Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 636: Phone Call

Translator: CKtalon

In the rented car, Shang Jianyao became excited when he heard Jiang Baimian’s deduction. “Which domain would the price of symmetry OCD come under?”

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said, “As the name implies, I guess it’s June’s Golden Scale. This Kalendaria emphasizes balance, and this is often reflected in symmetry. The corresponding price of symmetry OCD is very reasonable.”

“June’s Golden Scale mainly affects the body, including the ability to induce paralysis. Oh right, some Awakened in this domain can also block premonitions, hide their bodies, and carry out stealth assassinations.” Shang Jianyao recalled the information provided by the company and the information his team had gathered elsewhere.

Jiang Baimian’s heart palpitated. “The sunglasses man’s companion—the person on the other side of the photo frame—might very well have the ability to hide his body and block premonitions. Therefore, the sunglasses man may seem to be moving alone, but there’s actually another person secretly following him! This is also the reason why he doesn’t dare to take off his sunglasses even at night.”

If his companion with symmetry OCD saw his eyes, he might very well be erased.

Shang Jianyao nodded before curling his lips honestly. “That’s unlikely. An Awakened with symmetry OCD at the Mind Corridor level can’t move normally. There are asymmetrical things everywhere in the Ashlands, and it’s even more so in the Green Olive Zone. If I were him, I would be angry when seeing this and have the urge to destroy it. I’ll end up blowing up everything wherever I go or die from anger.”

The houses in the Green Olive Zone were originally built very symmetrically. But over the years, many houses were built haphazardly. Some had encroached into the streets, and the electric wires were stretched like damaged spiderwebs. People with severe symmetry OCD would probably suffer an immediate brain hemorrhage.

In such discussions, Jiang Baimian never cared about being right and only cared about facts. She nodded slightly and said, “Indeed.”

She then raised a new idea. “Could a certain method be used to reduce the severity of symmetry OCD or control his urge to destroy?”

“That’s possible, but this can at most be considered a temporary strategy. It can’t be maintained for long. You should know very well that relying on external forces to reduce the influence of the price is often counterproductive. Even if it’s relatively simple and effective, it will take a long time for one to adapt to its effects,” Shang Jianyao said truthfully.

I don’t know… Jiang Baimian tried her best to forget how she had gotten lost in the past. She looked out the window beside her and said, “You mean that the one with symmetry OCD usually doesn’t come out and lives in a small world that’s sufficiently symmetrical? That person will only suppress their price and take action only at critical moments or when moving is required?”

“I think so,” Zen Master Redemption replied calmly.

“Since that person isn’t hiding by the target’s side, why does he still wear sunglasses at night? Could my previous guess be wrong? Does he really fear the light?” Jiang Baimian followed her train of thought.

After a brief pause, her eyes lit up without Shang Jianyao needing to answer. “Timid and weak—yes, timid and weak! The price the man in the sunglasses paid might very well be cowardice and weakness!”

This was one of the additional abnormalities reflected in Oudick.

Shang Jianyao—who was in charge of driving—stroked his chin with one hand. “He doesn’t take off his sunglasses because his companion or the nightmare represented by the photo frame had once warned him. The timid and weak him doesn’t dare to violate this warning even if he’s out of his companion or the nightmare’s line of sight?”

This was timidity at the Mind Corridor level.

Jiang Baimian suddenly became excited.

“Yes! Do you still remember that sentence? One eye is big, and the other is small. You’re not a good person. I’ll help you dig them all out! This might be a warning from his companion or the nightmare represented by the photo frame. It appeared in a dream in a certain way, not something Oudick added himself!”

This made sense!

Shang Jianyao was also excited. “Cowardice and weakness infected the man in sunglasses; the symmetry OCD comes from his companion or the nightmare. The mania and delirium stem from the target’s companion or the nightmare represented by a photo frame. The rest are mental disorders that arise from shock or trauma?”

Wait, why am I as excited as this fellow… Jiang Baimian tried her best to control her emotions and continued, “Cowards are often careful; they will always consider all kinds of dangers. Therefore, the man in the sunglasses has yet to track us. It’s not that he can’t do it but that he has too many concerns and too many possible accidents that he needs to eliminate. He doesn’t have the courage to make bold attempts in the block where Xiaochong and Teacher Du Heng once appeared. Instead, he chose a more roundabout and more time-wasting method?”

