140: Chapter 140 Watching from the sidelines, waiting for the fish to move

Ling Ye quickly scanned the surroundings, looking for a better observation point.

Although the current rooftop had a wide field of view, it was too exposed, and there was a distance and angle deviation from the target small factory, making it unsuitable for long-term covert observation.

He looked at an adjacent, slightly shorter old building, whose exterior walls were covered with fire escapes and external air conditioning units; that location offered a better angle, and the fire escapes and piled-up debris could provide more cover.

He did not hesitate, immediately returning the way he came to the stairwell, quickly descending to the floor connected to the adjacent old building, and finding a door leading to the skywalk connecting the two buildings (usually locked, but the lock was rusted).

He skillfully picked it with a tool, silently passed through the dusty corridor, and entered the old building.

He did not go back up to the rooftop, but instead, on a floor facing the small factory, found a room with a broken window and nothing inside.

The position was slightly lower, but the perspective was directly aimed at the target, and the broken window frame and the shadows in the corner provided excellent concealment.

He cleared a small spot, sat down with his back against the wall, ensuring he was completely hidden in the darkness, then took out his personal terminal, adjusted the camera to the appropriate focal length and low-light mode, and aimed it at the back door of the small factory and the surrounding area.

Time ticked by.

The back door of the small factory remained tightly shut, with no movement.

The surrounding neighborhood seemed somewhat silent in the afternoon; the sound of traffic from the main road in the distance could be faintly heard, making the desolation of this place even more pronounced.

In the air, that "cold" Qi, mixed with a burnt smell and strange odors from the direction of Oak Street, seemed to have drifted here as well, adding to the eeriness of the abandoned room.

Ling Ye waited patiently, like the most experienced hunter.

He adjusted his breathing, bringing both his body and mind into the most energy-efficient "standby" state, with only his eyes and the hand holding the terminal steady as a rock.

About forty minutes later, the back door of the small factory opened silently, just a crack.

A figure flashed out—it was the person who had been with Zhou Ming.

He glanced left and right vigilantly, then walked quickly toward an unmarked, dusty, old-model hover car parked deep in the alley.

He took a silver-gray metal box, about the size of a suitcase, from the car, held it in his arms, and quickly returned to the small factory, closing the door.

"Carrying equipment inside," Ling Ye noted.

The box wasn't large, but it looked heavy; it might be some kind of instrument, equipment, or... a sample?

About twenty minutes later, the back door opened again.

This time, Zhou Ming walked out alone.

He had changed into a more inconspicuous work jacket, was carrying a bulging black backpack, and was holding a long canvas bag similar to a fishing bag.

He also looked around vigilantly, then walked quickly in the opposite direction from which he had come, soon disappearing into the intricate alleys.

"Changing equipment, leaving with an unidentified long object."

Ling Ye's heartbeat slightly accelerated.

The shape of that long canvas bag... it looked a bit like a disassembled rifle or some kind of detection equipment?

He didn't move, continuing to monitor.

After Zhou Ming left, the back door of the small factory did not open again, and there was no movement inside.

The person who had brought the metal box in seemed to have stayed behind.

Was he left on guard?

Or was that place itself a stronghold or transit point?

Ling Ye did not rush to a conclusion.

He maintained his surveillance posture and waited patiently for nearly another hour.

During this time, only a few stray cats darted across the alley entrance; no one else approached the small factory.

It seemed there would be no more movement in the short term.

Ling Ye slowly stretched his somewhat stiff neck and arms, reviewing every detail he had just observed in his mind: Zhou Ming and his accomplice entered for about an hour; the accomplice went out halfway to retrieve a metal box; about twenty minutes later, Zhou Ming changed equipment and left with a long package; the accomplice appeared to be staying behind.

What did they do inside?

Exchange intelligence?

Debug equipment?

Receive or transfer something?

Where did Zhou Ming take the "equipment"?

Was he returning to the academy?

Or heading to other locations related to the Old Factory District incident?

Information was still insufficient, but clues had emerged.

The role Zhou Ming played in this incident was by no means as simple as a regular student or an outreach member of the Paranormal Research Society.

He acted professionally, had accomplices, had a stronghold, and had equipment.

He was likely an operative of a deeper organization (possibly related to the Paranormal Research Society, or perhaps not).

And that small factory was a node that needed attention.

Ling Ye cleaned up the subtle traces he had left behind, left the observation point silently, and returned to the abandoned Warehouse area by the same route.

Along the way, he deliberately took a long detour and changed his route and speed multiple times, confirming there were no tails.

Returning to the dark and cold Warehouse, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

After a day of adventurous outing, his mind had been highly tense, and now a wave of exhaustion hit him.

But he didn't rest immediately.

He first recorded the day's observations in detail in an encrypted memo on his terminal (offline).

This included: the form and scale of the energy barrier, the equipment characteristics of the blockade troops, the behavior details of Zhou Ming and his accomplices, the location and appearance of the small factory, etc.

Then, he connected to the public network again to browse the latest developments.

The official stance remained the same, emphasizing that "progress has been made in handling the incident," "the barrier is a temporary safety measure," and "harmful gases have been brought under control."

However, public panic had not subsided; instead, the appearance of the energy barrier and the ongoing blockade had fueled more speculation.

Rumors about "military experiment out of control," "alien creature invasion," "rupture of an ancient Seal," etc., were intensifying; although they were constantly being deleted, they were like a wildfire that could not be extinguished.

Ling Ye noticed that the academy had issued a temporary notice: due to "Municipal Government pipe network maintenance," classes for the next three days would be conducted online, and students were advised not to leave the school unless there were special circumstances.

This was clearly an excuse; the academy was also trying to control student movement to avoid getting involved in or spreading information about the incident.

As for Su Qing and the Paranormal Research Society, there was no public news.

The post on the forum mentioning "E-7 Breakthrough" had long since disappeared, and there were no further discussions about it.

Everything seemed to have been forcibly pressed into a "controllable" narrative and rhythm by an invisible hand.

But Ling Ye knew that inside that energy barrier, an intense confrontation far beyond ordinary people's imagination was absolutely taking place.

He needed power, he needed more information, and he also needed... to prepare for a more direct conflict that might come.

His gaze fell once again on the black stone he had placed in the corner, sealed in a metal box.

It was very quiet at the moment, with no resonance.

Perhaps it was time to "study" it more deeply, along with the secrets within his own body and Soul—those from "Reincarnation" and "Gatekeeper" that he had not yet fully understood.

Crisis was the greatest pressure, and also... the strongest catalyst.