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Chapter 451 The Bridge of Helplessness, The City of Night

Upon hearing her father mention this matter, Li Biyun couldn't help but frown:
Dingjian said he should be able to get back in the next few days during the Qingming Festival.

“I called him before I went to sweep his grave the day before yesterday to ask when he would arrive in Dongdu, but I couldn’t get through.”

As she spoke, she looked at Fang Cheng, her eyes carrying a hint of inquiry:
"Chengcheng, has your uncle contacted you?"

Fang Cheng shook his head, his expression unchanged:
“He called me a few days ago, but I was busy and didn’t have time to answer.”

The originally warm atmosphere at the dinner table quietly subsided a bit because of this topic.

Grandpa paused for a moment as he picked up food with his chopsticks, and a lingering worry crept onto Mother's face.

Fang Cheng saw this, thought for a moment, and then offered words of comfort:

"Grandpa, Mom, don't worry. Uncle has many friends and connections outside. He's probably just going to some place with bad signal to investigate business projects."

“I know a few of his friends. I’ll ask them later to see if I can get in touch with him.”

Despite saying that, Fang Cheng knew the truth in his heart.

Before going to the Ma family to practice visualization, his uncle had mentioned that he would be accompanying that "professor" to Tiannan Province to handle some private business, which would take about a week.

Judging by the time, it's indeed time to go back to Dongdu in the next few days.

As he pondered, Fang Cheng unconsciously slowed down his chewing.

It seems I'll have to ask the other members of the professor's team.

Perhaps they know what their uncle did and where he is now.

....................................

After dinner, Fang Cheng, as usual, took on the task of washing the dishes.

Then I watched TV with my grandfather and mother in the living room for a while, chatting about everyday things, before returning to my bedroom on the second floor.

The room was silent after the door was closed.
Fang Cheng took his phone out of the bag by the bedside, turned on the screen, and went straight to the call log.

As I tapped my finger, a record of a missed call appeared on my screen.

On April 18th, at 9:57 PM, the caller ID showed "Uncle".

At that time, I was in seclusion in the Ma family's water prison, focusing on cultivation, and all contact with the outside world had been cut off, so I naturally missed the phone call.

After I got out, I tried calling back once, but I still couldn't get through.

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued scrolling down.

I discovered that my uncle hadn't called back in the days before and after that missed call.

This is somewhat unusual.

Knowing my uncle's personality, if he really needed my help, he would never give up after just one phone call.

Could it be that some unexpected situation has occurred, preventing you from contacting them temporarily?

Or... have they already penetrated deep into the border region of Tiannan Province?

A map of Tiannan Province appeared in Fang Cheng's mind.

Located in the southern part of the country, the area is characterized by continuous mountain ranges and numerous undeveloped primeval forests.

Moreover, it borders countries such as Siam and Khmer, with a complex and intertwined border.

In those places, it's common to have no cell phone signal, and missing one or two calls is perfectly normal.

But for some reason, Fang Cheng always felt a faint unease in his heart.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze finally settling on a number.

The note is: Bailing.

Within the professor's secret team, Bailing and her uncle seemed to have a pretty good relationship; they would often joke around with each other and were quite familiar with each other.

Last time, for the "Demon Hunting Project" targeting Noah's organization, I needed the identity of a special search team officer as a cover, and it was through my uncle's introduction that I asked her to help me disguise myself as Zhou Liang.

Perhaps she knows some inside information.

Fang Cheng then pressed the dial button and made the call.

"Beep-beep-"

The phone rang only twice before being answered almost instantly.

"Hey, White Demon Boss?! It really is you! I thought I was seeing things!"

A clear and lively female voice immediately came through the receiver, chattering like a lark just leaving its nest.

Bai Ling, indeed, lives up to her name.

"it's me."

Fang Cheng replied calmly.

"Wow, boss, you finally remembered me!"

The lark's voice was filled with undisguised surprise and excitement:

"Let me think, it's been more than a month since we last met, hasn't it?"

"Let me tell you, I feel like I'm getting stronger and stronger lately. The other night, on my way home, I ran into a few thugs who tried to take advantage of me. Hehe, I took them all down in just a few punches and kicks!"