This matched the current situation and was one of the steps of bold hypotheses and careful verification.

Shang Jianyao touched the newly bought phone in his pocket that was connected to First City’s communications network and said with interest, “Then, which domain’s price is cowardice and weakness?”

Jiang Baimian frowned slightly. “This isn’t as obvious as symmetry OCD…”

…

In the room where Long Yuehong and Bai Chen hid in the Green Olive Zone.

“As neighbors on the same floor as the target, could we already have our memories secretly flipped?” Long Yuehong asked in horror.

Bai Chen retracted her gaze from the peephole, turned around, and deliberated before saying, “It’s unlikely. According to the plan, we will try our best to distance ourselves from Old Ge’s room when we choose the area we secretly monitor to avoid the danger of the target secretly flipping through our memories. We observe the area through the cameras installed in the nearby hidden spots.

“We are at the other end of the corridor, and it’s not directly opposite the stairwell. There’s a certain degree of dislocation, so it’s unlikely that we will see strangers coming and going. The probability of our memories being flipped is very low. Unless the target is very careful and would rather be safe than sorry, they probably won’t waste their time on us.”

If it weren’t for the fact that it was very easy for others to see them if they headed to another floor or left this apartment, thereby leaving behind the corresponding clues, Bai Chen definitely would’ve chosen to hide further away.

Long Yuehong was almost convinced, but considering that Bai Chen was also here, it wouldn’t be excessive to guard against any accidents. Thus, he changed his mind. “I think we should consider the possibility that the other party is very careful. Think about it—the real Father and his pile of fake Fathers actually have similar inclinations. It’s very normal for Awakened like them who play with memories to do similar things.”

Bai Chen slowly nodded. “Then, activate the contingency plan. We can’t have our memories unknowingly modified.”

She had a deep impression of the real Father tampering with her memories.

Long Yuehong jumped in fright and quickly reached into his pocket to take out a stack of paper.

In order to deal with the situation that the target might be a Mind Corridor-level Awakened in the Last Man domain, they wrote down some key memories in a simplified manner, just like how they had previously guarded against the real Father. It made it convenient for them to compare their memories often to see if their memories had been secretly modified, unknowingly becoming strangers to themselves.

As Long Yuehong flipped through the notes, Bai Chen walked to her laptop.

After some work, she pulled up some software, which was written by Genava. It was originally software used by the Old World to dial cell phones and landlines via the Internet.

Bai Chen inputted a number and chose to connect.

This was naturally not the mysterious number stored in the dangerous phone of Oray’s granddaughter, Avia. The outcome would be unpredictable once the call was made.

It wasn’t the time to risk it yet.

Bai Chen inputted the number of Shang Jianyao’s new phone.

Since they had a few plans that assumed a relatively stronger enemy, the Old Task Force definitely wouldn’t forget to make some preparations before splitting up. For this reason, Shang Jianyao specially implanted the idea of ‘buying a phone on his behalf and getting it connected’ into a passerby. He also gave the passerby enough money.

After receiving the phone and confirming that the number was valid, he and Jiang Baimian left and went to the Red Wolf Zone to visit Oudick and his family.

As for the network Bai Chen was using, the signal came from Genava, who had long hacked into the nearby phone base station.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

On the computer screen, the software interface displayed the word ‘Connecting.’

After a few seconds, the word became ‘Connected.’

Shang Jianyao’s voice sounded. “Hello, this is the Zen and Motorcycle Repair Radio Station. I’m the radio host, Zen Master Redemption.”

“Be serious!” Jiang Baimian’s voice sounded beside him, accompanied by a smack.

Shang Jianyao’s voice immediately became serious. “You discovered something abnormal?”

“Yes.” Bai Chen quickly recounted the matter of someone walking to the wrong floor and her and Long Yuehong’s guess.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Baimian quickly ordered, “Stop the car by the roadside and change seats. Focus on maintaining the call.”

“Alright.” Shang Jianyao didn’t waste any time.

He soon said to Bai Chen and Long Yuehong, “Switch it to a video call.”

Bai Chen quickly clicked a few times and completed the corresponding actions.

She and Long Yuehong then saw Shang Jianyao’s face.

Shang Jianyao leaned back in the passenger seat and smiled.. “Hide this window now and pretend that nothing happened.”