Chapter 441: Mission

Lunchtime.

Hua City Folk Culture Administration Bureau, in the small courtyard pavilion.

Several operators from The Midnight Watchers Society, except for Gu Xiliu, had rarely gathered together, taking advantage of lunchtime to discuss, in bits and pieces, the three bizarre and strange Nocturnal Syndrome corpses that appeared yesterday.

Yes, three corpses.

Earlier, An Qing had just finished dissecting the first corpse, and before Jiang Li could complete the documentation, the special task force stationed at the hospital delivered two more new corpses.

The time of death for those two corpses was also last night, a bit later than the first, and the Nocturnal Syndrome symptoms they displayed were almost identical to the first corpse, as if another person was trying to grow out from inside their bodies.

After watching An Qing dissect two highly mutated corpses in a row, Jiang Li had little appetite, ate some fruit, then put down the lunchbox Ah-Hua had brought and looked at her colleagues.

“Everyone should know that residual psychic energy fluctuation is an important pathogenic factor for Nocturnal Syndrome. I think we should start investigating from this angle. What do you all think?”

An Qing forked a piece of tomato-braised chicken from her plate and put it in her mouth, mumbling as she chewed, “It’s not that simple. Three Nocturnal Syndrome patients with similar symptoms appearing at the same time-it’s already possible to consider that it’s the work of a haunting or a psychic.”

“Of course, I think the probability of the Eclipse Society stirring up trouble in secret is pretty high.”

Ever since the nights began to grow longer, the number of Nocturnal Syndrome patients had been increasing day by day.

But among the many Nocturnal Syndrome patients, for three patients with highly similar symptoms to appear in a short period of time, it was almost certain they were affected by the same psychic energy.

Moreover, among the three corpses that had appeared so far, one had a damaged Eclipse Society totem on it, so it was possible that a force from the Eclipse Society had infiltrated Hua City.

Li Xuan watched as An Qing swallowed that piece of chicken that looked like a bloody, mangled finger, then stuck out her crimson tongue to lick the tomato sauce from the corner of her mouth. He put down his lunchbox with a discomforted expression.

“What did I say? I warned you all long ago, there have been more and more haunting sightings in Hua City lately.”

“This week, during my night shift, there were ninety-two haunting sightings in total. If you haven’t run into any, you can only say you’re lucky.”

“I suspect that this incident is related to the increasing number of hauntings in Hua City. We need to organize a few operations to clean things up.”

Jiang Li looked at Li Xuan, saw the exhaustion he couldn’t hide on his face, and gently shook her head.

She deeply sympathized with Lu Yibei’s nasty habit of squeezing every last bit out of this sheep.

But…

If Lu Yibei hadn’t lied to her, the hauntings in Hua City were all well managed and would never do something so cruel.

According to the conclusion An Qing reached after dissecting two corpses, those two Nocturnal Syndrome patients had abnormal proliferation in every tissue, organ, and bone in their bodies. They were likely suffering pain even more intense than late-stage cancer patients, possibly tortured to death by excruciating agony.

After Li Xuan finished speaking, he looked around at his colleagues. Seeing no one respond, he turned around and pointed his chopsticks at Bai Kai, who had been silent and lost in thought, frowning, “What do you think, Bai Kai?”

“You’re usually the one who talks the most. Why are you mute today?”

“What?” Bai Kai snapped back to reality, dazed. “Sorry, I zoned out just now. I didn’t hear what you were saying.”

As he spoke, he quickly finished his hamburger, crumpled the wrapper into a ball, and stood up.

“Well, you all go on. I have something to take care of. I’ll come back for the meeting later.”

With that, he tossed the paper ball into the nearby trash can and walked quickly out of the pavilion.

Li Xuan watched Bai Kai leave, and only when his figure was about to disappear from view did he narrow his eyes and mutter, “Don’t you all think there’s something off about Bai Kai?”

“Relationship issues, probably?” An Qing curled her lips indifferently. “He’s been fooling around for so many years, and now someone suddenly wants to keep him in check. I’d feel bad too if it were me.”

Jiang Li glanced sideways at Li Xuan and said quietly, “Did you get your car fixed?”

If not, why are you provoking him? Don’t you want your car?

Li Xuan, “……”

Afternoon, in front of the special task force training room of the Midnight Watchers Society in Hua City.

Bai Kai paused at the door of the training room, listening to the rousing, blood-pumping music inside. After hesitating for a few seconds, he pushed open the door.

His gaze swept around the spacious training room, and after spotting Qi Dong among the burly, muscular men, Bai Kai waved at him.

Qi Dong was immersed in the burning sensation from his leg workout when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder. Following the direction indicated, he looked toward the door and met Bai Kai’s eyes, frowning.

A moment later, in the alley behind the special task force training room.

Qi Dong looked at Bai Kai and said in a low voice, “Go ahead, what do you want with me?”

