"We should spend some more time thoroughly searching this university to pinpoint the areas with the most concentrated residual energy. Ideally, we can narrow down a smaller search radius. That would be the best outcome," Nie Chongyang said to Ye Tiancheng after some thought.
"If we can achieve that, it would be perfect, and we can proceed with a two-pronged approach. If not, it's fine. We'll conduct a wider search. Our Special Action Group will help provide plausible excuses and try to avoid arousing suspicion. Let's start with this dual-pronged investigation. If all else fails, we'll devise new methods. During this time, we can also brainstorm for any other potential avenues that might yield even a sliver of a clue."
The little fox sighed, "It seems this is the only way forward. There are no better options. Let's proceed like this for now. I just hope we can at least identify a smaller area before those people return to the school, to reduce our workload. Otherwise, a large-scale search can only be a supplementary measure; we can't place too much hope on it."
Ye Tiancheng nodded, "It seems that's all we can do. I can't think of any better solutions at the moment."
After the four of them discussed and finalized their plan, Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping contacted the headquarters of the Special Action Group to report the matter and inquire about their assistance and cooperation for the broader search, including help with finding excuses and issuing announcements.
Meanwhile, Ye Tiancheng would take the lead in the exploration, focusing on finding where the energy was most concentrated. The little fox and the others wouldn't be idle either; they would provide some assistance to Ye Tiancheng. While they might not be able to offer significant help in this regard, they couldn't completely abandon hope. Even if there was a slim chance, they shouldn't give up easily. After all, if their combined efforts could lead to a discovery, but they failed due to a lack of persistence, it would be regrettable.
With their discussion concluded, it was nearly time for lunch. The four of them, Ye Tiancheng included, went to eat and then parted ways.
As they were separating, the little fox didn't leave immediately. Instead, he said to Ye Tiancheng, "It's been quite a few days since we last visited Pei Xue. I wonder how she's doing in the hospital. Should we go see her now? Or do you plan to wait a while longer? We are quite busy these days."
Hearing the little fox inquire about this, Ye Tiancheng suddenly remembered this important matter. He had been so preoccupied with the whereabouts of the Fuxi Qin fragments that he had forgotten about Pei Xue. It had been nearly half a month since they last visited her, and it was fortunate that Pei Xue hadn't actively asked when they would visit. Normally, Pei Xue would just send them messages updating them on her condition, which was quite reassuring.
Thinking of this, Ye Tiancheng said to the little fox, "In that case, let's go see her later. It wouldn't be good for her to be alone in the hospital for too long, even if she's not mistreated by the staff. Prolonged isolation without regular human interaction isn't beneficial for Pei Xue."
"We also need to find a way to help Pei Xue adapt to the outside world and socialize, so we can eventually settle her somewhere. We can't keep her with us all the time, following us everywhere."
The little fox agreed, nodding. "That's true. Not only would it be troublesome to move Pei Xue around constantly, but even after she recovers and no longer needs to stay in the hospital, we could arrange for her to live elsewhere. However, since she has amnesia and her self-care abilities are not strong, we have no choice but to keep her with us. Otherwise, we'd worry about something happening to her if she were alone. We can only relax and leave her if she gains the ability to take care of herself and socialize normally. This is quite a burden for us, as our work is neither easy nor safe. If any unusual situations arise, being out of contact for ten days or half a month would be considered minor. If we disappear for an extended period, Pei Xue wouldn't know what to do on her own. Moreover, if she were to get caught up in any trouble by accompanying us, it would be problematic. We have people watching us, trying to cause us trouble, so we can't involve the young lady in that."
This was indeed a significant concern. Ye Tiancheng also considered this. However, Pei Xue was an ordinary girl, and her current survival skills were very poor. He was very worried that she might encounter many dangers if she stayed with them. Therefore, if possible, it would be better to settle Pei Xue down as soon as possible and not keep her by their side.
Ye Tiancheng said, "We should consult with professionals to see if there are any ways to help Pei Xue recover properly. The main goal is to enable her to live independently. Ideally, after this trip to Ancheng, we shouldn't bring her along anymore, to prevent her from encountering danger and being implicated by us. Our movements are becoming less secret as time goes on. If she continues to stay with us, it's easy for others to target her and use her to threaten us. We cannot afford to overlook this."
