Chapter 242: Resonance
Chapter 242: Resonance
As soon as the ritual was completed, Chen Chuan witnessed a significant reduction in the dematerialization symptoms of his second self, indicating the success of the ritual setup.
However, this only temporarily restrained the influence of the entity, and it couldn't last for long.
From this moment on, the materials used in the ritual began to deplete continuously.
If the previous urban legend they encountered was too weak, this one was too powerful. To confine it for an extended period, without access to specialized secret sect ritual tools, they would need a constant supply of materials.
Even if they could find such a vast amount of materials, Chen Chuan didn't have the financial means to sustain such an endeavor. Therefore, if possible, they needed to find a way to weaken or eliminate it as much as possible.
If it couldn't be done, they would have to give up.
Chen Chuan had done what he could, and while he didn't mind offering assistance when his abilities allowed, he wouldn't go to extremes to help.
He gathered his things, exited the backyard, and carried Chong Dage's body with him, returning to the outskirts of the slum area.
Many people around, feeling the discomforting sensation dissipate, rushed into the shanties. A young man passing by Chen Chuan handed him a bottle of cheap bottled water.
Chen Chuan accepted it without complaint and thanked him.
Old Qi was sitting in the car, fighting off sleep. He had wanted to smoke to stay alert, but since having a daughter, he had quit. Seeing Chen Chuan emerge with Chong Dage's body, he exclaimed in surprise, "Chong Dage? Chen Xiao Ge, who did this?"
Chen Chuan put down the body and explained, "After we left, someone else must have come by. They killed Xiao Man, and the subsequent events were triggered by them."
"Damn!" Old Qi couldn't help but curse.
Chen Chuan said, "The ritual I set up can last for a day or two at most. It's hard to completely resolve the issue, but it's possible to confine this urban legend within a small area. The condition is to find and deal with the murderer."
"When I arrived, everyone around was either unconscious or dead. We need to find someone who was here at the time and ask about the situation."
Old Qi looked at Chong Dage's body and said, "Chen Xiao Ge, I know someone who might be able to find answers from Chong Dage's implant interface token."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan asked, "The person you know, is he a Resonator?"
Old Qi nodded.
Resonators, also known as Secret Agents, are individuals with special brain and neural implants that allow them to interfere with and disrupt others' interface tokens and the information exchange within the biocentric field.
Some skilled Resonators can even steal information from interface tokens and cause others' implants to misjudge external stimuli, leading to incorrect reactions.
They were initially cultivated by government departments and companies to steal information from competitors. As the technology spread and more Resonators emerged, they became a part of society. Nowadays, many organizations hire Resonators to protect themselves from information theft and intrusion.
When Chen Chuan browsed the news, he was advised not to communicate with strangers casually to avoid having his information stolen or his interface token disrupted by Resonators.
"Are you sure?" Chen Chuan asked.
"I think it should be fine," Old Qi replied.
"Then let's give it a try," Chen Chuan said.
Old Qi nodded and said, "I'll contact him." He pressed his neck, and a flash of light appeared in one of his eyes. After a while, he said, "He's here. Shall we go now?"
"Let's go," Chen Chuan replied.
The two got into the car and left, turning onto the main street. After driving at high speed for over an hour, they arrived at the entrance of a high-end apartment building.
After making contact and going through strict security, they entered the apartment building and climbed seven floors to the apartment door, which was opened from the inside.
The man who opened the door was a large, chubby guy with slightly curly hair and a fleshy body. He had a double chin and fair skin. He held a cup of hot drink, emitting a rich aroma, and waved at them friendly.
Old Qi introduced him, "Chen Xiao Ge, this is Wu Bei, Wu Xiao Ge. He's only a few years older than you. He's a Resonator employed by our Commission Company. He's a good person, very enthusiastic, always willing to help those in need."
Wu Bei, feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise, moved his bulky body aside and welcomed them in, "Come in, come in."
After entering, Old Qi, aware of the urgency, cut straight to the point and briefed Wu Bei on the situation.
Wu Bei asked in a low voice, "Is the body in your car?"
Old Qi confirmed, "Yes, it's in my car."
"Alright, let me take a look..."
Wu Bei closed his eyes, and Chen Chuan noticed a subtle glow on his neck, the back of his head, and beneath his skin, indicating implants covered by the skin on top.
"Um..."
After observing for a while, Wu Bei suddenly covered his neck as if struggling to breathe. His face turned red, and he seemed unsteady on his feet.
Chen Chuan extended a hand and effortlessly supported Wu Bei, who was gasping for breath.
After a while, Wu Bei recovered and looked at Chen Chuan gratefully, saying, "I'll transmit it to you now..."
