Is Dong'an a city? Is the other information an address in this urban area?

Lu Luo was truly curious this time. Was this place outside the Wasteland Alliance or not?

"Is there any corresponding information?"

"No. According to the information records, none of the maps or history books you have seen mention this address. There's also no address that resembles this one."

"Is there any other information?"

"Communication number: AZ44209541."

A communication number… Lu Luo nodded. Gu Fangyi and the others beside him had already seen what was in Lu Luo's hand.

"Is this a chip?"

"A spy?" Gu Fangyi's reaction was direct; he immediately aimed his gun at the little dog before them.

Qi Xinzhu and Zhou Kai were also a bit bewildered.

Just then, a girl with long, straight white hair and a distinctive "Dumb Hair" walked out. She looked like she had just finished a bath and was still drying her hair.

"How could it be a spy? This chip is just a basic information confirmation chip. Chips like this are usually used to record item information and such. It probably contains an address or a phone number. Let me take a look-see!"

As Bai Yuetong walked towards Lu Luo, she predictably paused in front of Bai Lin.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Bai Lin. Hello, Second Female Master."

Bai Yuetong: ???

Lu Luo: ???

Bai Yuetong was infuriated by being called "Second Female Master."

As for Lu Luo, he was shocked. Don't you know how to act around people? Calling her 'Second Female Master'—are you trying to get me killed?

Lu Luo quickly shot Bai Lin several pointed looks, but the newly humanoid Bai Lin clearly didn't understand his meaning. She also couldn't achieve the kind of tacit understanding that existed between Qi Xinzhu and Lu Luo.

So, she asked outright, "Master, do you have something to say to me?"

"No."

"Then why are you giving me strange looks?"

"...Can we get back to the main topic?"

Bai Yuetong raised an eyebrow; her mind worked quickly. From Bai Lin's appearance and Lu Luo's reaction, she had already discerned a few things. However, she saw through it but didn't expose it. Gu Fangyi and the others were still present, and of course, she had to save some face for her man.

The price... we'll discuss that tonight.

"Alright, let's stop discussing these irrelevant issues. Hand over the chip, let me see."

"Okay!" Lu Luo shot her a grateful look.

Dumb Hair is finally being sensible!

When Bai Yuetong took the chip from Lu Luo's hand, the shock or astonishment Lu Luo had anticipated didn't appear on her face. She was calm, as calm as if she were looking at a low-quality item.

"It's actually not a mass-produced product; it bears traces of human craftsmanship. Has technology been blockaded there too? But for applied science to develop to this extent is still something."

The others didn't quite understand what Bai Yuetong was saying. Of everyone present, only Lu Luo could grasp her meaning.

"Human craftsmanship?"

"Yes, this thing was handmade. The technique is quite crude, not the work of a master. But it's not bad. From this, it seems their technology hasn't reached an overly outrageous level. They've probably encountered a situation similar to ours, leading to a technological blockade."

After listening to Bai Yuetong's explanation, Lu Luo nodded slightly.

The technological blockade in the Inner Ring and the abolition of artificial intelligence could be attributed to Noah, or to the Awakening of the Machina race. The Machina race emerged without warning. To prevent their Outburst from harming innocents, the Wasteland Alliance implemented the technological blockade.

But the chip on this dog also shows signs of a technological blockade, which is interesting. Do they also have something like Noah, or the Machina race?

"Lu Luo, although my knowledge of biology isn't great, I'm still fairly certain this creature has never appeared in the Inner Ring before, right?"

Lu Luo nodded. "This little thing, called a dog, is indeed a creature that has never appeared since the founding of the Wasteland Alliance."

Qi Xinzhu and the other two didn't quite understand Lu Luo's meaning.

Isn't the emergence of new species normal? The Wasteland Alliance discovers new Exotic Species every year. What's so surprising about this?

"Brother Luo, this... dog? Is there a problem with it?" Zhou Kai asked.

"It's been domesticated by humans."

"Err, huh?"

Zhou Kai still didn't understand what was so special about this.

"To domesticate a wild canine species, like a wolf, into a dog takes at least several generations, possibly even hundreds of years. In the 400-year history of the Wasteland Alliance, dogs have never appeared. But this one is domesticated by humans and very gentle. Do you know what that means?"

Gu Fangyi, whose eyes had been narrowed, suddenly opened them wide. He said with a hint of shock, "It's not something from the Wasteland Alliance."

Once Gu Fangyi spoke, Qi Xinzhu also understood, her expression suddenly turning grave.

"Isn't it normal for something not to be from the Wasteland Alliance?" Only Zhou Kai still hadn't caught on.

Lu Luo patted Zhou Kai's shoulder. "It's not from the Wasteland Alliance, but it *is* a human creation. Is that normal?"

What's the big deal? That's quite normal, isn't it? Zhou Kai wanted to say, but after thinking it over carefully, a chilling feeling suddenly washed over him.

