Chapter 25: Tracking

Inside the Office  

“Heh, tui…!”  

Huang Wei spat into the trash can, lit another cigarette, and took a deep drag.  

Holding his phone, he scrolled through four or five player groups, all of which prominently displayed the same pinned sales post.  

That wasn’t particularly unusual. These player groups frequently traded Star Gate information, items, and mission strategies. As long as someone paid the group admin an advertising fee, their post would get pinned.  

However, the content of this post left Huang Wei deeply unsettled. It mentioned the Princess’s Tomb and Qingliang Prefecture—details directly related to what Ren Ye had just experienced. He remembered them vividly.  

“Is this information being sold by other players who explored the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate?”  

Huang Wei furrowed his brows in thought before picking up his phone and dialing a number.  

“Hey, snake oil seller, come to my office. Now.”  

Ten minutes later, a young man entered the office. He was burly but had a scholarly air, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a somewhat vacant expression. He spoke slowly, looking like a stereotypical desk jockey.  

This was Xu Peng, one of Huang Wei’s subordinates and a Vigil Keeper for the Qingfu District.  

“Come here,” Huang Wei motioned him over. As Xu Peng shuffled closer, Huang Wei quickly rattled off instructions:  

“Two tasks. First, you’re in that ‘Great Minds’ group, right? Reach out to the person selling the info and ask for a price. Whatever they quote, agree to it—I’ll handle the rest.  

Second, Ren Ye will be staying outside for a week. Starting tomorrow, you’ll provide him with individual training. Focus on helping him understand Star Gates, the various professions, and the current state of the real world.”  

“…If it’s overnight, will there be overtime pay?” Xu Peng asked politely.  

“Yes.”  

“Then can I promote my medicine to the entire department?” Xu Peng asked, still speaking in his slow, soft tone, like a harmless rabbit.  

“No.” Huang Wei rejected him outright. “The last time you gave that ‘Energy Restoration Pill’ to Nian Nian, she nearly went into menopause… Also, I’d advise against promoting it privately. Our new Chief Yan isn’t someone to mess with. If there’s a problem, he won’t hesitate to deal with you.”  

…

6 PM  

After a hearty dinner, Ren Ye stood in his father’s room, fiddling with his dad’s figurines.  

“Are you leaving tonight?” he asked softly.  

“Yes, the editor is pushing hard. I’ll grab a cab in a bit,” his dad replied while packing his laptop and charger at the bedside.  

“Oh, alright then.”  

Ren Ye nodded, dropping the topic. He turned his attention to the display case filled with character figurines.  

These lifelike figurines were modeled after major characters from his father’s books. They were all original designs, unavailable on the market, and quite expensive to commission.  

The cabinet featured familiar characters like the Sunset Warrior, True Dragon Monk, and Jungle Guardian, all of whom Ren Ye had discussed with his father before. However, at the far left stood a new female figure. From her appearance, she seemed to be a nun…  

“Hey, when did you get this one?” Ren Ye picked up the nun figurine, inspecting it curiously. “Does the outer robe come off?”  

“Smack!”  

His dad snatched the figurine from his hands and carefully placed it back in the cabinet. He locked the glass door and drew the curtain over it. “If you’ve got any ambition, go undress a real person!”  

“I’m in prison, okay? If I undress someone for real, wouldn’t that add years to my sentence?!” Ren Ye retorted, exasperated.  

“You’re all talk and no action, as always.” His dad sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Alright, I’m heading out.”  

“Take your time,” Ren Ye said.  

“Alright.” His dad paused. “I left you 3,000 yuan on your desk.”  

Ren Ye froze for a moment. “I don’t need it; Qingning already gave me some.”  

“This is as much as I can manage. There’s no more.” His dad didn’t say much, his expression always serious. Without leaving room for refusal, he left those words behind, slung his small backpack over his shoulder, and walked out the door.  

…  

As soon as his dad left, Ren Ye rushed back to his room, grabbed the 3,000 yuan in cash, threw on a random pair of pants, and dashed out the door.  

Luckily… after running for less than two minutes toward the main road, he spotted his dad’s back.  

The two of them, father and son, hailed taxis one after the other on the roadside.  

“Driver, follow the car ahead,” Ren Ye instructed from the back seat, speaking carefully. “No need to turn on the meter.”  

“Huh? If I don’t turn on the meter, how do I calculate the fare?” The driver was confused.  

“Here!”  

