The transmission lasted less than a single breath.
A sharp blast of sound hit Fenric's ears—car horns. Then came the scent of exhaust and humid air. His vision cleared.
He stood in the middle of a bustling modern city: crowded streets, honking traffic, pedestrians weaving through crosswalks, glass towers stretching overhead.
Hong Kong, early 21st century. Perfect. Right on script.
Ding—!
A system prompt chimed in his ear:
"Samsara Player Shura, please choose your faction within 30 seconds."
Faction 1: Police.
Faction 2: Triad (Underworld Society).
Camp selection right at spawn? A smart way for Samsara Space to slot samsara players into roles quickly. But to anyone who didn't know the plot, it was a trap: pick blind and pray.
Fenric didn't hesitate. Faction 1: Police.
Safety first. Compared with the chaos of the triad world, being on the police side meant structure, support, and fewer chances of getting executed because some crime boss woke up cranky. Also—Crow had already told his allies to pick the triad camp. Distance was good. Fenric didn't trust him.
Ding—!
"Selection confirmed. Establishing local identity…"
Name: John Smith.
Cover Role: Detective Grade II, Intelligence Section.
Age: 22.
Reminder: Memorize your identity. It will help you integrate into this world.
Warning: Do NOT disclose information about Samsara Space to native inhabitants under any circumstance.
Message after message scrolled through his mind.
Catching his reflection in a nearby shop window, Fenric saw that even his face had shifted—older, sharper lines, a touch of mature fatigue at the eyes. A young cop, not a student.
He checked his pockets: an old-model button phone (black-and-white screen), a police ID, spare cash.
He flipped open the phone, scrolled the contacts… all police numbers.
Then his thumb stopped.
Andy Lau (Supervisor).
Fenric's lips lifted. Well now…
Infernal Affairs was a classic double-undercover story:
Police plant a mole inside the triad.
Triad boss plants a mole inside the police.
Both sides hunt the infiltrator on the other side… without exposing their own.
In the movie timeline, Inspector Andy Lau holds a key post in Intelligence. In this dungeon? He's Fenric's direct superior.
And Andy Lau… is the triad mole inside the police.
"Interesting," Fenric murmured.
Ding—!
The system chimed again:
Main Mission: Identify the mole hidden within the police force. (0/1)
Time Limit: 72 hours.
Scoring Note: The faster you complete the mission, the higher your evaluation. All samsara players will be forcibly extracted at timeout.
No surprises—Crow had already previewed this during prep. Still, confirmation locked it in.
Good.
Fenric already knew what to do next.
Jingle—jingle— The old phone rang.
Caller: Big D.
Fenric answered in character. "Hello?"
"John, get back to HQ—urgent case!" The voice crackled with excitement.
"On my way." Fenric snapped the phone shut and headed straight for the station.
His badge got him through the lobby security without trouble. He followed signage up to the Intelligence Section on the second floor and pushed open the office door.
Controlled chaos. Officers packing gear. Reports grabbed. Radios checked. Everyone on the move.
"John! Why so slow? Grab those files!" A middle‑aged female officer waved him over.
"Right away," Fenric said, stepping in. While moving boxes, he swept the room with a quick, practiced glance.
No sign of Inspector Andy Lau.
But someone else was here—Luk, callsign Big D. Detective Grade I. Listed in memories as one of Andy Lau's trusted men.
Except Fenric knew better.
Luk was actually a deep-cover plant sent by triad boss Eric Tsang—placed to watch even Andy Lau. Paranoid old Eric never trusted anyone, so he seeded multiple moles inside the police years in advance.
And at the end of the original plot? It was Luk who shot and killed the police undercover Anthony Wong Chau-sang.
Yeah. Definitely someone to watch.
Fenric carried the files over. "Are we relocating?"
The middle-aged woman shook her head. "Temporary assist to the Crime Squad, that's all I heard. We'll know more when Sir Lau gets here."
Right on cue, the office door opened again.
A sharp-featured middle-aged man stepped in, presence commanding even before he spoke.
Inspector Andy Lau had arrived.