Chapter 161-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World
Chapter 161 Evaluation
By the time Huo Wenxi's people reached the Garbage Dump, the Church had already vanished. There were no surveillance cameras in this area, and even garbage-clearing robots were a rare sight.
The few witnesses around vaguely recalled something like a church nearby. "More than half of it was buried in the garbage heap—creepy as hell. Who'd go near that place?"
Based on Zhu Ning's memories and the witnesses' descriptions, they pinpointed an approximate location. But tons of garbage had cascaded over the site. Excavation would take at least a full day, and there was no guarantee of finding any leads underneath.
After descending from the Consciousness Cloud, Zhu Ning had gained complete mastery over her data-related abilities. She'd grown entirely accustomed to treating her brain like a computer. Once connected to a printer, she could even print out her own memories.
The Abnormal Incident Investigation Team pulled footage from nearby surveillance cameras. Most had been damaged. After tracing what remained, they found several figures matching Zhu Ning's descriptions.
A woman appeared on screen—wine-red trench coat, sharp-cut short hair. She'd deliberately avoided the cameras. The grainy footage captured only a partial side profile, completely unidentifiable.
Zhu Ning: "That's her."
This was the person she'd seen in Bao Ruiming's memories. Unfortunately, the face had been indiscernible there too.
It reminded Zhu Ning of the Idol's peculiar property—even if you'd seen it before, you could never quite recall the details afterward. You might not even recognize it upon a second encounter.
Huo Wenxi remained utterly composed. Not a flicker of reaction when the trail went cold. Zhu Ning suspected she had her own methods of tracking.
Zhu Ning had identified the target for her: a short-haired woman in red. That alone was enough for Huo Wenxi.
Huo Wenxi had already locked onto her. Finding the woman was only a matter of time.
The Huo estate had been taken over by Demon Hunters. Others were cleaning up the aftermath. The analysis report on the Rotten Corpses hadn't come in yet.
Zhu Ning was brought to the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team's office at the Sanitation Center. For her, the Sanitation Center was currently the safest place.
Zhu Ning was soaked from head to toe and had to change into Huo Wenxi's spare clothes. Huo Wenxi's wardrobe was simple yet refined. Zhu Ning was slightly taller, so the sleeves came up a bit short.
Zhu Ning changed into a black coat. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she looked remarkably close to the version in the video—the one she'd been calling the "Original."
She was becoming more and more like the Original.
Zhu Ning's nerves were slightly damaged. Zhuang Lin had prepared HealStim for her, but she still felt dizzy when she walked.
Zhu Ning stepped out of the restroom. The moment she sat down on the sofa, something jabbed her backside. She pulled out a file folder.
This was Huo Wenxi's office, all right—messy enough to make anyone's eye twitch.
A pale dawn was breaking. Clean, bracing morning light streamed into Huo Wenxi's office.
Zhu Ning sat alone inside. It had been so long since she'd worked in an office that it felt unfamiliar. People came and went outside—someone constantly on the phone, others convening impromptu meetings. Huo Wenxi's team members had been jolted from sleep by their team leader's call, dragged in for overtime.
The intelligence Zhu Ning had handed over was enough to keep them busy for a month. Too bad they didn't have a month.
Nine days. The mere thought gave Zhu Ning a headache. Nine days until the Divine Descent. They didn't know the location—only the timing.
What would happen then?
The end of the world? The complete annihilation of District 103? How exactly would the Divine Descent unfold?
The "Original" had rebooted herself to gain an advantage. Had Zhu Ning seized it? She wasn't sure at all.
Honestly, this had far exceeded Zhu Ning's comprehension. If that day truly came, what could she even do?
Stopping the meteor could only happen inside the Consciousness Cloud. She was powerless out here.
Might as well just run. Then again, remembering she barely had days left to live anyway, she figured she might as well find a nice spot with good feng shui and quietly watch the apocalypse descend.
Zhu Ning tried contacting Xu Meng and Liu Niannian. Neither they, Lynx, nor Big Orange could be reached, so she couldn't determine whether they were alive or dead.
