Bai Ci's deduction sent a chill creeping up everyone's spines. Whether it was their current predicament or Zhao Yu's heinous actions, it left them cold to the bone.
Recovering from her initial shock, Lin Wan spoke with a mixture of urgency and confusion. “If Isabella is really still alive, what do we do next? Zhao Yu has already killed Edmond. If he has other tricks up his sleeve, we won't be able to react in time.”
She looked at Bai Ci, then at the solemn faces of Evan and Chen Mo, before finally scratching her head.
Bai Ci thought for a moment and said, “The most important thing right now is to find Isabella before she learns of Edmond's death.”
She paused. Facing such a situation, she couldn't think of a safer or more reliable solution for the time being.
“Isabella's situation is unclear, and we don't know her current state. It would be best if we can talk things out. We can try to persuade her, figure out the whole story, and find a cure for the plague.”
“If we can't communicate or if she refuses to cooperate, we'll have no other choice but to use force to bring the situation under control. We can't let any more people get dragged into this disaster.”
Lin Wan and Chen Mo exchanged a look, both seeing agreement in the other's eyes. At this stage, this was indeed the most reliable approach.
“I'm afraid we don't have that much time to wait,” Chen Mo spoke up, his expression souring at the thought of Zhao Yu causing all this. “Zhao Yu never leaves any room for error. Since he killed Edmond, he will definitely find a way to let Isabella know.”
“For all we know, Isabella might already have learned the truth.”
“So, we must prepare for the worst. We have to make preparations for a physical confrontation in advance. Otherwise, when the confrontation actually happens, we'll be sitting ducks.”
Hearing this, Evan seemed to recall something and said, “Speaking of preparing for a fight, I actually know someone.”
He paused and added with a hint of uncertainty, “He's a black-market arms dealer who happens to be staying at a hotel near the station right now. But the man is purely profit-driven, so his prices won't be cheap. Plus, he has a very eccentric temper, so he might not be willing to help easily.”
At the mention of money, three of the four people present fell silent.
Two of them only had enough money provided by the instance to barely get by, while the other—being a detective lying low—had very little savings to begin with, which had already been mostly depleted over this period.
Lin Wan instinctively looked toward Bai Ci, only to find that she had already stood up.
“Don't worry about the money. I'll cover it,” Bai Ci said. Without any hesitation, she turned and walked toward her second-floor bedroom.
Since she had decided to act with Lin Wan and Chen Mo and had the means to provide financial support, she naturally wouldn't drop the ball at such a critical moment.
Moreover, this concerned Hugo's life, the safety of the entire town, Lin Wan and Chen Mo's instance evaluation scores, and even her own. No matter how much money it cost, it was nothing to her.
Bai Ci agreed to pay without even asking for the price, and her decisiveness left even Evan a bit dazed.
Soon, a look of gratitude appeared on his face. “Miss, thank you so much. I will definitely find a way to pay you back in the future.”
“Don't mention it,” Bai Ci's voice drifted down from the staircase. “We are allies now. Our goals are to uncover the truth and find a cure for the plague. Money is just a tool. What matters most is getting the weapons and finding Isabella.”
Before long, Bai Ci came downstairs carrying an elegant leather suitcase. She had packed all of her money inside. “Here.”
Evan reached out and took the suitcase, the weight of it warming his heart. “Miss, don't worry. Leave the weapons to me.”
He had worked as a detective for many years and had interacted with all walks of life, so he had some experience dealing with black-market arms dealers.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Evan looked up at Bai Ci, Lin Wan, and Chen Mo, and asked, “By the way, do any of you know how to use a gun?”
Bai Ci shook her head candidly. “I don't.”
As a young person who had grown up in a peaceful era, she had never even touched a gun, let alone used one. It seemed she now knew what she needed to practice once this instance ended.
Meanwhile, Lin Wan and Chen Mo nodded almost simultaneously.
Lin Wan said with some confidence, “Brother Mo and I both do. I've handled handguns before. While I'm no expert, basic aiming and shooting are no problem. Brother Mo is even better than me.”
Evan nodded, then looked at Bai Ci, his tone carrying a touch of concern and a hint of firmness. “Since you don't know how to use a gun, you shouldn't get involved in the fighting.”
He paused, then continued, “Our next moves will definitely be dangerous. We don't know Isabella's condition, nor do we know if Postmaster Byrne has any backup plans. You have no combat capabilities and don't know how to use a gun. If you come with us, you'll only get hurt for nothing.”
Not only would she get hurt, but she also wouldn't be able to help and might even become a liability.
Since she was the benefactor providing financial support and a trusted companion, Evan phrased his words tactfully.
Bai Ci understood and agreed with Evan. This was the best arrangement for now. She truly had no combat abilities, and going along to take risks would only hold them back.
“I know. I have a realistic grasp of my own combat abilities,” she accepted this very well. “Besides, I have a clue that might help you find Isabella faster.”
“When I was chatting with my neighbor earlier, she told me that Postmaster Byrne bought a house in the countryside. And going by the timeline, he bought it right around the time Isabella went missing.”
“Postmaster Byrne is extremely controlling and was vehemently opposed to Isabella being with Edmond. If Isabella isn't dead, he likely wouldn't let her leave his control. Hiding her in a countryside house would keep her concealed while allowing him to monitor her at all times.”
She paused, carefully recalling Aunt Martha's description, and added, “The house is roughly located by the roadside. There's a large persimmon tree in the yard, which gets covered in bright red persimmons in the autumn, making it very eye-catching.”
Her expression changed slightly, her tone growing even more urgent: “No, we can't wait any longer. Zhao Yu has already killed Edmond. If he has other tricks up his sleeve, or if Postmaster Byrne catches wind of our plans and moves Isabella beforehand, we'll never find her.”
Hearing this, Chen Mo stood up. “The sooner we do this, the better. Delay breeds trouble. I propose that Evan and I go to the hotel together to find that black-market arms dealer.”
“Once we buy the weapons, we'll head straight to the countryside to investigate that house with the persimmon tree and see if Isabella is really there. Lin Wan, you come along too. The more hands we have, the more strength we'll have, and we can look out for each other.”
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