Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 793: Direction of the Investigation

Translator: CKtalon

Weed City, in a rented apartment on South Street.

Shang Jianyao and the others met up with Genava.

As Jiang Baimian walked to the window, she casually asked, “How’s the situation recently?”

As a cold intelligence collector, Genava replied in a slightly synthetic voice, “Due to the news that war will break out between First City and the Salvation Army within the year, the price of food has increased significantly.

“Weed City is located at the westernmost end of First City’s sphere of influence; it’s the furthest from the Salvation Army, so the level of panic here isn’t that strong. It still maintains a relatively normal and stable state. This has attracted more Ruin Hunters, making Weed City more prosperous than before.

“The nobles here control the land in the form of manors and stockpile a large amount of food…”

Upon hearing Genava’s clear report, Jiang Baimian cast her gaze out the window.

On South Street, there was heavy traffic and many pedestrians. The various shops by the side of the road were open, and business seemed to be good.

This formed a sharp contrast to the bleak and quiet atmosphere after the riot.

After Genava finished speaking, Jiang Baimian looked at the classic and modern houses opposite her. She tumed her body slightly and said to Bai Chen, “Auntie Nan’s alley is just opposite. Are you going to pay a visit?”

The Old Task Force didn’t stay in Ah Fu’s Gun Shop this time because Genava had chosen the place.

“That’s right, that’s right.” Shang Jianyao agreed first. “You haven’t even told Auntie Nan that you’re marrie

Auntie Nan should be very gratified to know that Little White has a normal family… Long Yuchong immediately felt tempted. He cast a consulting gaze at Bai Chen.

Bai Chen didn’t wear a scarf, and the number was no longer on her neck. It had been removed when Bai Chen underwent genetic modification two years ago. It was a matter that nobody paid attention to.

Bai Chen walked to the window and silently stared at it for a while. “No. We are burdened with too many things. Don’t implicate Auntie Nan and the others.”

“That’s true.” Long Yuehong nodded immediately.

Shang Jianyao sighed regretfully. “I still want to see how the people taught by An Ruxiang are doing in terms of literacy…”

You probably want to see how those people are doing… Jiang Baimian vaguely guessed Shang Jianyao’s thoughts.

She chuckled and said, “There’s no need to set such restrictions. We are out on a normal mission. If we don’t dare to go places or do anything, that will instead arouse suspicion. Yes, we can’t forget our disguises; there’s a bounty on our heads.”

As wanted criminals of First City, they couldn’t act ostentatiously in its sphere of influence.

“That’s right.” Shang Jianyao clenched his right fist and punched his left palm. “I also want to visit my good brother, Xu Liyan, in Castellan Manor and discuss the Buddhist Dharma with Zen Master Jingnian.”

“You mainly want to freeload on food, right?” Jiang Baimian joked.

Shang Jianyao frankly replied, “You can say that.”

At this moment, the red glow in Genava’s eyes flickered a few times. “Compared to last year’s departure, you seem to have many more worries. Did something happen in the company?”

As expected of a smart bot. Its ability to gather information and carry out logical analysis is sufficiently powerful… Jiang Baimian sighed.

Shang Jianyao wasn’t too convinced. “Why must something happen in the company? Can’t it be that the few of us have a love dispute and are about to splinter off and go at things alone?”

The red glow in Genava’s eyes flickered violently for a few seconds before he said, “That’s also a possibility, but the probability is only…”

“Stop!” Jiang Baimian stopped the honest robot from having his train of thought led astray by Shang Jianyao.

She sensed her surroundings and deliberated before saying, “So here’s the thing—we discovered something not long after we returned to the company…”

She highlighted the series of matters that had been sparked off by the Babymaker talisman.

As Genava listened, his eyes flickered with a red glow as if he was carrying out intense calculations.

“Alright, that’s about it.” Jiang Baimian looked at Genava and asked in anticipation, “Old Ge, what’s your take?”

She had always recognized that artificial intelligence was better than human brains in certain aspects.

Genava replied truthfully, “Frankly speaking, I’m not too surprised that your Big Boss is the Arbiter of Fate. Since First City’s uprising involved a New World dispute and was associated with a few Kalendarium, the other large factions of the same status probably can’t escape the Kalendarium’s influence.

Pangu Biology won’t be an exception.”

“There are exceptions!” Shang Jianyao immediately retorted. “Mechanical Paradise is an exceptioi

Genava was just about to nod and say that this was because their lifeforms were different and that as a powerful artificial intelligence, the Source Brain couldn’t believe in any Kalendaria when Shang Jianyao mocked himself. “Even Omega can be the Life Ritual parish’s Doctor of the Church. Why can’t the

Source Brain be under some Kalendaria?”

Genava momentarily froze.

Jiang Baimian slowly exhaled. “Old Ge, continue.”

“That’s right, that’s right.” Long Yuehong quickly echoed, and Bai Chen nodded.

