Chapter 108: Information

Raindrops danced in the lamplight like silver needles falling from the sky, disappearing into the mist over the city moat.

The pedestrians hurried by, and the figure of the Daoist was long gone.

As if she had never appeared at all.

He Luo sat in a daze for a long time.

Until the driver came looking for him: “General Manager He, you have an appointment at 8 o’clock.”

Staring blankly at the driver, He Luo finally came back to his senses.

“You…”

He Luo began to speak, wanting to ask the driver about the Daoist he had seen earlier, but didn’t know how to put it into words.

Glancing once more at the rain, he picked up his coat and put it on, signaling to the driver, “Let’s go.”

He Luo’s meeting was at a teahouse.

He poured tea for his guest and began discussing the matter they were supposed to talk about today.

“Sorry to make you come all this way, but I need to reconsider the transfer…”

He left the sentence unfinished.

But the appearance of the Daoist today had shaken him deeply.

In retrospect, she hadn’t actually said much.

Yet her ethereal demeanor and calm, assured presence had indeed left He Luo awestruck.

Since she left, his mind had been in turmoil.

He had a strong intuition that if he finalized the technology transfer today, he would regret it, just as she had suggested.

He needed time to process.

Back at the hotel where he was temporarily staying, his assistant had already gathered the information he wanted about “Jinyun Mountain Baiyun Temple” and came to report.

“So quickly?”

Assistant: “This information wasn’t hard to find; it’s all public online. This Taoist Temple is quite a popular one on the internet.”

“A popular… Taoist Temple?”

Isn’t that combination of words a bit too niche?

“Yes, General Manager He, take a look at the materials I printed. Baiyun Temple indeed has a long history, but it only became famous in recent years for a few reasons.

First, there are two internet-famous cats with millions of followers, known as the Cat Abbots online. Second, the vegetarian dishes in their dining hall are so sought after that it’s hard to get a reservation. Third, a couple brought their terminally ill child to pray for a cure, and it’s said the temple healed the child, though who knows if that’s true. Fourth, the celebrity Cheng Ling was spotted there practicing cultivation…

Besides that, I found out the government is supporting this Taoist Temple with things like bus route planning, model unit evaluations, and special support funds. All signs suggest this temple has a good relationship with ‘those above,’ or you could say it has backing.”

He Luo: “What do you think of this Taoist Temple?”

“Ah?” The assistant was caught off guard by the question, quickly organizing his thoughts before responding, “I’ve looked into Baiyun Temple’s rise to fame several times, and there’s no sign of marketing push; it’s all organic online traffic.

Personally, I think it’s a bit uncanny. Good fortune like this, rising to fame on its own, is something other places might never encounter even once in a lifetime, yet Baiyun Temple has had it happen several times in a year. It feels like there’s something going on here.

On New Year’s Day this year, the crowd going to Baiyun Temple to offer incense was unprecedented. Many people lined up the night before. It even made the news back then.”

“Uncanny?” He Luo pondered over the word.

Outside, the rain hadn’t stopped and might continue to fall all night.

He chuckled lightly, “Perhaps ‘spiritual’ would be more accurate.”

The assistant laughed awkwardly.

He Luo asked again, “What about the other matter? Any leads?”

“Oh, right…” The assistant pulled out another stack of documents, “Based on the information you provided, I obtained the invitation list from the organizers for the conference three years ago. After tracing back, the PhD who burned his paper left his research institute last year, seemingly due to interpersonal issues. After asking around, the most reliable news is that he’s currently in Shuangyu City.”

“Shuangyu… So it is southwest.” He Luo instructed the assistant, “Book a flight; we’re taking a trip.”

–

Qin Qing watched her laptop, noticing the small red dot representing He Luo slowly moving southwest.

She finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The dryer stopped running, and Qin Qing took out the blue-black Daoist robe, now soft and fluffy.

She brought it to her nose and sniffed; it smelled pleasantly of Procter & Gamble products.

Laying the robe flat on the bed, Qin Qing tried her best to fold it neatly.

Shi Jiang was beside her, helping organize the freshly washed cloth shoes and socks.

