Elder brother's garrison

"No matter what you want to say to me, I don't have time to chat with you." When the man saw that it was Yu Gan who approached, he raised his eyebrows slightly with disdain. Then he lowered his head, took out a crumpled cigarette case, and muttered to himself, not looking at him again. "I still have to pick up some fares later. I'm tired. Don't waste your time looking for someone else."

The man took a cigarette from the pack, put it in his mouth, and reached into his pocket for a lighter.

The next second, light footsteps approached the man.

"Ugh... can't you understand human language? I don't have time to waste with you guys..." The man frowned, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and began to complain. But before he could finish his sentence, a bright red banknote was handed to him, making his eyes light up. "Hey, you're on the right track!"

The man's attitude changed instantly, and he reached out to grab the banknotes in front of him.

But before the man's fingers could even touch the banknotes, they were swiftly withdrawn and slipped out of his grasp.

The man quickly looked up.

Standing in front of the man, Yu Gan held banknotes in both hands and smiled obediently at him.

"Uncle, I'm just here to ask for some information, not to steal your business," Yu Gan said to the man, the bright red banknotes in her hand extremely conspicuous in the wind.

"Looking for information, huh... Heh, you know the rules, right?" The man's lips twitched, his eyes involuntarily glancing at the banknotes in Yu Gan's hand. "There's no such thing as a free lunch... Well, you know what I mean."

"Lunch, right?" Yu Gan smiled, waving the banknotes in her hand. "I know, I'll pay you."

"Excellent!" The man nodded with delight upon hearing Yu Gan's promise. "Tell me, what information do you want to know?"

“I’m here to inquire about someone,” Yu Gan asked.

"Asking about someone? Who?"

“A woman who appeared in Peicheng a few months ago. She’s very beautiful, but she can’t speak and has no identification.” Yu Gan exchanged a glance with Xiao Bai behind her, then spoke to the man.

"...Huh?" The man looked puzzled. "What? A prostitute?"

"It shouldn't be, she's very young."

Xiao Bai chimed in from behind.

The man looked up at Xiaobai and nodded silently.

"You guys wait." The man patted his butt, got up, and then, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, swaggered over to the steps where the unlicensed tour guides were gathered. He put his arm around three or five men, and their undisguised, vulgar conversation, accompanied by boisterous laughter, reached everyone around them.

York frowned, stepped forward, and covered Little White's ears with her hand.

Baltimore frowned, then stood on tiptoe and covered Fukami Kaga's ears.

A few minutes passed.

The man chatted happily with his companions, then returned to Xiaobai and the others with a smile on his face and squatted down on the ground.

"So, is there any news?" Yu Gan asked hurriedly.

"A beautiful woman who can't speak, right?" The man nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. I just asked Old Chen and Old Liu, and they do remember her."

"Really?" Yu Gan stepped forward.

"No matter what, I would never lie to a young girl like you, okay?" The man seemed very dissatisfied with Yu Gan's question. He snorted, glanced at the banknotes in Yu Gan's hand, and raised his chin. "Hand that thing over."

Yu Gan handed over the red banknotes with both hands.

The man snatched the banknote back, gently rubbing the watermark between his thumb and forefinger. Only after confirming it was genuine did a relieved expression appear on his face, and his mood improved somewhat.

"About half a year ago, there was indeed a woman like the one you described over at that little dilapidated building." The man stuffed the banknotes into his pocket and said perfunctorily, "Those who heard it said that the woman was very beautiful, but she couldn't speak properly...tsk, they said she was probably in her early twenties."

“Wu I Qi Ba Lin Qi VI1 Huh? A small, dilapidated building?” Yu Gan was stunned.

The small, dilapidated building the man mentioned happens to be the "slum" of Peicheng, a term used by locals to describe that area, which is also where Yu Gan currently lives.

"Six months ago..." Yu Gan frowned, muttering to herself with a suspicious look, "That was right before my dad and I moved in there."

Behind Yu Gan.

Xiao Bai's eyes lit up.

About half a year ago... wasn't that exactly the time when the Deep Sea Red City landed in Pei City? At that time, Yu Gan's father hadn't gone bankrupt yet, so naturally he hadn't moved into the small, dilapidated building.

The timing is already very close.

"Is she still there?" Xiaobai asked the man impatiently before Yu Gan could speak.

"I don't know." The man smirked, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes. "Such a beautiful woman, living in a run-down building? What makes her so special? Maybe she'll soon be kept by some rich tycoon in the city, and now she'll be living in a nice little apartment in the mountains, tricked into becoming someone else's mistress."

The man's words caused everyone present to frown.

But they couldn't come up with any rebuttal for the time being.

Although Akagi has been the head of the Abyss for hundreds of years, it's clear from Kaga's behavior that those centuries haven't added any experience to them. Their hearts are, in a sense, still as pure as blank sheets of paper. Now that Akagi has shed her ship equipment and become human, she's mingling in the complex human society, making it very difficult for her not to be deceived and manipulated by the bad guys among them...

This is absolutely packed with all the essential elements.

Even the outcome the man just told everyone was considered a relatively gentle bad end among all the possible outcomes Akagi might encounter.

