Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 852: Friendly Exchange

Upon hearing the provision shop owner’s answer, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao perked up. The red light in Genava’s eye sockets flickered twice.

“Do you know which floor and room he lives in?” Jiang Baimian asked.

The boss—who had her thoughts implanted—didn’t wonder why the Old Task Force was asking about such details. She shook her head and said, “He’s not the talkative sort, and he’s like a ghost. If it weren’t for the fact that he often comes to buy things, I might not remember such a person. I only know that he enters that stack, but I’m not sure which floor or room he enters.”

As she spoke, the provision shop owner stretched out her right hand and pointed at an entrance to the apartment opposite—it was the corridor leading to Mor’s house!

The sniper lived in the same apartment stack as Mor! This matched Bai Chen’s idea of making it easier to monitor at night.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao looked at each other and didn’t ask any further. They left the provision shop and walked to the target.

They were in no rush to enter and search. Instead, they stayed outside and looked up at the lights that had lit up because of the darkness.

“16 human consciousnesses on the first floor,” Shang Jianyao suddenly said.

“16 blobs of human bioelectric signals.” Jiang Baimian didn’t turn her head and continued staring ahead.

This meant that there were a total of 16 people on the first floor. Nobody hid their consciousness.

“17 human consciousnesses on the second floor,” Shang Jianyao continued.

Jiang Baimian nodded. “The number of bioelectric signals matches.”

Just like that, the two of them quickly compared the data to confirm the situation.

Before long, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao confirmed that all humans in this stack didn’t hide their consciousness. In other words, Shang Jianyao could exert influence on these 100 people at the same time without missing anyone.

The next second, Shang Jianyao took out a blue and white loudspeaker from his tactical backpack and shouted at the stack, “Residents, we are employees of the Power Safety Council. We are here to check this apartment’s circuits today. Please open the door in a timely fashion upon hearing us knock and cooperate…”

After saying that, Jiang Baimian believed that nobody in the unit would suspect the Old Task Force’s investigation. The sniper and his companion were the same.

She then turned her head and said to Genava, “Old Ge, prepare the anesthetic rounds.”

The Old Task Force’s goal this time was to capture the target alive!

“Alright.” Genava quickly adjusted his weapons.

Shang Jianyao then led the way into the apartment, with Jiang Baimian following closely behind.

They knocked on one door after another and checked the circuits as if they were genuinely carrying out inspections. At the same time, they observed if the people in the room looked the same as the portrait that Gitis had given them.

The Old Task Force then arrived at the top floor. They first knocked on the room facing the stairs—which was also next door to Mor’s house.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Shang Jianyao slammed the wooden door and shouted, “We’re here to check the power meter, circuits, and wires!”

After seven to eight seconds, the door opened.

The person who opened the door was a man in his late twenties. He had light-yellow hair and dark eye bags under his blue eyes. He wore gorgeous clothes and had the bearing of an artist.

This was clearly different from the sniper in the sketch.

“Why are you suddenly checking on the power circuits so late at night?” the long-haired man asked in confusion.

“Most people have to work during the day, so we can’t gain entry.” Shang Jianyao passed the man and walked into the room as though it was only right.

According to his and Jiang Baimian’s senses, two people lived here. They needed to confirm the other person in the room.

At a glance, Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian didn’t see anyone. They only realized that two rough, protruding roots and a stack of yellow tissue were on the coffee table.

The corresponding human consciousness had disappeared at some point in time.

According to the bioelectric signals, Jiang Baimian’s gaze swept across the sofa on the side of the coffee table.

That person is there, but we can’t see him…?With a thought, she turned her body and secretly gestured at Genava, who had entered.

Although Genava failed to gather the corresponding visual signals, he still trusted Big White fully. He suddenly raised his right arm and fired an anesthetic bullet at the spot Jiang Baimian had indicated.

With a bang, a figure appeared on the sofa.

This figure wore a black knee-length coat. His brown hair was combed very short, and his yellow eyes showed clear signs of stupefaction. His high nose bridge was a little deformed, and there was a rectangular black wooden box beside his right hand.

He was the sniper in the portrait!

