454: Chapter 454 Accepting the Mission, Heading to Tiannan Province

Beneath the iconic memorial archway of Naihe Bridge.

[Writing up to this point, I hope readers remember our domain name, the Taiwan novel-chasing Divine Artifact k.n.c.m, available to read at any time].

Fang Cheng watched the bustling crowd on the street, stopped in his tracks, and looked at Yuan Datou beside him:

"Thanks for just now. How should I return the money to you?"

In his mind, taking the initiative to "borrow" things himself was just dog-eat-dog, which he could do with a clear conscience.

But if someone else proactively extended a helping hand, that was a debt of human favor, which had to be repaid.

Fang Cheng still distinguished this logic very clearly.

"Ah, Big Boss, you are being too polite by saying that!"

Yuan Datou quickly waved his hands and said flusteredly,

"It is my honor to serve you. Just consider this little bit of money as my filial tribute to you, so please don't ever mention returning the money!"

Seeing Fang Cheng looking at him calmly without speaking, the invisible pressure made Yuan Datou's heart skip a beat.

Knowing that the other person had a resolute and unequivocal personality, he had no choice but to awkwardly change his tune:

"How about this, Big Boss, this is the exclusive password to the apartment I rented."

He low-voicedly blurted out a string of bizarre, incantation-like syllables.

"Whenever it is convenient for you, you can come find me anytime."

After saying this, seeing that Fang Cheng still seemed somewhat puzzled by the concept of an "apartment," Yuan Datou diligently began imparting his experience:

"Big Boss, if I may speak out of turn, the next time you come, you'd better go register at the Household Registration Office over there first, and then rent an apartment in the city."

"That way, not only will it be convenient to come and go, but any virtual items you obtain in Night City in the future—whether purchased or given as mission rewards—can be stored in the apartment. They won't disappear just because you log off, and it's very secure."

After hearing these words, Fang Cheng was utterly speechless.

Wasn't this just a living, breathing, highly realistic online game?

Furthermore, it was a large-scale multiplayer online virtual reality game with paid items and offline trading.

Seeing Fang Cheng fall silent, Yuan Datou thought he was still worrying about the money matter, so he very considerately took the initiative to explain:

"Actually, with Big Boss's strength, wanting to make money is very easy."

"The transaction methods here are mainly divided into two types. One is just like what you encountered earlier, transferring money with real-world currency, but the transaction fee is frighteningly high."

"The other, which is also the method most of us choose, is to do missions here and earn credit coins."

"Credit coins are the hard currency of Night City. You can spend them directly here, or exchange them for real-world currency through private banks, and the exchange rate is much more cost-effective than the official one."

Yuan Datou's words stirred Fang Cheng's heart. He thought for a moment and asked:

"Does Naihe Bridge allow newcomers to take on missions to earn commissions?"

"Of course it does!"

Yuan Datou nodded immediately and blurted out like pouring beans from a bamboo tube:

"As long as you have the strength, you can take on any mission."

"Naihe Bridge is one of the largest intermediaries in Night City, and there are countless missions. From finding cats and dogs to assassination bounties, everything is available, and no guarantee is required."

"Anyway, if a mission fails, it's no loss to them at all. At most, the next time a mission is accepted, the order-taker's rating is lowered and a portion of the commission is withheld..."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng seemed to suddenly remember something and abruptly stopped in his tracks.

He turned around and said to Yuan Datou, "You go ahead, I still have some business to take care of."

Before his voice faded, he turned around and walked back into the service hall.

Yuan Datou froze in place, watching Fang Cheng's disappearing back with a slight flash in his eyes.

He thoughtfully rubbed his plump chin, then shook his head and turned to blend into the crowd.

On the street, pedestrians shuttled back and forth while neon lights flickered incessantly.

About half an hour later.

Fang Cheng walked out of the hall, the mist shrouding his face seemingly unable to hide his depressed expression.

"What a scam..."

He muttered softly:

"If I had known this earlier, I would have directly asked to take the mission of 'investigating the truth behind the Chen family curse case'. Not only would I have been able to view the intelligence for free, but I also could have made a large sum of money after completing the mission."

"I lost out, I really lost out big time..."

There was no help for it; it was his first time here, and not understanding the ropes here, he had spent a wrongful sum of money in vain.

