Embers Ad Infinitum

In the dark night, the first city, Westport.

It is connected to the Green Olive District and is full of warehouses storing goods, patrolled by specialized port guards.

Terrence did not expect that not long after he sent the telegram, he received a call from Zhang Qubing, asking him to meet at Westport Pier 3 at 10:30 tonight without any entourage.

This gives no chance to breathe and prepare.

Following Qian Bai's team's instructions, this gang leader and sect member, who was bloated, had a sinewy face, brown hair and blue eyes, parked his black car before entering the coastal avenue and walked to the meeting place.

——Through his relationship with the "Black Shirt Party", he obtained the registration information and mission records of Shang Jianyao and others in the Hunter Guild, and determined that this was a very powerful team with unknown origins.

Terrence glanced around and suspected that one or more of Zhang Qubing, Xue Shiyue and others were in a building along Gangang Avenue or high up in a warehouse at the dock or somewhere in the container yard. place, watching yourself quietly to see if anyone is following you secretly.

Fortunately, Terrence didn't have any hidden agenda this time and walked smoothly.

Given his weight, he was inevitably a little out of breath after walking for such a long distance. He finally managed to avoid the patrolling port guards and arrived at Pier 3.

He looked around and found no sign of his target, so he suppressed his temper and started waiting.

About seven or eight minutes later, two figures approached along the road that Terrence had walked.

It wasn't until they were only forty or fifty meters apart that Terrence noticed it, turned around, and looked over.

Under the moonlight, the familiar faces of Zhang Qubing and Xue Shiyue came into his eyes.

"It's a pleasure to cooperate." Shang Jianyao said, leaving Terence confused.

It took him more than ten seconds to regain his train of thought and responded with a smile:

"I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."

"You, a top-notch gang in the original city platoon, a secret sect that serves Zhi Sui, why do you need us to cooperate?" Jiang Baimian did not immediately ask Terrence what he wanted to cooperate with, but instead raised a question.

Terrence smiled back:

"Your various performances, your mission records, your courage to deal with our 'Black Shirt Party', and your initial success all show that you are not only powerful, but also have a deep background. I guess, you are one of those people A gray native sent by a major mainstream force?"

"Guess whether we can guess or not." Shang Jianyao, who has some experience in old world entertainment materials, finally found the opportunity to say this.

Terrence did not ask about the other person's origins, but instead said:

"Aren't you investigating the 'Anti-Intellectual Cult' because you want to participate in the internal strife in the 'Primordial City'? I can sell you some information."

"What remuneration is needed, or what are the conditions for cooperation?" Jiang Baimian asked with a smile.

Terrence smiled and said:

"We don't expect you to cooperate in doing something, because just letting you know the information itself may help us.

"Our only request is that you share with us whatever information you have when you feel it is necessary."

He spoke a little awkwardly, but his posture was very low.

"Is there such a good thing?" Shang Jianyao expressed Jiang Baimian's thoughts.

The latter pondered for a moment and said:

"Tell me, what information?"

Terrence looked around habitually to confirm that no one else was present at Pier 3.

He considered his words and said:

“We have always had the identity of a member of the ‘Holy Desire’ sect, but we have never exposed her, only observed her secretly.

"Her name is Cynthia, a descendant of a noble family, a socialite in the upper class of the 'Prime City', and has close relationships with many powerful people.

"She recently went to three places and met three people, one was Kristina from the Hunter Guild, and the other was Inspector Alexander..."

Jiang Baimian listened to Terence's words quietly, his eyebrows moved slightly.

At this juncture, a member of the "Holy Desire" sect went to see Inspector Alexander, one of the two giants?

Terrence did not immediately say who the third person was, but introduced others first:

"If Cynthia simply goes to see the Alexandrian Overseer, it is not surprising. The 'Holy Desire' sect has many supporters in the upper class of the original city. Although many nobles will not admit it, they participate in it privately." Celestial Gathering', which is very much in the style of the 'Desire for the Holy' sect.

"Haha, many nobles in the upper class are addicted to pleasure and lust."

Upper class? Jiang Baimian sneered in his heart.

How many years has it been since the destruction of the old world, and how many years since the beginning of the new calendar, have another upper class society been created?

