Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 710
"Cut the cr*p!" Guo Xiaohe was truly infuriated. Her tears flowed out of her eyes beyond her control as she cried, "Have there ever been any terrifying superstorms in the history of the capital city? Even if it is happening right now, what can a minor weatherman in the Bureau of Meteorology do? It is your wife who needs you most right now. Do you know it? Do you?"
Guo Chunfeng was silent for a moment. Then, he opened the door of the shuttle and handed a bank card to his daughter.
Guo Xiaohe was dumbfounded. Looking at her father, her eyes gradually turned from an angry scarlet to a desperate gray. She knocked away the card in her father's hand hard and jumped out of the supermarket shuttle without looking back.
"Wait!"
Guo Chunfeng finally could not hold it any longer. He extended his greasy head out of the shuttle window. With complicated emotions in his swollen eyes, he said solemnly, "Look after your mother well. Don't do anything stupid yourself. Maybe… you will know it one day."
Guo Xiaohe gnashed her teeth. "Know what?"
"You will know why there has never been a superstorm in the capital city," Guo Chunfeng said.
Guo Xiaohe was dazed. She asked back subconsciously, "Why?"
Guo Chunfeng replied, one word after another, "Because they were all blown up by me before they took shape."
Guo Xiaohe was dumbfounded. After gazing at her father for several seconds, she suddenly made an extremely vulgar gesture and shouted, "Go to hell!"
The cool girl with a tattoo of the emblem of the federation on her face left without looking back, disappearing in the corner of the street.
Looking at his daughter vanishing, Guo Chunfeng sighed. He typed in a secret rune on the left bottom corner of the light beam. The seemingly unattractive supermarket shuttle immediately began uttering the roars of a beast.
Du! Du! Du!
Right then, somebody knocked the window of his shuttle.
It was a traffic policeman in a fancy uniform.
"Hello. Temporary parking is not allowed here. Please turn off your power rune array and show me your driving license."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The low roars turned into violent howls. The surface of the supermarket shuttle suddenly put on a layer of glamorous brightness as if it had grown dozens of shining wings. The license plate at the back of the shuttle immediately turned dark gold, the highest rank of government license plates!
Shua!
The supermarket shuttle turned into a streak of brightness and rushed forward at a speed higher than super racing shuttles. It cut into a gap between two shuttles in midair and disappeared after only 0.1 seconds!
The only thing that was left was a stunned traffic policeman whose facial muscles were all blown to one side!
Ten minutes later, the supermarket shuttle stopped at the Federal Bureau of Meteorology at the east suburb of the capital city.
On the surface, it was just another underappreciated government office in the suburbs of the capital city. The low, gray-and-white buildings, which looked rather dilapidated, stood like small hills. The black waterproof glue was exposed to the sunlight directly. Since there was no budget to redecorate them, all the buildings were still in the same clumsy architectural style as they had been built in a hundred years ago. Even the janitor at the front door seemed lethargic and not as proud as the janitors of other bureaus.
However, right below the dull buildings, it was one of the largest underground fortresses in the capital city. The owner of the underground fortress was the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, or rather, the Secret Sword Bureau, a devastating name for all demons and devils!
"Boss!"
When Guo Chunfeng walked into the command center of the first division with a gloomy face, hundreds of tough-looking Secret Sword Agents with intimidating auras all stood up and bowed to him respectfully.
Most of the Secret Sword Agents were blushing with unease. There was half anxiety and half excitement in their eyes.
Having the chance to compete with the legendary Vulture Li Yao, and not the original one but the strengthened Blood Devil version, was perhaps the greatest glory for a Cultivator of the Heaven's Origin Sector!
"Big Cat." Yawning, Guo Chunfeng called a fat young man. "I have three missions for you. First of all, help me send a bouquet to Professor Xue of East Sea University. Also, pick an acceptable demon core from our trophies of the last month and deliver it together with the bouquet. Apologize on my behalf and ask for Professor Xue's forgiveness so that we can get the trouble over with."
