Chapter1:WATCH DOG

".....!!!!"

Her voiceless, desperate scream tore through the darkness, filled with helplessness.

"Someone save me… let me out…"

Nanshan had fallen into complete despair.

She knew very well that even if she escaped this lightless basement, the endless AI-controlled black walls and rogue machines of the outside world would tear her apart.

But no matter what… even death would be a happier fate than being imprisoned here.

"Nanshan…"

Nanshan was suddenly seized with terror; the creaking of the heavy iron door being pulled open sounded like a demonic echo from hell, making her struggle instinctively.

The clinking of chains followed immediately.

"Nanshan…" A delicate hand gently caressed her cheek.

"You're finally mine… I can't bear to wait any longer."

Beihai gazed at her tenderly, softly pressing her lips against Nanshan's.

…

Her name was Nanshan.

Petite and dainty, she stood no more than 1.6 meters tall, with a sweet and lovely face that evoked a strong protective instinct in anyone who saw her.

"Are… you okay?"

Her name was Beihai.

Cold raindrops fell on her, soaking her short, wolf-tail hair. She squinted one eye open, the soft glow of a crystal digital umbrella gently shielding the girl beneath it from the pouring rain.

Even though the two of them were less than half a meter apart, Beihai knew better than anyone:

They were from completely different worlds.

"Get lost." Beihai glanced at Nanshan's school uniform, grumbling as she turned over on the bench and pulled her patched-up coat tighter around herself.

"Beep-boop~ Your bench time is~ up~ please renew with ten yuan~"

Before Beihai could get up, the bench suddenly flipped over, mercilessly tossing her onto the ground, into the dirty water of the sewer.

"Thank you for using Fuminle Technology's bench~ We look forward to your next use!"

"Damn it." Beihai wiped the rain from her face in frustration.

These heartless capitalists, even charging for a bench.

Nanshan crouched down in front of Beihai.

"You really look awful."

"You sure have a knack for stating the obvious."

Beihai made no move to get up. "In honor of this cursed weather, if you're really keen on spreading some goodwill, how about paying for another round on the bench?"

"…Why don't you go to a shelter?" Nanshan's big eyes were full of confusion.

"…I'd rather sleep on the streets."

"Beep-boop~ Welcome back to Fuminle Technology! Your bench time is thirty minutes~"

No one knew why it emphasized the time so heavily, as if no one in the world was worthy of sitting on it.

"Aren't you leaving?"

Beihai plopped down on the bench, staring coldly at Nanshan.

"Are you expecting me to be grateful, to weep in thanks? Get lost as far as you can!"

Nanshan, timid and a little hurt, said, "I just wanted to help you…"

"Scram!"

Beihai yanked off her cap, revealing a pair of furry wolf ears, and bared four sharp fangs!

Nanshan, frightened, took several steps back before disappearing into the rain.

"Honestly…" Beihai irritably pulled the cap back over her head, covering her wolf ears in the process.

"She's just a clueless, naive girl with no sense of self-preservation."

Beihai didn't lie down. Thirty minutes wasn't even enough for a decent nap.

She glanced at her watch, quickly calculating the time.

In at most ten minutes, the city's night patrol would pass through this area… and they were anything but friendly to beast-people like herself without a "marker collar."

Beihai had seen their methods before.

She had no intention of risking it.

In the early 21st century, a global nuclear war had devastated this broken world.

Earth was scarred, civilization shattered, the population drastically reduced, and order was lost forever.

But the capitalists had long taken refuge in the underground bunkers they had poured immense wealth into building, escaping the devastation of the nuclear war.

Humanity had clearly underestimated the uncanny resilience of nature. When the survivors finally emerged from their shelters, they weren't greeted by a nuclear wasteland or a radiation-plagued apocalypse. Instead, a new era had risen, flourishing on the remnants of human civilization.

The capitalists, leveraging the legacies left behind by the pre-war world, voraciously consumed the technological heritage of the past. In just sixty years, one towering metropolis after another sprang up. The furnaces of technology roared, shattered order was restored, and within a century, humanity had stepped into an even more advanced age!

Watching the city's night patrol rumble past beneath her, Beihai flicked her cigarette away with a cold expression, turning to step back into the rain.

Beast-people—an unintended byproduct left behind by those who couldn't afford the exorbitant fees for shelter during the nuclear war.

According to the scientific community, the mixed nuclear radiation damaged their genetic chains, but also fused the genes of other mammals with human DNA.

The process was excruciating, and many did not survive. Those who did bore children who became these "half-beasts," possessing varying degrees of animal traits.

But Beihai didn't care much about all that.

All she wanted now was to find a place to sleep… and then report back in the morning.

The next morning, Beihai, clutching her ID card, squeezed onto the overcrowded high-speed train with the bustling crowd.

"It's done."

"Mhm~ I saw it all."

Being the last to board, Beihai naturally ended up pressed against the door, her face squished against the glass, barely able to move.

"Mr. Ge staked everything he had on his fighter. Thanks to your little disruption, he's lost it all~"

A pure white bullet train, starkly different from the black high-speed train, whooshed past on the adjacent track.

