Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao, seeing his expectant face, and said with consideration:
“If invited, consider attending.”
She used very cautious words, saying "consider."
And the result of that consideration would depend on weighing the situation and the development of events at the time.
Shang Jianyao nodded in satisfaction, without asking further.
Long Yuehong and Bai Chen were indeed a bit tired after such ups and downs, so they went to separate bedrooms.
At this moment, Jiang Baimian instructed:
“Don’t close the doors.”
“Huh?” Long Yuehong was a little bewildered.
Jiang Baimian explained with a smile:
“I’m afraid there’s still some residual influence on you, so I need to pay attention to your condition at all times.
“If you feel you can’t sleep with us occasionally watching, you can choose to accept a thorough cleaning from the ‘Fate Bead.’”
Shang Jianyao looked at Long Yuehong, his tone gradually becoming sinister:
“I’m afraid you’ll suddenly raise your hands and strangle yourself while you’re sleeping…”
“You watch too much Old World entertainment data!” Long Yuehong said, but he dared not not take precautions, and his body very honestly opened the bedroom door a little wider.
After he and Bai Chen each fell asleep, Jiang Baimian got up and said to Shang Jianyao and Genava:
“Let’s study the things we collected from the scene first.”
As she spoke, she took out the small sealed bag containing the cigarette butt and placed it on the dining table.
——The "Old Task Force" rented this room in the Red Wolf Zone with three bedrooms, one living room, and one bathroom. The price was not cheap, but they didn't skimp on money in this regard with their activity funds.
Genava also took out a pile of separately packaged items and scanned them with the red light in his eyes.
“What’s this?” Shang Jianyao swaggered over and sat down, picking up a separate bag.
Inside the bag were two black particles.
“I analyzed them, they should be cinders.” Genava also pulled up a chair and sat down slowly.
Of course, he had weighed the load-bearing capacity of this old chair, allowing his feet to share part of the weight.
“Where did you find them?” Jiang Baimian also sat down.
Genava explained in detail:
“Several footprints stepped on shrubs and stones, and these were separated from them.
“These too.”
He pushed out another separate bag.
Inside the bag was scorched black soil, which looked ordinary and unremarkable.
Before Jiang Baimian could ask, Genava said the reason:
“They are darker in color than the soil in the forest, and not quite the same as the soil in the southern suburbs. Moreover, I detected trace amounts of radiation in them.
“After comparison, there is a 95% or higher probability that they come from the wasteland on the north bank of the Red River.”
Jiang Baimian nodded thoughtfully:
“In other words, the real ‘Father’ went out of the city and went to the north bank after changing his shoes last time…
“Where did he step on those cinders?”
While talking to herself, she thought of some phenomena she had observed while wandering around First City:
The Green Olive District often has power outages, and the electricity bill standards are not low, so lower-class citizens and slaves prefer to use perforated "cakes" made of cinders, low-quality charcoal, and inexpensive wood to make fires, cook, and heat.
This means that many streets in the Green Olive District near the Red River have many cinder cake workshops, and stepping on some cinders when passing through those places is a high probability event.
Similarly, the coal washing plants on the north bank of the Red River and the factory area in the western suburbs of First City have similar environments.
“Too many possibilities.” Jiang Baimian answered herself, “The most likely possibility is that the real ‘Father’ recently passed by a coal washing plant on the north bank of the Red River.”
Genava added:
“It cannot be ruled out that the real ‘Father’ stepped on them in the Green Olive District. There are many part-time ruin hunters among the lower-class citizens here. They often enter and exit the wasteland on the north bank, and it is normal to bring back some soil unconsciously, and Iron Badge Street is not too far from the port.”
The same is true for those cinder cake workshops.
“Are you saying that the real ‘Father’ stepped on them while monitoring us?” Jiang Baimian easily understood Genava’s meaning.
Genava moved his metal-cast neck up and down:
“There is a certain possibility.”
“There is another possibility.” Shang Jianyao followed closely.
“What is it?” Jiang Baimian wanted to see what magical ideas this guy could come up with.
This might bring her inspiration.
Shang Jianyao said with a serious face:
“The real ‘Father’ may be working in a coal washing plant in the northern wasteland.”
“……” Jiang Baimian was speechless at first, and then laughed, “‘Anti-intellectualism’ has developed to the point where it needs a quasi-high-level person like the real ‘Father’ to work to support believers who have given up thinking?”
“The real ‘Father’s’ poor health may be because he works too hard.” Shang Jianyao further reasoned.
Jiang Baimian imagined the scene and tried hard not to laugh out loud.
The mysterious and dangerous image of the real “Father” briefly collapsed.
