Embers Ad Infinitum

Long Yuehong subconsciously replied to Jiang Baimian, “Back then, many nobles in the room didn’t go to the bathroom despite drinking a lot of water.”

That bit of pressure was nothing to an adult’s bladder.

“That would normally be the case, but there might be a problem in this regard since Abbess Zhou mentioned it.” Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said, “Splashing water targets one’s hydrophobia… Switching off the bathroom lights and closing the door is to target the fear of darkness? But this is too complicated. There are many gratuitous actions, and the corresponding price might not be as simple as the fear of the dark.”

Bai Chen thought for a moment before saying, “The most important question now is how to complete this matter. It’s almost impossible to splash water on them because we don’t even know who created the Virtual World or where they are. We can only look forward to a rainy day. It’s not difficult to follow Marcus to the colosseum’s noble bathroom, close the door, and turn off the lights. The difficult part is how to get him to go.”

“No, no, no.” Shang Jianyao raised his finger and wagged it. “The action of you closing the door and switching off the lights will be filtered in the Virtual World. If the person is afraid of such a scene, they definitely won’t let it happen.”

That’s right. Abbess Zhou’s plan doesn’t have any feasibility in a Virtual World… Long Yuehong actually found Shang Jianyao reasonable this time.

Jiang Baimian smiled. “I’ve already considered this problem and have a corresponding plan.”

“How?” Long Yuehong was very curious. Why am I always unable to come up with a way to bypass the Virtual World?

Jiang Baimian glanced at Genava. “In computer science terms, it’s to disguise malicious data as safe. We can prepare a few phones in advance and enter First City’s communications network. Once we see Marcus in the bathroom, we’ll immediately call Old Ge, who is waiting far away.

“On the phone, we will only talk about normal things. It won’t sound problematic, and it won’t arouse suspicion. Among these matters, I will embed some data that Old Ge can decipher using an agreed-upon cipher to figure out how long he should wait before he takes action. After hanging up, Old Ge will destroy the facilities in the distance at the appointed time or use a more ingenious method to cut the electricity in the arena!

“The bathroom will naturally become dark then. Besides, this is an objective reality. The Virtual World’s owner can’t stop it unless their Virtual World can cover Old Ge—who is two to three kilometers away. That would be too terrifying—there would be too much data to cover. As long as that person hasn’t entered the New World, they shouldn’t be able to do so.”

Awakened who entered the New World wouldn’t be active in the Ashlands.

Jiang Baimian paused and smiled. “Or they might’ve grasped the cipher we agreed on and can determine the key information hidden in our normal conversation, but that’s impossible. They aren’t an Awakened in the Last Man domain who can read our memories.”

Upon hearing this, Long Yuehong already thought of terms like viruses, trojan horses, and data spoofing.

That can do? He realized that not only could the knowledge he had learned be used on electronics, but it could also be used in reality. In particular, the remote power outage completely avoided the Virtual World’s filter!

When I say ‘let’s have breakfast together at 8 a.m. tomorrow,’ the Virtual World definitely can’t filter out any problems. But in the ears of Old Ge—who knows the cipher in advance—this sentence is equivalent to ‘power outage in 80 seconds.’ The more he thought about it, the more magical he found it to be… Long Yuehong instantly felt the need to keep learning.

Shang Jianyao looked at Jiang Baimian in surprise. “Are you a senior?”

He meant: Are you also an electronics major?

“Self-taught.” Jiang Baimian chuckled. Clearing her throat, she seriously said, “Therefore, the point isn’t how to close the door and turn off the lights. It’s how to get Marcus to the bathroom.”

The Old Task Force members fell into a brief silence. They racked their brains in a bid to find a suitable plan.

Moments later, Shang Jianyao stroked his chin. “Have we considered social engineering? Bribe or persuade Marcus’s servants to give Marcus laxatives or diuretics in advance? We definitely can’t do it directly since those items will be filtered by the Virtual World. However, we can disguise them. For example, we can get Yellow which nobles often eat and complete this matter outside the Virtual World.”

Yellow itself had the ability to cause mild diarrhea. As for the Virtual World’s owner, they probably couldn’t tell if its effects had been enhanced externally. They would simply copy information.

