Searching for Someone

"Pankto Valetti's wife and daughter... Ah, you've come to the right person, Arthur —I've found them!"

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot was operating the terminal when she flipped the screen over.

"Vivian Valetti, wife of Pankto Valetti and former employee of the Truth Company, and her daughter Palo Valetti."

"Identity documents show that both were third-class citizens—however, their mother passed away many years ago, and now only Palo Valetti remains."

Lin Yu stared at the two people on the screen, momentarily stunned.

"Are these Pankto's wife and daughter?"

"Can this person be considered a third-class citizen?"

Even with his vast experience and knowledge, Lin Yu couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at this moment.

After all...

The two people appearing on the screen are definitely not some beautiful wife or lovely daughter.

The late Vivian Valetti appears to be a very fierce-looking woman. In her last ID photo, she has a scar across her face and tattoos of interlocking gears on her shoulders and neck.

Even without seeing his biography and resume, Lin Yu could guess...

This woman is definitely a fierce gang member or triad member.

Similarly, Palo Valetti's style of dress is inherited from her mother.

Although there were no knife scars or tattoos, the equally fierce eyes, the obvious creases left on the skin from multiple Alchemy Surgeries, and the half-shaved, punk-style haircut all made it clear...

This guy probably followed in his mother's footsteps.

Were these two forced to join the gang after Pankto Valetti's disappearance?

Or perhaps... Pankto Do already had a gang member and a little gang member as a child?

Lin Yu pondered.

But no matter what...

After seeing Palo Valetti's look, Lin Yu was also certain... he had indeed chosen the right person to hire Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

This guy looks like the type who operates within the "Fairy Queen's " territory.

"So... is it possible to find her current address or Communicator?"

Lin Yu asked, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot shook her head. "I'm sorry, Arthur, Palo Valetti doesn't own any property, doesn't have a registered Business License, and doesn't have a mobile Credit Points account... Although she's not unregistered, this is all the personal information we can find in the Database. We don't have her contact information."

At this point, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot paused, then added, "However, judging from the tattoo on her mother's neck and the coat she's wearing, this girl should be connected to the 'Gear Association'."

Lin Yu pressed for an answer.

"The Gear Association... is it a club?"

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot nodded. "Yes, and it's a not-so-malicious gang. Its aim is to gather retired or dismissed outsourced alchemy technicians from the Three Great Corporations, and then use that money to negotiate with mercenaries and other legitimate violent gangs for things like routine Alchemy Component maintenance and Alchemy Surgery modifications."

"After all, the doctor-patient conflict in the Outer City is still quite serious... Individual technicians who lose their jobs and want to take on odd jobs are easily bullied by gangs—and if something goes wrong, they are easily retaliated against."

"The existence of this 'Gear Association' is less like a club or gang, and more like some kind of... um, guild?"

Lin Yu added, "Or perhaps it's a mutual aid association for laid-off workers..."

"Yes, Arthur, as you know, I'm essentially an 'alchemy technician' myself. I have a pretty good impression of this organization, so after I took over the Outer City's underworld, I gave them some advantages, which allowed the organization to grow considerably."

"Nightless Sky Fire Apricot said with a grin."

Lin Yu asked, "So, does that mean we can easily find Palo Valetti by following the Gear Association's trail?"

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot nodded. "That's right... Anyway, let's not delay, let's set off."

"Come with me, Arthur."

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot spoke, she opened the window of the private room and jumped from the second floor.

Lin Yu followed closely behind, walking with Nightless Sky Fire Apricot from Gray Street Three through narrow alleys in the afternoon, and soon arrived at a dirty and messy shantytown.

This place looks like some kind of "slum".

In the deepest part of the slums Nightless Sky Fire Apricot kicked open the door of a dilapidated house. The house was empty and seemed to have been abandoned for a long time.

Just as Lin Yu was about to ask Nightless Sky Fire Apricot what she was doing here, he saw Nightless Sky Fire Apricot pull open a cover on the floor inside the room, opening the entrance to the cellar.

The moment the cover was opened, a strange "gurgling" sound was released, accompanied by a peculiar fragrance.

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

"Luella Asen—I'm here."

As she spoke, the Nightless Sky Fire Apricot leaped onto the ground.

After Lin Yu went down, he discovered that the underground was not an ordinary abandoned cellar, but a well-organized underground alchemy workshop.

The brick walls around the cellar were completely demolished and dug outwards, and a wooden frame was installed for support, expanding the original underground space of only about four or five square meters to a size larger than the house above ground—though it was still only about ten square meters.

