On the apartment building's ground floor.
Li Feng closed his umbrella and shook off the water before stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the fifth floor.
A moment later, the elevator doors opened. Li Feng glanced around, then finally walked to apartment 501 and knocked lightly. "Daguo, open up."
Footsteps approached from inside, and the door snapped open.
His hair a bird's nest, Ren Daguo looked at Li Feng with bloodshot eyes. "Come in. No need to take off your shoes."
"Man, this place was hard to find," Li Feng complained. When he entered and saw Old Xu, the editor, he gave him a toothy smile and a nod.
"My friend, Li Feng." Ren Daguo closed the door and made a brief introduction. "My boss, Old Xu."
"Hello, hello!" Li Feng politely offered his hand, laying on the flattery. "You're Editor Xu from Zhongwen, right? Daguo mentions you all the time. A pleasure, a pleasure."
"Ah. Have a seat," Old Xu replied perfunctorily.
Li Feng sat down, took the opening manuscript Ren Daguo had requested out of his bag, and gently placed it on the table.
"I'll get some water. You two chat." Ren Daguo's expression was wooden as he walked into the kitchen.
Standing beneath the light, he opened the refrigerator with one hand and used his phone with the other, leaving two very active group chats.
Downstairs, the downpour was still scouring the city, and the cramped alley had already become a sea of water.
The dwarf with the ponytail sticking straight up stood beneath the bicycle shelter. Turning to his newly arrived companion, he said, "Li Feng went into 501. The target, Ren Daguo, is there too."
"Wait a little longer. Mr. He and the others will be here soon," his tall, thin companion replied, his face expressionless.
At the same time.
After leaving the Minhuang Grand Theater, Mr. He and four other Copper Bells traveling separately had also headed toward the apartment building.
Diagonally across from the apartment building stood a medium-sized, three-story spa called Heartsource.
The spa offered a view of the entire apartment building, which was why Ren Ye had come.
"I need a room facing that building. Third floor, preferably." Wearing a raincoat, Ren Ye stood at the reception counter and spoke rapidly.
"Room 301, sir." A young woman in a pink uniform politely stepped out from behind the counter. "I'll take you upstairs. Have you visited us before, sir? Our specialty is stocking-clad foot treatments...!"
"Uh-huh."
Ren Ye answered distractedly, following her up to the third floor and into a room with an excellent view.
After making a few arrangements, the young woman who had guided him left.
Ren Ye skirted the bathtub in the center of the room and hurried to the window to check the situation below.
The little dwarf was still there, now accompanied by a tall, thin man.
Since first encountering the Star Gate, Ren Ye had seen quite a few players. Although he still couldn't clearly sense star source fluctuations, both the physiques and the overall presence of those two downstairs made them look very much like Chaos Faction players.
Standing at the window, Ren Ye frowned deeply.
Honestly, he couldn't figure out why Li Feng had come here, but his seasoned anti-fraud investigator's instincts told him something big was about to happen.
What should I do?
I clearly can't control the situation alone.
Knock, knock!
Just then, someone knocked, and a slightly plump but reasonably attractive woman in her thirties entered carrying a small case. "Affection begins when the clock starts; when it stops, longing lingers. Good evening, sir. I'm Number 68. It's a pleasure to serve you."
Damn, this place really goes all out with the ceremony. They even have a rhyme.
Ren Ye turned irritably and snapped, "Out, out. Don't disturb me."
The woman looked at Ren Ye in astonishment. His face was covered in adhesive bandages, and dirty bandages wrapped both his hands. He looked as though ten burly men had beaten him up.
Although this customer looked a little disgusting, she persisted. "Since you're already here, why not get a massage? My technique..."
"Out, out!" Ren Ye lost his patience. "Don't send anyone else in."
"...Fine." The woman rolled her eyes and left in a flash.
Five minutes later, a fat woman in the corridor asked Number 68, "He didn't pick you?"
"He looks like he got the shit beaten out of him, and he still thinks I'm not good enough. Hmph!" the slightly plump woman replied haughtily. Returning to the attendants' room, she sighed. "Oh well, my feet can get a little rest...!"
After she left, Ren Ye thought it over and finally decided to call for backup. He took out his phone and immediately dialed Huang Wei. "Hello, I've got an emergency here. Get your best people together, now. Bring plenty, and hurry. Come across the street from the apartment building where my dad disappeared. I'm in a spa called Heartsource... Once you're close, keep quiet. I suspect there are Chaos Faction players here. Don't alert them."
Ren Ye finished speaking at breakneck speed, but there was no response.
"Hello? Old Huang? Brother Huang, are you listening?" Ren Ye asked urgently.
"Aren't you supposed to be such a badass?! Didn't you run off while I was taking a piss?" Huang Wei replied unhurriedly. "If you're so amazing, why are you calling me? Handle it yourself. There are always more solutions than problems..."
"Hello? Hello? Brother Huang... What's that supposed to mean? Hello? Brother Huang, fuck you...!" Ren Ye hurled a couple of curses into the phone, only to discover that Huang Wei had already hung up.
He stood there, stunned and bewildered.
Ren Ye silently cursed the official organization for being unreliable. Heartless bastards! I only went solo to spare you the trouble... Can't you understand that much? You're all idiots, especially that fucking moron Huang...
Creak!
While Ren Ye was furiously cursing Brother Huang's entire family in his head, the door opened again. A man walked in and asked politely, "Sir, would you be interested in these size-44 feet of mine?"
Ren Ye abruptly looked up. A tall, imposing figure brimming with masculine energy stood before him-none other than Brother Huang.
