I changed the world.

Zhang Jing picked up his teacup, took a sip, nodded, and said slowly, "I'm grateful for your high regard, Ah Hu, but I can't let you all come for nothing this time. So, I'll give you 10,000 yuan as a treat for a simple meal."

Zhang Jing naturally wouldn't take advantage of Yan Hu for nothing. Although circumstances dictate actions, since the other party was willing to cooperate, Zhang Jing was happy to give him face. Although he had no experience in the thuggery business, he knew that thugs in the slums could dislocate someone's arm for a few hundred yuan, so Zhang Jing's offer of ten thousand yuan couldn't be considered a small sum.

"No way, it's just a small favor, how could I let you spend money! Absolutely not!" Zhang Jing's statement was quite unexpected for Yan Hu, and his evaluation of Zhang Jing rose even higher. After all, just being good at fighting would only make him a master at most. But with his sense of propriety and his young age, he couldn't help but look at Zhang Jing with more respect.

After some back and forth, Zhang Jing finally hardened his expression, and Yan Hu had no choice but to accept the 10,000 yuan. Zhang Jing didn't hesitate and transferred the 10,000 yuan to Yan Hu using his phone.

With the money in hand, the atmosphere between the two sides became more harmonious. They exchanged a few pleasantries over tea, and Zhang Jing suddenly said, "By the way, Ah Hu, I have a question for you. Was this order commissioned by those people from Xingfa Factory?"

"This..." Yan Hu hesitated, stammering without answering.

"Alright, I apologize for asking this question. Here..." Zhang Jing reached out and pressed down, picked up the teacup, made a gesture of using tea instead of wine, and drank the remaining tea in the cup in one gulp.

In fact, just by looking at Yan Hu's expression, he already knew in his heart that he must have guessed correctly.

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Zhang. It's just that every industry has its rules. In our line of work, it's not good to reveal the identity of our clients." Yan Hu visibly breathed a sigh of relief and then explained a few more words while drinking tea.

“I understand, I’ll handle this myself,” Zhang Jing nodded.

Yan Hu paused for a moment, then picked up the kettle beside him, first refilling Zhang Jing's cup, and then refilling his own as well, saying, "I know Mr. Zhang is very skilled... To be honest, in our line of work, we've seen quite a few masters, and I, Yan Hu, consider myself to have a good eye, but when it comes to Mr. Zhang's skills, it's truly..."

As Yan Hu spoke, he raised his right thumb and shook it: "Hitting someone is like hanging a painting. I used to only hear about it from the older generation. In the entire Jiangdong Province, I have never seen such a decisive skill as yours."

“However, there are some things you should be careful about. After all… these days, if you run into those desperate criminals, they might pull out something that’s not worth it…” Yan Hu said it very cryptically, but Zhang Jing could hear the goodwill in his words.

Those people might have guns; Zhang Jing understood the meaning behind his words.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Jing suddenly cupped his hands to Yan Hu and said with a smile, "Hu, with your words, I'll accept your favor today."

....................................

Emerging from the teahouse, Zhang Jing checked his phone; it was already 20:03 PM. He thought for a moment, then formed a hand seal, propelled himself forward, and gracefully landed atop a nearby streetlamp. He glanced up to determine his direction, and in a few leaps, he was already far away…

Zhang Jing leaped between the city's skyscrapers like a giant bat, taking a straight line, which made him much faster than by car.

About ten minutes later, Zhang Jing arrived at his destination, Tianchang Village.

Tianchang Village is only about a 15-minute drive from the Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University and is under the jurisdiction of the North District of Linzhou City.

Since the city had not yet expanded to the point of bordering the village, the entire village was surrounded by vast farmlands and countryside, which appeared very peaceful under the night sky, as if they were two different worlds from the bustling atmosphere of Linzhou City.

Listening to the chirping of crickets around him, Zhang Jing walked along the ridge of the field. Most of the surrounding land was paddy fields, now past harvest season, the fields empty and overgrown with weeds. Some fields had vegetables planted, but neither the weeds nor the vegetables looked to be in good condition. A faint, strange smell lingered in the air. Zhang Jing bent down and picked a weed from the roadside for a closer look. The leaves were uneven, covered with a layer of something that was hard to identify—white ash or some other kind of growth—which made him feel somewhat nauseous.

