novelraw Chapter 296: Routine Inspection
Chapter 296: Routine Inspection
...
An Aberrant Purge Division branch.
Inside the command room.
The atmosphere grew even more oppressive with the arrival of one person.
Qin Bai sat quietly beside the conference table.
He wore a well-tailored, deep gray uniform, impeccably neat.
His short white hair was tidy, and small silver earrings adorned both earlobes.
His features held a touch of androgyny.
Han Xiao pulled up the data file for "Chen Qing" on the light screen. "Qin Bai, you're up to speed on the situation, right? This little bastard has completely vanished, not a single trace to be found anywhere."
"We've deployed all conventional and unconventional tracking methods, big data behavioral prediction, air and ground surveillance network sweeps, all with zero results."Ling Shuang added, "It's as if he possesses some kind of... perfect concealment ability, or, he chose a path we simply cannot comprehend."
Qin Bai's gaze slowly swept over everyone in the conference room before finally settling on the wanted portrait of "Chen Qing." "Perfect concealment? That doesn't exist. As long as someone has existed, they inevitably leave traces. Not finding them only means we're looking in the wrong direction, or... we've overlooked certain possibilities that seem impossible."
He looked at Han Xiao. "Specialist Han, you've clashed with him. Describe, setting aside his combat strength, the impression he gave you."
Han Xiao frowned, recalling. "Damn slippery eel. He was getting beaten like a little punk, but that last escape move was way too decisive. He just flew straight up high, betting everything on me not being able to stay airborne for long."
Qin Bai then turned to Ling Shuang. "Specialist Ling, during the aerial pursuit, were there any other anomalies in his flight posture?"
"Yes. His evasion of the missiles... was unnervingly precise. That wasn't just reaction speed;
it was more like... prediction." Ling Shuang pondered for a moment. "He started his evasive maneuvers before the missiles were even launched."
Qin Bai nodded. "Prediction... a certain understanding of official operational patterns."
He repeated these keywords, his eyes growing increasingly profound.
"That's the situation. We've used every method available, above and below, and the kid has evaporated into thin air." Han Xiao ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Qin Bai, analyze this for us. Where the hell could he be hiding?"
Qin Bai spoke calmly. "There are multiple possibilities. We can't bet on just one. First possibility: advanced spatial concealment or teleportation. He might have mastered some spatial technology unknown to us, or had an accomplice with such abilities provide support, executing a direct spatial jump. If that's the case, our search perimeter needs to expand to nationwide, even extraterritorial, records of abnormal spatial fluctuations."
A technical officer immediately took notes but wore a troubled expression. "Specialist Qin, spatial technology of that level is extremely rare, and the energy fluctuations are massive. We haven't detected any related records so far."
Qin Bai nodded and continued. "Second possibility: deep disguise and identity replacement. He might have completely altered his appearance through masterful disguise techniques, or even shape-shifting abilities unique to certain aberrants. Then, using a forged identity, he left the core search zone via channels we haven't monitored. We need to intensify surveillance on the black market circulation of forged documents and re-screen all recent travel records for individuals with suspicious identities, both entry/exit and long-distance."
"That possibility exists," Ling Shuang agreed with a nod.
"Third possibility: he exploited psychological blind spots and reverse thinking." Qin Bai went on. "He abandoned all efficient modes of transportation, abandoned the behavioral patterns of a powerful entity. For example, disguising himself as a homeless person, a beggar, at the very bottom of society. Relying on his own two feet, blending into the massive flow of people, slowly moving south. Our surveillance and screening focus would subconsciously overlook this demographic. Because in our understanding, a high-risk aberrant would never endure such humiliation and inefficiency."
Han Xiao opened his mouth to retort but found that while the idea sounded absurd, it wasn't completely without merit. "Posing as a beggar? That's... way too fucking patient, isn't it?"
Qin Bai's expression remained impassive. "In the face of survival, pride is irrelevant. If he's smart enough, he would exploit this cognitive bias of ours. Therefore, the investigation must proceed along multiple lines simultaneously. First, continue digging into the possibility of spatial jumps;
contact experts in related fields. Second: intensify the crackdown on and surveillance of identity forgery networks. Third: adjust the screening strategy for the mobile population at the bottom of society, especially individuals moving southward who exhibit anomalies. We need more personnel and more meticulous task division to follow up on all these lines concurrently. He cannot be flawless. We just haven't found the right point of entry yet."
Orders were swiftly issued.
Although Qin Bai's "beggar theory" struck some as far-fetched, no one dared to disregard his judgment.
A multi-pronged investigative net began to spread in a more three-dimensional manner.
Everyone in the command room understood their opponent's cunning exceeded the norm.
This manhunt had evolved into a contest of wits and endurance.
...
Su Zhan's footsteps never ceased.
He finally emerged from the seemingly endless plains. The horizon ahead began to show the contours of undulating terrain.
Looming before him was the first major natural barrier separating north and south in Daxia—the Vast Mountains.
The scale of this mountain range was beyond imagination—a boundless mountain system composed of countless undulating peaks, valleys, and primordial forests.
Looking out, the mountain ranges stretched like dark ink washes, layer upon layer, extending all the way to the edge of sight where they met the mist-shrouded sky.
The mountains were majestic and imposing, clearly demarcating the north from the south.
Su Zhan did not choose to detour, as that would consume multiple times the effort.
He resolutely stepped into these ancient mountains.
The mountain paths were rugged and difficult, but for him, this complex terrain was the best cover.
Having crossed the Vast Mountains.
Su Zhan continued walking south along an old, winding national highway that snaked down the mountainside.
Traffic on this highway was sparse, but vehicles still passed by occasionally.
A black off-road vehicle emblazoned with the emblem of the Aberrant Purge Division slowed down as it passed him, then stopped not far ahead.
Su Zhan glanced up.
He cursed inwardly: Damn it.
The doors opened, and two young officers in Aberrant Purge Division uniforms stepped out.
One man, one woman, both with serious expressions.
They walked up to Su Zhan, blocking his path.
The male officer spoke in a routine, official tone. "Routine inspection. Please present your identification."
Su Zhan's heart tightened, but he was prepared.
He immediately slipped into character, his body trembling slightly as he looked up, his eyes unfocused.
His hands fumbled clumsily over his clothes, as if he couldn't understand what was being said and couldn't find anything.
The female officer frowned. She took out a tablet, pulled up the wanted portrait of "Chen Qing," and carefully compared it.
The person in the portrait had sharp eyes and a clear face.
The Su Zhan before them had a face smeared with grime, greasy, matted hair, dull eyes, and a hunched posture—the aura was completely different.
More importantly, the two didn't even look alike.