At the very back of the group, Kaga Fukami listened to the man's words. Although his expression remained unchanged, his body couldn't help but feel a restless urge.

Kaga, whose mind was as blank as a sheet of paper, couldn't understand the meaning of the man's words about "mistress," "kept woman," and "small apartment in the green hills and clear waters." However, she could instinctively sense that what the man in front of her had just said was not a pleasant thing to hear.

Kaga from the Deep Sea is very angry.

Kaga from the Deep Sea wanted to punch the man.

The kind that's all over the place.

Xiaobai quickly sensed Shenhai Kaga's emotions. She subtly stepped back, blocking Shenhai Kaga's path, and then continued to ask the man, "Could you give us this woman's address?"

"Sure, why not?" The man was completely unaware that he had just walked off the brink of death. He raised an eyebrow and said casually, "This woman was quite famous in the slums half a year ago because she was really beautiful and attracted a lot of attention. But she seems to have disappeared from the public eye since then. As for now... heh, I can give you the address, but whether you can find her is another matter."

Chapter 2369 Deep Sea Akagi's Residence

Although the man's attitude towards Yu Gan wasn't exactly great, he was at least professional. After taking Yu Gan's money, the man readily told Xiao Bai and his group the address of the woman who appeared to be from the Deep Sea Akagi, as well as some information he knew about her.

The man didn't resort to any underhanded tactics like demanding exorbitant prices.

This touched Xiaobai deeply.

—Uncle Chen Rui, look, even the unlicensed tour guides at the train station have more professional ethics than you.

After obtaining the information they wanted, Xiaobai and his group quickly left the train station and headed towards the abandoned building complex.

"Miss Yu Gan, this is the fee for the information I just gathered." Walking down the street, Xiao Bai took out a red banknote from his wallet and handed it to Yu Gan with a grateful expression. "Thank you so much. As expected of the unlicensed tour guides, their information network is so well-connected. It saved us a lot of trouble."

"It's all I should do..." Yu Gan blushed as she accepted Xiao Bai's money.

In order to successfully extract useful information from the unlicensed tour guide, Yu Gan spent a precious hundred-yuan bill out of her own pocket. Although Yu Gan wanted to proudly tell Xiao Bai and her group that she had paid for the hundred yuan, in reality, that money was enough for Yu Gan's family to live on a tight budget for a week. It was really needed. Now that Xiao Bai was willing to reimburse the expense, Yu Gan was happy to accept.

Yu Gan folded Xiao Bai's banknotes a little embarrassedly, put them in her pocket, and patted them with a sense of security.

"Speaking of which, I never expected that the person I'm looking for would live in the same place as Miss Yu Gan. What a coincidence," Xiao Bai said to Yu Gan.

“That’s right…” Yu Gan nodded in agreement, “What a coincidence…”

"Have you seen Miss Yu Gan around her home before?" Xiao Bai asked.

“Hmm… Most of the people in the residential area are pale and thin. Even if there are a few pretty girls, most of them are just children.” Yu Gan thought for a while and shook his head. “In my memory, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a beauty on the same level as Miss Jia.”

At this point, Yu Gan secretly glanced at Deep Sea Kaga.

This Miss Jia was slender and graceful, with long limbs, delicate features, fair skin, and eyes as beautiful as sapphires. She was the kind of stunning beauty whose extraordinary background was immediately apparent. Since Miss Bai said that the person they were looking for was a beauty of the same caliber as Miss Jia, she must be an exceptionally striking figure in the slums. If I were to encounter her normally, I would definitely notice her. However, the reality was that since I and my father moved into the slums, I had been going in and out of them every day, yet I hadn't seen a single beauty who met these criteria—not even once.

"Could the information that person gave us be false?" Baltimore asked with some concern upon hearing this.

“No, he’ll definitely tell the truth once he’s taken the money.” Yu Gan shook his head after hearing Baltimore’s words. “We tour guides also value our reputation. If someone takes money and doesn’t do the job, they’ll be ridiculed by our colleagues once word gets out.”

"Hey...they're still tricking tourists into spending money every day, aren't they?"

“It’s a premium, but at least the service provided is genuine,” Yu Gan smiled sweetly at Baltimore.

　“Then it seems to be true.” Xiaobai nodded with deep feeling. “It seems that woman moved in there much earlier than Miss Yu Gan, and she really doesn’t go out usually, which is why Miss Yu Gan has never had a chance to see her.”

"If she doesn't go out to work, what will she eat?"

"I don't know, it can't be photosynthesis..." Xiaobai shook his head, "It seems we'll only know the situation when we get there."

……

Xiao Bai and his group returned to the residential building complex area from yesterday.

The buildings remained unchanged from yesterday. Few living people could be seen beneath the dilapidated, sallow buildings. When residents were occasionally spotted, they all appeared listless, weak, and emaciated. The entire area seemed lifeless.

After entering the residential building complex, Yu Gan looked down and took out the small piece of paper she had written down earlier. She checked the address the man had given her again before continuing forward.

Yu Gan led Xiao Bai and her group through the dilapidated, maze-like complex of buildings.