Without a word, Ren Ye handed over 200 yuan. “If it’s not enough, I’ll add more.”  

“Vroom!”  

As soon as the driver took the money, he perked up and eagerly stepped on the gas, professionally tailing the car ahead.  

In the back seat, Ren Ye squinted at his dad’s taxi, feeling both excited and overwhelmingly curious, as if his voyeuristic tendencies were being fully indulged.  

Following his dad wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision—it was the result of intense curiosity and unease. He knew that if he didn’t get to the bottom of it tonight, he wouldn’t be able to sleep.  

The storyline of the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate and the revisions his dad was working on seemed worlds apart in terms of setting, yet their plot structures were disturbingly similar.  

More importantly, before dinner, Ren Ye had casually asked about his dad’s work deadline, and his dad had replied that the editor demanded the revisions within six days to fix the bug in the story about the Daoist avatar’s tragic death.  

And Ren Ye’s re-entry into the stargate was for seven days…

If he hadn’t experienced the Stargate, Ren Ye wouldn’t have overthought it. But after all the strange and inexplicable events that had actually occurred, his mind had opened to the possibility that anything, no matter how bizarre, could be real.  

He had to follow his dad and figure out what was going on, as well as find out who this so-called editor really was!  

…  

The two taxis drove for nearly forty minutes before stopping on a street in the outskirts of the city.  

This area wasn’t as bustling as the downtown district; it was filled with low-rise buildings, likely a yet-to-be-redeveloped urban village. Small food stalls were scattered at the entrances of alleys, and most of the pedestrians appeared to be factory workers from the surrounding industrial zones.  

Ren Ye got out of the car and shadowed his dad, sneaking into a narrow alley. After walking for about six or seven minutes, they arrived at a roadside eatery.  

“Old Xu!” His dad, carrying his small backpack, greeted a middle-aged man seated at the eatery with familiarity.  

Ren Ye hid by the entrance of a residential building nearby, where numerous electric scooters conveniently obscured him. Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man standing up from his seat to exchange greetings with his dad.  

The man appeared to be in his fifties, balding, slightly overweight, but dressed fashionably in a white suit and sporting a pair of purple-framed glasses.  

After a brief exchange, the two sat down together.  

There were some snacks and beer on the table, but since his dad had already eaten dinner at home, he didn’t touch the food. Instead, he took out a revised manuscript and handed it to Old Xu, then sat there scrolling through his phone.  

Not far away, Ren Ye carefully observed Old Xu while pondering what to do.  

He thought, if something is genuinely amiss here, the problem must lie with Old Xu. The manuscript was given to his dad by him, the revision requirements came from him, and the entire story’s concept and submission deadlines were his doing.  

Could this person be a player? What role exactly does Dad play in this covert transaction?  

What method should I use to confirm this?  

Damn it, outside the Royal Residence, I’m just a weakling. The replica skill of the Imperial Brush can’t be used in the real world, and while I can summon the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, it’s no more powerful than a kitchen knife, completely devoid of any mystical abilities.  

If the other party really is a player, there’s a high chance I can’t beat him. Worse, if things get dangerous, Dad might get dragged into it.  

What should I do…?  

Wait a minute, hold on—how could I forget about that?  

I’m such an idiot!  

As his brain buzzed with realization, Ren Ye’s eyes suddenly lit up. He silently called out in his mind: “Spring Breeze Delight.”  

“Swish!”  

A faint glow shimmered as Ren Ye quickly stepped into the residential building to avoid being seen. Looking down, he found himself holding a scroll.  

[Qingliang Prefecture Entry Item—Spring Breeze Delight.]  

[Identity Tag: Songstress.]

[Dear Player, Stellar Scar Gate has detected that you already possess a special bound identity badge. You cannot change identities.]

[Skill Activated—Charm; Item Skill Activated—Summon Obsession Mirage. Special Note: Due to the thin concentration of stellar energy in the real world, your abilities will be weakened. Skill Duration: 1 hour. Cooldown: 12 hours.]

The cold mechanical voice echoed in his ears before gradually fading.  

His guess was right—it could indeed be used. Just like his Nation-Stabilizing Sword, it could be summoned in the real world.  

Now, this is more like it. I went through hell and back in Qingliang Prefecture to defeat Liu Ling’er, so wouldn’t it be unreasonable to leave empty-handed?!  

Ren Ye’s excitement surged, and inspiration struck. A plan quickly formed in his mind.  

