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Chapter 454 Accepting the Mission, Heading to Tiannan Province

Beneath the iconic archway of the Bridge of Helplessness.

Fang Cheng stopped, looking at the crowds on the street, and glanced at the Yuan Shikai silver dollar beside him:
"Thank you so much for earlier. How can I pay you back?"

In his mind, borrowing money himself was like stealing from someone else, and he felt perfectly justified in doing so.

But if someone offers help, that's a debt of gratitude that must be repaid.

Fang Cheng understood this logic very well.

"Oh, sir, you're being too polite!"

Yuan Datou quickly waved his hand, flattered and surprised, and said:
"It's my honor to serve you. Consider this small amount as my way of showing my respect. Please don't mention repaying the money!"

Seeing Fang Cheng looking at him calmly without saying a word, Yuan Datou felt a sudden jolt of pressure from the invisible pressure.

Knowing that the other person was a person of their word, he had no choice but to awkwardly change his tune:
"Okay, boss, this is the password for my rented apartment."

He whispered a string of strange, incantation-like words.

"You can come see me anytime when it's convenient for you."

After saying that, seeing that Fang Cheng still seemed a little confused about the concept of "apartment," Yuan Datou then eagerly began to impart his experience:

"Boss, if I may offer a suggestion, next time you come, you should register at the local household registration office first, and then rent an apartment in the city."

"This way, not only is it convenient to come and go, but any virtual items you obtain in Night City, whether purchased or as quest rewards, can be stored in the apartment and won't disappear when you log off. It's very safe."

After hearing these words, Fang Cheng was completely speechless.

Isn't this just a live-action, highly realistic online game?
Moreover, it's a massively multiplayer online virtual reality game with paid items and offline trading capabilities.

Seeing Fang Cheng's silence, Yuan Datou assumed he was still troubled by money, so he considerately offered to explain:

"Actually, with your abilities, making money is very easy."

"There are two main types of transactions here. One is like what you just encountered, which is to transfer money in real currency, but the transaction fees are shockingly high."

"Another way, which is the way most of us choose, is to earn credits by completing tasks here."

"Credit coins are the hard currency of Night City. You can spend them directly here, or you can exchange them for real currency at private banks. The exchange rate is much more favorable than the official rate."

Yuan Shikai's words stirred something in Fang Cheng's heart. After thinking for a moment, he asked:
"Is it allowed for newcomers to take on tasks and earn commissions at the Bridge of Helplessness?"

"of course can!"

Yuan Datou nodded immediately and said, "It's like beans pouring from a bamboo tube:"
"As long as you have the ability, you can take on any task."

"The Bridge of Helplessness is one of the largest intermediaries in Night City, with a plethora of missions, from finding cats and dogs to assassination bounties, and all without the need for guarantees."

"Anyway, if the mission fails, they don't suffer any loss. At most, they'll lower the rating of the person who takes the mission next time and deduct some commission..."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng seemed to suddenly remember something and abruptly stopped in his tracks.

He turned to Yuan Shikai and said, "You go first, I have some things to take care of."

Before he finished speaking, he turned around and walked back into the service hall.

Yuan Datou stood there, stunned, staring at Fang Cheng's disappearing figure, his eyes flickering slightly.

He thoughtfully touched his thick chin, then shook his head and turned to blend into the crowd.

On the street, pedestrians come and go, and neon lights flash incessantly.

About half an hour later.

Fang Cheng walked out of the hall, the fog on his face seemingly unable to hide his depressed expression.

"What a rip-off..."

He muttered to himself:

"If I had known this would happen, I would have just asked to take on the mission of 'investigating the truth of the Chen family curse case'. Not only would I have been able to get information for free, but I could also make a lot of money after completing the mission."

"What a loss! What a huge loss..."

There was nothing I could do; it was my first time here, and I didn't know the ropes, so I ended up wasting money.

"No merchant is honest!"

