Chapter 74#
Netizens#
The explosion was extremely severe. Despite everyone’s active efforts to put out the fire, they ultimately couldn’t reverse the fate of this ten-thousand-ton cruise liner sinking completely.
Fortunately, the military participated in the rescue, and with the early warning from the alarm, everyone on the cruise ship was rescued, and the casualties were not serious. Afterwards, Yin Beichen sent people to notify the local administrative departments. Only after the medical departments took over did he lead the battleship to return to base first, after all, the Zerg were the most urgent crisis at the moment.
The list provided by Dai Yin was indeed not false. After inputting the key, the Information Department exported a data file of immense storage capacity, which recorded every transaction in detail.
With the list, the subsequent work could proceed smoothly.
They conducted detailed background checks on the buyers of the synthetic agent. However, unexpectedly, the aliases they used were all 【Miss Z】, and not a single one was a base personnel; their professions had nothing to do with scientific research either. The strangest part was that the delivery addresses were all around the base.
For in-depth investigation, Yin Beichen sent people to set up surveillance. But before they could find anything, those few individuals directly committed suicide. The method of death was the same as the Fox Team leader—body explosion—and Zerg genes were detected in their blood samples.
Due to the Zerg’s unique reproduction method, they didn’t care about such losses at all, so their tactics were always to fight to the death or go down together. However, the amount of information on hand was limited. If everyone resorted to self-destruction, the hard-won clues would be lost.
Now only one suspect remained, and they dared not act rashly.
This buyer’s delivery method was completely different from the previous ones; it was transacted through the Star Network. Ning Feng judged that it intended to use this method to launder the black-market goods, making it very difficult to trace.
To catch this Miss Z, Yin Beichen looked up the Star Network store where they had agreed to trade and sent people to watch it around the clock. But then another problem arose. Whether it was because they had scared the target or something, this Miss Z actually hadn’t come to pick up the goods for a long time. If it weren’t for the list showing the transaction was still valid in real-time, Ning Feng would have started to suspect whether the other party had also self-destructed.
However, Ning Feng’s troubles went far beyond this.
“Ah!” He leaned back against the office desk and let out a heavy sigh.
“What’s wrong? You come in sighing.” Qu Yan, cigarette in mouth and coffee in hand, stood in front of the computer, occasionally picking up the exact file he needed from the messy desk and inputting data on the screen.
“You wouldn’t understand.” Ning Feng toyed with his cigarette case.
“I heard your investigation is going quite smoothly.”
“It is smooth, but something just feels off.”
“It’s not your first day dealing with the Zerg. Are you afraid?”
“Ah, I’m not talking about the Zerg.”
“Commander?” Qu Yan finally looked up from the screen. “What’s with him again?”
“How would I know what’s with him?” Ning Feng ran his fingers through his bangs.
Ever since that cruise ship incident, Yin Beichen had been keeping an especially close eye on him, especially after learning that the key was 【Blade】. The other party no longer demanded he move back into the old dormitory but instead asked the Logistics Department to redecorate the small workshop he currently lived in.
He was a robot—didn’t even need a bed to sleep. What was there to redecorate in that shabby place? Heaven knows how strange Yan Zhengsheng’s gaze had been every day when he learned of this task.
In the end, unable to resist the other’s insistence, Ning Feng moved into the old dormitory, and that settled the matter.
Now, under the pretext of conducting surveillance together, Yin Beichen had arranged to meet him on the Star Network that afternoon… He was quite puzzled. With so many people on standby at the base, when did it ever fall on the commander himself to do the surveillance?
Eyelids fluttering slightly, Qu Yan rubbed his coffee cup and suddenly let out a soft laugh. “Want to hear about the antidote?”
Ning Feng raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Progress?”
“Sort of.” Qu Yan set down the cup.
A while back, the Research Department received an anonymous package containing a very important material for the antidote. With this material, progress had seen a major breakthrough, and the experiment was already more than half complete.
“Where was it sent from?” Ning Feng frowned.
“I checked the shipping origin. It’s an edge planet that doesn’t belong to the Federation or the Empire.”
Edge star region… Space pirates?
But why would space pirates send something like this?
Ning Feng was dazed. A thought flashed by, but before he could grasp it, Qu Yan’s communicator rang.
