Chapter 409

Chapter 409: Chapter 409

Fearing there might be an issue, Jenny asked hurriedly, "Is something wrong?"

Uncle Sam let out a rare laugh. "Don’t be nervous. There’s nothing wrong with it—it’s top-tier."

He ran a thumb along the edge of the pack, letting out a soft sigh of awe. "Since the fallout, most of the cigarettes I’ve handled were damp, crushed, or broken into loose sticks. Finding a pack in this condition... is almost unheard of. It’s worth every bit."

"Glad to hear that," Suzy smiled.

With the map safely in hand, Suzy tucked it into her backpack. She didn’t linger.

Jenny accompanied her out of the restaurant, and Suzy pressed a handful of hard candies into her palm—playfully calling it a tip. Jenny accepted them with delight.

"I’ll head back for now," Suzy said. She could hardly wait to get back and study the map, memorizing every route before retracing it on foot.

"That friend of yours should be coming back today. Want to head over to the Mission Hall and wait for him?" Jenny suggested out of nowhere.

Suzy’s eyes lit up. "Today? How reliable is that source?"

"Eighty to ninety percent," Jenny said. "My contact’s information is usually spot on—they said a submission record should pop up in the Mission Hall this afternoon. But you know how these field missions go; delays happen, so it’s hard to pin down an exact time."

"Alright, let’s go check it out."

If there was a chance to see Adam today, Suzy didn’t want to miss it.

The two walked back along the main thoroughfare, cutting across two side streets before stopping in front of the Mission Hall’s grey building. The glass doors remained open, the cool white glow of the fluorescent lights spilling out to illuminate the pale concrete entrance.

Suzy pushed the glass doors open and stepped inside, her eyes immediately scanning the central digital display. The entries were slowly scrolling—red emergency assignments remained pinned at the top, while routine missions drifted upward like flowing water.

She held her gaze on the submission log column for a few seconds; there were no new updates.

Withdrawing her gaze, Suzy sat down on a row of plastic chairs against the wall. Jenny sat beside her, pulling out a set of thin wooden sticks from her bag to play with.

"What are those?"

"Fortune-telling sticks."

"You know fortune-telling?"

"Not really. Found them somewhere and started messing around. Want to give it a try?"

With nothing better to do while waiting, Suzy said, "Sure, why not."

Jenny handed the wooden sticks to Suzy and demonstrated the grip. "Give it a shake. Whatever falls out is your fortune."

Suzy followed her instructions, gently shaking the container. Moments later, a single stick rattled out and landed on her lap.

"Let me see."

Jenny picked up the stick, her expression shifting slightly as her eyes landed on the characters.

Suzy caught the change. "Is it bad?"

Jenny handed it to her. "See for yourself."

Suzy glanced down. Ill Omen. It seemed today wouldn’t go smoothly.

Jenny tried to comfort her. "Don’t worry about it, these things are rarely accurate anyway..."

Suzy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "So it’s only inaccurate when it’s bad news?"

Despite her playful retort, the single character for Ill Omen weighed heavily on her mind. What was going to happen today?

While Suzy was lost in thought, Jenny packed the sticks away. People came and went through the hall—some picking up new contracts, others leaving after handing in completed ones. The rustle of papers and muffled footsteps blended into a background hum.

Suzy remained seated, her eyes fixed on the submission window.

Time drifted by like water.

The white light from the fluorescent tubes shone steadily as the natural light outside shifted, transitioning from the bright glare of mid-afternoon into softer evening hues.

Waiting.

And waiting.

Beside her, Jenny had drifted off to sleep, leaning against the chair with a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth.

Suzy thought back to the bad omen she had drawn earlier. Could it be that Adam wouldn’t return today? Was all this waiting for nothing?

She wanted to leave, but worried that the moment she walked out, she would miss him. She sat trapped in indecision.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted near the entrance.

Suzy’s attention snapped toward the doors, and Jenny stirred awake as well.

"What’s going on outside?" Jenny asked, rubbing her eyes.

Suzy shook her head. "I don’t know, it suddenly got loud."

"What time is it now?" Jenny asked again.

Suzy glanced at a nearby clock. "Four in the afternoon."

"He should be back around now," Jenny said, standing up and craning her neck toward the entrance.

The noise drew closer.

The glass doors were pushed open, and a man stepped into the hall. His pace wasn’t fast, carrying the steady, heavy exhaustion of someone who had just completed a grueling journey.

Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore a dark grey jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. The fabric around his collar was worn and frayed at the edges. Sweeping his short black hair back, he revealed a smooth forehead and a pair of deep, sharp eyes that stared straight ahead.

With just one glance, Suzy felt a jolt run through her entire body, freezing her in place.

It was Adam!

He had changed so much.

Compared to her memories, the Adam standing before her looked far more mature and visibly broader, his skin tanned darker, exuding a rugged, hardened masculinity.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Adam walked straight forward, completely failing to notice Suzy standing off to the side.

"That’s him, right!" Jenny exclaimed excitedly. "I told you he’d come back today!"

Jenny’s voice snapped Suzy back to reality.

"It’s him," Suzy murmured. "Does he have to submit his mission now?"

"Yeah, let me wait a bit longer. Should be quick," Jenny said.

Missions usually had strict time limits; when teams rushed back to submit their reports, it was customary for others not to interrupt them.

"Alright." Suzy forced herself to be patient.

Watching Adam head toward the designated corridor and disappear behind the doors, Suzy’s racing heart gradually settled back into a steady beat.

The two continued to wait outside. Suzy’s mind was flooded with thoughts of their reunion; unable to sit still, she paced back and forth in place.

If Uncle knew that Adam was alive, he would be overjoyed.

After what felt like an agonizingly long wait, the side door opened again, and Adam emerged.

This time, his pace was brisk as he headed straight for the exit. Once again, he didn’t seem to notice Suzy.

Seeing this, Suzy stepped forward hastily, opening her mouth to call out his name just as Adam turned his head toward her.

His eyes locked onto her face for a brief second.

It was a fleeting moment. Then, his gaze drifted away, and he continued walking toward the door as if he had seen nothing at all.

Suzy froze on the spot, the words dying in her throat.

The way Adam had looked at her just now... was the look reserved for a complete stranger.

Did he not recognize her? What kind of joke was this?