Chapter 813: NO.182: Still doing traditional case solving?

NO. 182: Still doing traditional case solving?

September 14, 09:26.

Whether on a calendar or in the news, it's an unremarkable time, yet it's the breath‑held, focused waiting time for nearly a million people.

These people, using various different internet media, logged into a voting website, causing the site's load pressure to surge.

What the heck, even refreshing a webpage lags!

Is the server about to blow up?

Tough luck, if the website server blows up, will they give compensation?

Damn, it's not a game, how would they give compensation?

Going by this website's operating model, maybe there'll be a 'w'.

In the situation where comments can't be sent and constant refreshing gets nowhere, these complaints end up spilling over into reality even more.

Like raindrops outside the window scattering everywhere, they eagerly gather into a stream.

The champion's participation in the released event itself is an excellent opportunity.

Only a few months have passed, and although the champion's fans have had various big‑and‑small online activities, this activity that looks like it involves offline exploration is clearly their first.

Coincidentally, they still haven't had an offline meetup—someone already took the chance to suggest meeting in person, but everyone's replies couldn't be sent, and the lucky guy who managed to send his suggestion during the network lag also heard nothing after……

They were truly stuck.

What the heck…… Xiaoshe, can't you give the officials some feedback? At least upgrade and repair the server!

The roommate who was pretending to have no connection with the officials complained like this.

In response, the youth who had changed into another plush costume merely gave her a wise glance.

Pff……

Seeing the other person couldn't keep a straight face first, the youth had to question their sense of humor: 'Isn't that the cloth costume you prepared? Why are you laughing first?'

But… haha, it's really funny! I just happened to see this while browsing an online store; it must have been pushed after I searched for Xiaoshe's armor.

Sounds like it's my fault.

Anyway, I'm not wrong!

Hah…… Yuanyuan's big hand pressed against her forehead, troubled by the plush‑costumed youth that this shape couldn't be twisted to the nose bridge, so she could only give up.

Forget it, I'll first take you to school.

Another teleport, huh—your build isn't capable of riding a motorcycle now?

"I don't want to be caught by the police," the youth sighed, then looked at his hands—though they could clumsily grip chopsticks and a spoon, the soft fabric made the ball‑like hands somewhat inconvenient, feeling helpless, "and how am I supposed to ride a motorcycle in this getup?"

"Can't I? When I ordered, I deliberately chose the model convenient for activity; customer service told me about many tech applications, whatever tech and energy source, so my vision shouldn't be obstructed, right?"

"Technically it can be done, but legally, how am I supposed to explain to the police riding a motorcycle in a plush costume?"

"Isn't filming Kamen Rider also wearing a leather suit and riding a motorcycle?"

"Is that the same thing?"

"Geez, just let Bicuikesijiang say a few words!"

Although he wanted to ask when these two got so close, or if it was just a one‑sided friendly nickname, he glanced at the time and chose to cut his losses: "…Too much time wasted, let's go now."

If he dragged it out, by 9:29 he might hear even more blood‑pressure‑raising remarks.

——

But in fact, the youth's worried‑about event did not happen on schedule.

He overestimated the website's own capacity.

He hadn't considered that not only his nearly million fans, but also many more people who aren't fans of the champion yet have some interest in the event itself are acting as a follow‑echelon, adding pressure to the website.

But obviously, few users will mourn a crashed server.

"What a useless server, good for nothing."

There will also be radicals like Miss Chengtian Bai Ren, speaking bluntly while looking at her phone.

"How is it? Sure enough, it crashed?"

Meanwhile, Qianming, who was crouched under an optical cover watching the distant factory, turned his head and patted her shoulder.

"Never mind that; the content should be no different from the intel we got from Aomo."

"It might even be lacking something."

"Come over and let's stare at that red‑haired guy together—yeah, the one with a sturdy build—my exploration gadget shows he's not only a transmigrator but also an alien."

"Isn't this place not lacking aliens?"

Following his words, Bai Ren crossed out the webpage, pressed the standby key to keep his phone screen hidden from companions, turned his head to look at the chemical plant, and the contact lenses on his eyeballs projected various strange worker forms.

Although they are all bipedal upright walkers, that's the only similarity—whether in facial features or body outline, they don't much resemble humans; occasionally a few look very human-like, but with pointed or animal ears.

The guy Qianming had her look at turned out to be a man indistinguishable from a human, but the detection system itself also reported that he was an alien.

But according to the intel, this factory itself is a large producer of aviation building materials, so having a group of alien workers there isn't strange.

So the workers' jobs look smooth, and those doing the surveillance here are also patient.

So patient that someone is secretly surfing the net.

Of course, this problem is still quite big.

Although silent mode is on, so no loud ringtone will expose a rookie mistake, but for truly covert infiltration, the mere network signal itself is enough to become a liability.

But right now it's clearly not a covert‑infiltration phase; rather, after two and a half days of investigation, there's basically no room for covert infiltration.

It's simply a matter of screening targets based on clues and intel, conducting on‑site scouting, eliminating suspects, then moving on to the next spot——

It's quite dull and boring, like a long quest line in an uninteresting RPG.

However, one had been a detective, the other a mercenary, so they expected this—after all, much of the time, investigation and pursuit itself is just a boring process.

The tense, exciting segments do exist, but placed in the whole process, they're just a fragment.

Those who are interested in this Way usually find their enjoyment not in the action itself, but in the meaning that the action itself can imply.

It is like a breakthrough in one's own abilities through the pursuit itself, and like the satisfaction of solving a puzzle—such a special pursuit enables them not only to endure their temper, but even to find enjoyment in it.

Without these…… that is like being in prison.

Chengtian Bai Ren is just in prison, after all her original motive for acting was not because it was fun, but because……

Glancing at her as she turned her head again, and seeing her pull out her phone once more, Qianming shook his head helplessly.

"That guy is different from those aliens before; he's a Salome alien, extremely rare in the encyclopedia."

"The one that looks exactly like a human?" Having picked up some knowledge here and there, Bai Ren had a vague impression.

"Yes, they have quite a grudge against the Ultraman clan; they're a proud alien nation."

Qianming nodded: "And you noticed the scar on that man's face……"

She swiped through the air, bringing up a dimly lit photo on the terminal.

Although dim, one could still make out three people standing there; the clearest part was the faint lines where the faces seemed to be.

"I thought that was some kind of pattern," Bai Ren said softly.

"It's a scar," Qianming nodded, "let's go investigate that person's identity."

"Why not just knock them down and ask?"

"Cleaning up is a hassle, and I'm not deep, so I'm not good at psychic-type source energy."

"Suit yourself, after all you're the one responsible." Bai Ren gave up the argument.

Their division of labor naturally had Qianming handle negotiations and her take the initiative in combat; since the opponent wanted to use that method, she didn't need to rush to act.

Turning back, she continued scrolling her phone, and unexpectedly saw the voting website's activity page loading normally.

Then, when Qianming had already emerged from cover and was walking not far toward the distant factory, Bai Ren again gripped her phone and darted to her at the speed of a last foot.

"Wait, the situation has changed."

She lifted her phone, showing the terrain location above: "Aomo told us to gather directly here."

"?" Qianming froze for a moment, then realized what it was.

"We already have results this fast?"

"Probably……"

Swiping at the recovery amount stacking beneath the activity on the screen at an astonishing speed, even Bai Ren, who often hangs out there, could hardly accept this efficiency.

"Anyway, let's first meet up."

"Um……"

Hesitating, she glanced at the fading clue, then at the communication channel Bai Ren had opened, and Qianming sighed.

Sure enough, investigation is a boring process.