Following the trail

Inside the office.

"Hock, ptui...!"

Huang Wei spat a huge glob of phlegm into the trash can, lit another cigarette, and took a deep drag.

Holding his phone, he browsed four or five player groups in succession and found that sales advertisement pinned in every one.

That was nothing unusual in itself. Player chat groups like these regularly sold Star Gate information, items, quest guides, and the like. Pay the advertising fee, and the group owner would pin your post.

But the contents of this advertisement shocked Huang Wei. It mentioned the princess's tomb and Qingliang Prefecture... all things Ren Ye had just experienced, which he remembered perfectly well.

Were other players from the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate selling information?

Huang Wei frowned in thought, then dialed a number. "Hey, fake-medicine peddler, come to my office. Hurry."

About ten minutes after the call, a burly but scholarly-looking young man pushed open the door and entered. "Boss, you wanted me?"

The young man looked to be in his twenties. He wore black-framed glasses, had a vacant expression, and spoke slowly. He looked very much like another keyboard slave.

His name was Xu Peng, one of Old Huang's subordinates and a Year Watcher of Qingfu District.

"Come here." Huang Wei beckoned the slow-moving Xu Peng over and rattled off his instructions. "Two things. First, you're in that smart-ass's group too, right? Contact the person selling information and ask the price. Whatever they quote, just agree. I'll handle the rest. Second, Ren Ye will be out for a week. Starting tomorrow, you'll train him one-on-one. Mainly help him understand Star Gates, the various classes, and the current situation in the real world..."

"...Will I get overtime pay if I stay up late?" Xu Peng asked politely.

"Yes."

"Then can I promote my medicine throughout the organization?" Xu Peng remained as placid and slow-moving as a quiet male rabbit.

"No." Huang Wei refused without hesitation. "That Source-Replenishing Pill you gave Niannian last time nearly sent her into menopause... I'd advise against promoting it privately, too. Our new Director Yan isn't someone to mess with. Cause trouble, and he really will deal with you."

A little after six that evening.

After father and son finished a lavish dinner together, Ren Ye stood in his dad's room, fiddling with his figurines as he asked softly, "You're heading over tonight?"

"Yeah. The editor's pressing me. I'll take a cab over in a bit." His dad was beside the bed, packing his laptop, charger, and other things.

"Oh, okay."

Ren Ye nodded and said no more, simply admiring the row of character figurines on the bookcase.

These lifelike custom figurines were modeled after important characters from his dad's books. They were original designs unavailable on the market, and having them made wasn't cheap.

Ren Ye had seen the Sunset Warrior, True Dragon Monk, Dragonclump Guard, and the other figures on the shelf before. He had even discussed their storylines with his dad. But at the far left was a new female character who looked like a Buddhist nun...

"How come I've never seen this one?" Ren Ye picked up the nun and fiddled with it curiously. "Can her outer robe come off...?"

Smack!

His dad snatched the figurine away, carefully returned it to its spot, locked the cabinet, and drew the curtain. "If you had any ambition, you'd be undressing a real woman!"

"I'm in prison, okay? Undressing someone in there would get my sentence extended!" Ren Ye was speechless.

"All that lip, and still no ambition." His dad sighed and shouldered his backpack. "All right, I'm leaving."

"Take it easy."

"Mm." His dad paused. "I left three thousand yuan on the computer desk in your room."

Ren Ye froze briefly. "You didn't have to. Qingning already gave me some."

"That's all your dad can manage. I don't have any more." His dad usually said little and always looked stern. Leaving those words with no room for argument, he walked out with his little backpack.

As soon as his dad left, Ren Ye rushed back to his room, grabbed the three thousand yuan in cash, hastily pulled on a pair of pants, and raced after him.

Fortunately... less than two minutes after coming downstairs and chasing toward the main road, Ren Ye spotted his dad's back.

Father and son reached the roadside one after the other and each hailed a taxi.

"Driver, follow that car ahead." Sitting in the back, Ren Ye gave meticulous instructions. "No need to start the meter."

"Huh? How do I charge you without the meter?" The driver was bewildered.

Whoosh!

