Embers Ad Infinitum
chapter-626

Chapter 626: Getting Help

Translator: CKtalon

Jiang Baimian glanced at Long Yuehong and sighed. “We can’t rule out that possibility.”

Genava analyzed the information regarding Real Dreamscape and gave his opinion. “If it’s a result of the nightmare, the reality will reflect what one encounters in the dream. But even if Boss Ugo died from suffocation in the dream, it’s impossible for him to take the initiative to wrap himself in such a plastic bag in reality. Instead, it should have various characteristics of direct suffocation.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” said the Shang Jianyao that habitually echoed.

Bai Chen nodded. “Either Boss Ugo abused himself too intensely and had an accident, or someone suffocated him to death and forged a suicide scene.”

Among the Old Task Force members, Bai Chen and Ugo knew each other the longest and had the deepest friendship. However, she recovered quickly, and there was nothing abnormal about her now. It was as if she was already accustomed to the deaths of people she knew.

“Old Ge, come in and scan the scene. Be careful not to damage anything or leave anything behind.” Jiang Baimian stood up and left the mission to Genava—who was more professional than her.

She—who had already put on her gloves—began searching the entire room.

She picked up the sewing needles, old knives, and other items one by one before putting them back. She then pulled open the desk drawer.

There were some coins and notes in the drawer, as well as a stack of documents that were half a thumb thick.

Jiang Baimian swept her gaze and realized that this was the arrangement of First City’s troops in Wasteland Ruin 13’s periphery.

Boss Ugo has already contacted General Phocas and obtained the information we need? The fact that the information isn’t gone means that Boss Ugo’s death isn’t related? As these thoughts raced through her mind, Jiang Baimian reached out to pick up the stack of documents and casually flipped through them.

After confirming that there was no mention of the entrance to the North Shore Mountains, she placed the documents in her tactical backpack.

She then checked the bed and bathroom again, but she didn’t find any clues worth paying attention to.

Genava had also completed his work. He spoke in a slightly synthetic male voice. “As I can’t autopsy the corpse, I can’t give a precise time of death. My preliminary judgment is that it happened between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. last night. There are no traces of anyone else at the scene. Boss Ugo should’ve been alone back then…”

Ugo suddenly crawled up in the middle of the night to abuse himself with suffocation? Long Yuehong couldn’t convince himself of such a reason.

Based on most First City residents’ way of living, that was the time people slept most soundly.

“What should we do now?” Long Yuehong deliberated and said, “Leave it to the Hand of Order?”

Jiang Baimian shook her head. “Once we call the police, we will definitely earn the Hand of Order’s attention. This isn’t a good thing for wanted criminals with a high bounty in First City.”

This was what Long Yuehong was worried about. He strongly agreed. “It’s better to pretend not to notice anything and quietly evacuate. The customers in the motel will notice that something has happened to Ugo sooner or later.”

Jiang Baimian pointed at the door. “Have you forgotten that there are cameras there? Have you forgotten that customers living in the motel have seen us? As long as someone calls the police, the Hand of Order will definitely notice us if they investigate.”

Long Yuehong wanted to suggest destroying the camera and the corresponding surveillance footage. At the same time, he wanted Shang Jianyao to ‘persuade’ the two hotel guests from before. But after careful thought, he felt that it only served to reveal what they intended to hide.

The more coincidences there were, the more the Hand of Order would place importance on them. They might even get an Awakened in the Last Man domain to help.

“Then, what should we do?” Long Yuehong could tell that his team leader had a plan.

Jiang Baimian carefully walked out of Ugo’s room and closed the wooden door. “Find the True Self Church and get them to deal with it. They are inextricably linked to First City’s higher-ups, so it shouldn’t be a problem for them to help us cover it up. Phew. Fortunately, the hotel’s business has deteriorated recently. Nobody entered or left when we checked the scene.”

Long Yuehong immediately recalled that the True Self Church had a nearby stronghold. The Old Task Force had previously seen General Phocas lashing himself half-naked there.

As the team leader, Jiang Baimian took off her gloves and led the way to the hotel’s main entrance.

“The side door…” Shang Jianyao reminded her ‘gloomily.’

Jiang Baimian exerted outstanding strength in her waist and abdomen and forcefully turned her body.

Under Shang Jianyao’s guidance, the Old Task Force members left the hotel from the side door, passed through an alley, and arrived in front of an apartment.

This apartment only had five floors and looked ordinary.