The young man immediately understood the situation. "Sister Xiaohe again? Should I reveal your identity?"
"No. Just like before, say that she is your sister."
"Alright!" The young man grimaced. "I've been her brother almost twenty times. I know what to do."
"Second mission: send a few more guys to my wife's office. She has been in a bad mood recently. Don't let her hurt herself."
"Understood." Big Cat saluted sloppily.
"The third mission…"
Looking at the roomful of Secret Sword Agents who could not have been more excited, Guo Chunfeng frowned and said, "Who issued the command that everyone must report for duty? Inconsiderate!
"Right now, nobody can confirm that our opponent is the real Li Yao. Even if he is, he can't reach the capital city so quickly and easily!
"If you are now jumping up and down as if you are high on drugs, your energy will definitely run out very quickly. What will you do when he really comes to visit us? Nap while fighting?"
"Cancel the previous order immediately. Eat and sleep as usual. Get your ass out of here when it is time to get off work and be with your family!
"Those who are on duty, don't be so anxious. It's just a Vulture Li Yao. Does he have three heads or six arms? Is he in the Divinity Transformation Stage? What are you so nervous about?"
"Go now, Big Cat. See what food the cafeteria is offering today before you leave. Ask them to prepare for a few more good dishes today. It is time to cook all the precious ingredients that they have treasured for forever. Appetite is combat ability. What better timing to have them than right now?"
Big Cat's eyes shined. He rubbed his hands and said, "Really, boss? All our brothers here have been coveting the few Purple Flame Ice Polar Bear Paws for more than half a year, but the director never allowed us to touch them."
Guo Chunfeng smiled. "Find a way to get them out first. I'll ask for permission from the director later. If we can really destroy the Vulture superstorm, what's the big deal if we steal a few bear paws from the old man?"
"Understood!" Big Cat left, drooling. The rest of the Secret Sword Agents also went to rest or work normally according to Guo Chunfeng's arrangement.
The intense atmosphere caused by the arrival of Vulture Li Yao was mostly resolved by Guo Chunfeng.
The command center, which had been teeming with people a moment ago, was immediately cleared.
"Mosquito, tell me about it. What's the situation now?"
Guo Chunfeng made a cup of decent tea and sipped it unhurriedly. Then, he seated himself on a dirty stool at a corner of the command center.
That had been his habit for decades. Instead of sitting on the seat of the supervisor, which was at the center of the command center, he always preferred to crouch in a corner napping and thinking at the same time.
The one whose code name was Mosquito was a short, young, female Cultivator whose arms and legs were particularly narrow and long, making her look like an agile mosquito.
Mosquito looked at Guo Chunfeng in the most admiring way and exclaimed, "Boss, that was truly incredible of you. As per your orders, we investigated the misdemeanors in the few towns south of the Giant Blade Pass. We have indeed found something!
"Boss, how did you know that the target would commit crimes in the towns?"
Guo Chunfeng did not even bother to lift his eyes. Apparently uninterested in the boring question, he replied briefly, "It's simple. The target does not have a legal identity, which makes it almost impossible for him to travel inland. If he is really Vulture Li Yao, with his habit, he would certainly try to fabricate his identity for infiltration.
"To fabricate his identity, he must get a few ID cards. So, we would certainly find something if we investigate the misdemeanors in the frontier towns."
Mosquito nodded vigorously. "Precisely. Our discovery began with a regular fight case.
"Two days ago, a fight took place in a diner in North Tranquility City. The cause was two people fighting for a toilet. The first stayed in the toilet for half an hour without getting out. The one waiting outside got angry and bashed the door, only to find that the guy inside was sound asleep. The two of them quarreled and then got into a huge fight.
"The fight was not strange per se. What was strange was that, according to the interrogation record of the first guy, he fell asleep the moment he sat down on the toilet and he didn't know why.
