Chapter 161: Investigation

Chapter 161: Inspection

When Huo Wenxi's team arrived at the landfill, the church had already vanished. This area lacked surveillance cameras and even cleaning robots were rarely seen.

According to the few eyewitnesses, there seemed to be such a church nearby, "Most of it was buried in the garbage pile, eerie and ghostly. Who would dare to go over there for no reason?"

Based on Zhu Ning's memory and the eyewitness accounts, they determined the approximate location, but with tons of garbage cascading down, it would likely take a day to excavate, and there might not be any clues below.

After Zhu Ning descended from the consciousness cloud, she fully controlled her data-related abilities. She was accustomed to treating her brain like a computer; once connected to a printer, she could even print her memories.

The Anomaly Incident Team intercepted nearby surveillance footage. Most of the cameras were damaged, but after continuous tracking, they found several individuals matching Zhu Ning's description.

A woman appeared on the screen, wearing a burgundy trench coat with a short, neat hairstyle. She deliberately avoided the camera, and the low-resolution footage only captured a side profile, making it impossible to identify her.

Zhu Ning: "It's her."

This was the person she had seen in Bao Ruiming's memories, unfortunately, this person's face was also unclear in those memories.

Zhu Ning thought of the characteristic of that deity statue—no matter how well you had seen it before, it was always hard to recall the details later, and you might not recognize it upon meeting again.

Huo Wenxi remained very composed, showing no reaction even when the lead was lost. Zhu Ning suspected she had her own method of tracking.

Zhu Ning pointed out the target—a woman with short red hair. This information was enough for Huo Wenxi.

Huo Wenxi had already locked onto her; finding the person was just a matter of time.

The Huo family had been taken over by the demon hunters, and someone was cleaning up the aftermath. The analysis report on the corpses had yet to come out.

Zhu Ning was taken to the Anomaly Incident Team office at the cleaning center. For Zhu Ning, the cleaning center was now the safest place.

Drenched from head to toe, Zhu Ning could only wear Huo Wenxi's spare clothes. Huo Wenxi's attire was simple yet stylish, and since Zhu Ning was slightly taller, the sleeves were a bit short.

Zhu Ning changed into a black overcoat. When she looked in the mirror after changing, she saw herself as she appeared in the video—the "original owner" she often mentioned.

She was becoming more and more like the original owner.

Zhu Ning's nerves were somewhat damaged, and Zhuang Lin had prepared healing agents for her. She still felt dizzy while walking.

Zhu Ning walked out of the bathroom and sat on the sofa, feeling an uncomfortable pressure on her buttocks. She then pulled out a file folder.

This was truly Huo Wenxi's office, messy enough to make one's eyebrows rise.

The sky was beginning to lighten, and the clean, crisp morning light shone into Huo Wenxi's office.

Alone in the office, Zhu Ning felt a bit out of sync after being away from work for so long. Outside, people were coming and going, constantly on the phone, and some were even called in from their sleep by their team leader for overtime.

The message Zhu Ning relayed would keep them busy for a month, but unfortunately, they didn't have that much time.

Nine days. Zhu Ning's head ached at the thought. In nine days, the Divine Descent would occur. They knew the time but not the location.

What would happen then?

The end of the world? The complete destruction of Zone 103? How would the Divine Descent manifest?

The "original owner" must have restarted herself to gain an advantage. Had Zhu Ning seized the opportunity? She was completely uncertain.

Honestly, this situation far exceeded Zhu Ning's understanding. If that day really came, what could she do?

Stopping a meteorite from falling could only happen in the consciousness cloud; she was powerless here.

She might as well run for her life. But thinking about having only a few days left, she figured she'd find a feng shui treasure spot and quietly watch the apocalypse unfold.

Zhu Ning tried to contact Xu Meng and Liu Niannian, including Mountain Cat and Big Orange, but no one responded, so she couldn't determine their safety.

With Mountain Cat around, Xu Meng should be safe, but she was unsure about Liu Niannian. Liu Niannian could buy herself time and even guided Zhu Ning, which meant her brother had definitely discovered her.

Zhu Ning wasn't worried about a young lady dying, but she couldn't imagine what Liu Niannian would endure in the Lu family, a place so twisted.

Zhu Ning made a mental note that she owed Liu Niannian a favor and would repay it if the opportunity arose.

She sent messages to Song Zhizhang and Lin Xiaofeng to report her safety. If not for the tasks at hand, she would have returned to surprise Lin Xiaofeng.

Based on Zhu Ning's understanding of Lin Xiaofeng, she must have been very scared.

After sending the message, Lin Xiaofeng, who had been waiting by her secondary brain, immediately replied: "Waiting for you to come back."

Such a good girl.

Zhu Ning could sense Lin Xiaofeng's excitement even with her eyes closed. Regardless of whether the apocalypse came, she had at least fulfilled her promise to Lin Xiaofeng.

Song Zhizhang's reply was slow, taking five minutes. It was unclear whether he hadn't seen the message or was carefully choosing his words.

In the end, his reply was only four characters: "Waiting for you to come back."

Did these two compare notes?