With Lynx around, Xu Meng should be safe. But Liu Niannian's situation was uncertain. She'd bought Zhu Ning time and even guided her path—her brother had surely discovered everything by now.
Zhu Ning wasn't worried that a young heiress would die, but given how twisted the Lu Family was, there was no telling what Liu Niannian might be subjected to.
Zhu Ning made a mental note—she owed Liu Niannian a favor, and she'd repay it when the chance came.
She sent messages to Song Zhizhang and Lin Xiaofeng to let them know she was safe. If she didn't still have things to handle, she would have gone back in person to surprise Lin Xiaofeng.
Knowing Lin Xiaofeng, the girl was surely terrified.
After Zhu Ning sent the message, Lin Xiaofeng must have been glued to her Sub-Brain, because she replied instantly: "Waiting for you to come home."
Such a sweet girl.
Even with her eyes closed, Zhu Ning could sense Lin Xiaofeng's excitement. Apocalypse or not, she had at least kept the promise she'd made to Lin Xiaofeng.
Song Zhizhang was much slower to respond—a full five minutes. Whether he hadn't seen it or had been deliberating over his wording, she couldn't tell.
In the end, his reply was just four words: "Waiting for you to come home."
Had these two compared notes on their scripts?
Zhu Ning smiled, closed her Sub-Brain, and rested her head against Huo Wenxi's sofa.
She was utterly exhausted. She could fall asleep within five minutes. But she didn't get the chance.
The light dimmed before her eyes. Huo Wenxi stopped in front of her. Huo Wenxi hadn't slept all night either, yet—whether it was some special constitution—she looked ten times more alert than Zhu Ning after pulling an all-nighter.
Zhu Ning squinted. Huo Wenxi sat down across from her. It felt a bit like the time Zhu Ning had specifically requested a private talk with Huo Wenxi, but without the same oppressive pressure.
After this incident, Huo Wenxi had officially accepted Zhu Ning as a full member of her investigation team.
Huo Wenxi studied Zhu Ning for a moment. Pale complexion, awful spirits—her usual ferocity tucked away, like a cheetah at rest.
Huo Wenxi thought back to Zhu Ning's state earlier and found it rather intriguing. That wasn't something a mere metal-type Ability User could pull off.
Either Zhu Ning possessed multiple abilities, or she harbored some secret she herself might not even be aware of.
Huo Wenxi loved solving puzzles. The more complex Zhu Ning appeared, the more interested she became.
By all rights Zhu Ning desperately needed rest, but Huo Wenxi wasn't done with her yet.
Huo Wenxi handed over a set of documents. "Four confirmed dead so far. Still trying to reach the others. The rest aren't Sanitation Center employees, so we can't determine their status."
Zhu Ning flinched—barely perceptible. She'd witnessed death before, even the deaths of companions. But at least those had come with some warning; you could brace yourself.
This time there was nothing. They had already been dead by the time she entered the Consciousness Cloud. Dead so silently they probably hadn't even known why they were dying.
Zhu Ning took the documents from Huo Wenxi. The Grey Eagle Squad had been wiped out—everyone except Cao Wei and Chu Ling.
On paper, they were just a set of numbers. In reality, they were blood-soaked lives.
Zhu Ning lingered on Liu Zhiwei's page for a long time. What Huo Wenxi had given her was his employee ID photo from the day he was hired. Liu Zhiwei wore a brilliant smile—it reminded her of Cheng Mofei.
Nine years had passed, and things like this were still happening.
Just because of a suspicion, Bao Ruiming had killed three members of the Grey Eagle Squad.
Bao Ruiming's hit list contained thirty names. Four from the Grey Eagle Squad—Cao Wei had survived, and Chu Ling wasn't on the list.
From their own cleanup squad, Li Nianchuan wasn't on the list either.
Bao Ruiming had been selective, but there was no way to determine what criteria he'd used to deem certain people safe.
The remaining half of the assassination list included Lynx and Xu Meng, along with people Zhu Ning didn't recognize at all—some weren't even active Sanitation Center employees. She went through each name one by one.
