Work Priorities

"The intersection point?"

Lu Xin paused slightly as he listened to their words and asked, "How long will that take?"

Sergeant Han Bing, on the channel, pondered for a moment before replying, "It's not certain yet."

Lu Xin understood the problem she was referring to.

In High Wall City today, especially in the Satellite Cities that served as buffers for the main city, the population was very complex. There were many who had only recently entered High Wall City and hadn't obtained permanent residency, or perhaps had even snuck in. Not everyone's identity could be quickly verified, and furthermore, public facilities like surveillance cameras were not widespread in the Satellite Cities.

This wasn't the main city. Apart from crucial areas like the Administrative Hall and the Materials Department, there weren't even cameras installed, or they were already damaged.

Lu Xin didn't doubt the Special Action Team's execution capabilities or resources.

However, under these circumstances, trying to trace the routes of these individuals before their deaths and find an intersection point in a short period was inherently troublesome.

So, he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Are there any faster methods?"

After a slight pause, he explained, "After all, tomorrow is the eighth day, and it's highly likely someone else will be infected."

A moment of silence fell over the channel upon hearing his words.

The three members of the investigation team also cast complex glances at Lu Xin.

They understood Lu Xin's concern.

If they followed the pattern of those who previously sought revenge against Qin Ran, with one person seeking revenge on the first day, two on the second, and four on the fourth, then tomorrow, there should be eight people seeking revenge. In fact, it might not even take until tomorrow; theoretically, after midnight tonight, eight new "revengers" could appear.

This meant eight more innocent victims.

Such a worry was perfectly normal, but hearing it from Lu Xin made everyone feel a bit surprised.

"I agree with Lu Xin's assessment,"

After a while, Chen Jing's voice came through the channel. "It's not about saving people or not. The work we do has always been about saving people. As long as we can eliminate the source of pollution, we indirectly save many lives. That cannot be the focus of our work."

"The focus of our work, and our highest priority goal, is to eliminate the source of pollution. It always will be."

"I agree with his opinion because efficiency is crucial when dealing with the source of mental pollution."

"Thoroughly investigating the routes of the polluted individuals before their deaths and comparing them would take too long."

"During this time, the source of pollution might undergo unexpected mutations..."

"..."

After a brief pause, she continued, "Based on the current data, since all the contaminated 'revengers' claim to seek revenge against Qin Ran, and Cui Wang was the first 'revenger,' it indicates that Cui Wang must have some connection to the source of pollution. Even if no suspicious findings were made at his killing or disposal locations, it's not impossible that the true source of pollution is nearby, and the possibility is quite high."

"Let's assume the source of pollution is in that general area and proceed with the analysis."

"That abandoned industrial zone has no residents and very little foot traffic, so the focus shouldn't be on where the intersection point is..."

"We can focus on where, in the vicinity of that area, it's more likely to become an intersection point."

"..."

Hearing this, Lu Xin's eyes lit up slightly.

Chen Jing's analysis was somewhat unexpected, but he really liked her decisiveness.

"Yes!"

Han Bing's voice on the channel disappeared for a moment, followed by the sound of blueprints being opened, as if she were examining maps and data. After a while, her voice sounded again, "Near the southern abandoned industrial zone, there are about four locations where an intersection point of pedestrian traffic could form."

"The first is the fertilizer plant to the southwest, where about two hundred workers are employed. Normally, workers are transported by shuttle bus, but it's not impossible for employees to walk home alone and pass near the abandoned industrial zone. Additionally, about three kilometers west of the abandoned industrial area, there is a large garbage station where stray children and beggars often gather to scavenge for trash..."

"Furthermore, according to the data, some criminals also choose to conduct transactions in that area!"

"..."

Lu Xin subconsciously glanced at Qin Ran.

Qin Ran, unable to hear the voices from the channel, was squatting to the side, smoking. He looked at Lu Xin inexplicably.

At this moment, Chen Jing had already made a decision, "Send these locations to the investigation team."

"Beep beep..."

Soon, faint lights illuminated the black screens on the arms of the three armed investigation team members.

Lu Xin leaned over to look and saw complex maps and markings displayed on them.

He carefully distinguished them and recognized that it was a map of the entire southern area of Satellite City No. 2, with several red dots marked.

"They sent it already?"

"Such high technology..."

He marveled inwardly, "But the Director mentioned that before the Crimson Moon incident, this kind of technology was common?"

"You can go and investigate them one by one now."

Chen Jing's voice came through the channel, as if explaining to Lu Xin, "Mental pollution may seem chaotic and disordered, but as long as it exists, it follows certain patterns and characteristics. Once we identify these patterns and characteristics, we can clear it with minimal cost. A professor once said that when facing these mad events, reason is humanity's only advantage."

Lu Xin listened, deeply impressed. "Who was that professor?"

Chen Jing paused for a moment and said, "You're focusing on the wrong thing."

Lu Xin blushed and said, "Oh."

"Go straight, then turn left."

The jeep drove slowly into the desolate factory area in the southern part of the city. Night had long fallen, and the surroundings were shrouded in a heavy darkness. Only a red moon hung in the sky, casting its scarlet moonlight onto this dead, chaotic city.

As the jeep's headlights tore through the dark red night, illuminating the weeds and broken road, Lu Xin and his team had arrived at the edge of the southern city, nearing the high wall. Like all high wall cities, the closer you got to the wall, the more desolate and sparsely populated it became. Apart from the City Patrol Army guarding the sentry towers every three kilometers, no one else could be seen.

And this was the last location Lu Xin and the others were scheduled to investigate.

Contrary to Lu Xin's expectations, the pollution investigation wasn't as exciting as he'd imagined; it was rather tedious. At each location, they would stop and use instruments to conduct thorough checks. Only after confirming there were no issues would they move on to the next place.

During the checks, everyone's nerves were on edge. They only relaxed a little once they were back in the car.

Soon, the car drove into the fourth suspicious location marked on the map. It was a half-finished construction site, and they could even see some foundations that had been laid long ago but were now overgrown with weeds.

Han Bing's quiet explanation came through the channel: "After the situation stabilized within High Wall City, there was a period of rapid population growth. At that time, the Administrative Hall considered renovating this area and designating it as a mixed residential and industrial zone. Unfortunately, due to the Technological Church's interference, Satellite City No. 4 experienced a severe population outflow, with the excess population relocating. This place was then abandoned."

In fact, the entire southern region of Satellite City No. 2 was currently a reserve area for future development.

It was said that the Administrative Hall's biggest dream was to have more people to fill these places.

As the jeep's headlights broke through the darkness ahead, they soon illuminated a shimmering area.

Lu Xin and the others got out of the car and discovered it was a pool of water.

It was supposed to be a large pit, but due to the low terrain, rainwater had accumulated, forming a seemingly large wild lake. On the shore, the weeds were knee-high, and a small path, barely visible if not looked at carefully, passed by the lake and extended towards the city.

As soon as he got out of the car, Lu Xin sensed something was wrong.

His sister, who had been somewhere else while he was in the car, was now by the lake.

She was squatting in the weeds by the lake, her eyes shining as she stared intently into the water.

Hearing Lu Xin get out of the car, she suddenly turned her head and said excitedly, "Brother, there's something fun here..."

"Something fun?"

Lu Xin's heart tightened slightly, and he quickly walked over.

He knew his sister's sense of aesthetics was a bit different from others, so what she called "something fun"