Without wasting words, Ren Ye handed over two hundred yuan. "I'll add more if it isn't enough."

Vroom!

The moment the driver took the money, he perked up, stepped on the accelerator, and followed with impressive professionalism.

In the back seat, Ren Ye narrowed his eyes at his dad's taxi, excitement welling inside him. His voyeuristic streak was getting the ultimate satisfaction.

Following his dad wasn't really a spur-of-the-moment decision. He was simply too curious and unsettled... if he didn't verify things tonight, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep.

The Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate's storyline and the manuscript his dad had to revise were worlds apart in their settings, but their structures and narrative threads were far too similar.

Most importantly, before dinner, Ren Ye had casually asked about his dad's work schedule. His dad had said the editor required the manuscript to be approved within six days, with the plot hole involving the Daoist's duplicate dying horribly fixed.

Yet Ren Ye would reenter the Star Gate in seven days...

Had he never entered a Star Gate, Ren Ye would never have overthought it. But now that a whole series of mysterious, bizarre events had actually happened, his mind had opened up. Anything, however outrageous, seemed possible.

Follow him, find out what's really going on, and see exactly who this editor he's meeting is!

The two taxis drove for nearly forty minutes before stopping separately on a street on the outskirts.

The area looked much less prosperous than downtown, with low-rise buildings everywhere. It was probably an urban village awaiting redevelopment. Food stalls clustered around the lanes and alley entrances, and most pedestrians were workers from the nearby factories.

Ren Ye got out and furtively followed his dad into an alley. After walking for six or seven minutes, they reached an outdoor eatery.

"Old Xu!" Wearing his little backpack, his dad greeted a middle-aged man seated inside with easy familiarity.

Ren Ye hid in the doorway of a residential building. Electric scooters crowded the area, conveniently concealing him. Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man rise beside the eatery and exchange greetings with his dad.

The man also looked to be in his fifties. He was balding and slightly overweight, but fashionably dressed in a white suit and purple-framed glasses.

After a brief chat, the two sat down together.

Some side dishes and beer sat on the table, but his dad had already eaten at home and didn't touch his chopsticks. He simply took out the revised manuscript for Old Xu to read, then sat scrolling through his phone.

Nearby, Ren Ye studied Old Xu closely while considering what to do.

He felt that if something really was wrong here, Old Xu had to be the source. He had given his dad the manuscript and requested the revisions. The whole story concept and submission deadline had come from him, too.

Could this man be a player? What role was Dad playing in this shady little arrangement?

How should I go about verifying this?

Fuck, outside the prince's estate, I'm a total weakling. The Imperial Brush's replication skill doesn't work in the real world. I can summon the Nation-Guarding Sword, but it's about as useful as a kitchen knife, without any supernatural powers...

If he really is a player, I probably can't beat him. And if things get dangerous, Dad might get dragged into it.

What should I do...?

Wait, hold on. How did I forget about that?

I'm such a fucking idiot!

After a furious bout of thinking, Ren Ye's eyes suddenly brightened, and he called softly in his mind, Spring Breeze Wish-Fulfilling Painting.

Whoosh!

A faint light shimmered. Startled, Ren Ye immediately retreated two steps into the residential building. Looking down, he found a scroll in his hand.

[Qingliang Prefecture entry token-Spring Breeze Wish-Fulfilling Painting.]

[Token identity card: songstress.]

[Respected player, the Startrace Gate has detected that you already possess a special bound identity card. Your identity cannot be changed.]

[You have activated the skill-Enchantment; you have activated the item skill-Summon Obsession Illusion. Special reminder: Star Source is scarce in the real world. Your associated abilities will be weakened. Skill duration limit: 1 hour. Cannot be used again within 12 hours.]

The cold voice echoed in his ears, then slowly faded...

I guessed right. It really works. Just like my Nation-Guarding Sword, I can summon it in reality.

That's more like it! I went through all that trouble in Qingliang Prefecture to turn the tables and kill Liu Ling'er. How could it be fair if I got nothing out of it?!

Excitement surged through Ren Ye, and inspiration struck. A new plan formed in an instant.