Qin Qing worriedly said, “I didn’t expect the laundry detergent to leave a scent. I wonder if the Daoist who lent us the clothes will mind.”

These clothes were borrowed from a Taoist Temple in Beifu through a friend, Wuyong. If the kind-hearted Daoist who lent the clothes and props thought she didn’t take care of them, it might trouble Wuyong.

Shi Jiang reassured her, “The Daoist shouldn’t mind, since it was borrowed to help others.”

Indeed, to play the role of Daoist Master Wufang, who guides others, she had crammed for an hour.

She even spent some Merit Value to give herself an aura of “transcending the mundane.”

She practiced in front of the mirror, imitating the expressions and demeanor of “masters” from films.

This was, by far, Qin Qing’s most “mystical” act since she started pretending to be a mystic.

But for all her “dedication,” she earned nothing, not even a real face, and it didn’t help build her reputation.

She could only hope He Luo successfully finds a new head for his brain-machine experiment and gives her some Experience Points and merit as feedback.

How did Qin Qing know who would ultimately assist in perfecting the brain-machine technology, and how did she know where to find them?

It was simply a coincidence; the world is a circle.

She had even met the person before; her studio had once helped him find a lost cat.

Who would have thought there would be such a connection?

“It’s surprising that someone in tech like He Luo would have such a taste for food. The noodle shop he chose was really good. It’s a pity I only had a bowl of plain noodles. If I hadn’t been posing as a Daoist, I would have ordered the Signature Crab Roe Noodles.”

Even the plain noodles left a lasting impression.

The noodles were smooth, the greens crisp, and the broth delicious.

“Sigh…” Qin Qing rested her chin in her hand, “It’s a shame I can’t go back. There were so few people then; the shop owner would definitely remember my face.”

Shi Jiang quietly grabbed an umbrella and headed out…

“Where are you going?”

Shi Jiang changed shoes, “It’s my shift change time; I’m going to get crab roe noodles.”

“I’m coming too!!!”

Shi Jiang looked at her silently.

Qin Qing swore, “I won’t get out of the car. You buy it and bring it out; I’ll eat it in the car, or else the noodles will get soggy…”

Saying this, she remembered something and quickly ran back to grab a stainless steel basin—it was for washing fruit during her hotel stay.

Qin Qing handed the basin to Shi Jiang.

“Use this; don’t use a plastic container, or it will lose flavor!”

Shi Jiang tactically stepped back half a step, looking at Qin Qing, then at the watermelon-sized basin.

She managed to pull a slight smile.

“Isn’t this bowl a bit too big?”

Qin Qing pushed the basin into Shi Jiang’s hands, patting her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, their crab roe noodles have plenty of toppings and a large portion. A small bowl won’t hold it.”

Half an hour later, Shi Jiang appeared at “Lao Chen Ji.”

Expressionless, she pushed the basin towards the owner.

What expression could she have? Even at her peak training, she had never used such a large “bowl.”

When she took out the basin earlier, a colleague coming for the shift change even casually commented.

“Going to eat? Wow, you have a good appetite.”

Shi Jiang: “…”

The chef and owner, Mr. Chen, looked at the basin and confirmed, “You want it in this?”

Shi Jiang nodded.

Mr. Chen, experienced and knowledgeable, didn’t say much and soon served a basin of crab roe noodles.

A small amount of noodles, lots of crab roe, crab meat, crab leg meat, and stir-fried shrimp.

Qin Qing was delighted.

The whole car was filled with the fresh, briny aroma of crab.

Despite costing 300 yuan a bowl, the portion and taste were absolutely worth it.

She wished she could bring the owner back to her workplace to run the cafeteria. She had seen it; Mr. Chen’s crab roe noodles were a family tradition, three generations dedicated to perfecting this dish.

–

Qin Qing continued to follow up on the conference.

She even saw Cheng Ling, who was attending as a representative, in front of the venue.

He was taking photos with several colleagues at the entrance.

Cheng Ling seemed to be recovering well; aside from being a bit thin, there was no sign of illness.

