In the black space, Zhang Yuan's post didn't spark much discussion.
Only Kess and another intermediary confirmed the identity of the killer.
[Code Name: Black Tower]
[Skills: Infiltration, Assassination, Accidental Assassination, Trace Erasure]
[Body: Dynamic capture prosthetic eyes, cut-resistant skin, bio-engineered muscles with 10x explosive strength, embedded weapons (click to expand)]
[Price: Starting from 200,000 credit points (adjusted based on specific commission conditions)]
It was expensive—really expensive.
Zhang Yuan marveled inwardly: 200,000 just to eliminate someone?
For an ordinary employee in the security department, it would take years of eating and drinking nothing to earn that.
As for tracking this person down, Kess made it very clear: "Don't even think about it; meet offline and pay in cash. At this level of assassin, all commissions are stored in their heads; they leave no records whatsoever."
Since the lead on the killer was cut off, the focus had to shift to that puppet.
He quickly obtained detailed information about the woman.
[Name: Mu Tingdeng]
[Year of Birth: 2975]
[Mother: Mu Qing (click to expand details)]
[Father: Zhang Quan (click to expand details)]
[Overview: Lived in Jingshan District during childhood, attended the Second Public School of Jingshan District from ages 6 to 16, then entered Xigu City First Technology University, majoring as a low-level data engineer. Graduated with excellent grades at 18, worked at Jingshan Grand Hotel, and was promoted to Technical Supervisor a year later in 2994. In 2995, due to outstanding work performance, Jingshan Grand Hotel considered promoting Mu Tingdeng to the board's reserve seat as future management. The same year, Mu Tingdeng resigned.]
[After 2995, Mu Tingdeng's chip signal and usage records have not appeared in any records until this case.]
[Click to expand more detailed information...]
Zhang Yuan first opened the profiles of Mu Tingdeng's parents; they were ordinary mid-level employees living on the outskirts of Jingshan District, with nothing particularly special about their family.
In contrast, Mu Tingdeng herself entered university at 16, graduated in two years, and became a low-level data engineer, which was already quite impressive in Xigu City.
As for Jingshan Grand Hotel, it was well-known throughout Xigu City—one of the top luxury hotels.
As a property of the Fifth Consortium, it boasted not only first-rate views, rooms, and cuisine but also renowned virtual dream experiences.
Achieving such a position at such a young age indicated that Mu Tingdeng was undoubtedly top-notch in both intelligence and capability.
How could someone like her go missing for two years and end up as a puppet?
Although he was now a board member of the Loner Dreaming, in terms of the internal structure of the Fifth Consortium, Jingshan Grand Hotel and Loner Dreaming were considered peer-level subsidiaries, so his words wouldn't necessarily hold weight.
Moreover, if this matter was somehow connected to the hotel itself, asking about it rashly might raise suspicion and hinder subsequent investigations.
He thought of a direct approach—dining at Jingshan Grand Hotel!
He planned to invite his colleagues from the tech department and a few people from the analysis office. The reason was simple: a celebratory meal due to the virus outbreak incident.
He would also invite the leaders of both departments, pretending to want to build good relations for future promotions.
Although Jingshan Grand Hotel was expensive, he had just received a bonus, so he could afford a meal without ordering too many expensive dishes or drinks.
During the meal, he could use the Ghost Organization to infiltrate the hotel's system and obtain information.
If the firewall was too strong, Qin Xuezhong would be present, and he could easily ask the boss for help.
If given the opportunity, he could also inquire with the hotel staff to see if there were any clues.
The plan was foolproof!
---
At No. 1 Xiaguang Avenue, Jingshan Grand Hotel.
There's a saying: if you want to see the latest and most comprehensive luxury cars, just take a look near Jingshan Grand Hotel, where they're all flying overhead.
The reason is simple; it's where the wealthiest and most powerful people in Xigu City come to dine.
The manager here excels at resource allocation and handling interpersonal relationships.
Each day, he faces dozens of such situations involving favors and commands.
This board member's child is about to take power, that minister's child is up for promotion, this relative is coming to dine, that friend is visiting or discussing business…
Each matter is of utmost importance to those involved. However, the manager must prioritize them appropriately.
After all, the best spots are limited, and the freshest ingredients aren't that plentiful.
The manager must persuade different individuals with various compelling reasons—why they can't sit in that spot, why that dish isn't available—without making them feel offended, ideally leaving them quite happy.
However, what happened today left him somewhat bewildered.
First, the hotel's best spot was reserved using an unknown privilege from within the consortium.
The guests being welcomed were several junior staff from the security department, here to celebrate.
The manager couldn't help but wonder who among them had struck lucky to connect with the higher-ups of the consortium and secured this position.
Due to the impact of the virus outbreak, fewer people had been dining out lately, so the manager hesitated before giving this position away.
