Almost a week later, on a moonless night, a powerful motorcycle roared through the affluent city, sweeping through the streets like the wind. On the machine, a lithe figure rested comfortably with her entire body concealed in black.
If it had been during the day, the streets would have been filled with angry and indignant people. After all, the machine and its rider were streaking through the buildings at a fast speed, leaving only a shadow like an otherworldly phantom. Unfortunately, most people would not have the chance to see this sensational rider.
Still, the metropolis was not completely abandoned in the deep hours of the night. There were still a few people roaming around in buildings and even on the streets. Some were impressed by the unknown rider even though they only caught the barest glimpse of the black figure. Others lamented about the recklessness of the rider.
Hu Lei did not know the thoughts of these people. If she did, she would not be too interested. She was luxuriating in the beauty of her new baby. It had been too long since she had felt this feeling of living on the edge.
In the past, when she had chosen a motorcycle, she had always prioritised solid construction and hardiness because of the rough terrain and conditions she had to handle. This time she did not have to think about unstable sand, treacherous mountains or sweeping rivers. Her new cute Ninja was meant for speed.
As she rode through the streets without a goal, she inadvertently ended up in lower downtown in the edges of Supreme. This area was not dilapidated and filled with the downtrodden as one would expect from the bad side of town. On the contrary, this place was beautiful and alive with activity.
It was already the middle of the night, but there was clamour and music. The lights were bright and people were walking around like it was day.
The Hu Lei on the motorcycle slowed down as she felt a strong sense of nostalgia. This place reminded her of Babylon. It was not that she wanted to go back to her old life. She just felt a little lost and confused about everything that had happened in the past.
She wanted to be completely open to her new existence and embrace her life in Supreme without reservation. However, she did not know how. In truth, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. If life had taught her anything, it was that happiness was fleeting.
It was especially true for her. Every small morsel of happiness she found always came with a lot of pain. How could she be willing to relax completely if she felt that she always had to look over her shoulder? She knew it was also the reason she could not let go of 'Jane'. Her other persona was her failsafe. If anything went wrong, she needed to know that she would not be helpless.
But again, she had been completely helpless when she had been captured at that time even though he had used everything at her disposal. She felt her head throb in pain as she continued weaving through the downtown streets easily. Once again, her mind was at crossroads. She was unable to abandon her old self but still unwilling to embrace that dark her into her new life.
While her mind was in turmoil, Hu Lei found herself in a dark area of the downtown. She felt a little confused. Her sense of direction was great, but her mind had been drifting as she had been riding around slowly on her motorbike.
She came to a stop and looked around, confused. However, before she could make a decision on the direction to take, she had a silenced gunshot. The sound was muted, but she could recognise it anywhere. She remained in position for a moment before shrugging and starting her bike again. She did not want to be involved in strange matters.
Unfortunately, her quick exit was destined to fail.
"There's someone here." A rough voice spoke out before shooting at Hu Lei from a corner.
Hu Lei could not help sighing as she leaned into the body of her Ninja. She had obviously not seen the nefarious activities that they had been involved in. Why would they involve her? The bullet hit a building on her other side.
"Who is it?" another voice inquired from the person who had shot her.
"I can't see clearly. I don't think I hit." There was evident frustration.
"Then, try harder." The other voice replied angrily.
Hu Lei had decided not to leave as soon as the audacious man shot at her. Hearing them discuss her disposal so easily made her chuckle darkly. She turned on her machine and turned the motorcycle to them with decisive force.
The shooter cursed before firing repeatedly at Hu Lei. The motorcycle moved fast and chaotically as she avoided the relentless bullets.
"This person is dodging bullets." The man shouted.
"What do you mean? Could it be that he hired an expert to protect him?" A voice mused.
Hu Lei drove straight at the man who had run out of bullets. He screamed and began to escape. Before he could get far, he hit his head on a pole, effectively knocking himself out. Hu Lei looked at him, speechless. She had not even done anything. Who knew he would be such a coward?
"Who are you?" An angry voice asked.
Hu Lei faced the small group of five thugs. Only a single one had a gun. The others clutched knives and other crude weapons. It seemed that they had two guns which had been divided between the lookout and the leader. Her lip lifted subtly behind her helmet before revving her motorcycle and driving towards them.
Within a few moments, three were injured, and the other two could only support their friends as they escaped. Their resistance had been futile. They did not want to pit themselves against someone who could dodge bullets. They could only be thankful that the person had not been after their little lives.
Hu Lei stopped and got off her Ninja quickly. She took off her helmet and checked the motorcycle anxiously using the dim ambient lighting. She did not have any weapons, so she directly attacked the group with her baby. She could only apologise in her heart for the poor treatment.
"Thank you." A voice croaked out followed by painful coughing.
Hu Lei turned her cold eyes to the pitiful figure positioned against a wall. She had forgotten that the group had been talking about someone hiring an expert. It seemed that this man in a ridiculous powder blue suit was the apparent victim.
He groaned as he attempted to rise up. Unfortunately, his left shoulder seemed to be bleeding heavily. Hu Lei looked at him evenly without concern. She did not assume that he was blameless in this matter. After all, this situation was quite strange. However, she had gone to the trouble of chasing his assailants. It would be a pity if he died from blood loss.
She approached him as he looked at her vigilantly. With a few hard pokes in his shoulder, the bleeding slowed down. The man looked at her with an amazed gaze. She stood up and walked back to her motorcycle while taking off her black gloves.
She first removed and turned the one which had touched the bloody shoulder inside out before crushing it into a ball. Then, she removed the other while holding the ball and used it to tightly contain the dirtied glove. She placed the neat object into her lower suit pockets for safe disposal.
As someone who had lived with a doctor all her life, she would never touch blood carelessly. If she had not been wearing gloves, that man would have had to rely on his good fate. At the same time, she had been taught never to dispose of anything with her fingerprints carelessly. She would never throw her gloves casually.
She put on her helmet and got on her motorcycle and rode off. The man who felt that he had received a second lease on life could only watch helplessly as his saviour disappeared. He clenched his right hand in determination. He would find her and thank her properly.