Operation story: 6-9
< 6-9
| Operation | Story |
| Previous 6-8 | Next 6-10 |
| Characters | |
 L.G.D. Operator | |
| Backgrounds | |
 1 | |
Before operation
| “ | Returning to the present, Reunion seems to have re-organized and is moving again. A woman named "Nine" has decided to leave Lungmen, and Ch'en leads the black raincoat squad to the Yeti Squadron. | ” |
| <Background 1> | |
|---|---|
| Ch'en | Move out. |
| L. G. D. Operator | But we're really not familiar with the layout here. I'm worried... what if the Infected resist our operations? |
| Ch'en | Relax. I know the area. Just follow my orders. |
| L. G. D. Operator | Yes, Sir! Sir, bad news: intelligence reports Reunion is moving with some degree of organization again. It seems they've found another commander. And... and they've reencrypted their communication channels. We can't intercept them anymore! |
| Ch'en | Could they have joined up with the units in the slums? Impossible. Rhodes Island should already have dealt with the situation there. There's no risk of us getting boxed in. Strange... |
| Swire | Ah Ch'en, I'm ready to—— |
| [Ch'en's radio picked up an incoming call.] | |
| Ch'en | A transmission? "Little Miss," would you mind giving me the room? |
| Swire | How do you work it out so you're busy every time I have something for you? Is that spy of yours back on the grid? |
| Ch'en | I said give me the room. And get me some finballs while you're out. |
| Swire | I'm not a kid, you know. |
| <Background fades out and in> | |
| Ch'en | ...This is Ch'en. |
| ??? | We have another Reunion element up from the lower levels of the slums. Infected called Yeti Squad. It seems they have the ability to collapse buildings and destroy infrastructure. Tread carefully. |
| Ch'en | ...Understood. Only-1, Lungmen's special forces are operating in the slums. We are at the moment incapable of stopping them. Exercise caution. |
| ??? | Roger. |
| Ch'en | ...Only-1, why did you drop out of contact? |
| ??? | I had some things on my mind. It's clear to me now. I'm leaving Lungmen to you. |
| Ch'en | What? I don't understand. |
| ??? | Me, now? I don't belong here. |
| Ch'en | Only-1! |
| ??? | I'm going to take some of Lungmen's Infected. The L. G. D. can't protect them. The city doesn't care about them. In other words, this city isn't at all what you think it is. |
| Ch'en | Nine! You're under orders! |
| Nine | I haven't been with the L. G. D. for over three years. And actually it was me giving orders to you. |
| Ch'en | Nine...! |
| Nine | Those special forces you're talking about? I think I've seen them around. I thought too much of this city. Goodbye, Ch'en. |
| Nine | Oh, right. Don't go snooping around the sewers. |
| [The call abruptly ends.] | |
| <Background fades out and in> | |
| Ch'en | ...... Was I too loud? |
| Swire | You're pretty loud. I think the whole block heard you. |
| Ch'en | And yet I'm still not as loud as you. |
| Swire | Hey, Ah Ch'en, get over here. |
| Ch'en | ...... |
| Swire | Have a seat. |
| Ch'en | Wow, Miss Swire squatting on a dirty street corner. You're not afraid to soil your clothes? |
| Swire | Certainly not! What makes you think I'd worry about a thing like that? I was just about to give that stinky sewer rat another call. I may not come here often, but I'm pretty sure those special forces are up to no good. |
| Ch'en | Have you met Lin? From the slums? |
| Swire | I have. He's a nice old man. Nicer than my grandpa anyway. |
| Ch'en | They call him the "Rat King." |
| Swire | The men behind the curtain aren't all like such. But he's really a good person. I never thought Yühsia would turn out like this. She was such a shy and timid girl, the kind who would always hide behind you. |
| Ch'en | I don't think she's changed. She just... took on responsibility. Maybe the kind she couldn't handle. |
| Swire | It wouldn't do any good to tell her that. We're between a rock and hard place here. |