"…Take it away." Nanshan set down her utensils, her melancholy expression casting a heavy atmosphere over the spacious carriage.

"Miss…" The bear-man butler beside her, dressed in a sharp suit, respectfully held a bottle of pre-war wine worth millions, hesitating before ultimately sighing.

"Enough with the nonsense," Beihai impatiently interrupted the middleman.

"Where's my payment?"

"Oh, don't be so hasty."

The middlewoman, Zhen Cheng, smiled coyly, swishing her fluffy fox tail.

"It's already been transferred; check your account~"

Beihai's finger lightly traced her ID card, her brows furrowing.

"Why is it only 5,000?"

Zhen Cheng waved dismissively with a playful grin. "Oh, after deducting fees, commissions, and the next three months of rent, that's what's left."

"A deal worth hundreds of thousands, and I'm left with just five grand." Beihai scoffed.

"Damn fox, I bet you pocketed quite a bit yourself."

"Don't sweat the details! How about I buy you a drink tonight? You're my best mercenary, after all!"

"You'd better stick to your word, you sly fox."

"Miss, if the Master and Madam find out you're reading this—"

"I'm aware of the risks," Nanshan interrupted the bear-man butler impatiently.

"So… make sure you keep it hidden."

The bear-man butler hesitated, gazing at Nanshan before reluctantly pulling out the book from inside his coat—a worn, leather-bound copy of Das Kapital.

Nanshan snapped her fingers twice, and immediately, every window in the train car was sealed with blast shields. The bear-man butler activated an electromagnetic barrier, and only then did Nanshan sit up straight, carefully opening the pages of the old, yellowed book.

As soon as the black-skinned train arrived at the station, Beihai was the first to leap out of the crowded carriage, followed by a domino effect of passengers spilling out behind her.

She didn't spare a glance back, hands in her pockets, gripping her ID card tightly as she merged into the bustling crowd, squeezing her way out of the station amidst the cacophony of voices and the garish, flashing advertisements.

「The future is here! Are you ready to rule the streets? Get your 'Black Cloud' smart pistol for just 200 yuan! Power at your fingertips! Because in this world, only the fast survive!」

「Tired of the endless data streams? Try Youtilin, my friend! Enjoy a moment of tranquility. Under the neon of the apocalypse, we all need to breathe.」

Beihai accidentally bumped into someone's shoulder. She was about to apologize, but when she saw who it was, the words of apology turned into an impatient "Tsk."

「This is a breaking report. Last night, a violent conflict erupted in the city center, resulting in at least seven deaths. According to police, the incident involved the notorious Vortex Gang, which has been under investigation for multiple illegal cybernetic modifications and human organ trafficking activities.」

"You bitch!! You fucking—"

Beihai swiftly knocked aside the gun aimed at her, grabbed the Vortex Gang member by the throat, and slammed him headfirst into the ground with a force that sent debris flying!

「The city government has expressed serious concern over this incident, urging citizens to stay vigilant, avoid going out alone at night, and steer clear of suspiciously modified individuals. The mayor has also issued a statement condemning such violent acts and promising to intensify efforts to combat street crime and restore public safety.」

Beihai quickly crouched low, dodging and weaving through the hail of bullets as the Vortex thugs formed a crossfire, frantically trying to hit her but failing miserably.

「Forget traditional treatments, embrace the future of medical science. At GUTsHealth, we don't just repair your body, we enhance your existence. Join today, and become a pioneer beyond human limits.」

Screams echoed as people scattered in every direction. Beihai pounced on a billboard, using it to launch herself back at two of the Vortex thugs, bringing them down in an instant.

She raised her claws and with a swift strike, decapitated them both.

Two bullets hit her—one in the shoulder, the other in her side. Beihai grunted, quickly pulling a throwing knife from her coat and hurling it, hitting the last thug square between the eyes!

Clutching her side, Beihai got up, gritting her teeth as she rubbed the wound before tightening her coat and swiftly leaving the scene before the police arrived.

"Drive."

Beihai opened the door and slid into the taxi, leaning back against the seat, breathing heavily.

The taxi driver, indifferent, munched on a pancake roll. "Sorry, lady, but I'm not taking fares right now."

"I'll give you 60 yuan. Hailaer District. Deal?"

The taxi driver immediately adjusted his seat upright. "You got it!"

As the taxi sped off, the Vortex Gang's reinforcements arrived too late, their modified vehicles roaring uselessly in frustration.

"Are you a local?" The taxi driver adjusted the rearview mirror, trying to make small talk with Beihai.

"No." Beihai replied coldly, staring out the window.

"But you've probably been in C18 for a while, right?" The driver joked.

"Hailaer District… it's nice. I used to live there."

The taxi entered Hailaer District. At Beihai's request, it dropped her off at the intersection of Gardener Street and Kangzheng Street.

Beihai stood at the street corner for a while. Across the street, a man was watching her intently.

The light turned green. Beihai crossed the intersection diagonally, walking straight past the man.

She entered a dark alley beside the shuttered "Brothers' Stir-fry" restaurant. After weaving through several twists and turns, she stopped in front of a rusty iron door piled high with household waste.