Terrence continued:

“But two days before Cynthia got the chance to visit the Alexandria Ombudsman, she met someone else.

"The man's name is Sutton. He is apparently a painter, but after our investigation, he is likely to be a member of the 'Anti-Intellectual Cult'."

"What does he look like?" Shang Jianyao asked hurriedly.

Terrence frowned in confusion:

"He's less than 1.7 meters tall. He's thin and has dyed his hair gray. He looks like he's having too much sex."

Shang Jianyao sighed in disappointment.

"Do you suspect that the 'Anti-Intellectual Cult' and the 'Holy Desire' sect have come together again, with the target being Inspector Alexander?" Jiang Baimian asked thoughtfully.

This is consistent with their judgment that "anti-intellectual religion" will further intensify conflicts.

Could it be that their next target is not General Phocas, but Inspector Alexander? The person who took action was not someone from the "anti-intellectual religion" but a member of the "Holy Desire" sect? How can this be concealed from the security forces surrounding Inspector Alexander? Thoughts arose in Jiang Baimian's mind, making her eyes seem to be filled with fog.

Terrence said seriously:

“I can only say that there is such a guess, and I hope you can use this information to confirm it.

"In order to show sincerity, at the Wolf's Den, we will let them go and not cause trouble to them, but you have to put Ogg and the others back."

"Maybe I have to borrow them for two or three months." Jiang Baimian was noncommittal about the previous sentence.

After two or three months, Suna and the others should be able to have simple conversations with the Red River people, and become more proficient in marksmanship. With the help of the translator, they will no longer need the "services" of Ogg and other "Black Shirt Party" members.

As soon as Jiang Baimian finished speaking, Shang Jianyao expressed his meaning:

"They've done so many bad things that they have to serve at least ten years."

Looking into Shang Jianyao's energetic eyes, Terrence rationally gave up the argument and smiled:

"Just ten years, just don't ask me for their living expenses."

He only mentioned Ogg and others in passing. This was the last bit of dignity he had as his "immediate boss".

After stopping Shang Jianyao from asking, "So we can still get living expenses," Jiang Baimian nodded and said:

"If we gain anything later, or if we have any other information we want to share with you, we will call you."

"Okay." Terrence breathed a sigh of relief.

After watching him leave Pier 3 and gradually go away, Shang Jianyao asked:

"Going to monitor Alexander?"

Jiang Baimian pondered for a while and said:

“We don’t have the ability to prevent the people from the ‘Holy Desire’ sect from taking action without being able to get close.

“And, in that case, the real ‘priest’ may not appear.

"Well, let's report it to the company and let the ministers and directors worry. They can mobilize the intelligence personnel here to deal with it. We will continue to monitor General Phocas."

"Okay." Shang Jianyao smiled, "Over there, I still have some unfinished business."

"What's the matter?" Jiang Baimian asked cautiously.

…………

The next morning, they took over from Bai Chen, Long Yuehong and Gnawa who had been monitoring the whole night, and entered a room on the top floor of the building.

Shang Jianyao went out for a walk and took out a piece of paper full of icons and text.

He smiled and said:

"This is the distribution map of public toilets in the surrounding neighborhoods. Most of them are free and the environment is not bad..."

Jiang Baimian glanced at him with a complicated expression:

"Well, pay more attention to these places later to see if there are any people who meet the characteristics of a true 'priest'."

The two of them each held a telescope and observed the people coming and going around the general's residence.

In the meantime, they took turns eating.

At five or six o'clock in the afternoon, when the sky gradually dimmed, Jiang Baimian saw a dark green off-road vehicle with a white license plate on a black background driving into the surveillance area.

She subconsciously turned her attention to it, and with the help of binoculars, she discovered that the driver was a man in black clothes and wearing a baseball cap with a low top.

That license plate belongs to the Senate and can enter and leave the Golden Apple District without temporary inspection.

Jiang Baimian was stunned for a moment, then said to Shang Jianyao:

"Look at that car, is it the one that followed us before?"

The only difference between the two is that there was no license plate before.

"Yes." Shang Jianyao quickly responded in the affirmative.

Jiang Baimian immediately laughed and said:

"The fact that the puppet of the real 'Father' appears in this area shows that they still want to deal with General Phocas."

And that's the opportunity for the "Old Tune Team."