jdhmnovel Chapter 491 Dividing the Army into Two Groups (Page 12)
Chapter 491 Dividing the Army into Two Groups (Page 12)
The Night Watch's identity markers in this era (the 1980s)... were not like this at all!
According to the database records, the oldest type of badge used during this period was made of gilded bronze with simplified designs and no energy fluctuations.
If he were to pull out this futuristic badge... forget about proving his identity, he'd be arrested as a spy!
Seeing An Qingyu's sudden freeze and empty hands, the clerk's doubts deepened, and her vigilance increased: "Superior department? Which superior department? Where's the letter of introduction? Where's your work ID?"
An Qingyu's brain raced, trying to concoct a plausible identity: "I'm...I'm a...special technical advisor from the provincial...geological bureau..."
"The Provincial Geological Bureau?" The clerk frowned, looking him up and down. "Didn't you receive any notification? And... your attire... doesn't seem like that of someone from our system."
The well-tailored, uniquely fabriced black trench coat that An Qingyu was wearing certainly looked... too eye-catching and "fashionable" in this era where blue, gray, and black were the mainstream colors.
“I…” An Qingyu was speechless for a moment. He was good at data analysis, logical deduction, and even combat, but making up lies on the spot to fool people… was really not his forte.
The clerk's face darkened, and his hand stealthily reached for an inconspicuous button under the desk—clearly an alarm device. "Sir, please show me your identification! Otherwise, I'll call for help!"
An Qingyu inwardly cried out in alarm. The soft approach wasn't working... it seemed she had no choice but to resort to force.
He sighed, pushed up his glasses, and a helpless glint flashed across the lenses: "Since that's the case... then... I'll have to offend you."
The words have not yet been spoken!
Om-! ! !
An invisible, powerful mental shockwave, centered on An Qingyu, spread precisely and instantly throughout the entire first-floor reception hall!
The clerk's expression froze instantly, her eyes became vacant, her body went limp, and she collapsed into the chair, falling into a deep sleep.
Almost simultaneously, Anqingyu's robotic arm deployed several miniature probes.
An invisible interference wave instantly enveloped the entire building! The communication equipment of the other team members inside, as well as any alarm devices that might be present, all... temporarily malfunctioned within a fraction of a second!
An Qingyu's figure flashed like a ghost!
boom! boom! boom!
In the office on the second floor, a squad deputy leader who was looking at documents was knocked unconscious by a karate chop that appeared silently from behind before he could react.
In the third-floor lounge, two team members who were playing chess suddenly felt a blur before their eyes and lost consciousness.
In the archives, a female team member who was organizing files also collapsed silently.
Inside the training room, a burly boxer was practicing his punches when he was struck precisely on a pressure point on the side of his neck and collapsed to the ground.
In just over ten seconds!
The entire [007] squad's base, except for An Qingyu herself, all the team members... were all persuaded by physics and fell into a "peaceful" slumber.
An Qingyu stood in the silent corridor, pushed up her glasses, her face expressionless, with only the data streams that were frantically refreshing on her lenses.
"Non-lethal physical hypnosis. Estimated awakening time: two hours. Sorry, seniors." He muttered to himself, and began his "work" without any psychological burden.
He first went into the largest office, which was clearly the captain's room.
The table was piled high with documents, and a detailed map of Huaihai City and its surrounding areas hung on the wall, marked with many symbols in red and blue pencils.
An Qingyu's robotic arm was directly connected to the old-fashioned computer terminal on the table, which required dialing and made a buzzing sound when it was running.
“System compatibility adjustment… data interface simulation… firewall cracking… accessing core database…” An Qingyu’s fingers flew across the control panel of the robotic arm.
The old computer screen flickered a few times, and green characters began to scroll rapidly.
"Retrieve all records of abnormal energy fluctuations, files of unsolved mysterious events, and eyewitness reports of special creatures in Huaihai City from the past five years..." An Qingyu issued the order.
The data flashed by one by one.
[On [Date], a suspected chemical leak occurred at the Chengxi Chemical Plant, causing a minor mental disturbance incident, which has been dealt with.]
On [Date], a large-scale poultry die-off occurred at a suburban farm. The cause was identified as an unknown virus, and the area has been sealed off and disinfected.
[On [Date], the subway construction team reported unearthing unusually hard skeletal fossils. After identification, they were determined to be ancient biological remains and found to be normal.]
[On [Date], several citizens reported seeing unidentified flying lights, suspected to be a mass hallucination or a weather balloon; this has been filed.]
……
Most of the records consist of scattered, trivial events that were ultimately identified as "natural phenomena" or "resolved," consistent with the characteristics of an era in which this mysterious activity was relatively quiet.
An Qingyu frowned slightly and sped up the search.
"Elevate search privileges! Retrieve files at the 'Top Secret,' 'Undefined,' and 'Under Observation' levels!"
The screen flickered again, and the number of records that popped up decreased significantly.
[File Number: 007-ZM-198X-XXX]
[Event Type: Undefined Creature Sighting]
[Time: [Date], Night]
Location: Tidal flats of Binhai New Area (now Development Zone), Huaihai City
[Description: Several militia members on night patrol reported witnessing a huge white beast-like figure in the mudflat area. It resembled a giant deer, had a single antler on its head, and emitted a soft white light. It vanished in a flash into the mist, leaving no footprints or physical traces.]
[Preliminary assessment: Mass hallucination? Mirage?]
[Outcome: On-site investigation yielded no results. No follow-up reports. Filed as 'Under Observation' (low priority).]
