Chapter 76 - 73: The Taboo Items of Liancheng

Chapter 76: Chapter 73: The Taboo Items of Liancheng

South Sea, Antique Shop Zero.

Jiang Chaosheng was reading today’s newspaper.

["Yesterday, the *South Sea Key Investment Plan* revealed thirty-two major projects scheduled for the city."]

["The century-old Harbor Mall complex project will be restarted with a new injection of funds..."]

["Happy House Amusement Park will undergo safety inspections before reopening..."]

["The unfinished Good Fortune Villa project will be put up for judicial auction. The City Reconstruction Bureau promises to clear all outstanding legal issues related to the villa, ensuring investors will have no further concerns..."]

["..."]

Jiang Chaosheng read through all the news, his mind slowly turning.

The century-old Harbor Mall complex project was once a minor priority for South Sea City.

Construction had already reached a considerable scale, with its eight malls no more than half a year from completion.

Some developers had seized the opportunity, building apartments nearby and just waiting to make a fortune after the malls were finished.

Unfortunately, the project was shelved due to the anomaly caused by the Five Emperors Poison Coin a few years ago, and it has remained so ever since.

Now, those eight unfinished malls looked like eight colossal, haunted palaces.

As a result, sales for the Century Harbor Apartments were abysmal. The owners who had bought in ended up losing their shirts.

The same was true for Happy House Amusement Park. It had been closed for three years following a serious safety incident.

As for Good Fortune Villa, the previous owner went to jail halfway through construction. It was now a gathering place for the homeless.

It seemed like the South Sea investment plan was making use of every large, vacant, and uninhabited place that could conceivably house people.

From these projects, Jiang Chaosheng sensed a hint of conspiracy.

South Sea had just concluded the Yin Yang Master incident, and now the South Sea authorities were making big moves. It was intriguing.

Jiang Chaosheng continued reading, and a smile touched his lips as he reached the last investment item.

["Anxiang Street will be developed into a Nationalist Era Charm Street while preserving its historical architecture. Xia Li of the World Dream Group has stated..."]

’The Anomaly Administration Bureau thinks I’m in South Sea, but they don’t know my exact location.’

’But I have a team of Extraordinary Beings under my command, so it’s highly unlikely I’d be living in a bustling downtown area. So, they’re just throwing money around to rule places out.’

’First, they’ll level every abandoned building that could possibly hide an Extraordinary Influence.’

"So the Anomaly Administration Bureau is making its move?

The new head Investigator must be a resolute character who acts decisively and without regard for the consequences."

This was Jiang Chaosheng’s initial assessment of the incoming Anomaly Investigation Team.

After all, investing a huge sum of money just to rule out a few low-probability abandoned buildings seemed like a significant loss for the authorities.

But by a stroke of luck, they had indeed hit upon Jiang Chaosheng.

Antique Shop Zero was located on Anxiang Street.

As for why he suspected this was all the Anomaly Administration Bureau’s doing?

Because if they were going to develop Anxiang Street into a Nationalist Era Charm Street and attract investors, they would certainly have had to meet with Xia Li first.

After all, nominal ownership of the street belonged to the World Dream Group.

Xia Li hadn’t informed him in advance, which meant the other party had acted swiftly, finalizing the plan in an extremely short amount of time and launching the investment drive the very next day.

Jiang Chaosheng just smiled, not taking it seriously.

He didn’t think much of the new Anomaly Investigation Team.

The Taboo Association had already grown to a considerable size. No matter how big a scene the Anomaly Administration Bureau made, it would only be an amusing little show.

"Master, Xia Li asked me to relay a message to you."

Jin Meiting hurried in from the entrance, looking rushed.

Jiang Chaosheng glanced at her.

"Anxiang Street is being turned into a Nationalist Era Charm Street?"

Jin Meiting nodded, caught her breath, and continued,

"Also..."

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"She’s being watched."

Jin Meiting froze for a moment.

"How did you know?"

