Chapter 11: A Deceptive Treasure

Lu Chen crossed the street, approaching the young woman in the alley.

Today, she had completely changed her style, donning a khaki trench coat and a light camel beret, with a section of leather belt casually dangling behind her. Standing in the gloomy alley, her figure resembled a character straight out of a detective novel.

The young detective’s gaze shifted, subtly sweeping over Lu Chen’s entire form before she offered her usual, unperturbed smile:

“Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too. You look wonderful today. Why are you standing in this alley? If I recall correctly, the Corridor of Memories is on the opposite street?”

“…Nothing in particular. I just got tired walking and decided to rest for a moment. You’re heading back to work at the Newlight Building today, aren’t you? What brings you here?”

After several days of rest and medication, Lu Chen had almost completely recovered, though he still stumbled slightly when walking.

Without a second thought, he lifted the mirrorless camera slung over his shoulder and truthfully answered Ling Wei’s question:

“I’m actually working right now. Your return is still quite the hot topic, so Sister Lin asked me to document your day.”

Ling Wei inwardly cursed ‘damned capitalism,’ a flicker of helplessness crossing her eyes.

She desperately wanted to shoo Lu Chen away, using the excuse, ‘There’s a weirdo here, so hurry back to your desk and slack off, don’t cause trouble,’ but the strange individual sent by Envy was exceptionally skilled at concealment, even managing to deceive Zero’s sharp eyes.

Among the various magical delinquents, Fireworks was considered highly educated, yet even she had no reason to detect anything amiss. Thus, Ling Wei couldn’t speak out while cosplaying.

‘…Never mind, it doesn’t matter. If Lu Chen wants to follow, let him. I’ll just consider it a field trip with a kindergarten child.’

Ling Wei dismissed her thoughts, raising her eyes to the street across from them.

Two skyscrapers stood side by side there, their meticulously joined glass curtain walls gleaming under the sunlight.

A narrow corridor, winding like a snake, was hidden between the two buildings.

Pedestrians occasionally entered the alley, but rarely was anyone seen emerging from it.

This was the Newlight Group’s massive vault—the Corridor of Memories.

“I see. In that case, I look forward to working with you today as well. Shall we go?”

****

It was morning, and the city center streets bustled with pedestrians, their hurried footsteps and the sounds of vehicle wheels a constant din.

Ling Wei and Lu Chen moved through the crowd, heading directly into the corridor.

From the outside, the two buildings appeared to be only about twenty meters wide, and the corridor itself seemed excessively dim, with its ground and walls blurred and indistinct, making it difficult to discern details.

Yet, the moment they stepped inside, a pale, soft artificial light materialized, illuminating the stark black and white marble floor with astonishing clarity; simultaneously, the glass curtain walls on either side suddenly stretched, becoming seemingly endless, extending all the way to the horizon.

The left and right walls were inlaid with walnut paneling, between which were doors of varying shapes and intricate designs.

Lu Chen had only vaguely heard the name Corridor of Memories and had never visited before, so he couldn’t help but look around curiously, his gaze flitting between the different doors.

“Is each door behind an independent vault? I thought there’d be many guards watching over them from outside, but there isn’t a single one.”

Ling Wei narrowed her eyes, imperceptibly sensing the magic lingering in the air. Only after confirming that no strange individuals were nearby, likely to suddenly initiate a battle, did she relax and explain with a smile to Lu Chen:

“Because there’s no need. These doors are inscribed with comprehensive and perfected protective magic, capable of one hundred percent isolating any unauthorized intruders.

“In the past, strange individuals have attacked the Corridor of Memories, but at most, they only managed to penetrate to where we’re standing now, completely unable to genuinely access the treasures within the vaults.

“However, there are also regular administrators inside the vaults, responsible for organizing the collections.”

“I see. Where is the vault we need to go to?”

The young woman rested her chin in her hand, estimating:

“Let me think… It’s about 17 kilometers away.”

Lu Chen exclaimed in surprise:

“1—17 kilometers?”

Ling Wei feigned a disheartened sigh, her voice dropping as she murmured:

“Indeed, it’s very far, and we can only walk there… It’s always such a hassle. Your leg injury hasn’t fully healed yet, so why don’t you go back first? I can manage by myself.”

