Chapter 568: Three Moves

Shen Jingye organized the documents page by page and went to Li Qi’s office.

“Director Li, Du Wenming is on leave.”

“Since when?”

“Yesterday, starting Monday. Actually, he’s been on leave since last weekend. He requested a week off. This means he has no alibi for when Yu Yaoming was abducted!”

Li Banfeng said, “Wasn’t it Du Wenming who called you today to attend the meeting?”

“That’s because something happened at the research lab, so they cut his vacation short. He had just returned to his office when he called me.”

Li Banfeng said earnestly, “Comrade Du is quite familiar with us. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to list him as a suspect just because he took two days off?”

Shen Jingye looked at Li Banfeng. These words clearly weren’t something Li Banfeng should be saying; they should come from a superior.

Li Banfeng was helping Shen Jingye prepare for a response. If he intended to formally investigate Du Wenming, or even arrest him, there would surely be people obstructing him, and these were problems he would have to face.

“I have more than just an alibi; I have other clues.”

“No matter how many clues you have, we can’t wrongly accuse an innocent person,” Li Banfeng’s tone deepened. “Our colleagues all know that Du Wenming is not a Dark Energy User; he can’t use dark energy!”

Shen Jingye handed Li Banfeng a document: “According to his official resume, although Du Wenming is not a Dark Energy User, he worked at the Frontier Defense Department for a long time. Most of his work experience comes from Puro Province, which gives him the qualifications to become a Craftsman.”

“Just having qualifications isn’t enough. Where’s the evidence?”

Shen Jingye produced another document: “Du Wenming is a radio enthusiast. He’s a member of two radio amateur groups.”

A radio enthusiast?

Li Banfeng wanted to ask a question but didn’t, as it might reveal his age.

Radio enthusiasts were a unique group active in the 1980s. They possessed a certain level of communication knowledge and used self-assembled radio equipment to communicate with other enthusiasts via radio signals on different frequencies.

In the era before the internet became widespread, this method of communication, though not face-to-face, allowed them to hear each other’s voices, clearly superior to traditional pen pal correspondence. However, the high barrier to entry for the radio community meant its reach was very limited.

Li Banfeng looked at the related documents: “In this day and age, people still play with radios?”

Shen Jingye said, “This community has always been very active. We find it unfamiliar because we know so little about them.

Last month, Du Wenming even purchased a batch of components through a radio amateur organization. Here’s the list.”

Li Banfeng looked at the list: “They still use vacuum tubes? This equipment belongs in a museum.”

Shen Jingye said, “I just learned about this too. In the radio community, there’s a retro trend of using primitive equipment.

The radio amateur groups Du Wenming joined are legal, and the components he purchased are also legal.

However, many of these relatively primitive electronic components are not standard manufactured parts, making their use and assembly very difficult. This indirectly proves that Du Wenming understands a certain level of craftsmanship.”

Li Banfeng frowned, “Xiao Shen, this is too far-fetched. You can’t just say someone is a Craftsman because they know how to build a radio, can you?”

His tone was very much like some of Shen Jingye’s superiors. Li Banfeng was right; if they wanted to investigate Du Wenming, these objections were unavoidable.

But Shen Jingye could only go this far: “Given the current situation, these are all the clues we have. Given Du Wenming’s identity, arresting him for interrogation is unrealistic, and a search of his home would not be approved.

Even investigations into those around him and related organizations can only go so far. Du Wenming is an insider. If we delve deeper, we’ll certainly tip him off.”

Li Banfeng re-scanned the equipment list.

Du Wenming’s love for radio, was it really just a hobby?

Is there a definite connection between this and his abduction of Yu Yaoming?

Li Banfeng couldn’t figure it out on his own. Such matters required professional help.

The Dark Energy Bureau also had communications specialists. Shen Jingye called in Cheng Zhiyuan, a key member of the Communications Department.

Cheng Zhiyuan held the list, scrutinizing it for a long time, then began explaining the function of each component: “The main purpose of a rectifier tube is to convert alternating current into direct current. The function of an amplifier tube is to amplify audio signals. The function of a frequency converter tube is—”

Shen Jingye frowned, “Who asked you to explain that? Am I here for a lecture? I want to know what these components on the list can be assembled into!”

Cheng Zhiyuan looked for a moment longer, then shook his head, “I can’t tell.”

Li Banfeng asked, “You really can’t tell, or you don’t dare to say?”

Cheng Zhiyuan shook his head with a wry smile, “Director Li, you’re putting me on the spot.”

Li Banfeng and Shen Jingye understood the technical specialist.