Xia Li’s exact words were that the people from City Reconstruction were constantly dragging her into meetings, one after another.

She had wanted to come and tell Jiang Chaosheng this information in person, but she was always being held up by them and couldn’t get away.

Jiang Chaosheng waved the newspaper in his hand.

"The newspaper said so."

It made sense that Xia Li was being kept under soft control.

If someone were to examine South Sea closely, they would discover not two anomalous incidents, but three.

The Gavel incident was one, the Yin Yang Master incident was another, and the last one was Xia Li herself.

Xia Li had clearly been suffering from ALS and a congenital heart defect, yet she recovered overnight and regained control of World Dream. It was suspicious no matter how you looked at it.

That was why Anxiang Street had become a key part of this "South Sea Key Investment Plan."

Of course, it had only aroused the suspicions of South Sea’s new investigation team. Otherwise, Xia Li would have been taken away by the Anomaly Administration Bureau long ago.

Jin Meiting was taken aback.

’But I read the paper, and it didn’t say that!’

Jin Meiting continued,

"Oh, right. Mingyue also sent me a message.

She said she wants to meet you to make a deal.

As a show of good faith, she’s willing to give us a piece of intelligence.

The Anomaly Administration Bureau has already..."

Jiang Chaosheng cut her off,

"The Anomaly Administration Bureau sent a lunatic to deal with me, right?"

Jin Meiting was stunned again.

"How did you..."

Jiang Chaosheng’s finger tapped the newspaper.

"The newspaper said so."

Jin Meiting frowned, staring intently at the newspaper on the table.

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"The intelligence she’s offering as a show of good faith is insignificant to me.

But a deal is possible. She just needs to think one thing through clearly.

If she doesn’t offer me a price I want, she will die."

Jin Meiting nodded emphatically.

"Okay, I’ll go tell her."

Jiang Chaosheng didn’t give these matters a second thought.

The most important thing right now was to get the Taboo Association up and running to recover the lost Taboo Items.

"There’s a Taboo Item in Liancheng."

Jiang Chaosheng murmured,

"Liancheng... isn’t that where Yang Xiao used to live?

I’ll have Yang Xiao recover this Taboo Item first. It’ll be a good way to test the capabilities of the Cleaner Fish organization."

Suddenly, Jiang Chaosheng’s brow furrowed.

He closed his eyes, focusing his senses on the Taboo Item in Liancheng.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, which were filled with suspicion.

"How did it... suddenly disappear?"

Then Jiang Chaosheng sensed something else, and his frown deepened.

A Taboo Item in the Xia Kingdom had awakened—right in Liancheng!

’It seems my Taboo Item was consumed by a wild one.’

Jiang Chaosheng flicked his wrist.

One of the Shadowy Little People was flung out.

Jiang Chaosheng ordered,

"Take some people to... hmm... a certain sea area in Liancheng."

The Shadowy Little Person bowed, its voice ethereal as it said,

"As you wish, my Master."

...

「One day earlier. Liancheng, Caruso Theater.」

A young man—thin, small, and wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses—stood at the door of the rehearsal hall. He looked timid and easy to bully.

"It’s awful! The changes you made are awful! You can’t change my script anymore!"

The young man clutched his script, facing the dark door. He took deep breaths, trying to psych himself up.

"Right, just say that. It sounds forceful!"

His eyes hardened with determination as he pushed open the door and walked into the rehearsal hall.

The male and female leads were on stage, practicing their blocking and running lines.

They were poised and confident, their voices resonating with power as they recited their lines.

A hint of panic flashed in the young man’s eyes.

The confident air he had just managed to build up deflated somewhat.

The actress spotted the young man. She crossed her arms and sat on a table.

"Well, look who it is. Zhong Shu. Are you done with the script changes I told you to make?"

The actor shot him a disdainful sideways glance.

The young man’s confidence completely crumbled, and he even stooped a little.

"N-Not yet. I’m sorry..."

The actress said impatiently,

"Stop dawdling. You’re honestly the most useless screenwriter I’ve ever met."