Thousands, nearly ten thousand...
This is only based on the statistics from factory and mine records; the actual number will only be higher. Some undocumented workers who ate and lived on the land, a family of several people, often only registered one person.
Old Du Lin saw his solemn expression and spoke softly, “Aside from the inaction of the management, this also involves two cultist sacrifice incidents.”
Li Andy nodded, flipped to the relevant page, and listened to the explanation while reading.
“The name of that cult doesn't sound evil at all; it's called 'Gospel of the Earth,' and its doctrine is very righteous. Its ideal is to create a heaven on earth where everyone lives in peace.
“At that time, almost all the workers were followers of this sect. The laughable thing is that they abandoned reality and ultimately went down a wicked path.”
Li Andy gently turned the page and replied indifferently, “This is not laughable. Avoidance is a biological instinct. People only choose this when reality is hopeless.”
Old Du Lin fell silent for a few seconds before continuing, “The sacrifice ritual was organized by the 'Gospel of the Earth,' but someone investigated and found that behind them, there was actually another cult.
“The Gospel's doctrine was also adapted from their doctrine. There are even clues indicating that some of the Gospel's founders were people from that cult.”
“What cult is it?” Li Andy asked.
Old Du Lin shrugged, “The name is unknown, but the doctrine consists of evil phrases like 'The stars align, the great dream awakens, return to the origin,' like lunatics who have been bewitched.”
Li Andy raised his eyebrows.
This familiar backdrop, this vague riddle... if it doesn't point to the 'Primal Secret Sect,' then who else could it point to?
But... how did this 'Primal Secret Sect' come into being?
Why is it found all over the world?
And, it spans across various historical periods.
Sigh, there's one very annoying thing about horror games.
To create atmosphere, they always hide all sorts of information, leaving only a small tail for players to imagine.
Even pro players or game 'scholars' can only half-guess and half-conjecture, not daring to say their deductions are correct.
If only he could catch a Secret Sect member.
If it's a riddler, then beat him up a few more times.
“Kid...”
Old Du Lin suddenly spoke,
“I don't recommend you continue investigating this matter for now. Many people are currently flocking into it, and you don't have any background. If you're arrested as a suspicious person, I can't save you. Even your First Miss Anna would probably have a hard time smoothing things over.”
Li Andy fell silent.
First Miss... Members of the Yahweh Church occasionally refer to each other as brothers and sisters to express intimacy.
This old dwarf had indeed investigated him.
But he was also right; he was indeed a very suspicious person.
He paused and said, “I won't actively investigate for now, but you need to keep an eye out for information in this area for me. I can pay you monthly for it.”
Old Du Lin nodded, then took out another document from the drawer: “Here, take a look at this commission. I hope you'll accept it.”
Li Andy raised his eyebrows: “A commission from someone you know?”
Old Du Lin was silent for two seconds: “Not exactly.”
Li Andy took the document, quickly previewed it, and his eyebrows gradually furrowed.
【Commission Content: Investigate three people in Black Alley and figure out why they've recently become exceptionally lucky.
【Manba, a rising newcomer in the Black Snake Gang, distinguished himself in a recent alley district fight and is known as 'Elusive Little Manba (Snake)'.
【Aliberg, a refugee who fled from Nine District, won a large sum of chips at Tie Shu's gambling den the day before yesterday.
【Zacro, a limping old drunkard, has also been winning money frequently these days, but he's more low-key, leaving after winning a certain amount each time. However, Tie Shu's men, who are everywhere in the gambling den looking for cheats, gradually noticed something amiss and pinpointed him.】
【The reward... is not generous. Because this commission is only for investigation and doesn't require him to solve anything.】
“The client is from the Tie Shu Gang, right? Are these the only three lucky people you've found?” Li Andy asked.
Old Du Lin frowned: “What do you know?”
Li Andy pointed at the name “Aliberg” and said, “This guy died, just last night.”
“You know him?”
“He lived next door to me. The security officers came this morning and said he had too much fun last night and died suddenly of heart failure.”
Old Du Lin was silent for a few seconds before replying, “There are indeed more than just these three people, but the previous ones... have all died.
“Gamblers who suddenly become lucky are the most noticeable. If there are other lucky ones favored by destiny, we might not know.
“Black Alley is already chaotic enough. If there's really something that can manipulate people's destinies...”
At this point, Old Du Lin's breathing involuntarily became heavy.
Li Andy fell into thought.
His original plan was to have the two girls study and develop, while he made arrangements at the largest Library in Nine District to acquire the next important relic: the Translator's Earring.
But if this “lucky person commission” was related to the relic: coin of destiny, then it wouldn't hurt to investigate it first.
After all, in the game, that bizarre Gambler coin was accidentally bought by Youxi in the Black Alley black market, and there was no specific source path.
It was like a half-finished product that the development team came up with on a whim.
And they even gave it the fancy name, 'Destiny's Predetermined Encounter.'
The coin was also frequently used by players to save and load games, to roll dice for specific outcomes, perform extreme maneuvers, and view various 'great success' or 'great failure' CGs.
'Destiny... what an unpleasant word.'
Li Andy muttered silently, then looked up at Old Du Lin: “Tell me about the current situation in Black Alley.”
Old Du Lin nodded with satisfaction, and like a knowledgeable expert, explained the power dynamics in Black Alley to Li Andy.
Currently, Black Alley primarily has three gangs:
Tie Shu, Skunk, and Black Snake.
Their names are not intimidating at all, as if constantly reminding themselves of their ecological status in this city.
Tie Shu and Skunk are long-established gangs.
Tie Shu's territory is mainly in the Northwest Alley area, controlling over 70% of the gambling dens and loan sharking in Black Alley;
Skunk, located in the Northeast Street area, mainly controls dance halls, street girls, alcohol, and other businesses.
Black Snake appeared only in recent years. Its main members are undocumented workers, and it has smuggling ties with other districts. By mastering some black firearms manufacturing techniques, it quickly encroached upon the territories of the two older gangs and now dominates the entire South District.
After listening, Li Andy nodded slightly: “I'll take the commission.”