He turned and entered the stairwell, continuing to keep an eye on his dad and Old Xu while pulling out his phone to call Huang Wei.  

“Hello? What’s up?”  

“I’ll send you a location shortly. Bring some skilled people over,” Ren Ye said directly. “Start heading this way now.”  

“Are you in danger?!” Huang Wei’s tone immediately turned serious.  

“Well, not exactly danger, but I’ve got something to take care of. Just hurry.”  

“Alright, send me the location,” Huang Wei agreed without hesitation.  

After the call, Ren Ye looked down at the Spring Breeze Delight scroll in his hands and became a bit curious.  

“If… if I activate this identity tag in the real world… since it’s a female identity… would my appearance also…?”  

…  

About half an hour later.  

Three off-road vehicles stopped at the entrance of the urban village. Huang Wei, sitting in the front passenger seat of the lead vehicle, immediately called Ren Ye.  

“I’m here.”  

“You’re at the location I sent you?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Can you sense it if players engage in combat?” Ren Ye asked seriously.  

“If it’s nearby, no problem,” Huang Wei replied with a frown. “What’s going on?! Let me tell you, don’t mess around. There are rules across the country. Players can’t cause trouble in urban areas, or no one will be able to protect you.”  

“What if someone comes after me?”  

“Then we’ll catch them!” Huang Wei said urgently. “What exactly are you planning to do?”  

“Nothing much. Wait for my signal. If there’s any danger, I’ll let you know.” As Ren Ye spoke, he absentmindedly rubbed the two lumps of flesh that had suddenly appeared on his chest.  

“Wait, you—!”  

“Just wait for my signal.” Ren Ye cut him off and ended the call.  

Sitting in the car, Huang Wei was dumbfounded. He turned to look around and exclaimed, “Damn, this kid’s got no boundaries. He just got here and already wants to boss me around?!”  

From the back seat, Gu Nian, a long-legged beauty snacking on some treats, chimed in, “I suggest you stop him from acting recklessly. The whole department’s been talking about it—Director Yan is planning a long-term internal reform, cracking down hard on discipline. If anything happens, you might get demoted right after being promoted.”  

Huang Wei pondered for a moment and said, “From what I’ve observed, this kid acts methodically and has a sharp mind. Let’s watch for now.”  

Calling Huang Wei and his team was a backup measure for Ren Ye, but unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want them getting deeply involved. This matter concerned his father, after all.  

Ren Ye was always cautious, a trait he’d inherited from being an Officer. He never took risks beyond what he could control.  

…  

Another ten minutes passed.  

Old Xu finished a phone call at the street-side food stall and called out to Ren Ye’s dad, “Let’s go upstairs.”  

“Alright.” Ren Ye’s dad slung a small backpack over his shoulder and casually followed Old Xu toward a residential building.  

When they reached the entrance, Old Xu said habitually, “You go up first. I’ll grab some cigarettes and water.”  

“Okay.” It was clear that Ren Ye’s dad had been here multiple times. He simply nodded and entered the building.  

This was the chance!  

Not far away, Ren Ye’s sharp gaze locked onto Old Xu’s figure.  

As the two separated, Old Xu entered a side alley, heading toward a nearby convenience store.  

“Phew, phew!”  

Just as Old Xu entered the alley, a crisp whistle came from his left.  

Turning his head, he saw a woman with long, flowing hair and a classically beautiful face standing at the alley’s entrance. Leaning against the wall, she looked at him with a playful smile.  

However, this “classically beautiful” woman was dressed oddly—a baggy hoodie, loose jeans, and a pair of oversized canvas shoes that exposed her heels.  

“Hey there, big guy. Care for some passionate entertainment?” The classically beautiful woman crossed her arms and winked at Old Xu.  

Old Xu paused for a moment, his face expressionless. He looked away without responding and walked straight into the convenience store.  

“Wow, seriously?” The woman muttered in surprise. “A man of principles?!”  

Her confident demeanor vanished, and she immediately stepped to the side, ready to take more direct action.  

Five minutes later, Old Xu came out carrying four large bags filled with water, cigarettes, instant noodles, and other items.  

“Phew, phew!”  

The classically beautiful woman whistled at him again.  

In the dim light, Old Xu stopped, glanced at her, and walked over. “You’re quite bold, huh? I didn’t even respond, yet you kept whistling. So, how much? Give me a price I can’t refuse.”