Chapter 998: Great Joy (Part )

Li Li did not assign him any tasks. She said he could start from any place he wanted to go and any person he wanted to investigate. He could also join any search team, although she did not recommend him to do so, because the tasks of each action team were specific and fragmented, rarely centered around a specific person, but were assigned to perform certain steps based on the area and convenience of the action team. In short, she turned all investigators into workers on the assembly line. Not many people knew the ultimate meaning of the job in front of them, or rather, the ultimate meaning of everyone's actions was the same: they acted as tentacles controlled by the brain to collect designated information, and then passed it to Li Li for summary analysis.

"You should know this, right?" Robinson said. "These kinds of things are usually done by bad people. Skynet, the Matrix, Overmind—"

"According to conservative estimates, their average comprehensive compensation is about 70 percent higher than that of your company's middle managers."

"That's fine," said Robin. But he still didn't join the screw team, because to be honest, he really didn't want to do this kind of thing now: go to a grocery store deep in an alley to ask if someone came yesterday, or sneakily collect fingerprints from other people's door handles. There are people who can do these jobs better and more professionally than him, but what is he good at? Unfortunately, as a second-generation ancestor who is ready to carry on his ancestors, he is good at picking other people's peaches.

He finally decided to go and see the people on the list with his own eyes. It was impossible to see all of them, at most only a dozen or twenty, and then Li Li would probably have finished screening the list. They might be able to find Feng Chuxing successfully, or they might find that Feng Chuxing was not on the list at all. Li Li could not guarantee that the list was complete. After all, there were many people in it who could only be referred to by nicknames, and that meant that at least someone knew them and would give them a name regardless of where they came from. Are there some people in the world who have never appeared on surveillance for two or three years, have never left any traces on the Internet, and no one has even cared about what to call them? Are there still people who live like shadows? He didn't know, and maybe Li Li didn't know either.

There is another possibility that they cannot control either: Feng Chuxing has already left the city of Woljiao. He has already accomplished his goal, and could have just walked away instead of staying under the dangerous wall. Li Li did not ignore this; she checked all the people who had used the public transportation system to enter and exit Baiyang City and Woljiao City since the day before yesterday, but did not find any qualified targets. If Feng Chuxing could bypass all surveillance and leave Baiyang City or Woljiao City, he could only take the remote county dirt road like Luo Binhan did last night. Under these conditions, it is not so easy to get out without turning on the navigation at all. No matter what kind of transportation he uses - of course, only the local transportation - he cannot go very far without being noticed.

Li Li has already called (yes, she said the word "called") all available cameras and hotel systems in nearby cities and regions to check if anyone with suspicious identities has entered or left during this period. Once she has thoroughly screened the city of Snail and found no targets, the search will immediately expand to the surrounding areas. At the same time, someone in Europe is searching for Chilabin... She always thinks ten steps ahead, or should I say twenty steps ahead.

Luo Binhan didn't think much about Chilabin's problem. The name meant nothing to him for the time being, and all he was thinking about was Feng Chuxing. Finding Feng Chuxing would answer many of his questions, such as what kind of person 0206 was, and what kind of trouble Zhou Yu had caused them.

Moreover, Zhou Wenxing might have once given his musical instrument to Feng Chuxing for safekeeping. For some reason, he always thought of this matter frequently, as if he had seen Feng Chuxing curled up in the darkest corner of the floor in a remote, dark and dilapidated hut, while Zhou Wenxing was leaning on the windowsill, playing and singing a song whose content he could not hear with that disgusting smile on his face. This imaginary picture was vivid, as if he had really seen this scene with his own eyes, and he was the one sitting in the corner listening. He really wanted to verify whether this was the effect of mental disorder, although he did not think he had this problem now.

He still believed that Feng Chuxing had not left, but had returned to Wojiao City. There was no reliable evidence for this, but only wishful thinking mixed with blind imagination of Feng Chuxing: before he ran away from home, this person always went to Cai Ji's auto repair shop and regarded it as a spiritual sustenance; after he ran away, this person was favored by 0206 and sent text messages to invite good friends to visit the old shipyard on Dongyun Road... This kid's habits were like a young swallow looking for a nest in a hurry. Once he found a good roof, he would be reluctant to leave and would have to live there until the nest was destroyed.