Genava returned to normal. “As for the Arbiter of Fate raising employees of Pangu Biology as livestock, I don’t think it’s necessarily true.”

“That’s right! That’s right!” This was the first time Long Yuehong found Old Ge blindingly glorious.

“Why?” Jiang Baimian asked.

Genava replied, “Your internal situation is too normal. It’s so normal that there are almost no signs of you being reared.

“The information you previously gave me indicates that the annual mortality rate in the underground building is clearly lower than the average rate in human settlements like Weed City. It’s close to the Old World’s large cities.

“It can even be said that compared to the Old World before it was destroyed, Pangu Biology only had a few more Heartless outbreaks. The incidence rate is far lower than that in most places in the Ashlands.

“If you are being reared, there must be a goal. I can’t figure out the goal now.”

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly and said, “The incidence rate of the company’s various diseases is also very normal. Yes, the premise is that the data isn’t faked.”

This was an additional harvest from her previous search for cases of cardiac death.

Long Yuehong couldn’t help but join in the discussion. “That’s right. Big Boss can’t be rearing us because ‘She’ wants to harvest our souls when we die after feeding us well, right?”

He was still inclined to believe that Big Boss was protecting Pangu Biology out of interest or price.

Jiang Baimian tersely grunted. “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and have a guess. What do you think is the most valuable thing in the company?”

“The underground building?” Long Yuchong postulated an answer.

“The many employees!” Shang Jianyao had a look of confidence.

“A relatively well-preserved human civilization and sufficiently powerful strength?” Bai Chen deliberated for a few seconds.

“All kinds of biological-related technology, including but not limited to genetic enhancement, genetic modification, biological prosthetic limb, and bionic artificial intelligence armor…” Genava spoke using models and data.

Jiang Baimian nodded. “Yes, since it’s called Pangu Biology, the most valuable thing is undoubtedly biological.”

“Maybe it’s Pangu,” Shang Jianyao retorted softly.

Jiang Baimian ignored him. “Coupled with the fact that Master Zhuang’s descent also requires a body, the Kalendarium might have to satisfy this premise if they want to walk the Ashlands. They might even have to get a sufficiently compatible body and mind. Without a perfect body, Big Boss might want

to create one through biological technology.”

That’d be good… Long Yuehong could completely accept that Big Boss’s goal of keeping them as employees was for the company’s biological research results.

In any case, this was ‘Her’ company. The research results theoretically belonged to ‘Her:

Yes, as long as ‘She’ didn’t turn hostile after obtaining what ‘She’ wanted, it didn’t matter even if ‘She’ no longer provided protection.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Shang Jianyao clapped—

Genava moved his metal neck up and down. “I originally wanted to say that the only abnormality with Pangu Biology is that the New Calendar is almost 50 years old. The situation in the Ashlands has stabilized, so why haven’t they moved the company’s main body back to the surface? Now, I feel that it’s

to protect the latest biological research and prevent other Kalendarium from obtaining it.”

“There are also many abnormalities. For example, not telling us that Swamp Ruin 1 is Dajiang City,” Shang Jianyao argued, taking it to heart.

“That might involve the Kalendarium’s struggles.” Genava voiced his opinion.

Bai Chen pursed her lips and said, “These are only guesses. If we don’t verify them, we will always be on edge. We don’t know when the guillotine above our heads will fall.”

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly. “Yes, this is also something I’ve been considering recently, but I’m still at a loss. The only people who know Big Boss’s true goal are probably the directors and a few sleeping New World powerhouses. It’s impossible to directly kidnap them, right? Ignoring the question of

whether we can defeat them, they will definitely be under Big Boss’s watch.

“Old Ge, what do you have in mind?”

Genava gathered all the relevant data, injected them into a model, and quickly did some calculations. After a while, he said, “I screened some information based on what you’ve told me.”

“What information?” Long Yuehong blurted out a question.

The red glow in Genava’s eyes flickered twice. “You said that Pangu Biology is related to many Subhuman communities and human settlements. It uses the conditions of providing blessings and hope for recovery to make them volunteers and participate in certain experiments. Can we start from these

experiments conducted on the surface, search for clues, and guess Big Boss’s goal?”

Jiang Baimian was stunned for a moment before she revealed a reminiscing expression. “I remember Teacher Du Heng mentioning that he encountered the company’s project team in Icefield doing experiments on human bodies and minds in cold environments… It’s on the way; we can take a look.”

“How many years has it been?” Shang Jianyao said sincerely. “That experiment must’ve ended years ago.”

Jiang Baimian didn’t mind. “I’m just saying. In short, Old Ge’s suggestion is very good. What a faction says isn’t important; what’s important is what it has done. We might indeed discover something by looking into the surface experiments carried out by the company.”

With a direction in mind, Jiang Baimian exhaled in relief and said to Shang Jianyao, “You guys have the next few days off. Apart from visiting your friends, there’s nothing else. You can try to see if you can capture the dream of the person in Room 506 during afternoon naps.”