Chapter 1453 The Game Changer

Luo Feng leaned against the car, looking at the chaotic scene, and touched the wooden box in his arms.

As long as we hold this place, we'll be safe for now.

Next, we need to figure out how to crack the password to this box.

But he dared not try it lightly, which was very troublesome.

If it fails, all efforts will be in vain.

It really gave him a headache.

The chaos quickly subsided, and Thanatos's men were all taken into custody by Boss Lei's subordinates.

They were all bruised and battered, their previous arrogance completely gone.

Lei Laoda walked over to Luo Feng, kicked the masked man who had been pinned to the ground, and spat disdainfully.

"Mr. Luo, what should we do with these scum?"

Luo Feng withdrew his gaze, took out a wooden box from his pocket, and ran his fingertips over the cool surface of the box. He said calmly, "Lock it up first, don't let them escape. It might be useful later."

"Got it!"

Boss Lei immediately ordered his men to take the man deep into the warehouse.

Then, he looked at Luo Feng and asked, "Mr. Luo, are you alright here? Would you like to find a place to rest for a bit?"

Luo Feng shook his head, his gaze falling on the wooden box, his brows furrowing slightly.

He hadn't had time to think about it carefully at the villa, but now that he'd calmed down, he felt even more that this box was something special.

The starry sky oil painting left by Su Qingyuan's father is a clue.

However, the correspondence between cloud patterns and constellations is completely irregular.

The self-destruct mechanism is like a sword hanging over one's head.

If you rashly attempt to crack the code, any mistake could not only cause the secret inside the box to disappear, but could also lead to even greater danger.

"Boss Lei, you keep an eye on things here for now, I have some things to take care of."

Luo Feng carefully put the wooden box back in its place, patted Boss Lei on the shoulder, and said, "I'm leaving this to you."

Boss Lei nodded and said, "Don't worry! With me here, not even a fly will be able to get out!"

Luo Feng said no more, turned around and got into Su Mu's car, started the engine and drove away from the abandoned warehouse.

He took out his phone, found a number saved as Lin Naoko, hesitated for a moment, and finally dialed it.

The matter between Lin Naizi and Su Qingyuan still affected him somewhat.

Therefore, Luo Feng's feelings towards this woman are quite complicated.

The moment the call connected, a cool yet somewhat languid female voice came through the receiver.

"Why are you calling so late? Is there some trouble you need to talk to me about? Or are you just missing me?"

But Luo Feng had to admit one thing.

Lin Naoko is a well-known information broker in the industry.

Not only are they well-informed, but they are also adept at cracking various encryption devices, including complex passwords.

Luo Feng had been in trouble several times before, and it was only with her help that he was able to escape danger.

There is no one else you can trust but her.

"There is indeed something I need your help with."

Luo Feng gripped the steering wheel, his tone serious.

"I have a wooden box here with a self-destruct mechanism. The clue points to a starry sky oil painting, but I can't find a way to crack it. Professional matters should be left to professionals."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the receiver, followed by the sound of papers turning over.

"A self-destruct device? A clue from the stars?"

"interesting."

"Where are you now? I'm at this newly opened studio, come over."

After arriving here, Lin Naoko rented a place specifically for use as a studio.

Because she had a premonition that there would definitely be a tough battle to fight after arriving here.

Since it wasn't convenient for him to always go back, Lin Naoko wanted to stay by his side.

Luo Feng gave the address, hung up the phone, and slammed on the gas pedal, the car speeding away at breakneck speed.

Half an hour later, he stopped in front of a detached house hidden in an old alley.

This is Rinnako's studio.

The decor is simple and not luxurious.

Despite its seemingly ordinary appearance, it contains intelligence information that various organizations around the world are eager to uncover.

As you push open the door, a faint aroma of coffee mixed with the unique scent of dandelion wafts out.

Lin Naoko sat in front of the computer.

She kept her eyes straight ahead, typing rapidly on the keyboard, as if playing the piano.

