The male supporting character was actually myself.

The materials used in this old-fashioned room are from many years ago, and their moisture-proofing is not very good. But clearly no one has been in there since, and twenty years of humid weather haven't left a trace, which is a bit…”

“Right, there’s not a speck of dust in this room, it’s like it’s been forgotten by time.” Li Chengze looked up at the retro-style decorations on the ceiling and shook his head. “But I can’t sense anything unusual. Back then, your soul was definitely intact, which means you were stronger. Could it be… that you could keep your place in some kind of eternal state?”

Chapter 8 Room 301

"You really trust me..." Li Chengze twitched his lips and lowered his voice even further. "If there really are relevant clues, you can keep them yourself. I don't have much confidence in myself. In case, I mean in case, I get caught and tortured, I'll definitely confess the truth!"

Jiang Chen couldn't help but facepalm. "Even if telling the truth will cause you trouble, don't use such an arrogant tone. Besides, please have some faith in me. How could I possibly let someone arrest you?"

"Ouch...that's so cheesy!"

Li Chengze rubbed his arms with an expression of unbearable frustration, then picked up his buzzing phone, glanced at it, and excitedly said, "The preliminary comparison results for the streets are in. The first image has 345 suspected locations; the second has 605; the third has slightly fewer with 182; and the fourth has 291."

However, when all the results are matched with the same city, only nine cities overlap, all of which are located in Yunxi Province.

"In that case, let's head over to the branch office first. The relevant staff will compare the data with the street scenes from twenty years ago, and I believe we'll reach a conclusion quickly upon arrival."

With the cooperation of relevant departments, the results obtained from searching and comparing street maps from the past fifty years in the internal database, and then conducting on-site investigations and comparing old photos in the remaining nine cities, it should not be difficult to find the places mentioned in the bug report.

Jiang Chen brought Prop along on this mission.

Firstly, it would be difficult to control in time if they were too far apart; secondly, he had a gut feeling that he had to learn soul sound waves, as they would definitely be of great use in the future!

Yunxi Province is a typical large southern province.

This season is rainy and everywhere is filled with the gentle and graceful temperament unique to Jiangnan. The scenery is completely different from that of the North, and even ordinary people are a little overwhelmed by it.

Since its birth, it has lived in the silent and desolate universe, surrounded only by its own kind, with only the vast emptiness and the unchanging, profound scenery.

Propp had never seen the light refracted by water droplets hanging on leaves under sunlight;

Having never seen plants, flowers, animals, or even any buildings, the word "beautiful scenery" had never existed in its life. Following its owner on this journey, Propp, for the first time, came to understand the true meaning of the beautiful words recorded in the book.

"This Soul Eater you're raising is becoming more and more human-like," Li Chengze said to Jiang Chen while secretly observing Prop during a break from processing documents. "Won't it be assimilated if it stays in our world for too long?"

As Jiang Chen sipped his tea, he watched Propu curiously use his "hand" to catch the colorful bubbles that the naughty child blew and floated in the wind. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "Even if it's assimilation, so what? Different species have completely different ways of survival. They only need energy and nothing else. The evolutionary process has omitted external matter."

All I want to know now is how to eliminate this threat completely. Our world, though imperfect, is still a happy home for most people. The existence of Soul Eaters is our greatest threat, and our current ability to keep Prop is entirely based on an imbalance of power.

Can we supply it with enough food, enough to feed the entire Fallen Predator Legion?

Individual transformations are meaningless to us; hunter and prey cannot coexist peacefully unless we, the prey, bare our fangs to deter them from attacking.

After pondering for a moment with his chin in his hand, Li Chengze shook his head and said, "We are indeed too insignificant, and our understanding of the universe is far too limited. Even if we obtain information about the universe from the Fallen Predators, it will be difficult for our technology to make a qualitative leap in a short period of time."

"Let's take it one step at a time. At least we don't have to worry about the end of the world in the next few years." Jiang Chen leisurely sipped his tea, waiting for the relevant departments to provide detailed comparison results.

Their final destination was finally determined on the second day after their arrival.

Jiang Chen found clues from the scene provided by the BUG, ​​and realized that he used to live in Lianhuawu District, Lanmeng City, Yunxi Province.

This is a typical small town in the Jiangnan region, where people live comfortably and contentedly, and the overall pace of life is slow, making it a very livable city. Although more than twenty years have passed, the entire old neighborhood hasn't changed much; in fact, one of the small restaurants in the scene is still there today!

"Are you looking for someone?" A group of middle-aged women sitting under a big tree by the street, playing cards, laughed in their thick local accent. "We've lived here most of our lives. If you're a long-time neighbor, you'll definitely recognize us!"

Jiang Chen handed over the printed images and several photos created by a computer expert.

Several middle-aged women looked at it again and again, then shook their heads.

"I don't really remember it. This must be an old photo from over twenty years ago, right? The skirt that girl is wearing was really fashionable back then!"

"Yes, my younger sister bought one too, it was expensive!"