| Ch'en | I can't say I understand what's going on between her and her father, but I know she's not so cold-blooded. |
| Swire | So I'm gonna call her. |
| Ch'en | ...... That report I just got may be of use to us. |
| Swire | What do you mean? |
| Ch'en | A Reunion group with special powers has entered the slums, and they're able to command other Reunion elements. And I'm the only one who knows. Well, now it's the two of us, I guess. |
| Swire | What are you thinking? |
| Ch'en | We steer the raincoats into them. Aside from the group left to help the L. G. D. clean up the new-type Infected, there's also quite a few of those special forces with us in the slums. And the situation is: we don't know their distribution, we have no way to guard against them, and have no idea what they might do. But with Lin Yühsia's help, we can guide them into that Reunion team. |
| Swire | Force them out? Show them to the whole L. G. D.? |
| Ch'en | The L. G. D., sure, but also Rhodes Island. |
| Swire | You trust them so much? |
| Ch'en | They chase their objectives harder than any group I've ever seen. They're even more dedicated than the L. G. D. And who else are we going to trust? |
| Swire | You've got stones, I'll give you that. |
| Ch'en | Ordinary Lungmenites don't know Lin, they don't know your grandfather, they don't even really know Wei Yenwu, let alone any chambers of commerce or whatever behind the scenes. They just trust the L. G. D. None of those players would dare disband the L. G. D., and leave us with the regular old police. Then you add in the outsiders... And there's no way they'll want to take over. |
| Swire | They'll fire you though. |
| Ch'en | Whoop-de-doo. |
| Swire | Then let's wrap up this one last job! Next time, their patrol route goes right into the slums. |
| Ch'en | You can get Lin on board? |
| Swire | As long as we look after this place, Lin will work with us. |
| Ch'en | One more thing... |
| Swire | What's that? |
| Ch'en | Did you know we have three guests? |
| <Background black> | |
| Lin Yühsia | ...... What is it? |
| Swire | Listen up, stinky rat, I've got news for you. There's a Reunion unit we can't hold. We need your team's help. |
| Lin Yühsia | Impossible. What are you trying to pull? |
| Swire | Have I ever lied to you? |
| Lin Yühsia | You said we'd go to the same secondary school, only for you to run off to Victoria. |
| Swire | ...... I'm sorry. Really, truly sorry. |
| Lin Yühsia | Forget it. I don't care. |
| Swire | Yühsia, your dad has done so much for Lungmen. We don't want to lose this place, and the people here can't lose us either. |
| Lin Yühsia | Liar. You're coming here? You'll come to the slums? |
| Swire | ......Ch'en will. |
| Lin Yühsia | You really are a terrible liar. What business have I with her? |
| Swire | For whatever reason, your dad wasn't able to resolve the conflict between the Infected and the normal people, but Ch'en can. Ch'en and your father will rebuild the slums together. They're working to turn it into a place where all kinds of people can live, to the point that we won't even be able to call it the slums anymore. Think about it... Even though most Lungmenites don't live here, they've been coming here a lot in the past few years, haven't they? Soon, we won't need any slums. |
| Lin Yühsia | What? |
| Swire | We haven't been able to solve the Infected crisis, but I know... We can make this a better place. They'll be Lungmen's downtown Districts 22 to 29. No longer "slums." This city was built on the many, many different kinds of people all coming together to make it what it is today. Lungmen can't afford to lose anyone. |
| Lin Yühsia | Yawn. How boring. You've become as boring as Ch'en. |
| Swire | Yühsia... Look, I'm not trying to make a soap opera here. |
| Lin Yühsia | Where is that Reunion unit? |
| Swire | Oh? |
| Lin Yühsia | I won't ask again. |
| [...] | |
| Ch'en | Amiya, have you entered the slums? We have a bit of a situation here. Let me fill you in. |