What was Bao Ruiming's rationale for choosing these targets?
Huo Wenxi said, "Liu Zhiwei was with the Resistance Army."
The Resistance Army? Zhu Ning frowned slightly. This was her first encounter with anyone from the Resistance.
She carefully recalled her missions with Liu Zhiwei. She'd sensed nothing unusual about him whatsoever.
The Sanitation Center really did attract all types. Eternal Pharma had its spies planted inside, and now even the Resistance Army had people embedded there.
Then again, the Sanitation Center was just a corporation. Its primary objective was obtaining Contamination Spores. As long as someone could help clean polluted areas, background checks were cursory at best—they were simply too short-staffed.
Liu Zhiwei had probably been a Demon Hunter originally, joining the Resistance later.
In a world this chaotic, few could remain uninvolved. Those with conviction chose the path they believed in.
Liu Zhiwei had died for his beliefs.
Huo Wenxi lit a cigarette. Seemingly aware that Zhu Ning wasn't familiar with this, she explained: "The Resistance Army is scattered across various Survivor Bases. They're trying to overthrow the Genetic Screening system and dismantle the citizen class hierarchy. That's their core demand."
Huo Wenxi exhaled a plume of smoke. "The Resistance has been secretly investigating First-Class Citizens. Their membership is extremely diverse. The Center tacitly acknowledges their existence. Bao Ruiming probably felt they'd interfere with his plans."
It wasn't just the Sanitation Center targeting Bao Ruiming—the Resistance Army had been after him too.
Bao Ruiming was the most devout believer. He had to ensure no one could prevent the Divine Descent. Every obstacle would be eliminated preemptively.
Huo Wenxi could only warn her own employees to take cover. The Resistance side had likely suffered significant casualties.
Zhu Ning didn't know what to say. She completely understood why a Resistance Army existed—every day this garbage system was torn down sooner was a relief.
This world hadn't rotted to its core. People were still fighting back—people without names, whose deaths would go unnoticed by anyone.
A portion of ordinary people, unaffiliated with any corporate conglomerate, were trying to change the world.
Just hearing those few words from Huo Wenxi, the stone pressing on Zhu Ning's chest shifted slightly, letting her catch a breath.
Zhu Ning had once said she still held expectations for humanity.
She'd said it to Xuan Qing, but the words rang true.
Huo Wenxi pulled up another profile. "This person was part of Xuan Qing's team investigating the Transparent People. Bao Ruiming had him killed too. No specific motive has been found."
At least seventy percent of Bao Ruiming's assassination list consisted of people who posed a direct threat to him. The remaining thirty percent were anyone's guess—an utter mess that the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team would need to slowly untangle before reporting findings.
A single assassination list yielded no small amount of intelligence.
Huo Wenxi could work backward from Bao Ruiming's motives for each killing to determine what faction each victim belonged to. Given enough time, she would absolutely uncover the truth.
"This massacre was meticulously planned." Huo Wenxi tapped ash from the edge of the ashtray. Her posture was impeccably elegant, her speech unhurried. "The team sent after you was noticeably larger. Everyone else was assassinated individually."
Bao Ruiming had clear priorities. Different assassins were dispatched for different targets. If Zhu Ning hadn't chosen Huo Wenxi as her guardian, her fate would have been hard to predict.
Xu Meng was also on the assassination list, but Zhu Ning didn't share that with Huo Wenxi. She'd deliberately concealed the Cheetah Squad's existence, and fortunately Huo Wenxi didn't press the matter.
Zhu Ning had given her intelligence; in return, Huo Wenxi would extend certain courtesies.
Mutual benefit was the only way to sustain a long-term partnership.
Zhu Ning: "They moved incredibly fast. Someone inside the Sanitation Center must have been helping them."
In Bao Ruiming's memories, Zhu Ning had seen it—he'd barely given the order before they instantly knew each target's precise location.
Bao Ruiming's team had a dog with a knack for finding people. If the tracking was DNA-based, then there was definitely a mole inside the Sanitation Center.
