Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 447: Progress

Seeing that Long Yuehong was frozen in place and unable to say a word, Jiang Baimian smiled. “Relax, it’s not something urgent. You can think about it slowly.”

Long Yuehong looked around and realized that nobody had any intention of rushing him. Even Shang Jianyao was looking at the street scene idly.

His anxiety eased as he recalled the information he had previously obtained. Old Han has a heart problem and is seeking a suitable organ transplant... He previously lived near the black market on Antanna Street... That’s right. The black market is the most likely place one will get human organs. Unless something happens, Old Han probably won’t move easily. Furthermore, he will move to the Red Wolf Zone, where the rent is more expensive...

As these thoughts surfaced in his mind, Long Yuehong vaguely grasped the direction needed for the search. He opened his mouth and deliberated before saying, “Old Han should be here to do something... Antanna Street isn’t too close to here; it takes about half an hour on foot. Yes, he has a car. He will definitely choose to drive over. Since he drove, he will definitely park as close as he can...”

Long Yuehong spoke more and more eloquently, and he even found his thoughts surging endlessly.

At this moment, Jiang Baimian smiled and picked out a small mistake. “That might not be the case. If Old Han doesn’t want others to remember his car, he will choose to park a little further away.”

“Yes, but it won’t be too far.” Long Yuehong nodded slightly, and his tone gradually became more certain. “In other words, since we saw Old Han walking, it means that he parked nearby and that his destination is nearby.”

This greatly reduced the scope of investigation.

Long Yuehong looked at the alley where Han Wanghuo had disappeared and spoke in pleasant surprise as if he had discovered a new continent. “There’s no way to drive there!”

He seemed to have found the reason why Han Wanghuo didn’t park his car directly outside his destination—there was no way to travel the last leg by car!

Once he had this guess, Han Wanghuo’s destination became relatively obvious. There were several communities and condos in that alley!

The search range had shrunk again to a less troublesome extent.

Jiang Baimian smiled in relief. “Not bad; making bold assumptions and carefully verifying them. You’ll be in charge of what to do next.”

“Me?” Long Yuehong was surprised and nervous. He was surprised because he had been praised, having received his team leader’s approbation for his analytic ability. He was worried that he couldn’t lead the mission well.

“Yes, you’re now Team Leader Long Yuehong,” Jiang Baimian smiled and joked. She then pointed at Shang Jianyao. “If this fellow doesn’t listen to you, give him a good slap.”

“Yes!” Shang Jianyao gave him a look that goaded him into doing it.

Long Yuehong naturally didn’t take it seriously. He composed himself and said, “Let’s split up and ask the security guards or peddlers at the entrances to the few community districts and apartments. We’ll see if they’ve seen Old Han.”

“Alright.” Bai Chen was the first to respond.

“Yes, Team Leader!” If not for their environment’s restrictions, Shang Jianyao would’ve shouted very loudly.

After splitting up, they got something in less than 15 minutes.

Long Yuehong and Bai Chen found an apartment guard and learned an important clue from him by paying him 1 Oray.

The apartment guard had seen someone like Han Wanghuo enter the opposite community district with a short, thin woman.

“A woman?” Jiang Baimian repeated in surprise and amusement after hearing Long Yuehong’s description. “Old Han dares to face his status as a Subhuman head-on and is willing to engage in coitus with a certain woman?”

“Maybe he just chose not to take off his clothes.” In the Old Task Force, Bai Chen was the only carbon-based being who could discuss such topics without batting an eyelid.

Genava could do the same, but he was a smart bot without any expressions or ticks.

“Pure collaborators?” Long Yuehong raised another possibility.

“Organ provider?” Shang Jianyao stroked his chin.

Long Yuehong imagined it. “Isn’t this too terrifying?”

Who’s willing to engage in coitus with their organ provider? Won’t he have nightmares in the future?

Jiang Baimian was just about to clap and say, “Alright, we’ll get the answer from asking him inside.” However, she suddenly recalled that she was only an ordinary member of the team, Big White. She had no choice but to shut her mouth again.

Upon seeing his team leader’s faint smile, Long Yuehong recalled that this was his mission. “Let’s enter that community district and ask someone. Right, pay attention to those people’s reactions. I’m afraid that they will snitch.”

