Canned Souls 17

They were scheduled to return to the island for filming tomorrow, leaving only this final free afternoon.

Yan Xianchuan was a bit curious about what the movie queen had been up to in private—ordinary people didn't choose such flashy modes of transportation.

But the moment it occurred to her that uncovering that secret would inevitably invite endless trouble, she immediately backed down.

For now, she was blind and deaf, knowing nothing, noticing nothing.

That afternoon, Su Hong came to see Lu Mingqiu. Yan Xianchuan opened the door, having met the manager a few times before. After a brief greeting, she simply said, "She's upstairs," and returned to the sofa, her attention back on the projection screen.

On screen, a woman in a black form-fitting suit and an eye mask hovered in midair, her dark blue cape whipping in the wind, gray-black storm clouds gathering in her hands. She declared, "I have both the responsibility and the duty to stop you, Masked Man! This city's nightmare ends today. Die!"

With that, she hurled the whirlwind, which in the blink of an eye split into two tornadoes, sweeping up rubble and shattered glass as they bore down on an opponent with four mechanical limbs.

Su Hong's expression flickered with something odd as she took in the scene on the screen. It was a superhero film starring Lu Mingqiu, featuring the protagonist Ira Eisley, a wealthy young heiress whose parents had died in a street explosion. She had survived, but felt nothing but disappointment in this chaotic city, and resolved to save it with her own hands.

By day, she was the City Rose, gracing banquets; by night, she was a superhero in uniform, fighting crime.

Lightning illuminated her blue eyes, an unyielding will blazing within them. "I will prove with my own hands that this city is about to welcome true freedom!"

The Masked Man laughed heartily. Half of his mask, edges broken, fell to the ground, bloodstains washed away by the gale.

"Do you think defeating me means defeating the darkness? Too naive, Night Owl. As long as humanity exists, there will be lust for power, corruption. You can never save it."

"I will." Night Owl's stiletto heel came down on that half mask, a crisp crack echoing as she looked down at him. "But you won't live to see that day."

...

Su Hong went upstairs and pushed open the study door. "She's downstairs, watching 'Night Owl.'"

Lu Mingqiu gestured to the chair opposite. "I know—this is the fourth superhero movie she's watched."

"Is she implying something?" Su Hong asked. "Has she noticed something and is testing you?"

"I'm not sure," Lu Mingqiu admitted, "but during filming, she shouldn't make a move."

She tapped the desk twice with her fingers. "Tell the company's publicity department to start a rumor that we're just a publicity stunt—make it loud."

"Give her a reason to stay in Nanjin City," Lu Mingqiu said. "Keep her where I can watch her."

"Isn't that too risky?" Su Hong hesitated. "What if she's from the company..."

"She's an ordinary person," Lu Mingqiu said firmly. "She poses no threat to me. After filming wraps, I'll implant a mental seal on her—then everything will be safe."

"If she truly is a plant, it means my identity has leaked, and our organization is no longer secure. The consequences are unthinkable. So I have to take this risk, and I trust the other side won't act rashly either."

After all, she was the big fish.

Su Hong nodded. "Your call." She pulled a blue vial from her bag and set it on the table. "Just arrived from Night City, the latest healing injection. It should help with your recovery."

Lu Mingqiu extended her arm. The fine needle pierced her skin, and cool liquid seeped into her veins. With her other hand, she opened the drawer, retrieved a hemostatic spray, and spritzed it over the tiny blood beads forming on her skin.

"The injection will take effect within an hour, so you'd better rest during that time," Su Hong said as she stood. "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"Mm, thanks. Drive safe." Lu Mingqiu rubbed her forehead and watched her leave.

Su Hong made her way downstairs and found that Yan Xianchuan had switched to a different movie—not a superhero film, but a modern piece starring Lu Mingqiu, a love story set during the Great Cleansing.

Though it was called a love story, the film focused more on the desolation of people in that era, struggling to survive. Her lover in the film died from radiation, but her numb face couldn't even muster a tear. In those times, personal grief was nothing compared to the world's suffering.

Su Hong genuinely admired Lu Mingqiu. She came from the Bolov family, striking in appearance. Though she was an illegitimate daughter, she was quickly brought back to the main residence. In a typical story, she would have married into another family's core, living a life of luxury.

But she didn't. She chose a path fraught with peril, defying life and death, betraying her own class.

Su Hong herself was someone Lu Mingqiu had saved during her first mission—a "voluntary experimental subject" lying on an operating table, about to be dissected.

She still remembered how the indifferent experimenter had fallen to the ground in terror, his head striking the edge of the table. In her confusion and panic, Lu Mingqiu had appeared, with an unremarkable face, comforting her, telling her not to be afraid—she was safe now.

Together they underwent physical training, firearms, and combat—Lu Mingqiu never complained. Her hands were covered in wounds and calluses, later erased with medication because she was about to step onto the screen and needed a flawless appearance.

She gave everything her all, always excelling, maintaining a kind and amiable demeanor every day. Su Hong admitted she couldn't do the same, but Lu Mingqiu kept it up year after year, precisely because it maximized the effectiveness of her esper power.

She glanced at Yan Xianchuan, who offered only the back of her head, showing no sign of wanting to chat.

She was an unpredictable factor, but Su Hong trusted all of Lu Mingqiu's decisions, believing she could control every situation.

Lu Mingqiu was indeed a brilliant actress; her title of movie queen was well-earned.

People with superb acting skills were frightening because you could never tell whether their words, expressions, and actions at any moment came from sincerity or pretense. You couldn't guess her true thoughts or see through her heart.

Yan Xianchuan's mind wandered for a moment, then she suddenly realized she had no right to find the other woman frightening. After all, she herself was a standout from an escape game where everyone was a master of deception.

The movies were still excellent. She spent the entire afternoon watching films starring Lu Mingqiu, and not a single one was a flop.

The plots, music, and cinematography were all top-tier. For Yan Xianchuan, who hadn't seen any entertainment in ages, it was like someone who'd been starving for three days, subsisting on water, suddenly being confronted with a pot of braised pork.

Impressive—this marriage partner of hers.

Yan Xianchuan appreciated excellent people, especially when they truly lived up to their reputation.

Now she was even more curious about what Lu Mingqiu was secretly doing in the middle of the night.