Embers Ad Infinitum
chapter-613

Bai Chen had received Shang Jianyao's applause a few times in the past, so she no longer felt embarrassed. Of course, this was mainly because her analysis wasn't anything embarrassing.

Jiang Baimian ignored Shang Jianyao and asked Genava and Long Yuehong, "So? Any thoughts?"

Genava replied according to the analysis, "Going inside the mind of the person in question; it is rather reasonable, but we lack sufficient evidence."

After giving his evaluation, as an honest smart bot, he raised a question. "How did you guess so much from today's harvest?"

This was like seeing half a lip mark and directly replicating a love story that involved life and death.

That's right, that's right… Long Yuehong had similar feelings and doubts.

Jiang Baimian scoffed. "You guys aren't meticulous enough and are relatively slow when it comes to relationships."

Not at all… Long Yuehong had always found himself emotionally rich and meticulous.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao expressed his opinion. "I'm beginning to think that we still lack a companion—a member of the Shang Jianyao Democratic Association that's positioned to be a female with amazing intuition. Lacking one will make our thoughts incomplete and possess a major flaw."

'We' referred to the Shang Jianyaos.

You want to create a female personality? Jiang Baimian immediately understood what Shang Jianyao meant and almost couldn't control her twitching facial muscles. She didn't dare to imagine what a female Shang Jianyao would be like.

Genava didn't understand Shang Jianyao's regret. "You have two female companions with amazing intuition now. The only problem is that they aren't members of the Shang Jianyao Democratic Association. However, this isn't impossible to resolve. According to your Pangu Biology's marriage regulations, you will be family once you get married. They will then be considered half a member of the Shang Jianyao Democratic Association."

Wait. Old Ge, what are you talking about? You crappy robot! Long Yuehong was first stunned before he roared inwardly.

While Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen wore blank expressions, Genava realized a problem. "However, your Pangu Biology's marriage regulation stipulates that you can't get remarried and that monogamy is followed. Therefore, you can only choose one. No, the word 'choose' isn't appropriate. Marriage is mutual…"

"Old Ge." Jiang Baimian took a deep breath and said, "Don't divert the topic."

"Alright." Genava indicated that he understood.

Long Yuehong quickly changed the topic. "If the person attached to Liu Lu is really Fan Wensi and Li Jinlong's son, he's still rather kind. Over the years, countless Ruin Hunters have broken into the Second Food Company, including the owner of Room 522. He only chased them away or ignored them. He didn't really harm them."

Otherwise, Iron Mountain City's Second Food Company would've long been labeled a forbidden zone.

Upon hearing this, Shang Jianyao raised his left hand and placed it vertically in front of his chest. "Namo Annutara-Samyak-Subhuti. This is a show of mercy."

Bai Chen nodded. "Otherwise, it wouldn't have become a Buddhist Holy Land."

After they discussed for a while, Jiang Baimian concluded, "This is a relatively reasonable guess at the moment. It can link the two Buddhist Holy Lands—Iron Mountain City's Second Food Company and Long River City's United Steel Plant—but this might not be the truth. The Five Great Buddhist Holy Lands involves the two Kalendarium—Subhuti and Master Zhuang. It's only logical for two to three groups to form a connection. However, Iron Mountain City's Second Food Company might not be related to Long River City's United Steel Plant. It might also be related to Tai City's First Middle School, the Holm Fertility Center, and Dajiang City's Linhe Village."

She meant that the Five Great Holy Lands were divided into two groups. One group involved Subhuti, while the other involved Master Zhuang.

Shang Jianyao laughed. "In any case, we're just making bold assumptions now."

He used Jiang Baimian's catchphrase.

Jiang Baimian chuckled and restrained her expression. "Assuming that our guess is right, Iron Mountain City's Second Food Company and Long River City's United Steel Plant are indeed in the same group. The key figure that links them seems to be Fan Wensi's vegetable son. He's…"

At this point, even Jiang Baimian couldn't help but pause despite her boldness. "Is he the body for Subhuti's descent, or did the experiment back then allow him to come into contact with Subhuti and become Subhuti? In contrast, Jiang Xiaoyue—who participated in the same experiment—became Monitor or Master Zhuang?"

Jiang Xiaoyue's room number in the Mind Corridor started with '5.' This either corresponded to May's Monitor or the entire year's Master Zhuang.

Team Leader, be careful not to be struck by lightning… Long Yuehong became more and more terrified as he listened.

Bai Chen inexplicably shivered and raised a contradicting example. "Fan Wensi sensed her son appearing around her some time before the Old World was destroyed. This means that her son should've obtained the Subhuti domain's abilities back then and was extremely strong. If he were a Kalendaria, it would be impossible for him not to protect his parents and crush when the Old World was destroyed."

