This bug is amazing!

Chapter 277 Another Date, Another Battle in the Two-Man Magic Tower
The process of escorting Zhang Tianyi went smoothly.

The vehicle drove back to Ning'an City without any unexpected incidents along the way.

That noon, Ji Yi and her group arrived at the villa. After instructing the driver to take care of Zhang Tianyi, Ji Yi and Xie Jiayi left together to prepare for her relocation.

Even if most things in the apartment can be discarded, the little black cat should still be taken with you.

Around 3 p.m., in that upscale apartment building, Ji Yi and Xie Jiayi, carrying large and small bags of luggage, left the place she had been renting for many days.

"I've been wanting to ask Miss Xie what she does for a living since last night?"

While driving, Ji Yi asked curiously.

"I'm a freelance designer, mainly doing brand design, but I also take on some illustration work. I'm fairly well-known in the industry, and I'm content with just one project a month."

She explained calmly.

"If the official game department or the Justice League needs logo and costume design, they can consider contacting me."

It seems that Hyperdimensional Games will soon launch a customizable outfit feature, but it is not yet implemented.

After listening to Xie Jiayi's explanation, Ji Yi nodded thoughtfully:
"Oh, I don't really understand."

Perhaps because this industry also requires some drawing skills, she has the dual identity of designer and illustrator.

So, what should we talk about next?
Ji Yi was at a loss for how to continue the conversation, and the atmosphere fell silent again.

Even now, he still feels a sense of unreality.

It turns out that his "good buddy" Cat, who had shared hardships with him, was actually Xie Jiayi.

'You did a lot of inappropriate things before.'

Using X-ray vision, various physical contacts, even that kiss.

Once I replaced the memory of doing these things to Miss Cat with the image of Xie Jiayi, I suddenly felt ashamed.

"that."

Ji Yi hesitated for a moment.

"what?"

Hsieh Chia-yi drove with her eyes fixed ahead, her lips slightly parted beneath her delicate profile, her expression devoid of any other emotion.

"After we put our luggage back, how about we go out for a walk?"

Upon hearing this, she turned her head and glanced at Ji Yi:

"Didn't you just say last night that it was dangerous outside, which is why you took me there? Now you're deliberately putting me in danger again. What does that mean?"

Ji Yi thought it made sense; indeed, love makes people less intelligent, and she had forgotten about it.

The chaos is still raging, and even top players are at risk of being hunted down. Running around recklessly at this time is simply courting death.

Ji Yi could only say:
"Okay, let's go back and rest then."

Xie Jiayi glanced at him sideways:
"If Mr. Giba insists on pestering me to go shopping, I might not refuse."

Ji Yi's expression froze: "What do you mean?"

He quickly realized what he meant: "Then, I'd like to invite Miss Xie... no, Miss Cat, to have dinner together. Are you free?"

Xie Jiayi's expression changed slightly, her eyes blinked a few times unnaturally, and finally she smiled gently:
"Okay,"

"Mr. Giba".

That night.

Inside a high-end Western restaurant, Ji Yi and Xie Jiayi sat facing each other.

This is a private room. A waiter is waiting outside the soundproof door. If needed, you can call him using the bell inside the room.

On the table were ingredients such as lobster and king crab, and across from each other was a Wagyu beef steak, set with exquisitely designed knives and forks.

Gu Hong gave a card with 50 million yuan as operating funds, but only paid for the hotel when Zhang Tianyi was arrested.

Ji Yi naturally wouldn't be polite with the remaining money; he would take as much money as needed for any task, and he felt perfectly justified in using it.

Thinking about it, Ji Yi glanced at her phone and saw the message Gu Hong had just sent:

“Good, Zhang Tianyi has been safely taken into custody. You did a great job this time, but you still need to personally verify the information you provided.”

"As for the recent player recruitment, you don't need to worry about it. Just enjoy your date."

Upon seeing this message, Ji Yi smiled knowingly.

This finally looks like a normal life.

Initially, he was overwhelmed by debt, and just when there was hope, he was targeted by the Headhunting Alliance, and his life was no longer guaranteed.

Later, because of my low level, I was forced to run dungeons at high intensity, and now I've finally made it through.

As for the truth that only one person can survive in the end...
Although we must find a solution, there's no rush.

The current game progression is more like the stage where the closed beta is about to end and the open beta is about to begin.

'I still have time'

Looking at the stunningly beautiful face across the table, Ji Yi thought to herself, her expression showing no sign of anything amiss.

He doesn't plan to tell anyone about this secret for the time being.

"Mr. Giba".

Xie Jiayi suddenly spoke up.

"I think you seem to have misunderstood me. You might not believe it, but I'm actually the kind of woman who's very good at managing a household."

