Chapter 361: Undercover

Clang.

Several coins landed on the fortune-telling stall; before Xiang Jianxing could react, a voice said:

"Tell me my fortune—good or bad."

Wu Chang suddenly appeared before Xiang Jianxing, whose face showed a moment of surprise—he, who possessed the Sword Heart, had not sensed when Wu Chang had arrived.

Yet he quickly resumed his fortune-teller's mystic expression, asking with a blank face:

"What would you like to know, sir—career, wealth, romance, health, or travel?"

Wu Chang sat down opposite Xiang Jianxing and said, "I'll have my travel fortune read—I'm going to the front newspaper office to find a friend."

Xiang Jianxing picked up three coins from those Wu Chang had tossed, threw them onto the table, then pulled out a compass and, feigning deep concentration, began calculating based on the coins' orientations.

Wu Chang watched Xiang Jianxing's performance in silence, thinking the fellow was putting on a convincing act.

Previously, when he had invited Xiang Jianxing and Leng Shan for drinks, Xiang Jianxing had admitted he knew nothing of fortune-telling—he only pretended.

The reading relied entirely on extracting information from the client during the process, using his ability to discern truth from falsehood, then delivering what the client wished to hear.

Had he not known this beforehand, he might truly have been fooled by Xiang Jianxing's technique.

After a brief divination, Xiang Jianxing said:

"Your path ahead is treacherous—like crossing a swift river in a small boat, deep and turbulent; do not act rashly."

Wu Chang pressed: "Master, is there a way to break this deadlock?"

Xiang Jianxing performed another round of theatrical gestures and said, "Fortune lies to the east—at noon, seek a large vessel to cross the river."

"Thank you." Wu Chang nodded, rising from the fortune-telling stall.

Xiang Jianxing's appearance at the Ming Deng Newspaper Office was no coincidence—his purpose was also tied to the newspaper.

Though he did not know where Xiang Jianxing had gathered his intelligence, from his answers, the Ming Deng Newspaper Office ran deep with hidden secrets—best to observe first, avoid stirring up trouble.

Not just the newspaper—his intuition told him Xiang Jianxing himself was under some kind of surveillance.

But the method of surveillance eluded him for now; he could only cooperate with Xiang Jianxing, pretending not to know him.

He gazed eastward, where, near the Hills River, stood a massive John Shipyard.

More information could only be gained by meeting Xiang Jianxing near the John Shipyard at noon, to understand what he was really up to.

Originally, he had planned to use the opacity of his True Self identity to pose as the mastermind behind the Pine Coal Mine explosion, telling Connor, "We found you," to pressure him.

He wanted to observe how Connor would act under threat, to find a breakthrough.

But Xiang Jianxing had advised caution—so he could only adopt a gentler approach.

Arriving around the Ming Deng Newspaper Office, he shed his social anxiety, pushed open the door, and walked inside.

His entrance immediately drew everyone's attention.

It wasn't because he did anything outlandish—only because his frame was simply enormous.

In this era of Stilan, the general populace suffered from malnutrition and were generally short.

Even in a major city like Grimlan, the average height of adult men was only between 165 and 170 centimeters.

Wu Chang's True Self stood over two meters tall, his muscles massive—without exaggeration, the moment he entered the newspaper office, the light in the room seemed to dim.

A woman, barely over one meter fifty tall, approached Wu Chang cautiously, tilting her head up to look at him, and asked softly:

"Sir, may I help you?"

Wu Chang looked at her and offered a friendly smile—she recoiled two steps in fright.

"I'm looking for Mr. Connor—is he here?"

The woman shook her head frantically. "Mr. Connor rarely appears at the office—try elsewhere."

As she spoke, she grabbed Wu Chang's forearm, trying to usher him out.

Before Wu Chang could speak further, the newspaper office door burst open—a young man, early twenties, rushed in and exclaimed to the woman:

"Jennifer, I got a big story—rumors say a miracle appeared at the Grey Church. Is Mr. Connor still in his office? I'm sure he'll be interested."

