Chapter 40: The Administrator’s Disguise

The Third Armory was situated in what was once an industrial district, facing the branch office building across a river that flowed through the city. Decades ago, it had been a heavily guarded forbidden zone, a repository for numerous powerful firearms and magical artifacts.

However, with the completion of the Hall of Memories, it gradually fell into disuse. Now, this area had been transformed into a theme park, a popular spot for middle-aged and elderly residents to enjoy a leisurely stroll.

Lu Chen and Lily of the Valley traversed an iron bridge, pushing through the damp river breeze and mist, before finally arriving at the park.

It was a bright Saturday morning, the park bathed in sunshine and a pleasant spring breeze. Willow branches, a delicate shade of green, swayed gracefully, while elderly folk ambled along the riverside and children chased each other playfully around the trees.

Lu Chen made his way to the armory and located the administrator’s small hut. Though the area was now open to the public, entry into the armory itself still required the administrator to unlock the door and accompany visitors.

Upon reaching the hut’s window, he found the administrator dozing on a wooden table. The young man raised a hand to tap on the glass, then presented his employee ID for the person to see.

“Hello, I’m Lu Chen. I contacted you yesterday.”

At the sound of his voice, the administrator lifted their head from the table. Lu Chen was immediately startled.

The staff member was wearing sunglasses and a face mask, with a long-brimmed baseball cap pulled low over their head, looking every bit like a suspicious character.

Yet, what truly unnerved Lu Chen was not this peculiar attire, but rather the person’s long black hair, slender fingers, and a facial structure that was both refined and disconcertingly familiar.

‘This person is clearly Xia Shi…! She never went back at all!’

‘How did she even get in here? And who does she think she’s fooling with that outfit?’

Lu Chen’s mind overloaded and crashed for a moment. The young woman rose from the table, pulled a roster from a drawer, and began to consult it with an air of practiced solemnity.

She slid open the small window, her voice deliberately subdued:

“Mmm, let me see… ah, Mr. Lu Cheng, is that right?”

The young man hesitated briefly, then decided to play along with her charade for the time being. He corrected her gently:

“It’s, it’s Lu Chen.”

“Ah, yes, my apologies. Shall we proceed?”

Xia Shi picked up a ring of keys and went to the hut door, but despite pushing for a considerable time, it wouldn’t open, causing the doorframe to tremble and creak.

Unable to bear it any longer, Lu Chen offered a reminder:

“Miss Administrator, it seems this door pulls open.”

The ‘administrator’ paused, startled by his words. She gripped the handle and gave a gentle tug, and just as he said, the wooden door swung open. Turning to Lu Chen, she offered a faint smile and declared:

“It really does, thank… no, of course I knew that!”

“Uh, yes, I understand. I was merely offering a reminder.”

The young woman cleared her throat lightly before approaching Lu Chen and Lily of the Valley. Lily of the Valley scrutinized Xia Shi from head to toe, her eyes widening in disbelief.

‘See? I told you that disguise wouldn’t fool anyone!’

The young man’s heart sank, and he quickly racked his brain for a way to cover for his girlfriend. However, Lily of the Valley spoke first:

“Excuse me, Madam Administrator, but why are you wearing a mask and sunglasses? Should we be wearing them too?”

‘…Someone actually didn’t recognize her.’

Lu Chen silently let out a long breath of relief. Xia Shi, meanwhile, responded with perfect nonchalance:

“Oh, it’s nothing, nothing at all. It’s just a slight cold and a bit of UV allergy, so you two don’t need to wear them.

“Just follow me directly.”

With that, the young woman waved her keys and headed straight for the armory. Lu Chen wiped the sweat from his brow and followed alongside Lily of the Valley.

The trio walked across a patch of light green lawn and soon arrived before the armory. The ‘administrator’ stopped in front of the silver-gray roller shutter door and addressed her two visitors:

“Would the two of you like to go in and tour now?”

Lu Chen surveyed the surrounding grassy area, then shook his head, saying:

“No, thank you. We plan to stay outside the warehouse for a while first, so please wait a moment. Miss Lily of the Valley, please also wait. I need to set up the equipment.”