He turned and entered the stairwell, keeping an eye on his dad and Old Xu while taking out his phone and dialing Huang Wei.

"Hello? What's up?"

"I'll send you a location in a minute. Bring a few experts over," Ren Ye said, getting straight to the point. "Leave now."

"Are you in danger?!" Huang Wei's tone instantly turned serious.

"Not exactly. There's something I need to do. You need to hurry."

"Okay. Send me the location." Huang Wei agreed without hesitation.

After ending the call, Ren Ye looked down at the Spring Breeze Wish-Fulfilling Painting in his hand, feeling curious. I-if I activate the identity card in the real world... she's a woman, after all... would my appearance also...?

About half an hour later.

Three SUVs stopped at the entrance to the urban village. Sitting in the front passenger seat of the lead vehicle, Huang Wei immediately called Ren Ye. "I'm here."

"You're at the location I sent?"

"Yes."

"If players start fighting, can you sense it?" Ren Ye asked seriously.

"If we're close enough, yes." Huang Wei frowned. "What exactly is going on?! Listen, don't do anything reckless. The rules apply nationwide. Players can't mess around in urban areas. If you do, nobody can save you."

"What if someone comes after me?"

"Then we arrest them!" Huang Wei spoke urgently. "What exactly are you planning?"

"Then we're good. Wait for my signal. If there's danger, I'll contact you." As Ren Ye answered, he rubbed the two lumps of flesh that had suddenly appeared on his chest.

"Wait, you...!"

"Just wait for my signal," Ren Ye repeated, then hung up.

Huang Wei sat bewildered in the car and turned to look around. "Fuck, this kid has no respect for the rules. He just got here, and he's already ordering me around?!"

In the back seat, the long-legged Gu Nian was snacking as she chimed in. "I'd tell him not to mess around if I were you... Everyone at work is saying Director Yan's planning a long internal cleanup, with a strict crackdown on discipline. If something really happens, you might get kicked out right after finally getting confirmed in the job."

Huang Wei considered it. "From what I've seen, this kid has a method to what he does. His head's very clear. Let's watch for now."

Calling Huang Wei and the others over was insurance, but unless absolutely necessary, Ren Ye didn't want them involved too deeply. After all, this concerned his father.

Officer Ren had never considered himself second to anyone when it came to caution. Most of the time, he only showed off when the situation was under his control. He wouldn't risk anything beyond that.

Another ten-odd minutes passed.

After finishing a phone call inside the eatery, Old Xu called to his dad, "Come on. Let's go upstairs."

"Okay." His dad shouldered his little backpack and headed toward a residential building with Old Xu, clearly familiar with the way.

As they reached the entrance, Old Xu said out of habit, "You go up first. I'll buy some cigarettes and water."

"Sure." His dad had clearly been here more than once. He merely nodded and went inside.

Here's my chance!

Nearby, a clever little gaze locked onto Old Xu.

After they separated, Old Xu took the fork to the left. A supermarket stood a short distance ahead.

"Whew, whew...!"

He had just entered the alley when a clear whistle sounded from his left.

Old Xu turned and saw a beauty with long, loose hair and very classical features standing at the alley entrance. Leaning her shoulder against the wall, she smiled at him.

Only, this "classical" beauty was strangely dressed: an oversized hoodie, loose jeans, and enormous canvas shoes on her small, fair feet, leaving her heels exposed...

"Hey, mister. Fancy spending a little on some passion?" The classical beauty folded her arms and winked at Old Xu.

Old Xu paused, then looked away expressionlessly. Without even answering, he walked straight into the supermarket.

"Well, fuck?" the classical beauty muttered in surprise. "An upright gentleman?!"

The certainty of victory vanished from her eyes. She immediately sidestepped twice to the left, preparing to take a more aggressive approach.

Five minutes later, Old Xu emerged carrying four large bags containing water, cigarettes, instant noodles, and other things.

"Whew, whew...!"

The classical beauty whistled at him again.

In the dim light, Old Xu stopped, looked at the classical beauty, and walked over. "You're a frisky one! I didn't even answer, and you're still whistling? How much? Give me a price I can't refuse...!"