He knew that this theory was actually untenable. The baby bird was looking for a nest everywhere only because the couple who were supposed to be responsible for feeding it went crazy; he had no idea how valuable these "Little Chu's stories" were to the personality analysis of Feng Chuxing today. Right now he was just pretending that he was acting rationally, but in fact he was like a drowning man holding onto a piece of driftwood, allowing the ups and downs of his feelings to push him into the many tributaries of the river of fate. If he could solve the problem here, that would be great; if not, he would go to the next place. He now finally possessed the virtue of patience, because no matter when he found Feng Chuxing, he would have to do another thing: heal his own wounds. This would not take too short a time.

He first picked a person who was very close to him from the list, a young man named Ma, 23 years old. Li Li immediately gave him detailed information: this man had a car accident three years ago, and all his family members died. After surviving the accident, he lost his hearing. Because of the psychological trauma, he closed his door to visitors for a long time, and eventually lost his ability to speak. He never left his house all day, and lived on savings and insurance money.

Luo Binhan no longer needed to ask Li Li why he suspected this person. He thought to himself that it would be best not to let sympathy interfere with his judgment, but this matter was annoying enough, and he didn't know how many similar stories he would have to hear before he found Feng Chuxing.

"How many fugitives do you think are still on this list?" he said to Li Li, "Next time, pick someone you think is unworthy of sympathy, okay?"

Li Li did not give a direct answer, but only said that the two accompanying people would continue to accompany him in case they really encountered Feng Chuxing. She seemed not to notice that Luo Binhan was smiling slightly at the phone, and still calmly explained that this was out of the simplest safety considerations: Feng Chuxing was carrying at least one dangerous weapon, and most likely carrying more of 0206's legacy. These things may not be considered as heritage in the eyes of 0312, but more like garbage that was made and thrown on the roadside, but they still pose a fatal risk to ordinary people. They must search in groups to avoid accidents as much as possible.

"It also prevents me from running away alone like last night." Luo Binhan said with a smile.

"I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to convince Feng Chuxing to cooperate with you in escaping." Li Li said, "If you really find something, please don't try to handle it alone. This is entirely out of concern for your safety."

"So what do I do?"

"Please let me know immediately."

"No problem. But what if my phone doesn't have a signal? We've already had that happen twice."

"Please stay where you are and wait, and do not take any action."

"What if the situation requires me to act? For example, if there is danger approaching me?"

"Then I want you to leave the danger to Cid as much as possible."

"Cid?"

"Cid and Azcat, you can call your two companions like this."

Luo Binhan turned his head to look at the two people standing in the distance. But he was no longer looking for Xide, but for Azmao. "You see?" He couldn't help but say to Li Li, "This is the result of you using flower names in a large organization. Sooner or later, someone will be unable to resist doing this! You might as well tell me their real names."

“I shouldn’t disclose too much private information about my employees.”

"So how much information did you tell them about me? Do they know my real name?"

"They don't know yet. But I think you can tell them your real name and they will just treat it as a code name. I'd also be happy to add you to the field team list with this code name so that no one will ask about your identity."

"Do you think you're funny?" Robin Han said. At this time, the two men came over. The man with headphones - he had taken off the clumsy headphones and replaced them with a miniature version hanging on his left ear - raised his hand and shook it twice, and simply introduced himself: "Xi De."

The young girl in a peaked cap next to him stared at him without introducing herself, but she didn't look ashamed at all. Needless to say, this was Azmao.

Luo Binhan greeted the two people as if nothing had happened. Xide's expression and behavior were like those of a professional bodyguard on a TV show, always secretly paying attention to something. Azmao was more like an ordinary person who was out for fun. Her ears were clearly exposed outside her hair. She didn't wear any equipment that looked like headphones, and she often had an absent-minded expression. But what was intriguing was that when Luo Binhan started talking, her reaction was to look away from him and instead showed an expression of listening attentively. So he understood that this person was probably someone with a little special hearing.

Maybe she can remember different people's voices by heart, or maybe she is very good at judging whether a person is lying by the tone of voice. Such skills are rare, but they are not superpowers. He has heard many stories about such talented people before, and it should not be difficult for Li Li to find a few. It seems that she is not so short of manpower that she would not just randomly gather two people to follow him. After all, she has a talent reserve list there.