“…” Bai Kai was silent for a few seconds, looked into his eyes, and said seriously, “It’s about Qi Nanzhu.”

“What do you mean? Wasn’t everything about her already settled?”

At the mention of “Qi Nanzhu,” Qi Dong’s expression instantly darkened, veins bulging faintly on his forehead. He clenched his fists, looking as if he might explode and smash Bai Kai’s head with his massive fists if he said a single wrong word.

“It is over, but…” Bai Kai said seriously, “Yibei recently learned her name from somewhere and is secretly investigating. I’m worried you might let something slip, so I came to remind you.”

Qi Dong scrutinized Bai Kai for a moment, his expression easing slightly. He sneered, “Heh! Just mind your own business. My mouth is tight as can be.”

“…” Bai Kai stared at Qi Dong in silence for a few seconds, sighed quietly, and nodded, “If that’s the case, all the better.”

“Alright, I just came to give you a heads-up. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

With that, Bai Kai turned to leave the alley. He hadn’t gone far when he heard a soft call from behind.

“Wait!”

He turned around to see Qi Dong standing straight, his expression serious. “Even though I’ve always disliked you and your brother, this matter…”

“In any case, later on, I’ll also visit those old guys from before and give them a reminder. Don’t worry.”

Hearing this, Bai Kai smiled, turned around, and gave Qi Dong a slight bow. “I’ll leave it to you, then.”

—-

1:30 p.m., Midnight Watchers Society in Hua City, inside the conference room.

The bright afternoon sunlight, bypassing the mushroom girl peering in through the window, streamed onto the long conference table.

An Qing held a file compiled by Jiang Li based on the autopsy results of the three corpses, explaining in detail the potential threats behind this “Nocturnal Syndrome incident.”

At the end of the conference table, Lu Yibei listened absentmindedly to An Qing’s explanation, expressionless as he watched Du Sixian across from him making faces, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Just as Jiang Li intended to groom Lu Yibei as her successor, An Qing had always been diligently mentoring Du Sixian, so naturally she wouldn’t let her miss the meeting.

“……”

An internal meeting of the Midnight Watchers Society, with two insiders sneaking in-ridiculous!

At this rate, the Midnight Watchers Society in Hua City is doomed sooner or later.

Lu Yibei glanced at Du Sixian again, then twitched the corner of his eye, silently raised his hand to his forehead, and covered his eyes.

Perhaps sensing his response, Du Sixian’s eyebrow-waggling became even more frantic, her brows wriggling like they were doing a Hawaiian hula dance.

“……”

Damn, why does this feel like getting caught on a secret date by your girlfriend?

Tsk, stop looking at me, or Meow Meow-chan will get suspicious.

As Lu Yibei was thinking this, Jiang Li’s cough suddenly sounded in his ear. He flinched guiltily, quickly straightened up, and looked toward Jiang Li.

“Everyone, just now Operator An Qing has explained the details of the incident very clearly. Next, let me talk about the specific action plan, shall I?”

Although so far there have only been three cases of Nocturnal Syndrome with similar symptoms, a certain level of investigation is still necessary.

If Nocturnal Syndrome really turns out to be contagious and is left unchecked, it would be a terrifying thing.

When it comes to disease prevention and control, the people of Country Z have always been rigorous and proactive.

Since the Midnight Watchers Society in Hua City currently doesn’t have an operator in charge of overall coordination, this time the responsibility temporarily falls to Jiang Li, who manages the archives and is relatively meticulous.

“I propose we do as before: I’ll keep an eye on all the malls and markets in Hua City, Operator An Qing will handle the hospitals, Operator Bai Kai will cover the entertainment venues, Operator Li Xuan…”

“Hold on!” At the mention of Li Xuan, he suddenly raised his hand. “Not only do I have frequent haunting incidents during my night shifts, but I also have to keep an eye on Li Tanghan and his son!”

“You all know, that father and son have countless ties to the Haze Deity. If I don’t watch them closely, I’m afraid they’ll stir up some big trouble.”

At this, Lu Yibei curled his lips indifferently.

Uncle Tire, just admit you want to slack off!

Big trouble, huh? You think the King of Hauntings in Hua City is just here for show?

If the Haze Deity really shows up… As Lu Yibei was thinking this, Du Sixian’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

“Um, let me interrupt too!”

Du Sixian seemed to have sensed something from Lu Yibei’s gaze. She stood up and interjected, “I think, for now, we don’t need to worry too much about the Haze Deity’s movements. After all, Hua City has the King of Hauntings, right?”

“According to The Midnight Tome, hauntings are very territorial. I think if the Haze Deity appears in Hua City, Calamity wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing, right?”

As she spoke, she glanced at Lu Yibei, giving him a subtle look.

Lu Yibei’s eyes widened. “???”

