What exactly did they want him to find out about this old man?

That's what confused him. Try as he may he had a hard time coming to terms with the ambiguity of the duty set before him. He would be recording every nuance, all conversation, and going over it with a fine tooth comb. He made a vow to himself that after retirement, he would go back on to this land without any electrical devices on his person. But for now, he had a job to do. Finishing the thick tar like coffee that he had bought on the side of the road 30 minutes earlier, he tossed the cup into the small trashcan and boarded the plane.