It was Qiao Xi.
“Professor Qu, the report you asked me to compile earlier is ready.” His voice sounded a bit weary and carried a hint of caution.
“Mm, send it to me.” Qu Yan’s voice was somewhat cold.
“About the antidote—”
“We’ll discuss that later.”
Qiao Xi’s voice was very dejected, but Qu Yan remained unmoved and assigned him a few more tasks before hanging up.
Ning Feng stood by without saying a word. Come to think of it, he had been coming here frequently, but it had been a long time since he last saw that kid Qiao Xi. At first, he thought it was because of another project, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“Leaving such a talented person unused, don’t you think that’s wasteful?”
“The department doesn’t have just one project.”
“But he’s an expert. Wouldn’t it be good to lighten your load?”
“Are you worried about me, or about the antidote?”
“Of course I’m worried about you!” Ning Feng grinned, sidling up and hooking an arm around the other’s shoulder. “Professor Qu is the moonlight of my heart. If I weren’t a robot, I’d have fallen in love with you ages ago.”
His hand paused for a moment. Qu Yan narrowed his eyes. White smoke curled upward, and the strong scent of tobacco quickly spread through the air, obscuring his expression and the peculiar emotion in his eyes.
“It’s not too late now,” he said with a smile.
The air fell silent for a few seconds as the two stared at each other at close range.
Ning Feng was a bit stunned. The fleeting faint smile on the other’s face had momentarily blanked his mind.
After a while, Qu Yan slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke. “Mr. Radish, don’t you have something to do later?”
Ning Feng snapped out of it, checked the time, and was startled to realize it was almost time.
“Ah, troublesome.” Yin Beichen was very strict about punctuality. If he got caught being late, he’d probably be lectured for who knows how long. Ning Feng rushed toward the door, not forgetting to throw a kiss over his shoulder. “I’ll come find you in a couple of days~ Bye~”
Watching the tall figure disappear from view, a nameless emotion surged in Qu Yan’s eyes. He retracted his expression, stared at the flickering data on the screen, and took a deep drag of his cigarette.
**
Hurrying back to the dormitory, Ning Feng quickly logged into the Star Network.
While waiting on the loading screen, he suddenly remembered what nickname he had chosen before.
Staring at the large 【Fool】 above his head, Ning Feng… Ning Feng felt there wasn’t enough time to cancel and start over, so he had to steel himself and click confirm. A flash of white light, and he was standing on a bustling street.
【Congratulations! You have received a lucky gift box worth 100 star coins!】
The diligent little ad sphere popped up, but Ning Feng had no time for it. He directly input the destination coordinates, and with a whoosh, he arrived at the agreed meeting point.
At that time, no one was there.
Ning Feng breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time felt a bit puzzled.
Yin Beichen was actually late?
Just then, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
“Are you… A-Feng?”
Ning Feng turned to look and saw an ordinary-looking man. He was wearing a matching vest, shorts, and flip-flops, and the nickname above his head was 【ASDF123】…
“Mr. Lu?”
Yin Beichen immediately frowned. “Call me by my name.”
“…Mr. A.”
“…”
Looking at the unfamiliar virtual appearance, Ning Feng suddenly realized that in all these years, he had never visited the Star Network with Yin Beichen. Come to think of it, this was the first time both of them had seen each other’s… screen names.
But it wasn’t surprising. They were just ordinary friends; there was no need for deep friendship.
Oh, actually no. After the cruise ship incident, they should now be at the “a little better friends” stage.
Truly a cause for celebration.
Meeting here was even more awkward than seeing each other in real life. Fortunately, Ning Feng had brought a brown paper bag, saving him a lot of facial expression management.
Noticing the nickname above his head, Yin Beichen’s gaze was meaningful. “Your name is quite distinctive.”
Ning Feng’s cheek twitched. Just as he was about to explain the name, a round little ball bounced between them——
【Invite just one more friend to help, and the gift box will double!】
Before the two could react, the ball circled them twice and instantly burst into a full-screen of ads and lotteries, along with colorful ribbons.
For a moment, the air was silent.
Yin Beichen raised an eyebrow with amusement.
“Do you need my help?”
Ning Feng: …
“No.” For some reason, he felt that Yin Beichen seemed to be in a very good mood.
