Chapter 269 - Take It Literally

"What are these people even talking about?" The Fox said as he read the transcriptions from last night. "They are really taking that long to figure things out."

"I told you," said The Badger over some afternoon snacks. "Your wording was shit. They can't decode it. I don't even know how you can solve that riddle!"

The Fox rubbed his nose. "Will you try solving it?"

"Fine," he huffed and drank some water. The Fox pulled out the first draft from his wallet. "You keep that thing on your wallet?! Now I know why no one steals from you. All they would get is a load of crap!"

The Fox knew that the riddle was not perfect, that there would be too many answers for it when there should only be one.

"You should've just given them some number to jumble around to create a coordinate," he said.

That didn't sound much of a bad idea.

"Get back on reading the transcriptions. I'll think about this garbage."

Some of the transcriptions line included:

**

FX: What are we having for dinner?

QL: Can we please get some orange chicken?

W: But I want pizza tonight.

**

And that conversation would go on for three or more pages. How could these people talk more about food than about his riddle?

They do talk about it from time to time.

**

QC: How are you feeling?

FX: I don't know, I think… I don't think I am thinking right now. I'm just filled with thoughts that I might die soon.

QC: We're going to solve this puzzle. You're not the only one we're worry about here. We also got father.

**

The Fox almost vomit at that moment he was reading about it. Who knew that the woman who had bravely sent them a letter about turning every stone in on earth just to find them held this weakness with a coming death?

In this line of business, death was the least thing you should worry about. You should worry more about getting caught, of failing, of not turning out results, of not being able to keep what you promised… death, it was not supposed to be on your list.

There were more talks about what "the sun rises in the west" meant. They were stuck with the things that they found in the internet. They were talking about pop culture and theories.

The Fox facepalmed his head. Didn't he tell them to not look into it so much? He wanted to bite his fist. He could not believe this was happening. Who would've thought that the high and mighty Qings could not solve his little riddle?

He should quit this job and make riddles for a living instead. That or The Badger was right all along. His riddle was stupid and uncrackable.

Fearing his own incompetency, The Fox stood up so fast that the metal chair almost flipped over. "I am going to send them another message."

The Badger groaned. "The Zookeeper put you in charge. Anything that you want, kid. It's up to you."

The Fox made his way to their tech team and asked to write a message for him based on the last code that Qing Lok sent them.

**

There was nothing left to do with The Zookeeper as their men scoured the areas with the pings. Meanwhile, their IT team already drew out the next batches of search as they dissected the poem again and and again until there were too many maps with overlapping lines. 

While the search was ongoing and everything else was moving smoothly at the moment, the couple had to go to work like normal and deal with their everyday woes with the company.

They were still staying in the Qings' residences. It was in their best interest to stay together as nothing would be able to get to them in that house. If there would be something, it was if someone would drop a bomb from a helicopter. But that helicopter would be seen from their sensors and they would be long in hiding at the bas.e.m.e.nt before they could be bombed.

After another long day at the office, Qing Chen and Feng Xuan came home. When they entered the entrance of the house, they stripped off their clothes in the small powder room and changed to house clothes. The rest of their clothes had to go to the scanner that Qing Chen got for the house and they had to go through the metal detector.

Both of them were clear and so were their items.

She leaned against Qing Chen's shoulder. "How long until we hear from Clown?"

"Hopefully by tomorrow morning," Qing Chen answered as they take on the stairs.

"Then? What would happen next?"

Qing Chen took a big breath in. "Do you want to be a player or do you want to be a soldier?"

"You're asking me if I want to get on a plane and rain fire on that hideout or should I just stay at home and protect the fort and control things from afar?"

"To put it plainly, yes."

"I think we already know the answer to that. I want to be there. I want to talk to him. I want to know what else happened that night."

"It's always your choice, wife. I am not going to stop you from going because I know how important this is for you."

"But you're scared I'll get killed."

"Of course, I am. I wouldn't want another wife. Would you want me to get old alone?"

"Who said you're going to grow old alone? I am not going to die and neither are you."

Qing Chen put an arm around her. "I know we'll try our best to stay alive."

It was dinner time when a folded letter made its way to the dinner table served on a silver platter. Everyone stopped talking and waited for Qing Chen to read the letter.

It said:

Need help? Just take it literally.