"That's true." Jiang Baimian nodded slightly. "If he became Subhuti because of that experiment, what's up with the New World? How do you explain that some of the Eighth Research Institute's personnel have become traitors that hide in the darkness?"

After Jiang Baimian said that, Shang Jianyao began to think hard as if he wanted to fabricate a fantastic story that could string all the clues together.

Even for him, this wasn't a simple matter.

Upon seeing that nobody was speaking, Jiang Baimian made a terse grunt. "It's about time. Let's take turns resting. We have to return to the Second Food Company tomorrow morning to confirm today's encounter."

After Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and the others replied at the same time, Jiang Baimian reminded them, "You have to be careful of the Superior Heartless Xu Datong and the others encountered today."

According to Xu Datong, the most special thing about the Superior Heartless was that he seemed to know their arrangements like the back of his hand. He circled around the two Salvation Army members that provided periphery defense and sneaked close to him and Li Shouyi. If not for his special abilities, the team might've been wiped out.

Based on this, Xu Datong suspected that the Superior Heartless not only knew how to hide his consciousness, but he also had the ability to secretly investigate the target's condition. For example, the Subhuti domain's Clairvoyance.

Long Yuehong suddenly felt the night darken a little upon hearing his team leader's words. There seemed to be some kind of gaze in the wind that blew across the col.

He hissed and consoled himself. "Team Leader, don't worry. Don't we still have Old Ge? He can monitor us 24/7 as long as we prepare enough batteries for him. Besides, you can also sense bioelectric signals. That Superior Heartless definitely doesn't know how to hide from that. He will be discovered by you the moment he approaches."

"That may be true…" Jiang Baimian paused and looked around.

At the same time, Long Yuehong felt that the night had returned to normal. The wind that blew past only brought about a little coldness.

"I kept having the feeling that someone was watching us, but not anymore." Shang Jianyao stroked his chin.

"That's right…" Jiang Baimian nodded slightly.

Don't scare me… Long Yuehong knew that his team leader wouldn't joke at a time like this.

Bai Chen and Genava fell silent and focused on observing the darkness around them.

After waiting for a while, Jiang Baimian covered her mouth and yawned. "It seems gone. Get some sleep; follow the previous night duty sequence. Old Ge, you'll have to work a little harder. Don't switch on power-saving mode tonight."

"Alright." Genava had plenty of batteries.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao got into the jeep one after another, and they each found a spot to lie down. Genava chose to sit beside the bonfire and be on night duty.

Long Yuehong and Bai Chen carried their Berserker assault rifles and submachine guns. They patrolled the camp from two to three meters away.

It was a spring night, and the wind inevitably felt a little cold at the edge of the mountains. Long Yuehong looked around and mustered his courage to say to Bai Chen, "Do you want to wear more?"

"There's no need." Bai Chen's current physique was much better than when she had just joined Pangu Biology. Although the genetic enhancement she had previously done wasn't too effective because of her age, it still brought about a slight improvement. Furthermore, her Firearms Talent genetic modification involved many aspects that included vision, reaction, coordination, and so on. These were also part of her physique.

Long Yuehong didn't know how to continue. He silently patrolled forward for a while before coming up with a new topic. "Actually, there's no need to be too nervous or rely too much on Team Leader, Hey, and Old Ge. I also have the ability to sense our surroundings."

Bai Chen thought for a moment and said, "The environmental information collector and auxiliary chip installed in your mechanical arm?"

Since the electric eel-like biomechanical limb could be equipped with an auxiliary chip, it was reasonable for the T1 multi-purpose arm—which was a mechanical electronic product—not to include this.

"Yes." Long Yuehong happily introduced Bai Chen to his functions when he saw that she was interested in the topic. "I periodically gather environmental information in a certain range through the mechanical arm and do a comparative analysis with the previous period. Once there are any changes, I'll quickly detect the problem. For example, although the Superior Heartless can hide his consciousness, I don't think he can eliminate his scent. Their habits are similar to beasts, and they don't like to shower that much. Yes… Unless his Awakened abilities are related to Concealment, there's no way to mask it."

Long Yuehong became more and more excited as he spoke. "I can shoot out a laser beam and penetrate his body as soon as I discover him. I'll trap him in place and make him incapable of using his abilities due to the pain. Then, you can rush over and burn him with the flames of your prosthetic limb…"

Even if it was only fictitious, he wished to have Bai Chen participate and use her abilities.

Before Long Yuehong could finish speaking, cawing suddenly sounded from 100 meters away.

As the bird flew up, a figure seemed to rapidly disappear into the distance under the cover of the night.

"Uh…" Long Yuehong hesitated.

"You scared him away!" Shang Jianyao stuck his head out from the jeep, feeling pained.