Chapter 176: Name

*Fwip*—

The kerosene lamp in the factory suddenly went out.

At this moment, the thugs present widened their eyes, staring fixedly at the figure standing in the dim moonlight. The half-rimmed glasses reflected the grim moonlight, making him look like a demon from the underworld... Their heartbeats seemed to skip a beat.

"Your... heart??" The thug leader swallowed his saliva.

"Oh." Chen Ling seemed to feel that saying it that way was too terrifying, so he changed his reason. "I mean, my younger brother's heart."

Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief... Also, if a person didn't have a heart, how could they possibly stand there and talk to them? Changing it to a younger brother made sense.

Chen Ling hadn't forgotten that his chest was still empty. Although he didn't know if he could put his heart back in if he found it, at least he needed to know where his heart had gone... Furthermore, the culprit who stole his heart and caused Chen Yan’s death was hiding in Aurora City.

So Chen Ling asked Chu Muyun where it was chaotic, partly to test [Heart Python], and partly to find an underground trading place similar to Ice Spring Street, hoping to find clues about the buyer of his heart.

The thug leader’s gaze toward Chen Ling held less wariness and more sympathy. From Chen Ling’s few words, he could already guess that something extremely dark and cruel must have happened to him... If it were his own relative whose heart had been stolen, he would probably go crazy looking for it and seeking revenge.

"I'm sorry, we don't know where such a trade exists." He said helplessly.

Chen Ling watched the thug leader for a moment and sighed deeply in his heart... He could tell that this person wasn't lying. It seemed they were indeed just a bunch of ordinary thugs; compared to those vicious black-hearted forces, they were simply gentle and harmless little sheep.

He pondered for a moment, looked at the dozens of thugs and hoodlums, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "In that case, you guys go and investigate for me."

These thugs hung around Aurora City all day doing nothing, so they should be far more familiar with everything here than he was, and they associated with people at the bottom of society. If he developed them into informants, it should have a good effect.

"Us?" The thug leader was stunned. "Hmm... that's not impossible, but we don't come cheap."

"Price is not an issue."

Seeing this, the thug leader’s eyes lit up. This was a big fish!

"We need a 10% deposit in advance."

"I don't have that."

“……？”

"Just owe it, pay it all at once when the job is done." Chen Ling waved his hand, not caring at all.

Chen Ling had just entered Aurora City and was penniless; where would he get a deposit? Although borrowing money from Chu Muyun was an option, he didn't want to owe him any favors.

The thug leader stared fixedly at Chen Ling, his expression somewhat unfriendly... He began to suspect whether Chen Ling was looking for trouble, but he didn't look like it, and besides, they didn't dare guarantee they could find clues about organ trafficking, as they had never heard of such a thing in Aurora City... He hesitated for a long time before saying:

"Payment after is fine, but the price will have to be higher... and we don't guarantee we can find it."

"Also, you should know what will happen if you can't pay when the time comes."

Chen Ling naturally heard the threat in the other party’s words and smiled slightly:

"No problem."

Chen Ling was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something and turned back again. "Besides that, help me investigate one more person. This shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"

"Who?"

"Wen Shilin." Chen Ling said slowly. "I want his past resume, personal preferences, living habits, and all other information. The price will be calculated separately."

"That's not hard, but why do you want information on a shitty reporter?"

"That's none of your concern."

"...Alright." The thug leader shrugged. "What should I call you, Boss?"

Chen Ling was startled. He almost instinctively said "Chen Ling," but thinking that he was now operating in Aurora City with a brand-new identity, his name naturally had to be changed... He was silent for a moment and then slowly spat out two words:

"Lin Yan."

……

Starry Chamber of Commerce.

"Has that Jian Changsheng been found yet?"

A figure draped in expensive sable fur hurried into the room, speaking with a dark face.

In the main hall of the Chamber of Commerce, a group of figures looked at each other and lowered their heads silently...

"So many people, and you can't even keep an eye on a prisoner in a dungeon. What are you all good for?!" The figure was furious, picked up a teapot from the table, and smashed it onto the ground. The shards flew and cut the faces of several people.

"Young Master... that Jian Changsheng is too weird. So many of us watched him disappear into thin air with our own eyes. This... this is simply unreasonable!"

"Yes, Young Master, the guards were on patrol inside and outside the courtyard all night, and they didn't find anything unusual..."

"This Jian Changsheng is a Tier 1 of the [Asura] path, with only the [Blood Garment] skill. Logically, it should be impossible for him to escape."

“……”

The people below spoke one after another, and the more they talked, the more mysterious it became. They couldn't figure out that Jian Changsheng couldn't have escaped on his own, but there were no traces of anyone else helping him break out... Besides, Jian Changsheng had been a servant of their Yan family since he was a child, with no status or background. Who could have saved him?

"According to you, is this Chamber of Commerce haunted?!" Young Master Yan Xishou pointed at the servants below and cursed angrily, "If my father comes back and hears about this, you'll all be beaten half to death! You useless dogs..."

The butler stood at the front with a slightly bowed figure and spoke calmly:

"Young Master, please rest assured. As long as Jian Changsheng is still in Aurora City, we will find him sooner or later."

Seeing the butler speak, Yan Xishou’s expression softened slightly. This nearly seventy-year-old butler had been assisting the Starry Chamber of Commerce since his father’s generation. Although he was the Young Master of the Starry Chamber of Commerce, he didn't dare to be too arrogant in front of him.

"Uncle Long, can you have the enforcers issue a wanted notice?"

"...No, that won't work." The old butler shook his head. "First, in the files of the enforcement system, Jian Changsheng is already a dead man; otherwise, they wouldn't have let us torture him. Since he's a dead man, he can't be wanted... Second, if this matter gets too big, I'm afraid it will damage the reputation of our Starry Chamber of Commerce."

Yan Xishou paced anxiously in the main hall with his hands behind his back.

"This matter must be resolved before Father returns... Have all our men been sent out?"

"They have been sent out and are conducting a carpet search of the entire city." The butler paused for a moment. "I have also arranged for people to keep an eye on the relatives related to Jian Changsheng. Once he shows his face, he won't be able to run."