Fang Cheng couldn't help but curse that unscrupulous organization again, silently making a mental note of it.

Then, he looked up and took another closer look at the bizarre and wonderful city.

High in the sky, the giant "all-seeing eye" slowly rotated, its eerie green beams sweeping across the rows of buildings like a lighthouse.

On the street, several semi-transparent ghosts drifted silently past, bringing with them a chilly breeze.

Various neon signs tirelessly change their words and patterns.

The iridescent reflections stretched across the slippery ground, making this place that never sleep even more enchanting, as if the scene would never end.

The textures, sounds, and even the smells in the air here are incredibly realistic.

However, it is precisely this extreme realism that highlights its essential illusion.

It's like a vast and mysterious dream constructed by countless consciousnesses.

Fang Cheng even strongly suspects that the initial inspiration for those so-called internet technologies in the real world came from here.

Perhaps a dozen years ago, a brilliant scientist arrived here and was deeply impressed.

This gave rise to the idea of imitating and constructing a similar world in the real world in another way.

A vast internet capable of accommodating billions of ordinary people, allowing them to cross national borders with "virtual identities" to exchange ideas and share information.

A spiritual realm and a data ocean—how similar they are!

As his thoughts wandered, Fang Cheng's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he looked intently at the distant city skyline.

At the edge of the dark sky of Night City, in the ever-present thick fog, a tiny, blood-red crack silently appeared.

What peeked through the crack was neither light nor deeper darkness, but an indescribable, chilling "malice".

It was as if the curtain of the entire world had been ripped open by a sharp blade, and something terrifying was watching this dream from behind.

The crack appeared for only a moment before quickly closing, as fast as an illusion.

The surrounding crowd seemed oblivious, still hurrying along amidst the bizarre street scene, busy with their own interests.

Fang Cheng slowly withdrew his gaze, not lingering there any longer.

This place is even more eerie than I imagined. Unless there's something I absolutely have to deal with, it's best to avoid coming here.

With a thought, his figure slowly faded away, eventually disappearing completely from the bustling street.

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

early morning.

The television in the living room was on, playing the morning news.

"...Affected by the end of the Qingming Festival holiday, our province is experiencing a peak in return passenger traffic, and major transportation hubs are operating at overcapacity."

"According to statistics, the return traffic flow on major highways in the province has reached its peak, and tickets for the provincial capital's airport and railway station are in short supply."

"We would like to remind all citizens and tourists to plan their trips in advance and travel during off-peak hours..."

The female anchor's clear and articulate voice echoed in the quiet room.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, cutting bright diagonal lines on the floor and revealing several patches of sweat that were still damp.

The light patterns extend upwards, reflecting on the sky-blue walls, making the whole room appear tranquil and spacious.

The heavy black sandbag hanging in the center of the living room was still swaying gently and rhythmically.

The blurry footprints on the floor and the clear fist marks on the sandbag testify to a recent, exhilarating beating.

And the person who started all of this is currently in the bathroom.

The sound of rushing water kept coming from the crack in the door.

About ten minutes later, the door was opened, and steaming mist carrying the fresh scent of shower gel wafted out.

Fang Cheng walked out with his toned upper body bare, the muscle lines washed by the hot water appearing even more defined in the morning light.

He grabbed a dry towel and roughly rubbed his wet hair.

He then draped the towel over his shoulder and shook his head slightly.

Water droplets splashed everywhere, and her short, jet-black hair became fluffy and neat.

"Hair grows so fast..."

Looking at his slightly unfamiliar reflection in the mirror, Fang Cheng couldn't help but raise his hand to brush away the stray hairs from his forehead.

Since my physical fitness level broke through the 60-point mark, my metabolism has become incredibly fast.

The newly grown hair was not only jet black and thick, but also possessed a strange resilience.

If you collected all the fallen hair, you could probably weave it into a bowstring strong enough.

Fang Cheng admired his hair in the mirror, lost in his own thoughts for a long time.

