There was an unusual beat of silence on the line—Feng Yizhou wasn't one for hesitation. "I can come tonight," he said finally, "but I'll have to land outside the district. That's five blocks of open ground and checkpoints between us."
Qingran quickly assessed the risks. "Too risky. I'll move closer to the edge. Meet me tomorrow at the perimeter. I'll send coordinates once I scout the extraction point."
Another pause, then: "You're sure you'll make it through the night?"
"No one's seen me. And I know how to disappear."
"You also know how to get stabbed while being clever." Qingran's faint smile was a reflex. "I'll keep my cleverness to a minimum."
He exhaled a low, annoyed sigh. "Alright. But we're not done after this, Qingran. You know that, right?"
"I know. The real work starts after we leave Chengdai. It seems we'll have to go to the capital for the intel I'm looking for."
Yizhou said nothing for a moment. Then, "Tomorrow. Perimeter, 1500 hours. Don't be late. And Qingran?"
