Chapter 167: Pei Yan

Looking at the group of soldiers not far away, Liu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly. "Isn’t that Yuan Li and his teammates? What are they doing here?"

Sensing someone’s gaze from behind, Yuan Li turned around and looked in the direction from which he had felt it. He scanned the surroundings for a moment before finally spotting Liu Yun amongst the pedestrians.

Yuan Li’s eyes lit up, and he waved excitedly at her. "Miss Liu!"

Seeing how excited he was, Liu Yun smiled and waved back.

As Yuan Li and the others approached her, she greeted them, "Yuan Li, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to run into you guys here. Are you going out for a mission?"

Yuan Li smiled and replied, "No. We are on patrol duty in this area. What about you, Miss Liu?"

Liu Yun glanced at the transparent blue screen floating in front of her, displaying a golden dot for a second before answering, "I’m just taking a walk around the base."

Hearing this, Yuan Li added, "It’s almost time for our shift to end. If you don’t have anything else to do, how about joining us for lunch later?"

Liu Yun considered his invitation. However, before she could give him an answer, someone called out to her from behind.

"Elder Sister!"

Turning around, Liu Yun saw Pei Rui jogging toward her.

Stopping a few steps away from her, Pei Rui glanced warily at Yuan Li and the others.

Realizing that he had something to talk to her about, Liu Yun turned to Yuan Li and said, "Thank you for the invitation, Yuan Li, but it seems my friend has something important to tell me."

Yuan Li curiously glanced at Pei Rui before smiling at Liu Yun. "Don’t worry about it. We can have a meal together another time."

"Alright."

Just as Yuan Li was about to leave, he paused. Then, he leaned closer to Liu Yun and whispered, "Miss Liu, I heard that the higher-ups are planning to dispatch us to collect crystal cores. Captain Lian should have already reported about you to them."

He paused briefly before continuing, "If you don’t have anything urgent to do, you’d better stay at the base for now. If I’m not mistaken, the higher-ups will send someone to visit you in the next few days."

Hearing this, Liu Yun nodded. "Understood. Thank you for letting me know."

"It’s nothing." Straightening up, Yuan Li added, "We will take our leave now, then. See you next time, Miss Liu."

"See you guys next time." Liu Yun waved goodbye to the group.

She waited until they had walked some distance away before turning to Pei Rui. Smiling at him, she asked, "Why did you call me over just now?"

When she asked him the question, Pei Rui hesitated. However, as though recalling something important, a look of determination flashed across his eyes. Clenching his fists, he raised his head and met Liu Yun’s gaze.

"Elder Sister, I have some information you might want to know."

Liu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of interest entering her voice. "Oh? How do you know I might be interested in what you have to say?"

Taking a step closer to her, Pei Rui lowered his voice and replied, "I know you are investigating our new base commander."

The moment those words left his mouth, Liu Yun’s smile vanished. She looked at Pei Rui and said, "Lead the way."

Pei Rui cautiously glanced around before saying, "Come with me."

Following him, Liu Yun left the northern wall and blended into the crowded street.

They walked through the crowd for more than twenty minutes before Pei Rui gestured for her to follow him into an alley.

Looking into the narrow, dimly lit alley, Liu Yun paused. She carefully surveyed the surroundings before stepping inside, making sure no one was following them.

Walking ahead of her, Pei Rui glanced back from time to time to make sure she was keeping up.

Pointing toward the end of the alley, he said, "Elder Sister, once we leave this alley, you will see the northern gate of the slum area. The people living in the slums are dangerous and aren’t as weak as they might appear. Stay close to me, and ignore anyone who approaches you."

Liu Yun looked toward the light spilling into the end of the dimly lit alley for a few seconds before replying, "Understood."

After receiving her answer, Pei Rui pulled his hood lower over his head and said, "Let’s go."

With that, the two continued walking in silence.

As they stepped out of the alley, Liu Yun raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight and squinted. She waited until her eyes adjusted to the brightness before examining her surroundings.

Unlike the crowded street they had just left, this street was narrow, with trash scattered everywhere. Several women standing along the roadside wearing skin-tight clothes watched Liu Yun with interest, while the people walking down the street kept their faces covered and hurried along.

Liu Yun briefly surveyed the area before continuing to follow Pei Rui.

They walked for a few more minutes before Pei Rui stopped in front of a small makeshift tent. Lifting the flap, which was made of tattered cloth, he said, "This is my home. Please come in, Elder Sister."

Liu Yun nodded, bent down slightly, and stepped into the tent. As soon as she entered, a man’s voice greeted them.

"A Rui, have you brought her here?"

When the deep voice echoed through the small tent, Liu Yun raised her eyes and glanced around. Apart from a small table, there was nothing else inside.

Pei Rui sat down on the floor and replied to the man, "Yes, Elder Brother. This is the elder sister who gave me food before."

After speaking, Pei Rui turned to Liu Yun and introduced his elder brother. "Elder Sister, this is my elder brother, Pei Yan."

Gesturing for Liu Yun to sit down, Pei Yan said, "Please, have a seat, Miss Liu."

When he addressed her by name, Liu Yun’s eyes flickered coldly.