The supermarket's surveillance footage was quickly uploaded to their computers.
Around 7:50 p.m., Zhang Yue, one of the bookstore employees, appeared in the video. He was holding a piece of paper and it was clear that he was making a planned selection of items.
He first bought a lot of daily necessities, then some instant noodles and snacks, and then asked the shop assistant for some tea. Finally, before leaving, he also bought some fruit-flavored wine.
"It wasn't him," Ren Yifei said. "Judging from the length of this shopping list, it's their group's shopping list. Also, this person had already passed by the tea section, but his eyes kept looking at the coffee. Normal tea lovers wouldn't do that. So he's buying it on behalf of someone else."
The others nodded in agreement with his conclusion.
After eliminating one more person, two people remain: the store manager Jiang Dong, and Li Yu, a former clerk who used to work as a courier for him.
Ren Yifei favored the shop owner, Jiang Dong.
He had dealt with the "ghost" a few times. During the game when He Jun died, they indirectly fought a match. At that time, he felt that the "ghost" lacked courage and was cowardly.
Later, the way "Ghost" used Xing Ming to deliver diaries to them made his methods seem even more despicable; such tactics wouldn't even last three episodes in a palace drama.
Then came today—no, it's past 1 a.m. now, so it should be considered yesterday. We didn't even get to meet yesterday; I had to flee in a panic.
Would someone like that personally go to the company to see what's going on?
No, he won't.
Another point is that no matter how cunning He Jun is, he is still a grown man. He probably wouldn't be able to call someone of similar age or younger "Brother Xing".
Moreover, due to his upbringing, He Jun has a special 'father' filter when it comes to older men, and is more easily moved by people who look mature.
The boss, Jiang Dong, is a better fit.
Ren Yifei hadn't dared to draw a conclusion before, because the shop assistant Zhang Yue actually met the criteria. He was older than He Jun and looked refined and cultured.
But now that Zhang Yue has been ruled out, the only remaining option is the store manager, Jiang Dong.
"Now we're just waiting for reports from concerned citizens. Hopefully, that one million will be somewhat attractive."
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The suspect has been identified; all that's left is to wait for the right opportunity. Ren Yifei went to the restroom to splash some cold water on his face, and when he came out, he found Saman leaning against the wall waiting for him.
"Have you figured out how to deal with mini-games?"
Ren Yifei nodded and then shook his head: "It's hard to say for sure yet, but I already have some ideas."
Samantha knew Ren Yifei had many secrets, but everyone has their own. He was just being nosy by asking.
The ghost itself is nothing to fear; it's the little game behind it that's a bit of a hassle.
At that time, Saman digitized the entire system because he was in the game and had the medium. Outside the game world, Saman didn't know how to deal with mini-games.
The challenge following the identification must be undertaken by the person making the identification; no one else may interfere. This matter can only be handled by Ren Yifei himself.
No matter how worried Samantha was, he couldn't do it for him.
Prepare more life-saving items when you get back." Ren Yifei noticed Saman's worry but didn't take it to heart. At worst, he'd fail; he wouldn't lose his life. Saman himself, however, was in a rather precarious situation.
He wrote four letters in Saman's palm: hwzj (Wasteland Corner).
If Saman can digitize mini-games, can he also digitize the Wasteland? With such a powerful weapon in his hands, the Wasteland will be wary regardless of his motives.
From the perspective of the desolate corner, Saman's existence is a threat.
If Saman relinquishes this powerful weapon, it's like a general returning military power; then he can live as before, with his life and death entirely in the hands of others.
Either he refuses to back down, becoming one of the first targets to be eliminated by the Desolate Corner, and from then on, it's either him or her, a delicate relationship.
"What if it were you?" After a moment of silence, Saman asked Ren Yifei.
"Having no sword in your hand and having a sword but not using it are two different things." Ren Yifei answered this question by quoting a big shot.
What a joke! Of course, we should keep our trump card in our own hands. Power grows out of the barrel of a gun, and that applies here too.
"I'm glad we have something in common again." Samantha said with a faint smile. He was really afraid that Ren Yifei would persuade him to compromise—although the possibility of that was very small.
"Ah Fei, don't you think we're quite tacit..."
"Ding." Before Samantha could finish saying the word "Qi," the phone rang, breaking the silence.
Ren Yifei turned his head and answered the phone: "Hello, Miss An?"
"Um... Mr. Zhong?"
"Yes." Ren Yifei's voice was both indifferent and polite. "May I ask what business Miss An has with me?"
Then you can hear Miss An on the other end of the line pressing the phone and complaining in a low voice: "You jerk, what if people misunderstand if I make you call at this hour?"
After Ms. An finished complaining, she loosened her grip, and her voice became clear again: "Actually, it's my brother—"
Her mouth was covered, and a somewhat nervous male voice came from the other end: "Um, it's me. Why...why didn't I see you when I came out?"
Ren Yifei raised an eyebrow: "Are you alright?"
"fine."
"Hmm," Ren Yifei pressed, "when did you come out?"
"It was the same time, but this time I didn't show up in the car; I came straight back. My sister said that when she saw me, I was lying on the floor. Do you know what happened after that?"
"I'm just like you," Ren Yifei lied without batting an eye. "Perhaps something happened that we don't know about."
"Oh." There was a long pause on the other end, as if someone was considering something.
Ren Yifei glanced at the time; it was almost two o'clock. "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."
"Hey, wait a minute. Cough, are you free? No, no, I meant to ask, when are you free? How about we grab a bite to eat? Don't get me wrong, I just want to thank you, nothing else, really."