"Huh? Who built a wall in the lobby? Oh, sorry, sir—you're just so tall, I didn't see you before."

Jennifer covered her face in exasperation; after a moment, she lowered her hands, forcing a fake smile toward Wu Chang:

"Sorry, Mr. Connor isn't feeling well—he doesn't wish to see anyone right now."

The boy frowned. "But Mr. Connor seemed fine this morning—who upset him now?"

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Dean—you're a fool."

Wu Chang smiled at Jennifer and said:

"Young Lady, you needn't be so tense—I'm here to discuss cooperation with Mr. Connor, not to cause harm."

He casually picked up a wrench from the tool rack, effortlessly folded it twice, compressing it into a metal lump.

"If I meant harm, I wouldn't have shown up this way."

As Jennifer hesitated, the office door at the back opened—a man stood there and said to Wu Chang:

"Jennifer, bring that gentleman in."

Jennifer replied with concern: "Yes, Mr. Connor."

Wu Chang followed Jennifer into Connor's office.

The office was cluttered with piles of documents everywhere; Connor moved several stacks off the sofa before clearing a spot to sit.

As Wu Chang sat down, the sofa let out a piercing, groaning sound—he froze, afraid to settle fully, and stood up again.

Connor looked embarrassed and shouted outside:

"Dean, bring in a stool—something sturdy!"

Two minutes later, Wu Chang sat on a metal stool, studying the man before him.

In Grimlan, Connor's build was tall and imposing; raised in a middle-class family, he had received adequate nutrition during growth and stood over 185 centimeters.

Thick hair, a full beard, deep-set eyes, and a piercing gaze radiated vigorous vitality—he could effortlessly sway others' thoughts with any words he spoke.

Some people are born with charisma, with a personality that draws others to them; clearly, Connor is one such person.

"Mr. Connor, my name is He Ping. It's an honor to meet you. I've heard of your deeds—founding the Lantern Gazette and launching the Charter Movement."

"Among the people I know, more than one has told me you are a person of noble character, full of ideals and passion."

You don't hit a smiling face; faced with Wu Chang's relentless flattery, even Connor's wariness softened slightly.

He said, "I just barely heard—you came to see me about cooperation?"

Wu Chang said, "Yes, cooperation."

Connor stared at Wu Chang and said, "How would we cooperate? Let me be clear: although we have demands, we express them through peaceful and reasonable means—we will never resort to violence or extremism to achieve any goal."

"At least not under my watch. If your idea of cooperation is to exploit the workers' movement to stir up trouble, you've come to the wrong man."

Wu Chang shook his head. "Of course not. My name is He Ping—I've come for peace."

Connor smirked. You're called He Ping, so you've come for peace? He knew an even worse scoundrel named Goodman.

Wu Chang paid no mind to Connor's gaze and said:

"The direction of my cooperation is to change Grimlan's current state—to bring peace to this city."

Connor leaned forward, glancing at the door crack, then asked, "What do you mean?"

Wu Chang snapped his fingers. A mystical rune, composed of energy, flew from his fingertip, enveloping the office in a soundproof barrier to prevent eavesdropping from outside.

"You know better than I do the current situation in Grimlan, especially the workers' living conditions."

"Winning universal suffrage may improve their circumstances, but before that, they face far more serious problems."

"Factory violations have caused toxins to accumulate in countless workers' bodies, exposing them daily to occupational diseases that can kill; grain laws keep food prices sky-high, forcing slum dwellers to choose between starvation and entering workhouses. The deplorable living conditions of the lower classes have allowed malaria to rage unchecked."

"If you want to hear more, I could go on for ten minutes without stopping."

Connor raised a hand to cut him off. "Enough. I know these problems. So what do you plan to do?"

Wu Chang extended his hand, slowly clenching his fist—the size of a clay pot—until his knuckles cracked loudly.

"These chaos and corruption are Grimlan's deep-rooted diseases. Gentle approaches can no longer cope with the situation. To bring change, we must strike hard!"

