Chapter 44 Part 1

For two consecutive days, Taiping Luxury Garden remained completely calm.

The Resurgence Management Office’s surveillance detected nothing unusual. They could only see that the residential complex had hidden itself away again, just like when it was first discovered.

“Captain Lu, no changes?”

Si Ning walked over and asked.

After the close call the night before last, Captain Zheng had given them a few days off, but Si Ning couldn’t stay idle and had returned.

Lu Jingshan pointed at the screen in front of him. “None.”

“It’s been especially normal lately.”

“Normal electricity usage, normal sounds.”

“Even…” He paused, his tone peculiar.

“That guy across the way hasn’t been fishing online for weird entities these past two days.”

After they stopped making contact, they had thought Taiping Luxury Garden might not be able to hold back for long. But unexpectedly, so many days had passed, and the other side showed no signs of urgency.

Si Ning wasn’t surprised.

“I’ve always felt that whoever’s in Taiping Luxury Garden is luring in these weird entities not for sustenance.”

The oppressive pressure from across the wall that night had been too intense.

Si Ning snapped back to reality and frowned in speculation. “Maybe they’re luring in weird entities just for amusement?”

For a weird entity of that high a level, even others of its kind probably seemed like… toys.

Lu Jingshan didn’t catch that Si Ning had shifted from “it” to “They” in his phrasing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“What you said isn’t impossible.”

Weird entities were generally malicious by nature, and even intelligent ones were no exception.

He shook his head slightly and glanced at the calendar again. He even felt a torturous illusion.

“It’s been four days already.”

“A few more days of observation, and we can make a preliminary judgment.”

“But,” Lu Jingshan confirmed once more, “Rebirth of Fire hasn’t pulled any more stunts, right?”

This whole incident had been stirred up by that group, and Lu Jingshan gritted his teeth at the thought.

Those scumbags spent their days causing trouble. They had protected all the targets listed by Rebirth of Fire this time, and that group seemed to have caught wind of something, behaving unusually quietly these past few days.

It was just a matter of how long the peace would last.

Lu Jingshan suspected the silence from the other side meant they were brewing something big.

Unfortunately, Qiu Tao, who had been captured, didn’t have high clearance, and after going missing, she had aroused the suspicions of Rebirth of Fire’s contact, “River Ghost.” Otherwise, they might have gleaned their next moves.

“Speaking of which, Huaiya’s phone still hasn’t been found.”

When they pulled Huaiya out of the dumpster, the situation had been urgent, and they hadn’t had time to search the area thoroughly. Who knew the guy’s phone had been left behind.

Lu Jingshan shook his head slightly at the thought.

Meanwhile,

Bo Ting had completely immersed himself in this “new” phone over the past two days.

He discovered that, probably because it was a local Mengjia City phone, the one he had picked up had far more functions than his own.

The hassle was that this madman’s phone required daily check-ins in that group chat, but Bo Ting saw no issue with that.

After his morning routine check-in, Bo Ting pulled out the other man’s phone, leaned back on the sofa, and happily played Match-3.

Yes, after mastering the phone’s features, the first thing Bo Ting did was download Match-3. Fortunately, the game was easy to download and didn’t use much data!

Swish.

Swish swish—the satisfying sound of clearing blocks rang out. Bo Ting smiled and decisively tapped to eliminate.

The phone screen flashed brightly. A few minutes later, Bo Ting cleared the level successfully and received a WeChat private message.

River Ghost: “In a couple of days, the Mengjia City Gem Exhibition. I’m coming over. Get ready.”

Bo Ting: Huh?

What Gem Exhibition?

He blanked for a moment, instinctively sitting up. He almost said he didn’t know but remembered he was using the picked-up phone.

Ahem.

So this was meant for that madman who lost the phone?

Bo Ting furrowed his brows, hesitated for a second, then typed:

“Which two days?”

River Ghost: …

Why did chatting with this lunatic Huaiya always leave him at a loss for words?

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Camphor District Gem Exhibition.”

He sent the specific date and location. He figured Huaiya would get the hint.

Huaiya was crazy, but not brainless.

River Ghost felt completely at ease, confident his implication had been clear enough.

Bo Ting understood too.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have everything arranged by then.”

The crisp reply brought a slight smile to River Ghost’s face.

As expected, Huaiya was reliable. That waste Qiu Tao—who knew if the Resurgence Management Office had nabbed her? Two days without a word, then suddenly messaging to meet up? Did they think he was an idiot?

River Ghost sneered coldly. He knew all the Resurgence Management Office’s tricks inside out.

The two settled on the details.

Bo Ting exhaled, leaned back on the sofa, and began analyzing the information he’d gathered.

First, Rebirth of Fire was a group of scumbags—an evil organization.

Second, the owner of the phone he’d picked up was a member of the group, and not a low-ranking one. The intel he’d just received was undoubtedly real.

