Embers Ad Infinitum

After getting out of the jeep, the Shang Jianyao who valued relationships suggested, “Should we fire a flare into the air as a way to inform Xu Datong and the others that the Second Food Company is here?”

“Aren’t you afraid that the enemy will come over as well?” Long Yuehong immediately thought of the problem with Shang Jianyao’s suggestion.

Shang Jianyao—who wasn’t wearing a mask—immediately laughed, a smile that Jiang Baimian found inexplicably familiar.

Shang Jianyao said, “Isn’t that a good thing? We’ll set up an ambush and wait for the enemy to rush over when they see the signal, only to fall into our trap.”

“Uh…” Long Yuehong was a little convinced and momentarily couldn’t figure out any faults with it.

Jiang Baimian chuckled and teased Shang Jianyao. “Do you think the Eighth Research Institute’s commissioners have such low intelligence? If I were them, I would definitely choose to bombard the area remotely when I discover that someone has fired a signal flare that happens to come from the Second Food Company I’m looking for. In any case, my destination is to destroy this Buddhist Holy Land, not to protect it. I’ll do whatever is convenient and safe.”

Bai Chen objected. “The Eighth Research Institute’s commissioners do things rather inconspicuously. They only have a small number of skilled hands, and this isn’t their home ground either. Do they have a way to get an artillery gun or a cluster rocket launcher here?”

Weapons that could deliver long-range bombardment were very difficult to obtain; only large factions had relatively more of them. That or they required sufficient manpower to operate them. For example, dozens to a hundred large-caliber cannons could also cover the Second Food Company from a distance. However, they were relatively less precise. Furthermore, many people had to be mobilized in one go. It wasn’t the style of the Eighth Research Institute’s commissioners.

Jiang Baimian smiled and explained, “As villains and masterminds lurking in the shadows, it’s only right for them to secretly support some factions and teams. Otherwise, who will deliver information to them or prepare supplies and safe houses for the commissioner? Think about it. When we were attacked in First City, the commissioner had a support team.

“We mustn’t underestimate the Eighth Research Institute. There may be medium-sized factions in the surrounding area that take orders from them. They can deploy a team with sufficient firepower to support the commissioners at any time.”

Jiang Baimian felt that Pangu Biology was no longer suitable to play the role of a ‘villain’ compared to the Eighth Research Institute.

“That’s right.” Shang Jianyao clenched his right fist and punched his left palm. “Just like the company!”

“…” Jiang Baimian picked up a rocket launcher with one hand. “Let’s head in.”

She didn’t get Bai Chen and Long Yuehong to stay outside to provide support. She had learned her lesson from Building 4 in the steelworks factory ruins’ Residential Zone 2. In such situations, having more people observe from multiple angles might allow them to see different things.

As for the jeep, it was parked nearby in a relatively concealed place. The Second Food Company only had a total of seven floors. Even if the Old Task Force climbed up to the rooftop, Shang Jianyao could remotely influence the electric vehicle.

Jiang Baimian could also sense the electric signals of anyone who approached and tried to drive the jeep.

The five Old Task Force members were divided into three groups. Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian took the lead as they walked into the food company one after another.

The first floor here was no longer what Shang Jianyao had seen in his psychological trauma. There were almost no remnants of the wrappers scattered everywhere. The transparent plastic boxes—which had been overturned or standing—and a large number of counters had disappeared.

Long Yuehong looked at the mottled walls and the cracked ground and sighed with emotion. “It’s like a swarm of locusts…”

This was the result of Ruin Hunters coming over to explore year after year.

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly. “This also means that this place is the same as the Buddhist Holy Land in the steelworks factory ruins. There’s nothing abnormal on the surface. Ruin Hunters have plundered so much from this place that they are probably just feet away from tapping oil from the rocks.”

“That’s right, that’s right.” Shang Jianyao echoed. He was one step ahead of Jiang Baimian and was in charge of leading the way.

In the next ten minutes, the Old Task Force carefully searched the empty first floor. They also observed the interior’s situation from outside the window and confirmed that there were no problems.

At this pace, they arrived at the third floor and arrived at the room where Shang Jianyao had discovered the employee introduction board.

The wall had been blown to smithereens. The photos attached to it had either been charred black or had completely disappeared, likewise for the textual introductions.

Bai Chen observed the situation and gave a preliminary judgment. “A battle broke out here. At least grenade launchers were used.”

Jiang Baimian made a terse grunt. “The damage to the employee introduction board seems unintentional.”

In other words, someone wasn’t deliberately trying to wipe out the traces.

“Yes.” Genava agreed with Bai Chen and Jiang Baimian.

“That makes it harder for us to find the missing photo…” Long Yuehong frowned.

If the walls were still intact and the employee introduction board still existed, the Old Task Force could use Genava’s high-tech technology and some of the apparatuses he carried to analyze the traces left behind by the missing photo and corresponding introduction to see if they could discover any useful clues.

