Chapter 2465 Search

Following the game’s guidance, Fang Heng quickened his pace along the damp roads of the urban village.

It was already nighttime, and the dilapidated alleyways were lined with barbecue stalls. Many factory workers, having just finished their shifts, gathered in groups on the streets.

Several small shops flickered with dim red lights, catching the eyes of passersby.

Soon, Fang Heng arrived at the entrance of an internet café.

Starlight Internet Café.

The café was located on the second floor, and the sign hanging outside looked rather worn.

Fang Heng ascended to the second floor and pushed open the glass door of the café. He was immediately greeted by the unpleasant smell of smoke.

Inside, the clacking of keyboards and mouses mixed with the sounds of angry shouts.

Following the mission hint, Fang Heng made his way to the back of the café, his gaze soon locking onto a young man with a robust build in a corner.

The man had an unusual skin tone with a faint blue hue and was wrapped in several layers of thick bandages.

He was muscular and tall, exuding a sense of explosive strength.

Fang Heng felt a strange sensation.

This person didn’t seem like an ordinary human.

“Simone?”

Hearing his name, Simone looked up alertly, standing up nervously and appearing somewhat uneasy. “Yes, yes, that’s me.”

“Alright, have a seat.”

Fang Heng pulled out a chair nearby, gesturing for Simone to sit. He introduced himself, “I’m Fang Bai. For certain reasons, I’ve taken on your commission. You can call me ‘Mr. Fang’. I’ll help you sort out all your troubles for the time being. If you don’t mind, let’s start now and discuss your situation.”

“Okay, okay.”

Simone sat down, saying, “I arrived here just the day before yesterday. Due to some reasons, I ran into significant trouble on the way and sustained severe injuries. Since I’m unfamiliar with this place, I hired a local guide.”

“The guide brought me here and temporarily arranged for me to stay in a private clinic before leaving to gather some information for me.”

Fang Heng listened intently, frowning.

The story was somewhat convoluted.

Moreover, it was clear that Simone was being quite vague about many details.

Fang Heng didn’t rush to press for details. He simply said, “Alright, continue.”

“I was receiving treatment at the clinic and rested overnight. The next day, when I noticed the guide hadn’t returned, I went out to look for him. I found out that he was found dead on the street in the morning.”

“Oh?”

Fang Heng raised an eyebrow and asked, “So you want me to help you find the murderer?”

“No, no.”

Simone shook his head, then, as if he were a thief, carefully peeked out from behind the computer screen, glancing around the internet café. He lowered his voice and whispered, “Actually, Mr. Fang, I had an extremely important invitation card that I gave to the guide. It should have been on him. But when I went to the police station, they said they didn’t find the invitation card among his belongings. Since that card is very important, I…”

Fang Heng understood, interrupting, “Got it. So what you really want is to retrieve the invitation card.”

“Yes,” Simone said, pointing towards the counter in the café. “I found out that the person who discovered the body was him.”

Fang Heng turned to look in the direction indicated.

“The café manager?”

“Yeah, his name is Puno. He was on duty here last night. In the early morning, after his shift, he found the body on his way home and reported it to the police,” Simone explained, nodding. “I suspect he’s involved.”

“And then? Have you talked to him?”

“Yes, he admitted to finding the invitation card but refused to return it. He’s demanding money.”

“Hm?”

“He’s asking for five million Kuntbi. I couldn’t come up with that amount of money in time, so… I sought help from the police, but they told me I had no evidence proving that Puno stole the item, and even if he did, I had no proof that the invitation card was mine…”

Simone scratched his head, showing a troubled expression.

“Later, while walking on the street, I heard that this urban village is managed by ‘Blackie’. They say you can find him if you have any issues and he can solve anything… So I found out where to find ‘Blackie’ and came to seek his help…”

Fang Heng’s thoughts became clear.

So, it turned out he was a secondary contractor for Blackie.

[Hint: The player’s current stage mission-Finding Simone is complete. Next-tier mission requirements-Help Simone retrieve the invitation card.]

Current ring mission name: Retrieve the Invitation Card.

Ring mission overall difficulty: SSS.

Current mission requirements: Help Simone retrieve the invitation card.

Current mission time remaining: 8 hours.

Total ring mission time remaining: 23 hours 46 minutes.

Fang Heng quickly reviewed the mission hints and looked back at Simone.

Kuntbi sounded like some sort of virtual currency, and five million was a substantial amount. He had a lot of valuable items in his backpack, but converting them into virtual currency would be quite troublesome.

Moreover…

Fang Heng sensed that this mission might be more complicated than it appeared.

“Let’s go. We’ll have another chat with him,” Fang Heng said as he stood up and headed towards the café counter.

“Alright,” Simone said, relieved to have a solid ally and quickly followed.

Fang Heng reached the counter and tapped on it, “Puno?”

“Ten bucks per hour, twenty for the whole night. Snacks are self-serve, and remember to pay. There are cameras here. This is Dragon Ye’s territory, so don’t cause trouble,” Puno said without looking up from his phone. When he finally noticed Fang Heng, he frowned and asked, “Who are you? I don’t know you.”

“It’s alright. My friend mentioned that you have an important invitation card,” Fang Heng replied.

Puno looked at Simone standing behind Fang Heng and then smirked, revealing his two large yellow teeth, “Oh, it’s you, big guy. So, have you got the money ready?”

“Somewhat. But time is tight. We need a bit more time to gather it,” Fang Heng said, gesturing towards the door. “It’s not convenient to talk here. How about we discuss this outside?”

“Sure,” Puno agreed, sensing money was involved. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the counter and led the way out the back door of the café.

…

In the narrow alley behind the café, Puno skillfully lit a cigarette and offered it to Fang Heng and Simone.

“No, thanks.”

“Got the money ready? I can guarantee the card is in good condition, but the money can’t be less.”

Simone looked nervous and stammered, “I can’t raise that much money. The card is very important to me, and I might run out of time if I don’t get it soon…”

“That’s not my concern.”

Puno coldly smiled and interrupted Simone, “Big guy, all I know is cash on delivery. Just give me whatever amount you can get, and if I’m in a good mood, I might give you a discount. As for how you get the money—whether you steal or rob—it’s none of my business.”