The mission in this polluted world was clear: as journalists, their core objective was to investigate the murder case, which would naturally lead them to uncover the oddities surrounding the dilapidated building.
Once Jiang Haoyu wrote a report on it, the obsessions or grievances—whatever they might be—would be considered resolved, and they could then absorb the pollution.
Overall, the difficulty of this mission wasn't high; the killer was likely human, though the clues were scattered and needed to be untangled slowly.
"A lot of workers left after the bodies were dug up last time. If the killer was someone at the site, they might be long gone by now."
Gu Xiang Kai and the other two waited for a while until Yin Qian returned.
Yin Qian’s ability made it very easy for him to gain the favor of NPCs. Due to his looks, women were particularly inclined to be friendly with him, though the effect was slightly weaker on men.
He had gone to find the auntie who cooked for the construction site.
The site was quite large, and while there was a commercial district nearby, the prices there were too high for the workers.
Consequently, the contractor had hired several couples; the wives would do odd jobs around the site, usually cooking.
When Yin Qian approached them, several women were washing vegetables, preparing for the evening meal.
The food was simple, but there was plenty of it; those doing manual labor needed to eat their fill.
Yin Qian knelt down to help snap bean sprouts, claiming he was a university student looking for work during his vacation.
The women laughed at his delicate features, telling him outright that he wasn't suited for such rough work.
One thing led to another, and the conversation eventually turned to the previous incident.
"Are there any strange people at the site?"
Although Yin Qian’s combat strength was lacking, his mind was sharp. After summarizing the information he gathered, he also suspected the killer might have worked at the construction site before.
"I think there are plenty of strange people."
A younger woman curled her lip. "Men... no matter what kind of behavior they show, it’s not surprising."
Yin Qian didn't feel awkward; he joined in on their complaints for a bit before the women steered the conversation back to the point.
"We're all just poor souls trying to get by. Some have light fingers, others have wandering eyes, but I don't think any of them look like they could do something like that."
Yin Qian then asked if there had been any strange noises at night.
The women shook their heads. The site had temporary dormitories with ten people to a room, separated by gender, but everyone worked heavy manual labor and slept soundly at night.
"However, if you're asking if anyone heard screaming or calls for help, then definitely not."
Otherwise, someone would have heard it long ago.
This meant the killer's movements were practiced, decisive, and swift—a single fatal blow.
The four of them wandered around for a while but couldn't find Shi Xiaojie. It was a massive site, so they didn't linger and returned to the dilapidated building.
The seven of them gathered back in Nan Yue's dormitory. Zhu Xi Ning was in a much better state, which relieved Nan Yue.
Throughout the afternoon, Yao He stayed home and didn't go out. Xie Hui seemed to enjoy leaving her door open for ventilation; since it was her family's building, she felt more at ease.
Granny Li was also home the entire time, making various clattering and banging noises as she worked on something.
Gu Xiang Kai returned to his room and came back with a meaningful look on his face.
"Either they both stayed inside, or we're dealing with experts."
The thin layer of soil he had sprinkled in front of Wu Gang's and the mute's doors showed no signs of being disturbed. This meant either neither of them had left their rooms, or someone had gone out but noticed the soil he had scattered.
That made things interesting. They hadn't swept it away; they just left it there, making sure not to step on it.
Gu Xiang Kai had a hunch that Wu Ming had that kind of capability.
Furthermore, the mute seemed to have a obsession with cleanliness and order; if he had seen it upon leaving, he likely would have swept it clean.
Jiang Haoyu seemed somewhat irritable as he listened to the analysis from Nan Yue and the others.
"So many clues... it’s so troublesome."
Chi Yu glanced at him. "Isn't that normal? It’s common to have no leads on the first day of a mission. Don't be impatient."
Jiang Haoyu wasn't an outstanding scavenger; he was mainly there as a researcher and a portable encyclopedia.
Entering missions in such short succession had indeed put a lot of psychological pressure on him, which everyone understood.
Jiang Haoyu grumbled a few more times before his mood gradually stabilized.
When it was time for dinner, the group split up again. Yin Qian and Chi Yu were invited to eat at Xie Hui's place, and they accepted.
Xie Hui had also invited Jiang Siyan for tomorrow, and he had agreed as well.
Nan Yue and the others went downstairs to eat at a small restaurant. The owner was a local from the village who could whip up a few stir-fried dishes and also sold boxed meals; business was quite good.
The group ordered a table of food and ate slowly. After a while, the sharp-eyed Gu Xiang Kai spotted the mute walking out.
The people around seemed used to seeing him; some even greeted him, and he would nod back with that eerie, exaggerated smile.
He actually looked quite polite.
He walked along the street, buying a few items.
Gu Xiang Kai, meanwhile, went upstairs and came back down a moment later, not even winded from the trip.
"The soil in front of his door has been swept away."
He was indeed a clean person; once he saw it, he had to tidy it up.
"So, the one who followed Shi Xiaojie out this morning was Wu Ming?"
Wu Ming was indeed much more cautious and intelligent than his brother, Wu Gang. Although they didn't seem to share the same trade, his eyes were definitely sharp.
What was he doing following Shi Xiaojie?
Nan Yue smiled. In this dilapidated building with ten tenants, there were eighty different agendas.
After dinner, everyone made their own arrangements. Nan Yue squatted by the entrance to chat with people, with Jiang Siyan squatting behind her.
After a while, Jiang Siyan estimated that Yin Qian and the others had finished their meal and went back upstairs.
Xie Hui was a bit too enthusiastic toward him. Every time he saw the way she looked at him, he felt like gouging her eyes out.
But she was useful, so Jiang Siyan went to fish for information.
Nan Yue squatted there until after nine o'clock. Many vendors were packing up to go home, but others were just starting to set up their stalls.
Nan Yue watched coldly and sent a message to Jiang Haoyu.
Jiang Haoyu came down and squatted with her for a bit, whispering, "This should be the ghost market mentioned in the books. They sell old items; you can find almost anything here."
"Uh... some of it might not be entirely legal."
Nan Yue listened while she watched. After a moment, she teased, "Not angry anymore?"
Jiang Haoyu rubbed his head, looking embarrassed. "I don't know why I suddenly got so worked up. The conditions here are actually pretty good, much better than following the Qi Family Gang..."
At the mention of the Qi Family Gang, he became a bit sad and fell silent.
Following Nan Yue, Jiang Haoyu was also broadening his horizons.
Half-torn coins, copper incense burners of unknown age, and some old books that didn't look quite legitimate...
However, there were quite a few people browsing; some seemed to have come specifically for this ghost market.
Nan Yue told Jiang Haoyu to head back first while she stayed until the stalls were packed up, which was close to one in the morning.
Normally, a ghost market only opens in the middle of the night to avoid being caught.
But because this place was so close to the Oasis Community, staying open too late would lead to reports, so they dispersed earlier.
Nan Yue watched all night. Midway through, she shooed away Jiang Siyan when he came down, and she saw several tenants returning.
Shi Xiaojie had returned around eight o'clock, looking exhausted.
Around nine, Su Xiaoxi and Wu Gang returned one after the other, though they had no interaction.
The mute had bought some things at the market, eaten a meal, and returned early.
Rate on N.U.
