The Red world - Chapter 21
“The place where they crossed paths, the intersection point?”
Lu Xin was slightly stunned when he heard that. “How long would that take?”
Corporal Han Bing kept silent for a moment before replying, “I’m not sure yet.”
Lu Xin understood the problem.
In today’s High Wall City, especially the satellite city which acted as a buffer to the main city, the personnel was very complicated. Nobody knew how many people had yet to obtain a permanent residence status after entering the High Wall City, and some of them had sneaked in. Not everyone’s identity could be quickly checked. Moreover, in the satellite city, public facilities like surveillance cameras had yet to become widely used.
This wasn’t the main city. Apart from the important regions like the administrative hall and the logistics department, either no surveillance cameras had been installed or they had been damaged.
Lu Xin didn’t suspect the ability and power of the Special Operations Group.
However, in such situations, it was extremely difficult and troublesome to figure out the paths these people took before they died and find the intersection point.
Therefore, he hesitated and said, “Is there any way to speed things up?”
He paused for a moment and explained, “After all, it’s the eighth day tomorrow. Most likely, more people will be corrupted.”
After hearing that, Han Bing kept silent.
The three members of the investigation team also looked at Lu Xin with complicated gazes.
They understood what he was worried about.
Based on the pattern of those taking revenge on Qin Ran, on the first day, one person took revenge. On the second day, there were two, and four on the fourth day. So, eight should come tomorrow, or maybe even not tomorrow. In theory, after midnight today, eight new “avengers” might appear.
That meant that there would be eight more innocent victims.
It was normal for such a concern. However, everyone was a little surprised when Lu Xin said that.
“I agree with Lu Xin.”
After a while, Chen Jing’s voice was heard through the channel. “It’s not the matter of saving people. The work we have been doing is to save people. As long as we can eliminate the source of corruption, we’ll indirectly save many. That cannot become the focus of our work.
“The focus of our work and the goal with the highest priority is to remove the source of corruption. It has always been so.
“I agree with him because the efficiency of removing the source of psyche corruption is very important.
“If we investigate the paths taken by the corrupted thoroughly and compare them, it would take too long.
“During this time, the source of corruption might suffer mutations that we can’t expect…”
“…”
With another slight pause, she continued, “Based on the current information, since the corrupted ‘avengers’ all claim to seek revenge on Qin Ran, and Cui Wang was the first ‘avenger’, that means Cui Wang must have something to do with the source of corruption. Even though there were no clues at the locations he got killed and where his body was dumped, we cannot eliminate the possibility that the source of corruption is nearby. This theory is highly likely to be correct.
“We will assume that the source of corruption is around the area before analyzing.
“That area is an abandoned industrial area with no residents and very little flow of people. Therefore, the focus doesn’t have to be at the intersection point…
“The focus could be on where is most likely to be the intersection point around that area.”
“…”
Lu Xin’s eyes widened when he heard this.
Chen Jing’s analysis was unexpected. However, he liked her decision.
“Yes!”
Han Bing’s voice disappeared for a moment from the channel, and the sound of paper could be heard. She seemed to be observing the map and details. After a while, her voice was heard again. “Near the abandoned industrial area in the south of the city, there are about four places that could potentially form the intersection point.
“One is the fertilizer plant in the southwest direction. There are about 200 workers there, and they’re transported by a chartered bus before and after work. However, we cannot eliminate the possibility that they might walk home alone and pass by the abandoned industrial area. Moreover, there’s a large rubbish incinerator about 3,000 meters to the west of the industrial area. Sometimes, beggars and homeless people might gather there to pick up rubbish…
“Moreover, based on the details, some criminals might decide to make illegal dealings there!”
“…”
Lu Xin subconsciously looked at Qin Ran.
Qin Ran couldn’t hear the voice from the channel and was squatting at the side, smoking. He was confused by Lu Xin’s gaze.
At this moment, Chen Jing had made a decision. “Pass these locations to the investigation team.”
“Beep beep…”
Soon, a very faint light was seen on the black screens on the arms of the three armed members of the investigation team.
Lu Xin went over to take a look. He saw maps with complex lines and markings displayed on the screen.
He carefully looked at it and realized that it was the map of the entire southern part of the second satellite city, with several red dots marked on it.
“It’s already sent over?”
“So high tech…”
He was speechless. “However, I heard the dean say that before the Red Moon event, such technology was quite normal?”
“You can go over and line up now.”
Chen Jing’s voice was heard from the channel. She sounded as if she was explaining to Lu Xin. “Psyche corruption may seem disorderly and chaotic, but as long as it exists, there are certain laws and qualities, and as long as we figure out these, we can clean it up with the least cost. A professor once said, in the face of these insane things, the only advantage of human beings is reason.”
Lu Xin was impressed. “Who is that professor?”
Chen Jing kept silent for a moment before saying, “The focus of your concern is wrong.”
Lu Xin blushed and said “oh”.
…
…
“Go straight and turn left.”
The jeep slowly drove in the south of the city near the desolate factory area. A gloomy night had long fallen. Only a red moon hung in the sky, and the scarlet moonlight spilled over the chaotic city.
The jeep’s light disrupted the dark red night and lit up the roadside weeds and broken roads. Lu Xin and the rest had arrived at the southern edge of the city, close to the high walls. Every high wall city was the same—nearer to the high walls, the more desolate and sparsely populated. Apart from the patrol officers every 3,000 meters away on the guard tower, no human figure could be seen.
And this, too, was the last place Lu Xin and the rest had to check.
Different from what Lu Xin had imagined, the corruption investigation seemed to be not as exciting as he imagined. In fact, it was a little boring. At every location, they had to stop and test carefully with the instrument, again and again, to confirm that there was no problem before rushing to the next location.
During the inspection, everyone was very tense and could only relax after getting on the car.
Soon, the car had driven into the fourth suspicious location marked on the map, only to see that it was a half-built construction site, and some building foundations had been laid long ago but were now full of grass.
Han Bing’s soft explanation was heard over the channel. “After the situation within the Han Bing stabilized, there was a period of population boom, when the Administrative Office considered repairing this place again and designating it as a mixed residential-industrial area. However, unfortunately, it was patronized by the technological churches, and this resulted in a heavy loss of people in the fourth satellite city. The remaining population moved over and the place became deserted.
“In reality, the entire southern part of the second satellite city belonged to the spare land to be developed.
“It was said that the biggest dream of the Administrative Office was to get more population to fill up these places.”
…
The light from the jeep broke through the darkness ahead and soon shone on a shimmering spot.
Lu Xin and the rest alighted and found out that it was a pool of water.
Originally, it should be a large pit. However, the terrain was too low, so rainwater accumulated to become a lake. At the edge of the lake, the grass was knee-high, and a hidden path led from the lake to the city.
As soon as he stepped out of the car, Lu Xin realized that something was amiss.
His sister, who had disappeared, suddenly appeared near the lake.
She was squatting amongst the grass with glowing eyes as she stared at the lake.
When she heard Lu Xin get out of the car, she suddenly turned around and said excitedly, “Brother, there’s something fun here…”
“Something fun?”
Lu Xin held his breath and walked over.
He knew that his sister’s aesthetics were quite different from others. So, what she considered fun…
