"Please have a seat, Mr. Ren."
Ma Dafu gestured to Ren Zhong with a wave.
It was still the private meeting room on the second floor, and the luxurious tea still carried a fresh and sweet aroma.
Compared to the last meeting, Ma Dafu’s body language seemed much more relaxed.
After being owed a favor, Comrade Old Ma indeed trusted Ren Zhong more.
Ren Zhong took a sip of tea and, not waiting for Old Ma to ask, took the initiative to get straight to the point: "This morning, I acted with Zheng Tian’s team, following the professional team to Bone Valley..."
"I see. Alas. Just as we’re unable to get past the hurdle of the census, the Descending Demon Baby has become a major hidden threat. Truly one wave doesn’t settle before another arises."
Upon hearing Ren Zhong’s detailed account, Ma Dafu sighed, worry and anxiety growing on his face.
Ren Zhong’s eyes darted as he probed, "Mayor Ma, is the Demon Infant that hard to deal with? Can’t we call in experts from the county?"
"I do intend to invite some Fifth or Level Six professionals to take a look, but we can’t hold high hopes. When the Demon Infant at Bone Valley first emerged, quite a few experts of levels five and six came, but it was extremely cunning and adept at hiding. Later, it chose to remain dormant and lurking, and even experts couldn’t find it, no matter how thoroughly they searched. I fear this time will be no different."
Ren Zhong pondered and continued, "Has Starfire Resources provided the specific Energy Level Reaction index of the Demon Infant at present?"
"No. The report they gave is very simple. It only states that the Demon Infant’s index exceeds the upper limit of the instrument’s detection range, with no specific data."
Ren Zhong: "Then I have a hypothesis."
"I believe the Demon Infant’s index has already surpassed 50,000. It is attempting to breakthrough and ascend to Level Six. If not, having hidden for so many years, there’d be no need to reveal its whereabouts today. There’d be no reason to just scare people and let us, who are doomed to die, go free."
Ma Dafu nodded, "Your speculation is reasonable. I had thought the same. Since a survivor like you sees it this way, it’s likely the case."
Ren Zhong: "Yes, since we can’t defeat it and can’t catch it. Once it completes its upgrade, it might emerge to wreak havoc. Mayor Ma, haven’t you considered relocating the town?"
"Never thought about it."
Ma Dafu: "The Demon Infant has been dormant for decades, what’s a couple more months? For a Ruined Beast to elevate from level five to six is not something done overnight. Starfire Town is sure to be eliminated after failing the census two months later, which is unavoidable. Why bother with such an effort?"
Ren Zhong frowned, "Isn’t that gambling with luck? What if?"
Though he posed the question, he was actually thinking much more than he expressed.
No one could determine when the Descending Demon Baby would complete its upgrade and awaken.
Ren Zhong had never waited until that day but had reset in advance.
He hadn’t even witnessed the census.
But even if the Demon Infant appeared before the census, Ren Zhong still had room to maneuver.
At least now he knew in advance of its existence, so when the real event came, he wouldn’t be caught entirely unprepared.
This was both a bad thing and a good thing.
Ma Dafu heard and countered, "Luck? The desolate folk live every day gambling with luck, don’t they? Speaking of the centralized sleeping pods and the Night Watchman system. Even though nothing major has happened recently, in previous years, we were breached by Ruined Beasts several times, with significant casualties."
"Those desolate folk who died in their sleep, wasn’t it due to bad luck? Moreover, since Starfire Town is going to be eliminated, I can’t apply for new townsite authorization. Relocating would mean being eliminated in advance."
"Furthermore, even if we did get authorization, many people would die during the relocation and reconstruction process. Instead of getting caught up in this meaningless endeavor, it would be better to hope the Demon Baby continues sleeping, giving the town’s people a relatively calm final two months to accumulate some assets. When the census ends and everyone meets their fate, there might be a bit more hope."
Ren Zhong fell into a brief silence.
As a "person of the past" from the 21st century, he knew he would instinctively revert to his former ways of thinking when faced with major issues.
But Mayor Ma, a local native, saw things more clearly.
Of course, Old Ma still wasn’t entirely enlightened.
A truly enlightened person would be like the boss of Starfire Resources, or Lin Wang, a hired brute.
Ren Zhong: "By the way, this time the professional team’s hunting style was much more aggressive than before, as if they wanted to strip the valley of its accumulated resources in one go. Did they provide any explanation for their unusual behavior?"