Chapter 92

After receiving information that Wujie was active on Ersha Island, the authorities focused most of their efforts there. However, the guards at the two granaries in Southern City were not reduced, which indicated that Wujie's target was not there this time.

In Foshan City, the authorities believed Wujie primarily targeted Southern City. Additionally, due to the complexity of the situation there, the headquarters was established in the area, but most of the guard team members were not stationed nearby. This lack of vigilance gave Wujie an opportunity to exploit.

Fortunately, Southern City received some intelligence beforehand and dispatched reinforcements in time, preventing significant losses.

During the operation, the strike team captured many ordinary followers of Wujie. An Minghui also apprehended a critical individual, Wang Zhiyong, one of the nine deacons of Wujie's Southern Sect. Wang provided substantial information about the main sect.

According to Wang Zhiyong, only the Grand Master and priests of the Southern Sect had opportunities to meet the Cult Leader, the High Priest, or the Left and Right Guardians. He himself had never met these individuals. However, he overheard conversations between the Grand Master and the priests, learning that the main sect was based in the central region and that the Cult Leader and others operated there. Communication between sects was primarily conducted through official channels, accessible only to key members.

Wang also revealed that the operational styles of various sects varied significantly. Delays in command transmissions were common, often leaving the core members of sub-sects to handle daily operations independently.

This confirmed some of the authorities' theories, Wujie was not a cohesive organization. However, it had not completely disintegrated because various forces were leveraging its name for their own agendas. There were even those within the government with ulterior motives attempting to exploit Wujie for personal gain.

"The Grand Master of the Southern Sect is Zhao Hua, a wealthy tycoon. With his financial support, they managed to acquire substantial resources," An Minghui reported to Hao Jian.

"It seems he did not participate in this operation," Hao Jian remarked.

"Indeed, he rarely acts personally, preferring to control things from behind the scenes," An Minghui confirmed.

Hao Jian thought for a moment and asked, "Is he as bloodthirsty as the others?"

"Not sure yet. I only got partial information during interrogation before handing him over to higher authorities. Based on the clues I have, he doesn't seem to be a killer."

Hao Jian raised her eyebrows, understanding now why An Minghui had been designated as a key figure in hidden missions, his insights into Wujie were indeed crucial.

She didn't press further but mentally noted Zhao Hua's name. If he rarely acted directly, it was unlikely he possessed a system, and even if he did, it probably wasn't one reliant on earning points through killing.

The instigator encouraging others to kill was someone else entirely.

"What about their priest?" Hao Jian asked.

"What priest?"

"Based on my investigation, besides Wang Zhiyong, their priest was also involved in this operation," Hao Jian explained.

An Minghui stroked his chin. "He didn't mention any priest."

The two exchanged a glance. "He concealed information about the priest!"

"I'll report this immediately and hope they can extract more details," An Minghui said as he prepared to leave.

Hao Jian called after him, "I heard—" She paused. "Their priest is a mixed-race individual with black hair. However, I don't want you to have preconceived notions. It’s also possible the priest is a white person with any hair color. Investigating from this angle might be easier."

"Got it. Working with you always yields substantial results!" An Minghui smiled.

After Hao Jian's report, her involvement in the operation was no longer required. She decided to return to Haixin Island.

The interrogation of the housekeeper was almost complete. The guard team had also gathered information about the housekeeper's son, which Hao Jian had not inquired about.

When the interrogation ended, the housekeeper nervously asked the guard team how long her sentence would be.

The guards were stunned by the question. Hao Jian "kindly" explained, "Do you think committing a crime will be like before, where you're imprisoned and taken care of with food and shelter? Even the law-abiding survivors live worse than prisoners. What makes you think you’ll enjoy safety and comfort?"

No wonder the housekeeper offered no resistance later; it wasn’t just fear of Hao Jian’s gun but also her outdated mindset of the old world’s rules.

Hearing Hao Jian’s words, she began to panic. Hao Jian, uninterested in her fate, left the scene.

As she left, she saw Huang You sitting outside, looking dejected. When he saw her, he jumped to his feet and followed her.

