Jiang Bai Mian had grown accustomed to Shang Jian Yao's occasional mental leaps.
Without saying much, she and Shang Jian Yao hurried towards East Street.
On the way, they encountered Bai Chen and Long Yue Hong, but they still pretended not to recognize each other.
By this time, many ruin hunters had arrived at East Street, searching the surrounding area for more clues.
The crucial Warehouse Zones 1 to 3 were sealed off by the city defense troops, temporarily preventing anyone from entering.
Jiang Bai Mian looked up at the surrounding buildings and nodded slightly after seeing snipers in key positions.
"Professional enough."
Even if the city defense troops didn't know that "Father" was an Awakened, they should go all out when facing someone labeled "extremely dangerous."
Unable to enter the warehouse area for the time being, Jiang Bai Mian and Shang Jian Yao could only stand across the street, waiting against the wall.
After a while, several ruin hunters with close ties to the city defense troops were the first to get news from inside.
And this news spread through the guild hall:
"A basement was found in Warehouse 2. There are traces of human habitation inside, very fresh traces, and several old printing devices and a large number of leaflets."
Without asking, Jiang Bai Mian could guess what was written on those leaflets.
Nothing more than phrases like "Thinking is a trap" with a lot of typos.
"It's only been a few years of stability. Are the people of Weed City so unguarded?" Jiang Bai Mian couldn't help but "complain" to Shang Jian Yao, "With energy being so precious, didn't they notice the significant increase in electricity consumption in this area?"
Whether Warehouse 2 belonged to a private individual or Weed City, the relevant management personnel were to blame.
Shang Jian Yao strongly agreed with this:
"They should be executed by cannon."
Inside "Pangu Biology," everyone used electricity according to energy quotas, calculating so carefully that even an extra digit on the meter would be noticed and reported immediately.
Jiang Bai Mian was about to ask Shang Jian Yao if he had a strong impression of being executed by cannon when she saw O'Dick walking over in a thick woolen coat.
This black-haired, blue-eyed "Advanced Hunter" said straightforwardly:
"The guards at the city gate recalled something.
"About an hour ago, a pale-faced man in a black trench coat left the city."
At this point, O'Dick added specifically:
"He looked like he was about to collapse at any moment. The guards had a deep impression of him."
I know, I know... You actually saw it through dream manipulation... Jiang Bai Mian understood immediately and asked with a smile:
"You want to find two helpers?"
Since "Father" seemed to have been out of the city for a while, it wouldn't hurt to say a few words.
"Your abilities are trustworthy," O'Dick said frankly.
When did we show you our abilities? Jiang Bai Mian muttered to herself before saying:
"Is it because we look tall and can fight better?"
In the current environment, whether it was her or Shang Jian Yao, they were both considered quite tall for their respective genders.
O'Dick replied succinctly:
"Confidence. You are very confident."
He wouldn't be mistaken about that.
Moreover, they didn't seem like two rookies.
People who could maintain enough confidence after passing the rookie stage must have some skills.
"I can't wait," Shang Jian Yao said, expressing his agreement with O'Dick's explanation.
Jiang Bai Mian didn't say anything more, nodded, and said:
"Lead the way."
O'Dick turned around and walked quickly into a nearby parking lot, driving out a red off-road vehicle.
The car was obviously modified, with sufficiently thick armor and bulletproof glass, making it look very flamboyant.
"Big beauty," Jiang Bai Mian almost whistled.
And Shang Jian Yao helped her make up for this regret.
This was a bad habit they had developed during those two days at the "Rootless" camp.
"I didn't expect O'Dick, who looks so calm and restrained, to drive this kind of car. Tsk, his heart might be very wild," Jiang Bai Mian said "softly" to Shang Jian Yao.
O'Dick lowered the window and said with a straight face:
"Get in the car."
After saying that, he looked ahead and said:
"When you're not that strong yet, you have to use whatever car you have."
And after repeated modifications, it's not so easy to give up.
"If you嫌弃 it, you can sell it to me. I have a group of friends who would definitely like it," Shang Jian Yao suggested sincerely as he opened the back door.
Jiang Bai Mian, who had already gotten into the car, frowned slightly:
"There's something weird about that..."
At that moment, O'Dick suddenly regretted asking these two people to be his helpers.
If they hadn't already been deeply involved, he wouldn't have made this choice. After all, it was best for as few people as possible to know about the city lord's affairs.
The big red off-road vehicle drove back to the central square, turned into South Street, and drove out of the city gate.
Although Long Yue Hong and Bai Chen had described the situation outside, Jiang Bai Mian and Shang Jian Yao became silent when they saw countless wilderness wanderers kneeling or sitting on both sides of the road.
In the cold, icy wind, their faces were pale, and there was almost no light in their eyes.
