Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: The Dwarf’s Wife’s Commission

Investigation Corps Branch, Captains’ Meeting Hall.

From the outside, the meeting hall looked like a Mongolian yurt.

The interior was extremely minimalist, with a small lectern at the very center. To the right, there was an arrangement similar to a roundtable conference, while on the left, there was a large sand table layout of the lower second level.

Nine of the sixteen captains had arrived, the rest were preparing for the war games elsewhere. They sat around the round table, with Bai Wu sitting behind Wu Jiu like a little secretary.

Whenever a difficult and significant mission arose, the captains would convene to discuss it.

It was quite rare for someone of non-captain status like Bai Wu to sit in on a meeting.

The last time this happened, it was when former captain of the seventh squad, Tao Yu, brought Wu Jiu with him.

Now Wu Jiu was bringing Bai Wu, which would have been normal, but everyone knew that Bai Wu had joined the Investigation Corps less than two months ago.

As for the meeting’s content, Bai Wu could more or less guess what it was about; primarily, it concerned the arrangements for the war games between the two armies.

If Wu Jiu could not participate, they needed to decide who from the Investigation Corps captains’ group should go into battle and in what order.

But this was just a problem from previous years.

In past years, Wu Jiu was able to win the captains’ group war games, while the Investigation Corps’ mid-level combat strength was far superior to the Garrison Corps’.

Therefore, due to Wu Jiu’s presence, the Investigation Corps had been leading the war games for these past two years.

But this year was different. This year the Garrison Corps... had dozens of members with Innate Force who had broken through the fifth rank and held positions within the top three hundred of the Talent Sequence as captain-level experts.

While it was common for the Garrison Corps to inadvertently reveal a few experts from time to time, the sudden emergence of all these experts was like one gambler suddenly going all-in during a game of stakes.

The lineup the Garrison Corps revealed at once made their mid-tier combat strength catch up to the Investigation Corps, and there was even a hint of surpassing it.

And with Wu Jiu banned from the competition—this meant that this year’s war games faced the possibility of a total collapse.

Therefore, the captains of the Investigation Corps began to deliberate on battle strategies.

Normally, Wu Jiu wouldn’t need to be involved in this, since there were others among the captains with brighter minds than his.

But this year’s war games had a significant new variable.

Captain Liu Mu of the thirteenth squad said:

"You haven’t received the notification yet, this was decided shortly after you left the tower. This war games won’t be an in-tower competition, but an outside-tower one!"

Wu Jiu was slightly moved:

"An outside-tower competition?"

Taking over from Liu Mu was Long Xiao, captain of the fifth squad:

"Yes, it seems to be a decision passed by both Qin and the Garrison Corps’ head, coming from a higher level."

Bai Wu found Long Xiao’s remark quite interesting.

[Although he smokes, drinks, perms his hair, likes visiting brothels, and the underworld calls him Dragon, with a myriad of scandals to his name, everyone considers him a good captain.]

Wu Jiu hadn’t expected such a significant change to happen in such a short time.

The usual contests between the Garrison and Investigation Corps were held in the large stadium on the third level, yet this time it was going to be outside the tower.

"From the fifth level?" Wu Jiu furrowed his brow. freёweɓnovel.com

"Yes, it seems to have been directly decided by the higher-ups, and both armies’ leaders can only accept it," Long Xiao said.

"The location has changed, the rules must have changed as well?" Wu Jiu asked.

"Yes, it’s no longer about direct combat between the two armies, but about which side can hunt more Evil Fallen."

This rule was unexpected for both Wu Jiu and Bai Wu.

The magnitude of the changes made Bai Wu feel that something was amiss.

These days, with constant investigations outside the tower, he’d realized one thing, who knows what rules might exist out there?

If the exercise was no longer a military drill, but a competition to hunt Evil Fallen, then the biggest variables would be the Evil Fallen and the terrain.

"Is the terrain confirmed?" Bai Wu asked.

"Not yet. According to the rules we currently know, the terrain should be confirmed three days before the event starts. Captain Qin doesn’t seem to be clear on the specifics either..."

The one answering Bai Wu was the Captain of the Eleventh Squad, Feng Zhan.

Long Xiao had the image of a top enforcer in the underworld, Feng Zhan, on the other hand, seemed very scholarly and refined, but his remark about Bai Wu was quite interesting.

"[Born is Feng, why then Qingyu? He harbors secrets that pique the interest of the sixth layer.]"

Could he be the Captain’s rival? Perhaps Feng Zhan had a similar combat style to the Captain’s? Bai Wu did not discount this possibility. If the note referred to Gu Qingyu, it was a rare high appreciation indeed.

These Captains each had their own significant something.

"The Captain doesn’t know? What about the difficulty of the region? They should at least give us some idea," Wu Jiu said.