As she spoke, she used her fork to pick up a small piece of the A5 grade marbled steak and tasted it.

"So this expensive food, which doesn't taste any different from other foods, should be avoided in the future; it's a waste of money."

Ji Yi was taken aback upon hearing this, and after thinking for a moment, said:

"This is all covered by Gu Hong. It's okay to try it once in a while. If you don't like it, next time we'll choose a place with a more down-to-earth atmosphere to eat."

Xie Jiayi is considered a middle-class person with a monthly income of tens of thousands, but I didn't expect her to care about even enjoying this little bit of luxury.

Should I tell her that I own more than a dozen properties and have 50 million in savings?
Although Ji Yi's car was relatively low-class, Gu Hong was more concerned about the safety of daily travel and tried to avoid being high-profile and ostentatious.

The atmosphere during their meal wasn't exactly intimate; both of them seemed a bit reserved.

Although Hsieh Chia-yi appeared calm, she spoke much less and her movements were slightly stiff.

Ji Yi tried to find a topic to ease the atmosphere:
"By the way, Miss Xie, aren't your family worried about you living alone? Which city are your parents in? Should we consider bringing them over?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Jiayi suddenly loosened her grip on the knife and fork.

"My family situation is quite similar to Mr. Ji's. In the novel on Chicken Leg, it's called 'A Member of the Qidian Orphanage,' right?"

Although she spoke casually, Ji Yi still keenly caught a hint of emotion.

It seems there's a reason behind her "Miss Cat" personality.

Ji Yi knew she shouldn't ask any more questions, but Xie Jiayi still took the initiative to speak:
"Mr. Giba, do you remember when I mentioned being kidnapped?"

"Yes, it was mentioned in Chapter 43."

"The two kidnappers were sent by my parents."

"?"

Ji Yi listened silently as Xie Jiayi recounted the whole story. She vaguely remembered seeing this incident in the news about ten years ago; the headline roughly said:

A middle school girl was kidnapped by two kidnappers, but she cleverly escaped and turned the danger into safety.

At the time, she was featured on the news and even interviewed on television. Ji Yi, who was fifteen years old at the time, remarked that the girl was quite pretty.

Unexpectedly, there was a hidden truth behind this: the kidnappers were hired by Xie Jiayi's parents, something even the police hadn't been able to find out.

Speaking of which, right after that news report, the Zhang Tianyi family murder case was broadcast.

This world is really small.

The brain gradually recalled past scenes.

Before this, he had never paid any attention to these things, but now the television set seemed to be imprinted in his mind, clearly visible.

After Zhang Tianyi's news broadcast, a news report came on about the accidental deaths of a large number of workers on the eve of the factory's completion.

The video included footage taken by a reporter from the outside, and Ji Yi was deeply impressed by the building's unusual shape.

It seems to be the abandoned factory where Zhang Tianyi hid for many years, right? Did he flee there after seeing the news?

Wait a minute, something doesn't seem right. If it was only completed ten years ago, it means the factory was abandoned and sealed off just a few years after it was built.

Ji Yi frowned, picked up her phone, and typed in the keywords in the search bar:

"Dachang City, suburbs, abandoned factory." No results found.

Somewhat disbelieving, he dug out the news program from ten years ago, only to be astonished to find that the news program from that day had been deleted.

Between the 12th and the 14th, only the recording of the program on the 13th was missing.

He was somewhat taken aback and searched online.

Ultimately, only one clear and consistent explanation was found:
"That station didn't broadcast any news that day because all the staff suffered from food poisoning, so they had to stop for one episode."

Then came a lot of serious-sounding pictures, which almost made Ji Yi doubt that she had remembered it wrong.

"What's wrong? Why the sudden expression?"

Xie Jiayi said, got up and came to Ji Yi's side, looking at his phone.

"Ms. Xie, do you remember the news program you were on ten years ago?"

Ji Yi's expression turned serious: "Do you remember which episode it was?"

After hearing this, she thought for a moment and said, "It seems to be the issue on September 13th."

"That means I didn't remember wrong."

Ji Yi looked at the numerous "debunking" posts and conspiracy theories on her phone screen.

The truth has been completely covered up.

Why go to such great lengths to distort public perception?
Is it related to that mysterious abandoned factory?

For some reason, Ji Yi felt that the matter behind this seemed to involve something unusual, and she didn't know if Gu Hong was aware of it.

After thinking it over, Ji Yi first gave Xie Jiayi a brief explanation, then turned around and dialed Gu Hong's number.

Hsieh Chia-yi didn't think the interruption ruined the atmosphere.

What's that saying again? A man is most handsome when he's serious and ambitious.

Rather than being "forced to be sensible and secretly wronged" like a little woman, she was quite happy to do something productive with Ji Yi.

