DA chapter 68

The phone seemed dead, not showing any signs of movement.

Yan Xu stared at it for a while before realizing there was no way to revive it. He clicked his tongue and picked it up.

He couldn’t quite figure it out. Lin Jia was the problematic one; Lin Jia was also the one tossing out the bait. Yet, Lin Jia’s temper seemed even bigger than his—the one waiting to take the bait.

Yan Xu zoomed in on the image again.

He didn’t know what angle Lin Jia had chosen to photograph his dinner from. The Romanée-Conti sat quietly on the table, covered by a tablecloth. It was the only clear thing in the entire photo. Its exquisitely packaged bottle immediately drew the viewer’s attention.

If the viewer was willing to look a little closer, they would notice the subtly hidden card. Compared to the expensive wine, the card shouldn’t have been eye-catching. However, it had been carefully selected, and the strokes traced on it were vivid. The ink conveyed the sender’s sincere invitation.

*I wonder if I have the honor of invit—*

Yan Xu hadn’t even gotten to see his name again before the image suddenly disappeared.

Lin Jia: [Message retracted].

Yan Xu: …………

Clearly, Lin Jia was not a patient angler. He lacked the patience a true angler should have.

He tied the bait, cast the hook, and if the fish didn’t bite immediately, he would just frown and end the dull fishing session.

Yan Xu looked at the conversation window with Lin Jia and, after thinking, typed a few words:

[Yan Xu: Another Hongmen Banquet?]

The moment he sent it, he felt it was too blunt and direct.

The angler on the other end was already petty. Wasn’t this just pouring oil on the fire?

He considered retracting it, but decided against it, as it would make him seem too cautious and not bold enough.

Who was he? The captain of the inspection team who did things his own way. Why should he be cautious?

He tossed the phone aside and buried himself in his meal.

Whether he replied or not was up to him.

Ding—

A reply.

Yan Xu grabbed the phone.

[Lin Jia: Not exactly a Hongmen Banquet. There’s something I want to ask you, Captain Yan.]

As expected, someone like Lin Jia would never take the initiative to invite someone out of the blue; there must be a reason.

Yan Xu felt a little disappointed, but he quickly suppressed it.

[Yan Xu: What is it?]

[Lin Jia: J0001 Cloud Layer.]

J0001 Cloud Layer—the largest cloud layer in the Underwater World, visible from any corner of it. Nearly all other cloud layers flow around J0001.

Lin Jia set down his phone, removed his glasses, and pressed his temples.

J0001 Cloud Layer had not appeared in the bounty area. Lin Jia learned about it from Old Zhou. Because of its size, the way other clouds circled it, and the Management Office’s secrecy, Lin Jia instinctively felt that J0001 was not simple.

Lin Jia asked Yan Xu about J0001 not to learn more, but to see if Yan Xu had been there.

Old Zhou mentioned that Yan Xu had disappeared for a time when the Broken Cloud was completely destroyed. No one knew where he had gone; they only knew that when he reappeared, he was part of the Management Office.

Old Zhou heard about J0001 Cloud Layer just before Yan Xu disappeared. Old Zhou said: “During that period, the upper management of the Broken Cloud was tense. I passed by once and overheard them talking about J0001 Cloud Layer.”

This was a simple statement, but Lin Jia had already begun to speculate irresponsibly.

J0001’s uniqueness, compared to other cloud layers, gave the impression of a final boss. Perhaps the reward in J0001 wasn’t Fish Spirits, but rather a way to leave the Underwater World. This would mean that Yan Xu’s disappearance coincided with him entering J0001.

Yet, being the largest cloud layer in the Underwater World, even the battle-hardened Yan Xu had faltered there, and his consciousness was stripped away.

Still, this was only a guess. Proving it would be too difficult and troublesome.

The simplest approach was to confirm whether Yan Xu had been to J0001. If so, Lin Jia would not bother searching for other traces connecting Yan Xu to the cat. He could boldly equate Yan Xu with the cat.

Lin Jia’s plan was to first confirm that Yan Xu was the cat and then merge the cat and Yan Xu. Given Yan Xu’s character, he would certainly keep his promise to help Lin Jia leave.

Of course, Lin Jia had a backup plan. Leaving the Underwater World wasn’t simple—otherwise, Yan Xu wouldn’t have had his consciousness stripped. He would have stayed here, waiting or searching for a chance to get out.

This period of stay was when the lure would take effect.

Lin Jia wanted Yan Xu to care about him, to have a constant, ever-present concern for him.

He wanted to find support for himself and ensure Yan Xu’s promise—a second insurance.

The cat squatted by the table, clawing at the phone screen. “Yan Xu hasn’t replied.”

Lin Jia paid little attention.

The cat frowned. Of course, it wanted Lin Jia to have strong backing—only if Lin Jia was safe would it be safe.

It didn’t understand why Lin Jia had approached Yan Xu, but whatever Lin Jia did must have been for a reason.

The cat openly watched Lin Jia and Yan Xu chat. “Are you fishing?”

“But your fishing skills aren’t great,” the cat remarked. “No patience at all.”

Lin Jia lifted his eyes.

The cat jumped slightly and awkwardly said, “I’m just saying.”

Since the cat was most likely Yan Xu himself, Lin Jia didn’t need to reveal too much. He replied lightly: “You wouldn’t understand.”

The cat, of course, didn’t understand. Sometimes, fishing doesn’t require patience; it requires adapting to the situation — a tailor-made skill.

The phone screen lit up for a moment. Lin Jia swiped past the cat and saw that Yan Xu had replied.

[Yan Xu: J0001? Planning to get yourself killed?]

Lin Jia smiled without emotion.

“Get myself killed?”

He found that amusing. After all, who really loves courting death?

Lin Jia typed back: “Just curious about the shape of J0001.”

[Yan Xu: Go to the window.”]

Lin Jia walked to the window. The phone blinked as more messages piled up.

[Yan Xu: Look up.]

Lin Jia looked up.

[Yan Xu: Did you see that whale-shaped cloud?]

[Yan Xu: That’s J0001.]

Outside, layers of clouds sprawled across the night sky. A whale-shaped cloud loomed at the highest point. Neon lights scattered their rays. As the whale dove into the sea, its glow sank into the darkness.

Lin Jia picked up his phone and took a photo of J0001.

Then he sent it to Yan Xu with the caption: “Is this it?”

The cat leapt forward. “What did Yan Xu say? Is that J0001?”

Lin Jia sat back in his chair, briefly swinging his phone in front of the cat, which caught sight of the photo he had sent.

Through the window, the shapes of the clouds were blurred, but the reflection on the floor-to-ceiling window was clear.

The figure had just finished bathing and had a thin towel wrapped around its waist.

The cat jumped back and pointed out, “You didn’t take it clearly. How is Yan Xu supposed to recognize J0001?”

Lin Jia narrowed his eyes slightly and muttered after a moment: “Silly cat.”

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