He then stepped out of the bathroom, his gaze sweeping across the living room and landing on the coffee table.

There was a white enamel basin, almost the size of a regular washbasin, covered tightly with a stainless steel pot lid.

Next to the basin was a stack of documents printed on A4 paper.

Fang Cheng quickly walked over and lifted the pot lid.

A powerful aroma, a blend of rich seasonings, instantly wafted into the air.

A steaming bowl of instant noodles is presented before you, with a glistening layer of bright red chili oil on the surface. The noodles are generously filled with ingredients: sliced ham, crunchy pickled mustard greens, ten whole braised eggs, and garnished with vibrant green scallions.

Fang Cheng picked up his chopsticks, took a big mouthful of noodles, and slurped it into his mouth without any hesitation.

The noodles, coated in a spicy and piping hot broth, slide down your throat, bringing a satisfying and exhilarating feeling.

"Awesome, it's been so long since I've had this kind of junk food..."

Fang Cheng couldn't help but exhale, and when he looked down again, his chopsticks quickly picked up a piece of sausage and stuffed it into his mouth.

Let's have a bowl of instant noodles to tide us over first, and then we can make a proper breakfast later.

While enjoying the simple and delicious food, he reached for the stack of documents next to him.

The first page of the document has the title printed in bold: [Chen Family Curse Case in Tiannan Province].

This is the intelligence information that I bought from the Bridge of Helplessness at a high price the night before last.

After leaving that awful place, Night City, Fang Cheng immediately found an all-night internet cafe in Wanghu Town and downloaded the intelligence onto a USB drive.

During the day, when I went to work at the club, I borrowed the company printer to print out the materials and organize them into this stack of documents.

At that moment, he was eating noodles while reviewing the documents again.

This intelligence record wasn't very detailed; it mainly focused on the Chen family's background, the course of the case, and the preliminary investigation results, totaling only a dozen or so pages.

The Chen family is not just an ordinary wealthy family, but a long-established family that has been entrenched in Tiannan Province for over a hundred years and possesses inherited bloodline abilities.

They mainly deal in jade and jewelry, and have deep-rooted influence in the local area. They have connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them tycoons.

This time, the reward they offered through the Bridge of Helplessness was as high as eight figures, 2600 million, which can be described as very generous.

Of course, this figure may have already been partially deducted by unscrupulous organizations.

The case began about two weeks ago.

The youngest son of the Chen family patriarch died mysteriously in his villa. The forensic doctor determined that he died of heart failure, but his death was horrific, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying before he died.

In the following period, one after another, core members of the Chen family suffered misfortunes. Some suddenly went insane, some were seriously injured in car accidents, and some, like the first victim, died silently in their sleep.

Local police intervened in the investigation but found no signs of homicide; all the deaths and injuries seemed to stem from "accidents" and "coincidences."

However, the intelligence analysis department at the Bridge of Helplessness came to a completely different conclusion.

This was not the work of human beings, but rather the work of some strange curse.

The murderer is very likely a person with spiritual abilities, and the methods used are very similar to the "black magic" popular in Southeast Asia.

"Black magic..."

Fang Cheng muttered to himself as he finished the last mouthful of noodle soup and swallowed it.

"Jiangtoushu" is a general term for many witchcraft practices popular in Southeast Asia, which incorporates many methods originating from Tantric Buddhism and Taoism.

"Jiang" refers to various spells or witchcraft, and "tou" refers to the individual or object affected by the spell.

Such evil arts are often feared because of their unpredictability and vicious methods.

Fang Cheng thought for a moment, then raised his hand and placed the enamel basin back on the coffee table with a "clatter," before leaning back into the soft sofa.

Even when the body is relaxed, the brain is still working at high speed.

Why would my uncle and the professor get involved in such strange things?

Simply for that high reward?
Not quite.

Judging from the professor and his team's style of doing things, they don't seem to have much interest in money.

