The doughstick that was about to be put into his mouth was soaked back into the soy milk again.
Luo Di immediately raised his wristband, logged onto the Internal Investigation Bureau’s website, pulled up all the missing persons potentially related to the case, and displayed their information on the same page for comprehensive review.
He had reviewed these materials no less than three times yesterday, but now seemingly unrelated information started to connect.
The records hardly mentioned the means of transportation of these individuals, or rather, to the previous investigators, this routine method of transport did not warrant attention. After all, the key issue was a non-existent nursing home.
Only three of the missing persons’ records clearly stated that they regularly chose to take the bus.
Now it seems that about 80% of the missing persons come from lower to middle-income families; otherwise, they would hardly be linked to a nursing home.
These families probably don’t own private cars and seldom choose the more expensive ride-hailing services. Since their homes, workplaces, and the nursing home are all a considerable distance apart, it’s very likely that they all traveled by bus.
This has also been Luo Di’s mode of transportation since he was young.
After all, in this nation built with the human and material resources from all over the world, the urban planning was also quite advanced, with very efficient and affordable bus service.
The bus is the "commonality,"
Perhaps, to reach the "non-existent nursing home," an important prerequisite condition is "to take the bus."
But there is still a problem,
They spent the whole day outside yesterday, and several times they took the bus to the nursing home, but they didn’t encounter any problems.
But Luo Di still wanted to try, focusing all of his attention today on "taking the bus to the nursing home." If it still doesn’t work, then give it up for good.
Having identified a different direction of investigation than yesterday, the operation commenced.
Luo Di immediately messaged Yu Ze, who was staying at the Crystal Hotel, and the team quickly assembled.
Yu Ze appeared as relaxed as the day before, not at all like someone here to investigate a case.
However, as Luo Di shared his discovery of the "commonality" and the direction of today’s investigation, something ink-like seemed to flash through the sunglasses-covered eyes of Yu Ze.
He became slightly more proactive in attitude.
"Hold on a moment, before starting the investigation, put these on first."
Yu Ze took out two yellow talismans folded into triangle shapes from his pocket.
"Peace charms. I made them last night at the hotel when I had nothing to do. After all, you’re also my temporary teammates. Consider them welcome gifts; an extra talisman for safety."
When Luo Di received the talisman, he felt nothing special, it felt simply like a piece of folded talisman paper. However, the talisman was meticulously crafted, clearly a labor of love from Yu Ze. Luo Di nodded in thanks and took them.
Anna did the same, carefully keeping her peace charm.
The team arrived at the bus stop, ready to head to a nursing home five stops away.
To avoid being separated, the three of them sat together, trying their best to put aside investigation matters and focus solely on reaching the nursing home.
After reaching the station on the bus, everything still appeared normal.
Anna said: "Luo Di, we took the bus yesterday.
Even if ’taking the bus’ is indeed the common point among the missing persons, it doesn’t seem to have affected us... Maybe the only change is that we didn’t check any materials on the bus.
Is this really going to work?"
Luo Di persisted with the idea, as this was the only investigative direction he could think of, and this time he was prepared to take certain risks.
"Let’s try one more time; this time we’ll operate separately.
I’ll walk ahead by myself, and you two stay at least five hundred meters behind me. Don’t contact me in any way until after we take the next bus.
The missing persons have one thing in common, Anna, and you know it well, they were all alone.
The perpetrator is surely a very cautious Pseudo-Person, casting the hook to catch only one fish at a time, never more, which may also be one of the reasons for the lingering incidents." Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel⦿fire.net
Anna was very concerned about this suggestion, "It’s too dangerous alone! If you are really swept up by the nursing home, and fall into enemy territory alone.
The arrangement from the Investigation Bureau requires us to maintain the integrity of the team throughout the investigation, never to be alone, precisely because of this.
If that’s the case, I’d rather suggest switching to a different task."
Luo Di did not argue with Anna but turned to look at the other person in the team, "It’s okay, as long as this guy is here, even if I disappear in public, he will definitely sense my location."
