126: Chapter 126 Observing the game in silence, waiting for the wind to rise

Xilin Park was not large, but it was shaded by lush trees and well-equipped. The senior activity area was located on the east side of the park, where several stone chess tables and benches were placed under leafy, spreading trees. It was evening, and many elderly people had gathered here to play chess, play cards, and chat, creating a leisurely and lively atmosphere.

Ling Ye slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping calmly across the chess tables. He quickly locked onto a match that was in full swing. The two players were a thin, elderly man wearing reading glasses and the one he had seen on the community platform profile picture—an elderly man with graying hair, a dark, ruddy complexion, thick finger joints, and brows furrowed as he stared at the chessboard: Zhao Deshun, or "Old Zhao."

The thin old man opposite "Old Zhao" had a steady and dense playing style, while "Old Zhao" was completely different; his moves were decisive, even a bit "reckless," preferring direct attacks. However, he often fell into a passive position due to a lack of deep calculation and was currently scratching his ears and cheeks, staring at the board in deep thought.

Ling Ye did not approach immediately. Instead, he sat down on an empty bench nearby and took a common paper book from his backpack (an old edition of the "Azure Planet Common Mineral Atlas" borrowed from the community library). He pretended to read it, but in reality, he was observing from the corner of his eye. At the same time, his High-Dimensional Information Perception was in a state of extremely low-level passive reception, filtering out the noisy surrounding conversations and focusing on the dialogue at the chess table.

"...Old Zhao, your cannon attack is fierce, but your rear defense is empty!" the thin old man said slowly, pushing up his glasses.

"Hmph, bluffing! Watch as my chariot puts you in check; you'll have to retreat to defend!" "Old Zhao" refused to yield, moving his piece with a resonant voice that carried a touch of common, boisterous roughness.

"Check? You can't checkmate me. With one move of my advisor, your chariot becomes a dead piece." The thin old man, unhurried, made a move.

"Old Zhao" stared at the board for a long while before suddenly slapping his thigh: "Ouch! Terrible move, terrible move! I fell for your trap again!" He shook his head in frustration, but there was no real anger on his face; instead, there was a sense of enjoyment in meeting a worthy opponent (even if he was being crushed).

Several elderly onlookers nearby let out good-natured laughter. "Old Zhao, you need to change that impatient temper of yours!" "Exactly, playing chess is like living life; you need to be steady!"

"Steady my foot! When you need to charge, you charge! What can you accomplish if you're always timid?" "Old Zhao" muttered, starting to reset the chess pieces, clearly unwilling to admit defeat and wanting another round.

Ling Ye observed. The information captured by his High-Dimensional Information Perception was fragmented, mostly consisting of discussions about the chess game, trivial daily matters, and health tips. However, the "information field" emitted by "Old Zhao" was indeed "heavier" than that of ordinary elderly people, carrying a kind of instinctive "vigilance" and "pragmatism" from long-term dealings with metal, pipes, and underground environments, as well as an indescribable "melancholy" polished by time and certain experiences.

He was not in a hurry, continuing to wait patiently while turning the pages of his book. Occasionally, he looked up at the chess game with a calm gaze, like an ordinary young man passing by who had been drawn in by the match.

The second game began. "Old Zhao" learned his lesson and started more steadily, but in the middle game, he began to advance rashly again, attempting a strong attack. The thin old man continued to respond calmly, moving step by step with caution.

Just as "Old Zhao" fell into deep thought again, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the stone tabletop, the book in Ling Ye's hands happened to flip to a page depicting a rare associated mineral called "Blue-Veined Silicon," which was buried deep underground and featured dark blue stripes. This mineral was occasionally found in the old mining areas of Azure Planet; it had a hard texture, a weak storage effect for energy in specific frequency bands, and was often associated with remnants of early industrial pollution.

Ling Ye's gaze "inadvertently" lifted from the book page and landed on "Old Zhao's" thick-knuckled fingers, which were covered in calluses and tiny scars, as they tapped the table. He then glanced "thoughtfully" at "Old Zhao's" chariot on the board, which was surrounded due to his rash advance, as if he had associated the two.

His subtle movements and changes in expression were extremely natural. But perhaps because "Old Zhao" had just momentarily pulled himself out of his contemplation of the game, or perhaps because Ling Ye's calm gaze, which carried a hint of scrutiny (actually analysis), was different from that of an ordinary young spectator, "Old Zhao's" peripheral vision happened to catch a glimpse of Ling Ye and the open book in his hands, which featured the striking illustration of Blue-Veined Silicon.

"Old Zhao's" fingers, which had been tapping the table, paused imperceptibly for half a second. His brows seemed to furrow even tighter, but his gaze did not linger on Ling Ye and quickly returned to the chessboard.

However, Ling Ye's High-Dimensional Information Perception keenly captured that, in the moment of that glance, the gloomy "information field" around "Old Zhao" rippled with an extremely faint, almost "alert" and "inquisitive" reaction. This ripple was not directed at Ling Ye himself; it was more like... an instinctive reaction to the book, or rather, to the content on the page.

Blue-Veined Silicon... associated mineral of the old mining area... "Old Zhao's" reaction...

Ling Ye felt a stir in his heart, but his expression remained calm as he continued to look down at his "book," as if everything that had just happened was merely a coincidence.

The chess game continued. "Old Zhao" was ultimately defeated again, but he seemed somewhat absent-minded. After hastily conceding, he did not immediately ask for another round. Instead, he picked up the old metal thermos next to him, unscrewed it, and took a large gulp. His gaze, seemingly unintentional, swept over Ling Ye's side again, lingering for a split second longer this time, especially resting on the book in Ling Ye's hands.

