Chapter 146

Chapter 146

As the gambler’s blood neared Fang Zhou's feet, he stood up as if nothing had happened, wiping the blood off his face without a wince. Fang Zhou heard him mutter softly, "…Damn bad luck, how am I supposed to find out anything like this?"

She paused, and as he passed by her, she detached a Thread Python to latch onto him for surveillance.

His purpose in the casino seemed to be gathering information, not gambling. Fang Zhou now paid attention to such individuals who didn’t feel pain and muttered to themselves, knowing it was wise to be cautious.

After doing this, Fang Zhou waited outside the casino for a while until Xi Xiang, who had received a message in advance, emerged from a side exit.

Fang Zhou, in a new disguise, was unrecognizable to Xi Xiang, so she approached her proactively.

Seeing the unfamiliar face, Xi Xiang looked slightly wary, but Fang Zhou closed her umbrella and handed it to her.

"It’s me," Fang Zhou confirmed her identity to Xi Xiang by revealing tentacles made of Thread Pythons at her wrist.

"…You always keep changing." Xi Xiang muttered, finding it hard to shift her trust onto a new, unfamiliar face.

"It makes it easier to move around."

After confirming it was Fang Zhou, Xi Xiang led her into a casino named "City of God." The moment they entered, the cacophony inside bombarded Fang Zhou’s ears, as if entering meant an inevitable loss of skin.

The casino was spread over three floors; the ground floor was a chaotic mix of various characters, filled with gamblers clutching chips, hoping for a turnaround. Fang Zhou looked around and followed Xi Xiang into an elevator, heading up to the third floor.

Leaving behind the barrier-free ground floor, the entire space became much quieter. The third floor was divided into several private rooms, and two staff members at the entrance bowed and stepped aside upon seeing Xi Xiang.

The branch set up here didn’t openly operate under Ye Zhi’s name. The second zone housed many small organizations – a gray area of Paradise. Underground weapons, equipment, and resources from the first zone mostly circulated in the second zone, with the Joint Defense Bureaus of Yancheng and Danggang typically turning a blind eye.

This casino was initially a ready-made power seized by Ye Zhi at its inception when Wang Chao and Xi Xiang dealt with the original leader. It was then turned into a Ye Zhi branch with some members arranged by Wang Chao to manage it.

Ye Zhi's weapons and research equipment were regularly purchased from this Yancheng branch and then transferred by Xi Xiang.

Fang Zhou followed Xi Xiang to a room at the end of the corridor, passing through identity verification.

Once inside, Xi Xiang placed Fang Zhou's umbrella aside and asked, "Why did you come today? Is there a problem here?"

Having worked together for a while, Xi Xiang understood that Fang Zhou was always purposeful in her actions.

Fang Zhou didn’t immediately answer her question. Upon arriving in a new place, she instinctively sent out Thread Pythons to scan the area.

The Thread Pythons could enter every crevice, thoroughly checking all equipment even without the need for wall mice.

After retrieving the Thread Pythons that completed their inspection, Fang Zhou approached the desk and sent a sonic wave towards a crevice in the office table. A faint "crackling" sound emerged, indicating electronic devices being damaged.

Fang Zhou then summoned a breeze, and a tiny listening device fell out of the crevice. She bent down to pick it up, examining it in her hand.

"This…" Xi Xiang's heart skipped a beat, drawing a sharp breath: "When was this installed here?"

"Who has been in and out of here recently?" Fang Zhou asked.

"Technically, personnel outside the headquarters aren't allowed to enter alone," Xi Xiang said with a headache. "I rarely come here except for the scheduled weapon replenishments. In the last few days, it was Butterfly and the Giant Rat who were here."

"Who usually maintains order here?"

Xi Xiang pulled up a file on the electronic screen on the desk, showing a photo of a woman with a seemingly harmless smile. Her facial features appeared kind, but her upturned eyes held a hint of ruthlessness.

Xi Xiang explained, "This woman is Ji Yun, the former second-in-command of this casino. After the original leader died, she directly pledged allegiance to us. Wang Chao thought she was efficient and kept her. She's a B-grade transcender with the ability 'Blood Clone,' capable of creating an exact copy of herself using her blood."

"Does she know about the headquarters?"

"No, most people in the branch don't know about the headquarters. But Ji Yun communicates with us more often, so she might have some suspicions."

After finishing, Xi Xiang frowned deeply: "Could it be her? What's her motive? Do you want me to eliminate her?"

Fang Zhou: "…No need to alarm the enemy yet. I have a way to find out who installed it."

The listening device might not have been installed recently. Fang Zhou only needed to track the signal source with a wall mouse to find the target.

"I'm thinking of relocating the headquarters," Fang Zhou returned to the main topic.

Her statement was like a bolt from the blue.

"Why? The headquarters has been in Qianjiang City for two years without drawing central attention. It’s very safe," Xi Xiang’s eyes widened in surprise. This was beyond her expectations. "Besides, do you realize how big a project moving the headquarters is?"

