Fire Falling Through the Dark of Day

Originally titled "Why Is My Cyber Nemesis My Coworker?" Two equally matched leads | Superpowers | Enemies who love each other, with more love than hate | Sunshine assassin x cold-blooded law enforcer. [One] Sang Ling has a job: she works as a “body collector” in the fringe district of a cyberpunk world. Her coworkers all say she's the ultimate ray of sunshine, and are so worried someone will bully her in the chaotic Tar City that they all look out for her. Sang Ling also has a secret: she's actually a hired assassin. The chaos in Tar City... Haha, she's probably responsible for most of it! Sang Ling collects bodies by day and kills people by night. The bodies she leaves behind even count toward the body's collection team's KPIs. Perfect. One day, Sang Ling drags a blood-soaked corpse out of a corner. Feeling sorry for it, she even washes its face and wipes its hands. Hmm, now that it has a nose and eyes, it looks much better. Sang Ling clocks out right on time, takes off her ID badge, and puts it in her locker. Her alias is written on the badge: Bao Fu. What a wonderful life. So much to look forward to. [Two] In the empty morgue, the “corpse,” Jiang Zhanyue, opens her eyes and climbs out of the body bag. Calmly, she changes into her work uniform and takes her ID badge from her locker. Her alias is on it: Qiong Gui. Jiang Zhanyue has a legitimate job: she's the top-ranked law enforcer in Yongguang City's Inspection Squad. Jiang Zhanyue also has an undercover job: she works on the body collection team at night while secretly investigating Tar City's “Dawn Gang.” Jiang Zhanyue kills people while undercover and collects bodies at work. The bodies she collects fulfill the Inspection Squad's KPIs. Great. One day, Jiang Zhanyue leads an inspection team in pursuit of an assassin. Her bullet hits the target in the collarbone. The target escapes. The specially designed bullet has a tracker. Anyone hit by it can't get away. [Three] Due to an emergency, Jiang Zhanyue arrives early at the body collection team's workplace in disguise. She happens to run into Sang Ling, who's getting off work late. The instant they brush past each other, it feels like a thunderclap out of a clear sky. Jiang Zhanyue is puzzled. Why is there a tracking signal coming from that smiling coworker? Isn't she the assassin Jiang Zhanyue shot? Sang Ling is just as baffled. Why is that tall coworker wearing such familiar clothes? Isn't she the law enforcer who's been hunting her? They both stop. Turn around. Their eyes meet. Well, well. So this “stranger” of a coworker has two faces! Reader's guide: 1. This story has nothing to do with reality. Everything is set in a parallel world, with no harmful messaging. The cyberpunk world's basic premise is high-end technology and low-end living, with a severely unbalanced class structure and a huge wealth gap. 2. This is mainly a fun, high-energy story. There are lots of coincidences and action scenes. It's written to let off steam, so logic and prose aren't the main focus. 3. Around 60% ensemble cast. The plot doesn't revolve solely around the leads. Readers who only care about the protagonists should proceed with caution. 4. Two POVs, with the perspectives often out of sync, so there's a lot of information. The plot makes up 70% of the story, and the romance only 30%. If you don't like plot-heavy stories, proceed with caution. 5. There are lots of corpses and lots of cannon fodder. This is not an all-female world, though the women who matter are fully developed. I won't have time to respond to comments before the story is complete, but I do check them now and then, so feel free to leave one. I'm also completely fine with criticism or suggestions. Feel free to speak your mind about the plot. (But please don't start irrelevant arguments or exchanges of insults in the comments. Keep it civil.) Finally, I hope you enjoy reading~ You're also welcome to check out my upcoming story, "The Parasitic Tree". I'll be working on the outline and saving up chapters after the New Year. Theme: Obey the law.