Translator: CinderTL
Upon hearing this, the young man's expression turned grave. He furrowed his brow slightly, as if genuinely considering whether he had overlooked something in his work.
His breathing, heartbeat, and even micro-expressions were entirely natural.
"Mr. Gong," the young man said slowly after a dozen seconds, raising his head. "There's something I've been speculating about, just a personal hunch, but I think it's important to share it with you."
His voice was filled with hesitation, as if he wasn't sure whether he should speak or remain silent.
"I suspect those two Specialists' motives aren't as simple as they appear," the young man lowered his voice. "And their identities need verification."
"You're right," Gong Zhe leaned back in his chair, resting against the backrest. "They're not from the Executive Department."
"I just verified their identities. Neither the Executive Department nor any other department of the Night Watcher has any record of these two individuals."
"Moreover, facial recognition scans of the entire database turned up nothing," Gong Zhe's voice grew cold. "It's as if they simply materialized out of thin air."
At these words, the young man's eyes widened, and he immediately realized their origins. "Crimson?"
According to the intelligence they had gathered, Crimson 4's ability was disguise. Not only could he change his own face, but he could also alter the appearances of others.
These two were likely his handiwork.
"But wasn't the Gate in his body destroyed?" the young man exclaimed. "Could the Night Watcher have given us false information?"
Gong Zhe shook his head. "The Gate of the Bizarre can never truly be destroyed. What is destroyed is only the Disciple of the Door who bears the curse. Someone has inherited that Gate anew."
"Who?"
"We don't know yet." Gong Zhe casually glanced out the window. The sun was shining brightly, and in the distance, a dense forest teemed with life. He turned back to the young man. "But we will find out. It's only a matter of time."
The Night Watcher had planted moles within Crimson. Uncovering such information shouldn't be difficult, the young man knew.
"Mr. Gong," the young man said quickly, "the convoy that brought those two hasn't gone far. We should still be able to catch them if we pursue now."
After Gong Zhe nodded, the young man hurried out, not forgetting to close the door behind him.
The vast room fell silent once more. Gong Zhe pulled open the bottom drawer, opened the hidden compartment, and retrieved the golden clock face concealed within.
Thirteen enamel-painted markings adorned the face, each a blend of exquisite beauty and enigmatic mystery, as if imbued with the power of some ancient faith.
His fingers traced the intricate patterns, finally settling on the marking for the number 4.
The mechanism activated, and the scale popped open, revealing another, smaller hidden compartment within.
Inside lay a photograph of a masked figure wearing a woman's silk stocking.
Holes had been crudely punched out for the eyes, nose, and mouth, giving the mask a distinctly improper air.
Even within the Crimson, this was an anomaly.
Gong Zhe retrieved the photograph and held it over the candle flame, watching it slowly turn to ash.
The compartment lay empty, as if awaiting a new owner.
His finger brushed against the surface, and a crisp "click" echoed through the room.
Another mechanism activated, and the scale marked with the number 6 popped open. Gong Zhe's entire body trembled at the sight.
Unlike the compartments marked with 4 and 10, the one representing Crimson 6 held a group photograph. In the photo, a ring lay still, resting on the surface.
It was the Xia Family's ring, its surface engraved with the family crest using both intaglio and relief techniques.
But Gong Zhe's gaze bypassed the ring's profound significance, settling instead on the photograph.
The photo depicted a man and a child, perhaps four or five years old.
The child sat atop the man's shoulders, brandishing plastic swords in each hand, his smile radiant.
The man's emotions were more subdued, but his imposing physique alone conveyed an unshakeable sense of strength.
This is a father and son.
At least, they were when this photo was taken.
Gong Zhe's breath quickened as he stared at the boy's smiling face. A gust of wind stirred the heavy curtains, briefly illuminating the room with sunlight.
Cracks of varying sizes appeared on Gong Zhe's face, as if something were about to burst forth. Even more terrifying, his eyes transformed into golden, vertical slits.
In the fleeting light, one could see that the pattern adorning the number 6 on the golden clock face was identical to the Xia Family crest on their ring.
And there were thirteen similar patterns on the golden clock face.
"Mr. Qin," a voice on the other end of the line said rapidly, "we haven't found those vehicles. They seem to have vanished into thin air."
Listening to his subordinate's report, the young man covered his forehead, his mind a jumbled mess.
People disappearing he could understand, but the cars? Surely they hadn't vanished into thin air too.
"Keep searching!"
"Understood."
After issuing the order, the young man sat in his office, lost in thought. It seemed Gong Zhe was right—these people were definitely suspicious.
His men weren't fools; they'd secretly installed tracking devices on the vehicles long ago. But now, those devices were inexplicably malfunctioning.
It was truly Crimson.
Crimson's interest in the Xia Family wasn't new. Although the Xia Family had publicly withdrawn from the Night Watcher, their connection hadn't been severed. At least when it came to Crimson's attitude towards them, there had never been any wavering.
Yet such a covert infiltration was still rare. There had to be a hidden secret at play.
The young man narrowed his eyes. Gong Zhe's attitude was also questionable. Those two mutilated corpses on the mountain were his handiwork.
Normally, Gong Zhe killing two people wouldn't be a big deal. But what was strange was his reaction: he hadn't admitted to it.
The young man suspected Gong Zhe had long since recognized the victims' true identities; otherwise, he wouldn't have acted so decisively.
Furthermore, the Fatty had been imprisoned for so long without Gong Zhe even considering using the Power of the Door to investigate. Yet he suddenly proposed it only after eliminating the two Specialists. Could there be some causal link between these events?
The young man boldly speculated that the root of all this lay with the Fatty.
He was the catalyst that had disrupted the balance.
His identity was shrouded in mystery. Even Gong Zhe hadn't known his true identity when he was first brought in. It was only after a series of events that Gong Zhe had grown suspicious, eventually resorting to using the Power of the Door to investigate.
If the young man's suspicions were correct and the Fatty truly was sent by Crimson, then Crimson had invested a considerable amount in him.
Such a person could not be a mere pawn.
What was his true identity?
Was he an agent of Crimson?
Or someone Crimson wanted to kill?
Or perhaps Crimson sought something from him?
Based on the current clues, the young man could only speculate this far. But the crucial point was that he had now noticed the Fatty.
(End of the Chapter)
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