[Note: There are occasional folk tales of the 'Bai Ze' appearing to bestow blessings, but these are unsubstantiated and therefore not accepted.]
"Bai Ze?" An Qingyu's gaze suddenly sharpened!
On the lens, data streams about the myths and legends of "Bai Ze", energy spectrum characteristics, and suspected historical records... poured down like a waterfall!
"It resembles a giant deer, with a single horn on its head and a body radiating white light... Its characteristics are highly consistent with the auspicious beast 'Bai Ze' recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Bookcase! It can understand the feelings of all things, know the appearance of all things under heaven, and ward off all evil spirits in the human world!"
"Five years ago... Bai Ze appeared on the mudflats of Huaihai City?!"
An Qingyu's heart skipped a beat!
The auspicious mythical beast Bai Ze, its appearance often foretells... good fortune? Or... a warning?!
Is there some connection between its appearance and disappearance, and the disaster that will occur five years later (now), destroying half the city?
Why is the Night Watch Archives rating this matter so low? Merely "Under Observation (Low Priority)"?! Was it due to limited technology at the time that prevented confirmation? Or... was someone deliberately downplaying it?!
An Qingyu immediately attempted to retrieve more detailed on-site investigation reports and energy residue analysis data.
But then they discovered... the file ends here!
There are no further details recorded!
It's as if this matter was truly dismissed as a trivial "collective illusion"!
“Something’s not right…” An Qingyu’s intuition told him that this seemingly insignificant, even somewhat absurd “Bai Ze sighting incident” definitely concealed deeper information!
He immediately encrypted and downloaded the file.
At the same time, the robotic arm operates at full capacity, starting with keywords such as "Bai Ze," "mudflats," and "198X."
Cross-reference all municipal archives, meteorological records, folk tales and legends, and even... unusual medical records from hospitals!
He had a strong premonition... that this overlooked clue might be... the key to uncovering the truth about the Huaihai disaster!
...
In a corner of an abandoned vegetable market, the air was filled with the musty smell of rotten vegetable leaves and a faint stench of blood.
The ten minutes of reconnaissance time passed in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Several figures, like ghosts, arrived at the agreed meeting point almost simultaneously from different directions.
Lin Qiye was the first to arrive; his mortal domain had already been concealed.
He stood in the shadows, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings to ensure his safety.
Next up were Baili Pangpang and Jialan.
Baili Pangpang was still holding the large red enamel basin with the character "囍" printed on it, which was filled with White Rabbit milk candies, sponge cakes, and various trinkets.
His face showed a mixture of excitement and fatigue.
Jialan followed behind him, her little face flushed, holding a string of unfinished candied hawthorns in her hand.
"Seven Nights! Seven Nights! A major discovery!" Baili Pangpang exclaimed excitedly in a low voice as soon as he saw Lin Qiye.
"Black Ox Mountain! Black Ox Mountain in the west of the city! The geological bureau reports abnormal groundwater! It's definitely the source of the disaster!"
Almost simultaneously, An Qingyu's figure also emerged from another alley.
He adjusted his glasses, the lenses still reflecting the glint of the data stream. His expression was grave. He spoke directly, "Captain, I've hacked into the 007 team's base database. I found a top-secret file from five years ago—'The Bai Ze Sighting Incident'!"
The location is on the mudflats of Binhai New Area!
I believe this matter may be significantly linked to the impending disaster!
As soon as the words fell——
call!
A dark shadow, carrying a sharp, murderous aura, arrived at the same time as a faint light of the Candle Dragon True Flame!
It's Cao Yuan and Zhang Yun!
Both men looked extremely pale, and they carried a faint...stench of blood and the chilling aura of battle.
"We've caught the babbling worm!" Cao Yuan said succinctly, his voice icy. "The Ancient God Church's conspiracy!"
They plan to release a pollutant called 'Holy Blood Agent' into the Huangpu River at midday when the tide is at its highest!
Zhang Yun didn't say anything, but simply took out the glass bottle wrapped in oilcloth that he had found on Yiyu's body.
The dark red, viscous liquid inside the bottle writhed slightly in the dim light, exuding a chilling, sinister aura.
“This potion…” Zhang Yun frowned, his eyes filled with disgust and seriousness.
"It is a violent source of pollution made from the blood and souls of countless living people! Once it is released into the Huangpu River, it will cause large-scale mental pollution and a frenzied riot!"
This... is the truth behind the disaster!
Finally, Sun Wukong somersaulted down from the rooftop, scratched his head, and scanned the crowd with his fiery eyes: "I, Old Sun, have looked around the entire city, and apart from the places where you few are making a ruckus, the rest of the place... is too peaceful!"
We didn't even see a single monster!
There's a small hill to the west of the city, where the earth's energy is a bit unstable, and there's also the big river to the south; it seems like there's something unclean buried beneath its waters, but they're both quite deep hidden.
Information summary!
In an instant, all the clues, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, rapidly combined and collided in Lin Qiye's mind!
Black Ox Mountain (groundwater anomaly)! Bai Ze (appeared on the mudflats five years ago)! Whispers (poisoning in the Huangpu River, Holy Blood Potion)! Ancient God Church conspiracy (triggered a frenzied riot)!
Lin Qiye's pupils suddenly contracted!
A clear and terrifying logical chain formed instantly!
"I understand!" Lin Qiye's voice was low and urgent, filled with an unprecedented sense of urgency. "The Ancient God Church's plan is far more vicious than we imagined! They're not just going to poison us!"