The little fox nodded in agreement. Although they had considered this and thought about it extensively, when they met Pei Xue, neither Ye Tiancheng nor the little fox mentioned these concerns to her, to avoid causing her unnecessary worry or psychological pressure. They acted as if everything was normal, visited Pei Xue, chatted with her, and inquired about her recent condition before leaving.
After this visit, Ye Tiancheng and the others learned that Pei Xue's physical condition had largely stabilized. If she no longer needed hospitalization, the remaining issue was essentially helping her gain the ability to live independently. With this in mind, Ye Tiancheng leveraged his connections to find a psychologist. To help Pei Xue live a normal life and regain her social skills, it was best to seek professional help for a faster recovery.
Ye Tiancheng arranged for someone to assess Pei Xue's situation and help treat her. It wasn't necessarily about helping Pei Xue gradually let go of her past experiences and recover her memory, but at the very least, it was about enabling her to socialize normally. Only then could Ye Tiancheng and the others feel at ease leaving. They wouldn't have to worry that after settling Pei Xue and hiring nannies or caregivers, she might be unable to manage her daily life due to her reluctance to socialize, leading to her being bullied or something unfortunate happening.
Fortunately, this task was relatively straightforward, unlike the difficulty Ye Tiancheng was facing in searching for the Fuxi Qin fragments. Soon, someone recommended a suitable candidate. Upon receiving the information, Ye Tiancheng conducted a screening and hired several highly reputable, competent, and experienced psychologists to see Pei Xue and provide treatment, which was quite a significant investment. After all, Ye Tiancheng had taken on this responsibility.
With this matter arranged, Ye Tiancheng felt largely at ease. With several psychologists working together, it was likely that at least one would be effective. Furthermore, there was no need to worry about accidentally hiring an incompetent or problematic doctor, which could lead to a tragic outcome. Having multiple people working together would also ensure mutual supervision and greater dedication, which would put Ye Tiancheng more at ease.
With the arrangements for Pei Xue completed, Ye Tiancheng could finally set his mind at ease and fully dedicate himself to the new task of finding the fragments. Pinpointing a smaller search area was not an easy feat. Ye Tiancheng put in a great deal of effort, only to discover that the area he finally narrowed down was rather peculiar.
Initially, Ye Tiancheng believed that if someone were carrying the fragments, the areas with more concentrated residual energy would likely be places that person frequented. Therefore, under this assumption, the most concentrated energy would be found within the university. This would lead them to believe that the person carrying the Fuxi Qin fragments was less likely to be an outsider, as if they were, Ye Tiancheng and the others wouldn't have sensed the energy concentrated only within the university. They would then lean towards the possibility that the person was likely residing on campus.
In that scenario, the fragments would more likely be found in the residential areas, perhaps in faculty dormitories or student dormitories, neither of which could be ruled out without further investigation. However, after eliminating all the residential areas, Ye Tiancheng couldn't find a suitable location. He then had to broaden his search to other areas, and in the process, he ended up identifying a place he never would have expected.
Ye Tiancheng had considered the possibility that if the residential areas yielded no results, perhaps the fragments could be in classrooms, teachers' offices, or administrative buildings. Places where people tended to spend a lot of time and didn't move around frequently might also be potential locations. However, after investigating these areas, he still found no clues.
Finally, the area he identified was truly strange. In any university, there are always certain areas that don't serve a primary function like studying or meetings. There are also areas designed for relaxation, recreation, and leisure. The area Ye Tiancheng finally pinpointed was precisely such a place. Furthermore, Ye Tiancheng had a certain understanding of this location, as he and the little fox had thoroughly searched this school numerous times before, giving him a good grasp of the various areas within the campus.
He could tell what each place was used for and its function. Even for areas with unstated functions, Ye Tiancheng had some insight, which was the case for the area he identified this time. He knew what kind of place it was and what new functions students had discovered for it later. He was aware of all these details. It was precisely because he knew that he was even more astonished.