"I don't remember the person, but I remember her wearing this necklace very clearly. It must have been... twenty years ago! That's right, a full twenty years ago! That year, it suddenly became popular here. It was called something like an evil-repelling stone. Anyway, it was very expensive and hot-selling. But the price was really too high. They said the chain was made entirely by hand. Anyway, it was fashionable for a while, and then I never saw anyone wear it again."

"Yes, yes, it seems like that's true."

"These two are both really good-looking, they must be in their forties at most, right? You should get them to go to the TV station, they'll definitely see them once they're on a show..."

.........

After saying goodbye to the elderly ladies playing cards, Li Chengze asked in a low voice, "It's indeed a bit difficult to find them this way. Should we try contacting the media?"

“If the media publicizes it, a lot of people will see it, but wouldn’t the mastermind also find out?” Jiang Chen said helplessly, “Don’t forget that I was tricked. The other party may also be suppressing my other half of my soul. Once it becomes known to everyone, it will be a big problem.”

Li Chengze chuckled sheepishly and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses. "Sorry, I forgot about that again..."

"You're managing such a large security team now, it's normal that your brain isn't working properly. Keep searching, hopefully you'll be lucky enough to find clues instead of stumbling upon the mastermind behind it all."

For the next two days, they searched around the old town.

"Hey? I've seen this young man before!" Finally, in the dimly lit room of an old-fashioned barbershop, the gray-haired old man pointed to the photo and affirmed, "Him? He moved away many years ago. About twenty years ago, he lived in the Railway Dormitory 101 behind us. Don't be fooled by how old and dilapidated this area looks now; twenty years ago, it was one of the best neighborhoods!"

Let me think about it...

The young man's name seems to be... Jiang Chen? Yes! That's right, that's his name. He has beautiful handwriting and even wrote his name on my mirror before.

There was a movie or something that was really popular back then, and the most powerful zombie was named Jiang Chen. He even made a point of clarifying that he wasn't that Jiang Chen, but rather the Jiang from the Chinese character for ginger, and the Chen from the Chinese character for morning. It seems he didn't live here for very long, maybe only three or four years?

Anyway, I remember that he moved away when he was about seventeen or eighteen years old, just over twenty.

Oh, and he has a girlfriend who's incredibly beautiful, even prettier than the biggest TV stars. I don't know if they're married, but they seem to come from a well-off family; they don't need to work and just spend their days traveling and having fun.

The old man squinted at the portraits of the girls provided and shook his head repeatedly. "I don't recognize the pretty girls in these photos, and they don't look like Jiang Chen's girlfriend."

That little girl is much prettier than them! Especially those big, bright eyes—they're so captivating. By the way, I think Jiang Chen once fought with some thugs for this girl; that young man's background is quite impressive!

The floodgates of memory opened, and the old man slowly sipped his tea, the more he recalled, the more information he gained.

"It was summer then, not particularly hot. I don't know why the fight started. I was sitting by the window looking across the street, and I can't quite put my finger on what happened, but my vision seemed to blur for a moment. I felt like Jiang Chen had some kind of special ability, and with a wave of his hand, the stick that had fallen to the ground flew back into his hand."

"It happened in a split second. I can't say for sure if the sun was too bright and I was seeing things or what. Just take it as entertainment. I don't know how the dispute was resolved afterward. Anyway, I never saw those thugs again."

"Others? I don't think I saw them. The fight lasted less than two minutes. It was the middle of the day, and there wasn't a soul on the street except for them. If I hadn't been watching TV in the shop instead of taking a nap, I probably wouldn't have seen them either. But not long after that fight, it seems like he and his girlfriend moved away, and I haven't seen them since."

"I'm not too sure which building they live in. You can ask at the railway dormitory management office. Back then, everyone who could live in government housing must have been registered."

Having finally found an important clue, the two thanked the old barber and left the small shop, turning around and entering the old, dilapidated residential area behind it.

Although the houses look quite old, the layout and greenery of the community indicate that it must have been a very upscale community back then.

Most of the residents here today are elderly, and the whole community exudes a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

"Those who can move in are all management personnel who were allocated housing back then. They have high pensions and the locations are good." Li Chengze explained in a low voice as they walked. "Back then, there was no shared area, and the usable area was even larger than the area on the property certificate. After some renovations, it was very comfortable to live in!"

"Such detailed research? Are you planning to provide perks for the security team too?"

"You haven't really used the special research funds that were approved for you. The elders had acquired a lot of land that they wanted to build their own manor to live in after retirement. Why not build it into a community and distribute it as a reward mechanism to outstanding employees?"

"Well, you can decide what to do. Anyway, you don't have the guts to embezzle."

Lee Seung-taek: ㄟ(▔,▔)ㄏ

That guy who can't chat is back. Looks like the main system overhaul wasn't thorough enough...

The information department quickly found the files from twenty years ago and indeed found a familiar name in them—Jiang Chen!

