Embers Ad Infinitum

Pangu Biology’s First City intelligence agent, Garibaldi, had actually been shot on the street. Furthermore, it had happened right after he met the Old Task Force.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao stood up abruptly.

At the same time, another gunshot sounded.

A few meters away from Garibaldi, the right thigh of a man in a tattered shirt and gray pants suddenly burst into a plume of splattered flesh and blood.

As he fell in agony, a black pistol landed on the ground.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Baimian instantly understood what had happened. The second man to be shot was the murderer who assassinated Garibaldi on the streets.

The one attacking him was Bai Chen—who was in a position of surveillance and had reacted in turn. She used the Orange rifle to disable the murderer’s right leg.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao didn’t hesitate to run out of Silver Candle Café and onto the street. They rushed to Garibaldi’s side amidst the large number of pedestrians fleeing and hiding.

They squatted down and examined Garibaldi’s injuries.

The Pangu Biology intelligence agent’s chest was blood-red, and his injuries looked rather serious.

He remained conscious, and his pleading eyes were filled with desire as he looked at Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao.

It was only then that Jiang Baimian saw his face clearly.

He wasn’t Ashlandic; he was mixed at best. His face was thin, and his eyes were dark. He had a handsome appearance, and his black hair was messy. This intelligence agent looked to be in his twenties—he was still very young.

As Jiang Baimian examined the wound on his chest to see where he had been hit, she took off her tactical backpack and took out a FECA biological agent.

Administering first-aid for injuries was a skill every experienced Ruin Hunter came equipped with. It was also a compulsory lesson for the Old Task Force during training.

“Hang in there,” Jiang Baimian said simply and did some preliminary resuscitation on the spot.

Just as she said that, she turned to glance at Shang Jianyao. “Observe the murderer’s situation and try to figure out who instigated it.”

Shang Jianyao immediately stood up and walked toward the gunman—who was covered in blood.

Jiang Baimian quickly injected the FECA biological agent and used her tactical backpack to cover herself before taking out the walkie-talkie. “Little White, stay where you are with Genava and monitor the surroundings to prevent any accidents. Little Red, drive the car to the intersection ahead but don’t be in a rush to come over. Wait for my subsequent notice.” Jiang Baimian quickly gave instructions to the other three Old Task Force members.

A few meters away, Shang Jianyao squatted at the edge of the blood pool and looked at the man in the tattered shirt. He said in the Red River language, “Any last words?”

The man had an ordinary face of Red River ethnicity. He had just woken up from the coma brought about by the intense pain, and he was already on the brink of death. It was probably his last moment of clarity.

His gray pants had become extremely tattered, completely dyed blood-red.

As a gunman, he had seen too many of his companions die. Although he wasn’t satisfied with his outcome, he wasn’t surprised at all. He originally wanted to shut his mouth and wait for the moment his life ended, but for some reason, he suddenly felt that he should say something and not die so simply.

“I-I was just… paid to do the job,” he said with difficulty.

“Who instructed you?” Shang Jianyao maintained his squatting posture. He didn’t attempt to inject the gunman with a FECA biological agent to treat his wounds.

The gunman gradually entered a dying state. With the mindset that he would drag a person to hell even if he died, he weakly replied, “I-it’s Old K…”

He slowly closed his eyes, and the air he inhaled was less than he exhaled.

Shang Jianyao stood up and walked back to Jiang Baimian’s side.

Jiang Baimian had already treated Garibaldi’s wound. She raised the back of her hand, wiped her forehead, and said in Ashlandic, “Fortunately, you didn’t get shot in the heart. You probably won’t die as long as a qualified doctor treats you.”

Upon hearing the words ‘qualified doctor,’ Garibaldi’s expression changed as if he wasn’t that confident of having one.

In this day and age, there were really few qualified doctors. Of course, thanks to the chaotic environment, there were more doctors who dealt with gunshot wounds than qualified doctors.

Jiang Baimian then turned her head to look at the squatting Shang Jianyao. “Any gains?”

“He said that he was instructed by a person named Old K,” Shang Jianyao recounted the gunman’s words.

Upon hearing the name ‘Old K,’ Garibaldi’s expression changed again.

Jiang Baimian didn’t point it out and asked, “Do we take you away and get a doctor to treat you, or should we leave you here and let the sheriff take over?”