"Is Miss Yu Gan familiar with this place?" Xiao Bai couldn't help but wonder as she watched Yu Gan lead the way with such ease.

"Hmm...it's so-so. I rarely come here." Yu Gan shook her head. "But when my dad and I were looking for a place to stay here before, we wandered around the whole area for a long time in order to find the cheapest place, so I wouldn't say it's completely unfamiliar to us."

Yu Gan's answer sounded somewhat heartbreaking.

Soon, Yu Gan led everyone to a stop in front of a six-story residential building.

The residential building in front of us is extremely old. The traces of bricks and tiles on the stairs are clearly visible, and it is dilapidated. You can see several gaps at a glance. The windows of the residential rooms inside the building are also dim and dirty, and almost no light comes through. It looks more like a haunted house than a residential house.

"Yes, this is it." Yu Gan looked at the building in front of her, pointed to the stairs, and turned to Xiao Bai, saying, "Go up from here, go to the third floor, and the third room on the left is it."

"Oh! Thank you, Miss Yu Gan!" Xiao Bai said gratefully.

"Um...do you want me to go up with you?" Yu Gan asked cautiously.

"Um...no need, Miss Yu Gan, please wait here for us for a while." Xiao Bai thought for a moment and said apologetically to Yu Gan.

Xiao Bai is going to find Deep Sea Akagi. Once she finds Deep Sea Akagi, they might inevitably have some conversations that are inconvenient for others to hear. Yu Gan is just an ordinary high school dropout, and Xiao Bai thinks it's best to keep her out of the conversation.

"Alright then, I'll wait for you here." Yu Gan nodded and gave a soft "hmm."

Xiao Bai's reaction was within Yu Gan's expectations. Although she didn't know the identity of the woman Xiao Bai was looking for, she could tell just by thinking that such a noble young lady with her family was urgently looking for someone must have a lot of stories behind her. She was just an ordinary person, and these stories were definitely not convenient for her to share.

Ok……

However, it's most likely a plot from some Mary Sue novel.

Yu Gan secretly glanced at Shen Hai Kaga's face, thinking to herself.

The 2064th palm strike, a rich fragrance.

Yu Gan stood there, waiting for Xiao Bai and his group to return.

Xiao Bai and his three companions greeted Yu Gan and then followed the staircase Yu Gan pointed to, up to the dilapidated building in front of them.

The dilapidated building was gloomy, with broken wood chips and rusty metal pieces scattered in the stairwell. The air was filled with a putrid and ancient smell. When Xiaobai and his group walked on the stairs, they often heard creaking sounds and an unstable swaying sensation, as if the building would collapse at any moment, which was very unsettling.

"So Akagi from the Deep Sea lives here... This is so dilapidated." York looked at her surroundings with a subtle expression on her face. She couldn't help but hug her arm and complained to Shiro, "Admiral, I'm serious... I'd rather live in a latrine than live here... What if the building collapses while I'm sleeping? Where would I go to complain?"

“Akagi from the Deep Sea doesn’t speak human language and has no money. It’s already a good outcome that she can live in this kind of house.” After listening to York’s words, Xiaobai nodded in agreement. “However… this building is indeed a real dangerous building. Putting aside the hygiene issues, the safety is really not guaranteed at all…”

“Once we find Akagi, let’s move her to the hotel with us,” Baltimore suggested.

"I second that," Xiaobai smiled.

"..." Kaga Fukami stepped onto the creaking stairs, his eyes fixed on the front, looking both expectant and nervous.

The third floor arrived soon.

Upon reaching the third floor, the first thing that caught their eye was a pair of yellowed wooden doors on either side of the corridor. These were two apartments in the building. The wooden door of the apartment on the left was severely damaged and creaked and swayed in the draft. Standing on the stairs, Xiaobai and the other two could see at a glance that the apartment was empty and covered in dust.

The residents of this house seem to have disappeared some years ago, so it's unlikely to be where Akagi from the Deep Sea lived.

Xiao Bai and his group all turned their attention to another door.

The wooden door of the other house was closed fairly tightly, but the windows inside were covered with a tattered poster, making it impossible to see what was inside or whether anyone lived there.

Xiao Bai walked to the door and gently knocked.

"Dong dong dong."

"Hello, is anyone home?" Xiaobai asked.

Xiao Bai waited outside the door for half a minute.

There was no response from inside the door, nor could there be any sound of footsteps.

"Admiral, Akagi of the Deep Sea doesn't understand human language," York reminded him from the side.

“That makes sense.” Xiaobai nodded knowingly. She simply stretched out her finger and gently inserted it into the lock of the wooden door in front of her. With a click, Xiaobai’s fair and delicate finger easily poked into the wooden door as if it were tofu.

While York and Baltimore were in a daze.

Xiao Bai easily and skillfully latched the wooden door, then clapped his hands and pulled the door open with a creak.

"Huh? What's wrong? Come in." Xiaobai held the door with one hand and looked at York and Baltimore, who were staring blankly to the side.

"Admiral...do you do this often?" York winked, looking very curious. "I mean, you know, picking locks and stuff..."