"Why are you following me?" Hao Jian asked.

"Have all the bad guys been caught? I want to go home," Huang You said. "My dad might still be lying by the back door. I want to find him. I don’t want to stay here, there are too many people."

"That place will probably be cleared out and turned into a new shelter. You’ll have the chance to return, so you don’t need to follow me."

Huang You remained silent. Hao Jian thought for a moment and asked, "What about your mom? Do you have other relatives?"

"My parents divorced. My mom moved abroad. I have an aunt, but she’s so busy I rarely see her."

"Register your information with the guard team. Maybe one day they’ll contact your aunt. Regardless of everything, even if you’re alone now, you have to find a way to survive."

Huang You stopped walking, watching her slowly disappear from sight.

When Hao Jian returned to the university district, it was already evening. She showered to look less worn out before grabbing dinner from the cafeteria and heading to the Science Center.

When Lian Ru Ning heard Hao Jian was there, she wanted to rush over but restrained herself, seeing Lian Qingmiao still busy.

Shen Gai noticed her glancing at the clock and laughed. "There’s not much for you to do now. Go eat dinner!"

"Want me to pack something for you?"

"No need. I won’t have time to eat it anyway. We’ll head out for a late-night snack later."

Only then did Lian Ru Ning rush to the reception area to meet Hao Jian.

They had only been apart for 26 hours, but it felt like ages. Lian Ru Ning inspected Hao Jian to ensure she wasn’t injured before holding her face and teasing, "Did you shower before meeting me to destroy evidence?"

Hao Jian laughed. "What evidence?"

"Evidence that this mission was grueling."

Hao Jian didn’t confirm or deny it. Instead, she pulled Lian Ru Ning to sit down. "You must be hungry. Let’s eat dinner, and I’ll tell you about today’s action to put your mind at ease."

She shared the less dangerous parts of the operation, knowing Lian Ru Ning could sense her omissions but didn’t interrupt.

When Lian Ru Ning heard that the cult leaders had been identified, she finally set down her chopsticks and said, "Uncovering the cult leaders so quickly is truly great news!"

Lian Ru Ning's happiness stemmed not only from her disdain for the Wujie organization but also from the hope that once Wujie was eradicated, Hao Jian might no longer need to undertake such dangerous missions.

"It is indeed a significant breakthrough, but I feel a bit uneasy," Hao Jian remarked.

Lian Ru Ning calmed down and pondered for a moment. "Are you worried that their leaders are too cunning and might evade capture?"

Hao Jian shook her head. "Not exactly. I was thinking about how Wang Zhiyong's arrest represents a qualitative leap in the fight against Wujie. But what's odd is that Wang Zhiyong, a deacon of the Southern Church, can be considered a mid-level leader and a notorious killer. Yet, after being captured, he cooperated fully during interrogation."

Lian Ru Ning also found this suspicious. From his actions, Wang Zhiyong appeared to be a loyal devotee of Wujie. Otherwise, he would not have risen to the position of deacon. His surprising cooperation after being caught raised the possibility of a trap.

"He revealed the identity of Zhao Hua, the Southern Church's Grandmaster, and provided information about the movements of figures like the Supreme Leader. With the chaos in Foshan, the authorities are now shifting their focus to the central region, leaving this area primarily focused on capturing Zhao Hua and others."

"But as you mentioned, Wujie operates differently at each level and in different branches. Even if the Supreme Leader is captured, the actions of various sects will still be directed by their Grandmasters. Capturing the Supreme Leader alone won’t solve the problem, will it?" Lian Ru Ning analyzed.

"Exactly. That’s why the focus here is on pursuing Zhao Hua and others."

Lian Ru Ning deduced that, while efforts would continue to pursue Zhao Hua and his associates, it was unlikely that the same level of resources would be allocated as before.

A sudden idea struck her. "Maybe that’s exactly what Wang Zhiyong intended?"

Hao Jian smirked. "Oh? What’s on your mind, little junior?"