“That’s a solution.” Jiang Baimian nodded. “But it’s not practical. We can’t enforce a situation where Marcus eats Yellow on the day he watches the gladiator fights. With his caution of not drinking water or going to the bathroom, he probably won’t eat such food the day he needs to go out. Also, servants will indeed walk out of the Virtual World’s range when they go out to shop, but we can’t be sure if this is a trap.”

Genava agreed with Jiang Baimian. “Hey, your plan is too idealistic, but I think the focus is right. Data spoofing is a very good direction. We can disguise malicious things that can cause diarrhea or increased urination as safe items to pass the Virtual World’s screening.”

Bai Chen had an idea. “I remember hearing some Ruin Hunters mention that it’s fine to eat some food separately. However, eating them at the same time will cause allergies, diarrhea, vomiting, and other conditions.”

“Yes, cephalosporins and alcohol.” Shang Jianyao gave a specific example.

This was mentioned in the Old World’s entertainment.

“There’s a problem with that too.” Jiang Baimian analyzed the situation from a feasibility perspective again. “If we let Marcus eat at home, he might go to the bathroom frequently before leaving and end up canceling his subsequent schedule. As you know, he doesn’t even drink water.”

The discussion came to a halt again. The five Old Task Force members encountered an insurmountable obstacle regarding how to get a normal person to the bathroom.

In order to gain inspiration, Jiang Baimian told Shang Jianyao not to be limited to food and to come up with anything he wanted.

“I’ll pass by him every five minutes to go to the bathroom to induce his interest.”

“Going to the bathroom doesn’t necessarily mean using the toilet. There are other possibilities. We can find an opportunity to dirty his pants and get him to clean up in the bathroom.”

…

“Figure out his preferences, disguise as his target, and seduce him to the bathroom.”

“There’s a fragrance dispenser in the VIP room. I wonder if the company has developed a diuretic version…”

These plans were eliminated by the other team members. Only the last one allowed everyone to reach a consensus on one matter: Send a telegram to the company to see if there were any new products that could promote bowel movement or diuresis. The premise was that there was no need for consumption and that they could rely on just scent or other methods to achieve their goals.

The Pangu Biology Security Department replied that they would inquire as soon as possible.

“Phew. Everyone, relax. Don’t be too tense.” Jiang Baimian looked out the window. “It’s not too late now. Let’s take a walk and breathe some fresh air.”

The air here isn’t fresh at all… Long Yuehong muttered inwardly, but he didn’t dare to say anything.

First City’s air quality had always been poor, apart from the Golden Apple Zone and the Golden Grain Zone—which were closer to the manors.

The Old Task Force was currently in a safe house near the Green Olive Zone in the Red Wolf Zone.

Since they had nothing to do, the others agreed to take a stroll outside and relax. After all, the team had previously gone to the North Shore Mountains and experienced Wasteland Ruin 13. They were mentally and physically exhausted.

Unlike the Green Olive Zone, not many street lamps in the Red Wolf Zone were malfunctioning. Even at night, people could still see quite well.

The pedestrians came and went in all kinds of clothes. They either rushed past or strolled leisurely.

Long Yuehong glanced at the shop by the street and sighed with emotion. “This place feels like the Old World’s night.”

His impression of the Old World’s nighttime came from two places. One was the appearance of Swamp Ruin 1 after it regained power, and the other was from scenes in the Old World entertainment.

Bai Chen calmly said, “But many of the busy people here are slaves.”

Long Yuehong was speechless.

Jiang Baimian was just about to change the topic when she suddenly heard a commotion coming from the Green Olive Zone. With her hearing, she noticed a rush of footsteps approaching from afar.

Soon, a figure jumped out from the side street and ran toward the alley diagonally opposite.

The figure had brown hair, green eyes, and a scarf covering his mouth. As he ran, his black trench coat rose slightly.

An accomplice to the gladiator assassin? The Citizen Conclave explosion’s suspect? Long Yuehong’s heart palpitated as he cast his gaze at the street where the man had run out.

Down the street, many public security officers were chasing with pistols and batons.