Ling Ye looked up at the right moment, meeting "Old Zhao's" gaze, and offered a slightly shy and apologetic smile, as if to say, "Sorry for disturbing your game." He then closed the book, stood up, and acted as if he were about to leave.

"Young man." A slightly hoarse voice rang out; it was "Old Zhao."

Ling Ye stopped in his tracks and turned around, his face showing appropriate confusion and politeness: "Sir, are you calling me?"

"That book of yours..." "Old Zhao" pointed to the "Azure Planet Common Mineral Atlas" in Ling Ye's hands, his tone sounding like a casual question: "Reading this? Studying geology?"

"No, just interested, reading it for fun," Ling Ye replied, his tone natural. "I live nearby, and sometimes when I find some strange stones, I look them up to see what they are."

"Oh, living nearby, huh." "Old Zhao" nodded, his gaze lingering on Ling Ye's face for a moment, as if trying to discern something from his youthful features, but Ling Ye's expression management was impeccable. "This book... it's been around for some years. Some of the minerals in it are hard to find nowadays."

"Yeah, especially this Blue-Veined Silicon; it seems it's only recorded in the deep layers of very old mining areas," Ling Ye said, following his lead as if just chatting about knowledge. "I heard there used to be mining areas around here in the early years?"

This question was asked with great skill; it not only tied into the book's content but also naturally steered the topic toward local history, without directly mentioning sensitive locations.

"Old Zhao's" eyes grew deeper. He took a sip of water and did not answer immediately, instead glancing at the thin, smiling old man opposite him and then at the other elderly people around before slowly saying: "There were some in the early years, in the area east of the city. The Seventh Machinery Factory used to process Ore. But that's all ancient history; the factory has long since been demolished and moved away."

He mentioned the "Seventh Machinery Factory" and "processing Ore," but his tone was flat, as if he were talking about old news that had nothing to do with him.

"I see. Then, in the underground of these old mining areas, could there still be some special minerals or... structures left?" Ling Ye continued to press in the tone of a "curious student," but his question began to touch the edges of the matter.

"Old Zhao" was silent for even longer this time. He looked at Ling Ye, the sense of scrutiny in his eyes deepening, but there didn't seem to be much malice; it was more like he was evaluating whether the young man before him was genuinely curious or had ulterior motives.

"Who can say for sure what's underground." "Old Zhao" finally responded vaguely, then stood up and brushed the dust off his pants. "It's getting late; time to go back for dinner. Old Zhang, let's battle again tomorrow!"

He did not look at Ling Ye again, greeted his chess partner, picked up his thermos, and turned to walk out of the park. His pace was steady and his back straight, but his silhouette seemed to carry a bit more heaviness than it had while he was playing chess earlier.

Ling Ye stood still, watching "Old Zhao" walk away. He did not follow, nor did he speak again. The brief exchange just now had provided enough information.

First, "Old Zhao's" reaction to the mineral atlas, especially the "Blue-Veined Silicon," indicated that he was knowledgeable about the mineral background or underground situation of the Old Factory District (Seventh Machinery Factory), and might have even had personal contact with it.

Second, he had paid attention to his claim of "living nearby," and when the topic touched upon the "underground of the old mining area," he showed obvious vigilance and avoidance, brushing it off with a catch-all phrase like "who can say for sure what's underground." This precisely proved that he knew far more than he was willing to say.

Finally, he did not show obvious rejection or hostility; it was more like he was unwilling to discuss it in depth with a stranger due to some "rules" or "concerns." This left the possibility for follow-up contact—as long as a suitable entry point was found, or enough trust was established.

Ling Ye put the book back into his backpack and also turned to leave the park. The first "contact" had been completed in this extremely natural, non-deliberate way of "watching chess - chance encounter - casual chat," and the results were better than expected. He had observed the target at close range and had successfully used "Blue-Veined Silicon" as a medium to subtly transmit the signal that he was "interested in the underground situation of the Old Factory District," while also probing the other party's "knowledgeable but tight-lipped" attitude.

The "Old Zhao" line could be considered initially established. Next, it would require patience and more "chance encounters" and "casual chats" to slowly build familiarity. Perhaps he could start by asking for advice on some "minor household plumbing problems" and gradually steer the conversation into deeper territory.

Returning home, Ling Ye did not immediately begin his evening Cultivate. He sat at his desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the tabletop as he reviewed the day's gains and considered his next step.

"Old Zhao's" reaction confirmed that there was indeed a "story" beneath the Old Factory District, and this story was related to minerals and early construction, potentially involving an "accident" or "lingering issues."

The strange noises in the community, the abnormalities of the Crystal-Armored Beast, the investigations by the Municipal Government and the Security Department, the attention from Su Qing and Zhou Ming, the mysterious property rights of "Deep Space Frontier Capital"... as well as the "sense of dissonance" he had perceived and the possibly existing "strange creatures"...

All the clues were like magnets, pointing toward the "secret" buried beneath the Old Factory District.

And this secret was very likely inextricably linked to the "Star Gate" mission his parents had participated in, and even to the "Reincarnation" mystery across worlds that the Ancient Ring and the xuanyuan ring pointed to.

He needed to go deeper, but he also needed to be more careful.

The night outside the window completely enveloped the city. In the distance, in the direction of the Old Factory District, was a deep darkness, with only a few sporadic glimmers—possibly from that surveillance vehicle—faintly flickering in the dark.

Ling Ye withdrew his gaze and slowly closed his eyes.

In the darkness, he seemed to "see" that the intricate clues, like the tangled pipes and mineral veins underground, were slowly intertwining and extending deep within his consciousness, pointing toward that unknown, dark core.