After a long silence in the group chat.
Shi Tailang sent a message, “I can’t take this anymore! I’ll pay 500,000, who wants to go to Lan City and beat him up?!”
“I’ll add 100,000!”
“I’ll add 200,000!”
“I’ll add 100,000!”
Several people who hadn’t shown up in the group also sent messages, increasing the stakes.
Xiao Lu changed the subject, “Alright, everyone quiet down for a bit. After the results are out, everyone will have a week of rest. After a week, someone will specially pick you up and take you to the Youth Training Camp! See you all in a week!”
Fang Xin’s Smart Connect Device vibrated again. It was a friend request from Xiao Lu. After accepting it.
Xiao Lu sent a message, “Student Fang Xin, please sign the contract and send it to me!”
“Do I need to print the contract myself?”
“Point your Smart Connect Device’s virtual screen directly at the desktop!”
Fang Xin did as he was told, and with a slight flash of light, a contract appeared on the table.
“After signing the contract, open the plus sign in the bottom right corner, there’s a ‘transmit’ button. Transmit the contract to me!”
Fang Xin looked at all of this in surprise. This was too magical!
This thing seemed to be a spatial-type treasure artifact.
However, Fang Xin currently didn't know its specific grade.
After doing everything.
Xiao Lu then sent Fang Xin an introduction and user manual for the Smart Connect Device, as well as the Ninth Division’s rules and regulations.
She also transmitted a plane ticket and a bank card that hadn't had a password set yet.
“Student Fang Xin, please make sure to read the Ninth Division’s rules and regulations carefully.
The bank card has one million, which is the bonus for joining the Ninth Division.
Finally, welcome Student Fang Xin to the Ninth Division. See you in a week!”
Fang Xin replied with a message, “See you in a week!”
He skimmed through the rules and regulations, roughly memorizing them.
Then he read through the Smart Connect Device’s user manual.
After reading it, he was even more surprised.
It turned out this thing also had an alias: the “Omni-Tool.”
When used by a single person, it could emit a laser beam to act as a laser sword.
When a team worked together, two or more people could form a formation to create a barrier, or even perform short-distance teleportation.
This item was a treasure artifact developed by the Sky Shield Bureau at great expense.
The grades of treasure artifacts ranged from the initial first grade to the ninth grade. Above the ninth grade were Spirit Grade, Supreme Grade, Saint Grade, God Grade, Rule Grade, and the legendary Forbidden Grade.
The theme hall he encountered today was a terrifying Saint Grade treasure artifact.
The Smart Connect Device in Fang Xin’s hand was a fourth-grade treasure artifact.
According to the regulations, new recruits joining the Ninth Division were all given first-grade devices, but Zhuge Heng had pulled some strings for Fang Xin, directly giving him a fourth-grade one.
If Fang Xin joined the Ninth Division, as his realm improved, the higher-ups would also equip him with a stronger Smart Connect Device.
Fang Xin followed the instructions in the manual.
He closed the Smart Connect Device, pressed a spot, and a crimson laser beam shot out from one end, resembling a Tang saber, incredibly imposing.
However, although this laser sword was incredibly powerful, cutting through iron like mud, it consumed the user’s vital energy.
Therefore, many people usually wouldn’t use the laser sword.
Only Strength Talent users, who had thick health bars, wouldn't care about the consumption and would use it.
He felt like this thing was made for him.
Fang Xin swung the laser sword, and the feel was excellent.
He felt that if he used his Slaughter Talent, he could even contend with a level five early-stage combatant.
While he was studying the laser sword.
His phone vibrated several times in a row.
Fang Xin picked up his phone and found that it was a message from Ai Li.
“Student Fang Xin!”
“Are you free?”
“Let’s chat!”
Fang Xin played with his phone, not knowing what Ai Li wanted to do, and replied with an ambiguous message.
“What’s up?”
Ai Li replied very quickly, “Thank you for saving me that day! Oh, I almost forgot, thank you for saving me that day!”
