Blurb:
To eliminate the deeply entrenched superpowered criminal organization known as the Web, the Anomaly Response Group has recently been working itself to the bone.
When it comes to the Web, every tactic they've used against criminal organizations in the past is useless. Their battle plans are repeatedly leaked, and the spies they send in vanish without a trace. It's as if everything they say in the conference room is delivered to the Web's leader the very next day.
Whenever the group talks about this, they all grit their teeth in hatred for Jiang Hui, the leader's trusted intelligence officer and a top-tier reconnaissance-type ability user. With Jiang Hui around, it feels like they'll never be able to deal with the Web.
Jiang Hui himself is nothing like the arrogant young prodigy one might expect. He's cold and cruel, like a venomous snake who will use any means necessary, yet absolutely loyal to the leader. He seems to have no weaknesses, leaving no way to persuade him to switch sides.
Until one night, a young investigator from the Anomaly Response Group accidentally discovers Jiang Hui's lover, Du Yunqing, a top-tier healing-type ability user, who was supposed to have died in one of the Web's experiments.
He thinks they've finally found Jiang Hui's weak spot.
*
Jiang Hui has also been working himself to the bone lately.
No matter how much the Anomaly Response Group or the Web's outer-circle members make a myth of his ability and standing within the Web, he knows very well that his position there is precarious.
In fact, less than a tenth of the intelligence the Web has obtained about the Anomaly Response Group comes from his ability. The rest comes from the Web's vast intelligence network and the leader's own shadowy sources.
This intelligence officer, who has nothing but a top-tier reconnaissance ability, is just a living target put out there by the leader. One day, when he's injured, old, or no longer useful, he'll be tossed to the Anomaly Response Group like a dead rat, as a bargaining chip in negotiations with its higher-ups.
Since he was forced to join the Web, he has done everything he can each day to avoid that miserable fate, yet can only despair as he watches himself inch closer to the abyss.
Until one afternoon, he discovers that the Web has found his lover, Du Yunqing, who had secretly left the organization.
So he decides it's time to fight the Web to the death.
Later, in the distant night, Du Yunqing swirls a test tube and gives the investigator who barged in recklessly a meaningful smile.
"Welcome to the Spider Victims Mutual Aid Association, my friend."
"We've been waiting for you for a long time."
A little note before you read:
1. Monogamous romance with a happy ending, plot-driven.
2. The protagonists really have done some dirty things and have blood on their hands. They'll get a bit of a moral cleanup by the end. Readers with strong moral scruples, beware. The protagonists' values don't represent the author's.
3. The story doesn't revolve entirely around the ups and downs of the romance. Both protagonists have other one-sided feelings directed at them that aren't romantic.
4. If I think of any other potential issues, I'll add them. If you're unsure whether something might bother you, feel free to leave a comment and ask.
If you can't accept any of the above, please click away. Maybe we'll meet again someday~
Thesis: Good things don't fall from the sky. Let's all watch out for scams