It was like someone buying a few pieces of glass and a box of glue. They might be making a handmade fish tank, or a handmade mirror, or perhaps neither; they just want to stick a piece of glass on a table.

Normally, in casual conversation, a guess would be fine, but at the Dark Energy Bureau, a wrong inference could have serious consequences. So, until he received a formal order, Cheng Zhiyuan wouldn’t say anything.

Given the current situation, Shen Jingye couldn’t issue a formal order, so Li Banfeng simply took the list and sought his own channels.

He also had an expert. While perhaps unfamiliar with advanced equipment from other provinces, Luo Zhengnan was an absolute connoisseur of antique-level devices.

Upon returning to his residence, Li Banfeng called Luo Zhengnan and relayed the contents of the list to him.

After listening, Luo Zhengnan also seemed a bit puzzled: “Seventh Master, the items this person bought are a bit scattered. I can only make a rough guess.

These things can be used to make a TV antenna, or a radio. If one is more advanced, they could even make a radio telescope.

But based on my experience, making a radio is more likely. I have such a radio here; I can show it to you another day.”

“No need to wait. I’m in a bit of a hurry. I’ll come over and see it today.” Li Banfeng traveled through Iron Gate Fort to Emerald City. Luo Zhengnan had already prepared the radio.

In the eyes of young people, a radio is either in a car or in the hands of an old man in the park, usually palm-sized.

The radio Li Banfeng saw this time was taller than him, about the size of a wardrobe in his home.

Luo Zhengnan opened the back panel of the radio and introduced each component one by one.

“The electrical signals in Puro Province are very weak. Semiconductor materials from other provinces aren’t effective. Vacuum tubes have excellent response characteristics at high frequencies, and they are stable and not particular about the environment, unlike the delicate new equipment from other provinces.

Vacuum tube equipment is also easy to repair. If one tube breaks, you just replace it, unlike those advanced devices where if one part breaks, you have to replace a whole section.”

Li Banfeng generally understood. He turned on his phone, but only heard a series of static noises.

“Seventh Master, don’t rush. With just electronic equipment, the signals received are very limited. To listen to the radio in Puro Province, you need a special material.” Luo Zhengnan picked up a wooden box, took out an antenna from it, and connected it to the radio.

This antenna was very special; it was the one he usually inserted into his own head.

After connecting the antenna, carefully tuning the knob, the radio finally found a station.

Amidst a cheerful fanfare of gongs, drums, and flutes, Li Banfeng heard an advertisement:

“Brother, why haven’t you harvested your sorghum yet?”

“I don’t dare. Two days ago, I just chopped up Uncle Liu at the village entrance. His body is still in the field. If I harvest the sorghum, his body won’t be hidden anymore, and Liu will definitely not spare me!”

“Just hiding it like this isn’t a solution. Haven’t you used Old Ma San’s Corpse Dissolving Elixir? One spoon, and it’s gone clean, no residue left. Just a little liquid seeps into the soil. You don’t even need to clean up!”

“Is it really that effective?”

“It’s an old brand, a time-honored name. I’m a regular customer of his. Would I lie to you!”

Li Banfeng’s mouth hung open listening to the advertisement: “Such a medicine can be openly advertised?”

Luo Zhengnan laughed, “That’s just the style in our Puro Province. Everything is straightforward.”

Li Banfeng was very angry: “This isn’t about being straightforward. It’s about this medicine itself being unreasonable. Do you know how precious a body is? He dissolves it with one spoonful of medicine! Making this kind of medicine is a waste of resources, a waste of resources!”

Luo Zhengnan was a bit perplexed: “Then after killing someone, how should the body be disposed of—”

“You hand it over to me! I have plenty of good ways. Tomorrow, let’s also run an advertisement—”

Before he finished speaking, a sweet voice emerged from the radio.

“Hello, listeners and friends, I’m Ah Hui. It’s that time of year again for the busy farming season. First, a big thank you to all you cultivators out there for your hard work.”

Hearing this voice, Li Banfeng was stunned for a long time.

Luo Zhengnan smiled, “Seventh Master, isn’t that voice sweet? She’s the best announcer in all of Puro Province.”

“The best?”

“Absolutely, listen again.”

The radio’s sound quality was a bit coarse, but it truly couldn’t mask the sweetness of the voice: “During the busy season, mindsets can easily change. When conflicts arise with others, always think twice before acting.

In two more months, it will be the snowy season. Regardless of old grudges or new ones, it’s best to resolve them in the snow, which facilitates the disposal of bodies and other aftermath—”

Li Banfeng carefully examined the antenna on the radio: “With this antenna, can I receive this station even outside Puro Province?”

