Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Challenge of Gao Ta Town’s Garrison Corps

The live stream that started in the seedy port on the lower levels, with Ye Weiming’s vengeful treasure-hunting voiceover, skyrocketed Constantine’s fame.

On his way back to High Tower with Prometheus, Bai Wu attracted quite a few curious glances.

He headed straight for the second layer, initially planning to settle Prometheus at his own place, but upon returning to High Tower and looking at Prometheus again, a pop-up note reminded Bai Wu of something.

"He has spent countless years inside the tower, never having seen a living person, but now with your help, he is finally preparing to live the life of an ordinary Investigator Corps member. Dandelion will still kill, but that has nothing to do with him anymore. By the way, the little guy hides a secret that interests the sixth floor of High Tower, although you already know it."

A secret of interest to the sixth floor of High Tower.

In fact, immediately after his first venture out of the tower with Wu Jiu and the others, Bai Wu had guessed what this secret could be.

Now, through Prometheus, he had finally confirmed it.

Yin Shuang, Wu Jiu, Prometheus, they all possessed Sequences within the top hundred, with Wu Jiu’s talent ranking even higher than Prometheus’s Sequence 42.

But Bai Wu had always pretended not to know, never speaking of his own secret.

Wu Jiu had also never used this Sequence. Bai Wu surmised that the current investigative tasks were not substantial enough for Wu Jiu to employ this Sequence.

Perhaps Wu Jiu had used it during that brutal 24-day survival battle.

The note on Yin Shuang was ’avenger.’ Plus, the content seen by Prayle’s Eye would change as soon as one entered High Tower...

Bai Wu arrived at an astonishing conclusion:

The sixth floor of High Tower might be looking for people with rare Sequences. Whether to dispose of these individuals or entrust them with important missions was yet unknown.

But Bai Wu leaned toward the former.

As the ace of the Investigator Corps outside the tower and a future deputy corps commander, Bai Wu was confident that Wu Jiu could conceal his and Yin Shuang’s secrets and would naturally be able to hide Prometheus’s secret as well.

...

High Tower, second layer, Investigator Corps division.

In the office of the captain of the seventh squad, after Bai Wu removed his mask, Wu Jiu commented calmly:

"That look is a bit ugly."

"..."

"But it makes you quite memorable, so you’re called the Cloak Masked Crusader?" Wu Jiu added.

Bai Wu hadn’t realized Dwarf had a talent for sarcastic remarks; he got right to the point:

"Captain, I want him to join our Investigator Corps."

When Wu Jiu’s eyelids drooped, he looked somewhat fierce. Prometheus, upon seeing him, fearfully hid behind Bai Wu.

"And the reason?"

Bai Wu closed the door, and Prayle’s Eye confirmed there were no surveillance or listening devices in the room.

He didn’t speak, but instead wrote out the results of the investigation from his live stream on paper.

"I found this child in a jungle. An estimate leads me to believe someone codenamed Cain from High Tower left him outside the tower. There’s information about the child as well.

It mentions that he can regenerate endlessly; even if limbs, organs, or even his head are removed, he can still survive and regenerate quickly.

I’m not sure if this is some type of Sequence ability, but if it is, maybe the whole Sequence is quite advanced? Out of caution, I think I should inform the captain. With some training, he could become a powerful asset for the seventh squad."

Bai Wu didn’t mention Wu Jiu’s hidden Sequence, but he subtly explained Prometheus’s ability and expressed his trust in Wu Jiu.

He was certain Dwarf, like him, could guess Prometheus’s Sequence just from the description.

As expected, Wu Jiu frowned and burned the paper with Bai Wu’s writing.

"You must keep this matter a secret."

Bai Wu’s acting was on point; first a startle, then a dawning comprehension, followed by a somber expression. The entire process was smooth and understated:

"I understand."

Bai Wu nodded, then casually inquired:

"By the way, Captain, this Cain claims to come from inside the tower; it sounds like the name of a cult leader. Have you ever heard of him?"

Wu Jiu shook his head:

"I have never heard of it."

Prometheus had almost no clues about Cain either.

His voice, appearance, and the level at which he was imprisoned were all unknown.

Bai Wu was somewhat regretful but became even more vigilant.

What other tragedies like that of Prometheus were buried in that history seven hundred years ago? How chaotic was the world outside the tower from 2023 to 2027?

Could there still be some form of supreme evil hidden within the High Tower? For some reason, Bai Wu couldn’t help but think of Magneto.

A mutant leader, an extreme advocate of mutant rights, who acted without any regard for rules, leading to being classified as a cult for a long time.

Could Cain possibly be some sort of Evil Fallen leader? A proponent of fallen rights?

Between the lines of various external archives, Bai Wu could feel the disciples’ reverence for Cain.

Dandelion even addressed him as master, and would continue to comply with Cain’s arrangements even after learning of his deceit.

The other disciples were likely the same.