Following Luo Di’s gaze, Anna also looked back to see Yu Ze, who was reading a novel by the roadside and occasionally laughed.
The labels of [Capital Investigation Bureau] and [Special Action Group] surfaced in Anna’s mind.
"Alright, let’s do as you say."
Anna went to Yu Ze, who was engrossed in his novel, and briefly explained the situation. He did not shift his gaze from the text but nonchalantly nodded in acknowledgment.
After Luo Di walked more than five hundred meters away, the two slowly followed.
Luo Di strolled the city streets alone, his mind as empty as he could make it.
He arrived at a bus stop two streets away and sat down on a metal bench near the edge, waiting quietly.
During the wait, something didn’t feel right.
Although he had emptied his mind as much as possible and shed his investigator role, only thinking about applying for a job at a nursing home, he felt something was off.
The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became, even starting to feel inexplicably hot.
His backpack moved again, and the sensation of hair, through the separation of the backpack and his clothes, transmitted over.
Strands of familiar, ice-cold hair floated slightly on his back.
It was as if two people were sitting on this metal bench, and the other person was quietly leaning against Luo Di’s back.
The restlessness inside Luo Di dissipated in an instant. He seemed to remember something. Wasn’t what he was doing called "Disguise"? From childhood to adulthood, the people he met who were best at disguises were like Wu Wen.
Wu Wen’s disguises were far superior to other Pseudo-People, not even in the same league, engraving the title "class leader" deep into everyone’s minds. Even those currently reading (text error).
"Is my disguise still not good enough?
I just put the nursing home job application at the forefront, but fundamentally, the investigation is still the priority.
I must immerse myself in the role completely like the class leader and consider what those missing persons might have felt the last time they took the bus.
Economically struggling or even impoverished, besides the bothersome work every day, they still need to go to the nursing home for errands, or they are already working in the nursing home with annoying duties.
Yes, even though the elderly live well with the support of state welfare, these ordinary people who carry the burden of life and face the elderly at the nursing home might feel different.
A feeling of "Disdain"?
Thinking about going to the nursing home makes you feel disdainful, yet you have to go..."
Luo Di’s inner thoughts sank, he glanced at the crowd waiting for the bus beside him, and locked his gaze on a middle-aged man with a mix of weariness in his expression,
Trying to incorporate thoughts about the nursing home, empathize with this man, and manifest the same weariness in his mind.
"Why do I have to go to the nursing home?"
"Why have I ended up , only able to find work at a nursing home."
"I really don’t want to go there..."
The more he thought, the more irritated he became,
Gradually letting this feigned irritation take over his thoughts, Luo Di’s expression also naturally changed, his hands unconsciously starting to twiddle his hair.
Time passed, unaware,
The sound of brakes interrupted his thoughts.
A bus came to a halt in front of him, its front door opening right before Luo Di.
And Luo Di himself had completely entered the role. The strong irritation from his aversion caused him to board the bus unconsciously, even forgetting to check which route it was.
Due to the requirement of maintaining a distance of over five hundred meters,
Anna and Yu Ze could only stand at the corner on the other side of the street,
Utilizing her height advantage and naturally excellent vision, Anna could barely see Luo Di sitting at the bus stop, but passersby occasionally interrupted her view.
Yu Ze, who was reading a novel, unusually took the initiative to talk: "Miss Anna, you should stop staring at Luo Di. Those Pseudo-People with deep disguises and strange abilities are very shrewd.
Perhaps it is precisely your observation that prevents Luo Di from being ’independent’ and not chosen by the other party."
Anna shifted her gaze from the bus stop, scanning the situation across the street, but within less than two minutes, out of concern, her eyes moved back.
Luo Di, who should have been at the bus stop, had disappeared.
"Where did he go? I’m sure I didn’t see a bus pass by just now?"
Yu Ze had already closed the novel page and, calculating with the small Liuren astrolabe, revealed a look of joy, "Got it!"