"All merchants are truly deceitful!"

Fang Cheng couldn't help cursing that black-hearted organization again, silently recording this account.

Afterward, he raised his head and carefully looked over this bizarre and kaleidoscopic city once more.

High in the air, that huge "clairvoyant eye" was slowly rotating, and its gloomy green beam swept across the dense, overlapping buildings like a lighthouse.

On the street, several semi-transparent ghosts drifted quietly past him, stirring up a chilly wind.

Various neon signs tirelessly changed their text and patterns.

Colorful reflections stretched across the slippery ground, rendering this sleepless land even more hazy, as if the show would never end.

The tactile sensation, the sounds, and even the mixed odors in the air here were incomparably real.

Yet it was precisely this ultimate realism that instead highlighted its illusory essence.

It was like a colossal and mysterious dream constructed collectively by countless consciousnesses.

Fang Cheng even seriously suspected that the initial inspiration for those so-called internet technologies in the real world came from here.

Perhaps a dozen or so years ago, some brilliantly talented scientist arrived here and was deeply shocked.

Thus, the idea was born to mimic and construct a similar world in real society using another method.

A massive internet that could accommodate billions of ordinary people, allowing them to also cross national borders with "virtual identities" to conduct ideological exchanges and information sharing.

A spiritual kingdom, an ocean of data—how similar the two were.

Amidst his fluttering thoughts, Fang Cheng's eyes suddenly condensed, and he abruptly looked toward the distance of the city's skyline.

He saw that at the end of Night City's pitch-black sky, within that eternal thick fog, a minuscule blood-red crack had silently split open.

What leaked through the crack was neither light nor deeper darkness, but an unspeakable, heart-palpitating "malice".

It was as if the curtain of the entire world had been slashed open by a sharp blade, with something terrifying peeking at this dream from behind.

That crack appeared only for a split second before rapidly closing, so fast it felt like an illusion.

The surrounding crowd seemed completely unaware, still hurrying through the kaleidoscopic street scene, busy rushing about for their respective interests.

Fang Cheng slowly withdrew his gaze and did not linger here much longer.

This place was even more bizarre than imagined; if it weren't for matters that had to be handled, it was better to visit less.

With a movement of his mind, his figure slowly faded in place, finally disappearing completely into the bustling street.

...

Early morning.

The television in the living room was turned on, broadcasting the morning news.

"...Affected by the end of the Qingming Festival holiday, our province has welcomed a peak in return passenger traffic, and major transportation hubs are all in an overloaded operation state."

"According to statistics, the traffic volume of return vehicles on the province's main expressways has reached its peak, and ticketing at the provincial capital's airport and railway stations is tight."

"Hereby reminding the general public and tourists to plan your itinerary in advance and travel during off-peak times..."

The female anchor's crisp and standard voice echoed in the quiet room.

Sunlight pierced through the gaps of the blinds, cutting bright diagonal stripes onto the floor and illuminating multiple patches of sweat stains that had not yet dried.

The light patterns extended upward, reflecting onto the sky-blue walls, making the entire room appear serene and spacious.

The black heavy punching bag hanging in the center of the living room was still swaying regularly at small intervals.

The blurry footprints on the floor and the clear punch marks on the surface of the punching bag recorded that a satisfying and vigorous hitting session had just taken place not long ago.

And the instigator of all this was currently in the bathroom.

The rushing sound of water constantly emanated from the crack of the door.

Ten or so minutes later, the door was pulled open, and billowing steam surged out, carrying the fresh fragrance of body wash.

Fang Cheng walked out bare-chested with a lean and muscular upper body, the muscle lines washed over by the hot water becoming even more well-defined in the morning light.

He grabbed a dry towel and rather roughly rubbed his wet hair.

Afterward, he draped the towel over his shoulders and gave his head a slight shake.

Water droplets splashed everywhere, and his head of pitch-black short hair fluffed and scattered accordingly, looking refreshing and neat.

"My hair grows really fast..."

Looking at his slightly unfamiliar appearance in the mirror, Fang Cheng couldn't help raising his hand to brush the stray hairs in front of his forehead.

Ever since his Physique broke through the 60-point milestone, the speed of his metabolism had become astonishingly fast.

The newly grown hair was not only pitch-black and dense, but also carried a strange resilience.