"That feeling was absolutely amazing! It's all thanks to you, boss!"

"If you hadn't punched that broken bottle back then, we wouldn't have had this good luck."

That time in Misty Mountain, she and her team members were trapped in the inner world created by the Lu family. It was Fang Cheng who descended from the sky and shattered the Golden Benba Bottle, which served as the core of the formation, with a single punch, thus rescuing everyone.

Many people benefited from the misfortune, as they were bathed in the blood rain containing immense life energy, and their physical fitness was greatly enhanced.

This is why, in addition to gratitude, Bailing's feelings for Fang Cheng always carried an undisguised admiration.

"That's right, that's right."

She seemed to remember something else, and then asked:

"Last time I helped you disguise yourself and create a fake identity, did things go smoothly? Did anything go wrong?"

Fang Cheng listened patiently to her finish speaking, a faint smile playing on his lips, and casually replied:

"Yes, it went smoothly, thanks."

"Hey, boss, why are you being so polite with me!"

"Ask you something."

Fang Cheng interrupted her rambling and got to the point:

"Crow and Professor, do you know where they went?"

Crow is the code name for Uncle Li Dingjian in the team.

Bai Ling only knew that Fang Cheng, codenamed "White Ghost," and Crow knew each other in reality, but she did not know that the two were related by blood.

Perhaps, besides Lin Chuqiao, only that professor knew about this relationship.

The lark on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback, and her chatter stopped abruptly:

"Crow and the professor? Didn't they go to Tiannan Province on business? Boss, didn't you know?"

"I've been quite busy lately and haven't been in touch much."

Fang Cheng offered a brief explanation, then asked again:

"What are they going to do?"

"This...I'm not sure."

Bai Ling's tone was hesitant, and there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as if she was trying to recall and organize her thoughts.

"It seems to be related to a friend the professor knew many years ago..."

“They didn’t tell us the specifics, they just briefly mentioned the itinerary during the gathering, saying it was a rather important private matter.”

Have you been in contact recently?

"No."

Bailing answered readily. "Our small team tries to minimize contact except when we need to meet for a mission. It's the rule, to avoid being exposed."

She paused here, a hint of alertness in her voice, as if she had realized something.

"Boss, why are you suddenly asking this... does something happen to Raven and the Professor?"

"No."

Fang Cheng's tone remained calm and even: "I just needed to contact Crow recently, but I haven't been able to reach him, so I'm a little worried."

"I see... Wait a minute, I'll try calling them!"

Bai Ling's voice sounded somewhat urgent.

The call was immediately hung up.

Fang Cheng put down his phone, walked to the window, and gently pushed it open.

A cool evening breeze brushed against my face, ruffling the newly grown strands of hair on my forehead.

After waiting for about five minutes, the phone suddenly rang.

Fang Cheng turned around, picked up his phone, and answered the call again.

This time, the voice coming through the receiver lost its previous lightheartedness and liveliness, and instead carried an obvious tension and anxiety.

"Boss White Ghost... I called Raven and Professor several times, but the message kept saying, 'The user you dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later...'"

"What exactly happened? Could it be... that something really happened to them?"

By the end, Bailing's voice even trembled slightly.

"Don't rush, it's too early to draw conclusions. Panic won't solve anything."

Fang Cheng's voice sounded very calm. He reassured her a few words and then guided her:
"Think carefully now, did the professor and the others say anything special or do anything unusual before they left?"

"If there's anything special..."

On the other end of the phone, Bai Ling was deep in thought, her breathing becoming somewhat heavy.

After a long pause, she spoke hesitantly:
"That gathering... about a week ago, mainly the professor helped a few of us check our physical and mental condition after absorbing the blood rain, to see if any abnormal problems had occurred."

"Before the meeting ended, he did mention that he was going to the south with Crow to take care of something, and that those of us who stayed in Dongdu should keep a low profile and not go out and cause trouble."

"Big Hammer and I joked that we wanted to come along and broaden our horizons, but the professor flatly refused. Raven also said that this was a private matter and that having too many people would only get in the way..."

