Lin Yu wasn't sure why Fu Luo had agreed so readily to his plan of going after Heavenly Artisan.
Truth be told, this was quite a dangerous endeavor.
Based on Lin Yu's expectations of Fu Luo and his performance in the previous game instance, the guy seemed more like the cowardly type.
However, since he'd agreed, Lin Yu naturally wouldn't refuse.
After all...
What Lin Yu planned to do next desperately required a "companion."
On the way to the abandoned housing complex in the taxi, Lin Yu reviewed the information Fu Luo had compiled about Heavenly Artisan.
Heavenly Artisan's real name was Chen Zhitie, aged 35.
As Fu Luo had mentioned, he used to be a minor supervisor at a construction company, a top graduate from Henan University of Technology's civil engineering program.
On the very day Heavenly Artisan completed his Promotion instance, he returned to reality and killed three players in Zheng City, Henan Province.
After lying low for a week, right before entering the next instance... he went to neighboring Yang City and killed two more players.
Investigations showed the victims all had prior transactions or contact with him.
Later, after he announced joining the Marauders, Order and the game masters of both Henan cities issued warrants and launched hunts against him.
But so far, they'd achieved nothing.
Because Heavenly Artisan Chen Zhitie had no family or friends to speak of. After the incident, he immediately quit his job and vanished from Zheng City.
Some on the forum even speculated he might have fled to another province!
After all, while Order had many official personnel among its ranks, it wasn't actually the government!
No matter how powerful the organization was, it couldn't blockade transportation or investigate spending records.
For someone to hide from Order would be troublesome but not impossible.
Order wouldn't mobilize its entire force just for one Heavenly Artisan either.
Reading through the detailed dossier, Lin Yu grew curious.
"How did you pinpoint his location?"
Faced with Lin Yu's question, Fu Luo replied modestly in a low voice:
"Ah, he was pretty notorious a month ago. I happened to look into it while bored."
"Though Order and the forum didn't have the resources to dig deep... most information was already exposed, so I just asked my Order connections for what they knew."
"Cunning as he is, you know the saying—'Every contact leaves a trace'... he couldn't hide from me."
As Fu Luo spoke, Lin Yu nodded.
"I know—Edmond Locard, founder of modern forensics. That's the fundamental principle of forensic science, Locard's Exchange Principle."
"But," Lin Yu hesitated, "that only applies to crime scene investigation, right..."
Lin Yu eyed Fu Luo suspiciously.
Fu Luo grinned: "Right, so I went—to both murder scenes and his former workplace."
"While Order thinks Heavenly Artisan killed out of resentment over unfair deals... that's not actually the case."
"He killed five people just to cover up the two he really wanted dead—one was a supplier that worked with his construction company once, the other a construction worker."
"Coincidentally, both were Players too."
"Heavenly Artisan's quite calculating—he even deliberately interacted and traded with them at Zheng City's gathering in Henan."
Hearing this, Lin Yu was surprised.
"So his motive relates to real life?"
"Probably. When I kept investigating," Fu Luo stroked his chin, "I traced it to this abandoned complex we're heading to—Jiuxi Garden... a project his company, that supplier and construction team jointly worked on."
"I had a case back then and didn't follow up... this time returning, I looked into it yesterday out of boredom and made a discovery."
"Heavenly Artisan bought an apartment there himself."
Lin Yu suddenly had an epiphany.
"You said Heavenly Artisan has no family—what exactly did you mean?"
Fu Luo chuckled at Lin Yu's question.
"Sharp as ever, catching that immediately—his parents divorced when he was young, mother remarried, basically no contact for over a decade."
"His alcoholic father died early, leaving him with an old army comrade."
"That comrade died during his second year of high school—after that he apparently boarded at school."
"Remaining relatives... no contact either."
"Talented guy, got into a decent university, worked part-time through school—that's the gist."
Lin Yu exhaled softly.
"Now I fully understand his motive."
Perhaps barely qualifying as revenge... no, realistically speaking, less revenge than...
Venting rage.
For someone like Heavenly Artisan with no family, he could only rely on himself.
He yearned for a home of his own more than anyone.
That apartment likely embodied all his hopes and dreams.
His own company, a home he supervised, a place to call his own.
Without family, that apartment emotionally became his family.
And ultimately...
It became an abandoned ruin.
Meaning Heavenly Artisan's hope vanished.
While unclear what happened with the supplier and construction team—maybe related to the abandonment, maybe not...
Heavenly Artisan ultimately chose to kill them.
This was also why Fu Luo believed Heavenly Artisan would be there now.
"Chances are, Heavenly Artisan's living in that apartment he bought back then."
Fu Luo nodded at Lin Yu's words.
"Yes... high probability he's there."
"Probably alone too—but can you take him? He's a First-Tier Player who completed Promotion!"
"Even with your gun, anyone who killed five people won't be easy..."
Fu Luo looked at Lin Yu questioningly.
Lin Yu smiled.
"No problem, I'm First-Tier too—and a Doctor's combat ability at this tier isn't weak."
Fu Luo seemed surprised.
"You're First-Tier? And from your tone, you didn't choose [First Aid Kit] but went with [Syringe]?"
Lin Yu nodded.
"Right, I advanced down the 'Quack' path."
"But... for safety's sake, I need your help with something."
Fu Luo straightened up: "Name it."
"You mentioned Order connections earlier—when the fighting starts, call in reinforcements!"