Old Qi immediately said, "I don't need..."
But before he could finish, a highly impactful scene from the implant interface token had already flooded his mind.
He witnessed his "self" sitting in a shanty, conversing with Xiao Man. Faintly, he heard words like "your brother," "sewer hunter," and "human organ trafficking."
Suddenly, the door was kicked open, and a man with a gloomy expression stormed out. His "self" shoved Xiao Man aside and engaged in combat with the initial exchanges being evenly matched, even though the opponent wielded a blade. Xiao Man took the opportunity to fire a shot at the man, but it missed.
However, in a moment, his "self's" arm suddenly stiffened, and the contracted muscles failed to pull back, causing him to stumble forward.
The man thrust his knife into his "self's" abdomen, twisted it, and then wiped it across his "self's" neck. Instantly, a chill ran through his throat.
As his "self" fell, he grabbed the blade, and amidst the blur, he heard the sound of a gunshot.
The scene plunged into darkness.
Lao Qi's face turned pale. The information transmitted wasn't just simple visuals; it also included Chong Dage's residual memories, emotions, and even the pain he experienced, making Lao Qi feel as if he had personally endured the slaughter.
Lao Qi gasped for breath, leaning on his knees. After catching his breath, he glared at Wu Bei.
Wu Bei, feeling guilty, scratched his head and said, "Sorry, Uncle Qi. I didn't mean to." He then turned to Chen Chuan.
Compared to Lao Qi, Chen Chuan remained calm, seemingly unaffected. Wu Bei widened his eyes and asked, "Chen Chuan, didn't you see that?"
In a 6-9-1-9-1-8-1-9-1-0-1 version!
Chen Chuan replied, "I saw it, Wu Bei. Can you find out this person's identity?"
"Of course. Just a moment." Wu Bei answered.
Even if the person was a citizen, as long as he knew what they looked like, he could use the inactive conscious being's arm to find their information.
Soon, he said, "It's Bo Chen... Commissioner... I also traced the field exchange information to a car. Citizen Lang Teng... Commissioner... and another one... Hmm..."
He tilted his head slightly, and the light beneath his skin flickered. "Phew, that was close."
Addressing the two, he said, "The last person's biocentric field was wiped. I wanted to investigate further, but I almost touched the field feedback they left behind. I was nearly discovered. That person must also be a Resonator."
Chen Chuan asked, "Are they commissioners? Which company do they belong to?"
Wu Bei shook his head. "They're not from any commission company. They're part of a commission team called Golden Shrimp."
Upon hearing the name, Lao Qi's face paled further. "I should've realized this sooner."
Chen Chuan turned to him. "Lao Qi, do you know them?"
"Chen Chuan, do you remember me telling you about the anomalous commission group? It's them!" Lao Qi thought for a moment. "But this is too much of a coincidence. There must be a reason."
Using the Boundary Token, he checked and found that the anomalous commission was now marked as completed. He looked further and discovered a previous cancellation status, with the reason being, "Commission completed. Requesting refund of commission deposit."
"No wonder..."
Lao Qi shook his head. "I told them not to ask for a refund of the commission deposit. It would cause trouble. Once a cancellation is requested, the commission fee will be frozen for confirmation within a day. If confirmed again the next day, most of the fee can be withdrawn, except for the platform fee."
He continued with disdain, "But Golden Shrimp doesn't play by the rules. Once they're on the commission platform, they probably consider the money theirs. If they hadn't canceled, it would've been fine. But if they withdraw it, it will definitely attract their attention."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. From this perspective, the recent incident was likely triggered by this action, prompting the team to send someone to kill Xiao Man.
These people probably saw it as a convenient opportunity to kill someone, and since Chong Dage was with Xiao Man at the time, he was killed as well.
The next step was to find this Golden Shrimp commission team.
Chen Chuan thanked Wu Bei.
"No problem," Wu Bei replied.
Chen Chuan said, "We're done here, thanks. Let's go, Lao Qi."
Wu Bei wanted to say something but ultimately decided against it. He saw the two of them out.
Once outside, Lao Qi asked, "Chen Chuan, what should we do next?"
Chen Chuan straightened his collar and quickened his pace slightly. "Lao Qi, you go back. I'll take care of the person who did this."
"But Chen Chuan, that's a commission team. They'll team up against you. Golden Shrimp's people are not weak. They have fighters, and possibly even firearms..." Lao Qi hurriedly followed, anxiously reminding him.
Chen Chuan paused and turned his head. "If that's the case..." he said calmly, "then we'll take care of them together." With that, he walked out.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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