Jiang Baimian glanced at Long Yuehong and nodded slightly:
“That possibility can't be ruled out.”
“If it was caused by a 'nightmare', based on previous cases, one should encounter something in the dream, which then manifests in reality. But even if Boss Wuge died of suffocation in a dream, it's impossible for reality to actively put a plastic bag over his head. Instead, it would directly show the various characteristics of death by suffocation.” Genaeva analyzed the intelligence related to “real dreams” and gave his opinion.
“Yes, yes.” This was Shang Jianyao, habitually echoing.
Bai Chen nodded along:
“Either Boss Wuge was too violent when abusing himself, leading to an accident, or someone suffocated him and staged a suicide scene.”
Among the members of the “Old Task Force,” Bai Chen had known Wuge the longest and had the deepest friendship, but she recovered quickly. Now, there wasn't the slightest hint of abnormality; it seemed she was used to the deaths of acquaintances.
“Old Ge, go in and check the scene, being careful not to damage anything or leave anything behind.” Jiang Baimian stood up, leaving the task to the more professional Genaeva.
Having already put on gloves, she began searching the entire room.
She picked up sewing needles, an old knife, and other items one by one, then put them back in their original positions. Then, she opened the drawer of that table.
Inside the drawer were some coins and paper money, and a stack of files about half a thumb thick.
Jiang Baimian quickly scanned and discovered that this was the “First City” army deployment situation in the outer area of the No. 13 Ruins in the Wastelands.
Boss Wuge has already contacted General Focas and obtained the information we need? The fact that they haven't been lost means that Boss Wuge's death isn't related to this? While the thought raced through her mind, Jiang Baimian reached out and picked up the stack of files, briefly flipping through them.
After confirming that there was no entrance to the Northern Mountain Range inside, she put the files into her tactical backpack.
After doing this, she checked the bed and the bathroom, but didn't find any noteworthy traces.
At this moment, Genaeva also completed his work.
He said in a slightly synthetic baritone voice:
“Because it's impossible to dissect the corpse, I can't give a precise time of death, but the preliminary assessment is between 11 p.m. last night and 1 a.m. this morning.
“There were no traces left by anyone else at the scene; it should have only been Boss Wuge alone at the time…”
In the middle of the night, Boss Wuge suddenly got up and abused himself with a feeling of suffocation? Long Yuehong didn't find that convincing.
Given the routine of most people in First City, that time was practically when they were sound asleep.
“What should we do now?” Long Yuehong asked tentatively, “Hand it over to the 'Hands of Order' to handle?”
Jiang Baimian shook her head:
“Once we call the police, we'll definitely attract the attention of the 'Hands of Order'.
“For a wanted criminal with a high bounty in 'First City', that's not a good thing.”
That was what Long Yuehong was worried about, and he strongly agreed:
“It's better to pretend we didn't discover anything and quietly leave here.
“The hotel guests will eventually notice something has happened to Boss Wuge.”
Jiang Baimian pointed at the door:
“Have you forgotten that there are cameras there? Have you forgotten that there were hotel guests who saw us?
“As long as someone calls the police, the 'Hands of Order' will investigate and definitely notice us.”
Long Yuehong originally wanted to suggest breaking the cameras and the corresponding surveillance footage, and at the same time have Shang Jianyao “persuade” the two hotel guests from earlier. But after thinking carefully, he felt it was like protesting too much.
The more coincidences, the more attention the “Hands of Order” would pay, and they might even bring in an Awakened from the “Endings” domain to help.
“Then what should we do?” Long Yuehong could tell that the team leader already had a plan.
Jiang Baimian carefully walked out of Wuge's room and closed the wooden door:
“Go find the people from the 'True Self Teaching' and have them handle it.
“They have complicated connections with the higher-ups in 'First City'; it shouldn't be a problem for them to cover it up for us.
“Phew, luckily the hotel's business has been bad lately, and no one came in or out while we were inspecting the scene.”
Long Yuehong immediately remembered that the “True Self Teaching” had a stronghold nearby. The “Old Task Force” had previously seen General Focas there, naked and flogging himself.
As the team leader, Jiang Baimian took off her gloves and took the lead towards the hotel entrance.
“Side door…” Shang Jianyao “mused” from behind.
Jiang Baimian's core was strong, and she forcefully twisted her body around.
Under Shang Jianyao's guidance, the members of the “Old Task Force” left the hotel from the side, passed through an alley, and arrived in front of an apartment building.
