight when she shook her bag.

And yet this handful of paper allowed her to cross a chasm that countless people didn’t even dare to imagine.

Beauty, innate talent, skill, wisdom... In the vast sea of eight billion people, such dazzling qualities were as common as sand on a beach—endless and found in every handful.

Blackmoor City, in particular, had no shortage of excellent and talented people.

Talent, hard work, genius... You see so much of it that the city seems to have developed a faint, weary numbness. It’s like an invisible iron wall that smacks young dreamers from small towns right in the face.

The part-time barista near her apartment had hundreds of her own costume designs for film and television saved on her phone. The person who took the coffee from the barista’s hand might have several degrees hanging on their office wall. The person walking six or seven dogs for someone else could be on their way to a recording studio for an audition... They were all just part of the faceless crowd, struggling with all their might just to survive, day in and day out.

But as of today, Jin Xueli was no longer one of them. She had been separated from the masses and placed into that minuscule fraction of human society.

The other shore—one that could rarely be reached through hard work, talent, or wisdom alone.

She still couldn’t help but ask, why?

’Why me?’

If she hadn’t fallen into a Nest at nineteen, during a moment of despair when she’d tried to end her own life, she would never have reached this day...

She cut the thought short.

Joy was one thing, but the doubts in Jin Xueli’s heart hadn’t lessened one bit.

She had gone to the lawyer’s office with the necessary documents today and signed a few papers. The rest was taken care of. She hadn’t even met Scott, let alone found anyone to answer the questions that were clawing at her.

Besides, she hadn’t yet decided if she should sell the shares immediately or wait for their value to potentially double in the future. After all, the shares were just paper until they were sold. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that this whole business with the shares was far more complicated than it appeared.

No matter how she looked at it, she had to talk to Chaisi.

But ever since her brief call with Tian Xi yesterday, Chaisi had vanished into thin air, completely out of contact.

’Maybe I should pay the Kai Family a visit...’

’If nothing else, I should at least express my gratitude and concern in person, right? Besides, I also want to know how Han Liuyue is doing.’

Jin Xueli made several calls in a row before finally reaching Tian Xi, who promptly and decisively shut her down. "Don’t come."

"Huh? That’s not right. You don’t understand. I received a huge reward, I—"

"I know,"

Tian Xi cut her off, then paused. "Well, I don’t know the exact amount you received, but the Kai Family has always been generous to Hunters who’ve distinguished themselves. We don’t have a monthly salary. Besides selling Illusions, the reward for following the Family Faction’s assignments is never small... It’s standard practice in the Kai Family. You don’t need to come here just to thank us for that."

’Ah, so that’s why the Kai Family Hunters always seem so much more proactive and loyal than those from other Family Factions.’

’Then again, it’s not like I’m only going to say thank you...’

"But I still have some questions that only Chaisi can answer."

"Then when he’s free, he’ll answer you. If he hasn’t gotten back to you, it means he’s busy. Brother Chaisi is busy, so it’s no use for you to come." Tian Xi’s refusal was absolute.

"What’s he doing? Is he okay? Do you need my help?"

He had been gone for over a day. While that wasn’t very long, once she factored in the strange situation with Han Liuyue, Jin Xueli couldn’t help but worry about Chaisi.

Tian Xi hesitated.

It was hard to tell if he was just tight-lipped or if he didn’t know how to phrase it, but he paused for several seconds before speaking. "It’s... it’s fine. Yeah, he should be fine. He should be able to handle it himself... At least, I don’t think you’d be of any help."

The frustration of not getting an answer felt like a sharp talon about to pierce through Jin Xueli’s skull.

’What did he mean, "he should be fine," but "I wouldn’t be of any help"?’

’If he’s fine, he wouldn’t need help. And if I can’t help, doesn’t that mean it’s something serious?’

’I have to dig a little deeper.’

"Don’t worry, I’m not looking for a reward for helping this time, really," Jin Xueli said magnanimously. "Many hands make light work, right? It’s like they say, two heads are better than—"

"No—it’s not about the reward," Tian Xi sighed. "On behalf of Brother Chaisi, thank you for the thought, but we’re good. You should get some rest. We’ll be in touch later."

’This guy is like talking to a brick wall.’

"Then what about Han Liuyue?" Jin Xueli tried a different tack. "Is she with Chaisi?"

The question seemed to strike an invisible chord. Tian Xi was clearly flustered for a moment, swallowing whatever he had been about to say. "Yes... they’re together," he finally managed.

’For over a day? Have they been together this whole time?’

"Are they both at the Kai Family’s place? By the way, where is that? You don’t seem to have an office in the city like some of the other Hunter Family Factions, do you? So where do you... uh, work? Is ’work’ the right word..."

"Didn’t I tell you not to come?" Tian Xi couldn’t stop himself from cutting in.

"I’m not going to go, I’m just asking."

"You think I’d believe—"

Tian Xi sounded like he was about to explode. But before he could finish, Jin Xueli heard someone on his end of the line call out, "Tian Xi," followed by a muffled, "...is here."

’Who’s here?’

"Got it," Tian Xi said. "Let her in. It’s fine, I’m not busy. I’m about to hang up anyway."

"Hold on, I never said I was done with my questions!" Jin Xueli protested.

A sound of voices and footsteps came through the phone; it seemed someone had approached Tian Xi. He couldn’t pay attention to Jin Xueli at the moment, only managing a hasty, "Hang on," before he seemed to set the phone down. His voice instantly grew distant.

He asked the visitor, "You... are you Miss Mai Mingle?"

A woman’s voice answered indistinctly, "Yes."

"Alright, please have a seat."

Tian Xi’s voice became clear again, evidence that he’d picked the phone back up.

He spoke to Jin Xueli, his tone curt. "I told you, you don’t need to come. You can’t help. None of us can. We can only wait for Brother Chaisi to handle it himself. In short, stay away. I have something to deal with, I’m about to start an interview. I’m hanging up."

’Interviewing a Hunter?’

Before Jin Xueli could say another word, the line went dead.

’Hmm... That does make sense, I guess. The Kai Family has been going through a rough patch lately and seems to have lost quite a few members. It’s only logical that they’d want to quickly recruit new blood.’

The woman’s voice on the phone a moment ago had sounded vaguely familiar. But she had only said a single word, and from far away. It was more likely that the sense of familiarity was just her imagination.

’The name Mai Mingle... have I heard it before?’

’I don’t think so?’