Warmth instantly washed through him. Standing at the window, Ren Ye said, "I was just thinking what a good man you are. You'd never abandon me."
"Ha. Like hell I believe you."
Brother Huang sneered, walked to the window, and glanced down at the dwarf. "I'll deal with you going off on your own later."
Gu Nian's words in the car that day had worked. Brother Huang hadn't gone home or played any games these past two days. He had been secretly following Ren Ye the entire time, under enormous pressure from his superiors.
In fact, when Ren Ye killed Bull Terrier that day, he had nearly stepped in, but Gu Nian had stopped him. In the end, the two of them had only helped Prince Huai clean up the scene.
With security around Ren Qingning and Ren Daguo so tight, how could he possibly let Ren Ye operate alone? If anything happened, both he and Yan Duoduo would face severe punishment, possibly even exile into the Star Gate...
"Those two are Bell Society members." Huang Wei watched the dwarf from the window, then turned to Ren Ye. "But I don't understand why Li Feng and these people have come to this apartment building."
"Neither do I." Ren Ye shook his head.
"Forget it." Huang Wei considered the situation carefully. "I'll notify Gu Nian and have her watch the building closely."
"How many people did you bring?" Ren Ye asked worriedly.
"Eight." Huang Wei glanced at his watch. "That dwarf has extremely strong perception. I didn't know beforehand that they'd come here, either. But it's fine. In ten minutes at most, we'll have New Year's Watchers from at least three districts here."
"Okay!" Ren Ye nodded.
Once they finished talking, Ren Ye continued observing the situation downstairs while Huang Wei contacted Gu Nian through his earpiece.
About five minutes later.
A car stopped at the mouth of the alley. The female player whose neck gave off a cold breeze approached the apartment building with three companions and joined the dwarf.
"Where's Mr. He?" the dwarf immediately asked.
"He's here, nearby." The female player shook her head as she answered. "Let's get to work!"
"All right. I'll begin." A sinister smile spread across the dwarf's face as he slowly closed his eyes and extended his perception.
Within two breaths, three fleshy worms crawled out of his sleeves and slowly wriggled toward his fingertips. "I sacrifice these silkworms-Slumber!"
Snap!
As his words fell, the three fleshy worms rapidly withered, their life fading as their shriveled husks dropped to the ground.
Inside apartment 501.
"Hiss!"
Li Feng suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck and jerked his hand up to touch it.
A tiny fleshy worm emerged from a hair follicle and burst with a pop.
Emerald light swept through the living room. Ren Daguo, who was reading the manuscript, and Editor Xu, who was eating snacks, both went blank-eyed for an instant before falling asleep in various positions, just like Li Feng.
Downstairs, Mr. He's voice sounded simultaneously in the dwarf's and his companions' ears. "Ignore the other two. Go!"
At the order, all six headed straight into the apartment building.
Inside the guest room.
Huang Wei turned to Ren Ye. "They're moving. Let's go!"
Ren Ye nodded and followed Huang Wei down to the ground-floor lobby.
"Please visit us again!" the young woman behind the counter called politely.
Huang Wei had already paid when he arrived, so neither he nor Ren Ye stopped. They rushed straight for the door.
Creak!
The door opened, and an old man in his seventies walked in holding an umbrella. He wore a backward baseball cap, cargo pants, and a baggy T-shirt.
Ren Ye found his appearance a little strange and couldn't help meeting his eyes.
The old man paused, then turned toward the counter. "Get me a room, and pick out a few pretty feet..."
Ren Ye looked away and rushed outside with Huang Wei, heading straight for the apartment building.
At the same time, Mr. He's voice sounded in the earpiece of the dwarf, who had already entered the apartment building. "There are New Year's Watchers here. Hurry!"
Ding!
The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and the doors opened.
The dwarf glanced around, then pointed at apartment 501. "That one."
At his words, three Copper Bells stepped forward. One raised his hand, preparing to blast apart the security door.
Flap, flap...!
Just then, a white pigeon flew cheerfully toward them from the far end of the corridor.
The six froze outside the elevator as the homing pigeon suddenly accelerated and charged straight at them.
"Dodge!" the dwarf shouted.
"Performance Magic-Exploding Homing Pigeon!"
With that familiar shout, a familiar pair of long legs appeared at the end of the corridor, their owner holding a Magic Wand.
Boom!!!
The pigeon exploded like a fireball above the six of them. Heat blasted outward, and flames billowed several meters high.
Around the apartment building.
Wearing the robes of a yellow-rank New Year's Watcher, Xu Peng raised both arms, lifting the Wordless Stele hanging against his chest into the air. "Bury the steles!"
As his words fell, New Year's Watchers in three other directions activated their Wordless Steles simultaneously.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
The four Wordless Steles slammed into the ground like bullets, then immediately resonated with one another, radiating intense light.
Within a single breath, every building within three hundred meters of the apartment building became distorted and blurred. The space was completely sealed off.
In the fourth-floor stairwell.
Huang Wei turned to Ren Ye and said urgently, "Fall back! When I make my move, don't come near me."
"Why?! I can help..."
"I told you to keep your distance, so keep your distance!" Huang Wei barked, his eyes wide. "Go find Gu Nian!"
"Can you handle this?" Looking at his sallow cheeks and the eye crust that made him look utterly washed up, Ren Ye had his doubts.
Hearing that, Huang Wei immediately looked down at him. "Have you heard a certain saying?"
"What?"
"Red Dog is invincible!" Huang Wei said softly. "From today onward... you're going to worship me."
Bang!
As his words fell, scarlet baleful energy burst from Huang Wei's body, surging upward like flames.
His eyes instantly turned blood-red, like two crimson suns... set in his face.
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