"Building 6, Unit 1, Room 301." Li Chengze found Building 6 directly according to the information sent by the other party. It was considered the best building in the entire community. The building was surrounded by an internal garden and there were no buildings in front that blocked the sunlight. According to the electronic floor plan, there were only two households on the first floor, and the room area was quite considerable.

"The staff member who helped us with the search said that this house has been vacant for many years." He continued flipping through the documents and lowered his voice, "It seems that your identity back then was not simple. Currently, apart from the ownership of this house, we haven't found any more detailed identity information. However, it is very likely that someone deliberately hid the file."

Jiang Chen stood at the entrance of Room 301, looking at the rusty iron gate, with traces of Spring Festival couplets still remaining on both sides.

After so many years, the red color has faded to a burnt yellow, and it can only be barely made out that it should be handwritten calligraphy.

The property management of the community is obviously very responsible. The corridors are kept very clean. Even the old-fashioned security doors that have been vacant for many years and have rusted can be seen to be wiped clean occasionally, so there are not many signs of decay.

“The lock is in such a state, we definitely have to pry it open…” Before Li Chengze could finish speaking, a slightly harsh “click” was heard from the rusty iron door. Jiang Chen stepped forward and opened the security door, revealing the old-fashioned wooden door inside.

The Horcrux quickly unlocked the second lock, and the wooden door opened with a click.

Propp looked around curiously, then obediently followed behind the two, not daring to move.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a spacious living room that is bright and airy, with both glass windows tightly closed, giving the room a sense of timelessness.

"Be careful and try not to touch anything. We'll have the special task force come over to assist with the investigation later; we might make some unexpected discoveries." Li Chengze handed over shoe covers, gloves, and masks, and the two of them carefully entered the room after putting them on.

Jiang Chen waved his hand and said, "Prop, go downstairs and play for a while while we wait. This place is special, so it's best not to disturb the atmosphere."

Upon hearing that he could go play without having to follow, Prop excitedly spun around twice, nodded, and disappeared through the house downstairs. Staying with his master meant he was well-fed every day, and as long as he didn't cause trouble, he could play happily, surrounded by all sorts of fun and beautiful things he'd never seen before.

It was so much better than being in General Seror's legion, where I was always bullied by the older, degenerate predators!

If Prop could continue living such a peaceful and happy life by his master's side, he would sincerely pray that the world's barrier would not be breached, otherwise his good days would come to an end.

Even if I could rapidly increase my strength and become a commander, drifting through the vast universe wouldn't be as peaceful and happy as living here...

“This place has been sealed off for twenty years.” Li Chengze snapped a series of photos with his camera, afraid of missing any important clues. Then he squatted down and looked at the spotless floor against the light, sighing, “It looks like the original owner only left temporarily and will come back at any time. Time seems to have stopped here.”

Jiang Chen glanced at the room layout.

The living room features a classic sofa from twenty years ago, covered with a pristine white crocheted sofa cover; opposite the sofa is a light wood TV cabinet, its hazy patterned glass partially obscuring an old-fashioned CD player inside.

On the TV cabinet sat a bulky desktop color TV that was popular back then; several paintings hung on the wall in a staggered arrangement, all signed by Jiang Chen.

"Oh? You drew this?" Li Chengze snapped two photos, then pointed to the signature on the painting and said seriously, "Your handwriting hasn't changed much; it's almost exactly the same as your current signature."

Jiang Chen nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. "Don't you find it strange? This is the humid south, with very high humidity. Logically, a room that's been sealed for twenty years shouldn't be this dry; at the very least, it should show some signs of mold."

The materials used in this old-fashioned room are from many years ago, and their moisture-proofing is not very good. But clearly no one has been in there since, and twenty years of humid weather haven't left a trace, which is a bit…”

“Right, there’s not a speck of dust in this room, it’s like it’s been forgotten by time.” Li Chengze looked up at the retro-style decorations on the ceiling and shook his head. “But I can’t sense anything unusual. Back then, your soul was definitely intact, which means you were stronger. Could it be… that you could keep your place in some kind of eternal state?”

Chapter Nine, Final Chapter, Can Be Slaughtered

"Why don't you try and see?" Jiang Chen casually took out a pen from his pocket and dripped a drop of ink onto the ground.

"Clap!"

The black ink fell to the ground, leaving a blooming ink flower on the brown floor.

The two stared intently at the drop of ink, which gradually dried up and faded in color over the next few seconds before disappearing completely.

"As expected, there is an energy that we cannot currently understand maintaining some kind of state." Jiang Chen's heart grew heavier. Just who was he?

Why could such an illogical and even physics-defying force be left in a dwelling?

Why did they suddenly leave?

Before leaving, why didn't they withdraw that force? Were they waiting to show me the way?

The restaurant had only one table and two simply designed chairs; the clean and bright kitchen had no pots or pans and looked like it had never been used.

"Strange, even if you move away, you shouldn't leave no trace. Don't you two need to eat?" Li Chengze muttered to himself as he took the photos.