Luo Zhengnan nodded, “You can call me from outside Puro Province; it’s the same principle.”

“What material is this antenna made of?”

Luo Zhengnan hesitated for a moment.

Li Banfeng said, “It’s fine if you don’t want to say. No pressure.”

This antenna was the foundation of Luo Zhengnan’s livelihood. But since Li Qi asked, Luo Zhengnan still explained: “Iron, manganese, nickel—these materials go without saying. The most crucial material is Heartstone.

When refining this antenna, a small piece of Heartstone, about the size of a fingernail, was melted into it. Without this piece of Heartstone, this antenna would only be worth sixty Huan Nation bills. With this Heartstone, even six thousand silver dollars might not be enough to buy it.”

Li Banfeng was very aware that Heartstone had a guiding effect. Chu Shaoqiang had relied on Heartstone to transport Blade Ghost Ridge to Sage Peak.

Perhaps this material could also guide electromagnetic signals.

If Du Wenming also had a radio-like device, would he also possess Heartstone?

Of course, having invested so much, he surely wasn’t just listening to the radio. He must have been engaged in other research.

His abduction of Yu Yaoming indicated that Yu Yaoming’s research overlapped with some of his own, and Yu Yaoming might even have already achieved the results he desired.

Results certainly weren’t limited to theory. What else had Yu Yaoming researched?

Li Banfeng immediately returned to Yue Province, went to the Dark Energy Bureau, and called Shen Jingye: “Who is currently in charge of guarding Yu Yaoming’s laboratory?”

“Currently, it’s still the Dark Matter Research Lab personnel. But the task of finding Yu Yaoming has fallen to us, so we can take over the lab at any time.” Shen Jingye prepared to call the lab.

Li Banfeng shook his head: “Don’t take over yet. After such a major incident, even if the lab is ineffective, they’ll surely heighten their vigilance at this time and won’t easily leave an opportunity for an opponent.”

Shen Jingye said, “Are you certain Du Wenming will attack the lab?”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “I can’t be certain, but the probability is high. Find me a place to stay near Yu Yaoming’s lab, without alerting the lab personnel. I’ll go watch tonight. Right now, I’m worried Du Wenming won’t dare to easily go to the lab.”

Shen Jingye said, “Is there a way to lure him there?”

“Yes,” Li Banfeng thought for a while, and a general plan formed in his mind, “Communicate with the lab personnel. I want to investigate Yu Yaoming’s students.”

Shen Jingye said, “If needed, we can take over all his students.”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “No need to take them over. Just arrange one investigation. That way, someone will send a message to Du Wenming. Du Wenming will then call you, and you must handle it properly.”

Shen Jingye went to arrange lodging near the lab. Li Banfeng went to the hospital to visit Fang Yufei, his high school and university classmate.

Before leaving, Li Banfeng specifically put on makeup, attached a fake beard, and had his wife stick some clay on his face to make his face appear much rounder.

Confident he wouldn’t be easily recognized, Li Banfeng went to the hospital, showed his ID to the agent sent by the research lab, and entered Fang Yufei’s ward.

The research lab agent hadn’t clearly seen Li Banfeng’s ID and chased him to the door, asking, “Could I trouble you to sign in?”

Li Banfeng turned back and looked at the agent expressionlessly.

The agent felt a chill and didn’t dare to ask more, quietly closing the ward door.

Actually, there was no need to ask further. The superiors had already given notice that someone from the Dark Energy Bureau was coming. This was pre-arranged work, so why bother interfering?

The agent comforted himself and sat back down by the ward door.

Li Banfeng pulled up a chair and sat opposite Fang Yufei.

Fang Yufei truly didn’t recognize Li Banfeng because her glasses had been confiscated by the Dark Energy Bureau. She nervously looked at the bearded man in front of her and cautiously asked, “Who are you?”

Li Banfeng waved his ID in front of Fang Yufei: “I am the investigator in charge of this case. I’m here to ask you a few questions.”

Fang Yufei shook her head: “I’ve already said everything I can say. What else do you want to ask?”

“Don’t be nervous, just a few simple questions. You were also at the scene on the day of the incident. Were you trying to help your mentor then?”

Fang Yufei lowered her head and said: “Initially, that was the idea, but then we saw our teacher being arrested, and we all got scared.”

Paranoid, yet very real.

Spending a long time with Yu Yaoming seemed to lead to similar changes.

Li Banfeng asked again: “After your teacher was arrested, did you consider rescuing him?”

