He Kao not only had to protect himself, but subconsciously wanted to protect Xiaopang. Someone was investigating the Hidden Moth and might very well suspect him. Under different circumstances, He Kao would rather they find the real Hidden Moth and stop watching him.
But the Hidden Moth was precisely Huang Xiaopang, so He Kao couldn't think that way.
On the way back, He Kao parked and stopped at a restaurant in a large mall. He sat on a chair outside, took out his laptop, connected to the public wifi, found a proxy server, and created a virtual email to send a message to Huang Xiaopang.
"Subject: Huang Si, someone is already questioning your identity!
Content: You are that Hidden Moth, aren't you? The one said to be able to traverse spaces, appearing and disappearing mysteriously? A few days ago, you snuck into a colleague's house and swapped a plate of apples with oranges, exposing yourself.
Someone is looking for you, and the focus is on finding an object, which they suspect is the source of your Hidden Moth abilities. More than one person is after you, and your new colleague, Qian Guran, seems very suspicious.
But it seems they've got the wrong angle and are focused on your other colleague, He Kao. You need to be careful, as I'm not sure what these people might do. They all seem to be anything but ordinary."
The email was unsigned and sent to Huang Si's work email. He Kao knew that Huang Si would definitely check the emails in this account, and the email subject would pop up on his phone screen. If Xiaopang was browsing his phone, he would notice immediately.
He Kao's guess was correct. Within a few minutes, Huang Si replied with an email. The subject and content were the same, just one sentence: "What does Hidden Moth mean?"
He Kao was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood that throughout history, those Hidden Moths might not have even known they were called that. It was just a nickname given by those searching for them, but no one ever told them to their face.
So He Kao sent another email—
"The Hidden Moth is a person. It's said he can enter any place undetected, though no one knows how he does it. Rumor has it that the Hidden Moth's ability comes from an object. Obtaining this object makes one a Hidden Moth."
Huang Xiaopang replied with another email: "Who are you? Sounds like you've got a good story! If you're trying to scam someone, look elsewhere. Your Master Fatty won't be fooled. I suggest you stop hunting for Hidden Moths and look for a doctor at a mental hospital instead."
He Kao chuckled and didn't send another email. He simply deleted the account and tried to erase any traces of his actions, then put away his laptop and returned to Sesame Apartment.
He first went to the newly rented Building 3, Room 2016, and left the large backpack containing the computer, the firecrackers, and the small bamboo cylinder there. Then, he went downstairs back to the original Building 1, Room 0912.
He packed the bedding, clothes, and miscellaneous items, using a bed sheet to make a big bundle, lifted it onto his shoulder with his right hand, and walked out, his left hand holding a newly purchased square stool.
He had very few things in the apartment; if it weren't for the stool, he could nearly move out with one hand. There were still two pairs of shoes, a few clothes, and some small items left; another trip would take care of everything.
Today He Kao returned to his hometown, and Qian Guran was also not in the apartment at the moment, just missing the scene. He Kao made two trips to move everything, then began crafting Bamboo Thunder overnight since he brought along his tool box from home.
Just having the gunpowder from the firecrackers and the bamboo cylinder wasn't enough; he still needed ignition devices and fuse materials, which he planned to acquire tomorrow, aiming to make a batch by the weekend. This was pure detailed work, allowing no room for oversight.
...
Qian Guran didn't return to the apartment until eleven at night, and his expression changed even before he opened his room. His outside sensing, which could be called divine sense, detected that not only was He Kao not in the room, but all the items in the apartment were gone!
Qian Guran's first reaction was that a "colleague" had made the first move! Someone took advantage of He Kao's absence and broke into his apartment to search for the "Insect Concealing Artifact."
As they didn't know what it was, the person simply took everything they could carry, not even sparing a bar of soap!
At this thought, he let out a slight sigh of relief because he was certain that the Insect Concealing Artifact was the beast claw worn on He Kao's chest, such a personal item wasn't in the apartment at all.
But then, thinking it over, Qian Guran felt this was unlikely. He had never seen such an unintelligent colleague. Who'd carry off someone's belongings just to steal one item?
Hmm? Moving! Did He Kao move out? Why would he move out? Did he discover his identity and purpose? Qian Guran suddenly had a series of questions and almost called He Kao directly, but he held back.
After thinking for a moment, Qian Guran changed into a jacket, went downstairs, found the highest-rated barbecue place on the nearby pedestrian street, and took an outdoor table, ordering a box of beer, a few dishes, and a heap of grilled skewers.
Then he sent a message to Huang Si: "Where are you hanging out? How about some late-night snacks? Let's have some skewers together? I've already taken a table at Big Si Xi downstairs." He followed it with a freshly taken photo of the scene.
He knew Huang Si wouldn't be asleep because it was the weekend and there was no overtime. Huang Si didn't have a girlfriend and was probably playing games in the dormitory.
But there was no reply from Huang Si for quite a while. Just as he was about to send another message, he suddenly sensed something, looked up, and saw Huang Si already strolling over.
Qian Guran: "Xiaopang, over here, that was quick!"
Huang Xiaopang: "Of course, I was just starving when I saw your message, so I came right down. Old Qian, just you?"