Chapter 421: Vigilance

It’s easy to grow accustomed to luxury, but hard to return to a simpler life.

Once people get used to the internet and electronic devices, it’s hard to escape that path dependency. After all, the internet is just too convenient.

Using Li Wujiang’s various online accounts and associated phone numbers, Jiang Miao quickly dug up all sorts of information on the man and his connections.

The man was a second-generation immigrant whose parents had emigrated to Malacca Slope County in the 1990s. “Li Wujiang” was just an alias he used for convenience while operating in the country. His real name was Li Jingxuan, with the English name Davis Li. He was thirty-three years old and had graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a degree in electronic and information engineering.

And the Ferryman behind him was a highly active assassination organization in the Asian Region.

Of course, Ferryman was just their internal codename. When taking jobs from outsiders, they called themselves “Organization X” or “the Servants of Hades.”

As time ticked by, the information about the Bridger Organization in Jiang Miao’s secret database grew to over five hundred pages, and the group’s basic structure began to take shape before him.

Because he had deciphered all three sets of codes used within Ferryman, Jiang Miao was able to extract the hidden information from many seemingly mundane emails.

In truth, cracking this kind of code was both simple and difficult.

The key lay in the encoding method.

Ferryman’s encryption scheme involved numbers corresponding to specific classic books. Without knowing which books they were, you could wrack your brain forever and never crack it. But if you knew the books, you could break the code in seconds.

For other powers, finding information on Ferryman in the vast ocean of the internet might be difficult, but Jiang Miao was an exception.

By comparing all the emails, text messages, and social media comments among Ferryman’s internal members, he quickly identified the corresponding books.

The three sets of codes used within Ferryman corresponded to *Les Misérables*, *War and Peace*, and *Pride and Prejudice*.

Once he knew the books, the hidden code words in Ferryman’s internal correspondence practically deciphered themselves.

Leaning back in his ergonomic chair, Jiang Miao’s gaze was as calm as still water. ‘Using a wedding celebration for an assassination? Not a bad plan at all.’

He had to admit the organization had some brains. It also showed they had thoroughly researched his background and personal information.

The Shanmei Region was an area in the country with strong remnants of old-world traditions, placing great importance on things like ancestral rites, celebrations, weddings, and festivals.

If his cousin was getting married, and in Shanmei no less, they would surely send Jiang Miao an invitation. Out of courtesy, he would most likely have to attend and socialize.

He then reviewed the information on Ferryman’s Death Warrior training camp in Luzon. It was a facility dedicated to training these operatives, producing only five or six a year, many of whom were orphans bought from the slums.

In close-quarters combat, even with security personnel present, the chances of survival were slim if one of them got within three meters.

This was also why Ferryman planned to make their move at the wedding banquet. Their plan was to have two Death Warriors disguise themselves as bridesmaids and approach Jiang Miao while the newlyweds were toasting their guests.

They had it all figured out.

If Jiang Miao hadn’t spotted the malicious Li Wujiang at Yangcheng East Station, he probably wouldn’t have discovered the problem until the day of his cousin’s wedding banquet.

He might not have fallen for their plot, but if something like that happened, it would be extremely dangerous.

Jiang Miao had no intention of walking into danger.

After a moment of thought, he reconsidered the security arrangements for himself and his family. Although they had been optimized by a professional team from the Capital City and didn’t have many loopholes, that didn’t mean they were impenetrable.

Take this time, for instance. The Bridger Organization had found a roundabout approach, preparing to assassinate him during an event he couldn’t avoid.

This meant that whenever he went out in the future, he would have to ensure no strangers got close to him. This would be very troublesome, because as great scientists, he and Shuya couldn’t avoid many domestic conferences, even if they didn’t go abroad.

Still, things were at least manageable within the country.

Once his status as an academician was confirmed next year, he could cultivate an “aloof” persona and decline invitations to second- and third-rate academic and industry conferences. He would only attend top-tier domestic events, which would not only save time but also reduce many risks.

After all, the attendees of top-tier domestic academic and industry conferences were all prominent figures. Even if they were coerced, they weren’t professional killers and would find it difficult to inflict a fatal wound on Jiang Miao in a short time at close range.

Moreover, the security at such top-tier conferences was extremely tight, making it almost impossible for someone of unknown origin to slip in.

On the other hand, at second- and third-rate conferences, the lower entry barrier and weaker resources of the organizers might allow an assassin to slip through.

As for his family and relatives, Jiang Miao planned to use this incident to his advantage. After the plot was dealt with, he would have the relevant government departments issue an official notice.

Once the Bridger Organization’s plan was made public, all his friends and relatives would probably be too scared to invite Jiang Miao anywhere. They would even abandon any ideas of bringing unfamiliar acquaintances to the Jiang Family home.