Shang Jianyao didn’t show any worry and eagerly said, “Therefore, we still have to achieve victory by surprise!”

“Wait.” Jiang Baimian retracted her gaze from the dilapidated walls. “Let’s split up and search all the rooms here. Don’t miss a single gap in the walls. See if the missing photo is hidden inside.”

Frankly speaking, she wasn’t too sure about this. Ignoring the fact that it had been so many years, she wondered if the originally hidden photo had been found and taken away. Just the fact that the photo and corresponding introduction had been taken away made her believe that those two items might very well have been torn up or burned on the spot. Taking away just the photo and the corresponding introduction meant that it was for confidentiality or for special emotional needs.

The former was more likely. Destroying the ‘evidence’ completely was the best way to keep it a secret.

The five Old Task Force members completed the search of the entire building in just over an hour. This was mainly because there were very few items left behind at the scene, so it was obvious at a glance in many places.

“I didn’t find anything.” Long Yuehong reported his situation to Jiang Baimian.

“Neither did I,” Genava quickly said as well.

Shang Jianyao decided not to be an exception. “It’s the same for Big White and me, but she found the area too clean. It isn’t as dirty as she imagined. There aren’t rat feces and other kinds of feces everywhere. In addition, the Liu Lu corpse that should’ve existed has disappeared. I don’t think any Ruin Hunter will take such a thing away, right?”

“What if someone has a skeleton fetish?” another Shang Jianyao retorted.

Bai Chen replied, “Given the Ashlands’ situation, this possibility is lower than someone taking the bones back for stewing.”

Most wilderness nomads were still fighting for food and clothing, so they didn’t have many strange sexual fetishes.

Shang Jianyao smiled. “Have you forgotten the price of sexual abnormality? Since there are people who adore car exhaust pipes, it’s not impossible to have someone who likes skeletons.”

Jiang Baimian and the others failed to retort such reasonable words.

After a moment of silence, Bai Chen directly voiced her guess. “I think someone found a place to bury her.”

“Who?” Shang Jianyao looked like he was listening to a story.

“The abnormality that once possessed her,” Bai Chen replied. “She was the first target of his possession, so there might be some subtle feelings.”

“Why?” Genava couldn’t understand.

Bai Chen opened her mouth but couldn’t find the right words to express it.

Long Yuehong tried to help, but he couldn’t think of a reason.

“Intuition! Female intuition!” Jiang Baimian lectured the three wooden blocks. “You have to be sufficiently meticulous to experience the subtleties of emotions.”

“Oh…” Genava’s slightly synthetic voice sounded like he had been inspired. This was clearly an imitation of Shang Jianyao.

“Sufficiently meticulous?” Shang Jianyao glanced at Jiang Baimian curiously.

“Am I not?” Jiang Baimian almost flew into a rage out of humiliation. Fortunately, she remembered that they were in a strange Buddhist Holy Land. There might be some danger lurking around them, so she interrupted the topic.

She said seriously, “Alright. Since conventional methods don’t work, let’s use the original medical record copy and the small jade Buddha from the steelworks factory ruins. Little Red, climb out the window and see if there are any additional changes from another angle. Little White, wait for Little Red below. On the one hand, it’s to prevent any accidents from happening to him. On the other hand, you are to observe the building as a whole. Old Ge, go outside as well. Set up and adjust the various instruments and gather the most objective environmental data.”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

“No problem.” Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and Genava replied one after another.

After they were in position and finished their preparations, Jiang Baimian said to Shang Jianyao, “You can begin. Try using the original medical record first.”

At some point in time, Shang Jianyao had already taken out the Six Senses Beads. As he spun it and chanted a Buddhist proclamation, he unfolded the original medical record in his pocket.

As he sat cross-legged, his back was relatively straight. The price of the Six Senses Beads was rather obvious, and Jiang Baimian’s facial muscles twitched slightly.

She wasn’t old-fashioned, and she could even crack dirty jokes because she had been in the Security Department forces. However, the price of the prayer beads was too contradictory with the Buddhist proclamations and solemn expressions. It made her find it ridiculous.

Shang Jianyao remained calm and composed as he recited the medical record in a tone as though he was reciting Buddhist scripture. “Namo Annutara-Samyak-Subhuti. Name: Fan Wensi. Female. Age: 52. Married. Address: Residential Zone 2, Building 4, Room 302…”

Amidst the ethereal and solemn voice, Jiang Baimian observed her surroundings and realized that everything was normal.

After Shang Jianyao finished reciting, she picked up the walkie-talkie and asked the team members outside, “Anything?”

“No,” came three replies.

Shang Jianyao put away the original medical record and the Six Senses Beads in confusion. “It was effective in the psychological trauma…”

Jiang Baimian didn’t attempt to analyze it and thought for a moment. “We’ll discuss it later. Try using the small jade Buddha.”

Shang Jianyao immediately took out the small, lake-green jade Buddha and held it in his palm.

Just as he did this, Jiang Baimian suddenly felt their surroundings darken.