Embers Ad Infinitum

“The greatest advantage of this hotel is that the boss doesn’t ask anything.” Bai Chen stepped on the brakes and pointed at Ugo Hotel. “Besides, he has a good relationship with the sheriff in charge of these streets. We don’t have to worry about someone suddenly kicking open the door and searching our rooms.”

Long Yuehong subconsciously wanted to say that they wouldn’t do anything bad in the room, but he shut his mouth at the thought of the two military exoskeletons.

As long as the sheriff discovered the two items, there was no way to explain their innocence even if they weren’t doing anything.

Of course, the most likely scenario when the time came was for the sheriff and his subordinates to cover their heads and squat on the floor, not daring to say or ask anything.

As she spoke, Bai Chen released the brakes and drove the jeep to the parking area beside Ugo Hotel.

“I thought the parking lot here would be underground.” Shang Jianyao had a look of disappointment.

Jiang Baimian understood his feelings very well. This was because the parking lots in large cities were often underground in the Old World entertainment that the Old Task Force had been watching recently. Redstone Collection—which was mostly a ruin—was an example.

But First City—the largest city in the Ashlands—was actually so crude.

Bai Chen parked the car and pointed east. “There are underground parking lots in places like Golden Apple Zone and Red Wolf District. Back when First City was established, some areas were modified based on the original buildings, while other areas were built by the citizens themselves on the land assigned to them. There was no uniform planning.”

“It’s no wonder that the roads aren’t good and that there are all kinds of architectural styles.” Jiang Baimian sighed with emotion as she came to a realization.

Golden Apple Zone was located in the southeast corner of First City, near the suburbs. It was where the nobles lived.

Red Wolf District was in the middle of the city. It had the Senate, the Administrative Office, the Overwatch Council, the governor’s office, the money-printing factory, the coin casting factory, and the power supply center; it was the core of First City. A large number of officials and citizens of certain statuses lived in this area, and various businesses and companies favored it.

After entering Ugo Hotel, Jiang Baimian saw the boss sitting at the front desk while having dinner.

The boss looked to be in his thirties or forties. His skin was a little tanned, and there were some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, forehead, and mouth. However, he didn’t look that old. His blond hair still had a luster that didn’t have a hint of paleness.

His dinner was very simple. It was a plate of stewed beans and a piece of rough, black bread.

“Three rooms,” Bai Chen said in fluent Red River language.

“Is there those, you know those…” Shang Jianyao suddenly revealed a hesitant look. “The kind where the five of us can stay together. A suite with several small rooms?”

What’s there to be shy about… Long Yuehong muttered silently.

This was also what he thought. It was safest for everyone to live together!

The boss named Ugo shook his head and swept his light-blue eyes at the five Old Task Force members. “Only big hotels have suites.”

Tarnan’s lady boss, Aynor, is indeed business-minded… Jiang Baimian sighed and smiled. “Then, three rooms next to each other.”

“1 Oray per night for each room. There’s also a deposit of 5 Oray,” replied Ugo calmly.

“We’ll take a week for now.” Jiang Baimian took out a stack of notes and produced 26 Oray.

The Old Task Force had already used up the remaining money in Weed City. Their current Oray had all come from Shang Jianyao’s good brother, Xu Liyan, but there wasn’t much left.

Ugo counted the notes, checked their authenticity, and took out three silver-white keys with labels from the drawer.

“202, 203, 204.”

This hotel didn’t have an elevator. After Long Yuehong and the others took the keys, they went up the stairs to the second floor and opened the corresponding rooms.

“It’s pretty clean.” Jiang Baimian nodded in satisfaction.

The layout of the room was the same as most hotels. Two beds filled most of the space, and the rest of the room was filled with tables, chairs, and couches. There was also a small bathroom.

After taking a short rest, Bai Chen, Long Yuehong, and Genava gathered in Room 202, which was where Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao lived.

Long Yuehong pulled out a chair and sat down as he casually asked, “That boss’s meal looked bad. Is it that unprofitable to open a hotel in First City?”

