210: On the eve of the opening of the catacombs

“Here.”

Gu Changfeng approached Shen Bei and handed him his half-drunk milk tea.

He handed the other cup to Jian Shan.

Shen Bei: …

“Add it to the tab. You now owe me 50 yuan,” Shen Bei said, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, then go ask my sister for it.”

Gu Changfeng slurped his milk tea, then turned to look at the corpse hanging from the tree, his eyelids twitching: “Indecent.”

Shen Bei patted the corpse and said with a smile, “Yes, but it’s not too much to whip a corpse.”

“Personal vendetta, right? It must be, otherwise you wouldn’t do this.”

Gu Changfeng spoke with a questioning tone, but his voice was utterly certain.

As long as it was a personal vendetta, the damage caused would not affect the performance of Lingnan City’s Patrol Bureau.

Next month, they would definitely get to eat braised pork!

But Shen Bei’s answer struck Gu Changfeng like a bolt of lightning, and the milk tea in his hand fell to the ground.

“There were a total of four Four-Rank Martial Artists. One of them, named Lin Wang, died under Qinghe Bridge. Among these three, one is named Zhou Poshan.”

“Speaking of which, you and Zhou Poshan really did cross paths. He was an employee of Boss Zhang, your elementary school classmate.”

“And their identity is the Headhunter Tribe, the suspects in the sensational murder case involving a hundred lives across the province.”

“So, the deaths from headshots all came from this Martial Artist named Lin Wang.”

After Shen Bei’s brief narration, Gu Changfeng’s expression immediately became utterly stiff.

He turned into a stone statue, standing motionless in place.

From his gradually unfocused eyes, it was clear that Gu Changfeng’s mind was blank.

About three minutes later, he gradually regained consciousness.

Gu Changfeng’s face turned a deep purple, and he finally let out a thunderous roar: “What! The killer in this case… actually… actually…”

Hiss!

Gu Changfeng couldn’t even complete his sentences.

His throat bobbed, and a chill ran through his entire body.

The case that the entire province’s police force had been pursuing for so long was finally solved by Shen Bei.

Clap, clap, clap…

A slap in the face!

How many times has he been slapped in the face? Gu Changfeng wanted to count on his fingers.

Damn it…

If you say Shen Bei is a kind-hearted citizen, you’re basically smashing our rice bowls.

Headache.

Gu Changfeng knew Shen Bei had some skill.

No.

He had great skill.

But for him to fight one against four and still annihilate the enemy, that was a bit… like a fantasy!

“Did Zha Tian Gang send troops?”

Gu Changfeng asked tentatively.

He knew some things about Shen Bei from his sister; there was a Zha Tian Gang, and he heard the members were pretty good.

At least academically…

And they performed well in the Luan County Earth Cave.

So, this wasn’t Shen Bei’s achievement alone, was it?

Shen Bei scoffed upon hearing this: “Those few weaklings, they just dragged me down.”

Gu Changfeng: …

He took a deep breath, rubbed his temples, and circled the corpses again: “Why didn’t you leave a single survivor? You say they’re the Headhunter Tribe, and they are the Headhunter Tribe?”

For the sake of braised pork, Gu Changfeng was starting to become a bit shameless.

“That’s your business. Investigate and you’ll know,” Shen Bei was too lazy to argue with Gu Changfeng about this mess.

Gu Changfeng stroked his chin, pulled out his phone, and made a call.

But no one answered on the other end.

He called again.

The other side hung up directly.

“Hmm? What is Director Zheng so busy with? Not even answering the phone?”

Gu Changfeng grumbled, then called his colleague and commanded: “Go to Qinghe Bridge immediately, there’s a body to be salvaged.”

“What? It’s already been salvaged? Someone reported continuous explosions underwater?”

Gu Changfeng looked at Wu Changfeng: “You didn’t swim over, did you?”

Shen Bei shrugged: “Whether a cat walks in a straight line depends entirely on the mouse. Wherever the mouse goes, I go.”

Gu Changfeng looked a bit dazed, sniffed, and continued to ask into the phone: “Make sure to secure the body. This is a suspect in the hundred-life major case. Also, what is Director Zheng doing?”

“Emergency meeting? And it’s province-wide?”

Gu Changfeng hung up the phone, his mind full of questions.

What kind of meeting required the entire province to convene?

He couldn’t figure it out.

Gu Changfeng waved his hand: “I’m taking the bodies. We’ll complete the evidence chain later. That’s it, I won’t delay the reserve team’s training.”

“Wait––”

Shen Bei revealed a chillingly white smile and said, “Don’t forget to settle the bounty.”

“Actually…” Gu Changfeng adopted a mentor-like posture and continued, “In life, one shouldn’t only look at money. You should look at other things, like noble ideals, great causes. Don’t you agree?”

“No!”

Shen Bei was impervious to persuasion and completely ignored his spiel.

What nonsense are you spouting to me?

If you don’t give me the bounty, how can I activate the daily settlement panel?

Are you messing with me?

Be careful, I’ll report you to the higher-ups.

Gu Changfeng’s slightly sharp eyebrows furrowed: “My sister is truly a failed… teacher!”

Filthy lucre.

Bah!

Allow me to scorn you, Shen Bei, once, twice, thrice, four or five times!

Soon.

The three swiftly lowered the bodies, placed them into body bags, and waited for Changtu County’s Patrol Bureau to send a vehicle to transport the bodies back to Lingnan City.

