Canned Souls 8

"Long time no see, Gasco."

Tan Yiyuan's finger rested on the trigger, and his eyes burned with a hatred so intense that if it could take physical form, it would have torn apart the man who had ruined his family time and again.

"Tell your men to drop their weapons, or I'll shoot."

The cold muzzle pressed hard against Gasco's head. His face contorted. "Didn't you hear? Drop your weapons!"

"Line up," Tan Yiyuan ordered.

The Black Claw members exchanged uneasy looks, hesitant. Gasco fell silent for a moment, then felt the slow squeeze of the trigger. He flinched and shouted, "Line up! Hurry up! Stop messing around!"

"I had a lot to say to you once," Tan Yiyuan said, his eyes cold. "But now I don't feel like it. Gasco, you'll never understand. Loyalty and a conscience don't exist in your world—you only care about yourself."

Gasco's expression flickered, then settled into a smile. "Why not talk it out? We've known each other for years. We can discuss anything calmly."

"What you're thinking right now isn't about reconciling—it's about how to kill me once you're out of this, isn't it?" Tan Yiyuan gave a short laugh, then raised his voice. "Boss Wang was killed by him, in secret, by this coward. Some of you might have suspected it, some might not have—but that's none of my business anymore. I've already left the Black Claw Gang."

"But if any of you still have a shred of loyalty, if you remember Boss Wang's kindness and what he taught you, then you'd better think carefully about what you do from now on. Be honorable people, not lackeys who lose your conscience to a tyrant!"

Tan Yiyuan pulled the trigger. A gunshot rang out, and Gasco's head burst apart like a shattered watermelon, its contents scattering everywhere.

"The Black Claw Gang is finished as of today."

Gasco's body crumpled to the floor like a heap of mud. The remaining members looked at each other, neither angry nor moved—just stunned.

None of them would avenge Gasco, just as expected.

Tan Yiyuan crossed the fourth-floor hall, riddled with bullet holes, and found Yan Xianchuan soaked in blood. No one tried to shoot him on the way.

After a moment, one person picked up a gun from the floor and headed downstairs. One by one, the others followed, until the hall was empty.

"Are you okay?" Tan Yiyuan's eyes were slightly red, as if a weight had been lifted, as if a long-held wish had finally been fulfilled. "Thank you. I know I've said it many times before, but still—thank you."

Without Yan Xianchuan drawing fire at the front, he could never have gotten so close to Gasco so easily.

"Took a bullet in the leg," Yan Xianchuan said, her expression relaxed. "Don't worry about it. Go on ahead—the medical team will come for me."

Tan Yiyuan hesitated, concern on his face. "Are you sure you don't need me to handle things here?"

"No need," Yan Xianchuan said, waving her hand dismissively. "Go."

"Then you must come to my place when you've recovered. I'll treat you to a meal," Tan Yiyuan said solemnly.

"Deal," Yan Xianchuan replied.

She watched as the man, now free of his burden, walked out of the mall with light steps.

The space that had just echoed with fierce gunfire was now silent. The smell of blood, the acrid scent of burnt flesh, and the lingering smoke filled her nostrils.

Yan Xianchuan lay back, her head resting in a pool of blood. The still-warm liquid seeped through her clothes, bringing a damp, sticky chill.

She raised her hand, blood dripping through her fingers. Curling her lips, she murmured with satisfaction, "How nice. Doing good deeds really does bring happiness."

The sting in her leg was like a seasoning, adding flavor to the joy in her heart.

She turned to look at a corpse nearby, its face frozen in shock, turned toward her. As if chatting with an old acquaintance, she said, "Hey, what did you eat yesterday?"

"I haven't had dinner, and I'm a bit hungry. Any recommendations?"

"Why aren't you talking? So cold."

"Oh, your eyebrows are nicely shaped." She shuffled over, brushed aside a few strands of hair on the corpse, and leaned in for a closer look. "They're natural—impressive. The shape suits you well, maybe even better on me?"

"Yesterday's food was tasty, but a little salty. By the way, I like meat. Do you eat meat? Why aren't you talking? Why aren't you talking!"

The man's face was frozen with blood, his pupils dilated, looking like a ludicrous plastic mannequin.

"Just because you're dead!" Yan Xianchuan stared at him, then burst into laughter, rolling half a turn. "Oh right, how can the dead talk?"

The medical team was as efficient as ever. Before she had lain there long, with the blood still warm on the floor, a blaring siren approached from afar. Yan Xianchuan stopped laughing immediately, lying still as if she had melted into the ground.

An airship hovered above, and several people jumped down directly, breaking the already damaged windows further. They scanned the area, then worked together to lift Yan Xianchuan onto a stretcher.

Another well-dressed, courteous man spoke soothing words beside her. "Miss Yan Xianchuan, please don't worry. You are our VIP client and have purchased lifelong insurance under the Dongye Corporation. We will reimburse 80% of the medical expenses incurred this time."

Even the script was the same.

Going to the hospital was routine now—surgery to remove the bullet, a few hours in the medical pod, and then she walked out without wanting to stay a second longer.

Dawn was just breaking, the sun peeking out a golden edge, obscured by clouds like half a yolk.

Yan Xianchuan didn't rush home. She found a 24-hour shop and had breakfast. After a cup of rich, fragrant milk settled in her stomach and she had eaten her fill, she stepped out of the shop just as the sun fully rose, its brilliant golden light piercing through the clouds, generously radiating warmth.

A new day had begun.

***

Lu Mingqiu was far from idle. As a movie queen, she had to fully exploit her esper advantage and her natural charisma. Every year, she had to film a dreamfilm, shoot advertisements, take endorsements, expand her influence, and boost her public appeal.