“Understood.”

The young man’s tone was calm, clearly indicating he had forcefully entered his work mindset.

He retrieved the controller for his camera drone from his backpack and began operating it, while the young woman arched an eyebrow thoughtfully.

She cast a glance at Lily of the Valley, who stood beside Lu Chen, then let out a soft chuckle and inquired:

“Is this your first time visiting our park with your boyfriend?”

Lu Chen’s fingers tightened abruptly, almost snapping the joystick. Lily of the Valley froze in a daze for a moment, her pale face rapidly flushing crimson as a torrent of words erupted from her like a machine gun:

“No, no, no, you’ve misunderstood! We’re just work colleagues, there’s absolutely no other relationship, and he already has a girlfriend!”

Lily of the Valley’s speech was astonishingly fast, her fervor suggesting she intended to utter every word she would ever say in her lifetime all at once.

Xia Shi feigned nonchalance, pushing up her sunglasses, her tone flat but laced with hidden menace:

“Oh, there’s no need to be shy. If you ask this auntie, he seems to be very fond of you, utterly smitten even. You should just confess your feelings to him directly.

“Isn’t that right, Mr. Lu?”

Lily of the Valley was completely flustered, steam practically rising from her head. She gripped her fanny pack tightly and looked up at Lu Chen.

“You, you, you actually like me…”

The young man took a deep breath and declared loudly:

“That’s not true! Absolutely not!

“And also, Miss Administrator, please stick to your duties and refrain from gossiping about guests!”

At this, Lu Chen walked directly up to the ‘administrator.’ Through the dark sunglasses, he gazed straight into her eyes and continued:

“Let me make it clear: I have already found my beloved, and I will only love her for the rest of my life!”

The young man’s confession was loud and sincere, leaving the ‘administrator’ momentarily stunned.

After a brief silence, a shy blush instantly bloomed across her face. The young woman covered her cheeks, retreating two steps as if fleeing, and whispered:

“…Mm, mhm, my mistake. I’m truly sorry. Please continue your work.”

Despite her feet taking small, retreating steps and her mouth uttering apologies, the ‘administrator’ was clearly overjoyed beyond measure, her blissful and content smile seeping out from behind her thick mask.

Having made such a loud confession right in front of Lily of the Valley, Lu Chen couldn’t help but blush himself. He took several deep breaths, and his frantic heartbeat finally began to slow.

‘It, it seems to be stable for now.’

However, Xia Shi was already a bit much, and she would nonchalantly do all sorts of things beyond Lu Chen’s imagination. Moreover, she seemed to have become increasingly mischievous in recent days, so there was no telling what she might pull next.

‘I must finish the shoot immediately, a quick battle…!’

The young man resolved himself, concentrating fully as he swiftly manipulated the joystick, quickly positioning the camera drone in an optimal spot.

He looked at Lily of the Valley, who had managed to calm herself, and said:

“Miss Lily of the Valley, I plan to have you hold the weapon and stand in front of this roller shutter door for the promotional photos.”

“What do you think?”

Lily of the Valley nodded, saying without hesitation:

“No objections. You’re the professional; I’ll follow your lead.”

Upon receiving her affirmative reply, Lu Chen maneuvered a guide drone, suspending it directly in front of the roller shutter door.

“Alright. Please stand directly beneath this drone and give a smile.”

“We’ll take a sample shot first, just to quickly check the effect.”

Lily of the Valley quickly walked to stand beneath the drone and said:

“Understood. Are there any specific requirements?”

“None. The group hasn’t set any strict rules, only asking that you maintain a natural smile.”

“Got it. No problem.”

“Alright, please take your position. Three, two, one—”

As the countdown ended, Lu Chen pressed the shutter. After a flash, a photograph appeared on the remote control’s screen.

The photo showed Lily of the Valley with a radiant smile, her positioning appropriate, creating a perfect contrast with the iron shutter door behind her. The effect was almost exactly as Lu Chen had envisioned.

‘—The only issue was that her smile was *too* radiant, almost like a mimic from a horror game.’