That was because Cain seemed to have promised them that he would lead them in destroying a certain tower.

Was that tower the High Tower?

All was still unknown, and Bai Wu also decided to temporarily avoid using the Traction Disc to avoid Cain for the time being.

"What’s your name?"

"Dan... Prometheus, my name is Prometheus!"

Prometheus now realized that this not-so-tall captain was a trustworthy person.

Very strong and unlike the oppressive aura of Lord Cain, the captain provided a sense of security.

Wu Jiu frowned and said:

"That’s too cumbersome, using it in the investigation report might seem like padding out the word count."

The investigation report must not be less than eight hundred words, and Wu Jiu did not want a name to occupy five characters’ worth of space.

"But I like this name, sir..."

Wu Jiu was very domineering:

"You can continue to use that code name in your disguise operation, but for missions within the Investigation Corps, your name is Bai Xiaoyu."

Bai Wu felt somewhat offended.

His name was Bai Wu, and the person he brought back was named Bai Xiaoyu... Would the next one have to be called Bai Xiaofeng?

Dwarf’s naming skills needed improvement.

"That’s settled then. Remember, I will notify you of missions. Except for my notifications, you are not permitted to accept tasks arranged by anyone else. Understand?"

"Under... understood."

Bai Xiaoyu did not find anything wrong with the name.

Before Bai Wu left, Wu Jiu warned:

"It’s best if you don’t reveal your identity as the Cloak Masked Crusader."

Bai Wu nodded; from the time he entered the Investigation Corps branch, he had maintained this attire.

Even though he had been stopped, Wu Jiu’s clearance order quickly made its way to them.

While attracting quite a few gazes, he had not exposed himself.

In the future, people would know that Constantine and the Investigation Corps were on the same side.

This would also be beneficial for Bai Wu to enhance the reputation of the Investigation Corps and his own in the future.

Now with a Spirit Possession bag ideal for storing clothes, switching between Bai Wu and Constantine was easy, provided it was done where no one noticed.

Fortunately, the second level was much less populated than the first.

"Then Bai Xiaoyu will be arranged by the captain for now? Cain is very likely aware of his existence, so the captain needs to be careful."

Wu Jiu nodded.

"Bai Wu’s arrangement was to mislead Cain. When Bai Xiaoyu and Wu Jiu appeared together, Cain would be even more convinced that the person who fought with his disciple was the captain," he reasoned.

"To develop your own forces, you must ensure that core members are trustworthy," Wu Jiu suddenly said before Bai Wu was about to leave.

"I can keep some secrets for you on my end, but on the other side, you need to be sure that the girl can be trusted."

Bai Wu understood and nodded.

Dwarf had a meticulous mind, but now that Liu Chengzi had disclosed the secret of the camera, it was the same as accepting him as one of us. Bai Wu asked one last question,

"Does the captain have any other orders?"

"I’ve arranged for you to take on an apprentice."

"An apprentice?"

"His name is Ye Weiming. You’ll meet him when you go to your woman. The work you’ve been doing has caused quite a stir. Once the report of a hundred cases solved was uploaded, the higher-ups took it very seriously."

Bai Wu really wanted to explain that the Sea Queen wasn’t his woman, but he still addressed the matter at hand,

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

"It is a good thing, but the people of Garrison Corps in Gao Ta Town aren’t happy about it."

"The Investigation Corps manages the lower class; Garrison Corps manages the nobility. What’s there for them to be unhappy about?"

"There’s been a major case on the third floor. Due to our Squad Seven’s high efficiency in handling cases, news came from the fifth floor instructing me to assign four people to assist the Garrison Corps of Gao Ta Town in investigating this case."

Although Wu Jiu also had skills in solving cases, compared to a show-off, he was nothing. And the case on the third floor was quite significant.

The Garrison Corps had also sent their most core think tank. Reluctantly, Wu Jiu had no choice but to bring Bai Wu along.

Four people, Bai Wu, Wu Jiu, Ye Weiming, and Lin.

The interrogation team was not brought along, mainly because they feared the Garrison Corps would notice that the interrogation team lacked real case-solving abilities and relied solely on Bai Wu’s contributions.

Bai Wu smiled, somewhat understanding the situation,

"Our Investigation Corps has always been regarded as an inferior army. People from Garrison Corps never really respected us. If we can come out on top in this case, it would be a slap in their face," he said.

Wu Jiu nodded and added,

"Although the Garrison Corps of Gao Ta Town is rife with corruption, they have no shortage of talents. Moreover, they have already gathered quite a bit of information about the case, which means they’ve already solved half of it. They won’t share this information with us. This won’t be easy."

If they messed this up, all the credit from solving a hundred cases would go to waste. This was the Garrison Corps’ way of tripping them up.

Bai Wu nodded in agreement and said,

"So, I have the chance to take a look at the third floor?"