He led the two temporary companions to their first stop. The fame and scale of Snail City are far less than those of Aries City, but the suburbs are more lively than Aries City. There are scattered pine forests, strips of green streams and dotted ponds everywhere; low light yellow brick houses are hidden among the green surroundings, and are connected one by one by slender and simple bluestone brick roads. This scene seems to have not changed in more than ten years, which is surprising. They passed by a family's front yard with a low fence. There was a little girl kicking shuttlecock while turning her head to stare at the visitors. Luo Binhan suddenly thought of Fang Lu. However, Fang Lu is most likely not a girl who came out of such a light yellow brick house. The most prosperous and modern place in Snail City is in the new urban area. Unfortunately, Li Li basically ruled out that place.

Xide and Azmao were both quietly hanging behind him. Luo Binhan glanced back and saw that they always kept a distance of about ten steps from him (apparently Li Li had warned them not to try close combat). He took out his cell phone, put it to his mouth and whispered: "Li Li, let me ask you a question."

"What do you want to ask?"

"Is Fang Lu also yours?"

Li Li replied calmly and directly: "Yes."

"That's why you dared to guarantee that she was fine that night." Luo Binhan said, "But she met me with Zhou Wenxing. I hadn't let you go online at that time."

"Strictly speaking, she didn't come here on my orders."

"Is this your prototype?"

"Or maybe my prototype has entrusted other agents. In any case, three years ago, the team she belonged to was instructed to keep a low-intensity and continuous attention to your personal situation. This would not have disturbed you, but as we all know, you disappeared without a reason and then returned suddenly. This abnormal movement aroused Fang Qi's curiosity, prompting her to look for an opportunity to observe you closely to find out what was going on. Fortunately and unfortunately, she and our most dangerous opponent both lived in Snail Horn City at the time, and needed to approach the same target at almost the same time, so they also chose the same path by coincidence."

"Coincidence?" "It is indeed a coincidence, sir. I have checked all the work records of her team, and they learned that your company was interested in hiring an audit team through the personal relationship between a team member and a partner of the firm. This was a purely accidental intelligence that prompted them to take impromptu investigative action. She joined the company only a week earlier than Zhou Wenxing and did not realize that her new colleague was a little different. I must say that her action this time was quite radical and reckless, and it almost led to tragic consequences."

Luo Binhan asked curiously: "What do you mean?"

"Because she noticed your unusual attitude towards Zhou Wenxing when we first met, sir. She kept her attention on you, and through your reaction she finally realized the danger lurking around her. She speculated that your disappearance in the past might be related to this colleague whom she didn't know well, so right after meeting you for the first time, the team she belonged to had already begun planning an investigation against Zhou Wenxing, and even discussed whether to take unconventional measures such as kidnapping and torture... Fortunately, you put me online later that day, and I discovered their plan at the first time, asking them to terminate the action and keep silent - otherwise, I'm afraid the tragedy would have already happened."

Luo Binhan raised his eyebrows. "This damn girl is lucky."

"I guess in that respect you saved her life."

"You saved her, Li Li. But honestly, don't you think that someone with her personality is not suitable for doing dangerous work? She doesn't seem like someone who would obey orders from her superiors."

"I can only say that this is a shortcoming. To be fair, it can't be considered a complete shortcoming if you take proactive and independent action when faced with an emergency."

"Why don't you ever say something like this to me?"

"Because I am responsible for your life, as a friend."

"Don't you have any responsibility towards Fang Xi? She works hard for you."

"She is acting for herself. Fang Lu used to belong to the medical team like her parents, but she took the initiative to transfer to the action team. She is fully aware of the risks of this action, but thinks it is worth it, even if it may lead to negative consequences - as long as people work hard, they will inevitably make mistakes. But a person making mistakes for a positive purpose is different from seeking death, sir. People who take the first path are worthy of understanding in my opinion."

Luo Binhan put down his phone silently. Deep down, he was a little curious whether Li Li would invite him to join her secret organization in some way if the topic continued. The flower name joke she made before might not be purely unintentional. Perhaps Li Li has realized that she can no longer rely on sanatoriums or European trips to get rid of him, so she turned to a more compromising method, which is to give him adventures within a controllable scale, give him a goal that sounds more attractive, and let his anger gradually wear out in the seemingly dangerous but actually useless running... This was her thinking when she let him wander around in the wetlands yesterday afternoon. Li Li is increasingly aware of how to control him.