In the more distant dugout and tent areas, some people were lying there, not knowing if they were alive or dead.
At this time, the big red off-road vehicle stopped.
With a whoosh, countless gazes looked over from all directions.
O'Dick opened the door and went down, walked to a man in his thirties who looked relatively sober, took out the portrait of "Father," and asked:
"Have you seen this person?"
Jiang Bai Mian and Shang Jian Yao in the car both drew their guns, each guarding one side.
As the man in his thirties examined the portrait of "Father," an older man in the crowd behind him stood up and approached, seemingly wanting to take over this task.
He staggered, fell to the ground, and then there was no more movement.
His face was pale, and his eyes were open blankly.
In Shang Jian Yao's perception, the consciousness representing this person had disappeared.
He had died just by falling so lightly.
On the other side, Jiang Bai Mian also saw some wilderness wanderers sitting and falling to the side, never to get up again.
In the howling winter wind, the remaining withered yellow weeds either collapsed weakly or were swept into the air.
At this time, the man in his thirties who had been asked answered in a weak voice:
"I've seen him.
"Very few people left the city today. He walked all the way to the end."
O'Dick nodded, took out an energy bar, and handed it to the man.
Almost at the same time, a pair of eyes looking over here turned bloodshot, and an unspeakable light appeared in them.
After the man in his thirties took the energy bar, he quickly unwrapped it and broke it in half.
He thought for a moment and folded one half in half again.
Then, he woke up a little girl who was leaning on him, stuffed three-quarters of the energy bar into her hand, and urged:
"Eat! Eat!"
The little girl was about seven or eight years old, her face dirty, but her eyes were bright.
She was a little dazed, but very obedient, took the long and short pieces of energy bar, and quickly swallowed them.
The man in his thirties was relieved and ate the remaining energy bar in his hand in a few bites.
"Thank you... Thank you..." he raised his head and said vaguely to O'Dick.
Only at this time did Shang Jian Yao see his face clearly:
A good-natured man with a square face and bronze skin.
O'Dick didn't stop, quickly returned to the car, and drove to the end of this crowd.
After asking several times, they confirmed that "Father" had turned to the left.
In this way, they chased for a while and asked again, and found that "Father" had made a big circle outside and went to the North City Wall area.
There was a city gate there specifically for nobles to enter and exit.
"Yes, there is such a person." The guard at the city gate looked at the portrait O'Dick handed over and said very affirmatively, "He showed a special pass approved by the city lord. We didn't dare to stop him."
"Father" left the South Gate early in the morning, went around half a circle, and then entered the city from the North Gate? Jiang Bai Mian became vigilant.
This behavior was really too abnormal!
Shang Jian Yao "hmm"ed, using a tone that he fully understood:
"This may be a kind of exercise.
"A hundred steps after dinner, live to ninety-nine."
"The North Gate leads to North Street." O'Dick ignored Shang Jian Yao's joke and expressed his thoughts.
"Then why didn't he enter North Street from the bridge behind the city hall, since he has a pass anyway? Is it more concealed this way?" Jiang Bai Mian "muttered to herself" thoughtfully.
"Maybe." O'Dick didn't say much, showed his pass, and entered North Street.
Looking around here, the streets were wide, and the houses on both sides were in buildings, or surrounded by courtyards, with jagged rockeries or high walls, including gardens, which were very different from the styles of East Street, West Street, and South Street.
After asking the armed guards at the gates of different mansions in turn, O'Dick, Jiang Bai Mian, and Shang Jian Yao tracked all the way down and arrived at the entrance of a large complex.
This was "Weed City First Hospital."
——In East Street, there was also a "Weed City Second Hospital."
"Have you seen this person?" O'Dick took out the portrait of "Father" and asked the guard in the hospital guardhouse.
The guard glanced at it:
"Him? He comes here often."
O'Dick immediately asked:
"Has he been here today?"
"He was here, twenty or thirty minutes ago." The guard pointed to the innermost building. "He seems to be in charge of the renovation of the old building. He should have gone there."
After thanking the guard, Jiang Bai Mian and Shang Jian Yao entered the hospital and headed straight for the old building that had been vacated and was waiting for renovation.
The old building was five stories high, all the exterior walls were painted white, the light inside wasn't too good, everything looked gloomy, and it was filled with the uncomfortable smell of preservatives.
After walking for a while, Shang Jian Yao and the others saw a child's graffiti-like painting on the green-bottomed white wall next to the staircase in the depths of the hall.
It was a stick figure without facial features.
This "person" was standing straight there, with a line of chalk writing on his hands raised to his chest:
"May you also lose your intelligence."
ps: Recommend a book,《超凡之主》. Looking at the introduction, I thought it was a combination of Creepy and Arcane, haha.