Bao Ruiming had communicated with his informant, but they never met in person—only exchanging messages through anonymous networks. Zhu Ning couldn't identify who it was.
Huo Wenxi gazed at Zhu Ning silently for a moment. "I had the same thought. I'm already looking for this person."
This was precisely what the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team was built for. The rest could be left to Huo Wenxi. She would handle it.
Zhu Ning said, "There are only nine days left."
Would the apocalypse truly arrive in nine days?
Huo Wenxi didn't take the bait. She could see Zhu Ning was in bad shape. For someone of Zhu Ning's caliber, the most important thing was maintaining mental stability.
Huo Wenxi pulled the documents from Zhu Ning's hands. "Go rest. I've booked you a Medical Department checkup. Don't worry—I'll handle the results personally."
Coming down from the Consciousness Cloud required at least half a month of recovery. This workload had already pushed Zhu Ning past her limits.
Huo Wenxi always managed her people with a balance of tension and relief. She didn't like wearing her employees out.
With Huo Wenxi's highest-level clearance, Zhu Ning's examination could remain entirely confidential.
Zhu Ning opened her mouth to say something more, but Huo Wenxi had already confiscated every last document—not letting her touch a single page.
"Oh, by the way—" Huo Wenxi had just stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray. She looked up. "The evaluators from headquarters arrived ages ago. They've asked me twice. I told them both times you were on leave. You came into the Center today, so they'll probably want to see you."
Sanitation Center policy dictated that employees on leave couldn't be recalled unless it was an emergency—their rest time had to be protected.
Zhu Ning paused. After the abandoned village incident, Fang Ying had mentioned that both headquarters and the First Military District were interested in her, but Zhu Ning had never seen them show up.
Given how cautious they were, they'd probably been conducting multi-faceted evaluations all this time—listing out different criteria and weighing them carefully.
So it turned out their earlier absence was partly due to Huo Wenxi.
Now Huo Wenxi was giving her a heads-up—a reminder to prepare herself mentally.
This was also the first time Huo Wenxi had ever given her advance notice. Working together really did improve mutual trust. Team Leader Huo was rather protective of her people.
Zhu Ning was shooed out of the office and told to check in at the Medical Department.
She walked through the Sanitation Center corridors. It was early morning, and Demon Hunters were already returning from missions, heading to the Medical Department for checkups.
What had happened last night was classified. They had no idea their colleagues were already dead.
Someone was complaining: "I'm dead tired. Wanna grab a late-night snack later?"
"Late-night snack? It's breakfast time, genius."
Two of them strolled past chatting and laughing, completely oblivious to the apocalypse arriving in nine days.
Zhu Ning had advance knowledge. The more you knew, the more you worried. Only in the face of death was everyone truly equal.
She didn't know how Chu Ling would cope with the news of her teammates' deaths.
After leaving the Consciousness Cloud, it felt as though she'd lived an entire lifetime in a virtual world. Everything she looked at seemed like data now. She definitely needed medical intervention.
Zhu Ning spent two hours in the Medical Department receiving treatment. Dr. Fu prescribed nerve-repair medication. By the time she walked out, she felt significantly better—the headache had nearly vanished. She just needed to take her medication on schedule from here on.
She'd barely stepped out of the Medical Department when she spotted Fang Ying. Still in her trademark professional suit—the exact same outfit, virtually unchanged. Ever since learning Fang Ying was an android, Zhu Ning suspected she'd been in service for seventy or eighty years.
Fang Ying flashed her signature smile upon seeing Zhu Ning. "Hello, Zhu Ning."
Thanks to Huo Wenxi's orders, even Fang Ying couldn't track Zhu Ning's movements. In Fang Ying's eyes, Zhu Ning had become extremely mysterious and peculiar.
Fang Ying maintained the professionalism befitting an assistant and stated her purpose. "The people from headquarters want to see you."
Zhu Ning had already been tipped off by Huo Wenxi, so she wasn't too surprised.
Fang Ying continued, "They've reviewed your file and would like you to enter the First District."
danke
ReplyDelete