Chapter 327: Whispers in the Ruins

“This city looks a bit creepy…”

Lu Xin, Chen Jing, and Gecko had passed the cordon and were now standing before the abandoned city. Considering the potential dangers within, the Central City’s cordon line had been set up three miles outside.

Looking ahead, the entire city exuded an indescribable gloominess.

Perhaps it was the overcast sky, but heavy leaden clouds hung low, pressing down as if draped over the city.

The city was vast, filled with dilapidated high-rises like forgotten toys standing sentinel on its edge. Or perhaps they were stalwart guards, protecting the city’s unknown secrets. Greenery thrived throughout, with towering trees rising to obscure every shadowy corner.

Occasionally, crows took flight, circling above the city.

This city was one of those abandoned places that later attracted numerous drifters from the wasteland who settled down. It hadn’t received official recognition from other High-wall Cities, lacked standard defenses, and didn’t even have a unified administrative body.

This actually made infiltration easier for Lu Xin and the others; at least they wouldn’t have to scale towering walls.

…

“Alright, you can let go of us now and just follow quietly behind.”

“You don’t need to participate in the fight, but remember to protect yourself.”

Chen Jing spoke gently to the little monster, which obediently released the tentacles coiled around their wrists.

Lu Xin distinctly felt an unusual mental power rapidly retreating from his body. Recalling Chen Jing’s earlier words, he flexed his wrist and deliberately looked away. When he turned back, he couldn’t see it anymore.

Furthermore, after losing sight of the little monster, he also felt an aversion to even thinking about it.

And this feeling was gradually intensifying.

Perhaps in another ten minutes, he would genuinely forget that this little monster was still following them.

At this point, only Chen Jing could see it at will.

Of course, if Sister stayed close to the little monster, holding onto it, he could keep seeing it too.

…

“Team Leader, this city is huge. Where do you suggest we start looking?”

“Team Leader, do you think the Ability Users from Central City have already arrived?”

“Team Leader, if we run into danger, should I protect you first or open fire?”

“Team Leader, you’re such a high-ranking leader, yet you’re still doing fieldwork with us…”

…

They entered the city through a low-lying area of abandoned houses, following a dilapidated path.

Gecko kept glancing back at Chen Jing, a worried expression on his face..

“I started in fieldwork, so what’s so surprising?”

Chen Jing seemed relaxed, managing to make even her tactical gear look like she was walking a catwalk. “Besides, we’re just accompanying a colleague visiting family. No need to overthink pointless things… Of course, we should still avoid the people from Central City if possible.”

She had taken off her jacket, revealing the new form-fitting combat protective suit underneath. The soft material accentuated her tall, perfect figure, while the tactical belt at her waist and the gun holster on her leg added a touch of martial spirit. Even her short hair was held back by a pink hairband. Her smoothly lined legs seemed longer than Lu Xin’s and Gecko’s combined.

“Heh heh, you’re after the materials in that forbidden laboratory, aren’t you?”

Gecko chuckled, sizing up Chen Jing as if he’d seen through everything. “That poker-faced girl from Central City is the same, right? Why else would Central City dispatch so many people? To ensure those materials end up in their hands?”

Chen Jing replied expressionlessly, “Your mission commission is halved.”

“Huh?”

Gecko panicked. “I protest!”

Chen Jing glanced at him. “Protest and it gets halved again.”

Gecko immediately shut his mouth, his eyes wide.

Chen Jing said, “Also, if you use talking to me as an excuse to keep staring, not only will your commission be halved, but you’ll also lose a leg.”

“Huh?”

Gecko and Lu Xin simultaneously averted their gazes.

Only then did Chen Jing look satisfied. She stated coolly, “Although we’ve defined this purely as a family visit operation, if the opportunity arises, we also need to acquire any confidential documents or special parasitic items from this forbidden laboratory…”

“At the very least, Central City shouldn’t monopolize them.”

“Do you understand?”

…

“Ah, I get it. Snatch the spoils…”

Gecko quickly agreed, then glanced at Lu Xin and whispered, “It all counts towards payment.”

“Oh, oh.”

Lu Xin caught on. “I understand too.”

Thinking about it carefully, this was probably like taking a business trip while visiting family, right?

Great, he could earn back the money for his relatives’ gifts at the same time.