Zhu Ning smiled, turned off her secondary brain, and leaned her head against Huo Wenxi's sofa.

She was extremely tired and could fall asleep within five minutes, but it didn't happen.

Zhu Ning's vision darkened as Huo Wenxi stopped in front of her. Huo Wenxi hadn't slept all night, likely used to staying up late, and looked ten times more alert than Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning squinted, and Huo Wenxi sat opposite her, reminiscent of the last time Zhu Ning requested a private conversation with Huo Wenxi, but without the intense pressure.

After this incident, Huo Wenxi had officially considered Zhu Ning a member of her investigation team.

Huo Wenxi observed Zhu Ning for a moment. Her complexion was pale, her spirit weak, and most of her aggressive aura had subsided, like a resting leopard.

Huo Wenxi found Zhu Ning's state earlier quite interesting—it was something a simple metal psychic couldn't achieve.

Either Zhu Ning possesses multiple Psychic abilities, or she has some secret unknown even to herself.

Huo Wenxi enjoys solving puzzles; the more complex Zhu Ning appears to her, the more interested she becomes in her.

Logically, Zhu Ning desperately needs rest, but Huo Wenxi still intends to push her around.

Huo Wenxi handed over a file, "Four deaths have been confirmed so far, others are still being contacted, and the rest, who are not employees of the Cleaning Center, cannot be determined."

Zhu Ning barely trembled; she had seen death before, even the death of comrades, but at least there were signs, allowing one to prepare mentally.

This time, there was nothing. They had already died when Zhu Ning entered the cloud of consciousness, dying so silently that they might not have known why they died until their last breath.

Zhu Ning took the file from Huo Wenxi, learning that the Gray Eagle team, except for Cao Wei and Chu Ling, had been completely wiped out.

The numbers on the file represented only a set of figures, but in reality, they were several bloody lives.

Zhu Ning lingered on Liu Zhiwei's page for a long time. The photo Huo Wenxi gave her was his employee ID picture, where Liu Zhiwei smiled brightly, reminding her of Cheng Mofei.

Nine years had passed, and similar events were still happening.

Just because of a suspicion, Bao Ruiming killed three members of the Gray Eagle team.

Bao Ruiming's list included thirty names, four of whom were from the Gray Eagle team, with Cao Wei surviving and Chu Ling not on the list.

In their cleaning squad, Li Nianchuan was not on the list.

Bao Ruiming made choices, but it was impossible to determine what criteria he used to decide they were not problematic.

Among the remaining half of the assassination list were the names of Mountain Cat and Xu Meng, along with others Zhu Ning did not recognize, including a few who were not current employees of the Cleaning Center. Zhu Ning reviewed each name.

What was Bao Ruiming's reason for choosing them?

Huo Wenxi said, "Liu Zhiwei was part of the Resistance."

Resistance? Zhu Ning frowned; this was her first encounter with someone from the Resistance.

She carefully recalled the missions she went on with Liu Zhiwei, perceiving nothing special about him.

The Cleaning Center housed all kinds of people, with informants from Yongsheng Pharmaceutical and members of the Resistance.

But thinking about it, the Cleaning Center was just a company, with its primary goal being to obtain contaminated spores. As long as they could purify polluted areas, background checks were not thorough, and they were severely understaffed.

Liu Zhiwei was likely a demon hunter originally, later joining the Resistance.

In such a chaotic world, few could remain unscathed, and those with aspirations chose the path they trusted.

Liu Zhiwei died for his beliefs.

Huo Wenxi lit a cigarette, seemingly aware that Zhu Ning was unfamiliar, and explained, "The Resistance is spread across various survivor bases, attempting to overthrow the genetic screening system and the human citizen hierarchy, which is their main goal."

Huo Wenxi exhaled a puff of smoke, "The Resistance has been secretly investigating first-class citizens, with very complex membership. The center tacitly acknowledges their existence, and Bao Ruiming may believe they will hinder his plans."

Not only the Cleaning Center but also the Resistance targeted Bao Ruiming.

Bao Ruiming, the most loyal believer, must ensure that no one obstructs Divine Descent, and all obstacles would be eliminated in advance.

Huo Wenxi could only notify her own employees to seek refuge, and many on the Resistance side must have died.

Zhu Ning was momentarily at a loss for words; she fully understood the existence of the Resistance, and the sooner this damn system was overturned, the better.

The world wasn't rotten to the core; there were still people fighting against it, even without names, and even if they died, no one would know.

There were ordinary people who did not belong to any corporate conglomerate, trying to change the world.

Zhu Ning only heard two sentences from Huo Wenxi, but the heavy stone that had been pressing on her heart seemed to be slightly lifted, allowing her to breathe easier.

Zhu Ning once said she had hope for humanity.

She said this to Xuan Qing, but the statement was true.

Huo Wenxi brought up another person, "This person was part of Xuan Qing's group investigating the Transparent People. Bao Ruiming killed him too, but the specific reason hasn't been found."

At least seventy percent of Bao Ruiming's assassination list consisted of people who posed a threat to him, while the remaining thirty percent remained unverifiable, now a messy account that the Anomaly Incident Team would need to sort through to report results.

