NOVPUBChapter 67: Chapter 66: Achievements: All Rookies!
Chapter 67 -66: Achievements: All Rookies!
This is indeed the truth.
There are still many empty cells in the City Guard’s prison.
“Perhaps he was worried that his identity would be exposed, which is why he didn’t show up for the meeting,” Shandela spread her hands. “I believe that even if a gentleman doesn’t know your identity, he would find it difficult to turn down an invitation from a young lady of status.”
“Oh, stop flattering me,” Elise laughed. “By the way, he said his name is Chao. If you get a chance to meet him, you might want to talk to him a bit more.”
“I’ll remember that.”
She paused for a moment, then added, “Even if he is a swindler, when you arrest him, try to be kind to him and don’t let him suffer too much. After all, what he said was very much to my liking, and you could say he helped me against the odds.”
As the daughter of his teacher, Shandela could only promise to do as she requested.
At the same time, she was filled with curiosity.
Who exactly was this man called Chao who left such a deep impression on a young lady he had met only once?
“Let’s not talk about that anymore.” Elise suddenly closed the window and pinched her wrist. “Care to spar with me?”
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb; we used to spar often, didn’t we?” She undid the buttons on her blouse, removing the silk clothing. Only then did Shandela notice that Elise’s undergarment was not the corset usually donned by noble young ladies but a backless bodysuit. Her arms and spine were taut, and her well-defined muscles proved she had never neglected her training over the years. “How about it? There’s a gym for equipment combat in this hotel.”
“Indeed, we haven’t sparred in a long time,” Shandela raised the corner of her mouth. “I will gladly accept the challenge.”
…
It wasn’t until the next afternoon that Chaoyang received accurate information delivered by Dane.
“Around dawn today, a steam locomotive will depart from the port to the mining site outside the city. The train is carrying last month’s payroll funds for the mine, and it’s all stored in the conductor’s room.” He finished reading the note and crumpled it into a small ball. “Is this information reliable?”
“Actually, this isn’t much of a secret.” Dane nodded. “Judy deals with many newsboys, and often they’re the best informants. Employees of GaoTian Mining often mention pay issues when they gather for chats in ports or taverns, so it’s not hard to find out if you put in a little effort. Of course… to others, this information isn’t much use, since GaoTian Mining has its own armed force.”
“Miss Judy certainly has a wide network…” Chaoyang exclaimed in admiration.
“Indeed. In the past, I was more concerned with the royals, companies, and big merchants, while she would always pay attention to the lives of ordinary people first,” Dane agreed. “Perhaps she’s a better journalist than I am.”
“If you say that to her face, she definitely won’t admit it,” Chaoyang smiled. “By the way, where is she? I thought she would bring the intelligence herself.”
“She’s busy writing furiously, upset about something.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Have you seen the ‘Daily Mail’ or the ‘Herald Newspaper’ these past two days?”
Chaoyang shook his head. Ever since he learned about the existence of the Panlogical Machine, he no longer relied on newspapers to understand the world, as they were filled with too much useless knowledge, while the Panlogical Machine could provide focused answers to questions.
“Several articles appeared, all standing by the City North Police Station, speaking for people like Kuiqi,” Dane’s tone grew heavy. “The victims have yet to receive compensation from GaoTian Mining, and yet they dug up a few good deeds of the City North Police Station from the past, trying to quell public anger. Such nonsense about the police station helping residents save animals or catching burglars… Utterly preposterous! No matter how many good deeds they have done in the past, they can’t make up for the heinous crimes they’ve committed now.”
“This is… taking bribes,” Chaoyang frowned.
“Definitely! I thought they would show some restraint in the face of serial killings, but they’re as shameless as ever!” Dane became more agitated. “Those who write such reports don’t deserve to be journalists!”
He quickly understood the situation. “So, Judy wants to counter their arguments with her own article?”
“Exactly, newspapers and pens are our sharpest weapons, and I believe this time, the public will surely side with us at the ‘Herald Newspaper’.”
“In that case, you should get back to it. Don’t let Miss Judy fight this battle alone.”
After Dane left, Chaoyang started summoning the other four through soul connection.
About an hour later, the players finally gathered together.
Chaoyang naturally wouldn’t start by showing off this piece of information, after all, gathering intelligence was part of the main quest. He was curious about their results from the entire day.
Unexpectedly, everyone looked at each other, but nobody spoke first.
Chaoyang scanned them suspiciously, “What’s the matter?”
“I…” Qianyuan Meiko cleared her throat, “I didn’t complete the task. The money… it’s all gone.”
“Did you choose the wrong targets?” Zhang Zhiyuan asked.
“No, I spent it on clothes.”
The detective was stunned.
“I went with her.” Zhou Zhi raised his hand sheepishly, “So mine is gone too.”
“You bought clothes too!?”
“No… I loaned the money to her.”
Marvelous! Chaoyang couldn’t help but applaud in his mind, 20 silver coins… that’s a few thousand on Earth, right? To spend it all on clothes? Did Qianyuan Meiko actually go on a spree in the store?
“I didn’t save any either, slept it off!” Anthony lifted his chin, saying proudly.
“Slept off? Are the inns outside that expensive?” Zhou Zhi was puzzled.
“I have this habit, whenever I get to a new place, I like to experience the warmth of the local women, so you better mind your own business, kid.” He gave Zhou Zhi a sidelong glance and turned to Zhang Zhiyuan, “Don’t we still have the Justice Envoy? He must have put the funds to good use.”
Zhang Zhiyuan massaged his forehead, “I intended to personally scout the railroad to determine a place for the ambush. So, I rented a horse and went outside the city, but then I encountered a little beggar…”
“Brother Zhang, you didn’t give all your money to a beggar, did you!” Zhou Zhi said in disbelief.
“Of course not, I’m not an idiot!” he retorted irritably, “I was going to give him just a few copper coins, since all my money was in small change anyway. Then… I wasn’t paying attention to who was behind me, and a thief snatched my coin purse. I wanted to chase after them, but they had already run into the wheat fields and disappeared.”
Marvelous! Ailuodi also started clapping.
“The beggar was a decoy,” Anthony snorted, “One to distract, the other to strike, professional Suka!”
“Good heavens… does that mean we’re all wiped out?”
“I still made some gains; don’t lump me together with you all!” Zhang Zhiyuan obviously disagreed with the term “wiped out,” “I didn’t just scout the railway; I also found a perfect ambush spot. It’s right after you enter the foggy area, a small depression surrounded by abandoned mine shafts.”
“But we still don’t know which train is GaoTian Mining’s cash transport; what good is an ambush spot alone?” the Russian shook his head repeatedly.
“What about you guys? This isn’t just my responsibility!” Zhang Zhiyuan was quite dissatisfied.
“Hold on, we still have a newcomer.” Qianyuan Meiko suddenly remembered Ailuodi, “What about you? Did you get anything?”
“Went to Central Street, ate my way through the local delicacies,” Angel said truthfully.
Marvelous! The other four thought the same thing privately.
“How about… we give it another day?” Zhou Zhi tentatively suggested.
Chaoyang snapped his fingers decisively, “Update main quest, intelligence-gathering failed, deduct one hundred points from everyone. Now issuing the mission objective, take action tonight!”