"Wait, you're saying it's not from the Wasteland Alliance, but it *is* a human creation. Doesn't that mean... apart from the Wasteland Alliance..."

"There are other humans," Lu Luo finished.

Zhou Kai swallowed hard, then cautiously put the dog down, looking at it with a serious expression. "Are you a spy?"

Dog: ???

AWOO!

The little dog looked at Zhou Kai, its face full of confusion, apparently not understanding the word "spy."

Zhou Kai watched the little dog, hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded. "Alright, you don't look much like a spy."

"Brother Luo, what now?" Zhou Kai asked.

"Where did you guys find this little thing?"

"It was found during the few days you were in seclusion. A team went to the Mother-Child Swamp to collect blood sacs and discovered it. They thought it was cute, so they brought it back."

Gu Fangyi briefly explained the time, place, and circumstances of finding the puppy.

"The Mother-Child Swamp? The central region? The borders of the Fifth Ring are almost unpredictable. If Imperials truly appeared, they would likely have to pay a significant price to reach this part of the Mother-Child Swamp."

Lu Luo fell into deep thought. When he was thinking, no one would disturb him, not even the usually playful Bai Yuetong. For although the Lu Luo of today was still as fond of joking around as before, his strength, identity, and status were no longer that of the rookie he once was.

Time ticked by, second by second. The Observer analyzed several possibilities for Lu Luo, but Lu Luo remained silent, as still as a statue.

About ten minutes passed before he slowly raised his head.

"This matter is to be classified as a top company secret, on par with Luo Ling's case. Also, have the Breath of Patronage teams assemble. Their first mission can now begin: find that person, or that group of people."

"Yes, sir!"

At Lu Luo's command, the entire Circle Company began to operate like a precision instrument.

The members of the Breath of Patronage assault team didn't know who Lu Luo wanted them to find. The requirements on the mission report were somewhat strange:

[Find any suspicious individuals within the Mother-Child Swamp area.]

The detailed description of the mission was also peculiar:

[They might be somewhat different from the normal people you've encountered, or they might not be. Regardless, find them.]

With such a strange assignment, the Breath of Patronage team set out.

Moreover, this time, Lu Luo, Qi Xinzhu, and Gu Fangyi also followed behind the team.

Previously, when Lu Luo was in the Inner Ring, he had already told Bai Yuetong that information on the Empire would be Circle Company's main objective for the foreseeable future.

And now, it was time to move towards that goal.

「 」

"Jones, my leg is injured! Can't you slow down a little for me? I don't want to walk anymore; I'm so tired!"

"Lin, I'm very sorry, but we can't stop now. This place is teeming with strange creatures. If we can't find a safe human settlement, I'm afraid we won't survive in our current state."

The one speaking was a slightly chubby young girl with black hair and a face full of freckles. The other was a handsome young man with golden hair and blue eyes.

Such a pair was somewhat unusual, especially since the young man had distinct Western features. And people with Western features had never appeared in the Wasteland Alliance before.

"Are we going to die in this place? I don't want to die!"

The plump Lin began to cry sorrowfully. Her clothes, once rather luxurious, were now torn and tattered. Her hands and feet were covered in small cuts, and she looked utterly wretched.

The man beside her felt helpless seeing her like this; he hadn't rested for a very long time. Looking at the woman beside him, for the first time, he wondered: Was my decision to elope with her the right one?

"Lin, I'm so sorry for making you suffer. It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to leave your home and flee with me to a place like this."

Seeing the man lower his head, tears falling, the woman's heart softened. She walked over to Jones and hugged him.

"This was my own choice; I've never blamed you. It's my fault, Jones. I shouldn't always complain like this. But I still don't understand. Didn't we encounter other people earlier? Since there are people here, why don't we try to make contact with them? Surely humans are safer than these strange creatures?"

Jones looked at his naive girlfriend with a sense of helplessness. Often, humans are far more dangerous than those strange creatures.

"Lin, these people... they aren't quite the same as the people we know."

"Not the same? Black hair and eyes—how are they different? Are you worried they're pursuers sent by my father?"

Kevin Jones shook his head again, recalling what the people they had seen earlier looked like. A group of powerful Transcendent soldiers, but their weapons and equipment were completely different from those of the Empire. These people used energy weapons and could even touch Spirit Stones and corrupted matter with their bare hands. That's not something ordinary people can do. Even Level 4 or 5 Transcendents need to wear gloves when handling Spirit Stones. But here, everyone seemed to possess a similar ability. This is clearly abnormal. I need to stay vigilant, wary of this place and its people.

"No, Lin, that's not what I mean. These people here... there's some fundamental difference between them and us."

"A fundamental difference?"

"Shh! Don't make a sound. Someone's coming."

"What do we do?"

"We can't stay here. Let's go."

「 」

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Quan Pu's mechanical prosthetic limb was hammering against a rare type of rock found in the Mother-Child Swamp.