"It’s all unclear, but we’ll know in a few days. In any case, each side will need to dispatch twelve squad leaders to form two teams of captain-level members, along with twelve Vanguard Groups to participate."

That made for a total of twenty-four Vanguard Groups and four Captains’ teams.

The scale of this was significant, but it was uncertain which area it would be in, what the difficulty would be, and whether the Evil Fallen of that area could withstand being hunted by so many experts.

Such areas often had to be found a long time in advance.

So what exactly did the fifth layer intend to do?

"Did the Captain say anything?" Wu Jiu asked.

"The Captain only said that it would be good if we could ensure safety because for the Investigation Corps, true strength isn’t about defeating the Garrison Corps, but about being able to kill Evil Fallen."

The one answering Wu Jiu was the Captain of the First Squad, Meng Yuan. With an Innate Force of sixth rank and ninth stage, this First Squad Captain was very strong, one of those who did not rely on any Sequence for his strength.

But obviously, the First Squad Captain hid some secrets.

"[Muscles, muscles, muscles. Unlike Little Dwarf’s good friend, Little Shield, who’s defensive, he is an attack-oriented Little Muscle King. Although he doesn’t harbor secrets that interest the sixth layer, he certainly has his own little schemes.]"

It would seem... without a diminutive name, one could hardly be considered a top individual—Little Pitiful, Little Dwarf, Little Shield, Little Muscle King...

Bai Wu was now realizing that his own eyes were indeed very arrogant, lacking any shred of modesty. His current impression was that these Captains were experts among experts, making it hard to imagine... that the Garrison Corps had even stronger beings.

But what they should be most concerned about at the moment was what exactly the rulers of the fifth layer were arranging?

The military drill had turned into a monster hunting competition, and it was uncertain how the variables would be managed.

Bai Wu had a premonition that perhaps in this military exercise, they would encounter some old monsters from the fifth layer...

They might possess some kind of powerful abilities?

...

...

In the following time, Bai Wu was quite impressed with Wu Jiu and the other Captains, who could enthusiastically discuss such a boring topic for so long.

The members of the Captains’ Group were quickly decided upon, after all, there were only a dozen or so people. The personnel for the Vanguard Groups, however, were still being discussed.

Wu Jiu recommended Bai Wu.

Which met with opposition from the other Captains:

"Does Bai Wu have a Talent Sequence?"

Bai Wu shook his head.

"What about Innate Force?"

"Fourth rank, fifth stage."

"That’s not low, but for this kind of battle, it would be best to have someone with a Sequence participate. If Bai Wu’s Innate Force is below fifth rank and he doesn’t have a Talent Sequence, his role in the drill won’t be significant."

Several Captains expressed their opposition, and Captain Liu Mu did not speak up.

Wu Jiu was somewhat displeased and said expressionlessly,

"It took no more than thirty days for Bai Wu to grow from the first rank second sequence to the fourth rank fifth sequence, with a total of six exits from the tower. Any more questions?"

This data, even among the captains of the Investigation Corps who were the most capable fighters present, took them by surprise.

"Six times... and he rose to the fourth rank fifth sequence?"

Liu Mu recalled the first time he met Bai Wu, his facial muscles twitching as he deeply regretted not having taken Bai Wu away by force.

The other captains looked at Bai Wu as if they were looking at a monster.

After all, the last one who performed so outstandingly was Gu Qingyu.

"Interesting, I was wondering why you brought this kid in. Damn, Bai Wu, right? You did a good job, kid. The last high-level disappearance case was also solved by you and Wu Jiu, wasn’t it? Wu Jiu can really pick them, someone who is proficient both in literature and martial arts," Long Xiao said in a casual manner, his eyes showing appreciation.

Despite being somewhat ruffian-like, this man did not make others feel uncomfortable.

Bai Wu instinctively thought about offering a lighter and saying, "Brother Long, have a cigarette." when looking at Long Xiao’s appearance.

Meng Yuan said,

"Just too skinny, how can a man have no muscles? Why don’t you stop hanging out with Wu Jiu and come train with me?"

Poaching right in front of Dwarf? It seems that the Investigation Corps is quite harmonious inside...

Bai Wu replied,

"Captain, let’s not bother. These military exercises... frankly, I’m not interested."

Bai Wu was telling the truth.

He only killed Evil Fallen who wanted to kill him, and he did not hate most Evil Fallen. Of course, he would not express such dangerous thoughts.

Wu Jiu this time did not insist and said,

"Are you sure you won’t go? Actually, you have quite an advantage. If the area is large enough, perhaps under your leadership, the Vanguard Group could achieve good results."

"Regarding this exercise, many details are still to be determined, but I am certain that I’m not interested."

The other captains were somewhat puzzled. Was this newcomer in Wu Jiu’s family so full of character, to retort in front of so many captains, defying the leader’s face?

Wu Jiu himself did not mind, and Bai Wu also knew that Wu Jiu did not mind.