Third, why hadn’t he reported them yet?

Bo Ting tilted his head and immediately thought of the Citizens Exchange Forum.

This bunch heading to some Gem Exhibition screamed trouble. Only a fool would believe they were actually there to buy gems.

With the key points sorted, Bo Ting scooped up the cat and stroked the calico’s head while drafting a message for the Citizens Exchange Forum.

“Dear recipient, I have an urgent matter to report.”

Tap tap tap—as he typed the line, Bo Ting glanced at it.

First, omit how he knew.

Second, conceal his identity.

Next, he pasted in River Ghost’s height, build, outfit, hat, and even the old leather shoes.

Bo Ting nodded in satisfaction.

Perfect, that should do it.

After reviewing the content, Bo Ting was about to hit send when something occurred to him. He paused, switched phones smoothly, and sent it from the “local” one he’d just picked up.

Half an hour later.

In the Resurgence Management Office:

Lu Jingshan had just returned to his screen when he saw—an email sent from Rebirth of Fire lunatic Huaiya’s phone, addressed to him.

His first thought: provocation from inside Rebirth of Fire?

But when he opened it, Lu Jingshan was stunned.

Wait, wasn’t this narrative style awfully familiar?

“Hiss, come take a look. Doesn’t this sound just like that weird entity from Taiping Luxury Garden?”

After pondering for a while, Lu Jingshan instinctively called over Wang Dong.

Wang Dong leaned in to study it and nodded with a sigh. “Can’t say it’s completely different—it’s identical!”

Lu Jingshan: …

What kind of response was that?

He shot the kid a glare and said helplessly, “So Huaiya’s phone ended up with Taiping Luxury Garden.” No wonder they hadn’t found it rummaging through the trash heap later. He’d thought it was a cold case.

But… was Taiping Luxury Garden reporting Rebirth of Fire?

Lu Jingshan’s expression grew odd. He felt like he couldn’t make sense of it anymore.

Was this weird entity really that civic-minded?

The more he thought, the stranger it seemed. Cold sweat broke out on Lu Jingshan’s back. He shook his head.

“Verify the intel first.”

Maybe the weird entity was just stirring the pot for fun.

“Yes, Captain Lu.”

Wang Dong nodded and hurried off to check.

Verification would take time, though. No matter how anxious they were, Lu Jingshan and the others could only wait.

…

After reporting to the Citizens Exchange Forum, Bo Ting, still uneasy, poked Mr. Xu.

“Mr. Xu, are you heading out this weekend?”

He checked the date—the day after tomorrow was the weekend. He had no idea if Mr. Xu would be going out.

Xu Qinglai glanced at his schedule.

Weekend…

“There’s an exhibition I need to attend.”

Huh?

Exhibition?

Bo Ting latched onto the key word, perking up as he asked cautiously, “The Camphor District Gem Exhibition?”

Xu Qinglai was a bit surprised Bo Ting knew about it.

He nodded. “Yeah. Why?”

Why?

It was a huge problem!

Bo Ting sat up straight with the cat in his arms, locking eyes with Tang Yuan.

What to do—Mr. Xu was going to that doomed Gem Exhibition!

the calico groomed her paws, meowing questioningly.

Bo Ting sighed, not expecting the kitten to understand. He turned serious.

“Is it mandatory, Mr. Xu?”

“I just accidentally got some intel. That Rebirth of Fire nutjob group I mentioned—they’re probably planning something at the Gem Exhibition the day after tomorrow.”

Even though he’d ghosted that “River Ghost,” one guy alone should still be able to cause chaos, right?

Bo Ting had zero doubts about a madman’s destructive power. His tone was earnest.

“Otherwise, Mr. Xu, maybe take the day off.”

Xu Qinglai chuckled in amusement. How could he call off for something like this?

“I’ll be careful.”

“If I tip off the Resurgence Management Office ahead of time, it should be fine.”

Resurgence Management Office?

Bo Ting had heard the name twice now.

First from “River Ghost,” now from Mr. Xu.

Was this some official public organization in Mengjia City?

He cleared his throat lightly, committing the name to memory so he wouldn’t seem too ignorant.

“In that case, Mr. Xu, please be extra careful.”

After a couple words of concern, Bo Ting hesitated and glanced around the living room.

“Mr. Xu, want me to mail you some self-defense stuff?”

He’d bought plenty last time to ward off thieves. If Mr. Xu needed any, he could ship it right away.

Xu Qinglai lowered his gaze.

“No need.”

He paused, then added, “I’m decent in a fight.”

Bo Ting: …

Really?

He somehow couldn’t picture it.

Imagining Mr. Xu’s refined, scholarly look, Bo Ting couldn’t fathom him being much of a fighter.

Still, he stared at the screen, hesitating to speak, and decided to hold back so as not to bruise Mr. Xu’s pride.