If the fallen hair were collected, it could probably be woven into a sufficiently tough bowstring.

Fang Cheng looked in the mirror to admire his beautiful hair, and became infatuated with himself for a long while.

Then he walked out of the bathroom, his gaze sweeping across the living room and landing on the coffee table.

Sitting there was a white enamel basin almost the size of an ordinary washbasin, tightly covered with a stainless steel pot lid.

Next to the basin was also a stack of documents printed on A4 paper.

Fang Cheng walked over quickly and lifted the pot lid.

An overbearing aroma mixed with rich seasonings instantly rushed into his nose.

A full basin of steaming instant noodles appeared before his eyes, with bright red chili oil forming an alluring sheen on the soup surface.

The noodles were packed with ingredients: sliced ham sausage, crispy diced pickled mustard tubers, a full ten braised eggs, and emerald-green chopped scallions dotted throughout.

Fang Cheng picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a large mouthful of noodles, and unceremoniously slurped them into his mouth.

The noodles, wrapped in spicy, scalding soup, slid down his esophagus, bringing a wave of thoroughly gratifying satisfaction.

"Awesome, it's been a long time since I ate this kind of junk food..."

Fang Cheng couldn't help letting out a breath, and when he lowered his head again, his chopsticks rapidly grabbed a slice of ham sausage and quickly stuffed it into his mouth.

Eating a bowl of instant noodles first to cushion his stomach, it wouldn't be too late to make a formal breakfast later.

While enjoying this simple delicacy, he reached out and picked up the stack of documents beside him.

The first page of the document had the title printed in bold black characters: [Tiannan Province Chen Family Curse Case].

This was precisely the intelligence data bought at a high price from Naihe Bridge the night before yesterday.

After leaving that ghost place of Night City, Fang Cheng made no stops to find an all-night internet cafe in Wanghu Town, using a USB flash drive to download the intelligence.

When he went to work at the club during the day, he borrowed the company's printer to print the data into a booklet, organizing it into the stack of documents he had now.

At this moment, he ate his noodles while browsing through the documents again.

This intelligence record could not be considered very detailed; the content mainly revolved around the Chen family background, the course of the case, and preliminary investigation results, totaling only a dozen or so sheets of paper.

The Chen family was not ordinary wealthy people, but a prominent family that had entrenched itself in Tiannan Province for over a hundred years and possessed a Bloodline ability Legacy.

Their main business was jade and jewelry, and their local influence was deeply rooted; they were successful in both the underworld and legitimate circles, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them a financial conglomerate.

The bounty reward they released this time through Naihe Bridge was as high as eight figures, a full 18 million; one could say their spending was quite generous.

Of course, this figure had very likely already had a portion deducted in advance by the black-hearted organization.

The case probably had to begin from half a month ago.

The Chen family head's youngest son died bizarrely of a sudden death in his own villa, and the forensic doctor identified it as heart failure, but his death appearance was terrified, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying before he died.

For a period afterward, core members of the Chen family met with mishaps one after another; some suddenly became frantic and crazy, some suffered heavy injuries in car accidents, and others died silently in their sleep just like the first deceased.

The local police intervened to investigate, but could not find any traces of homicide; all deaths and injuries seemed to stem from "accidents" and "coincidences".

However, the intelligence analysis department of Naihe Bridge gave a completely different conclusion.

This was not done by human hands, but rather some weird cursing power at work.

The murderer was extremely likely to be an ability user proficient in Mental Energy, and the method used was very much like the "sorcery" popular in the Nanyang region.

"Sorcery..."

Fang Cheng muttered to himself in a low voice, drinking up and swallowing the last mouthful of noodle soup.

He raised his hand to place the enamel basin back onto the coffee table with a "clang" sound, then leaned back into the soft sofa.

His body relaxed, but his brain was still operating at high speed.

Why would his uncle and the professor get mixed up in this case?

Solely for that exorbitant bounty?

It didn't quite look like it.

Judging by the conduct style of the professor and his team, they didn't seem to have much interest in money.

Besides, if they really wanted to make money, there were plenty of opportunities around Dongdu; there was no need to travel thousands of miles to take risks in the border regions.

Then, were they plotting something else?

Or could it be that the Chen family already knew them and had a deep relationship?