The most draining was the dreamfilm. She had to immerse herself completely in her role, becoming the character, so that when audiences chose to experience that persona, they would notice nothing amiss.

Worldwide, fewer than ten people could lead a dreamfilm.

Fortunately, she was a mental-type esper, giving her an edge over other actors.

Apart from her public work, she also had to pursue her true career in secret.

Lu Mingqiu finished her disguise and loaded her gun. Tonight's mission: lead her team to eliminate the Holy Healing Church's stronghold in Wucheng.

Hei Ge, a hacker in the organization, was the first to notice the anomaly there and traced it to this location—a packaging factory on the surface.

The Holy Healing Church, the lapdogs of the conglomerates—the two organizations had clashed countless times in secret. Hei Ge sent word: Yalman, the Gatekeeper, would arrive here tonight.

His esper power could trap people in a phantasmal alternate space and convert the imprisoned into his own fighting force. With a rank of S, he was one of the Holy Healing Church's deadliest weapons, and countless lives had been lost to him.

Yalman usually stayed at the Church's headquarters and was always under heavy protection during operations, making him impossible to approach. But tonight, he was moving alone. Whether this was a trap or not, it was the organization's only chance to eliminate him.

Hei Ge's esper power was data manipulation. With him around, they didn't have to worry about being detected by surveillance or other technological means. Beyond that, Lu Mingqiu had brought ten people, all espers. Pepper would stay by her side, while the others drew enemy fire.

Under cover, she needed to sneak close to Yalman and use a mental spike to rattle his mind, causing dizziness—even a split second would allow Pepper to kill him on the spot.

"Target is on basement level three," Hei Ge's voice came through the mental communication, along with the building schematics and Yalman's marked location.

"There are twenty-two enemies in total, three of whom require special attention. On the first floor, the red-haired one—an old rival and explosives expert. On the third floor, Blockhead, who can cast a force field to slow people down. And one more, who I judge to be an esper, sticking close to Yalman—likely his protector."

"Is the electromagnetic pulse ready?" Lu Mingqiu asked.

"Ready," Pepper said in a low voice, her braids tied up.

"If it comes to a worst-case scenario, use it. Don't worry about drawing the mobile task force—we'll evacuate under Plan Three afterward. If communications fail, contact me with mental coordinates," Lu Mingqiu said. "Yalman must be dealt with today."

"Move out."

The destructive power of ordinary humans versus espers was like night and day. Even a low-rank esper ability could play a crucial role in battle.

Equally modified, equally armed, those with esper powers held an extra advantage.

Eight espers tore through the factory's underground levels with devastating speed. The red-haired one was focus-fired and killed on sight.

Lu Mingqiu and Pepper made it to the third floor under cover, with four espers following her while the rest dealt with those blocking the way.

The silver iron door was blasted open. The next instant, a figure rushed out like a ghost, its speed incredible. The eye could only catch a blur. Silver Ring instinctively dodged aside, but the next moment, his arm went cold, a sharp pain tearing through him.

"She's fast!"

It was Blockhead who had cast the force field—their combined effort was what achieved such an effect. One to slow, one to accelerate. If they didn't find a solution quickly, being picked off one by one was inevitable.

Lu Mingqiu's heart sank. She ordered through the mind-link, "Don't hesitate. Gold Ring, try to control her weapon. Silver Ring, disrupt Blockhead. Everyone else, provide cover. Go!"

Several people charged in together, inevitably making some the target of attacks. The enemy didn't know how many had come—that was the bait and the opportunity.

Lu Mingqiu and Pepper rushed into the room half a step behind. The three were now all engaged. Raspberry, who could conjure ice spikes and was a ranged fighter, had been subdued by Yalman and was being treated by him as the greatest threat.

Lu Mingqiu's gaze sharpened. Her invisible mental energy formed a spike that stabbed straight into Yalman's brain. No order was needed—Pepper had already sped toward him the moment she entered, her sharp fingernails piercing his protective suit and raking a gash across his skin.

A small cut of a centimeter or two, not even starting to bleed. In an instant, the wound turned black and festered. The toxin spread rapidly—within just three breaths, Yalman had dissolved into a pool of pus.

Pepper's poison was an incurable one.

With Yalman dead, Lu Mingqiu immediately turned her focus and attacked Blockhead with her mental power. His force field faltered for a moment, and Silver Ring closed in, snapping his neck. The bullets frozen in midair clattered to the ground. The remaining female speedster was entangled by Gold Ring. Without the force field's support, she lasted only a few seconds before dying under focused fire.

With the ability user dead, Raspberry was spat out of the alternate space, her mind in disarray and her gaze unfocused. Lu Mingqiu hurried over and struck her with a hand chop to knock her out.

Meanwhile, the burliest strongman, who had taken many hits to shield Gold Ring, was bleeding profusely from numerous wounds.

Lu Mingqiu handed Raspberry to Gold Ring. "Silver Ring, grab your arm. Evacuate now—Plan One."

The elevator had been destroyed on the way down, so they had to climb up the shaft. The other teammates had finished off the remaining minions and came to provide support.

They split into pairs and dispersed. Pepper followed Lu Mingqiu for two blocks before peeling off. Su Hong was already waiting at the safe house.

After changing into a different outfit and exiting through the underground garage in another direction, dawn was just breaking.

Lu Mingqiu adjusted her mask. The sunlight fell on her slightly pale skin. As the car started, she suddenly curled up in the back seat.

"Did you bring the slow-release agent?" Lu Mingqiu's voice trembled slightly, trying to sound calm.

Su Hong hurriedly opened the driver's compartment divider—it was empty. "Used it all up. I'll head back to get more."

"No need." Lu Mingqiu drew a sharp breath. "Take me to the branch first. Raspberry's mental condition needs to be stabilized as soon as possible."