"I am your friend."

"I don't recall having a friend like you," CC said flatly.

Thud!

Linden kicked the body on the ground, flipping it over. Blood oozed from under the Lynx mask... dripping onto the floor. Linden stepped aside, allowing CC a clearer view. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"..." CC remained silent, staring at the Lynx mask on the corpse. She clearly understood everything.

"You lied to Fat Cat, telling him there was a lot of money and gold bars in the vault," Linden said, circling to the other side of the body to face CC. "Once we got inside, and everything was exposed, you two would inevitably fight. Who would live and who would die was anyone's guess."

"I've just eliminated such a huge threat for you. Does that not make me your friend?"

CC held her gun firmly, not relaxing her guard in the slightest. "And how am I supposed to trust you?"

Linden smiled faintly, slowly raising his gun, turning it upside down with the barrel pointing downwards. Then—whoosh! He tossed it far across the vault. "Is that enough sincerity? Now it's your turn to show yours."

"My goal is the same as yours: to open Linden's safe. You can take whatever you want from the safe, I just need to know what's inside. You'd better make up your mind quickly; the main circuit will be restored soon, and once the alarm goes off, there won't be another chance."

CC hesitated, then raised her gun and threw it away as well. A graceful arc—thud. The handgun hit a distant safe with a muffled clang and rolled onto the floor.

Click-clack! A gun barrel pressed against the back of CC's head. Fat Cat slowly emerged from behind the cabinet.

"Liar." CC glared fiercely at Linden through her Ultraman mask, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"You're the damn liar!!" Fat Cat cursed loudly. "If my good brother hadn't seen through your trick! I'd have been killed by you here today!" He gripped the gun handle tightly, grinding his teeth. "If my brother hadn't stopped me, I would've shot you dead already!"

Linden gestured for Fat Cat to calm down, then looked at CC seriously. "Now, let me re-state the situation. First, I have no intention of harming you, let alone killing you. I just want to ask you a question and get an answer."

"Once I have that answer, the two of us will leave here. You can go wherever you want, mess with safes, do whatever you please. We won't interfere with each other."

"And I promise you, I'll help Fat Cat get the money he needs, and the grievances between you two will be completely settled. We're all here for personal gain, so let's go our separate ways and not make things difficult for each other."

...

Linden's terms were sincere enough. Despite having the upper hand, he promised not to harm CC, and even offered to resolve her conflict with Fat Cat, showing extreme benevolence. The chips he sought in return were merely a simple answer, insignificant in comparison.

CC was naturally a person who knew how to adapt. "What answer do you seek?" she asked softly.

Linden pulled back the elastic band behind his head. Then he slowly removed his Ultraman mask... He inhaled deeply through his nose, looking at CC and earnestly asking, "Do you know me?"

"No," CC shook her head.

"Or, have you ever seen me before, or heard anything about me?"

"No," CC shook her head again.

Linden scratched his temple. "Then let me rephrase it. After seeing me and hearing my voice, did anything come to mind? Or anyone? Any experience?"

"Like, do you have a feeling that makes you see me differently from others? For instance, you could easily kill Fat Cat beside me, but you wouldn't kill me."

Pfft—

Even Fat Cat, consumed by anger, couldn't help but snort with laughter. He was professionally trained not to laugh during tense situations, unless he absolutely couldn't help it. It was like some sappy romantic drama! So cliché!

However... to both their surprise. CC had no reaction after hearing Linden's words! She didn't shake her head cleanly like before, nor did she laugh mockingly like Fat Cat, nor did her expression change in the slightest! No, not at all.

CC was like a silent block of wood, her cold eyes behind the mask silently watching Linden... without a word.

Bingo.

Linden narrowed his eyes. He knew... this time, the question had finally hit the mark. This CC was definitely seeing things and recalling memories, which was why she had saved him in the previous two dreams and never killed him, no matter how much he provoked her.

The answer was already on the tip of her tongue!

"Speak!!!" Fat Cat roared.

However.

Long silence. CC still didn't speak. Her crimson lips remained tightly sealed.

"You godda—" Fat Cat gritted his teeth, his patience pushed to its limit!

Linden sighed, frowning at CC. "Is this answer more important than your life?"

"Heh heh..." CC sneered, a dismissive laugh. "That depends on whether you have the ability to take my life."

"Damn it!!! You're looking down on me, Fat Cat! I'll shoot you dead!" Fat Cat couldn't hold back anymore!! He lunged forward! His right hand forcefully pressed the gun barrel into CC's temple!

CC slowly raised her hands in surrender, placing them behind her head. "Fat Cat," she said softly.

"Ga!!" Fat Cat was beyond furious.

"Although there's no money in this bank vault, I didn't lie to you. In the safe over there, there's something you need even more."

"You... what did you say?" Fat Cat's pupils instantly contracted, panicking. "Something... something I need more?"

CC smiled faintly, looking at Fat Cat with interest. "Think about it, if there wasn't something you needed in the safe, why would I seek your cooperation? Opening that safe is for me, and for you."

In an instant! Fat Cat had an epiphany!

"Inv... invitation!" he cried out, losing his voice. "You mean! In that safe... there's an invitation to The Dawn Code?!"

CC just smiled, saying nothing.

"Don't trust her, Fat Cat!" Seeing Fat Cat losing control and his brain overloaded, Linden quickly shouted, "She's still lying to you! She doesn't even know what's in that safe! She doesn't know herself!"

"Do you dare to gamble?" CC's eyes were fixed on Fat Cat. "This is your only chance."

Fat Cat's face cycled through shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, drenched in sweat! He looked left at CC, right at Linden, then at the safe. He had no idea who to believe!

Bang!!!

A deafening gunshot!

Fat Cat's head exploded like a watermelon! His body fell stiffly! Linden instinctively recoiled...

CC's long hair fanned out, flying in the air. The red ribbon that had tied her hair slowly drifted down... A gun had appeared in her hand. A gun hidden in her coiled hair!

Plop. Fat Cat's body hit the ground with a heavy thud. CC raised the gun in her hand, walking step by step towards Linden—

"Guess what, will I kill you?"