But this small space was crammed with three huge cabinets, two alchemy tables, and a huge soup pot.

A few alchemical lamps were haphazardly tied to the wooden frame as a light source, dimly illuminating the space.

The cabinets and tables are made of wood and stone, and the workmanship looks very rough.

The soup pot was pitted and uneven, almost covered in a patina.

The Alchemical Materials piled up everywhere were all unprocessed raw minerals and herbs.

Rather than an underground Alchemy Laboratory, it was more like an ancient "workshop".

Even Lin Yu took some time to find the owner of this workshop, the guy whom Huo Xing from Nightless Sky Fire Apricot called "Luella Asen," from the messy and densely packed furnishings.

Beside the large pot on the ground, a girl with black and green hair, mostly black, slowly got up. She was wearing a dark green robe and a mushroom-shaped Card Key, and looked dazed and confused, as if she hadn't woken up yet.

Perhaps because she was still unsteady on her feet after just waking up, Luella instinctively reached out to steady herself against the boiling soup pot next to her as she got up. She then instantly became fully awake and let out a scream.

"Ouch—it hurts!"

Luella practically jumped up and down as she spoke, then hurriedly ran to the workbench next to her and smeared her palms with a bluish-green mineral before calming down.

Then, she slowly turned around and looked at Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

"It's you, Raccoon!"

What are you looking for here?

Looking at Luella, who was clutching her scalded hand and speaking incoherently, Lin Yu turned to Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

"Are you sure this is the person we're looking for...? Something feels off..."

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot immediately lowered her voice and said, "Don't say that. Luella isn't stupid. She's just... uh, not quite right in the head."

"I didn't say she was stupid," Lin Yu sighed, then added, "But even if she's not entirely clear-headed, it's still a big problem... Why did you bring her here?"

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot shook her head. "This guy is very useful..."

As she spoke, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot also stepped forward, patted Luella Asen on the shoulder, and simply introduced her to Lin Yu.

"Arthur, let me introduce you. This is Luella Asen... an undocumented immigrant. She used to be a Noble, but her family was wiped out in a factional Struggle within the company, so she ended up in the Outer City."

"Because she inherited her family's Alchemy, she's considered a prominent figure in the Outer City... and she's also very skilled in ancient alchemy—she can process raw Alchemical Materials into usable 'medicines' and 'Item' by hand without relying on any Alchemy Components, processing facilities, or even pre-treatment of the Alchemical Materials."

"Many guilds supply her with Alchemical Creation in bulk, every mercenary has bought rough alchemical potions from her, and the Gear Association also buys from her when they can't find pre-processed raw materials... So, if you're looking for a specific person in the Outer City, she's the most well-connected 'Outer City expert'."

"Because she might have met guys from the Outer City who buy Alchemical Materials and cheap alchemy products."

Luella Asen raised her finger and made a peace sign.

"Praise me, and I'll be happy!"

Afterwards, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot introduced Lin Yu and explained her purpose for coming.

"Luella, this is Arthur, also my friend... We've come to find someone."

Luella looked at Lin Yu and nodded.

"Raccoon friend, my friend; friend looking for someone, I looking for someone."

Luella patted his chest, conveying the meaning of "I've got this covered" in vague terms.

Looking at Luella Asen's appearance, Lin Yu had no doubt that this guy would do his best to help him find the person.

Only...

Even if what Nightless Sky Fire Apricot said is true, Luella has most likely met Palo Valetti...

Lin Yu couldn't help but have some doubts.

Does she really remember?

However, based on his trust in Huo Xing of Nightless Sky Fire Apricot, Lin Yu still spoke up slightly.

"Anyway... we're looking for a girl named 'Palo Valetti,' she has gray hair, and her hair is shaved on the left side. She has fierce eyes and looks like she has Prosthetic Eye."

Listening to Lin Yu's description, Luella slapped her thigh.

"Oh! Oh! Palo-- Palo! I know it, I know it perfectly well, I've seen it many times, countless times!"

As she spoke, Luella rummaged through a stone table that looked like it had been built by primitive people, and pulled out something...

Communicator.

Although almost everyone in the City That Never Sleeps has Communicator, Lin Yu was still somewhat shocked that Luella, who looked even more like a member of the Wilderness than the Great Wilderness People, could pull one out and use it skillfully.

"She knows how to use Communicator?"

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot sighed helplessly, "I told you long ago... Luella used to be of Noble birth!"