CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: CLUES

...

In the operations meeting room on the seventh floor of the research institute, Sun Hang once again saw Yang Lian, as well as Wang Xiyi, who was wrapped in bandages like a mummy, with her long legs propped up on the table.

Yang Lian had changed into the institute’s standard uniform. She was standing before a whiteboard, holding a stack of thick papers, with a furrowed brow.

Many photos and clue cards were pinned on the whiteboard with magnetic thumbtacks, alongside a large amount of analysis scribbled with a marker... Sun Hang glanced twice, and it was mostly information related to the abnormal event at the southern cemetery.

"I just received news from the Celestial City Management Committee. They intend to let the federal special action group handle the follow-up of this matter. We only need to cooperate with them at critical moments." Sun Hang spoke, "However, based on their attitude... it seems like this matter is nearly concluded, and so-called follow-up actions are merely to appease the public."

"That’s their business, and it has nothing to do with me," Yang Lian said coldly, "I must find my sister."

"It seems you have a strong emotional bond with your sister," Sun Hang said, "I always thought you were the kind of person who was cold and emotionless towards everyone."

"My mother died in childbirth, and my father was constantly away on official business. I was raised by my sister," Yang Lian said, "Even if no one wants to help me, I’ll search on my own."

Her tone was calm, yet firm.

"There’s a phrase ’Elder sister like a mother.’" Wang Xiyi, who looked like a mummy, said, "I used to have a sister too."

"What happened then?" Sun Hang asked instinctively.

"When I was first infected by the Deceit Virus, I couldn’t control my powers and I killed her," Wang Xiyi said.

"Oh, sorry." Sun Hang realized he had probably asked an inappropriate question.

"There’s no need to apologize; it happened many years ago... Besides, by that time she was already infected by the Deceit Virus and had completely lost her senses... Even if I hadn’t killed her, she would have eventually become a monstrosity." Wang Xiyi said, "As the director puts it, I was liberating her."

Sun Hang exhaled a breath, approached the whiteboard, and after looking for a while, shook his head in frustration: "Are you trying to deduce the regularity of the appearance of that phenomenon-class monstrosity?"

"Yes." Yang Lian nodded, pasting another photo and then scribbling rapidly beside it with a marker.

"I feel like in the seven years you’ve worked at the Investigation Bureau, you’ve learned everything to the core." Sun Hang murmured with his arms crossed, "Moreover, the so-called ’patterns’ and ’conditions’ you’ve written down can’t stand scrutiny... Many of the deductions seem to be just wishful thinking to me."

Yang Lian’s marker paused, she took a deep breath, and said softly: "...I know, but it’s all I can do. I can only hope that the events will unfold in the way I’ve deduced... It’s my only chance to find her."

"If you really want to take a gamble, here’s a suggestion." Sun Hang casually pulled out a chair to sit down, "Check the upcoming weather forecast for me, identify the overcast, windless days with lower atmospheric pressure, and mark them individually."

"Weather forecast?" Yang Lian was initially stunned, then turned excitedly to Sun Hang, "Have you obtained some crucial information?"

"I wouldn’t call it information..." Sun Hang said, "The first time the time-space displacement happened, I saw those missing people on a TV screen. And when the original space was replaced back, just a few hours ago, I saw the sky shrouded in thick clouds... But you know, today is a cloudless sunny day. That wheelchair-bound old man told me that the reason I saw those ’visions’ that don’t exist in reality is because I resonated with that monstrosity."

"Resonance... Resonance!" Yang Lian gripped her marker tightly, "So when the third time-space displacement occurs, those ’non-existent scenes’ you saw will also appear in the real world!"

"I didn’t say that... Even the old man doesn’t dare guarantee it, let alone me." Sun Hang shook his head, "I can only provide you with some ideas... But anyway, it’s slightly more reliable than playing detective games with those worthless photos."

"I’ll check right away!" Excitedly, Yang Lian opened a laptop next to her, entering a password into an input field and directly accessing the management backend of the Celestial City Meteorological Bureau.

With Yang Lian’s level of access, the Meteorological Bureau’s data was almost entirely transparent to her.

"The nearest overcast day is three days later, on May 19," Yang Lian said while staring at the screen, "Windless weather, atmospheric pressure at 997 hPa, average humidity 46%... It’s the only windless day in the next fifteen days."

"It’s simple, we just need to place a batch of beacons in the southern cemetery." Sun Hang said, "Whenever the beacon signals disappear, it means that space-time has been displaced once again."

"The special action group sent from above is already doing that." Wang Xiyi added, "They’ve fenced off the entire displaced area and custom-made 140,000 special beacons, set to be distributed via aerial drop in two days."

"It depends on whether they’re willing to share information with us." Sun Hang said.

"I’m afraid it’s difficult." Wang Xiyi shook her head, "These ’high-ranking officials’ from above all have their noses in the air; we’re only here to assist them... Expecting them to turn around and cooperate with us? Unless the director personally intervenes."

"It might not even work." Yang Lian continued, "We can’t pin our hopes on them, we have to independently produce a batch of beacons."

"Does the Investigation Bureau have these readily available?" Sun Hang asked.

"Yes, but not in sufficient quantities." Yang Lian said, "I’ve calculated that at the minimum interval arrangement, we need at least 6,000 beacons, and considering various uncontrollable factors, the actual number needed could be double."

"That’s roughly 12,000... Hmm." Sun Hang clicked his lips, "In Celestial City, all the factories capable of producing such beacons have probably been commandeered by that special action group, right?"