The apartment only had five floors and looked very ordinary.
As soon as they entered the apartment, Shang Jianyao took out a blue-and-white megaphone and said in a deep voice towards the steps leading to the basement:
“You've been discovered!”
Jiang Baimian couldn't help but raise her empty right hand and cover her face.
She said in a low voice:
“We're friends of Boss Wuge; something has happened to him.”
Soon, a simply dressed man emerged from the shadows at the bottom of the stairs.
He clenched his fist and lightly hammered his head:
“True Self Forever!”
The current Shang Jianyao didn't imitate, seeming still immersed in the sadness brought by Boss Wuge's accidental death.
The member of the “True Self Teaching” walked up the stairs and said to Jiang Baimian and the others:
“Follow me.”
His throat sounded like it was stuffed with sandpaper.
Shang Jianyao followed suit and was the first to follow behind the man.
They made their way to the innermost room on the left side of the apartment, where they saw a thin, elderly man in his fifties.
The old man's brown hair was mixed with a lot of silver strands, and his black robe had many patches.
His appearance and temperament were ordinary. If he were standing at the apartment entrance, he would most likely be mistaken for a doorman.
“What happened to Wuge?” the old man asked.
After asking, he remembered to introduce himself:
“You can call me Cliff, a 'Dream Breaker'.”
Jiang Baimian, who didn't know much about the ranks of the “True Self Teaching,” nodded slightly as a greeting.
After the door was closed, she gave her answer:
“Boss Wuge is dead.”
“Cause of death?” Cliff's expression changed slightly, then quickly returned to normal.
“Suffocation.” Jiang Baimian was concise, not adding any unnecessary descriptions. “He had a translucent blue plastic bag over his head, and the time of death was probably between 11 p.m. last night and 1 a.m. this morning. No traces left by other people could be found at the scene…”
Cliff didn't interrupt her narration, and only nodded after she finished speaking:
“We will conduct further investigation into the specific situation. Thank you for informing us.”
Jiang Baimian said, “Mm,”:
“When you investigate, please help conceal our presence. You know, we're still wanted.”
“No problem.” Cliff made a promise. “You found him dead when you went to Wuge to get that data?”
“Yes.” The rash Shang Jianyao actively answered. “We found the information in the drawer of his room. It wasn't missing.”
“Please confirm.” Jiang Baimian took off her tactical backpack and took out the stack of files. “See if anything is missing or if there's anything extra.”
Cliff sized her up and said approvingly:
“Very cautious.”
He then took the files, carefully flipped through them, and said:
“There are no problems.”
While retrieving the data, Jiang Baimian deliberately said with emotion:
“We were actually planning to visit Boss Wuge today to ask about the Qing Olive District collective dream, but who knew he had already obtained the information we wanted.
“Your efficiency is really too high. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours.”
Cliff was silent for a moment, then truthfully said:
“That's because we ourselves are planning to go to the No. 13 Ruins in the Wastelands to explore that secret laboratory.”
“Maybe we can cooperate then.” Jiang Baimian said politely.
Cliff turned to the recent anomalies:
“We have already noticed that collective dream and are looking for the root of the problem.
“This matter is not that simple and may bring great danger to the investigators. It is best not to participate.”
“Thank you.” Jiang Baimian expressed her gratitude.
After leaving the apartment and returning to the jeep, Shang Jianyao began stroking his chin:
“The 'True Self Teaching' is already investigating the root of the collective dream; Boss Wuge's death may be related to it…”
Wuge's time of death and the time of last night's nightmare were indeed too close, making it impossible not to have some suspicions.
“Mm.” Jiang Baimian nodded. “Cliff seems to suspect this too, at least that's the feeling he gave me.”
Hearing his teammates' discussion, Long Yuehong suddenly understood something.
He spoke up, seeking discussion:
“The reason why others didn't have any problems after having nightmares, but only experienced some dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and insomnia, while Boss Wuge strangely died of suffocation, is because he awakened abilities related to 'dreams'?”
Most people couldn't effectively investigate that nightmare, but Wuge could!
Bai Chen, who was driving, thought carefully and agreed with Long Yuehong's guess:
“I think so.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian simultaneously blurted out:
“Damn it!”
“Not good!”
“What's wrong?” Long Yuehong shuddered.
Jiang Baimian turned her body and said with a frown:
“O'Dick also possesses Awakened abilities related to 'dreams'.”
“Please don't let anything happen.” Shang Jianyao began to pray from the side.