Zhang Jing had looked at the map before coming here and quickly found the location of Xingfa Printing and Dyeing Factory, which was not far from the village. In no time, he arrived at the outer perimeter of Xingfa Printing and Dyeing Factory. The factory area was surrounded by high walls, and the inside could not be seen from the outside.

The tall iron gate was closed at the moment, and through the iron fence, you could see two men in security guard uniforms sitting and chatting in the guard post behind the gate, but their eyes kept glancing outside.

There was a simple rural road around the factory area leading to the nearest provincial highway. On the way here, Zhang Jing noticed two suspicious men lingering on that rural road. One of them was sitting under a tree smoking, while the other was further away, at the junction of the provincial highway and the village road, where he was hiding in the treetops, watching the passing vehicles warily.

A hidden sentry? This dyeing factory seems more interesting than I imagined... Zhang Jing thought to himself.

Outside the factory area, there was a large grove of trees. Zhang Jing found a tall sycamore tree, about 6 meters high. He jumped twice and reached the top of the tree, where he looked down into the factory area.

From this angle, you can't see the entire factory area, but you can be sure that security inside the factory area is quite tight, as there are people patrolling back and forth with flashlights at this time.

Zhang Jing even noticed that in several different locations within the factory area, there were some large, fierce dogs kept on chains, lying quietly there.

There was a wire mesh on top of the wall. Zhang Jing noticed that there were wires connected to the wire mesh, which seemed to be connected to high voltage. This made him even more suspicious. Would a normal printing and dyeing factory need this level of security measures even if it was illegally discharging sewage?

Licking his lips, Zhang Jing spread his arms and, like a nightingale, silently leaped over the barbed wire fence on the wall, landing in the factory area inside the wall.

The factory area is quite large, with more than ten buildings scattered throughout. Zhang Jing looked around and carefully jumped onto a large tree. To avoid being spotted by any possible cameras, Zhang Jing decided to move from the rooftops and treetops, as cameras generally don't focus on those areas.

Zhang Jing had never been here before and was unaware of the function of each building in the factory area, so he chose to approach the building closest to him.

....................................

"Third Brother, tell me, what exactly does that small factory do? It looks so secure, and they all use mute people."

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. I'm not short of money from you, why are you thinking so much..."

"I'm a little worried, aren't I? Just thinking about the people buried in the back factory area sends chills down my spine..."

"These days, someone's going to die somewhere. Besides, what do you think Master Yao is doing, spending all this money to support us old brothers? Go elsewhere, who has Master Yao who's so generous with money..."

"When it comes to generosity, Master Yao is truly unmatched..."

"That settles it. You're a member now, so focus on your work and don't overthink things. With the size of our club, we're not worried about this kind of thing..."

Two men dressed as security guards were chatting and shining their flashlights around as they slowly patrolled the roads within the factory area. Little did they know that above them, a figure was listening to their conversation without moving.

Zhang Jing listened silently to their conversation until it gradually turned into some crude jokes, then he turned and left.

....................................

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Secret Factory

In one corner of the factory area, there was an area isolated by a wire fence more than four meters high. After quickly surveying the factory area, Zhang Jing soon discovered this unusual place.

The main gate here is equipped with surveillance cameras and sentries, and there are also dogs and patrols inside the fence, making the density even higher than in the outer factory area. There is a sign outside the gate that reads "Research and Development Area, No Unauthorized Entry".

However, the high fence could not stop Zhang Jing's steps. With a light leap, he jumped over the fence on one side.

Beside where he landed was a large, aggressive, black and yellow adult Toro, a breed of fierce dog that was said to have been used as a slave hunter in the New World. It had been lying lazily on the ground, looking around, but the moment Zhang Jing landed, the dog's fur bristled, a deep growl rumbling in its throat, as it assumed a pouncing stance.

"Forbidden!" Zhang Jing turned his head and formed a hand seal. The Dorohedon froze instantly, then became submissive, lying back down on the ground, silent and not daring to make a sound.

This is a method for subduing ferocious beasts from "Earthly Fiend Forbidden Techniques: Beast Suppression". Zhang Jing used it on Gouzi this time and it worked quite well.

