Every time Matthew got downstairs, he'd pulled out his phone and started scrolling.
Just like always, he whipped out his phone, switched to the camera, and zoomed in on the upper floors. Then, he kept his head down, walking with his eyes glued to the screen.
Suddenly, the camera caught a black dot that quickly grew larger. He immediately backed up, retreating 20 feet in a flash.
With a crack, flower pots came crashing down right where he'd been standing, smashing into pieces on the ground.
The pedestrians on the street saw what happened and froze in shock. Then, people started gasping in surprise.
Meanwhile, Matthew didn't even look up and just kept walking back, leaving the passersby murmuring to each other.
"Did he just cheat death? That's some serious luck. He might as well buy a lottery ticket."
"Oh my goodness! How did he avoid that?"
"Who left their flower stand in such a bad shape that it just crumbled? If that fell on someone, think about the compensation they'd owe."
When Matthew got home, he grabbed a deck chair and relaxed beneath a big tree. He shut his eyes as if he were waiting for something.
Three hours later, night had fallen. The yard was pitch-black with no lights on, yet Matthew still lay there with his eyes closed, like he was asleep.
As his phone started buzzing, Matthew snapped open his eyes. He pulled out his phone and saw it was Caleb calling. At last, the call he'd been waiting for.
He picked up the call. "Hello. Found anything?"
Caleb smugly replied, "I found their hideout, Mr. Grant. Come over quick."
In Lambda City, Bayview Market's food street was packed with food lovers every night.
The street was lined with two rows of eateries, like steak houses, seafood grills, hot wings, pizzerias, and burger joints. Every restaurant was packed with people.
In the middle of the street was a row of food stalls, with a crowd bustling around.
A shop had scaffolding at the door, and the sign was taken down. It looked like some remodeling was going on.
The shop had eight people inside. Some were smoking, some frowning in thought, some were enjoying their drink, and a few were chewing gum.
A silver-haired old man suddenly spoke up. "The Misfortune's Veil has never had accidents before. So why does this mission keep running into problems?"
Everyone lowered their heads in silence.
The old man swept his gaze over everyone's faces and continued, "We were pretty discreet with our plan, so how come the target seemed to have known in advance? Where did things go wrong?"
Magnus snuffed out his cigarette. "Back then, we'd always take people out when they weren't expecting it, making it look like an accident. Now that our target is on guard. I suspect we're being watched."
The old man confidently remarked, "I agree he's on alert, but there's no way he's tracking us. Each of us will take a long detour when we leave the scene.
"Forget about the target. Even if the cops were watching every camera, they couldn't find us either. I'm sure of that."
Magnus was still fidgety. On that day, Matthew dodged without even looking back, and it just didn't add up. "I keep feeling like every move I make is being watched."
Right then, a woman in her 30s chimed in. "I've got that feeling too. It's so unsettling.
"I dropped the pot when he was looking down at his phone, so he shouldn't have seen it coming. But somehow, he still dodged it. It makes me wonder if he has eyes on top of his head."
Frowning, the old man scolded, "What nonsense are you spewing? We're smart people who rely on our wits to get by. Can't you think before you speak?
"Have you ever seen a person with eyes on their head? Do people like that really exist? Quit freaking yourself out."