A Scientific Urban Detective

After glancing at the building directory, Honeycomb Tomato shrugged and immediately wheeled around, heading back to the elevator. The two of them then rode the elevator straight to the top floor.

“As expected, all personnel related to the Dark May Project are in that basement,” Lin Wuming said, walking down the empty corridor. “It seems the next phase of the operation will go smoothly.”

The computer room, a restricted area, had its door tightly locked.

However, Honeycomb Tomato used her rapier to riddle the lock with holes in a matter of seconds, then kicked the door open.

The company's entire server system was housed in this room, filled with various instruments and equipment flashing small, emerald-green lights.

“So, what do we do next?” Honeycomb Tomato asked, turning her head.

“What do we do…” Lin Wuming hesitated.

Although he had worked in legitimate companies in his “previous life,” as someone who mainly used computers, he rarely had the opportunity to visit the company's computer room. He was even more clueless about backend systems like servers.

Lin Wuming wasn't even sure if this was the database storing the research data for the “Dark May” project.

Come to think of it, if Lin Wuming were truly proficient in network technology, he wouldn't have bothered coming to the computer room at all. Wouldn't it have been faster to destroy the data directly through the internet?

“Anyway, let's destroy all the machines here first?” Lin Wuming said, using his telekinesis to topple a server rack.

“Understood.” Honeycomb Tomato leaped lightly into the computer room.

Swish, swish, swish…

The rapier formed from pale-yellow ribbons became a blur in her hands. Without entering “bullet time,” Lin Wuming couldn't even see how many times she stabbed in a single second.

He could only see that every machine and device in the room, without exception, was stabbed with several holes.

Sparks flew, electricity crackled, and faint explosions could be heard from time to time.

“Is this enough?” Honeycomb Tomato asked, turning her head after finishing.

Her movements were fast, like a machine dedicated to destruction. Before Lin Wuming could react, she had already destroyed the main equipment in the room.

While speaking, she was still searching for any small devices she might have missed, to deliver a finishing blow.

“That's about it.” Lin Wuming wasn't entirely sure, but seeing the chaotic scene in the computer room, he couldn't find any fault with it.

“Next door is the archives room. Should we destroy that too?” Honeycomb Tomato asked again.

“Of course,” Lin Wuming said without hesitation.

Due to their rampage, all the alarms in the building had been activated, emitting a piercingly shrill sound.

However, no one could stop them before the security forces arrived.

Therefore, both ignored the alarms ringing in their ears and went to the nearby archives room together.

Repeating the same trick, they easily opened the door and saw rows of movable bookshelves like in a library, filled with uniformly sized folders or document bags.

“Most of these are paper documents,” Honeycomb Tomato said, randomly pulling out a few documents. “These aren't something I can destroy with a few stabs.”

“Looks like we'll have to set them on fire,” Lin Wuming said.

“I don't have any matches or a lighter.” Honeycomb Tomato patted her pockets, then looked back. “Should we borrow some fire from the computer room?”

Due to the short circuits, the electronic equipment in the computer room was constantly sparking, and small fires had already started.

“No need to be so troublesome.” Lin Wuming shook his head, then suddenly got up and pushed his wheelchair into the archives room.

Then he overturned the wheelchair, revealing its underside.

“That's the wheelchair's lithium battery pack,” Lin Wuming said to the girl beside him. “Puncture it—but be careful, don't get close.”

Honeycomb Tomato snorted and took out two steel needles from her belt, throwing them with a flick of her wrist.

That's right, the wheelchair Lin Wuming was using was actually electric, although he had never used the electric drive function.

After all, operating an electric wheelchair required pressing the control panel and joystick on the armrest, which was not very user-friendly for Lin Wuming, whose hands were also fractured.

Although he could use his telekinesis to operate the joystick and panel buttons, it was easier and faster to simply use telekinesis to push the wheelchair.

“I didn't expect it to come in handy at a time like this.” Lin Wuming nodded with satisfaction, watching the battery pack explode and catch fire after being punctured.

Using his telekinesis to grab a stack of document bags and place them on the fire, expanding the flames, Lin Wuming retreated to the corridor with satisfaction.

“All done.” Honeycomb Tomato casually destroyed a barrel-shaped robot that had arrived to put out the fire. “Should we leave now?”

“You go back first,” Lin Wuming said, leaning against the wall and staring intently at the fire in the archives room. “Be careful not to be seen by the security forces.”

“Lin Wuming, what do you mean by this?”

“It's nothing.” Lin Wuming said, “I need to stay here and watch the fire, making sure all the data inside is burned and ensuring the fire doesn't spread and burn down the entire building…”

The archives room was equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system, but all the nozzles that sprayed fire extinguishing agent were blocked by Lin Wuming's telekinesis.

If Lin Wuming left, the flames here might be extinguished quickly.

Moreover, Lin Wuming had deliberately avoided exposing Honeycomb Tomato's name during today's operation.

Unless surveillance cameras recorded the footage, it would be difficult to prove that Honeycomb Tomato was his “accomplice.”

—Blonde girls are not uncommon in Academy City.

In the end, Honeycomb Tomato was here to help. If she were to be held responsible and sent to a juvenile detention center or something, it was enough to have one “principal offender,” himself. There was no need to drag another person down with him.

“You don't even have a wheelchair now. What will you do if I'm not here?” Honeycomb Tomato certainly refused to leave alone.

Lin Wuming thought for a moment and said, “In that case, then help me with one more thing—I really can't leave here for the time being. Go down and bring Teacher Kiyama over here. Remember, be discreet, don't alert any other security guards, and only call her up here.”

This time, Honeycomb Tomato didn't refuse, but nodded in deep agreement. “I understand, Teacher Kiyama will definitely help us!”

Lin Wuming smiled. Based on his understanding of Kiyama Harumi in the original work, she was the type who upheld the justice of the security forces and would not compromise on any criminal behavior.

He was committing murder and arson. It would be strange if he could obtain forgiveness and protection.

Lin Wuming was already prepared for his fate.