"Typically, when dealing with a large organization, the first thought is to 'capture the leader to dismantle the group.' Most people believe that once the leader is taken down, the remaining forces will collapse or become insignificant. By giving up the Supreme Leader, Wang Zhiyong shifts everyone’s attention to the Supreme Leader, sparing himself and the smaller sects from significant scrutiny."

After analyzing the situation, Lian Ru Ning concluded, "Wang Zhiyong is trying to divert attention to protect key figures."

She was excited about her deduction. Hao Jian, who had been nodding along, finally smiled and said, "Your thoughts align perfectly with mine. It seems we really are a perfect match."

Lian Ru Ning felt her heart swell with sweetness as if it had been coated in honey.

The two didn’t need to exchange flowery words; simply being together, leaning on each other, and discussing issues brought them immense comfort and joy. Discovering that their thoughts aligned made it feel as though their souls were gradually merging. Nothing felt more delightful or fulfilling.

"Who could this key figure be?" Lian Ru Ning redirected her thoughts.

Hao Jian frowned. "He exposed the Grandmaster Zhao Hua but withheld information about the priests and other deacons. From what I know, their priests are quite mysterious and elusive. Additionally, the identities of the other eight deacons are known only to the Grandmaster and priests. Deacons rarely act together."

"Whoever they are, none should be spared. Have you reported this?"

"Yes."

Seeing that Hao Jian seemed intent on ending the topic, Lian Ru Ning shifted to another question weighing on her mind. "What exactly happened in Foshan?"

Hao Jian paused, slightly surprised that Lian Ru Ning had picked up on a key point. She decided not to conceal it. "The real target of Wujie was the food base there. As a result, the area will be under lockdown for a while."

"So... even if the 'Brotherhood' manages to find Ru Meng, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to bring her out quickly?"

"That’s probably the case."

Lian Ru Ning sighed.

At that moment, the sound of high heels on the floor echoed. Without looking, they both knew it was Le Yan’s footsteps.

Sure enough, as Le Yan passed by, she glanced through the floor-to-ceiling window and noticed them.

Lian Ru Ning, realizing that she would be encountering Le Yan frequently as a member of the Scientific Center, decided to greet her.

Le Yan smiled back and glanced at the food container on the table. Then she looked at Hao Jian and asked, "Are you having dinner?"

"Uh, yes. Are you heading to dinner now, Researcher Le?"

"Yes. I heard you’ve officially joined the Geological Environment Research Lab. That makes us colleagues now. If there’s ever a day when no one brings you food and you don’t want to eat alone like me, though that seems unlikely, you’re welcome to join me."

Finding Le Yan unexpectedly humorous, Lian Ru Ning chuckled. "Alright."

After Le Yan left, Lian Ru Ning turned back to see Hao Jian pouting, a rare display of displeasure.

"What’s wrong?" Lian Ru Ning asked.

"Someone’s trying to steal my girl. I’m not happy," Hao Jian replied.

Lian Ru Ning found her jealous expression adorable and couldn’t help laughing. "Actually, I think it’s more likely she’s interested in my dad."

Hao Jian gave her a look that seemed to say, "Are you serious?"

"She interacts with my dad more often, always seeking him out. But maybe I’m overthinking it. After all, they both seem more like people devoted to research and experimentation than personal relationships."

"Doesn’t she have any family or friends?" Hao Jian asked.

"I’m not sure. Most of the time, I’ve seen her working alone. She’s quite a unique researcher and extremely capable. Senior Brother Shen told me she’s highly respected because she focuses solely on experiments and writing scientific reports. In just half a month, she submitted four reports and proposed eight research hypotheses, which led to significant advances in hydrology studies and opened new research directions."

Normally, scientific reports aren’t as simple as high school lab reports. They involve detailed summaries and numerous pages of data. For Le Yan to produce so many reports in such a short time suggests she conducted multiple experiments and achieved notable success in at least four of them. Her accomplishments were nothing short of extraordinary.

Hao Jian could only conclude that if Le Yan wasn’t "cheating," then she could only be described as a genius.

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