Base No. 7

Chapter 12: The Tracker

Xu Mo escorted Bai Wei to the outskirts of the black market and then said to her, “You should be safe now. You can go.”

Bai Wei lifted her head and looked at Xu Mo. She had witnessed everything he had done today—the casino, the fighting arena. He had handled it all with ease, especially in the arena… Xu Mo didn’t seem like a “good person.” But he was actually letting her go, even escorting her all the way out. He didn’t seem like a “bad person” either.

“I still have things to do. You should leave,” Xu Mo added when he saw her hesitating.

But Bai Wei didn’t leave. She remained standing there, her head slightly lowered.

“Is there something else?” Xu Mo asked.

“I have nowhere to go.” Bai Wei raised her head and looked at him. “If I go home, my father won’t let me off.”

Xu Mo stared at Bai Wei. There were tear stains at the corners of her eyes. What she had experienced today had been too cruel—her own father had tried to sell her off, and in the black market, she had been nothing more than a bargaining chip, treated like an object.

Xu Mo took out 200 federal credits, handed them to Bai Wei, and pointed to the road on the right. “Follow this road straight for three kilometers. You’ll come to a fork where many people rent out rooms. Find a place to stay there.”

Bai Wei hesitated for a moment, then took the money from Xu Mo, clenching it tightly in her palm.

“Go,” Xu Mo said before turning and heading back toward the black market.

“Thank you,” Bai Wei whispered as she watched his back. She wiped away her tears and ran off in the direction he had indicated.

———

Bray was in a foul mood. He had received orders to track the Hunter. He had done this kind of thing before and was quite good at it, but this time, he really didn’t want to. He had seen firsthand how the Hunter had killed Boning Knife—that guy was ruthless.

Bray had no desire to provoke someone like that. Besides, Leon had also died at his hands.

Now, Bray was leaning against a nearby wall, smoking. Not far away, a street girl was throwing flirtatious glances at him. Bray shot her a fierce glare and muttered, “Get lost.”

The woman rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Broke b*st*rd.”

Bray spat on the ground, stubbed out his cigarette with his boot, and pulled his leather jacket tighter around him as he walked forward. He saw the Hunter returning, but as an experienced tracker, he knew how to stay inconspicuous. Instead of watching Xu Mo directly, he casually walked toward him to avoid suspicion.

But as Xu Mo got closer, Bray felt a strange sense of unease, a bad premonition.

Their distance shrank. Bray exhaled, preparing to brush past him. But at the last moment, the Hunter suddenly stepped toward him, and they collided head-on.

Bray reacted instantly, pulling a dagger from his pocket. But before he could strike, an iron grip seized his arm, and a sharp pain erupted in his chest. His face turned pale—how had he been exposed?