Even that potentially existing "murderer", did they have some connection with them?

Just like Bailing said before, a friend of the professor from many years ago?

Question after question emerged in his mind, only to be crossed off one by one by Fang Cheng.

Last night he called his uncle several more times, but the earpiece always gave the prompt tone that he could not be connected.

In any case, it was impossible to make an accurate judgment based solely on this data; he had to go to Tiannan Province in person to take a look and know what had actually happened.

Fang Cheng's gaze cast toward the television once more.

The screen was playing scenes of bustling crowds at the railway station, and the "Tiannan Satellite TV" station logo in the upper right corner was exceptionally eye-catching.

Just as the news said, the passenger flow during the Qingming Festival was too huge, and train tickets to Tiannan Province were basically impossible to grab.

As for plane tickets, he checked yesterday, and the earliest flight was not until the noon of the day after tomorrow.

Fortunately, he had already booked the ticket in advance.

It seemed he could only be patient and wait two more days.

While pondering, the mobile phone on the coffee table suddenly vibrated, and a burst of ringtones instantly broke the quietness of the living room.

Fang Cheng reached out to pick up the phone, the three beating words "Lin Chuqiao" on the screen making him pause slightly, before he pressed the answer button.

"Hello, our White Ghost big boss, are you awake?"

Lin Chuqiao's smiling voice immediately came through the earpiece, soft and melodious, like seagulls crying in the distance.

Fang Cheng stood up and walked to the window, pulling open the blinds to let the warm sunlight fill the entire living room.

Looking at the dotting crowds of morning exercisers downstairs and on the beach, he casually replied:

"Just woke up."

"That's perfect, I guessed you definitely haven't eaten breakfast yet."

Lin Chuqiao's tone sounded very relaxed:

"How about this, why don't I drive over and take you to eat at that newly opened tea restaurant on Seaside Road?"

"No need, I appreciate the thought, let's do it next time."

Fang Cheng's gaze fell on the shimmering sea in the distance, refusing this invitation that carried a hint of ambiguity.

"Alas, I can't even invite a big Buddha like you out for a treat..."

Lin Chuqiao on the other end of the phone muttered in a low voice, then her tone turned serious and she stopped joking:

"Alright, let's talk business. I heard from Bailing that Crow and the professor seem to have lost contact?"

In her voice, that relaxed smile faded, replaced by a trace of worry and concern.

"Mn, I can't reach them temporarily."

Fang Cheng replied calmly.

"Do you have any clues on your side?"

"The night before yesterday, I found an intermediary agency and bought intelligence related to the professor and their mission."

Fang Cheng did not hide it and spoke truthfully.

"Such a coincidence?"

A trace of surprise seeped into Lin Chuqiao's voice: "I just received a piece of intelligence here too."

As soon as she finished this sentence, both ends of the phone spoke almost simultaneously, asking the next sentence:

"Where did you receive it from?"

"Where did you buy it from?"

Their voices—one steady and low, the other crisp and brisk—collided fully in the earpiece.

After a brief astonishment, Lin Chuqiao's silver-bell-like light laughter came from the other side of the phone first.

Listening to her laughter, the corners of Fang Cheng's previously tight mouth also hooked into an arc, and a trace of a smile flowed in his eyes.

A silent tacit understanding flowed between the two of them.

Lin Chuqiao spoke first after all; her tone recovered a bit of ease, and she smiled as she said:

"It seems we thought of the same thing. Then what do you plan to do? You can't just sit here and wait, right?"

"I want to make a trip to Tiannan Province."

Fang Cheng's tone was resolute.

"When are you leaving? Have you booked your ticket?"

"The plane at noon the day after tomorrow."

"Too late."

Lin Chuqiao immediately denied it:

"By the time we rush over, it'll be too late."

She paused, then added quickly:

"As it happens, I have a friend here who is going to Tiannan for a vacation, flying a private jet, and leaving early tomorrow morning."

"I've already greeted him; he can give us a ride along and let us hitch a free flight."

Obviously, he couldn't rest easy either, and planned to go to Tiannan Province to look for the professor's whereabouts.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng pondered for a moment.

A private jet was undoubtedly much faster than civil aviation, and could also save a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"Alright, then see you tomorrow."

Without much hesitation, Fang Cheng immediately agreed.