"Yes. You have two days left of your one-week leave. You can move freely for these two days, but after that, you will accompany me to the third floor," Wu Jiu confirmed.

Well, that’s enough time for another outing before coming back to deal with the Garrison Corps.

Bai Wu nodded and left Wu Jiu’s office.

...

...

At the base of the High Tower. freeweɓnøvel.com

"Ming, do you think sister is pretty?"

Inside Chengzi Store, Liu Chengzi was using those electrifying eyes to gaze at Ye Weiming, occasionally contorting her eyebrows and making faces.

"Pretty. Sister is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Sister, can we settle the wages?" Ye Weiming asked.

Liu Chengzi pretended not to hear the latter part and asked again,

"Would you like it if sister became your girlfriend?"

"Oh, yes, girlfriend. Sister, could you settle your boyfriend’s wages?"

"..."

Their conversation had been unfolding for five minutes. Liu Chengzi was planning to recruit the little boy into her pond so she could always mooch off him for free.

But Ye Weiming was a very simple man; he just wanted to wholeheartedly make money. His obsession with money exceeded Liu Chengzi’s imagination.

So much so that Liu Chengzi began to doubt her own strength as the Sea Queen.

"I’m already your girlfriend, who asks their girlfriend for money?"

"Oh... then we’re breaking up, boss, could you settle the bill?"

With clear logic, Ye Weiming didn’t panic at all.

Liu Chengzi took three deep breaths, forcibly suppressing her anger, and said with a forced smile:

"Good Ming, every time I see you, my heart skips a beat. You must have been my nemesis in a past life, and you’ll have to come see me often in the future."

Liu Chengzi decided to give it one more try, but Ye Weiming broke her defenses with a single sentence:

"Sure, I also offer companionship services, but that’ll cost extra."

"..."

The Sea Queen was utterly speechless; she now realized she had completely misjudged him.

When Ye Weiming first rushed in, frantic, he seemed to be someone with a hidden talent, yet desperate for food.

This kind of person was a common sight at the bottom rungs of society. They had special skills but couldn’t use them for mining, and in the Lower Levels, there were very few proper jobs to choose from.

But now, Ye Weiming had finally revealed his true nature as a money-grubber.

As soon as he made everyone realize that he was irreplaceable, he immediately started to ask for money. Initially, he’d only said he’d give it a try for free, but now he was demanding a salary.

This Ming was not simple at all; in fact, he was quite shrewd and a good actor.

Liu Chengzi had no choice but to start discussing the details of the salary and a long-term contract with Ye Weiming.

Little did she know, Ye Weiming hailed from the Ghost Grinding Firm, an office full of misers.

In the end, unable to stand up to Ye Weiming’s demands, Liu Chengzi reluctantly paid the money and signed a long-term contract with him.

...

While the two were discussing the contract details, Bai Wu was also hurrying back to the Chengzi Store.

He had already changed his outfit in a secluded spot, and no one paid him any attention on his way back.

After entering the scavenger port, Bai Wu learned from the conversations of the passersby that Constantine had suddenly shot to fame.

However, the story they told... sounded quite odd.

Yang Zhen and his two companions became great heroes, sacrificing themselves outside the tower, trapped by the Giant Tree Monster, buying time for Constantine and the son of that old friend to escape. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

In the end, Constantine returned with a large rescue force, killed the monster, and saved the three teammates.

Bai Wu was impressed but couldn’t help wondering which little clever ghost Liu Chengzi had to concoct the story.

About the fate of Yang Zhen and his two companions, not long after Bai Wu returned to Gao Ta Town and met with Wu Jiu, Wu Jiu led people to retrieve the three based on the information provided by Bai Wu.

Later, the three of them were placed in the interrogation room, that very room Bai Wu mentioned specifically for answering questions, to be interrogated.

If Cain’s words were confirmed, then they would deal with them as they should. However, Bai Wu made a special instruction to keep Qin Lin.

The owner of the Wheel of Sorrows and Joys was actually not bad at heart, just a bit too foolish, and completely unaware of what Yang Zhen had done.

When they would leave the tower in the future, they might let him work off his guilt. That mouth of his, blessed and eloquent, could significantly boost the efficiency of Spirit Possession.

...

"I’m back."

Bai Wu arrived at the door of the Chengzi Store, immediately spotting Ye Weiming, who was haggling over prices.

[The successor of the Little Dwarf’s old lover association, looking honest on the surface, but actually a little clever ghost filled with tricks. Besides combat investigation missions outside the tower, he’s fit for all kinds of jobs. You can cultivate him well; inside the tower, he’s more useful than the SSRs you have in hand.]

Bai Wu laughed; a Liu Chengzi might look obedient but have many cunning ideas, and he didn’t expect the team leader to bring him another Ye Weiming.

In the meager Lower Levels, it was a surprise to have cultivated the two of them, talents on par with Dragon and Phoenix among men.

(The content was difficult to separate, so two Chapters were combined into one.)