Beihai kicked the door twice.

The peephole slid open. "Who's there?"

"It's me."

"Who's 'me'?"

"Prove you're you."

Beihai took off her cap, revealing a pair of wolf ears that slowly perked up.

She then patted the hem of her coat; the coat rustled, and a slick, shiny wolf tail slid out.

Beihai turned around, giving her tail a slight shake. "Is that enough?"

The peephole snapped shut.

The heavy iron door swung open, revealing a tiger-headed beastman in a yellowing undershirt, clutching a half-empty beer bottle. "Hic… Sis, you're finally back! The boss was about to send us to pull you out of the station!"

"Just a few punks," Beihai said, walking in and taking off her coat. "Easily dealt with."

The tiger-headed beastman followed her inside. "Those damn Vortex punks deserve a beating! One of these days, I'm gonna gather some boys and smash their den!"

"Uncle Hong, where's Zhen Cheng?"

"Waiting for you, right over there!"

Laughter and chatter grew louder as they approached. Beihai parted the curtains, greeted by the dim lights and soft music of the room. Men and women, drunk and caught up in the atmosphere, were indulging in various forms of S&M art, with rope bondage being the most prominent.

There were beastmen, humans; lowly commoners, and high-society elites. Outside this district, they might hold different statuses, but here, everyone was equal.

"Beihai!"

It was impossible to miss the sly fox. Of all the beastmen in the bar, Zhen Cheng had the biggest, fluffiest, most fragrant, and even best-textured fox tail.

She always wore a cheongsam with a slit that deliberately showcased her sleek, stocking-clad legs, making it a sight to behold.

Beihai approached, but noticed an unexpected guest sitting next to Zhen Cheng.

"Bonjour, Mrs. Beihai." The tall man in a trench coat, smoking a cigar, looked at her with a friendly smile.

Beihai's expression darkened. "Leave Hailaer before I call the Anti-Conspiracy Hotline."

But the man remained unfazed. "You know that would only hurt you more."

Beihai turned to Zhen Cheng in anger. "Why did you let this guy in? Are you trying to get yourself killed? His face is on every wanted poster across C18 City! Are you tired of living?"

"Actually, it's on the news across half the planet."

"Shut up!"

"Alright, alright~" Zhen Cheng stood up with a playful smile, gently brushing Beihai's now-bristling wolf ears. "Calm down. This has nothing to do with you; it won't be a problem."

"It seems your friend doesn't like me very much." The man stood up, still smiling at Beihai.

"Well then, I'll take my leave."

Once the man had left, Beihai tossed her coat into a corner and sat down beside Zhen Cheng. "I thought we agreed—no dealings with these fanatics."

Zhen Cheng teasingly crossed her legs, her foot lightly swinging her high heel. "Only a fool would pass up that kind of money. Besides, he offered quite a sum."

Beihai: "What terms did he set?"

"80 million."

"Eight—what?"

Beihai's wolf ears and tail bristled in shock.

"Eighty million? Zhen Cheng, have you lost your mind? You're supposed to be C18's top middleman—can't you see this is blood money?"

Zhen Cheng's fox ears twitched as she rested her chin in her hand, a sly smile on her face. "Eighty million can change a lot of things. Do you want to stay in Hailaer District forever?"

"When did you add 'gambler' to your list of attributes?"

Zhen Cheng yawned. "Oh, let's not talk about that. Uncle Hong, bring my bestie a beer! The coldest one you've got!"

Uncle Hong returned with two bottles of ice-cold beer, caps already popped. Zhen Cheng handed Beihai the beer and placed two sealed syringes in front of her. "This month's inhibitors. Cost me a fortune to get these, so don't lose them. Next month's supply is already running low."

"Thanks." Beihai carefully tucked away the inhibitors.

"I've got a job for you, and I'm pretty sure it's your favorite kind."

Zhen Cheng pulled out a hard drive, tapping it lightly as a holographic projection appeared.

"Our client is very keen on privacy. According to the intel he provided, tomorrow night between 9 and 10 PM, three trucks carrying 'unmarked beast-people' will be traveling from D456 City, passing through B66 City along the main route, before heading towards the city center of A05's outskirts."

"Your task is to intercept the convoy and disrupt the transport. You can do whatever you want with the unmarked beast-people."

Beihai narrowed her eyes. "Who does the convoy belong to?"

"Naturally, it's that notorious Gene Enhancement Pharmaceuticals. They've outsourced the security for this transport to a B-grade city's security company, so some of the guards will leave the convoy in B66. Our client has already arranged for a group of drifters between A05 and B66 to assist with the interception."

Beihai was puzzled. "If he already has drifters, why come to you?"

"You know the drill—our client doesn't trust those drifters."

"Alright." Beihai rubbed the scar on her shoulder and lit a cigarette. "Huff… what's the take on this job?"

"If all goes well, you're looking at around eighty grand," Zhen Cheng said, resting her chin on her hand.

"That should cover his hospital bills for next month."

A shadow of melancholy crossed Beihai's face.

"Come on, let's pick out a good weapon for you. The right tool makes the job half as hard."