Clue 026 Four

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"Why are there so many cars today?" Li Chengyi, his spirits pressed, looked at the slowly moving taxi trapped in traffic and asked.

His condition had eased somewhat now, much better than before.

Escaping from the Blind Spot and continually reconnecting with the real world also gradually relieved some of his oppressive mood.

"Oh, it's about that thing a few days ago, at Empire Polytechnic University, didn't you hear?" the driver said matter-of-factly.

"Empire Polytechnic University?"

"Yeah, someone planned a terrorist attack, stormed into the school with a human bomb, caught by the authorities, but still, several died." The driver briefly explained.

"Some students from our Suiyang were studying there; these cars are probably picking people up from there. But... wasn't it said that only two died?"

The driver murmured, eyeing the funeral cars adorned with white flowers ahead.

From their vantage point, at least four different types of vehicles festooned with white flowers and cloths could be seen on the road ahead.

"Maybe the cars are all from the same family?" Li Chengyi suggested.

"Could be. The official announcement said it was a terrorist organization called Utopia, organizing and spreading their manpower online for the attack. Now the Security Department has started a comprehensive manhunt and investigation into Utopia," the driver spoke with a relaxed tone, obviously trusting the authorities.

"Our Yi Country may appear stagnant, but when it comes to security, it's no-nonsense. These so-called Utopias and ideal nations will soon be wiped out. Not like White Star, with chaos every day, even their members of parliament get shot dead at home, way too dangerous."

Li Chengyi didn't comment, merely agreeing with a few words.

The taxi passed the traffic light and drove for a few more minutes, arriving at the New Century Building.

The sky was overcast, but the building was brightly lit with a steady stream of visitors coming and going, and faint sounds of chaotic singing from a KTV could be heard.

Li Chengyi got out of the car, paid the fare, and took a familiar turn on the right to the building's working entrance.

Entering the side lobby, he pressed the elevator button.

Before the elevator arrived, several people quickly entered through the lobby door.

Xindela, with two muscular bodyguards in black T-shirts, entered quickly and immediately noticed Li Chengyi.

There was a strong smell of alcohol on him and he was wearing a pair of brown reality-enhancing AR glasses.

After removing the AR, Xindela gave a signal, and the two bodyguards behind him backed off, spreading out to guard the possible entrances for newcomers.

He approached Li Chengyi and stood beside him, posing as if waiting for the elevator.

"Is she dead?"

The question was abrupt, but Li Chengyi understood its meaning.

'She' referred to Meng Dongdong.

"Dead." Li Chengyi hadn't killed Meng Dongdong in the end, using her to delay the monster and extend his time in the Blind Spot.

Eventually, his goal was achieved.

This was the first time he had used human lives as a means to an end à la carte.

"Does it bother you?" Xindela asked softly.

Ding.

The elevator arrived, and the silver metal doors slowly parted.

The two entered one after the other, pressed the floor button, nineteen.

The ventilation fan overhead whirred, and the elevator was lined with projection advertisements that continuously played repeating animations of beautiful women.

The contrasting red and green lights painted their faces like a palette.

"Just feeling a bit stuffy," Li Chengyi answered.

"You'll get used to it," Xindela said, watching the changing red floor numbers intently.

"The first time I did it, I felt just like you. After it was done, I felt changed, like I couldn't go back, afraid of being discovered, of some inexplicable things, of being caught, of many things."

"How did you adjust back?" Li Chengyi asked.

"Understand the rules and then adapt," Xindela smiled.

Ding.

The elevator door opened.

Outside was a quiet company lobby.

The employees who worked there during the day were gone. Only the safety lights on the wall blinked green, indicating normal air and temperature conditions.

Xindela walked out first, not into the office, but over to the side of the lobby to the coffee machine. He pressed a button and caught a disposable cup full of coffee.

"Sugar?"

"Thank you, no need," Li Chengyi, a bit puzzled, followed. Shouldn't the most urgent matter be to immediately arrange for a Profiler for him?

"Have a cup, don't rush," Xindela handed him the coffee with a smile and then poured another cup for himself.

Li Chengyi accepted it, added sugar and creamer, and stirred gently with a stick.

He took a sip.

Curiously enough, the cheapest instant coffee tasted exceptionally smooth and comforting.

"Now, tell me, what did you encounter inside? What did you find?" Xindela finally asked the question.

"Profiler..."

"Ready to connect anytime, start now?"

"Yes, right away, I'm afraid I'll forget," Li Chengyi strived to recall the features of the youth he had just seen in his mind.

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It was odd, now that he had calmed down, his memory of the previous events became even clearer.

"Do you feel it?" Xindela smiled, "Capturing visual memories is indeed best done early on, but if you want to not miss any detail, you need to be calm. Emotion can cause people to overlook and confuse a lot of things."

"Thank you." Li Chengyi nodded. Now completely settled, he began to carefully describe the appearance of the youth in white.