Garibaldi hesitated for two seconds. “Leave me here, but remember to inform the company that I was shot.”

Yes, the company definitely has more than one intelligence agent in First City. Garibaldi also has many companions, so we don’t have to worry… Jiang Baimian quickly put away the various tools used to treat his wounds into her tactical backpack.

She and Shang Jianyao waited for nearly a minute before the sheriff arrived with seven to eight subordinates.

The sheriff looked at Garibaldi on the ground and asked with a Red River accent, “Are you friends?”

He had an impressionable figure. Not only did he grow upward, but his entire body also extended in all directions.

He wasn’t too fat, but his shoulders were broad, and his body was wide like a wall.

“No.” Jiang Baimian—who had disguised herself—shook her head without hesitation. “We were at the café by the side of the road. There—that one. We are Ruin Hunters who were drinking coffee there. When we saw this person injured, we came out to provide first-aid. Sir, as you know, this is a necessary skill for Ruin Hunters.”

“That’s right, that’s right.” Shang Jianyao nodded in agreement.

The wall-like sheriff looked down at Garibaldi. “You guys are pretty good at first aid, but we will need your statement at the Public Security Department. Also, if the coffee isn’t paid for, go back and make up for it.”

“We paid for it when ordering.” Jiang Baimian wanted to make it clear that they weren’t people who ate without paying.

Shang Jianyao diverted the topic. “Maybe the boss will waive the bill because of our chivalrous act.”

He wanted to say ‘act bravely for a just cause,’ but he momentarily forgot what the corresponding phrases in Red River language were. Hence, he could only use ‘chivalrous act.’

The sheriff ignored him. As he led the two of them to examine the gunman’s corpse, he got his subordinates to ask the bystanders in the surrounding shops and onlookers by the side of the road to gather more clues.

During this process, he didn’t forget to get a sheriff to drive Garibaldi to the nearest hospital.

“Quite methodical…” Jiang Baimian praised softly.

She realized that First City wasn’t too decadent. There were still many talents at the bottom ranks of society.

“That’s right. The smartest thing he did was not respond to me.” Shang Jianyao agreed deeply.

As all the witnesses confirmed that Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao had later left the café to help the injured, they were ‘chased out’ from the Public Security Department after recording their statements. They weren’t provided dinner.

They also learned that the sheriff was named Wall and that he seemed to be a descendant of a noble.

…

In the rented apartment at Red Wolf Zone, the Old Task Force’s five people gathered again.

“Who did it?” Long Yuehong asked eagerly.

“It was ordered by a person named Old K. I don’t know the exact reason, but we’ll just report it to the company.” Jiang Baimian smiled and said, “From the change in Garibaldi’s expression, I suspect it’s a personal grudge.”

“He looks alright. Maybe he stole the other guy’s wife,” Shang Jianyao guessed.

Long Yuehong muttered, “Not everyone is Weiler.”

Weiler was Redstone Collection’s coroner. He was a playboy who had once seduced his superior’s wife and had no choice but to flee.

“But there are many such people,” Genava said truthfully.

Jiang Baimian cleared her throat and took out the pieces of paper that Garibaldi had given her. “In any case, it doesn’t involve us. Old Ge, project these out. Everyone, let’s read the information together.”

As she had already scanned through the cigarette butt’s laboratory report, Jiang Baimian focused her attention on the real Father’s assassination of Senate Elder Sols and the current political situation in First City.

Sols was targeted by the Anti-intellectualism Church because of his main promotion of civic education. As an Elder, he definitely had no lack of protection. As for the real Father’s method, it was still his modus operandi—a diversion. After Sols—who had participated in a public activity—believed that he had escaped danger and felt relieved, the real Father suddenly appeared and completed the culling under the weakened security.

The key to the successful assassination was to catch the enemy by surprise. First City’s Elders had learned a lesson from this and specially enhanced the relevant measures.

From then on, the Anti-intellectualism Church’s sporadic operations didn’t succeed.

At present, Jiang Baimian noticed that the conflict between the Reformists and the Conservatives in First City had indeed intensified. The latter’s leader—Consul Beulis—wanted to protect Varro, while the former’s representative, Gaius, was aggressive.

There were mainly two people that prevented the two parties from falling out. One was General Phocas—who led the Zhao family manor’s operation—and the other was Superintendent Alexander.