Ren Yifei frowned slightly. Just as he was about to say something, Saman suddenly leaned closer, resting her chin on his shoulder. Although she wasn't asleep, she made a muffled sound as if her sleep had been disturbed: "Lan, who's looking for you at this hour?"
The person on the other end of the phone reacted as if they'd been electrocuted: "Who is this? I mean, didn't you go on a blind date with my sister a few days ago? What's going on?"
"Just like you, a friend I met 'on the bus'." Ren Yifei turned his head and gave Saman, who was hanging on him, a silent warning: Don't mess around.
Samantha made a zipping motion, but a slight smile appeared on his lips.
The young man seemed to realize his attitude was inappropriate only then: "I didn't mean anything by it, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, go to sleep, it's so late."
After hanging up the phone, Ren Yifei turned his head and saw Saman's ambiguous smile: "With such a gentle tone, I'm afraid that child won't be able to sleep tonight."
"You really like this tone?" Ren Yifei tugged at his tie and moved closer to Saman, their noses almost touching.
Saman held his breath.
In this world, they were about the same height, and Ren Yifei even looked more mature and had a stronger aura. When he gazed at someone, his deep eyes seemed to hold a captivating affection.
Saman was captivated by this 'affection' and couldn't help but reach out, his arm almost hooking around that supple waist.
"Found it!... Uh, well, you two go ahead and get back to work." Xiao Wei, who had rushed out excitedly, simultaneously pulled back his hands and feet. After taking two steps back, he couldn't help but turn back and whisper, "Um, you two hurry up, we're in a rush."
Ren Yifei: ...
The letter came from a concerned citizen, along with a video; the three people in the video were indeed those same people.
"The key is him." Ren Yifei pointed to the store manager, Jiang Dong, and stated his judgment. Apart from some things that could not be revealed, he said everything else he could.
This intelligence will also be uploaded to it very soon.
"I need to ask for instructions. This place is quite complicated and involves many people." The old captain shook his head. "It's a special school."
Yes, the three who escaped went to a special school where many children lived on campus.
Although we don't yet know what they have, these three people must have considered taking the school's teachers and students hostage when they chose to go here.
About five minutes later, the old team leader brought out a phone and handed it to Ren Yifei: "It's a call from the leader, from the province." The previously messy little room suddenly became quiet, and everyone held their breath, staring at the phone.
Even Ren Yifei himself was stunned for a second.
"Comrade Xiao Zhong," a gentle voice came from the other end, "we are aware of the situation here. Our message is that as long as it benefits society, don't be afraid, we will fully support it."
"Don't feel burdened. In fact, you've already done very well. Go ahead and do it with confidence. The country supports you."
Ren Yifei listened quietly, and finally said, "Okay."
The vast and complex machine of the state began to operate with unexpected efficiency. Within ten minutes, all departments began to coordinate their actions.
Roadblocks were set up along the route leading to the special school, and traffic police were stationed there. Snipers assembled in the shortest possible time, and even a team of negotiation experts arrived from another city.
Without further ado, Ren Yifei and the others immediately set off in their car.
Xiao Wei, who was in the same car, was both nervous and excited; it was his first time participating in such an event. The other newcomer, on the other hand, was much more mature; if it weren't for his clenched fists, it would be almost impossible to tell his true feelings.
Ren Yifei silently looked at the sky. The night was moonless and starless, as if shrouded in black mist.
The car quietly entered its destination, a semi-abandoned old town demolition area.
The old town is quiet right now; it's three o'clock, the time when everyone is sound asleep.
The gate to the special school was pried open, and the security guard was found slumped over a table, knocked unconscious.
When Ren Yifei and his team arrived, it was pitch black inside, both the teaching buildings and the dormitories. The well-trained special forces soldiers were as quiet as shadows, awaiting orders from their superiors.
"They're all asleep at this hour." The officer in charge of the operation frowned. "First, we need to pinpoint their locations."
They brought police dogs, these brave soldiers who could smell criminals from miles away.
They quickly located the trio in the student dormitory of this special school. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; their worst fears had come true.
"Go up and check to pinpoint the exact location of the target."
This time, the team consists of agile and well-trained special forces soldiers.
Ren Yifei watched them leap over the wall like cats and disappear into the stairwell. He rubbed his temples. It was late, but he wasn't sleepy; he was just tired.
Time passed slowly, tick-tock, minute by minute.
"602." A message came from above. One piece of good news, one piece of bad news.
The good news is that they don't have firearms or weapons of mass destruction like bombs. The bad news is that the four kids in room 602 have been taken hostage.
"Let's go up and talk to them. Meanwhile, we'll bring the other teachers and students down."
"I'll go too," Ren Yifei said, his gaze resolute. "He hates me terribly, and he might lose control of his emotions if he sees me. That would be my chance."
Ren Yifei went up, along with Saman. The trio inside pointed knives at the four children huddled together, who didn't understand why they had been exposed.
"It's you!" The three disheveled men saw Ren Yifei and Saman and recognized them at a glance. "You actually cooperated with the government? You...aren't you afraid of dying?"
"If you were afraid of death, you wouldn't be here," Ren Yifei smiled. "Unlike you, I have always been willing to trust my government."
As he spoke, he looked at the two shop assistants: "I know you were coerced."
The two shop assistants glanced at the shop owner, Jiang Dong, almost instinctively.
The ghost has been exposed; if it shouts out that name, this world will end.
"He Jun misses you a lot." Ren Yifei looked at the store manager Jiang Dong and noticed his uncontrollable micro-expressions. "Mr. X, Ghost, Store Manager Jiang Dong."