Actually, as someone who is not planning to enjoy his old age, working for Li Li is probably quite interesting. He walked and imagined this situation - who wouldn't want to try a boss who can micro-manage everyone at the same time, and even instruct you to move the gun to the left by five centimeters? What's more, she is proficient in drawing cakes and human nature, and always makes you feel that you are doing a great cause. She will never get tired or discouraged, and she will not yell wildly in her air-conditioned office because of poor performance, blaming her subordinates for poor performance. Being an employee of such a guy might be much more pleasant than being her relatives or friends, at least you can think about your salary and benefits.

"One last question," he asked at the intersection, "What is Fang Lu's nickname?"

"Mattitao."

"That sounds normal."

"She had always wanted to change her name to Valon, but her superior reviewer rejected it."

"What a pity!" said Luo Binhan.

At this time, he had reached the end indicated on the map. It was still a light yellow brick house, but the outer wall was mottled and the courtyard was deserted, like an abandoned house with no one living in it. Every window was covered with dust and the curtains were hanging low, giving off an atmosphere of isolation from the world.

He walked around the yard, not knowing where to start. The two people behind him were as stubbornly silent as his decorative tail. When he was considering whether to do something illegal, Li Li sent him a voice message.

"Let me assume," she said, "that you came here just to take a look at the people on the list? No plans to do anything else?"

"Yes. But the problem now is that I can't see anyone in this room."

"He's playing computer games in the house, shooting games."

"I thought you said he couldn't hear?"

“Many games are designed with the hearing impaired in mind.”

"Can I take a peek at the computer camera?"

"I suggest you hide first, and then keep an eye on that window on the left side of the second floor. I will try to make him show up there, but it won't be long. I'm afraid you will only be able to observe him for a few seconds."

"You are really a puppet master," Luo Binhan praised. He found a shady sycamore tree as a cover. Xide and Azmao did the same thing, and their postures were as skilled as if they had been doing this kind of lousy job for a lifetime. They all looked through the gaps between the branches and leaves at the leftmost window on the second floor. After a few seconds, the curtains trembled slightly, and half of the face appeared from the darkness.

This bereaved loner was not as emaciated as Luo Binhan had expected. Whether due to lack of exercise or illness, this person looked extremely obese, with swollen cheeks like fermented dough. Although his skin was pale due to lack of sunlight, his greasy hair mixed with sweat still made him look extremely slovenly. Unlike the ghost faces that appeared on the second floor in various horror stories, this face was obviously a living person, full of concrete shortcomings and filth of the living. Li Li said that this person was playing games in the house just now, but there was no excitement on his face. He just stared blankly at the world outside the window, as if looking for something on the very distant skyline. He might have seen a few ducks and geese playing in the pond, or a flock of pigeons flying towards the clouds outside the pine forest. The scene that only he knew made this face stay behind the window for half a minute longer, and then it quietly closed the curtain and hid itself behind the stage of the world. This person was still alive, but he was no different from the ghost trapped in the deserted building.

Luo Binhan walked out of the shade of the tree, still looking at the lowered curtain. He said, "It's not this person."

"What is your basis?"

"If he was Feng Chuxing, he wouldn't have gone to look for Zhou Yu. He would just spend his whole life alone in this room—and he would be a person who would sleep on a boat all his life."

"That's just one glance. You don't know the whole story of this person's life."

"That's right," Robinson said. "You don't have to take my words seriously, Li Li. Follow your own steps and methods. I'm just dealing with myself."

"Are you looking for an enemy who fits your image?"

"I'm just curious about what kind of person Zhou Yu lost to."

"According to your previous point of view, Mr. Zhou Yu was defeated by himself. He gave up on his own."

"Yes, but I hope I can still have a chance to take revenge on a living person, not a walking corpse. Even if Feng Chuxing is a madman, he should at least be able to cry and laugh, so that he can taste the taste of failure."

Li Li must be trying to figure out how credible his words are. Luo Binhan himself thought that this statement was not bad, as it was consistent with his usual personality and could also make Li Li feel at ease. The only thing that was not good was that he did not avoid the other two when he spoke this time. Azmao's expression when he looked sideways at the woods was quite strange, which made him feel that this little ear of Li Li did not really believe him. He hoped that she would not do bad things in the future.

"Let's go to the next one," he urged. "Stop telling me sad stories and go meet a happier guy!"

(End of this chapter)

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