Just then.

Gu Changfeng’s phone rang.

He saw the caller ID, it was Director Zheng.

“Director Zheng, I was just looking for you, good news!”

Gu Changfeng said to the phone with immense excitement: “After my incredibly meticulous investigation, combined with seamless cooperation with Shen Bei, guess what results I achieved?”

“Haha, the killer in the hundred-life major case has been found! Amazing, right? Although they are all dead, completing the evidence chain won’t be a problem.”

“These vicious criminals falling into our hands is a great achievement. When we go to the provincial capital for a meeting, we can sit in the front row and boast!”

“Director Zheng, aren’t you excited?”

Gu Changfeng chattered on for a long time.

Shen Bei inwardly thought, ‘Holy crap.’

He thought his own shamelessness was unrivaled, but this Gu Changfeng was even more shameless than him.

It clearly had nothing to do with him.

Yet, with a few words, he snatched the credit.

He’s quite skilled at this.

Shen Bei gave him a look of contempt.

However…

While Gu Changfeng was speaking with immense excitement, Director Zheng on the other end of the phone simply gave a faint “Hmm.”

Gu Changfeng, Shen Bei, and Jian Shan exchanged glances.

All of them found it unbelievable.

The sensational hundred-life major case, and Director Zheng just said “Hmm” and ended it?

No way?

Was this composure or showing off?

Gu Changfeng scratched his head, completely stumped.

“Director Zheng, did you not hear what I said? Let me repeat it—”

At this moment, Director Zheng’s voice came through the phone, directly interrupting: “I know, no need to repeat it. Put this matter aside for now.”

Gu Changfeng: ???

Put it aside?

Such a big case, and you’re telling me to put it aside?

“I just attended an emergency province-wide video conference, chaired by Governor Yu Qi, it’s extremely urgent.”

“Now, drop everything you’re doing and come back immediately.”

Gu Changfeng gasped.

Director Zheng’s tone didn’t sound like a joke.

He immediately paused, and said: “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Shen Bei tugged Gu Changfeng’s arm and mouthed to him, asking what was going on.

Gu Changfeng nodded and voiced the question.

Director Zheng’s reply was also quick: “It can’t be hidden; everyone will know sooner or later. According to the Lingnan City Seismological Bureau’s news and the national headquarters’ analysis and assessment, a Permanent Dungeon is about to appear in our Lingnan City!”

Permanent Dungeon!

As these four words were uttered.

Gu Changfeng’s phone slipped from his hand. It was Shen Bei who caught it, preventing it from falling to the ground.

At this moment, the three of them looked at each other, utterly dumbfounded.

The last time a temporary dungeon appeared in Lingnan City was an absolutely once-in-a-century event.

Good heavens.

Now a Permanent Dungeon is about to appear?

This is just too…

Gu Changfeng: Terrifying.

Jian Shan: Unbelievable.

Shen Bei: Exciting!

The three of them had different expressions.

From Gu Changfeng’s perspective, he certainly didn’t want a Permanent Dungeon in Lingnan City.

That would mean security issues.

While the defense of a Permanent Dungeon would be taken over by the army, Martial Artists from other places would flock in to explore the dungeon and gather Materials.

Coming and going, those are all security problems.

Salaries wouldn’t increase, but there would be more work.

And Jian Shan, from a purely civilian perspective, found dungeons too disruptive.

If not kept in check, alien beings and beasts could rush out, and ultimately it would be the common people who suffered.

Even cases of villages and towns being wiped out were not uncommon.

But Shen Bei was excited.

A Permanent Dungeon, right in Lingnan City! This time, he wouldn’t have to bother going to other provinces to enter a dungeon; it would be right on his doorstep.

Fighting in dungeons, that was Shen Bei’s favorite thing.

Everything within the dungeon endlessly fascinated Shen Bei!

It was truly wonderful!

At this moment, Gu Changfeng swallowed, and tentatively asked into the phone: “Where is the dungeon located?”

“In the North Mountain of Changtu’s northern suburbs. Come back quickly, there’s a lot of work to do.”

“Yes!”

Gu Changfeng hung up the phone, said a few simple words, and drove away directly.

At this moment, Jian Shan’s eyebrows and mouth twitched simultaneously.

Damn it… Is this what you, Shen Bei, meant by a hundred years of favorable weather?

Are you a jinx?

Jian Shan took a deep breath, looked at Gu Changfeng’s receding back, and said: “Changtu will be lively recently. A large number of personnel will enter, and various artillery and supplies will be transported to North Mountain.”

Shen Bei, however, was secretly thrilled.

The appearance of a Permanent Dungeon, while extremely dangerous.

But Changtu County would also benefit from it.

A large number of Martial Artists coming and going.

All kinds of transactions would take place in the county town.

Land prices would soar, and housing prices would climb.

Oh, right.

His old house might even be demolished.

Good news!

Jian Shan saw Shen Bei grinning foolishly and nudged him: “Stop smiling! To gain a foothold in the Permanent Dungeon, there will inevitably be a bloody battle. You know what to do, right?”

Shen Bei’s expression immediately became solemn: “War cannot be fought without people.”

He turned to look at the reserve team members who had already finished ten laps and were now cooling off and chatting happily on the side.

He walked over a few steps.

A flurry of punches and kicks:

“Who told you to rest!”

Shen Bei roared, raising his arm: “Run ten more laps for me! I’m going to work you hard!”

“Get moving!”