Chapter 21: The Lakeside Investigation

Lu Xin didn’t immediately alert anyone. Instead he casually approached the lakeside and slowly crouched down. From an outsider’s perspective he simply seemed to be gazing thoughtfully into the water. But in reality he was quietly talking to his sister.

“What’s in there?”

Lu Xin whispered looking at the lake water.

Beneath the red moon the lake appeared eerie and quiet.

“I don’t know but it feels like something you can play with for a long time…”

Sister kept staring into the lake, licking her lips as she spoke with excitement.

“So we found it huh…”

Lu Xin thought to himself glancing towards the three members of the Investigation Team.

At this point the three personnel led by Cheng Hui had already started inspecting the area based on their usual experience beginning from the lakeside. They were very familiar with this type of work and Cheng Hui had arranged everything efficiently. He and his team members were perfectly capable of handling this basic inspection work there was no need to involve Lu Xin.

In fact they had always been somewhat wary of Lu Xin.

After all he was supposedly one of *those* people!

So subconsciously they preferred not to ask Lu Xin for help if they could avoid it.

Lu Xin didn’t rush to alert them either waiting for them to finish inspecting the path and surrounding environment first.

…

…

Because the first three locations had already been checked the possibility of this last spot being the one grew larger. Consequently the Investigation Team members were extremely cautious and meticulous rigorously scanning every inch of ground around the narrow winding path with their instruments.

“No mental residue on the path!”

After the two members finished their inspection they returned to the Jeep their voices sounding somewhat heavy.

“Understood!”

Cheng Hui’s eyes visible beneath the glass face shield clearly showed worry as he glanced at the lake. If nothing was detected on the path or in the surrounding weeds then the highest probability of contamination now lay in the lake—the last area they hadn’t checked.

Just then Lu Xin was quietly asking his sister “Can you use your ability underwater?”

Sister couldn’t suppress her excitement “Haven’t tried but I want to…”

“Such a brave sister…”

Lu Xin patted his sister’s head then stood up and walked back to the Investigation Team. “Finished checking up here?”

The three team members instinctively straightened up and nodded.

Lu Xin nodded back. “Can your instruments be used underwater?”

He glanced at the instruments. Although Chen Jing had briefly explained them earlier he still didn’t fully grasp the principle. What puzzled him now was that his sister was crouching by the lake only four or five meters away yet the instruments showed no reaction. Didn’t she possess the kind of mental power these instruments could detect?

Surely his sister wasn’t *literally* a split personality he’d created?

Hearing Lu Xin’s question the team leader Cheng Hui the one with the beard hesitated slightly before answering honestly “The instruments might work if submerged for a short time but the problem is… our protective suits aren’t waterproof!”

Lu Xin nodded understanding their predicament.

Land-based detection and underwater detection were entirely different concepts.

Their concern wasn’t whether detection was possible underwater but rather their reluctance to enter the water itself.

Going underwater in protective suits would be extremely inconvenient but taking them off near a potential pollution source was unthinkable.

However they clearly possessed strong discipline. It was evident that even if it was risky should Chen Jing give the order over the channel the three of them would still enter the water to conduct the inspection. For them taking risks seemed to be part of their duty.

So he thought for a moment and smiled. “How about I go down first and take a look? You guys wait here!”

“What?”

The Investigation Team members looked at him surprised.

Although they were technically within the High Walls this abandoned factory area looked no different from the wilderness. It was dark all around with only the Jeep’s headlights illuminating a narrow area. And the lake bottom very likely hid something strange and terrifying. Encountering such things on land might offer some room to maneuver but underwater…

This seemingly frail young man possessed unexpectedly large courage.

Especially since he seemed to realize the three of them were afraid and volunteered to take the risk?

“Someone has to go right?”

Lu Xin smiled at them then stretched his arms and legs warming up slightly.

He always took his work very seriously.

Nominally he was the team leader for this mission directing the investigation. Chen Jing had only taken charge on his behalf because he lacked experience using this opportunity to train him. But in reality since they set out he had mostly been observing while these three soldiers from the Investigation Team did all the actual work.

Now seeing these hardworking soldiers who had been diligent all day clearly hesitant—it seemed the underwater search was extremely difficult for them—it was naturally time for him the actual core personnel to step up.

He understood well those banners back at the company weren’t earned for nothing.

If you want promotions and raises you have to be serious and diligent about your work!

Of course why he almost got fired from that business company despite winning banners was something he didn’t quite understand…

…

…

“Have the other locations been confirmed clear?”

Just as Lu Xin had made up his mind to perform well Chen Jing’s voice suddenly came through the channel.

“Yes!”

The three members of the Investigation Team instinctively snapped to attention. The captain reported “Only this lake remains!”

Chen Jing asked again “Are you certain this is the last suspicious point?”

Han Bing’s voice from the Information Analysis Team also chimed in on the channel: “Confirmed!”

Chen Jing paused slightly. “Then the possibility of a pollution source existing in this lake is extremely high!”

Lu Xin spoke up “Then I’ll go down into the water and check. Underwater work is a bit dangerous!”

The way the three Investigation Team members looked at Lu Xin was now clearly filled with gratitude.

They wouldn’t have actively asked Lu Xin to go underwater for them but the fact that he considered their difficulties made a difference.

Even over the channel Chen Jing and Han Bing’s voices fell silent for a moment.

“Underwater operations are indeed very dangerous…”

After a moment Chen Jing’s voice came through again.

Lu Xin nodded. Just as he was about to take off his jacket and prepare to enter the lake he heard Chen Jing continue “So why risk going into the lake?”

Lu Xin was momentarily stunned. “Huh?”

Chen Jing’s reply was forceful and commanding: “Immediately call for the Special Support Team! Have them arrive on site within half an hour!”

“Drain the lake and conduct the inspection directly!”