…

Step by step, they ventured deeper into the city, their gazes sweeping over the ruins.

Like other city ruins, the dilapidated, empty houses always evoked a dark, oppressive feeling.

Cities are man-made, yet their emptiness instills a strong sense of fear.

It seems people are always afraid of the things they create.

After crossing two streets piled high with scrap metal, they spotted figures.

In the middle of the dilapidated, dirty street, several darkly dressed children—some barefoot, others in worn-out sandals—were happily kicking a ball. Their ‘ball’ was actually a wad of newspaper, tightly bound with yellow tape. Still, they kicked it with joy, their faint laughter echoing.

“Heavens, how creepy…”

Gecko froze for a moment, whispering, “They aren’t kicking a human head, are they?”

Lu Xin shook his head slightly. “No, they’re just kicking a wad of newspaper.”

Gecko immediately retorted, “How do you know?”

Lu Xin glanced at him. “I saw it with my eyes.”

Chen Jing ignored both of them, striding forward on her long legs. Gecko and Lu Xin quickly jogged a few steps to catch up.

Getting closer, they realized they seemed to have entered something like a slum.

Besides the children kicking the ‘ball,’ there were many others on the sides of the road. A woman sat amidst a pile of smelly cans, sorting through them. Nearby, a man squatted in a newly cleared small vegetable patch, pulling out bricks and concrete chunks. On the leveled ground, a layer of semi-soft dried sweet potato slices lay drying. From some houses drifted the aroma of cooking corn porridge.

This was just the typical scene of a common settlement.

“Do you sense anything special?”

Chen Jing asked quietly as she, Lu Xin, and Gecko walked past the wary, numb gazes of the surrounding people.

Lu Xin actually closed his eyes to sense things for a moment. Nothing.

Then he glanced at his Sister. She was currently crawling along the wall of a nearby building, keeping pace with him.

She looked bewildered, seemingly not sensing anything special either.

So, he could only shake his head.

Chen Jing gave a knowing smile. “Looks like you and that relative aren’t very close, huh…”

Lu Xin explained awkwardly, “It’s been a long time since we contacted each other.”

“Looks like we’ll have to resort to cruder methods then. Without the help of intelligence agencies or information analysis personnel, finding a hidden laboratory in such a large city ruin won’t be easy. So, now we need to…”

She seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked towards the roadside.

There, several adolescents stared blankly at Chen Jing’s slender figure, some even drooling.

Chen Jing beckoned to them with a finger. The children hesitated at first, then scrambled forward, vying to reach her.

Chen Jing bent down slightly, resting her hands on her knees, and looked into their eyes with a smile. “I came here looking for a place. This place should be different from others. I think… it probably has electricity, the surrounding roads might be cleaner, perhaps vehicles approach it often, or maybe you see clean-looking people there…”

Her voice was gentle and distant, creating a feeling of increasing distance yet growing clarity. It was as if, while she spoke, all surrounding noise rapidly faded away, leaving only her voice in the entire world.

“Do you feel a strong urge to help me right now?”

“The method is simple. I need you to help me ask people you know who might know of such a place, or any clues about it. If someone knows, have them come tell me quickly, okay? I’ll be very grateful to you…”

“Ask three people, then forget about this matter. Understand?”

…

Since Chen Jing had her back to him, Lu Xin couldn’t see her eyes.

But he could hear that Chen Jing’s tone was unprecedentedly gentle, as if narrating the most reasonable thing in the world.

Or rather, something one would most willingly obey.

After speaking, he saw Chen Jing raise her hand, take each of the three children’s hands in turn, and give them a squeeze.

“Snap” “Snap” “Snap”

She snapped her fingers three times, then smiled softly. “Go now!”

…

Having done this, Chen Jing stood up straight and addressed Gecko and Lu Xin behind her. “Intelligence gathering is always paramount. The Black Table acts insidiously. By choosing to set up the laboratory here, they’ve turned the city’s inhabitants into their human shields, even potential experimental materials. But doing so comes at a price regarding confidentiality.”

“As long as it’s within this city, no matter how carefully they hide, they’re bound to leave some traces.”

“And I…”

She smiled. “I excel at this aspect of intelligence gathering.”

“Everyone is very willing to tell me what they know!”