Finding Someone

"Is it your father?"

Xiao Xiao frowned slightly, without making a sound.

His face remained expressionless, but a profound sense of absurdity and doubt began to well up within him.

Previously, in his eyes, his father had always been a monster in human skin, one of the natives controlled by the City Will, one of the backgrounds set up by the city for him. He had distanced himself from his life, like a toy that was thrown into a corner and left to gather dust because he didn't like it. But now, this toy is investigating him, which is quite interesting.

After four years of torment in his bedroom, and then seeing this absurd and bizarre world, Xiao Xiao felt his heart was strong enough to accept such a vast and distorted understanding. However, from the last time he saw the Shepherds, to the illusions he saw during the third stage of the Insightful Enhancement, and then to the scene he saw when inheriting the Old Chairman's contract, which was neither real nor unreal...

All of this has actually shaken the very things I thought I could firmly believe in.

Occasionally, he also felt a deep sense of disgust, even panic.

Fortunately, he was always able to process his emotions faster than others, and over time, he began to find it interesting.

Am I really going crazy?

Perhaps only this answer can explain all this strangeness?

He took a deep breath, silently processing the emotional turmoil within himself, before asking into the phone:

"Did he say why he was investigating me?"

"..."

"I don't know the reason."

The younger of the Serpent Sisters said, "You, my father... I should at least call you uncle, shouldn't I?"

"... That's quite interesting. This great detective said that your father gave him a lot of money to investigate you, but he didn't say what he wanted to investigate. He only said that he wanted to know your current whereabouts and the people you associate with. Moreover, from the beginning of the investigation, it was agreed that the two of them would never meet, and would not even communicate through email or other means of communication. Every time he found something, he would only report it through a phone call."

"And the other party may not even answer the phone; they just need to speak into the receiver after the call connects."

"I just persuaded him very gently to make a phone call to his uncle."

"After the call was connected, the other party was unsure if anyone was there, but seeing that there was no information on our end, they hung up after three seconds."

"..."

"OK."

Xiao Xiao asked a few more questions, and after confirming that there were no further updates, he said softly, "Thank you for your help."

"I'd also like to trouble you to deal with this private investigator as well..."

"..."

"It's our honor to serve the junior president..."

Laughter from the Serpent Sisters came from the other end of the phone, and I could vaguely hear them whispering to each other before hanging up:

Where can we find a dog farm?

"This is the first time the young president has assigned us a task, so we need to do it well..."

"..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao felt that they seemed to have misunderstood something, but he was too lazy to explain. He simply turned to look at Yang Jia with a questioning look in his eyes.

Although the phone wasn't on speakerphone, Yang Jia should have been able to hear it clearly at such a close distance.

"I have not yet met your father."

Yang Jia knew what he was going to ask and said softly, "But he sounds very smart. What the natives fear most is our pollution, that is, being bought by us with points. Moreover, we have some other abilities that can influence the natives, which makes them fear us from the bottom of their hearts and they have gone through all sorts of methods to prevent being polluted by us."

"Your father's actions are a typical example of something that has been thought out in the first place."

"He sent this private investigator to investigate you, and he was prepared for the investigator to be discovered and corrupted by you. That's why he doesn't dare to meet this person, fearing that there might be intermittent corruption, or that you might find him through the private investigator. He doesn't dare to answer emails because among the different Enhancement Element of the Strangers, there are indeed some abilities that can influence people through specific words and pictures."

"And the phone they used for their reports, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't being used by anyone on the other end."

"It is very likely that it is connected to an instrument for information filtering."

"This is probably also to prevent someone from directly corrupting him through his voice over the phone."

"..."

"Father acted very professionally..."

Xiao Xiao became increasingly certain that he should visit his father.

However, what's rather absurd is that he suddenly realized he didn't even know where he lived.

Furthermore, since he's now taking so many precautions, even sending a private investigator, it means he's becoming very cautious. Even if I find his address and go there directly, he'll most likely be gone by then...

"Is there any way to find him?"

Xiao Xiao asked directly.

"Normally, it's very simple."

Yang Jia said softly, "Mister Ye only needs to glance at this city."

Xiao Xiao slightly and opened his phone, but unexpectedly, an email came in as soon as he held the phone in his hand.

