Embers Ad Infinitum

In response to Shang Jianyao's answer, Long Yuehong didn't know where to start her rant, so she could only say with a little disbelief:

"Don't you think what you're describing is scary?"

"So what? They are humans too." Shang Jianyao began to give examples, "Do you think a person is scary just because he has no nose, ears, or eyelids?"

Long Yuehong imagined it for a moment and nodded heavily:

"meeting."

Shang Jianyao seemed to have discovered that there was a certain generation gap between himself and his friend, so he had to change his example:

"Would you think a person is scary just because he is only 1.75 meters tall, has an ordinary appearance, and has average grades?"

Long Yuehong couldn't figure out for a while whether Shang Jianyao was giving an example seriously or starting his daily teasing, and said angrily and funny:

"Can this be the same?"

"Stop!" Jiang Baimian stopped the "debate" between the two and yawned, "It's so late at night, keep sleeping."

"Team leader, aren't you worried about the second person returning with his companions just now?" Long Yuehong felt that it was necessary to stay vigil until dawn.

Jiang Baimian smiled:

"Yes, I am becoming more and more cautious.

"Although this is the core area of ​​​​the Red Stone Collection, it is unlikely to encounter a terrible attack without warning, but given that the situation here is more complicated than I imagined, the Gray Whisperers, Red River People, alien smugglers, relic hunters, sub-people , Vigilance Sect, 'Underground Ark'... Ha, it has become a hodgepodge like the 'Rootless' business group, and it is indeed necessary to take turns to watch the night.

"But, don't be too nervous. It's enough for you to stay on duty alone. You just need to pay attention to whether there is any big movement."

"Yes, team leader!" Long Yuehong responded immediately.

…………

The next morning, the four members of the "Old Tune Team" entered the Red Stone Collection in high spirits. Before visiting the housekeeper of the Dimarco family, they once again came to the police station.

"What did you seem to encounter in the middle of the night last night?" Han Wanghuo asked calmly.

He did not hide the fact that Hongshiji had done some surveillance on the hotel camp.

Jiang Baimian, who was wearing a delicate monk mask, laughed when he heard this and said:

"I was just thinking about how to start the conversation and ask where those fish-like people come from without leaving any trace."

"Can they sing lullabies in the middle of the night?" Shang Jianyao added a question enthusiastically.

Long Yuehong thought this question was a bit strange at first, but after thinking about it for a while, she understood:

Shang Jianyao connected the monster with a human head and a fish body that could sing beautiful songs in the radio story and the deformed fish sub-human.

As for why it was a lullaby, Long Yuehong had no way of understanding.

Han Wanghuo was even more confused. He ignored Shang Jianyao's question and said "hmm":

"These are sub-human beings who live on certain islands in Nu Lake. We generally call them fish people."

Bai Chen thought of the people in Black Rat Town and had no doubts about the naming of Red Stone Collection.

Han Wanghuo continued:

"These sub-people first came from fishermen in certain places around the lake. When the old world was destroyed, they were distorted due to the pollution of some areas and corresponding water sources, and gradually became what they are now."

Hearing this, Long Yuehong suddenly felt confused:

"Why are the directions of their distortions so uniform?"

This unscientific!

This is not a qualitative or quantitative distortion induction experiment.

Han Wanghuo glanced at Jiang Baimian and saw that she was silent, so he explained casually:

“There were many kinds of abnormalities at that time, and most of them died within a few days or a few months.

"Among the rest, the murlocs are the most adapted to the environment of Nu Lake. They can reproduce, can dive very deep, find unpolluted undercurrents, and get enough food from the lake. Gradually, this area has become One of the two main streams, the others, except for the mountain monsters, became extinct at some point.”

"Mountain monster?" Jiang Baimian keenly captured another word.

Han Wanghuo pointed to the north and said:

"Haven't you been to church?

"There is a mountain range further north, and there is also a descendant of a tribe there. They look much more normal than the fishmen, except that their skin is a bit blue and their teeth are sharper. They can climb cliffs as easily as we can walk on the ruins."

Jiang Baimian asked with great interest:

"Why did they not be eliminated naturally and become one of the mainstream in this area?"

Han Wanghuo was a little confused:

"I am not very sure.

"I'm not an academic studying this."

He recalled it and said:

"The people from Hongshiji only told me where these people are strong and how to deal with them. They didn't tell me anything else. But when I was a 'Relic Hunter' before, I protected a researcher who came from the 'Primary City' , he told me that mountain monsters have strong resistance to certain pollution..."

Jiang Baimian suddenly realized this, took out the paper and pen in his pocket, and jotted down this point.

This made Han Wanghuo stunned for a moment, then hesitated and said:

"I have always felt that you are not like pure relic hunters, but closer to researchers and investigators."

While speaking, he glanced at Shang Jianyao.

His subconscious mind was to eliminate this guy.

Shang Jianyao immediately expressed that Han Wanghuo’s statement was unacceptable:

“What kind of purity are you talking about?

