Above the Blood Moon

The party was gradually coming to an end.

Guests bid farewell in twos and threes; some boarded the hovercars parked at the entrance, while others waited for their designated flying vehicles. While the nights in Mirror Lake District weren't as safe as in the Company District, they were far more peaceful than places like Remains Town.

The president of Yadea Technology, who was supposed to be the final speaker at the event, did not appear, which disappointed some people who were hoping to use the opportunity to network with high-level executives.

Overall, the party went smoothly, with guests and hosts enjoying themselves. Most of the business deals were discussed, and many business cards were exchanged.

For Floyd, tonight's gains far exceeded his expectations.

He stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, smiling broadly as he hugged and said goodbye to several familiar business owners. Each hug was just right, neither too enthusiastic to seem pretentious, nor too cold to seem distant.

He had been operating in the Forgotten City for decades and had long since mastered this kind of superficial skill.

"You must come visit my company next time."

A man with a muscular face and a left arm completely modified into a mechanical arm patted Freud on the shoulder.

"Definitely, definitely," Freud replied with a smile.

"I heard you recently landed that new order from the development zone?" Another tall, thin man leaned over, his voice lowered.

Floyd's smile remained unchanged, but the data stream from his mechanical eye flickered slightly.

"Let's talk another day, another day." He chuckled, offering no direct response.

The tall, thin man understood immediately, nodded, and turned to leave.

Once the last boss had boarded the hovercar and left, Floyd was finally able to catch his breath.

He stood on the steps outside the club's gate, his gaze sweeping across the empty square. The chill of the night rose from the ground, and the blood moon hung low on the horizon.

The neon signs in Jinghu District continue to flash tirelessly, their colorful lights weaving together into a bizarre and fantastical world in the night, a false paradise that never sleeps.

But at that moment, Freud's attention was completely elsewhere.

His gaze fell on the few people at the edge of the square.

Krijor was walking slowly ahead, his pace unhurried, as if he were taking a stroll or enjoying the cool evening breeze, with his two attendants following behind him on either side.

They are leaving.

Freud's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step forward, then forced himself to stop.

Don't panic.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and then turned to his personal assistant standing behind him.

"Go and ask Mr. Krijjo which hotel he's staying at tonight."

Delia nodded and was about to take a step.

"Wait," Freud called to her again, he hesitated for a second, then gritted his teeth.

"I'll go by myself."

Delia glanced at him with some surprise, but didn't ask any questions. She simply stepped back quietly to make way for him.

Freud straightened the hem of his suit jacket, walked down the steps, and headed towards the three men.

He hadn't felt this excited in a long time.

That excitement before the hunt.

"Mr. Krijjo"

Jockley stopped and turned around, a perfectly timed look of surprise on his face.

"Mr. Freud? Wasn't the party already over?"

Freud strode up to him, a smile plastered on his face, his tone brimming with just the right amount of enthusiasm.

"Yes, the party is over, but I suddenly realized that Mr. Krijo is new to the city and might not be familiar with Forgotten City. May I ask which hotel you are staying at tonight?"

After he finished speaking, he looked intently at Jockley, his eyes filled with a hint of nervousness.

Jockley didn't answer immediately; he tilted his head slightly, as if he was thinking seriously about something.

A night breeze blew by, lifting and lowering a few strands of hair from his forehead. He casually put his hands into his suit pockets, his gaze passing over Freud's shoulder and looking at the distant Mirror Lake.

After about five or six seconds, he slowly opened his mouth.

"I'm staying at the Sunrise Hotel in the Jinghu District, in a top-floor suite."

Freud's eyes lit up.

Dawn Star is one of the most upscale hotels in the Mirror Lake area, with a price of at least 15 Star Union Coins per night. The top-floor suite is even more outrageous, costing at least 55 Star Union Coins.

This further confirmed his previous guess that the young man did indeed come from the upper levels of the Olympus ring, and that habit of spending money like water could only be developed by someone who grew up in a privileged environment.

"That's wonderful. I wonder if Mr. Krijo would mind if I personally escorted you back to your hotel? After all, you probably didn't buy any transportation in Forgotten City."

He spoke tactfully, giving the other person ample face. Jockley glanced at him and then nodded slightly.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Freud."

The rain started as the car drove out of Jinghu District.

At first, it was just a fine drizzle, which pattered against the car windows and created a hazy mist, but as the three vehicles drove onto the main road leading to the hotel, the rain gradually intensified.

Floyd sat in the passenger seat, Jockley sat in the back right seat, the priest was in the middle, and Big Yellow was on the left.

The car was quiet. The wipers moved rhythmically across the windshield, shoveling and gathering the rain. The streetlights shone through the rain-soaked windows, casting flowing shadows on the bright yellow metal exterior.

Jockley originally wanted to make a move right now, but Art rejected his idea. First, Floyd's security forces had not yet left, and second, making a move directly on the main road of Mirror Lake District would definitely attract the attention of the FGPD.

Jockley had no choice but to continue playing the role.

Freud glanced at the three people in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

The young man leaned back in his chair, gazing calmly at the rainy night outside the window, his face expressionless. His two attendants remained equally silent.

The modified follower's display screen was completely silent, with no text or images on it, while the black-robed superhuman tilted his head slightly, seemingly looking at something outside the window.

This silence made Freud somewhat uneasy, but he also felt that this restraint and composure were precisely the qualities of someone who had truly seen the world.

If it were a nouveau riche from a small town, once they sat in his custom-made car, they would have already started looking around or trying to get close to him in various ways.

Krijor, on the other hand, acted as if he were getting into an ordinary taxi, completely at ease and matter-of-fact. Floyd readjusted his assessment of the young man in his mind.

They are, after all, upper-class people from the Olympus Ring; they certainly have insight.

Freud spoke again, his tone slightly more formal than before.

"Mr. Krijor, may I ask what your specific plans are for the Forgotten City?"

He paused, then added.

"Of course, it's okay if it's inconvenient for me to say. I was just thinking that if you have time, I can recommend some places worth visiting in Forgotten City."

Jockley slowly turned his head to look at the back of Floyd's head, his voice calm and distant.

"I only made this trip to the Deep Space Graveyard because I accepted Mr. Elijah's invitation. I have no other specific plans besides attending tonight's party."

He paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about something.

"If all goes well, I'll be returning to Kavdia in my interstellar spaceship in the next day or two."

Freud's heart leaped into his throat.

Are you leaving tomorrow or the day after?

That means he has less than two days to build a relationship, and he must seize the opportunity tonight.

Freud's voice carried a hint of urgency.

"If Mr. Krijo is free tomorrow, would you mind visiting my company?"

He looked at Jockley through the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with a longing anticipation.

"Although the company in Forgotten City is not large and cannot compare to the large corporations on the Olympus Ring, it still has its own unique flavor."

Especially in the corporate area, you can see the true foundation that the cyborg human faction has accumulated over the years in the Deep Space Graveyard…”

Jockley didn't answer immediately. He turned his head slightly and looked out the window, as if he was seriously considering his schedule for tomorrow.

The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, and the rainwater gathered into thin streams on the car window, blurring the scenery outside.

After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"Can."

Freud's eyes lit up immediately.

That would be wonderful.

"When the blood moon rises tomorrow morning, just wait for me downstairs at the Dawn Star Hotel."

Floyd nodded quickly.

"I will definitely be there on time."