After Lu Luo killed the Mother-Child Otter, no other Lord-level Exotic Species had been born in the Mother-Child Swamp. This once-dangerous place had now effectively become the private domain of Circle Company. Although no signs proclaimed it, all the Scavengers who passed through knew this well.

Finding people in one's own territory wasn't usually a difficult task. The problem was, there was no specific description of the individuals they were searching for—not how many, whether they were men or women, or how strong they were. There was no information whatsoever. This was what made Quan Pu feel helpless.

"With no information at all, how are we supposed to find them?" he muttered to himself. "Telling they're different at a single glance? How's that possible? Everyone has one nose and two eyes; what could be so different?"

Quan Pu scanned his surroundings. Lu Luo is just making things difficult for us, he thought, but he didn't dare say it aloud. After all, Lu Luo was the boss.

Quan Pu took a swig of alcohol; the liquor helped him stay sufficiently alert. Around him, apart from some female Scavengers casting flirtatious glances his way, there didn't seem to be anything noteworthy.

Then, at the edge of his vision, Quan Pu saw two figures supporting each other, limping towards the deeper wilderness beyond the wall. Both were wearing cloaks, so Quan Pu couldn't make out their appearances.

He hadn't paid them much mind at first. But after swallowing another gulp of alcohol, the sharp clarity it brought made him suddenly pause. He casually grabbed a nearby Breath of Patronage team member and asked with a puzzled expression, "Wait a second. Come here. If someone is injured badly enough that they need to be supported by another person, what would they do?"

This Breath of Patronage team member appeared somewhat devil-may-care. Quan Pu didn't mind much; these men were wild, used to fending for themselves, and were his trusted subordinates. Quan Pu himself had recommended them for this assignment with Breath of Patronage.

"Brother Quan, have you had a bit too much to drink?" the man said with a grin. "If they're seriously injured, they'd definitely head towards the Fourth Ring. Does that even need asking? Of course, they could ask us for help too, but the company charges a fee, you know... hehehe! Brother Quan, you get it, the company's fees are *so* reasonable."

"The company's fees... are indeed very reasonable," Quan Pu said, his expression unchanging. "But we're not discussing company fees right now. We're talking about choices made when facing danger outside the Wall. You're right. Normal people, when injured or in danger, would definitely head towards the Fourth Ring. So, why are those two heading towards Gandhi?"

Gandhi was the nickname for the Ganluo Highlands, a region that extended even deeper into the C13 sector. Normally, injured people wouldn't venture into more dangerous territory, especially not a pair of them.

Although Circle Company's fees were exorbitant, its reputation was decent. Ordinary Scavengers wouldn't deliberately avoid them. Even if someone didn't want to interact with Circle Company, they could simply move parallel to the Wall, rather than heading deeper into the wastes.

So, those two are definitely suspicious!

"Pursue them," Quan Pu ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

The moment Quan Pu gave the order, his fifteen subordinates instantly shed their earlier devil-may-care expressions. They adopted the demeanor of Circle Company's most elite operatives: fast, precise, efficient.

Meanwhile, Kevin Jones and Miss Lin, who were heading deeper into Gandhi, also seemed to sense the pursuit.

Jones grabbed Miss Lin's arm and said anxiously, "Lin, someone's chasing us! I think they're after us. We have to go, quickly!"

The plump Lin Wen, however, could barely move at this point. With a tear-streaked, mournful face, she cried, "I can't, Jones! I really can't go on!"

"Get up! If we don't leave now, we'll be caught!"

Kevin Jones was panicked and frantic; under the circumstances, he was practically yelling at Lin Wen.

Lin Wen had never seen Kevin Jones like this; she felt both angry and hurt. She froze on the spot, refusing to move.

Jones whipped his head around again, but the people who had been behind them moments ago had vanished without a trace.

An illusion?

Just as he let out a slight sigh of relief, a somewhat raspy voice, accompanied by a strong smell of alcohol, sounded right beside his ear.

"Looking for something? Hmm, Mr. Jones?"

Kevin Jones whipped his head around in terror. Fine beads of sweat had already started to form on his pale, hairy skin. His golden hair, disheveled from running, made him look even more wretched than before. However, his sorry state couldn't hide his distinct features.

Blonde hair, blue eyes... Quan Pu had never seen such a 'breed' before!

Er, 'breed' probably isn't the right word for humans, but whatever. The boss wants them, not me.

"Blonde hair, blue eyes, lots of body hair, rough skin... Just one look and you can tell they're different. The boss really never lies," Quan Pu remarked.

"Hey, Chief, weren't you just bitching about the boss a minute ago?" one of his men piped up.

"Bullshit!" Quan Pu retorted. "The boss and I have always seen eye to eye!"

Quan Pu limped closer to Lin Wen, step by step. His yellow teeth and the reek of alcohol emanating from him terrified her even more. Having always lived a pampered life of luxury, she had never witnessed such a frightening scene.

"You... you... don't you dare sexually assault me! My dad has money! Lots of money!"

Quan Pu: ???

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