“If we are building walls, painting, being teachers, picking up trash, we are indeed not pure.”

Han Wanghuo's instinct told him that he could not continue arguing with this guy, otherwise the situation would probably get out of hand, so he turned his attention to Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen.

Jiang Baimian laughed:

"Relic hunters always take on tasks when they are given, so they naturally know a lot about them and know the importance of recording information."

After she finished perfunctoryly, she turned to ask:

"The relationship between fishmen, mountain monsters and your Red Stone Collection doesn't seem to be harmonious?"

"Do you think they voluntarily live in places with harsh environments such as the islands in the lake and deep in the mountains?" Han Wanghuo sighed, "Since the 'Underground Ark' opened, the pollution in most places in the city has basically subsided. They They were driven out of their homes.”

Jiang Baimian nodded gently:

"You seem to have some sympathy for them?"

"My personality is like this." Han Wanghuo explained simply, "But this does not affect my organizing a team to protect the Red Stone Collection. I don't know how many fish people and mountain monsters have died under my gun."

Having said this, he said to himself thoughtfully:

"There are fishmen sneaking into the hotel camp... They are a little ready to make a move..."

After talking to himself, Han Wanghuo reminded the "Old Tune Group":

"Fish have scales on their bodies, so it's difficult for small-caliber guns to cause much damage to them. You should be careful.

"Even if it's an ordinary gun, if it doesn't blow their heads out directly, it's better to shoot them again."

"Thank you." Jiang Baimian responded on behalf of the entire group.

After leaving the police station, at exactly nine o'clock, they went straight to the "Visa Trading Company" located on the fifth floor of Hongshiji.

Unlike other places, not everyone here is hiding. There is still a woman sitting behind the wooden platform near the door.

She wore a fierce green ghost mask, as if she wanted to calm her inner fears.

"We're looking for Mr. Karl. We made an appointment yesterday." Jiang Baimian walked over and said with a smile.

The lady's whole body was extremely tense, as if she would find a place to hide at the slightest sign of trouble.

She reluctantly said:

"Mr. Karl said, you go directly to the innermost office."

Jiang Baimian grabbed Shang Jianyao to stop him from adding fuel to the fire. Bai Chen nodded to the lady, indicating that she didn't need to be so vigilant.

Carl's office is very simple in layout, but it makes Long Yuehong and others feel extremely friendly.

This is very similar to the middle offices of many departments of "Pange Biology":

A shelf for folders and books, a desk, a set of sofas, a pot of green plants and several armchairs.

The only difference is that there is an iron-black safe.

Karl was not wearing a mask like yesterday, and his slightly gray hair was neatly combed back.

At this time, he was sitting there with his back straight, as if it had always been that way.

"Aren't you a believer of the Vigilant Sect?" Shang Jianyao asked curiously before Jiang Baimian could.

There is no doubt that he switched to Honghe dialect.

Karl said calmly:

"I'm very wary of Mr.'s affairs."

For this reason, you can ignore your own vigilance.

Jiang Baimian then took a step forward, smiled and said:

"I won't waste your time, let me tell you straight.

"Do you have a military exoskeleton? We'd like to buy one."

Karl pondered for a few seconds and said:

“If this kind of supplies hadn’t been ordered by big customers in advance, we would definitely have kept them for our own use.

"Mr. DiMarco was very concerned about his safety and very vigilant and didn't mind paying a premium for something like this."

He politely declined the requests of the four people opposite him.

"Is that so..." Jiang Baimian was not in a hurry for the time being and asked instead, "Mr. Karl, what do you know about Herwig's batch of arms being robbed?"

Karl shook his head:

"I am not sure.

"I was in the 'Underground Ark' at the time, and I didn't know what happened until the next day."

Jiang Baimian said "hmm":

"Then who do you think is related to his death?"

"Too many." Karl's expression darkened, "This is a greedy and cruel evil man who will even sell weapons to fish people and mountain monsters, causing countless unnecessary deaths and injuries. He is hated and hated by others everywhere. Red Stone Collection.”

At this point, Karl's voice became cold:

“Moreover, in order to monopolize the arms business, he also incited the townspeople to be hostile to the ‘Underground Ark’.

"His death must be Zhi Sui's gift to us."

Having said that, Jiang Baimian stopped asking any more questions, politely left, and took Shang Jianyao and others out of Hongshiji.

For the rest of the morning, they drove their jeep around the ruins of the city leisurely, recording the topographical features of many areas.

Before lunch, they returned to the entrance of Hongshiji.

The vehicle was driving, and Jiang Baimian's eyes suddenly froze in the passenger seat.

She had been observing the situation outside out of habit when she saw a familiar flash of fire in the middle of a building in the distance!

"Left!" Jiang Baimian only had time to shout out one word.

Bai Chen had a tacit understanding and turned the steering wheel all the way to the left.

A shell flew out of the rocket launcher and headed straight for the jeep.

The attack came suddenly.