Chapter 176: Name

The kerosene lamp in the factory suddenly extinguished.

At that moment, the thugs present all widened their eyes, staring intently at the figure standing in the dim moonlight. His half-rimmed glasses reflected the eerie moonlight, making him seem like a demon from the underworld... Their hearts seemed to skip a beat.

"Your... heart??" The thug leader swallowed hard.

"Oh," Chen Ling said, seemingly realizing how shocking that sounded, and offered a different explanation. "I mean, my brother's heart."

Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, how could someone without a heart be standing there talking to them? It made sense if it was his brother's heart.

Chen Ling hadn't forgotten that his own chest was still empty. Although he didn't know if he could reattach his heart even if he found it, he at least needed to know where it had gone. Moreover, the culprit who stole his heart and caused Chen Yan's death was hiding in Aurora City.

That's why Chen Ling asked Chu Muyun where the more chaotic areas were. On one hand, he wanted to test his Heart Serpent; on the other, he wanted to find an underground trading hub similar to Ice Spring Street, hoping to uncover clues about his heart's buyer.

The thug leader's gaze at Chen Ling held less wariness and more sympathy. From Chen Ling's few words, he could guess that something extremely dark and cruel must have happened to him. If his own family member had their heart stolen, he'd probably also go mad trying to find it and seek revenge.

"I'm sorry, we don't know where such transactions take place," he said helplessly.

Chen Ling watched the thug leader for a moment, sighing inwardly. He could tell the man wasn't lying; it seemed they were indeed just ordinary hoodlums. Compared to truly vicious criminal organizations, they were like gentle, harmless lambs.

He pondered for a moment, looking at the dozens of hoodlums and thugs before him. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "In that case, you can investigate for me."

These thugs idled around Aurora City all day, and were probably far more familiar with everything here than he was, associating mostly with people from the lower strata of society. If he could turn them into informants, it should yield good results.

"Us?" The thug leader was taken aback. "Hmm... it's not impossible, but our fees aren't cheap."

"Price is not an issue."

Upon hearing this, the thug leader's eyes immediately lit up. This was a big fish!

"We require a ten percent deposit upfront."

"I don't have that." Chen Ling waved his hand dismissively. "You can owe it to me for now and pay it all when the job is done."

Chen Ling had just arrived in Aurora City, penniless; how could he afford a deposit? While borrowing money from Chu Muyun was an option, he didn't want to owe him a favor.

The thug leader stared intently at Chen Ling, his expression somewhat hostile. He began to suspect Chen Ling was trying to cause trouble, but he didn't quite seem like it. Moreover, they couldn't guarantee they'd find clues about organ trafficking, as they had never heard of such things in Aurora City. After much hesitation, he spoke:

"Payment afterward is fine, but the price will be a bit higher... And we don't guarantee we'll find anything."

"Also, you should know what happens if you can't pay when the time comes."

Chen Ling naturally caught the threat in his words and smiled slightly. "No problem."

Just as Chen Ling was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned back. "Besides this, can you also investigate someone else for me? That shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"

"Who?"

"Wen Shilin," Chen Ling said slowly. "I want all information about him: his past records, personal preferences, daily habits, and so on. The price will be calculated separately."

"That's not difficult, but why do you want information on a lowly reporter?"

"That's none of your business."

"...Alright," the thug leader shrugged. "What should we call you, boss?"

Chen Ling paused. He almost instinctively said his own name, Chen Ling. But remembering that he was now operating under a new identity in Aurora City, his name naturally had to change. He was silent for a moment, then slowly uttered two words: "Lin Yan."

***

Pleiades Chamber of Commerce.

"Has that Jian Changsheng been found?" A figure draped in expensive mink fur hurried into the room, speaking with a grim face.

In the main hall of the Chamber, a group of figures exchanged glances, then silently lowered their heads.

"So many of you, and you can't even keep track of a prisoner in the dungeon, what good are you?!" The figure erupted in a rage, picking up a teapot from the table and smashing it onto the floor. Shards flew, cutting several people's faces.

"Young Master... that Jian Changsheng was too strange. So many of us saw him vanish into thin air; this... this just doesn't make sense!"

"That's right, Young Master, the guards watched the courtyard inside and out all night and didn't find anything unusual..."

"This Jian Changsheng is only at the first stage of the Asura Path, with only the Blood Cloak skill. He shouldn't have been able to escape at all."

The people below spoke over each other, their explanations growing increasingly fantastical. They couldn't understand it; Jian Changsheng certainly couldn't have escaped on his own, yet there were no signs of anyone else helping him break out. Besides, Jian Changsheng had been a servant of their Yan family since childhood, with no status or background. Who would rescue him?

"So, according to you, this Chamber of Commerce is haunted?!" Young Master Yan Xishou pointed at the servants below and raged, "If Father returns and hears about this, every single one of you will be beaten half to death! You incompetent wretches..."

The butler stood at the front, slightly bowed, and spoke calmly. "Please rest assured, Young Master. As long as Jian Changsheng is still in Aurora City, we will find him eventually."

Seeing the butler speak, Yan Xishou's expression softened slightly. This old butler, nearing seventy, had been assisting the Pleiades Chamber of Commerce since his father's generation. Although he was currently the Young Master of the Pleiades Chamber of Commerce, he still didn't dare to be too arrogant in front of the butler.

"Uncle Long, can we get the enforcers to issue a warrant?"

"...No, we cannot," the old butler shook his head. "Firstly, in the law enforcement system's records, Jian Changsheng is already considered dead; otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed us to torture him. Since he's officially dead, we can't issue a warrant. Secondly, if this matter becomes too public, it might damage the reputation of our Pleiades Chamber of Commerce."

Yan Xishou paced anxiously in the main hall, his hands behind his back. "This matter must be resolved before Father returns... Have all our people been dispatched?"

"They have been dispatched, conducting a city-wide search," the butler paused. "I've also arranged for people to keep an eye on Jian Changsheng's relatives. If he shows his face, he won't be able to escape."