Some people say that playing the piano is very similar to typing on a keyboard.

But that's only a slight resemblance; the two are completely different.

Line after line of dense code flashed on the screen.

It's so dazzling that it's overwhelming at first glance.

Sensing the approaching person, she looked up at Luo Feng and pointed to the chair opposite her.

"Sit down, take the box out and let me see it."

Luo Feng placed the wooden box on the table and warned warily, "Be careful, there's a sensor under the lock cylinder. It will self-destruct if touched by external force."

Lin Naoko raised an eyebrow, took out a magnifying glass from the drawer, and then took out a pair of special gloves. She then carefully examined the wooden box.

"This thing is quite mysterious. It looks easy to make, but the mechanism is annoying." Luo Feng sighed.

Lin Naoko did not respond.

She first touched the direction of the cloud pattern, then stared at the red dot below the lock cylinder for a long time.

Then, I opened a software on my computer and took a few photos of the wooden box using a miniature camera.

A 3D model of the wooden box and detailed annotations immediately appeared on the screen.

"That's interesting. This sensor is specially made and extremely sensitive. Moreover, the lead wire is probably connected to a highly flammable substance. Once triggered, it can burn the box to ashes within three seconds."

Lin Naoko's tone was tinged with admiration, "The person who designed this box is a master."

Luo Feng leaned back in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew you could see through it."

Hearing Lin Naizi say these things actually made Luo Feng very happy.

It is at least not a state that cannot be proven to be unsolvable.

This put Luo Feng at ease.

He absolutely cannot accept that this thing will ultimately be an unsolvable problem.

"The clue is an oil painting of a starry sky. The direction of the cloud patterns faintly overlaps with the constellations in the painting, but there are no numbers or markings, so it cannot be converted into a code at all."

Upon hearing this, Lin Naizi stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Luo Feng.

"A starry sky oil painting? Do you have a photo?"

Luo Feng immediately took out his phone and pulled up the photo of the oil painting he had taken earlier. Lin Naizi took the phone, zoomed in on the photo to examine it carefully, then compared it with the cloud pattern model of the wooden box on the computer, and then tapped on the screen.

"The arrangement of these stars is not random; it resembles some kind of ancient star map coordinate system."

"However, based on my guess, this needs to be interpreted in conjunction with the specific time and location, and the direction of these cloud patterns may be marking the movement trajectory of the stars."

She looked up at Luo Feng, her eyes darting around in thought for a few seconds.

What exactly is in this box?

"It's worth your concern, and the people of Thanatos are still chasing after you."

Luo Feng remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

“It’s a relic left by Su Mu’s father. He was a man of Thanatos. The contents of this box may be related to the secrets of Thanatos, or it may be… a clue to atonement left by Su Mu’s father.”

Lin Naizi nodded thoughtfully, returned the phone to Luo Feng, and looked back at the wooden box.

"Okay, I'll take the job."

"But you have to give me some time. I need to access the star map database, compare the constellations in the oil painting, and disassemble the structure of the self-destruct device to ensure that the cracking is foolproof."

"How long will it take to get the results?" Luo Feng pressed.

"At least three days."

Lin Naoko held up three fingers. "During this time, you have to make sure no one bothers me."

“Especially the people of Thanatos, if they find their way here, I can’t guarantee the box’s safety.”

No wonder Linnako was so scared; Thanatos really was like a mad dog.

Once they bite you, they won't let go easily.

Luo Feng nodded, "Don't worry, I'll have people guarding the area and won't let anyone get close."

He stood up and gently pushed the wooden box toward Linnako.

"This box is yours now, please be careful."

Lin Naoko put away the magnifying glass, placed the wooden box into a specially made safe, and locked it with a combination lock.

"Just wait for my news."

"However, if the secret you uncover turns out to be a problem, don't blame me."

Luo Feng smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll handle it myself."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave the studio.

Reaching the alley entrance, he glanced back at the small building, and the weight that had been hanging over him finally lifted.