But then, several directors and executives from the Fifth Consortium simultaneously planned to come to the hotel for a "casual meal" or to "treat a friend."
Clearly, news of Qin Xuezhong dining at Jingshan Grand Hotel had spread among the highest circles of the Fifth Consortium, and many wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about her.
If they could establish better relations with this newly ascended power player, it would be ideal.
For these big shots, the world of business isn't about the Ghost Organization's struggles but about social connections.
The manager had originally intended to communicate with the security department guests to swap for a different spot.
However, unexpectedly, the higher-ups within the consortium all uniformly expressed, "Just give us any ordinary spot; please don't reserve anything too nice," "A corner will suffice."
This bizarre scene left the manager utterly perplexed.
If this arrangement continued, it would result in several junior staff sitting in the best spot, while the consortium's big shots scattered nearby?
It was a case of the stars surrounding the moon.
In such a situation, the manager felt increasingly uneasy.
He had no choice but to ask the chairman of the hotel, who was also coming to dine.
After hearing the manager's question, the chairman nodded and said, "You're right; this really isn't appropriate."
The manager let out a sigh of relief. "So what do you think would be more suitable?"
The chairman replied, "Invite more people to fill the restaurant, and you can slightly adjust the seating so that table doesn't stand out so much."
"Ah?" The manager was taken aback. "We don't need to ask that table's guests to move… just change their position?"
Once the question was asked, the chairman's expression immediately changed. "No! Don't change anything! Just follow my instructions!"
The manager hesitated, saying, "Chairman, it's not that I'm unwilling… but with so many leaders present, having a few clerks sitting in the best spot might not look good for our hotel's image, right?"
The chairman's face shifted to one of sudden realization, and he quickly responded, "You're absolutely right."
Before the manager could relax again, the chairman added, "I'll talk to the others and tell them not to wear anything too fancy, so they don't stand out."
"Ah???" The manager was stunned a second time.
Was the chairman losing his mind?
Not to wear anything too nice? This was one of the best restaurants in Xigu City—was the chairman trying to turn it into a slum?
He had no idea that since Qin Xuezhong joined the consortium's board, many aspects of the previous director's life had quickly come to the attention of the powerful figures in the organization.
One prominent detail was the previous director's simple lifestyle.
Having come from a slum, the former director had been used to living in a ghetto, dressing, eating, and commuting very simply, like an ordinary woman from that area.
The chairman was certainly aware of this.
His first reaction was to worry that if those around Qin Xuezhong dressed too well, it would make her party look out of place, which would be disastrous.
He waved his hand and told the manager, "Don't worry about this; I'll handle it. Just remember to take good care of that table, but be discreet about it. Don't let anyone think you're giving them special treatment, got it?"
The manager nodded, confused and struggling.
For the first time in his career, he didn't understand what was happening to his hotel.
Before the end of the day, Zhang Yuan arrived at the analysis department's office, dressed in simple, casual clothes.
His colleagues had already left, and he wanted to wait for a few people from the analysis department to leave together. The reason was simple: in case the boss needed anything, he could attend to it first.
As they were about to set off, Xue Zhishi, dressed sharply in formal attire, asked, "You guys are going like this?"
Everyone was taken aback.
Prompted by Xue Zhishi, Jin An'an and Xie Kedu suddenly realized they were supposed to wear formal attire at Jingshan Grand Hotel's restaurant.
"Right…" Jin An'an was the first to respond, then turned to Qin Xuezhong and suggested, "Why don't we take a detour and buy a suit?"
Qin Xuezhong instinctively glanced at Zhang Yuan.
After all, it was his treat, so they should consider his opinion.
"No need to go through all that trouble!" Zhang Yuan quickly interjected with a smile. "I've heard that due to the recent economic downturn, Jingshan Grand Hotel has started to adopt a more casual approach, so there's no requirement anymore."
He had already heard that to accommodate Qin Xuezhong's visit, the board members were asked to dress a bit more casually.
Feigning nonchalance, he explained for a while, and only then did the group seem somewhat convinced. They took a relatively inexpensive taxi to Jingshan Grand Hotel.
The top-floor restaurant was bathed in a warm, comfortable light.
It was neither too dim nor too bright, allowing guests to enjoy the view outside.
The music was just right, and the aroma wafting through the air was relaxing and full of anticipation.
However, the people sitting inside were dressed quite poorly. When Qin Xuezhong glanced around, she even spotted several outfits typical of the ghetto.
In such an environment, her group didn't stand out much at all.
Instead, Xue Zhishi, in his formal attire, seemed out of place.
Jin An'an finally let out a sigh of relief and quietly remarked, "It really is the economic downturn; even luxury hotels are trying to attract customers from the ghetto."
Her voice was slightly louder than intended. The diners around her froze mid-bite, their hands suspended in the air.
The manager, trailing behind, was utterly speechless.
One question kept spinning in his mind: Who exactly were these clerks?!