As she spoke, her voice suddenly rose a little, as if she had remembered some key detail.

"By the way, I remembered!"

“When I went to the base for a party, I saw Crow holding a file and discussing it quietly with the professor, saying things like ‘It should be that person’s method’ and ‘It looks very similar.’”

"Out of curiosity, I peeked over and saw that it was about a murder case. The headline had something like...Tiannan Province...Jewelry Tycoon...Chen Family Curse Case..."

"The Chen Family Curse Case?"

Fang Cheng quickly searched his mind for the keyword, his brows furrowing slightly.

"I don't think I've seen this case on the news. Where did they get the information?"

"I don't know about that."

The lark deliberately lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard some secret:
"But I suspect they probably bought the information from the 'Bridge of Helplessness'."

"The Bridge of Helplessness?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng gently pondered the name.

I felt that these three words carried an indescribable eeriness and danger.

"Ah."

Bai Ling's tone turned serious:
"That was an intermediary organization for assassins and intelligence brokers."

"You should know, boss. There are many things that people like us do that can't be brought to the table. The 'Bridge of Helplessness' is for people like us."

"It's like an information hub where you can post tasks, accept tasks, and of course, buy and sell intelligence."

"The Bridge of Helplessness only acts as a middleman, earning the information difference. It never inquires about the identities of buyers and sellers, nor does it interfere with the specific process of the mission."

“Our team used to take on jobs on it and earn commissions. The information about the Golden Bamba Bottle was also bought by the professor from the Bridge of Helplessness at a high price.”

Fang Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he pressed for an answer:

How do I find this organization?

“They don’t have a fixed address in reality, or rather, nobody knows where their headquarters are.”

Bai Ling explained:
"There is only one way to get in touch with them—go to 'Night City,' where there is a special contact point at the Bridge of Helplessness."

"Night City?"

"Yes, it's Night City."

The lark took a deep breath, seemingly in awe of this place as well:
"It seems to be a super-large secret realm, a lawless place independent of real society."

"The professor said that it is located in the cracks of the world, at the legendary boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead, somewhat similar to the other world we have experienced before, but on a much larger and more boundless scale."

"No one knows how big it is, and no one knows who the mastermind behind Night City is. All that is known is that it is a true no-man's-land."

“In Night City, the laws and morals of the real world are meaningless. Many organizations and individuals with special abilities who are wanted in the real world, and even some notorious cults, have their own hideouts there.”

“All sorts of shady deals, such as hiring murderers, selling contraband, and exchanging intelligence, happen all the time.”

"even……"

Bai Ling paused, then lowered her voice even further:

"I heard from the professor that some people's physical bodies have died in reality, but as long as their mental strength is strong enough, their consciousness can continue to live in Night City for a long time and become a special kind of ghost."

"correct."

She then added:
"That famous international Shadow Auction House also has a permanent location in Night City."

Bai Ling's words unveiled a previously unheard-of hidden world for Fang Cheng.

That world seemed darker and more chaotic.

"How to get in?"

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment, then asked directly.

"Go in with your consciousness."

Although Bai Ling found it strange that someone as powerful as Bai Gui wouldn't know about these things, she still patiently explained:

"The method is similar to when we entered the professor's mystical realm; we have to chant a spell."

After a moment's thought, she recited a string of words with strange syllables and peculiar rhythm.

Fang Cheng listened quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The structure and rhythm of this tongue-twisting incantation were surprisingly similar to the voice code he used to contact Cheng Jiashu.

"but."

Bai Ling then solemnly added:
"Boss, if you want to get into Night City, I have to warn you."

"Although it is only a consciousness, if it is attacked inside and 'dies,' it will also cause trauma to the brain in reality, and may even directly turn it into an idiot."

"So you must be careful."

"I know, thank you."

call ended.

Fang Cheng held his phone; the screen went dark, revealing his blurry face.

He didn't put it down immediately, but just stood there in the room.

My gaze drifted through the window to the town of Wanghu, its lights twinkling in the deep night.

After a long while, he spoke in a voice only he could hear:
"Let's go check out the situation first."

(End of this chapter)