“Is there any place you want to see?” Yin Beichen asked again.
“No.”
“Is there anything you want to buy?”
“No.”
“Then—”
“We’re changing shifts in ten minutes. Better get going.”
Yin Beichen… Yin Beichen said nothing more. He just gave Ning Feng a deep look, hummed in acknowledgment, and walked forward in silence. Watching the clearly displeased expression on the other’s face, Ning Feng clicked his tongue and quickly followed.
**
According to the list, this transaction was set to take place at booth 48 on the third floor of the furniture mall, and the code phrase was 【Discontinued】.
This inexplicable method of contact left everyone uncertain, so they had to resort to the most simplistic approach: waiting by the tree stump for the rabbit.
The booth location here wasn’t fixed. The goods sold inside changed weekly. Last week, they were selling various cabinets; today, they had switched to massage chairs. If they were genuine customers, they wouldn’t come to the same booth for several consecutive days. So they could only arrange different people to monitor in shifts, with each person not exceeding three days.
Ning Feng had to admit that the target’s counter-surveillance skills were indeed strong.
It was rush hour in the evening, and the mall was very crowded. Compared to the popular booths, this area was a bit quiet.
The two wandered around the exhibit area, pretending to be customers selecting products.
Rows of massage chairs of various sizes were displayed in the area, with detailed product information and discounted prices displayed beside them. Ning Feng touched this and looked at that, his gaze a bit distant.
Massage chairs…
That’s right. The old Dean had said her back hurt, and he had promised to buy her a massage chair. He wondered if her back was any better.
Come to think of it, it had been nearly three months since he left. He hadn’t sent any support to the welfare home during this time. With the New Year approaching, he wondered if they were having any problems…
Fingertips stroking the soft leather, Ning Feng lowered his head and said nothing.
Watching the silent man, Yin Beichen casually opened his lips. “Do you know how to pick a massage chair?”
Ning Feng was startled. “What’s up? You want to buy one?”
“Mm.”
“You buy? For what?”
“To use.”
Ning Feng didn’t believe it at all.
The base had places for officers and soldiers to rest and relax, with facilities more professional than these civilian ones, and a wider variety. If it were for his home, that was even less likely. The Yin family was a high-status household—even their water dispenser was custom-made. How could they possibly take a liking to these common goods?
Why would this guy suddenly want to buy such a thing?
Was it a gift?
Thoughts churning in his mind, Ning Feng observed carefully and found Yin Beichen’s expression very calm. Figuring he might be overthinking, he began to explain in detail.
A long time ago, in order to pick a massage chair for the Dean , he had done in-depth research on the Star Network. From stretching airbags to massage techniques, rail massage methods, hand and foot airbag compression… he had compared them horizontally and vertically across all platforms. He knew the pros and cons of every model inside out, explaining them even more thoroughly than an AI shopping assistant.
Yin Beichen listened very attentively, occasionally asking questions about the experience.
Just then—
“Boss, do you have the model GAWAX9?”
“X9? That model was discontinued ages ago.”
Discontinued?
Ning Feng’s eyes sharpened, and he immediately looked toward the source of the voice.
A man in a vest and shorts stood at the counter, holding a large stack of flyers from other stores. His expression was very alert, occasionally glancing left and right as if searching for something.
Was it him?
Exchanging a glance with Yin Beichen, Ning Feng pretended to look at different models while subtly moving closer behind the man. He had only taken two steps when the other man warily glanced over.
Perhaps because their default avatars were too ordinary, the man glanced at Ning Feng’s nickname, then at Yin Beichen behind him, before turning his gaze away. “Discontinued? Isn’t that last year’s model?”
“You’re mistaken. It’s been out for several years now.” The boss waved his hand.
“Then what do you recommend this year?”
“I’ll get you a flyer.” With that, the boss started rummaging through the cabinets.
On the surface, it sounded like a very ordinary customer inquiry. If they hadn’t known the information in advance, they would never have guessed this was a rendezvous scene. There was clearly a large stack of flyers on the counter, yet the boss insisted on looking in the cabinet.
Looks like this guy was also a suspicious target.
Ning Feng’s eyes darted. In two or three steps, he cut in front and tapped the counter.
“Boss, I want to buy a massage chair.”