Besides, if it's really about making money, there are plenty of opportunities around Dongdu, so there's no need to travel thousands of miles to the southern border region to take risks.

So, do they have ulterior motives?
Or is it that the Chen family already knew them and had a close relationship?

Even the possible "murderer," what connection do they have with them?
Just like Bailing said before, is he a friend of the professor from many years ago?

One question after another surfaced in his mind, only to be crossed out one by one by Fang Cheng.

Last night he called his uncle several times, but the call never went through.

In any case, this information alone is insufficient to make an accurate judgment. We must personally visit Tiannan Province to find out exactly what happened.

Fang Cheng turned his gaze back to the television.

The screen was showing a picture of a crowded train station, with the "Tiannan TV" logo prominently displayed in the upper right corner.

As the news reported, the passenger flow during the Qingming Festival was so large that train tickets to Tiannan Province were almost impossible to get.

As for the plane tickets, he checked yesterday and the earliest flight is the day after tomorrow at noon.

Fortunately, he had already booked the tickets in advance.

It seems we can only be patient and wait a couple more days.

As I was pondering, my phone on the coffee table suddenly vibrated, and a ringtone instantly broke the silence of the living room.

Fang Cheng reached for his phone, and the three words "Lin Chuqiao" flashing on the screen made him pause slightly before pressing the answer button.

"Hey, our White Demon boss, are you awake yet?"

Lin Chuqiao's cheerful voice immediately came through the receiver, soft and melodious, like the cries of seagulls in the distance.

Fang Cheng got up and walked to the window, opened the blinds, and let the warm sunlight fill the entire living room.

He glanced at the scattered groups of people doing their morning exercises downstairs and on the beach, and casually replied:

"Just woke up."

"That's perfect, I bet you haven't had breakfast yet."

Lin Chuqiao's tone sounded very relaxed:

"How about I drive over and take you to that newly opened tea restaurant on Haibin Road?"

"No need, I appreciate the thought, maybe next time."

Fang Cheng's gaze fell on the shimmering sea in the distance, and he declined the somewhat ambiguous invitation.

"Sigh, even inviting you out for a meal couldn't get this big shot to come..."

Lin Chuqiao muttered something under her breath on the other end of the phone, then her tone became serious, and she stopped joking:

"Alright, let's get down to business. I heard from Lark that Crow and the Professor seem to have lost contact?"

The lighthearted laughter in her voice faded, replaced by a hint of worry and concern.

"Yes, we can't get in touch with them for the time being."

Fang Cheng replied calmly.

"Do you have any clues?"

"The night before last, I went to an agency and bought some intelligence related to the professor's mission."

Fang Cheng did not hide anything and told the truth.

"What a coincidence?"

Lin Chuqiao's voice revealed a hint of surprise: "I just received a piece of intelligence as well."

She had barely finished speaking when both ends of the phone spoke almost simultaneously, asking the next question:
Where did you receive it from?

Where did you buy it?

The two voices, one steady and deep, the other clear and bright, collided in the receiver.

After a brief moment of surprise, Lin Chuqiao's silvery laughter came from the other end of the phone.

Hearing her laughter, Fang Cheng's usually tense lips curved into a smile, and a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.

A silent understanding flowed between the two.

Lin Chuqiao spoke first, her tone becoming more relaxed, and she smiled gently:
"Looks like we're on the same page. So what are you planning to do? We can't just sit here and wait, can we?"

"I want to go to Tiannan Province."

Fang Cheng spoke with certainty.

"When are you leaving? Have you booked your tickets?"

"The flight is at noon the day after tomorrow."

"too late."

Lin Chuqiao immediately denied it:

"By the time we arrived, the daylilies were already cold."

She paused, then quickly added:

“Perfect timing. I have a friend who’s going on vacation to Tiannan in a private jet. He’s leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”

“I’ve already spoken to him and asked if he could give us a ride.”

Clearly, she was also worried and planned to go to Tiannan Province to look for the professor's whereabouts.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng pondered for a moment.