“No, absolutely not!” Fang Yufei vehemently denied, “After our teacher was arrested, we were all arrested too.

We don’t have that ability, nor that courage.”

“Besides you students, are there other members in Yu Yaoming’s organization?”

“What organization are you talking about?” Fang Yufei repeatedly shook her head, “We don’t have an organization. We’re just ordinary teacher-student relationships.”

“Still trying to argue!” Li Banfeng intensified his tone, “Who was sitting next to you at the academic conference?”

Fang Yufei said, “That was Han Yuelong. He’s from our school, and his research area is somewhat similar, but he’s not our mentor’s student.”

“Besides him?”

“The person sitting on the other side was a man. I don’t know him.”

“You don’t know him?” Li Banfeng frowned. Is she deliberately protecting me? She seemed to have said she would never forget me.

“I really don’t know him. I think I said a few words to him, and he seemed to have some research on wormholes, but what exactly we talked about, I truly forgot!”

She didn’t seem to be lying.

It appeared someone had erased part of her memory.

What method did that person use?

The purpose of doing this was probably to protect me. If Fang Yufei’s memory hadn’t been erased, during the investigation, both the Dark Energy Bureau and the Dark Matter Research Lab would conclude that Li Banfeng was Li Qi.

Li Banfeng looked at Fang Yufei, a hint of imposing authority radiating from him: “I know your organization is still trying to rescue Yu Yaoming. You can keep denying it, but if you continue to refuse to cooperate with the investigation, you, like Yu Yaoming, will face the most severe punishment!”

Fang Yufei sat on the bed, her body trembling.

Li Banfeng got up and left.

He hadn’t walked far when he heard Fang Yufei screaming loudly: “I didn’t, I didn’t lie! I’m telling the truth!

It’s really the truth….”

The agent outside heard the shouts and rushed in, calling for a doctor to help control the agitated Fang Yufei.

Li Banfeng looked back at Fang Yufei.

She was beautiful and outstanding.

He hoped she would remember this fear and not, like Yu Yaoming, dabble in powers she couldn’t control.

Would Du Wenming know about the situation at the hospital?

Li Banfeng was certain he would know.

Because the agent responsible for guarding the door had already taken out his phone to report to his superior.

Shen Jingye had just selected a place to stay near the lab and immediately received a call from Du Wenming.

“Director Shen, what’s going on with you people? You arranged a single interrogation and drove a witness insane?”

Shen Jingye quickly apologized: “We sent a rookie, who might have been a bit overzealous.”

“Good thing this is a hospital. Fang Yufei’s condition was brought under control by the doctors. If this were at your Dark Energy Bureau,

I wonder how you’d manage the aftermath.”

“Director Du’s criticism is noted. I will handle this matter seriously.”

“I really don’t know what you’re thinking. Do you suspect Yu Yaoming was abducted by Fang Yufei? Do you think she has that capability?”

“Director Du, we believe Yu Yaoming has more than just Fang Yufei working for him. He has a considerable organization under him. Yu Yaoming is the head of the organization, and Fang Yufei and other students are important members of it.

This organization carried out a rescue operation and abducted Yu Yaoming from the lab. Fang Yufei and the other students must have crucial clues about Yu Yaoming!”

Du Wenming pondered for a moment: “I agree with your view, but you must be careful with your methods during the investigation.

Tomorrow, I’ll transfer these students to the Dark Energy Bureau. I’ll take responsibility for this matter for you. Please investigate quickly.”

After hanging up, Shen Jingye wiped sweat from his brow. He replayed the conversation in his mind, confirming he hadn’t revealed any weaknesses.

Du Wenming sat behind his desk, his fingertips gently tapping the surface.

Shen Jingye had pointed the finger at those students.

Ultimately, the Dark Energy Bureau still relied on the same old tricks.

That night, Li Banfeng arrived at the lodging Shen Jingye had arranged.

Yu Yaoming’s laboratory was secluded. There were two faculty dormitories nearby, both cleared out by the research lab. A little further away was a warehouse. The warehouse management personnel had evacuated, but the warehouse had no dedicated guard. The only suitable lodging

was here.

Li Banfeng wasn’t particular; he lived in his portable residence anyway.

Shen Jingye also arranged a helper for Li Banfeng, special operative Geng Congyi.

This man was around fifty, robust, and very polite to Li Banfeng: “Director Li, I am a Divider, known as a Cleaver in Puro Province. I have some ability to restrain Craftsmen.”

“A Cleaver?” Li Banfeng had heard the name but didn’t know much about this path. “What means do you use to restrain Craftsmen?”