"We checked his records. The guy lived quite a healthy life. He never worked overnight, nor was he lacking energy. It was quite uncanny for him to sleep for more than an hour on a toilet without a good reason!"
"The guy was not a Cultivator, was he?" Guo Chunfeng asked. "An ordinary person without any background?"
"Precisely."
"Then, we will have to investigate the record of the guy's crystal processor," Guo Chunfeng said casually. "It is very possible that the target knocked him out in the toilet and searched for intelligence with his portable crystal processor."
Chapter 1079: Guo Chunfeng's Methods! |
"Our people in North Tranquility City have fully analyzed the crystal processor," Mosquito quickly replied. "Although the browsing record was cleared, a lot of data has still been retrieved after technical recovery. The crystal processor browsed through tremendous information two days ago about 'assault in the capital city', 'Ding Lingdang', 'Professor Mo Xuan', 'Cultivators from the Flying Star Sector', and 'hundred-day memorial ceremony for the victims in the capital city'.
"The owner of the crystal processor confirmed that he had never searched for such information, which suggests that somebody else used his crystal processor. Also, the browsing time is in accordance with the sleeping time of the owner of the crystal processor.
"The information corresponds to all the intelligence we grasped earlier. We are almost certain that the destination of our target is the capital city.
"That was why we sent out the 'superstorm alarm' and summoned everyone in the bureau."
Guo Chunfeng was like an old, sleepy cat crouching on a worn cushion. Mysterious brightness flowed out of his body, as if he had entered an indescribable state. A moment later, he yawned and said, "If the target is really Li Yao, he must know that we have recognized his identity as the Blood Devil. It's hardly likely that he would ride his sword straight to the capital city.
"The distance between North Tranquility City and the capital city is too long. It is also unlikely that he would walk or take short-distance vehicles. On one hand, it is too slow. On the other hand, checkpoints and surveillance tools are everywhere in the heartland. His risk of being exposed would be much higher.
"The only rational choice for him is to board long-distance vehicles such as the civil carriers or the crystal trains.
"To board such vehicles, he needs a legal identity. Li Yao is an expert of disguise and infiltration. But however he disguises himself, he cannot make a legal ID card, which stores tremendous information, out of thin air.
"Investigate!
"Concentrate all our manpower in the North District to North Tranquility City and investigate all the cases and conflicts related to ID cards! Note that the cases are not necessarily about the loss of ID cards. Figure out all the details, including the situations where the victim found their ID cards after losing them!"
Mosquito and a few other Secret Sword Agents looked at each other in bewilderment and hesitated. "Boss, it is easy to look into the cases where the ID cards are lost, but 99% of the victims who found back their ID cards after losing them will not report to the police. It's going to be troublesome to investigate!"
Guo Chunfeng sipped the tea in his cup. He then licked off a tea leaf from his lip and chewed it contentedly. "Think in his shoes. What would you do if you were Li Yao and needed a few ID cards?
"Steal them on the street? How do you know who brings ID cards with them and who doesn't? You cannot expect to try your luck by stealing a dozen random wallets in a row, can you?
"Even the strongest Cultivator will certainly leave a lot of traces after stealing so many wallets.
"You will certainly pick a place where everyone will be carrying their ID card. That way, you can select a target carefully.
"What are the places where everybody is carrying their ID card? Banks, adults entertainment facilities, and so on.
"Start from those places."
Mosquito and the other Secret Sword Agents were greatly enlightened. After calculating on the light beam, they nodded and said, "If so, the range of our investigation has been significantly reduced. It is estimated that we will have a result in twenty-four hours!"
"Twenty-four hours?" Guo Chunfeng deeply frowned. "That's too long. We cannot give Li Yao so much time. How about this? Let's consider a different approach and work simultaneously.
"After stealing the ID cards, Li Yao would go to the capital city on a crystal train or a civil carrier under the new identity.
"Huh. The security check for the civil carriers is too rigorous. It is more likely that he would take a crystal train.