"I'm straightforward—I don't hide my intentions. I value your information network, the reach of the Lantern Gazette, and your character, Mr. Connor."

"So I propose we join forces: uncover the masterminds behind these crimes. For those easy to handle, I'll deal with them directly. For those with connections, you expose them—use public opinion as a weapon to destroy their reputations and make them pay."

Wu Chang paused, then took from his coat the newspaper he'd bought on the way, placing it on Connor's desk.

"To show sincerity and demonstrate our strength, I will ensure the workers arrested during the protest over the Pine Mine explosion are released as soon as possible."

Connor fell silent for a moment. To be honest, he was tempted.

One of the Lantern Gazette's key focuses is to make workers understand their current situation—to tell them that only by uniting, by forging their strength into one rope, can they force Stilan to change.

Exposing these issues would undoubtedly make workers realize the urgency of the situation and abandon their illusions about factory owners.

More importantly, what Wu Chang described was exactly what they had planned to do—even if he hadn't come, they would have done it.

After some thought, Connor finally said:

"From my personal standpoint, I'm willing to cooperate with you. But whether it's the Charter Movement or the Lantern Gazette, I'm only one of the leaders."

"I need to consult the others. If they agree, we can discuss further."

Wu Chang nodded. "Fine."

Connor lowered his voice and whispered, "Mr. He Ping, come back tomorrow at this time. I'll have an answer for you."

"But we'll need to meet somewhere else—the newspaper office is too crowded. Someone might be eavesdropping."

Wu Chang said, "Mr. Connor, no need to worry. Before our talk, I already used a mystical ritual to seal this room. No one outside can hear."

Connor exclaimed in surprise, "A mystical ritual? Those things actually exist? Mr. He Ping—who exactly are you?"

Wu Chang shrugged. "Just a foreign apprentice mystic knight. I'll be going now. I hope to hear good news from you tomorrow."

He waved his hand, dismissing the mystical runes surrounding the room, then opened the door and left the office.

Stepping out of the Lantern Gazette, Wu Chang narrowed his eyes. His guess was right—Connor was definitely hiding something.

Given Connor's background, he should never have been exposed to mysticism. And from his later behavior, he clearly wanted to pretend he didn't know anything about it.

But his acting was worse than Revinton's—he left too many flaws in the details.

When he spoke of changing Grimlan's state and bringing peace to the city, Connor instinctively glanced at the door crack—that was the gesture of someone fearing eavesdropping.

When Wu Chang cast the soundproof ritual, Connor's gaze did appear to ignore the mystical runes—but the problem was, afterward, no matter how extreme his words or how tense or conflicted he seemed, he never again glanced at the door crack.

This revealed he was fully aware of the ritual's existence.

To possess supernatural power yet pretend to be ordinary, combined with his inexplicable ties to the mine bandits, gave Wu Chang a strong intuition: the other end of the transmission magic sent by the mine boss Mick was Connor himself.

Why Connor could make Mick serve him, and why he sent supernatural agents to infiltrate the Pine Mine disguised as bandits—these still required further investigation.

The big shots who could command the winds and rains of Grimlan were never easy targets.

Sensing time was running short, Wu Chang headed toward the John Shipyard. He circled the area and easily found Sword Star, dressed as a charlatan, in the workers' dining hall.

Sword Star ordered a five-person lunch, carried it around the shipyard twice, then twisted through alleys until he entered a house in the workers' district.

Wu Chang followed Sword Star inside. The room was cramped, packed with five people—all seemingly waiting for him.

Besides Sword Star and Leng Shan, whom he'd already met, two of the remaining three from the Bureau were familiar faces.

They were the Negotiation Master and a man named Bai Ma. Both had entered the Cursed Instance during the pursuit of Lin Jiang; at the time, the Negotiation Master was a senior officer under Bai Lao, and Bai Ma was her deputy.

The fifth person, a woman, was unfamiliar. She looked ordinary, but her inclusion in Steam Phantom proved she was one of the Bureau's top operatives.