With just a few moments of observation, the keen Cheng Ling sensed something.

He turned around, only to see a stranger’s face.

He nodded in acknowledgment and followed his companions into the venue.

Qin Qing, tasked with a mission, followed closely behind.

The upcoming ten-day conference brought together a large number of attendees from various fields and even grassroots workers. There were also officials from various sectors.

From Qin Qing’s perspective, the “anomalies” she discovered could be described as “a hundred flowers blooming.”

But unlike previous times, the connections behind these people were intricate, and the labels indicating anomalies couldn’t be fully trusted.

The waters here were too deep, beyond what Qin Qing’s current identity could handle.

After ten days, Qin Qing submitted a list.

The people on this list were divided into three parts.

One part came from anomalies in property assessments.

Another part came from anomalies in crime assessments.

The last part had no outstanding Sin Value anomalies but, in the long run, could cause significant social harm and chain reactions.

Once the list was submitted, the follow-up was beyond her control.

The night the list was submitted, the System Panel brought a small wave of Experience Points and merit feedback.

Over the next month, there were sporadic feedbacks. Then, nothing.

The combined feedback of experience and Merit Value was less than one-tenth of what she had expected from submitting the list.

It’s unclear whether the higher-ups were also cautious or if it wasn’t the right time to act…

Qin Qing no longer concerned herself with it.

She never asked Feng Qiuyang or Zhang Yao about the aftermath.

Overall, following up on this series of conferences earned Qin Qing three Second-Class Merits.

It’s said to be a rare achievement in such a short time, and Feng Qiuyang became even more amiable towards Qin Qing.

He even allocated funds for her to enjoy herself.

Oh, officially, it wasn’t for leisure.

Feng Qiuyang’s exact words were that the department’s tasks are generally high-intensity and high-pressure, so there’s a special fund for adjusting the mental and physical state of task personnel.

“You may not need to adjust your mind and body, but this fund shouldn’t be withheld from you. I heard you love to eat, so use it to enjoy some food.”

He also said, “The Great Hall occasionally sells a small amount of state banquet dishes. I’ve reserved a table for you as a personal reward. The money’s already paid; for specific timing and dishes, coordinate with Zhang Yao.”

State banquet dishes!!!

Director, I love you.

Qin Qing liked this way of adjusting her mind and body.

Of course, this was also how Feng Qiuyang wrote it in the report when applying for the funds for her.

For someone who has earned three Second-Class Merits in a short period, allocating some funding is more than justified; it’s well-deserved!

What moved Qin Qing was that even the application report was written by her boss, so she didn’t have to lift a pen herself.

What a wonderful director! No wonder she’s so busy that she’s rarely seen.

Qin Qing took the funds and spent a few days in Beifu, sampling high-end private dining and Michelin-starred restaurants.

She was quite satisfied.

Just as she was enjoying herself and reluctant to return, Feng Qiuyang assigned her a second task.

The task’s confidentiality level was SSS top secret.

Qin Qing jokingly speculated, “Are you sending me into national defense, military industry, or aerospace?”

“You’ll know when the time comes.”

“No,” Qin Qing was puzzled, “You won’t tell me? How am I supposed to take on the task without at least some mission details…”

Before Qin Qing could finish her sentence, there was a knock on Feng Qiuyang’s office door.

Feng Qiuyang, eyes still on the document in his hand, said, “Go on, your contact is here.”

“Where to?”

Feng Qiuyang finally glanced at her, “To see your mission details.”

Qin Qing knew that files from the bureau generally couldn’t be taken out.

They had to be read within the bureau or directly in the archive room.

However, the documents awaiting Qin Qing were not in the archive room but in a specially renovated conference room.

Behind her stood two armed female soldiers, ostensibly called “companions,” but in reality, they were monitors.

This was just on the surface; Qin Qing knew that more than one or two people were hidden in the shadows.

There were even cannon barrels embedded in the conference room walls, ready to activate at any moment.

The documents laid out before Qin Qing were part of the case files for the “1112” special project she had always been curious about.

And they were only photocopies.