"Then, it's simple. Make a list of all the passengers of the crystal trains and the civil carriers leaving from North Tranquility City for the capital city over the past three days. Then, contact them one by one and make sure that you are talking to them in person.
"Remember, do not use the number that they left when they bought the ticket, which can be false. Ask for the cooperation of the police department in North Tranquility City. Call them through the number they left in the government office. That should be the real one.
"If we find out after reaching out to them that a passenger who should've gone to the capital city is still in North Tranquility City, Li Yao must be pretending to be him!
"If we cannot reach out to a certain passenger all the time, pay special attention, too, because he might've already been killed by Li Yao."
Mosquito was dumbfounded. "Boss, all the passengers from North Tranquility City to the capital city over the past three days? There—there are going to be astronomical names. It is going to be a hundred times more difficult than investigating the loss of ID cards!"
"No, it won't." Guo Chunfeng smiled. "Li Yao does not have a legal identity, and he does not dare use the Spiritual Nexus. Therefore, he can't buy the ticket through the bank cards that are bound to the ID cards. All you need to do is check the names who bought tickets in the ticket office with cash.
"Most people nowadays buy their tickets online. Even if they go to the ticket office, they will mostly pay with their bank cards. There wouldn't be too many who bought a ticket with cash!"
Mosquito and all the Secret Sword Agents' eyes were shining. They looked at Guo Chunfeng in an even more admiring way and nodded. "Understood. We're on it. There will be a result in three to five hours!"
"Go now. Don't bother me with trivia. I'm going to take a nap. A long 'game' is still waiting for us."
Guo Chunfeng further slithered into the soft chair and covered himself with a blanket in the corner.
"Right, boss." Mosquito thought of something else. "The third division sent the brief today. Li Yao's last classmate in high school and the gangster named 'Fatty Leung' whom he hanged around with in the magical equipment graveyard have both been found.
"At 7:29 a.m. today, all of Li Yao's connections in the Heaven's Origin Sector—including Ding Lingdang, Professor Mo Xuan, Cultivators from the Flying Star Sector, companions in the magical equipment graveyard, classmates in the Crimson Nimbus High School and the Grand Desolate War Institution—have been locked onto!
"According to the third division, they have made a team of almost a hundred experts in Spiritual Nexus tracing, which is led by Professor Gu Mo, the only specialist in the Spiritual Nexus in the Nascent Soul Stage in the federation. It has been ensured that Li Yao's connection network is monitored without any blind spots!
"As long as Li Yao sends a message to Ding Lingdang, Professor Mo Xuan, or any other of associate, even so much as a single word or a code name, it will be detected, and the source of the message will be locked onto in ten seconds!"
Hu. Hu.
Giant snot bubbles were popping out of Guo Chunfeng's nose. He seemed to be asleep already.
"Boss?" Mosquito asked carefully.
Guo Chunfeng was suddenly wide awake. He mumbled in dissatisfaction, "Don't waste my time with such boring stuff. The guys in the third division are too used to capturing evil Cultivators. None of the Cultivators look nice in their eyes. They are only adding to our trouble!
"I assume that they've found nothing after dedicating so many resources to Li Yao's social network, right?"
Mosquito nodded. "That's right. It is so odd that Li Yao hasn't contacted his old acquaintances yet. How can he hold it for such a long time?"
"He can hold it, so he is Vulture." His eyes closed, Guo Chunfeng said casually, "You can't, so you are Mosquito, who will be slapped to death easily!
"Hehe. Vulture Li Yao is the most dangerous person to have risen in the federation over the past hundred years. Does he not know that his social network is certainly under watch? Sending a message to his old friends is like turning himself in!
"Even if he wants to deliver some information to the old friends, he will certainly adopt an approach that is unexpected and won't be monitored or jammed. Would he be so stupid as to send a message via the Spiritual Nexus?
"Do the guys in the third division think that Li Yao is just another evil Cultivator like those they captured in the past? Idiots!