As soon as he entered the apartment, Shang Jianyao took out a blue and white loudspeaker and spoke to the stairs that led to the basement. “You’ve been surrounded!”

Jiang Baimian couldn’t help but facepalm with her empty right hand. She then suppressed her voice and said, “We’re friends with Boss Ugo. Something happened to him.”

Soon, an ordinary-dressed man appeared from the shadows at the bottom of the stairs. He clenched his fists and gently rapped his head. “The true self lives forever!”

The current Shang Jianyao didn’t imitate him. He seemed to be still immersed in the grief brought about by Ugo’s unexpected death.

The True Self Church parishioner walked up the stairs and said to Jiang Baimian and the others, “Follow me.”

It was as if sandpaper was stuffed into his throat.

Shang Jianyao readily agreed and was the first to follow behind the man.

They arrived at the innermost room on the apartment’s left and saw a thin, middle-aged man.

This elder’s brown hair was mixed with a large number of silver strands, and his black robe was patched. His appearance and bearing were ordinary. If he stood at the apartment’s entrance, he would most likely be treated as a guard.

“What happened to Ugo?” the elder asked. After asking, he recalled the need to introduce himself. “You can call me Cliff, a Dreambreaker.”

Jiang Baimian—who didn’t know much about the True Self Church’s ranks—nodded slightly as a form of greeting.

After the door was closed, she replied, “Boss Ugo is dead.”

“Cause of death?” Cliff’s expression changed slightly before quickly returning to normal.

“Asphyxiation,” Jiang Baimian said concisely and didn’t add any additional descriptions. “He wore a translucent blue plastic bag over his head. He died between 11 a.m. and 1 a.m. last night. There were no traces of anyone else at the scene…”

Cliff didn’t interrupt her recount. He waited for her to finish before nodding. “We will further investigate the exact situation. Thank you for your information.”

Jiang Baimian made a terse grunt. “When carrying out the investigation, please help hide our existence. As you know, we’re still wanted.”

“No problem.” Cliff made a promise. “Did you discover Ugo’s demise while retrieving the information from him?”

“Yes,” the rash Shang Jianyao replied enthusiastically. “We found the information in his drawer; it wasn’t lost.”

“Please make confirmation.” Jiang Baimian took off her tactical backpack and took out the stack of documents. “See if there’s anything missing or anything extra.”

Cliff sized her up and praised, “Very careful.”

He then took the documents and flipped through them carefully. “There aren’t any problems.”

As Jiang Baimian took back the documents, she deliberately sighed with emotion. “We visited Boss Ugo today to ask about the Green Olive Zone’s collective dream. To our surprise, he had already obtained the information we wanted. You guys are too efficient; it hasn’t even been 24 hours.”

Cliff fell silent for a moment before truthfully saying, “Because we were planning on going to Wasteland Ruin 13 to explore the secret laboratory.”

“We might be able to cooperate when the time comes,” Jiang Baimian said politely.

Cliff then talked about the recent anomaly. “We’ve already noticed the collective dream and are searching for the root cause of the problem. This matter isn’t that simple. It might bring great danger to the investigators, so it’s best if you don’t participate.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Baimian expressed her gratitude.

After leaving the apartment and returning to the jeep, Shang Jianyao stroked his chin and said, “The True Self Church is already investigating the source of the collective dream. Boss Ugo’s death might be related to this…”

Ugo’s death was indeed too close to the time of last night’s nightmare. It left one unable to help but suspect something.

“Yes.” Jiang Baimian nodded. “That seems to be what Cliff suspects as well. At least, that’s the feeling he gives me.”

Upon hearing his teammates’ conversation, Long Yuehong suddenly understood a problem.

He made a sound, hoping to develop the discussion. “The reason why nothing terrible happened to the others after experiencing the nightmare other than feeling a little dizzy, nauseous, weak, and insomniac, while Ugo strangely suffocated to death, is that he Awakened dream abilities?”

Most people couldn’t carry out an effective investigation when facing a nightmare, but Ugo could!

Bai Chen—who was driving—thought for a moment and agreed with Long Yuehong’s guess. “I think so.”

Just as she said that, Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian blurted out at the same time, “Oh no!”

“Not good!”

“What’s wrong?” Long Yuehong trembled.

Jiang Baimian turned around and frowned. “Oudick also has Awakened dream abilities.”

“I hope nothing happens..” Shang Jianyao prayed.