Fang Xin asked, “When did you find out?”
Ai Li stated truthfully, “I found out when I went to your classroom that day!”
Fang Xin then asked in confusion, “Why didn’t you tell Captain Xiao?”
“Because all signs indicated you didn’t want to be exposed, so I didn’t say anything!”
Fang Xin looked at Ai Li’s message, “You’re saying all this, but your ultimate goal isn’t to thank me, is it?”
“It is thanks. You are my savior, and I won’t forget that.
But I came to you today because I do have something else I’d like your help with!”
Fang Xin and Ai Li had met a grand total of three times, and had only spoken twice.
They weren't very familiar with each other, and for her to ask for his help right away, what was the difference between that and asking for money right after meeting someone?
He didn’t reply for a long time.
Ai Li’s message came through again.
“Student Fang Xin, are you still there?”
Fang Xin thought for a moment and replied with a serious message, “My brother is asleep.”
The other party is typing...
After a long pause.
Ai Li’s message came through again, a very long one.
“Student Fang Xin, I truly have something to ask of you. My parents were murdered many years ago, and my younger sister also disappeared years ago. The case was declared a cold case back then, but I’ve been investigating the real culprit and searching for my sister all these years. My sister’s name is Ai Ke. I recently found a clue about her, but the other side has a level four combat expert. I am outnumbered and I am only a squad leader, so I don’t have the authority or the means to mobilize the team’s resources to help me with private matters. I could only hire a few bounty hunters, but they are not our own people and are not very reliable. So, I implore you, can you please help me! If you don’t believe me, you can access the old case files through your Smart Connect Device to review the information!”
Fang Xin checked what Ai Li said, and there really was such a case file. It was an incident from over a decade ago. Ai Li’s parents, both doctors, died in a car accident. The case file also contained photos of Ai Li when she was a child, a miniature version of the current Ai Li. In the photos, Ai Li sat there, her hair disheveled, tear stains still visible, her face full of confusion and helplessness. Her small body looked lonely and pitiful, making people feel a sense of compassion.
After reading through the entire case, Ai Li’s twin sister disappeared six months after her parents died. During the same period, hundreds of children went missing. Later, for some unknown reason, the entire case led to no clues and became a cold case.
Fang Xin’s gaze suddenly sharpened, as if he had discovered something.
He then retrieved and reviewed the case file for his own parents’ car accident.
His parents’ case file only had a few brief descriptions and a few photos; the rest were encrypted files.
Fang Xin’s gaze suddenly fixed on the photo of the car that had killed his parents.
He suddenly sat up with a start.
He then pulled up the photo of the car that had killed Ai Li’s parents.
Fang Xin magnified the photos.
Both cars had a sunny doll hanging inside.
And the sunny dolls on both cars had a creepy smile.
Was this a coincidence?
Or was it deliberate?
All sorts of questions swirled in Fang Xin’s mind.
Who exactly was behind his parents’ deaths?
It seemed he had no choice but to go this time!
Fang Xin deliberated repeatedly and then sent Ai Li a message, “Okay, send me the time and place!”
Ai Li seemed a little surprised, not expecting Fang Xin to agree so readily, “Tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, at the cafe at 122 Tiannan Road. As repayment, all spoils of war will be yours afterward. I will also give you a Perception-type fruit so you can awaken your Perception Talent before going to the Youth Training Camp.”
“See you tomorrow morning.”
Fang Xin sat up and reviewed the details of his parents’ car accident. His parents’ case file was encrypted. To access it, he either had to find Zhuge Heng or reach a sufficient rank himself.
He took out his grandfather’s phone from a hidden compartment in the drawer, but there were no new messages.
He also didn’t know where his grandfather was now.
Time quickly approached midnight.
Fang Xin went to the bathroom.
He stood in front of the mirror.
He activated his vital energy.
Four crimson Slaughter Runes slowly emerged.
Fang Xin stared at himself in the mirror.