Chapter 103: The Basement of the Cavern Shop

Liu Yiran had not yet returned.

The octopus remained detained in the interrogation room.

After Cold Mountain departed, there was no further news.

Fang Tang and the others were not members of the City Guard, so they could not move freely within its ranks; instead, they were confined to the meeting room, sipping tea in silence.

Xu Lin managed well enough. As an assassin by profession, his temperament was naturally suited to patience and endurance. But Ta Meng was a different case; as a tank, always the first to charge into battle, his personality matched his imposing frame—forceful and lacking in patience.

“Why hasn't the captain returned yet? Surely Boss Bai isn't holding him up again?” Ta Meng grumbled.

“How much longer do we have to wait here? No one says a word, nothing can be done. If this drags on, Little Dou Ding and Willow Catkin will be in real danger.”

“I’m going to find that octopus and get to the bottom of this!” Ta Meng declared, rising to leave the meeting room.

Xu Lin grabbed him by the arm, urging, “Give the boss some time. When has he ever let us down?”

Reluctantly, Ta Meng sat back down.

Fang Tang’s expression was dark; he spoke quietly, “Can we talk about the powers within the Cradle World?”

Xu Lin looked at Fang Tang in curiosity. “Why?”

“It’s nothing. I just want to know the origins of that octopus in the Underground Store.”

Fang Tang shook his head and met Xu Lin’s gaze.

“Oh, that!” Xu Lin scratched his head and took a drag of his cigarette. “We don’t know much about the situation in the underground. We’re explorers, after all, and don’t meddle in their affairs. If it weren’t for the boss’s connections with Cold Mountain, we’d be as clueless as any other team, just coming and going through the Gate of Evolution.”

“So, we still have to ask the captain?” Fang Tang said.

“Exactly!” Xu Lin nodded.

At that moment, Su Mang spoke up. “The situation within the underground is far more chaotic than outside. At least outside, we only have to worry about the Fallen, but inside, people’s intentions are hidden, impossible to guess.”

Fang Tang’s mind stirred—clearly, Su Mang possessed more information than she let on. He was about to inquire further when the door was pushed open and Liu Yiran entered, arm in arm with Cold Mountain.

Liu Yiran’s face was stern, and Fang Tang felt a sinking sensation.

“Any news?” Fang Tang asked.

Liu Yiran patted him on the shoulder. “We’ve done all we can. It’s up to the octopus now, whether it’s willing to release them.”

“What if it won’t let them go?” Fang Tang pressed.

Liu Yiran narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flashing within. “I don’t mind leading a strike against the Underground Store’s headquarters.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Tang felt somewhat reassured.

Though he hadn’t known Liu Yiran for long, he sensed that Liu Yiran was someone he could trust.

“Any word from the Odd Jobs Agency?” Su Mang asked, rising.

“Not yet. The underground is vast and constantly expanding. Finding someone in that endless crowd is no easy task.” Liu Yiran shook his head, then addressed them. “Don’t worry. Though Xie Ling and Willow Catkin have only just joined the explorers, as long as they’re my teammates for a day, they’ll be my teammates for life. I’ll do everything in my power to protect them.”

He turned to Fang Tang. “You and Xu Lin, go back to the underground site and investigate again—especially the Underground Store.”

“Alright!”

Fang Tang nodded and, with Xu Lin, left the City Guard headquarters, driving back to the previous underground site.

Xu Lin was at the wheel. They arrived at the spot where Xie Ling and Willow Catkin had vanished; four corpses still lay there, their blood pooling thickly on the ground.

“This is where the two of them were last seen,” Xu Lin said.

They got out and examined the bodies. Fang Tang’s brow furrowed. “All four were third-tier evolvers, and each was killed with a single blow, giving them no chance to react.”

“Exactly. In JKL District Three, only explorers or underground forces possess such means,” Xu Lin replied gravely.

“Underground forces—besides the Underground Store, are there others who would need lives?” Fang Tang mused, deciding to use ‘lives’ as a metaphor, since kidnapping typically involved mortal danger.

Such a comparison might open new avenues of thought.

After all, the octopus was just a suspect; all conjecture hung upon what it might have done. If it hadn’t, then once that was proven, seeking the true culprit would become far more troublesome.

So, examining multiple leads at once was the best way to find the murderer.

Xu Lin pondered a moment and shook his head. “No. The most mysterious group is the Shadows. No one knows what they do, but it’s rare to hear of them involved in anything. The most notorious and obvious target is the Underground Store.”

Fang Tang: … So all capitalists are rotten, is that it?

“Let’s go! Let’s check out the Underground Store.”

Fang Tang got in the car. They drove to the store.

Passing through the entrance, Fang Tang caught sight of the octopus behind the counter, and his face suddenly darkened.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Lin followed Fang Tang’s gaze and saw the octopus as well.

“The Underground Store clearly doesn’t intend to hand anyone over,” Xu Lin said, pulling out his phone to send Liu Yiran an update. He then said to Fang Tang, “Come on, let’s ask them directly.”

Fang Tang was silent, grabbing Xu Lin and holding him back.

“I’ll go. Since all the octopuses are avatars, they’ll know you’re an explorer. If you go in, it’s unlikely you’ll get anywhere. Last time, I didn’t make a move, so I’m least likely to be recognized. It’ll be easier for me to coax information.”

“Are you sure?” Xu Lin asked, worried.

Fang Tang smiled and took out a golden credit card. “I’m a gold member here.”

Without another word, he strode confidently into the store, leaving Xu Lin dumbfounded and then chuckling to himself. “That kid…”

“Hahaha… Welcome, honored guest. What may I offer you today?” The octopus was as enthusiastic as ever, its laughter grating to the ear.

Fang Tang placed the gold credit card on the counter. “Sequences—the top two hundred.”

“Hahaha…” The octopus’s eyes lit up at the sight of the card. “Honored guest, please follow me.”

The octopus floated from behind the counter. This time, instead of leading Fang Tang to the third floor, it headed underground.

They passed through a dim corridor, arriving at a wooden door.

The door’s sharp creak echoed down the passage.

Beyond lay a room built of stone, facing the entrance was a fireplace, with elegant European-style sofas on either side.

“Please wait a moment, honored guest.”

The octopus gestured to the sofa and went to a nearby table, retrieving a parchment scroll.

“Hahaha… Here are all the sequences from one hundred to two hundred. Please take a look.”

Fang Tang picked up the scroll and scanned it, but found nothing familiar.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Besides sequences, do you offer anything else?”

“What do you desire, honored guest? If it exists in the underground, our store can procure it,” the octopus promised confidently.

Fang Tang raised his brows, glanced around, then leaned close to the octopus and whispered, “Do you have female slaves?”

“Yes, honored guest. A new batch just arrived today…”