"Boss, since you have such wide connections in Lungmen, have you ever seen a very cute girl?"
"Her name is Reze... though she might be using an alias."
"She has short purple hair and always has a smile on her face... but she can be cold and ruthless toward strangers."
"She's generally friendly... but if she's provoked, she might cause a few explosions."
Denji, his brain currently being bypassed by his hormones, gave his first description of the girlfriend he missed most. However, after such a contradictory summary, even Denji felt a bit awkward.
Old Lee looked at him with the gaze one usually reserves for the "specially gifted."
The detective was currently weighing a dilemma: was that anonymous tip-off a genuine warning about a monster, or just a boring prank? Could this starry-eyed teenage boy really be the "Chainsaw Killer"? He didn't look the part.
But Lee, who had far more experience with criminals than someone like Rope, knew a universal truth: mass murderers aren't always calculating masterminds. Sometimes, they're just impulsive hotheads with zero common sense and even less social affection.
Furthermore, the "girlfriend" he described sounded like a walking disaster zone.
"Young, beautiful, purple hair, prone to causing 'incidents'... are you sure you aren't looking for a certain Zalak heiress?" Lee teased.
He was testing the waters. If Denji truly was a dangerous entity, Lee considered pointing him toward the hidden ruler of Lungmen's underworld—letting that father-daughter duo handle it. That old gentleman was always fair; despite his terrifying reputation, he had a soft spot for misguided youths and usually gave them a chance to turn their lives around.
"What's a Zalak? Sorry... I took some hits to the head a while back. I've got a bit of amnesia and I'm missing some common sense."
"Ah... they're a race closely related to those little burrowing rodents."
"Oh! Right! She actually does like to call herself a country mouse!" Denji's eyes lit up.
Lee began to seriously doubt the boy's sanity. Is this kid really trying to hit on the daughter of the Lin family? That's practically a death sentence; I'd be an accessory to murder just for giving him the address.
"Well, that young lady wouldn't need to cause explosions herself. If she wanted someone gone, there are plenty of people willing to do it for her. Plus, she's a local—born and raised in Lungmen. President of the Youth Entrepreneur Association, guest lecturer at the university, consultant for the Chamber of Commerce... doesn't exactly fit the 'country mouse' description."
Lee smilingly steered Denji's suspicion away from the Lin heiress.
"Not her then. Dammit," Denji sighed. Then he perked up again. "Hey, Boss! Do you have any informants in Ursus? Help me keep an ear out for any news regarding Miss Reze!"
Denji didn't know the lore of Arknights, but based on what A-Fa had told him, he knew there was a country in this world that was geographically and culturally similar to the "Big Bear" of his old world.
Before he transmigrated, a voice had told him that the "guests" of this journey would be sent to places that matched their "compatibility."
By Denji's logic: his primary soul was from his original world, but the "Denji" body grew up in the slums. So, he landed in Lungmen—the slums of a Chinese-style city.
Aki Hayakawa was a Japanese officer. There was a country here called Higashi that mirrored Japan. He was likely at a police station there. If the Higashi police were as dedicated and protective as Aki, the compatibility was perfect.
Power was harder to guess; he didn't know if there were vampires here. Beam, the Shark... probably near the ocean.
Reze was from the equivalent of the Soviet Union. Ending up in Ursus made perfect sense, and Ursus wasn't too far from Lungmen on the map. But Ursus was vast—full of desolate tundras and frozen wastes. Even though Weapon Humans were nearly impossible to kill and Reze would surely be waiting for him, finding her wouldn't be easy without an intelligence network.
However, the moment Old Lee heard the word "Ursus," his internal alarm bells went off. This alert was even sharper than the one triggered by the "Chainsaw Killer" label.
Lee was physically very capable. Wiping out a gang wasn't an impossible feat for him, and in a one-on-one fight, there were few in Lungmen he actually feared. But he was well-informed. He knew that Reunion, an infected-rights group from Ursus, had been infiltrating Lungmen's slums, radicalizing the local Infected.
This was exactly the kind of tension that kept Wei Yenwu awake at night. From Wei's perspective, the Infected in Lungmen had it better than almost anywhere else on Terra, thanks to the "Rat King." The city even had people like his own niece working tirelessly for their rights. If the Lungmen Infected were going to turn "traitor" and collaborate with outsiders like Reunion, no ruler would tolerate that.
From the Infected's perspective, however, the difference between Lungmen and elsewhere was just the difference between the first and second floors of Hell. In a hopeless situation, they would naturally cling to an organization made of their own kind—even if that organization was infamous.
To Lee, a mysterious, bloodthirsty, and "simple-minded" powerhouse with an unknown origin screamed "Reunion Sleeper Agent."
Lee preferred the "harmony brings wealth" approach, but he knew the first rule of surviving in this city: don't get on Wei Yenwu's bad side.
As Lee was lost in thought, a crisp, pleasant female voice called out from the door.
"Boss, I'm back! I bought that late-night snack you like—it's still hot!"
Denji, who had zero resistance to cute female voices, immediately turned around. A Feline girl in a tracksuit walked in. Like Lee, she had distinct furry traits—vibrant calico patterns, an athletic build, and an aura of boundless energy. She also wore a pair of rather intellectual-looking round glasses.
Denji felt a twinge of disappointment. The voice is great and she's got a killer figure, but the 'furry' factor is a bit high for me. I'm not really into that.
"Oh, guests this late? I won't disturb the business then. I'll be in the back yard practicing!" She stuck her tongue out apologetically, leaving behind a faint scent of fresh shampoo as she waved and headed toward the back.
Despite her appearance being far from what Denji considered "human," her demeanor was that of a charming, bright young woman. He caught himself thinking that maybe "cute female furries" weren't completely off the table.
Lee noticed his wandering gaze and chuckled. "Interested in my Waai Fu? A word of warning: she's a martial arts expert with a fierce hatred for evil. Plus, she has a father who's even better at fighting than she is!"
As her guardian, Lee never worried about her safety. Waai Fu was a genius student with a "super-brain" and a "super-body" to match.
"Martial arts expert?" Denji's interest was piqued.
He had been looking for a way to sharpen his skills. Relying purely on Devil power wasn't enough; he needed to master hand-to-hand combat to reach the level of "human weapons" like Kishibe or Quanxi.
"Anyway, I'll leave the searching to you, Mr. Lee. This is just a deposit. If you find actual clues, there's plenty more where that came from!"
Denji generously produced a stack of Lungmen dollars. He wasn't exactly short on cash at the moment. The amount made Lee—who was struggling to raise three "kids"—twitch an eyelid. Despite the danger, the money was hard to refuse.
"Also, I'm a bit of a martial arts fan myself. Would it be possible to have a little spar with the lady?" Denji added.
Lee's mind raced. A person's character is often revealed through their fighting style. Since he couldn't read Denji's true nature, letting Waai Fu trade a few blows with him would be the perfect litmus test before he decided whether or not to keep the money.
"Fists and feet have no eyes. It would be quite embarrassing if we injured a guest, wouldn't it?" Lee played coy, though his eyes were as glued to the deposit as Denji's had been to the girl.
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