A single assassination list contained a wealth of information.

Huo Wenxi could deduce Bao Ruiming's motives for murder and their respective affiliations, and given enough time, she could definitely uncover the truth.

"This massacre was well-planned," Huo Wenxi tapped ash off her cigarette into the ashtray, her posture elegant and her speech unhurried, "The number of people sent to kill you was clearly greater, while others were individually assassinated."

Bao Ruiming had priorities, dispatching different killers for different targets. If Zhu Ning had not chosen Huo Wenxi as her guardian, her fate would be uncertain.

Xu Meng was also on the assassination list, but Zhu Ning did not share this with Huo Wenxi, deliberately omitting the existence of the Leopard Team. Fortunately, Huo Wenxi did not press the issue.

Zhu Ning provided her with intelligence, and in return, Huo Wenxi would offer Zhu Ning some convenience.

Mutual benefit was essential for a long-term relationship.

Zhu Ning: "Their speed was very fast; there must be someone inside the Cleaning Center assisting them."

In Bao Ruiming's memories, Zhu Ning saw that they almost immediately knew their exact location upon his order.

Bao Ruiming's team had a dog skilled at finding people, and if the basis for finding them was DNA, then there must be an informant within the Cleaning Center.

Bao Ruiming communicated with his informant, but they never met in person, only through an anonymous network, making it impossible for Zhu Ning to identify the person.

Huo Wenxi looked at Zhu Ning quietly for a moment, "I have the same thoughts as you; I am currently searching for this person."

That's what the Anomaly Incident Team does. The next steps would be handled by Huo Wenxi, and she would resolve the matter.

Zhu Ning said, "There are only nine days left."

Will the end really come in nine days?

Huo Wenxi didn't pick up on this topic. She could see that Zhu Ning was not in good shape; for someone of Zhu Ning's level, maintaining mental stability was crucial.

Huo Wenxi took the documents from Zhu Ning's hand, "Go and rest. I've booked you an examination at the Medical Department. Don't worry, I'll handle the results."

It would take at least half a month to recover after descending from the consciousness cloud. This workload had already exceeded Zhu Ning's capacity.

Huo Wenxi always balanced work and rest when managing her team. She didn't like overworking her employees.

With Huo Wenxi's highest authority, Zhu Ning's examination could be kept entirely confidential.

Zhu Ning opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but Huo Wenxi had already taken all the documents, not letting her touch them at all.

"By the way," Huo Wenxi pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray and looked up, saying, "The people from headquarters have been here for a while. They asked me twice, and I told them you were on leave. Since you came to the center today, they will probably want to meet you."

The Cleaning Center regulations stipulated that unless it was an emergency, employees on leave should not be recalled to ensure their rest time.

Zhu Ning was taken aback. After the last incident in the abandoned village, Fang Ying mentioned that both headquarters and the First Military District were interested in her, but Zhu Ning hadn't seen these people yet.

Given their cautious approach, they might still be conducting multiple evaluations, listing different conditions for careful consideration.

It turned out that Huo Wenxi also had something to do with why they hadn't approached her before.

Now that Huo Wenxi was informing her, it was a reminder for Zhu Ning to prepare mentally.

This was the first time Huo Wenxi had given her such a heads-up. Indeed, cooperation could enhance mutual trust, and Team Leader Huo was quite protective of her.

Zhu Ning was escorted out of the office and sent to the Medical Department for a check-in.

Walking through the corridors of the Cleaning Center early in the morning, Zhu Ning saw some demon hunters returning from missions and undergoing examinations at the Medical Department.

Yesterday's incident had been classified, so they were unaware that one of their colleagues had died.

Someone was complaining, "I'm so tired. Let's grab some late-night snacks later."

"What late-night snacks? It's breakfast time now."

The two of them laughed and chatted as they passed by, completely oblivious to the impending doom in nine days.

Zhu Ning knew the news in advance. The more she knew, the more troubled she became, but death was the great equalizer.

She wasn't sure how Chu Ling would face the news of her teammate's death.

After entering the consciousness cloud, it felt like she had lived a lifetime in a virtual world, where everything seemed like data, requiring medical intervention.

Zhu Ning received treatment at the Medical Department for two hours. Dr. Fu prescribed her medication to repair her nerves. After leaving the Medical Department, she felt much better, with her headache almost gone. All she needed to do was take the medicine on time.

As soon as she stepped out of the Medical Department, she saw Fang Ying. She was still wearing her professional suit, the same outfit as always, which had hardly changed. Since Zhu Ning learned that Fang Ying was a machine person, she suspected that her service time might be around seventy or eighty years.

Fang Ying gave her trademark smile upon seeing Zhu Ning, "Hello, Zhu Ning."

Due to Huo Wenxi's orders, even Fang Ying couldn't track Zhu Ning's movements. To Fang Ying, Zhu Ning had become mysterious and peculiar.

Fang Ying maintained her professional demeanor as an assistant and explained her purpose, "The people from headquarters want to meet you."

Zhu Ning, having been tipped off by Huo Wenxi, wasn't too surprised.

Fang Ying continued, "They have reviewed your records and want you to join the First Zone."