I didn’t, I haven’t, don’t make things up! When did I ever say I wanted to go against the Haze Deity? What I meant was, if He really shows up, I’ll just beg Him to give us some face and spare Hua City. We’re all hauntings, why do we have to fight and kill each other?

We should focus on dealing with The Midnight Watchers Society… Uh, thinking about this kind of thing in the Society’s meeting room seems a bit too dangerous, doesn’t it?

Thinking this, Lu Yibei quickly gathered his thoughts before the Society’s alarm device could go off.

Relying on him to resist the Haze Deity was less realistic than relying on the city’s barrier… Jiang Li’s gaze lingered on Lu Yibei for a moment, then she gently shook her head and looked at Li Xuan. “I think both you and Du Sixian, the reserve operator, have valid points. How about we combine your suggestions?”

“Operator Li Xuan, you keep an eye on Li Tanghan and his son. At the same time, use their connections to investigate whether any so-called social elites within Hua City are involved in this incident. What do you think?”

“…” Li Xuan pondered for a moment, then spread his hands. “If that’s all, I have no objections.”

Hearing this, Jiang Li nodded at Li Xuan, then looked toward the end of the conference table at Lu Yibei and Du Sixian, her thin lips parting slightly. “As for the two reserve operators, Lu Yibei and Du Sixian…”

“How about you each take charge of the schools and residential areas?”

Lu Yibei often hung around University Town. Nearby, there were four universities and two affiliated middle schools. If you expanded the range a bit, there were also five public primary schools and two private junior highs-almost half the schools in Hua City. It made perfect sense for him to be in charge of the schools.

As for Du Sixian…

After returning from the Dream Come True Journey, Jiang Li, appearing in Xingfu Community as the “Genius Mahjong Girl,” happened to run into Du Sixian in the underground garage office while asking Meng about Wang Buliuxing’s whereabouts. Du Sixian was venting her anger at a haunting who had failed at their task.

That guy had the full face of a ruthless capitalist, and the mark of her familiar on her forehead was practically spitting fire.

It was a world apart from the harmless, bunny-like demeanor she showed in The Midnight Watchers Society.

Jiang Li didn’t expose Du Sixian, nor did she care how she had become Lu Yibei’s familiar.

Could a familiar even have any improper thoughts about their master? Absolutely no competitiveness! Hmm, probably not.

However, she was certain that Du Sixian could command a large number of hauntings in Hua City to some extent.

And most of those hauntings were scattered throughout the city’s various residential areas, so having her keep an eye on the movements around those neighborhoods was definitely the right call.

“No objections,” Lu Yibei nodded.

“No problem, leave it to me!” Du Sixian patted her chest confidently.

—-

After the meeting ended, Lu Yibei didn’t talk much with Jiang Li and hurriedly left Mudan Street.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he vaguely sensed that Meow Meow-chan might have discovered something about his relationship with Du Sixian and felt a bit guilty, or if he was just in a rush to retrieve his phone that he’d sent to be unlocked-or maybe both.

Leaving Mudan Street, Lu Yibei flagged down a taxi, gave an address, and headed straight for the old district of Hua City.

—-

Lianxin Communications Mall sat in a corner of Hua City’s old district. At the turn of the century, business had once boomed, but as time passed, small and medium-sized offline phone markets could barely stay afloat, let alone a mall specializing in second-hand and knockoff phones.

By afternoon, the air inside the old mall was stuffy, filled with a strange burnt smell like something had been scorched by a soldering iron.

Lu Yibei had already been here once that morning. He quickly navigated the “maze” formed by randomly placed counters and clutter, and found the phone repair shop.

“Boss, excuse me, is my phone fixed yet?” Lu Yibei leaned on the counter and called out to the balding, drowsy middle-aged man inside the shop.

Startled from his sweet dreams, the man shuddered, rubbed his dark-circled eyes, took the phone from the drawer in front of him, and handed it to Lu Yibei.

Taking the phone and paying, Lu Yibei walked toward the exit of the mall, impatiently turning on the phone as he went.

As the “big hand holding little hand” animation flashed across the screen, he thought for a moment, then opened the SMS inbox.

Phones from that era had very few functions. If there was any important information, it was most likely hidden in the text messages, followed by the notepad.

There were more than five hundred messages in the inbox-a staggering number for a phone from that era with such pitiful memory.

Lu Yibei pressed the control key, opening each message one by one as he scrolled down, frowning unconsciously.

Of these five hundred messages, more than a third were just chatting with Bai Kai. Lu Yibei suspected there was something going on between the two of them, and not without reason.

After reading about two hundred messages, his fingers were getting sore from pressing the buttons. In a fit of annoyance, he jumped straight to the bottom of the inbox.

“I want to see just how much nonsense you two actually talked!” Lu Yibei said.

And then…

At the very bottom of the inbox, he saw a message marked “Zhu.”

Zhu: “I want to see you one last time. Come to Ban Shan Primary School.”