116: Chapter 116 Let's get started

Zhang Mu booked a flight for noon the next day.

After finishing up, he summoned a portal to the Other World and watched over Lia as she slept through the night.

In the early morning, Zhang Mu found Domit and asked him to keep an eye on Lia, making sure she didn't run out of the Magic Array.

The other party stated that without a key, the Little Cat Girl couldn't possibly get out.

With that, Zhang Mu was relieved. He informed him that he had business in Gur City, declined his offer to see him off, and left the Magic Array alone.

But he didn't go to Gur City; instead, he found a relatively safe corner on the outskirts of the Silent Forest and opened a portal back to reality.

Thanks to his inventory, he didn't need any luggage for the trip. He activated the Shadow Technique and headed straight for the airport.

The reason he didn't take a taxi was that he didn't plan on boarding the plane normally.

Arriving at the airport, he maintained the Shadow Technique and waited for ticket checking to begin, then followed the passengers of the same flight onto the plane.

This way, the ticket was paid for, but Zhang Mu would have no record of leaving the country.

Over ten hours later, the plane glided to a landing at the Jiu Jin Mountain Airport in the US.

Still invisible, Zhang Mu strolled out of the airport with his hands in his pockets, took a small scooter out of his inventory, and rushed toward the city center.

Unfamiliar with the area, he didn't know how long it would take to find a factory on his own, so he decided to spend some money to hire an agency to handle everything.

He deactivated the Shadow Technique in a secluded alley downtown and used the Transformation Technique to take on the appearance of a local white man.

He then walked into an agency and asked if there were any manufacturing plants on the verge of bankruptcy.

The staff member, dressed in a suit, was very enthusiastic and said there were plenty of such factories.

Next, the two took a taxi to a suburban town far from the city, where the seller was already standing at the workshop entrance.

Seeing them arrive, the seller pulled open the sliding door of the workshop.

The workshop wasn't very large, with only about six hundred square meters of space, and machinery covered in tarps was arranged around the perimeter.

It was just a small workshop, but it was just enough for Zhang Mu's needs.

If it were too big, it would be more likely to attract various inspections.

Satisfied, Zhang Mu immediately negotiated the price with the seller, and with the agency's mediation, they reached a deal at a price acceptable to both parties.

The only trouble came when it was time to sign the contract.

His current appearance was the result of the Transformation Technique; this person didn't even exist in the world, so where would he get identification?

Fortunately, the agency had some connections, and for a fee, the staff member said he could handle it.

And so, Zhang Mu had his own factory, although he held all the positions within it himself.

Once the contract was signed, the seller and the agent went their separate ways.

After closing the door, Zhang Mu pulled off all the tarps, took photos with his phone, and searched for the uses of the machines he had never seen before.

After checking everything, although some equipment was outdated, there would be no problem processing mold components—it would just be a bit slow.

Zhang Mu didn't need it to be very fast anyway.

Having a general idea, he immediately searched online for video tutorials on how to use the machines.

After watching them, he used a handcart to bring over materials piled in the corner of the workshop and began to practice.

...

Su City, Municipal Building.

After a busy morning, Yue Ruo, Zhao Qi, Ye Ming, and Lin Miao went together to the third-floor cafeteria and sat around a four-person table for lunch.

"Hey," Yue Ruo nudged Zhao Qi beside her with her elbow. "Did someone from London call you last night?"

"I saw the Director drag you into his office first thing this morning and scold you for ages."

He chewed on a piece of sweet and sour rib. "I just didn't react in time."

Hearing his somewhat upset tone, Lin Miao asked curiously, "When I signed the non-disclosure agreement, I didn't see any clause restricting phone calls?"

"Haha..." Yue Ruo laughed. "You and Ye Ming haven't been with the Special Investigation Bureau long, so you wouldn't know."

"It's like this: a few years ago, Zhao Qi and I went to Ying Country for an exchange program and met a few friends there who have similar roles to ours."

"We hadn't encountered real anomalous events before, so chatting on the phone occasionally was no big deal."

Ye Ming realized and swallowed his food. "No wonder. I could hear the Director's voice from downstairs this morning."

"What did he say to you?" Lin Miao, having eaten her fill, placed her bamboo chopsticks on her tray.

"Just complaining about work."

"Before Immortal Xu appeared, the Special Investigation Bureau sounded pretty impressive, but in reality, it wasn't even as good as a local police station."

"Oh, right." Zhao Qi put down his bowl and scratched his face. "Ryan told me that a video has been circulating over there recently about something called... Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

"A movie?"

"It's not a movie; I've seen that one." Ye Ming pulled his phone from his pocket. "An old man dressed as a wizard, in full view of everyone..."

...disappeared into the wall at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at Kings Cross Station, where the movie was filmed."

"Huh?"

Yue Ruo was a bit surprised. She stopped drinking her soup, dropped her spoon into the bowl, and took the phone to watch the video with Zhao Qi, who leaned in.

After watching it, she muttered in confusion, "Is it a fake video made with software?"

"If I hadn't seen Immortal Xu, I would definitely think it's a fake video too." Ye Ming folded his arms across his chest. "But now..."

...it's hard to say."

"That's unlikely," Lin Miao said skeptically.

"That's just a novel created by an author, right?"

"Maybe the author, like Liu Yuxi who wrote 'An Account of My Humble Hut,' has actually seen a wizard?"

"Should we report it?" Yue Ruo handed the phone back to him.

"A report was submitted a long time ago."

Ye Ming put his phone back in his pocket. "The Director's idea is to handle Immortal Xu's side first. As for the video, we can ask Immortal Xu about it next time we meet."

The Director's decision was also a result of having no other choice.

First of all, the location in the video is abroad. If they really wanted to investigate, moving personnel would be very inconvenient.

Moreover, the Special Investigation Bureau is currently expanding, and they simply don't have the manpower to spare.

After all, they haven't even figured out what's going on with the Immortal on their own side yet.

"That's all we can do." Zhao Qi stood up. "Let's get back to work."

As he turned to walk toward the cafeteria door, his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out and saw it was Ryan.

Yue Ruo, a few steps behind him, caught a glimpse and said with a grin, "Answer it and see what he wants."

"Go away," Zhao Qi grumbled. He didn't hang up, but let the phone keep ringing as he hurried back to the office.

...

London, Ying Country, a top-floor office in an office building.

Sitting at his workstation, Ryan placed his phone on the desk in confusion. "Toby, Zhao didn't answer my call."

Toby, who was slacking off next door, poked his head over the cubicle divider. "Maybe he's busy with work."

"Come on, what could they be busy with?"

"At most, they're like us, checking out pretty girls on the street, or maybe tasting some delicious fried chicken wings."

"Fried chicken wings aren't exactly a favorite for Chinese people. They prefer some very strange snacks, like deep-fried stinky tofu."

Ryan pushed off the floor with his feet, sliding his chair over to him. "You've been there... Why are you still studying this video?"

Seeing Toby's computer screen displaying the video that had been circulating on major portals recently, he was a bit speechless. "It's a fake."

"But I really..." Toby tapped the armrest of his chair with his index finger. "I can't find any flaws."

"If you're really curious," Ryan shrugged, "go find the witnesses who were there at the time. Maybe they'll have proof."

"Good idea!" Jumping up suddenly, Toby grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and hurried toward the office's glass door.

"Hey, I was just joking!" Ryan hurriedly stood up and chased after him.