Lu Chen gazed at the young woman’s slightly melancholic eyes and shook his head.

“…It’s fine. This design is truly unreasonable. I’ll accompany you—”

The young woman chuckled softly, cutting Lu Chen off.

“My apologies, I was just teasing. There’s no need to walk. Follow me.”

Ling Wei took Lu Chen’s wrist, leading him back to the entrance, to a long row of floor tiles marked with footprints.

Lu Chen examined the tiles, asking:

“This is…?”

“They’re teleporters. Just step on one, and you can instantly reach the vault you want. Come on, let’s go.”

Ling Wei found an empty tile and pulled Lu Chen onto it with her. A small iron lock immediately emerged from the ground, floating before the young woman’s eyes.

She produced a key, inscribed with “Newlight • Precious Metals & Magical Items Vault,” inserted it, and turned.

With a soft click, the surrounding scenery dissolved and dispersed like ink dropped into clear water, transforming into blurred patches of color. Ling Wei simply closed her eyes to avoid the visual distortion.

“Target location reached. Wishing you a pleasant journey.”

A mechanical voice announced, and Ling Wei opened her eyes again, finding the scene beside her had stabilized.

A steel door stood before her, its unadorned metal surface gleaming with a cold luster.

Ling Wei inserted the key into the lock, then turned the handle. The heavy door swung open without a hitch, releasing a faint, cool, slightly bitter metallic scent.

Beyond the door lay countless pillars, several meters tall, each constructed from shimmering metals or glittering treasures, resembling a forest of steel when viewed from afar.

Ling Wei and Lu Chen stepped into this forest, and the door behind them closed with a resounding thud.

An elderly man in a work uniform stood beside one of the pillars, adding new items to its collection.

Upon seeing visitors, he immediately stopped his work and approached them, clearly the administrator of this vault.

Ling Wei bowed slightly to him, about to state her purpose, but the old man smiled first, pleasant wrinkles fanning across his face.

“Good morning. According to your appointment, you’re here to retrieve the Silver Moon Heart, correct?”

“Yes, you have an excellent memory. Please wait a moment while I find my appointment application…”

“No need, just follow me directly. You are a pride of our city; there’s no need for unnecessary procedures.”

“Thank you!”

The old man’s smile was genuinely appreciative, and Ling Wei returned it with equal sincerity.

‘Miss Fireworks, thank you once again. If not for the excellent reputation you’ve built, I wouldn’t be able to retrieve the Silver Moon Heart so easily.’

Ling Wei followed the administrator deeper into the vault, soon arriving before a pillar in the far reaches of the space.

Unlike the other dazzling golden pillars, this particular column bore no gold or silver. Instead, it was densely adorned with pendants of various shapes, much like Miss Morning Star, ranging from winding little wooden sticks and charmingly shaped keys to crystal-clear gems. Each item emanated a potent energy, stirring the surrounding magical aura into a chaotic swirl.

A small pendant, its gentle form resembling a new moon, hung at the very top of the column.

‘—That was the treasure Ling Wei had longed for, the essential item to fulfill her dreams: one half of the Silver Moon Heart.’

The administrator chanted a few incantations, and the new moon pendant detached from the column, swaying as it floated before Ling Wei.

The young woman suppressed the urge to let her lips curl into a triumphant smile, carefully taking the pendant—then, involuntarily, her brows furrowed slightly.

Moments ago, the magic from the other pendants had disrupted her sensory abilities. It was only now, holding the pendant in her hand, that she perceived the anomaly.

‘Completely wrong. Utterly incorrect.’

‘This pendant isn’t the Silver Moon Heart; it’s merely an identical-looking fake.’

‘Damn it, when did this go wrong? Which step was it? Did Fireworks never put the Silver Moon Heart here in the first place? Or did someone steal the real one afterwards? Are those incompetent Newlight people so useless they didn’t even notice the switch?’

‘Forget the wild guesses; I need to gather information first!’

The young woman suppressed her tumultuous thoughts, and as she turned to look at the administrator, the old man’s neck was pierced by a golden spear.

Crimson blood spurted forth, and the spear, its speed undiminished, continued its trajectory toward the young woman’s eyes.