Get Lost and Do Your Job

Feng Zi had been silently tinkering with the little trinkets she had brought out from the Border Market.

The other three girls in the dormitory had already begun their initial introductions and social exchanges, but she only offered a perfunctory response when someone took the initiative to speak to her.

The three girls also chatted about the increasingly rampant serial killer in the Afterglow District, but Feng Zi did not show the same interest as Li Wei.

The little things her father left behind in the Border Market were actually quite common in the Central District, but once brought to Sun City—especially a place like the Afterglow District—they became exceptionally precious.

The most valuable items were the two communicators capable of cross-city signal transmission by relying on artificial light clouds.

Underground cities were isolated from one another, and communication could only be achieved through intercity rails that required massive amounts of manpower and resources to excavate.

Light cloud communication devices capable of crossing city boundaries were therefore incredibly rare, usually held only by a city's government organizations.

In addition to these, there were electronic devices powered by artificial light clouds. Feng Zi had left the ones that were temporarily useless in the rental apartment along with Li Wei's money box, bringing only a voice recorder with her.

Until the lights went out for sleep, she spent her time adjusting these two devices, failing to notice that the three girls had already become familiar enough to form a small clique, with a subtle tendency to exclude her.

But then again, even if Feng Zi had noticed, she wouldn't have cared.

The next morning, after waking up at the designated time, Feng Zi secretly slipped one of the adjusted communicators to Li Wei.

Li Wei fiddled with the device, which was only the size of a palm and resembled a smartphone.

Its surface was a single touchscreen with no other applications; it contained only a single chat box, and the input method was limited to handwriting.

[We'll use this to communicate from now on. Don't let anyone else find out.]

A line of text appeared in the chat box. Li Wei looked up and saw Feng Zi, already among the group of girls, winking at him.

Li Wei tucked the communicator into the inner pocket of his jacket, feeling a sense of irony in his heart.

So this is what it's like to be socially anxious.

His attention then shifted to Wang Xiaole, who had been busy running around since breakfast time.

The boy did not recognize him. Through gathering information, Li Wei had learned that he had come to the church to seek refuge with relatives, and after receiving the Bishop's approval, he had been kept there to do odd jobs.

This caused Li Wei's vigilance to dissipate somewhat; this chance encounter between two strangers was likely just a coincidence.

"The police car was recovered by our men in the 45th Labor District. A few laborers thought it had been abandoned by the police station in the wild and even injured each other while fighting over it."

"After finding the police car, we conducted a thorough search of districts 35 through 55, but we didn't find any traces of Miss Feng Zi or that bio-android. As you ordered, we have also brought in the head of the Afterglow Labor Union; he is waiting outside to see you now."

In the 1st Labor District, where the command headquarters had been relocated, Tian Yuan frowned as he listened to his subordinate's report, then waved his hand to signal for the man to be brought in.

Soon, a middle-aged man with hair half-black and half-white walked in. His face, while not appearing particularly old, looked exceptionally weary and weathered.

"Long time no see, Chairman Li Ming."

Facing the nominal head of the Afterglow District, Tian Yuan, a Superintendent of the police station, clearly maintained the posture of a superior.

Li Ming kept his own posture very low. He knew full well that a so-called union chairman was merely a dog on a leash held by the Council, used to keep the Afterglow District from causing trouble.

"It has been a long time, Superintendent Tian. You should have notified me earlier that you were coming to Afterglow; it wouldn't be right not to treat you to a proper meal."

"I am here on official business this time, so let's skip the pleasantries." Tian Yuan was blunt, maintaining a strictly professional attitude. "I asked you here because this mission requires the union to provide manpower to help the police station conduct a massive search of the entire Afterglow."

Li Ming's brows furrowed deeply.

"How many days do you need our assistance?"

"That depends on the results. If we can find the person quickly, it won't even take a day. If things don't go smoothly, it will take at least three days or so."

"The union members are basically just ordinary laborers. If we are to assist, the work in the factories will certainly be affected. Does the police station have any..."

Tian Yuan looked at him with dissatisfaction.

"Assisting the Council and the police station in solving cases is the duty of every laborer. Do you expect the police station to pay to hire people just to do such a small task? What would be the point of the union then?"

Li Ming opened his mouth, wanting to argue further, but upon seeing the look in Tian Yuan's eyes, he finally sighed.

"If there is no compensation, so be it. But while a large number of police officers are in Afterglow for this mission, could you also look into the serial murder cases that haven't ceased for over a year?"

He used a tone that was almost pleading.

"Because of this, the laborers are terrified all day long, and even their daytime work is being affected. The Council and the factory owners certainly don't want to see productivity drop, right? At least give the people of Afterglow some hope, let them know the police station is doing something!"

Tian Yuan tapped his knuckles rhythmically against the desk. He seemed equally irritable, but in the end, he finally agreed.

"Have someone send over the union's case files regarding these murders. But let's be clear: Miss Feng Zi's case is the priority. There are countless gentlemen in the Council watching it. As for the Afterglow cases, I can only guarantee that I will have people look into them on the side. Whether or not there will be any results, that will have to be left to fate."

Even such a limited promise was enough for Li Ming to accept.

He nodded and turned to leave Tian Yuan's office. After he left, Tian Yuan called back the subordinate who had reported earlier.

"In a moment, the union will send over a file on a series of serial murder cases. Split a three-man team from our ranks to investigate this case on the side. I'm not forcing any results. Additionally, issue a public notice in Afterglow in the name of the police station, stating that we have launched an investigation into the serial murders and will soon provide the public with a reasonable explanation."

The subordinate, who had only been transferred to Tian Yuan's side because of this incident, looked hesitant.

"Superintendent, a three-man team investigating such a case on the side—isn't that a bit thin on manpower?"

Tian Yuan said expressionlessly:

"I only said I would give them a reasonable explanation when issuing the notice; when did I say I actually intended to give them one? You brainless idiot, get out and do your job!"