Geng Congyi replied: “By severing the connection between the Craftsman and their weapon. Cleavers excel at striking, able to sever matter and the bonds between energies.”

Shen Jingye helped explain: “In short, if we encounter a puppet again, Old Geng can sever the strings.

The puppet will naturally become useless!”

Li Banfeng nodded: “This is indeed a good helper, Old Geng. You’ll have to endure some hardship staking out here. Can you handle it?”

Geng Congyi stood tall: “Don’t worry, Director. I guarantee the mission will be completed.”

That evening, Li Banfeng had Old Geng stand by in the warehouse while he went to the lab to conduct a preliminary investigation.

Avoiding the guards, he unlocked the door, used the Projector to control the surveillance equipment, and began his investigation.

He took out his glove and asked, “Is there anything valuable?”

“Yes, there are good things!” The glove went around each piece of equipment, pulling out an iron box from the resonant apparatus, a glass tube from the spectrometer, and dismantling a resistor from the interferometer.

After dismantling over thirty parts in total, Li Banfeng asked the glove, “What are these for?”

The glove said, “I don’t know what they’re for, but they’re all very valuable.”

Li Banfeng took all the paper documents from the lab, copied all the data from several computers, and then the glove “cleaned up,” restoring all document boxes and folders, filling them with blank paper so that no sign of tampering was visible from the outside.

Once everything was handled, Li Banfeng left the lab and put everything into his portable residence.

His Madam looked at these components, seeing no use for them, but was somewhat interested in the experimental data Li Banfeng brought back.

The glove felt a bit wronged: “Madam, take a closer look. These things are very valuable.”

The portable residence trembled, and the Old Man spoke: “Ah Qi, bring them to the third room. Let me see.”

The glove wagged its index finger: “Old Man, let’s just look, but please say something before you touch anything.”

The portable residence grew impatient: “Just bring them over quickly. A pile of junk, yet you treat it like treasure.”

Li Banfeng and the glove carried the pile of parts into the third room, placed them on the ground, and waited for the Old Man’s appraisal.

The Old Man didn’t voice an opinion. Li Banfeng only saw a pile of parts disappearing one after another.

When the last circuit board vanished, the Old Man sighed, “You kid, you have a conscience. You finally brought good things home. These are priceless treasures.”

The glove let out a long breath: “Master, you hear that? I told you I couldn’t be mistaken.

Old Man, I gave you all the good stuff. At least tell me the origin of these treasures!”

The Old Man said, “These are all Heartstone.”

The glove was startled: “All Heartstone? Heartstone can look like this?”

“They’re not complete Heartstones. Heartstone was melted into these objects. I don’t know much about the power engineering methods of other provinces, but if I study them for a while, I should be able to see some clues.”

The glove nodded: “If you can’t see clues, maybe you can see a train station. Old Man, Heartstone is a good material for building large train stations, right?”

A broom flew over and swatted the glove to the ground. The portable residence sternly admonished: “Ah Qi, these things must be of extraordinary origin. You must handle the aftermath properly. Don’t let anyone trace them back to us.

We are not greedy people, but what falls into our hands, we absolutely won’t let anyone take back!”

Li Banfeng noted the Old Man’s teaching and returned to the lab with the glove.

He had been in the lab for so long, and the Dark Matter Research Lab agents had no reaction at all. This wasn’t due to their dereliction of duty, but because their capabilities were truly limited.

Li Banfeng handed the newly acquired lens oil to the Projector: “Next, we’ll rely on our new friends.”

“Director Qi, do you also believe they are alive?”

“I believe that as long as they are my friends, they should enjoy prosperity and never suffer loss.”

The Projector was very confident about this mission: “Director Qi, from now on, dozens of eyes will collectively complete the mission you’ve entrusted to us.”

The next night, the puppet-like figure, wearing a large brown hat, with yellow hair, blue eyes, and a long nose, entered the laboratory.

He still walked sideways between the equipment, his body showing no undulation, his footsteps remarkably steady.

He first opened the resonant apparatus, raised his left arm, and fumbled in the spectrometer for a moment.

He didn’t find the resistor he wanted.

He took out a blueprint from his pocket, compared it, and realized he hadn’t mistaken the equipment, but the crucial part inside was missing.

He then checked the spectrometer, also failing to find the desired part.

He then crawled under the resonant apparatus, and just as he opened the bottom cover, he suddenly heard a shout from outside: “Someone has entered the lab! All personnel, positions! Prepare for combat!”

The research lab agents rushed into the scene first, followed by Li Qi and Geng Congyi.

The puppet was still under the resonant apparatus, his feet uncontrollably twitching.