At this moment, an anesthetic bullet was embedded between his chest and abdomen, and his body reflexively jerked up.

His companion—the long-haired man with the rich bearing of an artist—reacted.

At this moment, the two of them revealed depressed expressions one after another and actually gave up resisting.

The long-haired man sighed and said, “The decades lived have been like a dream. There’s nothing to say at this point.”

He sat on a chair not far away and assumed a surrendering posture.

Shang Jianyao’s Literary Hipster!

After missing the best period to put up a resistance, the sniper’s eyes gradually glazed over. He quickly entered an anesthetized state and collapsed on the sofa.

“Old Ge.” Jiang Baimian signaled for Genava to guard the door and prevent anyone from approaching.

Shang Jianyao smiled at the long-haired man. “Don’t worry. We just want to inquire about something; we won’t do anything to you. As long as you cooperate fully, I can guarantee that I won’t harm your lives. We have always been trustworthy in this regard.”

The long-haired man’s eyes glazed over for a moment. “Sounds sincere.”

He was trustworthy.

“You weren’t implanted with the idea of suicide if certain questions are asked, right?” Shang Jianyao ‘cautiously’ confirmed.

The long-haired man shook his head. “No, besides, we probably can’t commit suicide in such a situation.”

“It’s good that you know.” Shang Jianyao smiled.

“How may I address you?” Jiang Baimian began questioning. She didn’t plan on delaying matters that involved the Eighth Research Institute, afraid that an accident would happen again.

The long-haired man felt respected. “My name is Murray.”

He then pointed at his unconscious companion. “His name is Benito.”

Before Jiang Baimian could ask further, Shang Jianyao spoke first. “Why do you buy tissues every few days?”

He exaggerated the provision shop owner’s words.

The corners of Murray’s mouth twitched as he pointed at Benito. “He needs it.”

“Why?” Shang Jianyao had a curious expression.

Murray clearly didn’t want to answer this question, but he still cooperated. “The price he paid is that his sexual fetishes are different from ordinary people. He likes to hump trees.”

Sexual fetishes? From the Double Sun domain… It’s no wonder we couldn’t see him just now…?Jiang Baimian came to a realization.

Part of the Double Sun domain’s abilities involved vision control. This also explained why Benito could leave the United Mining Association without leaving any witnesses.

Shang Jianyao tersely acknowledged his words and pointed at the two tree roots on the coffee table. “I thought you were a sculptor; so it’s actually for him!”

Murray shrugged. “My hobby is reading. Actually, I can understand why he has such fetishes. On the one hand, it’s because of the price he paid. On the other hand, it’s also because of some experiences from his childhood and adolescence. You should know that many boys like to climb trees. That’s how he gave his first time away.”

Jiang Baimian felt that the conversation was getting off-topic and quickly steered it back on track. “Are you from the Eighth Research Institute?”

“Yes,” Murray admitted frankly.

“Your ability is to flip through and erase memories?” Shang Jianyao had a curious expression.

“No.” Murray shook his head. “The one who can erase memories on a large scale will only come to Gesterbourg when it involves transactions of massive amounts of supplies. Usually, such trivial matters won’t arouse suspicion, and there’s no need to leave the subsequent matters to outsiders. There’s no risk of exposing our identities.”

“These trivial matters were completed through Mor?” Jiang Baimian asked.

Murray nodded slightly. “In Gesterbourg, there are very few people like him who can do many things without attracting attention.”

Jiang Baimian thought for a few seconds and directly asked, “Where’s the Eighth Research Institute’s headquarters?”

“I don’t know.” Murray laughed. “People who are sent outfield don’t know the exact location. When we need to return to headquarters, we will schedule a meeting place and time in advance. Then, someone will come to pick us up. On the way, our eyes are blindfolded, and our ears are blocked.”

Jiang Baimian wasn’t disappointed by Murray’s answer because the Eighth Research Institute’s commissioner had already given the Old Task Force such details. Therefore, she believed that the Eighth Research Institute definitely had strict rules regarding such matters.

She calmly asked, “Then, when are you returning to headquarters?”

Murray fell silent for a while before whispering, “Mor is dead. It won’t be long before we are summoned back.”