Gu Hong's voice suddenly rang out in the private room:

"what's up?"

As the call connected, Ji Yi could hear a noisy environment on Gu Hong's end, which seemed quite lively.

"What do you know about that abandoned factory in the suburbs of Dachang City?"

Ji Yi cut to the chase, but Gu Hong was puzzled:
"factory?"

It turns out that even Gu Hong, the son of a high-ranking official, didn't know, and didn't know what secrets were being hidden.

Ji Yi gave a brief explanation, and a moment later, Gu Hong replied swiftly, "Wait a moment, I'll check."

The call ended abruptly after he finished speaking.

Gu Hong put down his phone and went to the computer to search for information about the factory through the internal network of national officials.

No fruit.

He pondered for a few seconds, then turned and walked out of the office.

This facility has been transformed into a fortress-like structure, with comprehensive surveillance and intricate mechanisms. It was the place where Ye Changtian was previously imprisoned.

The lone goose crossed the long corridor, scanned the iris verification door, and opened an underground passage that only he could enter.

After navigating several routes, he finally stopped in front of the door of a "luxury prison cell".

After undergoing another iris scan, Gu Hong entered the cell.

"Dad, I need to talk to you about something."

Inside, a middle-aged man with graying temples stared blankly at the television in front of him, which was broadcasting a political program.

He turned a deaf ear to what Gu Hong said.

Only when Gu Hong's towering figure, over 1.9 meters tall, firmly blocked the man's path did he raise his head.

"I just attended the National Political Conference a couple of days ago, didn't I? Is there anything else that requires my personal attendance?"

As he spoke, the man couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating laugh:
"Haven't you already obtained the authority of a vice-national level official like me?"

As he spoke, he pointed to his chest:

"This thing you secretly planted in my heart in the operating room has made me, your father, completely obedient to you, kid. Otherwise...bong!"

Judging from the man's words and actions, he doesn't seem to be in a good mental state.

"I have my reasons, that's all."

"It's all for the people, I'm tired of hearing it."

He sighed, but ultimately didn't make a scene or lose his temper.

Starting a few years ago, my son, who had always been somewhat "detached from worldly affairs," suddenly said he wanted to embark on a career in politics.

His son was indeed an extremely capable young talent, so he let him go as he pleased, without even needing to pull strings.

As his promotions skyrocketed, the son seemed increasingly dissatisfied with his current power.

Until recently.

This deputy national-level official was directly threatened with death and stripped of his real power by his own son.

The man didn't know why his son had suddenly changed so much, nor did he know what his son had been doing all these years. No matter how he asked, he could never get an answer.

He's kind of giving up.

"Dad, I just came to ask about something. It's about a factory that was built ten years ago in the suburbs of Dachang City and is now abandoned."

Do you remember?

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man suddenly showed a look of astonishment.

"This Gu Hong is so inefficient! After waiting for half an hour, he still has the nerve to say 'wait a moment'? One arm is definitely not as fast as two arms."

As soon as Ji Yi finished speaking, Xie Jiayi turned her gaze towards her:

"Not entirely. Last time I saw Mr. Giba use both hands to massage it, it took him more than half an hour."

"?"

Are you referring to the [Divine Descent] instance?!

Miss Xie, you wouldn't retaliate by using your ghost eyes to spy on my privacy just because I have X-ray vision, would you?
My Yun Chang is a virgin!

Ji Yi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Sigh, the two of them have clearly only kissed once at most, yet they've both seen each other completely naked.

I have a feeling that the steps or procedures might be wrong.

Just then, Ji Yi's phone rang; it was Gu Hong calling.

"Regarding the origins of the factory, I doubt any official in the country could give you an answer."

Ji Yi was taken aback upon hearing this.

This makes no sense. How could it be that even the highest levels of government power couldn't say anything about the factory?

You're making such confident statements, is your father the Prime Minister?
"But Zhang Tianyi just woke up. You said he hid there for several years, so I asked him about it as well."

Gu Hong's deep voice came through the phone:
"He told me it was related to a cult of evil gods."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yi was immediately shaken.

He was about to press for the source of the intelligence when Gu Hong preemptively answered the question:

"It's the Magic Tower. He found out about it through one of its levels."

The Magic Tower, huh?

Recalling her previous adventure in the Demon Tower with Miss Cat, Ji Yi was shocked to discover that almost all the clues about the evil god originated from the Demon Tower.

Is it a coincidence or...?
After thinking it over, Ji Yi hurriedly hung up the phone.

He took Xie Jiayi's hand, looking at her with unwavering eyes:

"Thank you, Miss Cat. Would you like to come with me to my next date? Right now, just the two of us."

Xie Jiayi smiled gently and replied:

"it is good."

(End of this chapter)