EPISODE 17
In Seattle, Washington, coming out of a café with a cup of coffee in his hand is Ryan Cross, a police officer and an agent of the Global Constellation Service — a secret service organization.
Ryan: (Breathed in) Man, what's a morning without some good coffee?
As he lifted the cup to take a sip, his agent watch suddenly beeped.
Ryan: (Through gritted teeth) Damn…
He sighed and dropped the coffee into a trash bin.
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Minutes later, at the GCS Headquarters, which to the outside world looks like a busy barber shop — Sky's Clear Cuts.
In the Tech Department…
Ryan: So what is it this time?
Agent Finn: Ambassador Hemlock was found dead in his penthouse this morning.
Ryan: Say what?
Archive (Hacker): And the briefcase is gone.
Ryan: Briefcase? You mean the one that released that virus to wipe out those international dealers last time?
Agent Finn: Yeah.
Ryan: Ayo, hold up— I thought the agency handled that damn thing!
Archive: They almost did… but the team was found dead from the virus before they could finish.
Head Agent JD: (Walking in) And to make things worse, it's connected to Ghost.
Ryan: Bruh… (Exhaled) So the agency wants to send me?
Head Agent JD: (Walking off) You're sharp, Agent Ryan. You'll be picking up your partner at the airport by midday.
Ryan: Partner? What you mean partner? (Followed him)
Head Agent JD: She's a former member of both Ghost and GCS.
Ryan: Both? Man, come on. You know I don't do partners — I roll solo.
Head Agent JD: Yes, Agent Ryan. You go so solo that on your last mission, you caused a highway traffic jam for two days.
Ryan: 😅 Look— everybody knows that wasn't entirely my fault. I still stopped the smuggling. And besides, that was last week.
Head Agent JD: (Stopped, crushed the paper in his hand) 💢 … (Exhaled) 😌🧐 This is already decided by the directors, so get to it. (Walked away) And be careful with her. She's basically a robot in human form.
Ryan's watch beeped again. He read the info sent to him.
Ryan: Wait— she Asian? Man, how y'all expect me to team up with an Asian lady?
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The passed rain over Washington D.C. blurred the skyline into streaks of silver. Inside the diplomatic terminal, the silence was heavy as General Li Xuefang disembarked from the private aircraft, her long coat fluttering in the wind like a dark banner of authority. Her boots clicked sharply against the ground, announcing her presence long before her words did.
Air Hostess: 欢迎来到美国,薛芳将军.
TRANSLATION: Welcome to America, General Xuefang.
Xynra: Initiating environmental scan.
Back in Beijing, the last person LI Xuefang had seen was Jiang Ren. His voice still lingered in her mind like a fairy.
Jiang Ren: Then I'll go with you.
He had said it firmly, standing in the doorway of their mansion.
General Li: No.
Jiang Ren: Why not?
General Li: Don't you have school to attend… and your professor job?
Jiang Ren: My teaching period is finished, and school's on vacation!
Li exhaled slowly. [I feel like a mother dragging around a sticky child…]
General Li: You want to know why you can't go?
Without another word, she pulled aside her coat and lowered her waistband just enough to reveal a dark tattoo etched into the right side of her backwaist — the emblem of the Ghost Division.
General Li: (Cold, firm) This is the mark of a killer.
Jiang Ren's face flushed at the glimpse of her bare waist, but the word killer snapped him out of it instantly.
General Li: I'm not dragging anyone else into this.
She turned and left before he could argue again, leaving him alone with the sinking realization of how far apart their worlds truly were.
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Across the ocean, an armored black SUV screeched to a stop outside the airport terminal.
Out stepped Agent Ryan Cross — tall, sharp-jawed, annoyingly confident. His earpiece glowed faintly blue, and his clothes were so crisp it looked like he ironed them straight from birth.
Ryan: [A'ight… this must be Agent Leah. They told me I'd get a partner, not some robot.]
(Approaches) Hey! Agent Leah — you speak English?
Li did not reply.
Ryan: You ain't hear me? I asked if you understand English.
General Li — Agent Leah — only adjusted her gloves and slipped one hand into her pocket, expression unreadable.
Ryan: I said— d—damn it! She don't understand a single word I'm sayin'. (Irritation rising) A'ight, look. I don't know what they told you, but this mission falls under my jurisdiction. You follow my lead, my orders, my pace. You hear me?
Silence.
She simply stared at him — calm, cold, unblinking — like a shadow that refused to respond.
Ryan dragged a hand through his hair, frustration crackling off him.
Ryan: They said "partner," not a damn mannequin.
That's when she turned slightly—to the flight attendant beside her—and spoke in fluent, musical Chinese:
General Li: 他很吵闹,他看起来像个有趣的傻瓜."
TRANSLATION: He's quite noisy. He might seem to be a funny fool.
The attendant's lips twitched to suppress a laugh. Ryan frowned.
Ryan: (Curious) What she say?
The attendant smiled politely.
Attendant: She said… you're funny.
Ryan blinked.
Ryan: Funny?
Li stepped into the SUV without waiting for him, her coat trailing behind her like a black flame.
General Li: 这只狗喜欢吠叫.
TRANSLATION: This one likes to bark.
Xynra: And you enjoy the silence after.
Their drive through the city was wordless. Ryan glanced at her reflection in the window—calm, unreadable, eyes like tempered steel. He wasn't sure if he hated her confidence or envied it.
By nightfall, they arrived at the GCS HQ. Inside, a half-circle of directors waited behind a translucent display of world maps.
The lead director, a woman with silver hair, folded her hands.
Chief Director: General Li Xuefang of the Eastern Front. Agent Leah of Division SS.
she began, her voice smooth and deliberate.
Chief Director: Your record precedes you. You will now operate under international command, partnered with Agent Ryan Cross of Division SS."
Li's gaze flicked toward Ryan once, then back to the director.
Ryan smirked slightly.
Ryan: With due respect, ma'am, she speaks no English—
Li interrupted, her voice sudden and sharp, spoken in flawless, crisp English.
General Li: Understood, Chief Director. But it's former agent. And Agent Cross—next time, choose your words more carefully. I comprehend far more than you assume.
The room fell into stunned silence. Ryan froze mid-sentence.
The directors smiled faintly.
Director 2: Then we understand one another.
Director 3: You two have been assigned to Department XA.
Li turned away, the faint reflection of lightning flashing across her cold, elegant face.
Ryan stood there, speechless, watching her leave the room. For the first time in his career, he realized he'd just been completely outplayed—by a woman who hadn't even broken a sweat.
Outside, thunder rolled over D.C., and Xynra's voice whispered softly through her lens
:
Xynra: Welcome to another side of war, General.
Li's eyes narrowed.
General Li: War, another concept that changes its uniform deceitfully.
Thunder echoes.
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