"Previously, it was safe because Ye Zhi was lying low, unlike the current situation," Fang Zhou countered. "Have you considered what to do if the headquarters' location is suddenly exposed?"

"I can immediately relocate the important things."

Fang Zhou: "Once the headquarters' location is exposed, with Qianjiang City's geographical location, it would take the authorities less than ten minutes to dispatch personnel. The central could surround us instantly. The originally safe mall basement would become a sealed cage. With only a few exits, even scattering to escape is hardly feasible, not to mention relocating headquarters data and resources."

"Xi Xiang, can your passage move all these things in a short time?"

—The answer, of course, was no. Xi Xiang's passage could at most handle the capacity of a small train carriage, not even enough for gathering personnel.

The more important point is...

Fang Zhou recalled, "They have always had technology to counter space transfer abilities and specific devices to nullify them. When I was in Danggang, I couldn’t use your ring to open a portal."

This meant that in the face of a well-prepared raid by them, Xi Xiang might not be able to use her abilities.

Xi Xiang was momentarily speechless: "This…"

The current location of the headquarters left them with zero margin for error. With enemy faction players possibly lurking nearby, the risk of exposure was even higher. Fang Zhou didn’t believe the central authorities were fools; capturing even a hint of a clue could eventually lead them to their hideout.

Fang Zhou needed to find a suitable location for relocation in advance – a place that would allow them enough time to act even if its location was compromised.

Having been enlightened by Fang Zhou, Xi Xiang also realized these points and compromised, "I understand. I’ll assist you. But this is a significant matter. Have you discussed it with Wang Chao and the Doctor?"

Fang Zhou replied, "There's no rush. I came here to scout the environment. We have a lot of preparation work. If we can’t find a suitable location, this decision won’t even get off the ground, so there’s no need to tell anyone else."

The good news was that Yancheng seemed very suitable.

The Joint Defense Bureau here was easy for Fang Zhou to control, with many gray areas. It would take time for a large force from the central area to be dispatched to the second zone for a manhunt. With the local bureau's assistance, Fang Zhou would be informed immediately.

"What do I need to do next?"

"I need you to analyze the distribution of power and architecture in Yancheng and select a secure location for relocation," Fang Zhou instructed. "This matter must not be disclosed to anyone."

Fang Zhou first needed to find a suitable relocation site in Yancheng. Since they had been transferring weapons from Qianjiang City to Yancheng, there were already two secure transfer stations set up for Xi Xiang to use, skipping the step of searching for new ones.

Once a safe site was found, Fang Zhou could then inform the core personnel and discuss the internal transport process to start the relocation.

"Leave it to me. No one knows this place better than I do," Xi Xiang confidently patted her chest.

Xi Xiang, having grown up in Danggang, was familiar with Yancheng, as the two were close and similar in many ways. In such places, she was in her element.

After briefing Xi Xiang on these matters, Fang Zhou turned her attention back to the gambler, thoughtfully requesting, "Bring up the surveillance footage from the first floor for me to see."

"Sure." If it weren't for something as significant as relocating the headquarters, Xi Xiang wouldn’t probe so deeply. Although Wang Chao wasn’t dead, she now regarded Fang Zhou as a superior capable of commanding her.

Xi Xiang accessed the system through the tablet on the office desk and pulled up the recent surveillance footage.

Fang Zhou took the device and sat down on a chair nearby, sliding the progress bar to start reviewing the surveillance video.

The gambler had been in the City of God half an hour before Fang Zhou arrived. He participated in several small-scale gambling games and quickly lost all the chips he had exchanged. After losing all his chips, he didn't leave but wandered around inside.

Fang Zhou extracted his facial information for identification within the system and discovered that he had also been there the day before.

At that moment, a knock came from outside. The visible surveillance by the door showed that the person knocking was Ji Yun, whom Fang Zhou had just learned about through Xi Xiang.

Xi Xiang looked at Fang Zhou, who was dragging the surveillance timeline. Fang Zhou waved her hand, indicating Xi Xiang to let her in: "Let's see what she wants."

The door opened, and the woman entered. Fang Zhou felt Ji Yun's gaze linger on her with a probing intent. Fang Zhou lifted her head and smiled at her.

She had never been to this branch before and was a new face, so Fang Zhou thought Ji Yun’s suspicion was natural.

Seeing Fang Zhou's smile, Ji Yun subconsciously returned it, then looked at Xi Xiang, hesitant about whether to speak directly: "This is…?"

"It's fine, just speak up," Xi Xiang said, indicating that Ji Yun need not mind Fang Zhou, also implying her position to be privy to any matter.

Ji Yun's arrival was timely, as the Thread Python Fang Zhou had placed on the "gambler" had just sent back a message – he was dead, murdered.

Fang Zhou had also confirmed his identity – he was indeed a player.