Chapter 328: The Human Network

After shaking hands with Chen Jing the children’s eyes clearly glazed over.

They paused for a moment then suddenly turned and ran.

All three children scattered running towards different people in different directions.

Reaching the nearest person they grabbed their hand whispered something then quickly dashed off to the next. The person who listened looked slightly bewildered shook their head then got up and ran towards someone else.

One after another they rushed to others grabbing hands and whispering questions.

Like busy ants they scurried about exchanging information with invisible antennae.

Viewed from above you’d see the residents scattered across the streets and surrounding buildings each minding their own business starting from three small points gradually forming a vast human network pulsing with a specific rhythm.

Once contacted and information exchanged by these three initial points they immediately sought out others.

Those they contacted then ran to contact others extending the chain sequentially.

Each person only contacted three others.

After each contacting three people the three children froze on the spot their faces blank with confusion.

They seemed to have already forgotten what they had just done.

But by then the network had already activated spreading outwards.

The nine people contacted by the initial three also each contacted three more then forgot about it.

But now twenty-seven more people were already on the move contacting others.

It was like a tide relentlessly spreading outwards with Chen Jing at its center.

…

The entire street suddenly became much livelier.

“What is…?”

Lu Xin watched the people in the abandoned city then looked at Chen Jing in surprise.

He had seen Chen Jing use her ability before but never imagined it could be used like this.

Incredible!

He always knew the Team Leader was impressive—decisive thorough always looking out for him even covering his expenses—but he never realized her ability was this powerful… He’d previously assumed Chen Jing’s power was only suited for interrogating individuals not for large groups or critical situations.

“This is already my limit.”

Turning around Chen Jing saw Lu Xin and Gecko’s expressions and explained with a smile, “I can plant a thought in their minds and use them to pass it along gradually expanding the contact network to gather the intelligence I need.”

“However my psychic power is limited. The thought gets diluted as it spreads.”

“The higher the psychic level of the affected person the faster the dilution.”

“And the longer it takes the weaker the influence becomes.”

She sighed softly adding, “So at most I can only influence a few hundred people at a time…”

“A few hundred?”

Lu Xin’s eyes widened slightly.

The Team Leader must be being modest right?

Her tone suggested it.

But why did he also detect a hint of smug pride?

…

Having confirmed the strategy their moods lightened somewhat.

If they could quickly locate the lab this way it would undoubtedly make everything much smoother.

They flanked Chen Jing protectively and proceeded down the main street.

After walking for about five or six minutes they noticed the running crowds slowing down.

Some looked bewildered others surprised staring down at their hands unsure why they had been running around in such a panic.

People were milling about aimlessly but no one approached Chen Jing to report anything.

“Let’s keep moving.”

Chen Jing said softly, “This area is clear.”

…

Without transport they had to walk deeper into the city. Besides Chen Jing spreading her search network they also watched for details like occasional electric lights smoothly paved roads cleared debris and so on.

If there’s a lab here it must have contact with the outside world.

Firstly a lab definitely needs power so places with electricity might be connected to it.

Secondly the lab surely requires supplies transported in so nearby roads would be better maintained than others. Furthermore many details could reveal clues: streetlights surveillance the number of residents around or even structures within this abandoned city that look unusually new as if recently repaired.

Every so often Chen Jing would use her ability wait a moment then continue forward.

Thus they mostly stuck to the main roads keeping an eye on their surroundings.

Gradually after about an hour they had nearly passed through the outer districts and reached the central part of the city.

Just then several figures suddenly ran towards them from ahead. Their eyes were vacant yet held an unusual urgency.

“Electricity… electric lights…”

One person reached Chen Jing repeating the words incessantly while pointing towards a specific direction.

“Vehicles… large vehicles… lots of large vehicles…”

Another nervously gestured with both hands also looking towards that same spot.

“Whir whir whir… whir whir whir…”

Someone mimicked the sound of spinning propellers then said, “High-rise building… the high-rise inside…”

Chen Jing let out a soft sigh of relief. “Found it.”

She shook hands with each of the three then took out a few fifty-denomination Alliance Coins stuffing one into each of their tattered pockets. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You can go back now and forget this happened.”

The three ragged individuals departed blankly like wooden puppets.

“We can confirm the lab is definitely here.”

Chen Jing turned to Lu Xin and Gecko. “A place with electricity lots of vehicle traffic and helicopter landings… It must be very close to our target. And the high-rise they pointed to should be…”

Her gaze followed the direction the three had indicated.

Before the Red Moon incident Water Buffalo City was only a mid-sized city; it didn’t have many true high-rises.

From their current position they could see exactly one.

Judging by the distance it seemed to be located right in Water Buffalo City’s center visible even from afar.

…

“The boss is the boss alright found it just like that?”

Lu Xin thought admiringly his face showing clear respect.

Gecko clicked his tongue and grinned. “The Team Leader must know a lot of department gossip…”

Chen Jing shot Gecko a glare. “Let’s go!”

Lu Xin obediently followed glancing sideways at Gecko out of the corner of his eye.

He figured Gecko brought the boss’s ire upon himself…

Look how well-behaved I am!

…

Just a few streets away from Chen Jing Lu Xin and Gecko’s current location someone sat in a room filled with surveillance monitors. The room was dark lit only by the blue glow of the screens reflecting on his unshaven face.

He looked down seriously sniffed and confirmed something important.

The instant noodles were ready.

So he began slurping his noodles while watching the densely packed computer screens.

The screens showed many people entering the city from different directions searching bit by bit using their own methods. When these individuals had mostly entered the central city area he wiped his mouth stood up reluctantly and took a thick black videotape about seven or eight centimeters wide from a black case.

He then walked over to an old-fashioned VCR pushed the black videotape in and watched the counter start ticking.

Satisfied he returned to finish his bowl of instant noodles.

…

…

Having determined the general direction Lu Xin Chen Jing and Gecko picked up their pace considerably.

But they remained vigilant guns held firmly in hand.

Night had now fallen.

In the direction Chen Jing indicated they could faintly discern a dim red glow.

Although they occasionally spotted the cowering figures of drifters the city itself was unnervingly quiet.

So quiet it was unsettling almost able to hear their own heartbeats.

Gradually as they pressed onward deeper into the central city they encountered more and more drifters.

It seemed Central City’s intelligence was correct large numbers of drifters had gathered here. Although the area was still generally desolate and ruined the presence of so many people made the city feel less dead than the outskirts.

It was a city of the living.

Further ahead they even saw lights then in succession a supermarket restaurant bar and coffee shop.

Men hurried off to work women with small bags stood by the roadside and lines of elementary school students with heavy backpacks crossed the street together. Lights flickered on neon signs of various colors weaving a dizzying tapestry of light.

They realized they had somehow stumbled into a bustling metropolis teeming with crowds.

“Something’s wrong…”

Suddenly all three stopped in their tracks.

They looked at each other seeing the dawning realization and strange expressions on each other’s faces.

Gecko’s pupils constricted slightly. “There shouldn’t be this many people here.”

“It’s not just the people…”

Chen Jing let out a soft breath. “Even if they have power they wouldn’t waste it like this.”

…

Lu Xin could feel the tension radiating from the other two.

Thinking back carefully he understood.

After seeing this bustling street it had taken them several seconds to realize something was amiss.

Their first impression was that it felt completely normal. They had naturally accepted the scene and almost tried to blend in.

It even felt a bit like being back in Qinggang.

If there hadn’t been three of them to snap each other out of it they might not have noticed even now.

The transition between reality and illusion was unnaturally seamless.