The night passed quickly.
By the next morning, the long-unconscious Liu
Yang finally opened his eyes.
After a night of rest, his complexion had
returned to normal, though his body was still quite weak.
Margaret had stood guard outside all night. As
soon as she heard Liu Yang had awakened, she immediately entered the room.
“Liu Yang, I’m the official in charge of
handling this plague situation. I have a few questions for you, and you must
answer truthfully. Do you understand?” Margaret cut straight to the point.
“…Yes,” Liu Yang nodded, a bit fearful.
“When did you first contract the plague?”
Margaret asked.
“I don’t know how long I was unconscious… but
in my memory, it was about three days ago when I suddenly felt dizzy and weak,
with chills all over. At first, I thought it was just a regular cold, so I took
some random medicine. I didn’t expect it to get worse. By the time I realized
something was wrong, it was already too late,” Liu Yang replied weakly.
“Before the symptoms appeared, did you come
into contact with any strangers?” Margaret continued.
“I rarely go out. But a few days ago, I met a
girl I’d known online. We’d been chatting for two years, but it was our first
time meeting. She was really beautiful and even said she wanted to be my girlfriend.
I was really happy --- we had a meal together. Afterward, she said she had to
leave to meet a friend in Wugang City,” Liu Yang explained.
“After that, your symptoms started to appear?”
“I think so.”
“Do you know who she was going to see in Wugang
City?”
“No… Even though we chatted online for two
years, we rarely talked about our real identities.”
“But you at least know her name, don’t you?”
“She said her name was Pei Nan. But I
don’t know if that’s her real name.”
“Describe her appearance in detail.”
Margaret snapped her fingers, signaling to Su
Lan to bring paper and pen.
Then, based on Liu Yang’s description, she
began carefully sketching.
After nearly an hour of revisions, she finally
completed a rough likeness of Pei Nan.
When Liu Yang saw the sketch, his eyes lit up
and he nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes! That’s her! Looks 80 to 90% like!”
Margaret nodded and handed the portrait to Su
Lan. “Find out who this woman is. Quickly!”
“Yes!”
Su Lan accepted the task and swiftly left.
“Besides this Pei Nan, was there anything else
unusual around you?” Margaret asked again.
“No,” Liu Yang shook his head. “I spend most of
my time at home playing games. I rarely go out. Everyone in the village can
confirm that.”
“I have nothing more to ask. Get some rest.”
Margaret got up to leave.
She had already reviewed Liu Yang’s background
--- nothing out of the ordinary.
A typical recluse. His parents had died in a
car accident a few years ago. He made a living by offering video game boosting
services and had very little contact with people. Socially awkward and easily
deceived.
If Liu Yang was telling the truth, then the
source of the plague likely stemmed from this woman named Pei Nan.
And since she went to Wugang City, it
meant the plague would soon begin spreading there.
A serious problem indeed.
“Boss! I found her!”
Moments later, Su Lan returned with information
based on the name and portrait.
“What’s her background?” Margaret asked.
“The woman Liu Yang mentioned is indeed named Pei
Nan. She returned to the country three years ago. She’s a follower of the Western
Faith and often spreads its teachings online. She’s a devout believer,” Su
Lan reported.
“What about her family and friends?”
“Her parents passed away years ago. We haven’t
found much about her overseas identity yet, but she does have a few close
relatives in the country.”
“Have you investigated them?”
“Yes. Just like her, they all follow the
Western Faith --- and were converted by her. I suspect this Western Faith
is actually just a disguise for the White Bone Cult!” Su Lan said
seriously.
“If the White Bone Cult has resurfaced and is
wreaking havoc again, it’s clearly not by accident. Without a cover identity,
how could they have survived this long?” Margaret was not surprised.
“What should we do now, Boss?” Su Lan asked.
“Whether it’s the White Bone Cult or this
so-called Western Faith, anyone who harms the people must be eliminated!”
Margaret’s face turned cold. “Immediately
investigate everything related to the Western Faith --- especially this Pei
Nan. She’s a priority target. Capture her as soon as possible. I’ll request
higher authorities to seal off the southern region. We must snuff out the White
Bone Cult before it reignites!”
“Understood!”
Su Lan responded and left again.
Pei Nan didn’t know many people in Wugang City.
A thorough investigation would soon reveal her whereabouts.
“How’s it going? Got a lead yet?”
At that moment, Dustin walked in yawning.
He hadn’t slept all night and had spent a huge
amount of energy, so he was understandably drowsy.
“We’ve found some clues. I believe it won’t be
long before we catch the person responsible for spreading the plague,” Margaret
said.
“That’s good to hear.”
Dustin let out a breath of relief. “Once we
eliminate the source of the plague, the rest will be much easier to handle.”
“Things are going too smoothly… it makes me
uneasy.”
Margaret frowned slightly. “The White Bone
Cult’s sudden resurgence and the spread of this plague… if it were just for a
blood sacrifice, they wouldn’t need to be this flamboyant. I suspect they have
a deeper motive.”
“Whatever it is, once we catch them, we’ll find
out soon enough,” said Dustin.
“Then we’ll just have to wait for the results.”
Margaret nodded.
Just then, a trusted subordinate hurried in
with an anxious tone. “Your Highness! Bad news!
We just received word --- the plague has
started spreading in Pucheng. Over a hundred people are already
infected!” - Ton
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