This was someone who had ties with the sheriff.

Bai Chen shook her head. “Even if he can’t eat meat every day, it won’t be a problem for him to eat it two to three times a week. However, he’s very thrifty. He’s so thrifty that he’s a little masochistic.”

For a wilderness nomad like her, such thriftiness was almost perverse.

“Maybe he suffered some psychological trauma…” Jiang Baimian touched her metal cochlear implant and made a simple guess.

She then clapped her hands. “Next, let’s have a team meeting to put ourselves on the same page for our future operations.”

Shang Jianyao dutifully clapped. Unfortunately, nobody else did the same.

Jiang Baimian looked around and said, “Our main mission is to find the descendants of Maximian—First City’s Oray—and see if he left any clues. According to the information we have gathered, Oray’s surviving direct descendants are only his granddaughter Avia and his grandson, Marcus. They live at 14 Round Hill Street and 57 Crown Street, both in the Golden Apple Zone.

“Our plan is very simple. Find an opportunity to interact with them and get Shang Jianyao to make friends with them. What we need to take note of in this plan is that there might be great danger lurking unseen. Maybe a faction is wiping out all efforts to investigate the cause of the Old World’s destruction or the origins of the Heartless disease. Therefore, we have to be very careful and cautious. We’d rather miss an opportunity than take the risk.”

Upon hearing this, Genava raised his hand, having learned from Shang Jianyao. “I have a question.”

“What is it?” Jiang Baimian asked kindly.

“Since there are factions stopping all investigations regarding the cause of the Old World’s destruction, why don’t they just kill Avia, Marcus, or someone else and cut off all the clues?” This was the most reasonable development that Genava had analyzed.

Jiang Baimian nodded. “Indeed, Qiao Chu blew up the laboratory in Swamp Ruin 1.”

Smack!

Shang Jianyao clenched his right fist and punched his left palm. “I know the reason!”

Upon seeing everyone look at him, he calmly said, “Oray didn’t leave any clues. Avia, Marcus, and the others don’t know anything.”

Then, why are we here in First City? Long Yuehong criticized inwardly.

Bai Chen deliberated and said, “Maybe Avia and Marcus are being protected by First City. That faction’s attempts have failed.”

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly. “This might be relatively likely. In any case, First City is the largest faction in the Ashlands. It would be too embarrassing if it can’t even protect two people. This also reminds us to be more careful. Not only are our enemies hidden destroyers, but they are also First City’s protectors.”

At this point, she smiled bitterly. “Let’s take things one step at a time. We still have too little information. Alright, the second thing we need to do is contact the Zhao family’s liaison and investigate the manor in the suburbs. Let’s try to raise the sum of money this week.

“The third matter is to go to the local Hunter’s Guild and sell them information regarding the white wolf’s other abilities.”

This would be accompanied by Qiao Chu’s various performances as evidence. It was very valuable.

“The fourth matter is to contact the company’s intelligence agent in First City. The fifth matter is to find Han Wanghuo; we still have to observe him. The sixth matter is to visit Bai Xiao and Lin Tong’s team. They still owe us a feast…” Shang Jianyao helped Jiang Baimian add to their plans.

Jiang Baimian chuckled. “You’re right!”

At this moment, a commotion suddenly sounded from somewhere.

Shang Jianyao leaned against the window and looked out. But as they were on the second floor and were blocked by many buildings and obstacles, he could only see people coming and going on the street.

As for cars, there weren’t many. The majority were bicycles.

Jiang Baimian deliberated for a few seconds and said, “Let’s go down and ask.”

The five Old Task Force members quickly returned to Ugo Hotel’s lobby and realized that their boss was also standing at the door, looking into the distance.

Bai Chen went forward and asked, “What happened?”

With a slightly complicated expression, Ugo said, “In the past week, this is the third Heartless case in these streets.”

Just as he said that, a loudspeaker on the electric pole outside suddenly sounded. “Due to a water shortage, water rationing measures will be implemented from 7 p.m. Come tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.”