Jiang Baimian, Genava, and Shang Jianyao discussed for a long time what the cinders and scorched earth could represent, but they did not gain a clear direction for investigation, so they could only decide to take the time to wander around the suspected locations later.
When Jiang Baimian shifted her gaze to other separate bags, she frowned slightly and said:
“Just now, we said that the real ‘Father’ may have been monitoring us, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to accurately grasp Little Bai and Little Hong’s whereabouts, find them in time, and ‘hypnotize’ them. But I have repeatedly considered it, and I don’t think we have exposed our whereabouts.
“We paid attention to every link: we didn’t directly investigate around the manor, and when returning, regardless of whether we noticed anything, we seriously completed the necessary anti-tracking step. The appearance of our vehicle is also relatively common, and it can’t be said to have any special features… With the perception and reconnaissance abilities of me, you, and Shang Jianyao, would we really be quietly tracked by the real ‘Father’ without any awareness?
“At most, the real ‘Father’ would know from Shen Kui’s memory that a few of us are investigating the Zhao family manor, and find out from certain undercover agents in Wild Grass City who ruined his good deeds in the first place.”
Shang Jianyao once again proposed a possibility:
“Perhaps the one tracking us is a ‘Mind Corridor’ level ‘Anti-intellectualism’ powerhouse.
“His sensing range is larger than ours, and he may even be able to remember the characteristics of different consciousnesses, so he can complete the tracking from a distance.”
Jiang Baimian wanted to laugh a little:
“Theoretically, it is possible, but does an Awakened at the ‘Mind Corridor’ level need to do this?
“Wouldn’t it be easier for him to launch a surprise attack directly?”
Speaking of this, Jiang Baimian “uh”ed, because she remembered Genava’s existence.
With such an intelligent robot around, a surprise attack by an Awakened at the "Mind Corridor" level might not be effective, and might even be beaten up instead.
After all, abilities that can affect robots are not that common.
Jiang Baimian added:
“What I mean is, most of the Awakened’s abilities are strange, bizarre, and difficult to defend against. When they reach the ‘Mind Corridor’ level, they can completely play with us in the palm of their hand without showing up, and let Old Ge not even discover the enemy, only to watch us suffer the effects and face crises.
“If he doesn’t want to disrupt the instigation of infighting within ‘First City,’ then he should personally come forward afterwards, instead of letting the real ‘Father’ try and make us vigilant.”
“This may be his price.” Shang Jianyao pointed to his head, “His thinking is abnormal.”
They discussed it for a long time, but couldn't think of a reasonable explanation, so they had to continue checking the clues collected from the scene to see if they could gain anything.
“There are no decisive traces.” Jiang Baimian sighed, “We can only hope that the cigarette butt can be tested for something.”
She plans to use the company's intelligence system to find a reliable laboratory to complete it, avoiding being known by "Anti-intellectualism" as much as possible.
After that, the three used the previously printed materials to revise and compile the Gray Earth language introductory textbook.
When Long Yuehong and Bai Chen woke up at three in the afternoon, they joined the ranks and worked until dusk.
“What should we eat?” Long Yuehong put away the papers on the table and raised this eternal difficult question.
“Noodles?” Jiang Baimian said with consideration, “After staying in First City for a few days, I suddenly want to eat noodles a little.”
Bai Chen poured cold water on her:
“There are very few places in First City that sell noodles, unless you go to the streets where Gray Earth people gather, but most of them are in the Green Olive District.”
“We have flour in reserve, we can make it ourselves.” Genava said.
“Great.” Shang Jianyao was immediately excited.
Before long, the four carbon-based humans of the "Old Task Force" were gathered around the dining table, watching Genava tie a white cloth as an apron, skillfully and accurately mixing the dough, kneading it, rolling it into a dough, and cutting it into noodles.
Although the whole process couldn't be said to be pleasing to the eye, it was definitely smooth and flowing.
“So amazing.” Long Yuehong praised Genava.
The red light in Genava’s eyes flickered twice:
“I downloaded some cooking videos in Tarnan before, wanting to be more like a human. I didn’t expect it would come in handy today.”
Clap clap clap, Shang Jianyao applauded "Chef" Genava.
Long Yuehong hesitated for a moment and decided to applaud as well to boost Old Ge’s confidence.
And at this time, Bai Chen was already applauding.
The only one who didn’t move was Jiang Baimian, she seemed to be pondering something.
Shang Jianyao immediately waved his hand in front of her eyes.
Jiang Baimian woke up and said with consideration:
“I just thought of a place that might have caused us to be targeted by ‘Anti-intellectualism.’”
“Where?” Bai Chen and Long Yuehong asked in unison.
Jiang Baimian’s expression gradually became serious:
“General Focas’s residence.”