From Mister Ye: I've already checked, but I can't find him.

"?"

Xiao Xiao didn't know what to say, but Mister Ye was quite efficient.

But he was indeed secretly watching me and Yang Jia, wasn't he?

So he lazily replied, "Isn't it impolite for you to stare like that when we're alone in the car?"

The email took a long time to arrive before I replied, "Sorry, I won't check it at this time in the future."

"If you want to keep Mister Ye away from you, the method is quite simple."

Yang Jia didn't need to ask any further questions; she seemed to know what had happened and smiled faintly:

"His ability is quite special. He can borrow the eyes of almost all the natives in this city. So, as long as there are natives around you, or stray cats, or pet dogs, or even rats, birds, or flies... flies are a little less likely. In short, as long as there are eyes looking at you, he can borrow those perspectives and even quickly switch them according to the distance."

"If you don't want him to see you, just try to find a place where no one is watching you."

"..."

Xiao Xiao noted it down, and then couldn't help but say, "Then remember to put privacy film on your car windows next time."

"OK."

Yang Jia couldn't help but laugh, and added, "However, he doesn't look at me very often, and even when he does, I can notice it. In fact, as someone who can see things clearly, you should also be able to notice or distinguish which gazes are unusual..."

"Theoretically, it should be possible..."

Xiao Xiao thought to himself, "Who told me I haven't had time to familiarize myself with my abilities yet?"

Getting back to the main point. "He said he couldn't see it either, what's going on?"

"If Mister Ye. Ye can't see it either, there are probably only two possibilities."

Yang Jia said softly, "Either your father has already left Black Gate City, since the natives have their own means of transportation and Mister Ye. Ye can't see people outside the Black Gate City area, or your father used some Black Forest technology. Those people have always been afraid of being corrupted by us, so they designed some special protective devices to shield the perception of related forces."

"The Black Forest ...Father..."

Xiao Xiao thought to himself silently, and said softly, "Then there's no other way for the time being?"

"Yes, even if we want to buy it, we need to be able to scan it first."

Yang Jia replied softly, "As long as we have a clear understanding of what's going on with the indigenous people, we can buy from them."

"Since this person is your father, the target is naturally clear. Even if he uses some kind of shielding method, it is impossible to shield him forever. As long as he appears within Mister Ye's perception range, you can establish a connection with him through Mister Ye and make a purchase directly. In this way, he will be influenced by you and will take the initiative to appear in front of you. So, you just need to wait."

"..."

"But how long will it take?"

Xiao Xiao thought to himself silently.

For a moment, I felt it was a bit strange. I was already a stranger in a foreign land, yet I couldn't find a single native.

But he only thought about it for a second before he had an idea. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Oh my, my dear little brother, you already miss me?"

Rabbit Ears voice came through the phone. "Last time you were done having fun, and then you left her alone in the office..."

"That's really too much..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao's eyebrows twitched involuntarily.

Yang Jia, who was next to him, seemed to prick up his ears slightly, but continued driving as if nothing had happened.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Xiao Xiao's voice turned serious as he said, "I have something important to discuss with you this time. I need you to investigate someone for me."

The Rabbit Ears immediately asked curiously, "Male or female? What cup size? What model?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao said, "His name is Xiao Zhigong, and he is 47 years old."

"I need you to help me find someone named Xiao Zhigong, 47 years old."

"He started out in the logistics business, and later invested in several administrative projects in Uptown District, making a lot of money. He was even featured in a newspaper three years ago. He owns a company called Zhigong. I hope you can use your connections in the Pink Gang to help me find out all of this person's movements, whereabouts, connections, and even some of his illegal activities in the past five years."

"The more, the better; the more detailed, the better."

"If necessary... it's not impossible to use some methods to bring him directly to me."

"..."

"Huh?"

The sound of Rabbit Ears rapidly tapping on a keyboard came from the other end, accompanied by a laugh as someone said, "So there really is something going on?"

"Don't worry, our Pink Gang is very familiar with kidnapping and extortion."

"But, could you tell me, sir, who exactly is this guy you're looking for?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "My father."

"Hiss..."

The Rabbit Ears voice on the other end of the phone was visibly shocked for a moment, then immediately responded with even greater excitement:

"This is getting interesting..."