The moment Wu Chang entered the room, his social anxiety vanished. He said:

"This place is too cramped. Didn't I give you funding for operations? Why not rent a bigger room?"

Leng Shan said, "The first bird shot down is the one that flies highest. Acting too conspicuously makes you a target for other players. So we're staying here for now—until the Invitation Event is over."

Wu Chang nodded. "Are you five the only ones from the Bureau who entered Steam Phantom?"

Leng Shan said, "There may be others, but only the five of us have gathered so far."

Wu Chang felt a flicker of disappointment. Yu Siyi had clearly entered the Abyss Game too recently—her strength was still too weak to qualify for an S-rank Instance.

If she can get in, give her a hidden side quest—it'll repay the debt from when I was plagued by misfortune.

He turned to Xiang Jianxing and asked curiously:

"Why were you lurking around the Ming Deng News Bureau, looking so suspicious, as if someone were watching you?"

Xiang Jianxing said excitedly:

"It's actually a coincidence—after we met that day and parted ways, didn't you tell us to keep an eye on the chaos in Grimlan?"

Xiang Jianxing then recounted how he and Leng Shan had used invitation letters as bait to collect data on players entering the Instance, and how they'd encountered the mysterious black-robed figure.

After hearing Xiang Jianxing's account, Wu Chang's face showed shock—he felt as if he'd searched far and wide only to find what he needed without effort.

He and Reventon had been struggling to uncover the Steam Council, yet here, right on Xiang Jianxing's side, the Steam Council had walked right into their lap.

"You mean you and Leng Shan caught the Steam Council's attention?!"

Xiang Jianxing nodded: "The moment we saw that guy's sneaky posture, we knew he wasn't good. A few simple words, and he bit the hook."

"What organization is this Steam Council? Are they the ones your backer, Xiao En, wants to take down?"

Wu Chang nodded: "Yes—if you can truly expose the Steam Council, I guarantee on Xiao En's behalf that you'll be awarded major merit!"

He looked at Xiang Jianxing and asked: "Was your presence at the Ming Deng News Bureau due to a task assigned by the Steam Council?"

Xiang Jianxing said: "Yes. That day, he told me and Leng Shan to go to the Ming Deng News Bureau and investigate its three core figures: Connor, Nestor, and Henry."

"Record all their visitors and activities over the past three days, with special attention to whether they've had contact with transcendent beings."

"We did a basic investigation on these three and found that the newspaper's founder Connor, its manager Nestor, and its editor Henry are also flagship figures of the Charter Movement."

"The Steam Council is investigating them—there must be a grand conspiracy behind it. We plan to uncover as much as we can first, as our token of loyalty to join the Mystic Knights."

Wu Chang's eyes narrowed slightly—the three Xiang Jianxing and his group were investigating were also leaders of the Charter Movement.

Just as he'd suspected, the Steam Council had followed the trail of the mine bandits and suspected the Charter Movement; to silence them completely, they were investigating who was on the other end of Mick's transmission magic.

The current situation is a golden opportunity: by exploiting it, we can uncover Connor's intentions while drawing out the Steam Council.

As for how to maximize the outcome…

As Wu Chang thought, his gaze shifted to Xiang Jianxing and Leng Shan.

"I heard your Bureau is a government body, often assisting regular departments in maintaining public order, correct?"

Xiang Jianxing didn't know why Wu Chang asked this, but he nodded.

Wu Chang continued: "In a sense, you're a kind of police—only transcendent police."

Leng Shan seemed to guess what Wu Chang was getting at. He said wearily: "Just say what you want to say."

Wu Chang rubbed his hands together, a little embarrassed:

"Since you two are transcendent police, would you be interested in going undercover inside the Steam Council?"

"I can guarantee on Xiao En's behalf that as a Mystic Knight undercover, you won't be stuck for three years and then three more—anytime you sense danger, you can quit the operation and rejoin the Mystic Knights."

"Two positions in the Mystic Knights will always be reserved for you. Care to consider it?"

(End of Chapter)