Next, all he had to do was hold this place and wait for news from Lin Naoko.

At the same time, we also need to find Su Mu and ensure her safety.

Watching Luo Feng's retreating figure, Lin Naizi sighed.

The other end.

Luo Feng squatted at the alley entrance, preparing to smoke a cigarette.

A night breeze swept a few withered leaves past his ankles, causing him to instinctively stop in his tracks.

The streetlights in the depths of the old alley flickered, casting his shadow long and short.

He was about to take out a cigarette, and just as he touched the butt, he caught a glimpse of a very faint spot of light flashing in the third-floor window of the abandoned residential building diagonally opposite.

Based on Luo Feng's experience, it wasn't the reflection from the streetlights, but rather light refracted by some kind of lens.

"Who?"

Luo Feng suddenly looked up, his right hand instantly reaching for his waist, where a spare short blade that Zeng Fan had given him was hidden.

His gaze was fixed on the window like that of a hawk, but when he looked closely, the window was empty except for the room.

The trace of that light had long since vanished, leaving not even a trace of a person behind.

"Ugh……"

Luo Feng sighed heavily.

He didn't chase after them immediately; he already guessed what was going on.

Instead, he took two steps back, leaned against the old locust tree at the alley entrance, casually took out his cigarette case, and glanced at his surroundings out of the corner of his eye.

To the left is a grocery store with its iron gate tightly shut, and to the right is a courtyard wall piled with construction waste. Only the abandoned building diagonally opposite can hide people.

"Is it a remnant of Thanatos's forces, or someone else?"

Luo Feng held a cigarette in his mouth, but didn't light it.

The light just now appeared in a very concealed position, obviously the other party deliberately chose an angle that could monitor the studio door but was not easy to be discovered.

Moreover, the other party reacted extremely quickly, retreating as soon as I looked up, indicating they were no ordinary henchmen.

He hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone and called Boss Lei.

"Boss Lei, send two skilled brothers over to the old alley I mentioned earlier. They should keep an eye on the abandoned residential building diagonally opposite and the exits of the three alleys around it. Don't alert anyone. Just make sure you can see what the person is looking at and where they are going."

"What? Someone's eyeing that area?"

Upon hearing this, Boss Lei's voice instantly turned serious.

"I just discovered someone was spying on me, and they ran away after I alerted them."

Luo Feng lowered his voice, his gaze still fixed on the abandoned building.

"The other party acted very quickly. They may be after the box in Lin Naizi's hand, or they may be investigating my whereabouts."

"Have the brothers keep a close eye on things. I'll go take a walk around the area and see if I can find any traces."

"Understood! I'll send my two most reliable brothers over right away. Be careful!"

After hanging up the phone, Luo Feng put the cigarette pack back in his pocket, tiptoed around the wall to the side of the abandoned building.

The building's walls are mottled and covered with vines, and the doors and windows on the first floor are all sealed with bricks.

There is only a small opening on the side that has been pried open, just big enough for a person to bend over and get in and out.

He took out his short blade, held it in his hand, slowly brought it close to the notch, and listened intently.

Inside, there was only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the empty room; there were no footsteps or breathing sounds.

Luo Feng held his breath and suddenly turned sideways to squeeze into the gap.

The room was filled with a musty and dusty smell. By the dim light coming through the broken window, you could see a few old newspapers and empty cans scattered on the floor.

He walked up the stairs, stepping on the edge of the stairs with each step to avoid making a sound.

Soon, we arrived at the third floor.

In front of the window where the light had just appeared, there was half a fresh shoe print on the ground.

The shoe size isn't large, and the pattern suggests it's a specialized outdoor hiking shoe.

These shoes have strong grip and are suitable for rapid movement, indicating that the opponent came prepared.

Apart from that, there were no other traces; even the fingerprints had been wiped clean.

"They're quite cautious, aren't they?"

Luo Feng crouched down and touched the dust around the edge of the shoe print...

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