Fifty meters away, there was a single-story factory building with a flat roof. In terms of both size and appearance, it looked like a normal standard factory building. At this moment, it was brightly lit, and it was clear that people were working inside.

Between the factory and the fence was a large open space, unshaded by vegetation, and a streetlamp every ten meters or so, illuminating the area around the factory clearly. Zhang Jing carefully surveyed the surroundings and noticed a security camera not far away, pointing at a dimly lit, secluded spot.

Obviously, given the large area of ​​the factory, it's impossible for cameras to cover every location; they can only focus on key areas. This results in many gaps between the cameras. Generally, these gaps are the focus of patrols.

However, what Zhang Jing was really worried about was the cameras. After confirming the location of the cameras around him, he felt relieved. As long as there weren't too many cameras, he wasn't worried about being filmed at all.

Zhang Jing had already tested it. At his current speed, even if he were caught on camera at full speed, he would only leave a blurry afterimage in a single frame of the playback. As for the on-site monitoring personnel, they wouldn't notice anything unusual.

Of course, if he is facing a wide-ranging camera with no blind spots, he will eventually stop, and that will leave an image.

Not far away, two patrolmen were walking towards them at a leisurely pace. Zhang Jing passed in front of them, his hands forming a hand seal, and the two men did not notice his presence at all.

With two leaps, Zhang Jing soared onto the roof of the factory building. The roof was made of sheet metal, and normally, someone walking on it would make a noticeable sound. However, Zhang Jing was able to move on it silently, his feet as nimble as a cat's.

He walked to the center of the factory, lay down, pressed his hand against the sheet metal beneath him, and with a slight exertion of his index finger, he easily pried a hole in the sheet metal, just like a piece of plastic film.

Zhang Jing withdrew his finger, leaned forward, and aimed his eyes at the hole he had dug out. With the help of the factory lights, he could clearly see everything inside the factory.

The factory was filled with all sorts of utensils, many of which were connected by pipes. In addition, there were some strangely shaped instruments that Zhang Jing did not recognize and could not figure out what they were used for.

Some people with short hair and worn-out clothes were busy in the factory. Zhang Jing noticed that each of them was basically responsible for only one simple task, such as mixing a reagent or weighing a medicine. In this way, they formed several simple assembly lines. There were also some supervisors walking back and forth, monitoring their actions.

Zhang Jing observed silently for a while. There was no sound of conversation inside the entire factory. When workers needed to communicate with the supervisor or with each other, they used gestures.

"Dumb...?" Zhang Jing recalled the information he had heard from the security guard earlier.

But what is this factory used to produce? Zhang Jing peered through the small hole into the factory, but with his limited knowledge of chemistry, he couldn't make any judgments based on what he saw.

Fortunately, Zhang Jing was a patient person, and he decided to wait and see. About half an hour later, just as Zhang Jing was pondering whether to try a different approach, a thin middle-aged man walked towards the factory from a distance.

Zhang Jing noticed that two patrolling security guards stopped to greet him, but he didn't stop and just nodded slightly to them.

He was someone of status… Zhang Jing immediately made that judgment in his mind.

Before the man even reached the factory gate, a slightly overweight middle-aged man came out of the factory and said with a big smile, "Seventh Brother, it's so late and you still have to come and see us."

"We can't afford to be careless, the brothers are counting on this to make their fortune..." The man smiled slightly and patted the slightly chubby middle-aged man's shoulder: "Is everything normal? How's the production of Rainbow Pills? Have the mute guys made any mistakes?"

"Don't worry, Seventh Brother. Ever since we hanged that troublemaker last time, the mute guys have been very careful these past few days, and production has gone up. Let me take you to see..." The two chatted as they walked into the factory.

However, neither of them noticed that above their heads, Zhang Jing was hanging upside down, hooking his feet on the eaves. Thanks to his greatly enhanced hearing, he had overheard their conversation.

He flipped back onto the roof of the chemical plant and started operating his phone on his wrist, directly searching for the keyword "Rainbow Pill" on the Endless Network.

