Chapter 36 – Investigation
He was called Li Wu, the oldest among the guards.
Hearing his words, the guards who had just mocked Tu Ran and Ding Naiqing laughed. “Uncle Li, it’s time for you to retire. Your old eyes can’t see clearly anymore. To you, nobody is ordinary.”
Li Wu’s gaze swept over the young faces of the guards in front of him. He sighed and said nothing more.
Fifteen years ago, these young men were just five to ten-year-old children, not paying much attention to the news.
He, however, clearly remembered how many people entered the Threshold back then and never returned.
In recent years, the Federal Government had deliberately buried the brutal realities of those times, shaping the Threshold into a place that, although risky, promised rewards far exceeding the dangers, bringing benefits to all citizens.
Judging by the disdain these young guards had for the pioneers, it was clear the Federation had succeeded.
Ding Naiqing and Tu Ran, deemed not too smart, had already taken photos of what seemed to be traces of a snake-like alien crawling and sent them to the Fourth Squad’s group chat.
Tu Ran asked in the chat: Has anyone seen an alien from the Serpentes suborder?
Ding Naiqing sent three pleading emojis in a row to set the mood.
No one replied immediately.
“They’re probably busy,” Ding Naiqing said.
“Probably,” Tu Ran agreed. She looked into the distance and saw the groom approaching with a group of people.
“Time to get to work,” Tu Ran said, heading towards them.
“Mr. Tubin, thank you for your hard work,” Tu Ran said with a polite smile.
“You’re welcome,” the groom replied, then took the initiative to organize the group into orderly lines to facilitate the investigation.
They lined up in over ten rows.
Tu Ran counted the people, including Tubin, totaling one hundred and twenty-one individuals, matching the information in their files.
She scanned the group briefly.
Judging by their attire, some were servants, some were workers, and some, dressed in suits and bow ties, appeared to be butlers. Most of them were workers.
Tu Ran carefully observed each person in the lineup.
When she stopped in front of a young, beautiful girl in a maid’s outfit, she suddenly asked, “What is your job?”
The girl, flustered by Tu Ran’s sharp gaze, twisted her fingers in her skirt and nervously replied, “I cook for Mr. and Mrs. Egan. I’ve been on the farm since I was a child. I know a lot about the old days. I haven’t been possessed.”
The girl anxiously explained.
Facing this fully equipped government official, armed and stern, the sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl felt an inexplicable fear.
Tu Ran nodded thoughtfully, without asking further questions, and moved on to the next person.
She slowly walked past each person, occasionally stopping to ask someone a few questions before moving on.
No one knew what she was doing.
The eight guards tasked with security watched, increasingly disdainful, believing she was just putting on a show, waiting to see her embarrassment when she failed to find the alien species.
Finally, she reached the last row. As she slowly walked past a middle-aged woman in a maid’s outfit, she stopped.
The middle-aged woman had a kind face, her brown-yellow eyes filled with a gentle smile.
“What is your name?” Tu Ran asked.
“Naya Rivera,” the middle-aged woman replied.
“What is your responsibility?” Tu Ran inquired as she had with the others.
Naya Rivera smiled and answered, “I am the maid hired by Mr. Egan to clean. I am responsible for the daily cleaning of the villa and have been on this farm for twelve years.”