Impressive... Jiang Baimian laughed and praised him inwardly.

After some work, the Old Task Force found a few witnesses and confirmed that Han Wanghuo and the woman had entered Block 3.

Long Yuehong then made another arrangement.

Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen guarded the front door while Genava monitored the area behind them to prevent any suspicious people from escaping after sensing the commotion.

He and Shang Jianyao entered Block 3 and investigated each apartment.

When they reached the fourth floor, they knocked on one of the doors and found a muscular man.

“What’s the matter?” the man asked with confusion and vigilance. He was of Red River ethnicity.

“Have you seen this person?” Long Yuehong took out Han Wanghuo’s portrait.

The man’s expression changed slightly before he shook his head.

“You’ve seen him.” Shang Jianyao smiled and interpreted his reaction.

The man was stunned for a few seconds before saying, “Yes, I’ve seen him. Why do you ask?”

Long Yuehong was delighted and blurted out, “Did he come to you for something?”

The mission he led had finally bore fruit, and the process was rather easy!

The man frowned and said, “He wanted to invite me to participate in a mission and said that it was relatively dangerous, but I rejected him. Heh heh, I don’t really want to take the risk now. I only do things that I’m confident in.”

“What mission was it?” Long Yuehong asked in confusion.

“I didn’t ask. I might not be able to refuse if I did.” The man’s mind was very clear. “I don’t know where he lives either. We only know each other and have worked together a few times.”

Shang Jianyao suddenly lowered his voice and asked gossipily, “Did he bring a female companion?”

“Yes,” the man said in confusion. “How can a sick woman be a teammate? Although being sick makes her willing to take on that mission, there’s no guarantee of her combat strength.”

Sick... Long Yuehong vaguely understood something.

After leaving the community district and returning to the car, he informed Jiang Baimian, Genava, and Bai Chen of his gains.

Jiang Baimian sighed and said, “Is Old Han taking on something risky to raise the money for the organ transplant? Does that woman have a similar problem? Sigh, our trail of clues has temporarily come to an end. We can only return to the Hunter’s Guild to see what high-value missions there are.”

“The capturing of us,” Shang Jianyao reminded.

Jiang Baimian shot him a glance. “Let’s busy ourselves with the other matter first.”

...

Red Wolf Zone, 25 Stern Street.

The Blackshirts’ second boss, Terrence, received a call.

“Do you know a man named Sangri Drace and a...” On the other end of the line was a Ruin Hunter with deep connections with the major gangs.

Terrence then smiled. “I can make up ten of such names for you now.”

“I’ll send you the photo and information. If there are clues, the payment won’t be low,” the Ruin Hunter said with great deft.

In the evening, Terrence received the corresponding letter. After opening it and taking a closer look, his expression immediately turned a little strange.

He found the two people in the photo a little familiar.

He looked at their eyes and hair color again, and his forehead twitched. He recalled that he had once helped someone buy hair dye.

As this thought flashed through his mind, Terrence laughed. He picked up the phone and dialed the previous number.

“I’ve never seen them,” he replied very simply.

How could he betray his good brother? Furthermore, both parties had close cooperative ties.

At this moment, the Old Task Force’s newly rented car was quietly parked at the corner of the street outside the house.

Shang Jianyao had previously visited Terrence and ‘deepened’ their friendship.

In fact, Bai Chen had suggested silencing him. However, she gave up on the idea when she thought of the Church of Spiritual Transcendence backing Terrence.

Killing him might not solve the problem.

...

After a busy day, the Old Task Force returned to Ugo Hotel.

After entering their room, Shang Jianyao raised his hand to look at the Bangle of Blindness on his left wrist while Jiang Baimian was washing up.

The corresponding powers had already returned to the strange accessory woven from black hair.

Shang Jianyao then massaged his temples, leaned against the pillow, and closed his eyes.

On the island with the golden elevator in the Sea of Origins.

Shang Jianyao sat in front of Shang Jianyao and cast his gaze at a mark in the air that couldn’t be ignored.

The mark seemed to have pierced through the void as large swaths of redness surged inside.

As time passed, the redness gradually dyed gold before slowly turning orange as if it was changing with the sun.

“Can I finish you off with it?” Shang Jianyao asked Shang Jianyao.

His gaze remained fixed in midair.