The all-powerful Endless Network indeed provided a bunch of keywords related to "Rainbow Pills." Zhang Jing clicked on the Endless Encyclopedia at the top, which stated: "Rainbow Pills are a new type of drug, named for their original form of small, colorful pills. They have now been developed into various forms such as capsules, powders, and small blocks, and can be inhaled, nasally inhaled, taken orally, or injected. This drug has a certain hallucinogenic effect, acting quickly and strongly in the body. After use, it causes mental excitement and increased libido; high doses can even cause hallucinations, leading to a state of intoxication. Long-term use can produce strong dependence, and withdrawal symptoms will occur upon discontinuation."

Its harmfulness is no less than that of traditional drugs. Since its emergence in the 90s, this drug has spread widely throughout the world and is one of the new types of drugs that is currently receiving high attention from the UNDMA (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). Currently, major countries have included this drug in their ban lists.

Drugs... Zhang Jing looked through a few more entries and found that this drug was originally developed to combat the depression caused by long-term space travel, and was even issued to the military in small batches. However, its addictive properties were not discovered until the last decade.

In addition, Zhang Jing also found that the sale of this drug was classified as a serious crime in Dazhao, which means that reaching a certain dosage could result in the death penalty.

So it seems this dyeing factory was actually a front for drug production... No wonder it was so heavily guarded. Zhang Jing recalled the information he had gathered and felt that everything made sense.

Now that he had figured everything out, it was time to think about what to do next. Zhang Jing considered that although his main motivation for coming was to help Miao Yuzhu solve her problems, he would naturally want to maximize his own benefits if it could also bring him some advantages. At the same time, he also hoped to use this opportunity to further confirm some of his conjectures about the disturbance of the "world's underlying consciousness."

..........................................

Zhang Jing took the subway to Linzhou Digital Plaza, a wholesale market for digital products in Linzhou City and even Jiangdong Province, where shops sell all kinds of trendy electronic products. Even though it was late at night, some shops were still open.

Zhang Jing found a small mobile phone shop and bought two fake registered SIM cards for 400 yuan, at 200 yuan each. In Dazhao, normal SIM cards require real-name registration, but there are always loopholes, like the ones he had. These cards cost about twice as much as regular SIM cards, work normally, but cannot be replaced. Most telecom fraud gangs use these cards.

Next, Zhang Jing spent 300 yuan at another shop to buy two second-hand vintage machines—the kind whose paint was even worn on the outside.

Then, he walked to a quiet spot, found a flower bed, sat down, and began composing a text message:

"Hello, officer. As a responsible and law-abiding citizen, I feel I must inform you of some matters. My investigation has revealed that Xingfa Printing and Dyeing Factory, located near Tianchang Village in the North District of Linzhou City, is actually a well-disguised drug manufacturing base. It uses the printing and dyeing factory as a front to secretly produce 'Rainbow Pills.' The specific location for producing Rainbow Pills is a small factory area enclosed by a wire fence in the southwest corner of the factory area. To maintain secrecy, the factory employs mute workers, maintains tight security, has patrol teams and dogs, and uses surveillance equipment. Workers have already been murdered. Many of Xingfa's core members have triad backgrounds, are ruthless, and it's possible they have protection from certain levels of government. Therefore, please be extremely cautious when conducting any operations."

"Furthermore, my investigation seems to have been detected, so the drug factory may be temporarily relocated, giving you only one or two days to carry out your operation. Finally, a word of advice: watch out for sentries; the drug traffickers have placed them on the surrounding roads."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Jing realized there was nothing more to write, so he sent the two text messages to Wang Tao. Of course, the second text message was a bluff; he simply didn't want the police to be delayed too much by certain factors, which would affect his next move.

As for why he sent it to Wang Tao? First, it's impossible to do something like this without protection, so if he made a poor choice, he might alert the enemy. Secondly, he knew Wang Tao had recently been involved in drug enforcement, and his female superior was rumored to have connections and a good relationship with Miao Yuzhu, so she probably wouldn't let go of such a readily available opportunity. Besides, with such a windfall, he'd naturally think of his friend first…

After sending the text message, Zhang Jing removed the SIM card from his phone, broke it in half, and threw it in the trash can. He also removed the phone's battery and then threw both the phone and battery into the canal.