Face shape, ethnicity, skin tone, the shape of the eyes and eyebrows, and more, he recounted every detail.

Then he waited for the composite sketch to be produced and compared them one by one until he recognized the closest likeness.

After the description was completed, they moved into the office.

Xindela took out the projector flashlight from before and started projecting the synthesized portraits.

After scrolling through more than thirty images, Li Chengyi suddenly shouted for a halt.

"This one!" He raised his hand, pointing at the portrait on the wall.

On the screen, a curly-haired youth in a white nightgown stood quietly at the entrance of a red door.

He looked to be around eleven or twelve years old, with brownish-black hair and pale skin, the sickly pale of unhealthiness.

His eyes were pitch-black, and the sockets as well, as if he hadn't rested well for a long time.

His frame was very thin, his expression wooden, his lips were darkened, slightly parted.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!"

Xindela looked carefully at the portrait.

"It seems you've found a key clue. This child looks like a Florean, perhaps with a mix of Yi Country blood. And the Grecius Parking Garage address we found is primarily inhabited by Floreans."

"Can people still enter the Blind Spot? I've noticed that the monsters inside move much faster than before," Li Chengyi asked earnestly.

"Not necessarily, but there are far too many Blind Spots, and no one knows how many there actually are in the world. So on average, most people who enter a Blind Spot are alone most of the time, occasionally encountering others. Like you. It's less common to see three people enter together on their first try," Xindela explained.

He took out his cellphone, sent a few messages quickly, then looked up again. "What about that crevice? Any clues there?"

"No, I didn't have time to venture deep into the crevice before I encountered this guy." Li Chengyi pointed to the projected image of the youth.

"Your timing is off, going back in after just a month and a half, there must be something causing this change. Think back carefully when you get a chance," Xindela paused, "Also, to prevent your next visit from coming even sooner, you must get to the Grecius Parking Garage as soon as possible."

"I'll talk to my family tomorrow and depart tomorrow, is that okay?" Li Chengyi, knowing the urgency of the situation, decided on the spot.

"That's fine. Once you're there, search for any information based on this youth's portrait and wait as the excavation work goes deeper. I will arrange for someone to accompany you," replied Xindela.

"Alright."

Leaving the company, Li Chengyi took a taxi home, his hand occasionally touching the gun holster at his waist.

Images of Meng Dongdong's painful expression kept surfacing in his mind.

And that human leg hanging from the corner of the monster's mouth.

A cheap cup of coffee costing no more than a few dollars had miraculously calmed him completely at that moment.

Only, imperceptibly, even to himself, certain things were beginning to slowly change.

He soon arrived at his residential area.

Li Chengyi paid the fare upon disembarking the taxi and then stood at the entrance to the complex.

He didn't go in for a long time but just stood next to the greenery at the entrance, pondering how to explain the situation to his family.

First, he must reveal that he found a job, then mention the trip out of town tomorrow...

"Li Chengyi." Suddenly, not far from under the streetlight, a figure approached swiftly along the sidewalk.

It was a young woman with a slender figure, her hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in white sportswear, her neck adorned with a pair of earphones she had just taken off.

Lin Sang.

Li Chengyi recognized her at a glance.

"Out for a night run so late?"

"It's only eight o'clock, not late, right?" Lin Sang retorted, squinting her large eyes, sizing up her long-unseen friend up and down.

She and Li Chengyi, along with Chen Xudong, had been close friends and playmates for ten years.

She noticed that Li Chengyi had been gradually distancing himself from her recently. Even when she asked Chen Xudong, she received the same answer.

She didn't understand what she had done to upset him, but now that she had run into him, she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

A decade of friendship shouldn't just fade away.

"Why haven't you been coming to work out lately? Xudong called you but you didn't show up, I've looked for you several times. What's the meaning of this?" Lin Sang tried to keep her temper in check, but her tone was still somewhat discontented.

"Nothing's wrong. Just, a lot has happened recently, I found a job and have been a bit busy," Li Chengyi said calmly.

His predecessor in memory was a little fond of Lin Sang, but he really couldn't pretend to have that kind of feeling anymore.

"Being busy with work doesn't mean you can just..." Lin Sang's words were cut off mid-sentence by Li Chengyi.

"Sorry, is there anything else? I'm tired from work and want to go home to rest," Li Chengyi said, glancing at his watch indifferently.

"Hey, Li Chengyi! What's with that attitude?" Lin Sang stepped forward, intending to grab his arm like she used to do.

But she didn't understand why, as she got close and saw his serene pupils, she suddenly felt a chill all over, hesitated in her step, and dared not reach out her hand.

"I'm heading back, you should also go home early after you finish your workout, it's not safe outside in the dark," Li Chengyi advised before turning to walk into the complex.

Lin Sang watched him from behind, suddenly feeling that his previously well-proportioned figure seemed more robust now.

And just then, that inexplicable icy temperament...

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