"Since you don’t like it, then don’t participate. What are your thoughts on the matchup arrangements?"

Bai Wu nodded, as he should at least put in some effort elsewhere since he was not participating.

He began discussing the details with the other captains.

These discussions included many strategies, such as intelligence reconnaissance, what data the opponent had, how much Innate Force they possessed, how many in the Talent Sequence.

What the Talent Sequences of the team members were like, their Innate Forces, and whether certain Sequences could combine to create an effect when paired with others.

Which Sequences were mutually enhancing, and which were mutually inhibiting.

Since it was a group hunt, it wasn’t necessary for each team to have a uniform composition. Teams could directly integrate support squads, intelligence squads, and combat squads.

Many of Bai Wu’s suggestions were incisive, some of which the captains had thought of, and some they had not.

For instance, in the matter of Sequence combinations, they had always just tried to make a team’s composition stronger.

But under Bai Wu’s concept of Sequence combinations, there were now more options to consider.

After some spirited discussion, Bai Wu managed to leave a good impression in front of the captains.

People also began to understand, to some extent, why Wu Jiu placed such importance on Bai Wu.

...

...

The joint military exercises were imminent.

Bai Wu discovered that this indeed was a tradition that had continued for many years because even some of the lower-class people had received the news,

On his way to the harbor, passing through Fallen Street, Bai Wu even stumbled upon gambling pools.

The matter of whether the Garrison Corps or the Investigation Corps would win or lose had almost become the focus of conversation in recent days.

However, the lower-class citizens had little contact with the Garrison Corps, and the return of the Investigation Corps from the red zone a few days ago gave people an inexplicable confidence in the capabilities of the Investigation Corps.

On his journey to the harbor, Bai Wu heard all sorts of "crushing defeat" theories.

It seems that through the ages, in the eyes of bystanders, there was never such a thing as an evenly matched battle; a win meant a total crush, and a loss was seen as a complete beatdown.

Moreover, being powerful really attracts fans; Bai Wu discovered that even the Dwarf had a fan club.

All along the way, there were various claims that Wu Jiu was number one under heaven. Although in truth, the Dwarf was indeed the best. But such a discourse, mostly voiced by women, made him wonder what the Dwarf’s Wife would think upon hearing it.

The people on the lower rungs had few means of entertainment, so when faced with certain major events, everyone enjoyed a good spectacle.

Bai Wu also took pleasure in hearing these people praise his captain’s prowess, even though the captain had been banned from competing.

Later, when he returned home, Bai Wu found... someone was waiting for him at his doorstep.

It was none other than the Dwarf’s Wife and Ye Weiming.

"Yezi, boss’s wife, what are you doing here?"

"You call me boss’s wife?" The Dwarf’s Wife was an extremely seductive woman, possessing the kind of allure that penetrated straight into the depths of a man’s desires.

She narrowed her eyes, sizing up Bai Wu, who was quite unfazed:

"I call the captain ’boss’."

This flattery undoubtedly pleased the Dwarf’s Wife, and she laughed with delight:

"I am a few years older than you, just call me Ruan. My name is Ruan Qingyun."

Gu Qingyu, Ruan Qingyun...

The names of the Dwarf and his Wife seemed quite well-matched.

Bai Wu smiled and said:

"I still want to call you boss’s wife; I’m Bai Wu. What do you need from me, boss’s wife?"

"Should we talk inside? Are you going to make me stand out here?" Every move Ruan Qingyun made was laced with unique charm.

In Bai Wu’s eyes, the Dwarf’s Wife’s beauty was on par with Yin Shuang and Yan Jiu, and even beyond that of the Beauty Mark.

"This place is a bit shabby. I have some vacant properties on the lower levels, if you’re interested, you can come with me to check them out later," Ruan Qingyun said with a smile.

Bai Wu shook his head and said:

"Boss’s wife, you’re really kind, even kinder than the boss, but this place suits me well. To me, High Tower is merely a place to sleep."

The sentiment sounded simple, but within that simplicity, there was a hint of dominance, which Ruan Qingyun appreciated:

"I won’t beat around the bush. Yezi told me that you have a knack for solving cases, and I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

Bai Wu had originally planned on quickly catching some sleep and then leaving the tower, but since it was the Dwarf’s Wife’s first request, he could consider helping her.

"Recently, on the lower levels... quite a few people have gone missing, to be more specific, young and beautiful girls."

Upon hearing about this case, Bai Wu instantly grew serious; he had previously asked the interrogation team to keep an eye on this particular case.

But why was the Dwarf’s Wife starting to take an interest in this case? And given that she should have strong connections and resources, why resort to asking him?

Perhaps sensing Bai Wu’s confusion, Ruan Qingyun said:

"I’ve noticed lately, that the streets I frequently visit are under constant surveillance."