He must be crazy, as only a madman would accompany another madman to do crazy things.
While Yu Le mulled over this thought in his head, he followed Ji Xiaoman’s fingertips with his eyes. The little girl patiently explained the meaning of the parameters, and the uneasiness in her voice slowly disappeared.
At first, Yu Le had a casual listening attitude, but after listening for a while, he found that things weren’t as complicated as he thought—the difficulty wasn’t in the complexity of the operation skill, but rather in the reaction ability and its finesse.
It was like driving a small boat in a storm with huge waves. The flow of information from the Mainbrain enveloped everything. He needed to look for changes in those readings, look for gaps, and try to ensure the stability of the output signal.
“The detection system of the Mainbrain will continue to weaken the connection, but this thing can automatically switch lines.” Ji Xiaoman pointed to the reading signal that kept beeping. “This mechanism can barely maintain stability, but…”
“It’s more reliable for people to manipulate, right?” Yu Le rubbed his eyes hard. “Little Profiteer, I just have one request.”
Ji Xiaoman stopped moving and looked at Yu Le.
“Let’s poke holes everywhere so Xiao Ruan can feel at ease. The Mainbrain will continue to fill those holes, depending on whether or not we can stabilize them, right? The numbers look a bit uncomfortable. With so many screens, I can’t take a closer look and remember them.”
Yu Le stretched out his hand and clicked on a column of densely packed charts. “Can you change it to a wave diagram?”
“…The changes on the display can be done, but there will be a little error.”
“A little error is fine. I can’t remember the range those numbers should be in. I need—how to put this—something more intuitive.”
As if he wanted to enliven the atmosphere, Yu Le grinned.
“Tu Rui is better at counting than me. I usually do it by hand. Change it, Little Profiteer. I can try a few times and see if I can find the feeling.”
Ji Xiaoman tried hard to return a smile, but a shadow covered her face, which made the effect a bit scary. She jumped out of the chair and ran to another operating table. After ten minutes, the numbers flashing frantically on the light screen turned into images that ebbed and flowed like an electrocardiogram.
While the memory was still fresh in his mind, Yu Le arranged the button partitions to make the light screen look more like a ship’s console. Making sure that the image in front of him was intuitive enough, he started the manual operating system.
“You can go find the escape device.” In the rumbling noise, Yu Le nodded. “If I’m unclear about something, I’ll call you.”
Yu Le didn’t intervene at first, letting the system work automatically. When he had a little feeling based on the fluctuation of the curve, Yu Le began to manipulate it by himself. The initial effect wasn’t bad. The value representing the strength of the connection slowly climbed. However, there was no attack program at the moment. This thing was just a large external calculator. Yu Le, as its maintainer, didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment.
This was simpler than he thought.
Ji Xiaoman was still groping for clues in the corner of the space while checking the text on the light screen from time to time. She was trying to find the escape pods. Yu Le hummed a song as he operated various buttons to the rhythm when, suddenly, the situation almost made him choke on his spit.
“Little Profiteer!”
“The signal channel is closed.” Ji Xiaoman walked around from behind a mechanical pillar as she spoke hurriedly. “The distance is too close. This is unlike the handiwork of the Mainbrain. It’s probably something the Order Supervisors had done here.”
“The calculator doesn’t even work. I really want to fucking kill them all.” A layer of sweat appeared on Yu Le’s forehead.
If that pile of curves was really an electrocardiogram, then their “patient” wasn’t far from death. There was a clear trend of returning to zero in various degrees. The rumbling of the machine was getting smaller, and the feedback of the operation was getting weaker. Fortunately, Professor Ruan’s design was of excellent quality, so the basic connection could still be maintained.
Seeing that the only remaining reading kept falling, Yu Le’s face got longer.
“I found the escape pod.” Ji Xiaoman ran close, panting; her vest was drenched in sweat. “Lao Yu, if you can’t handle it, let’s withdraw first.”
“Wait a bit.” Yu Le didn’t move. “Besides, those guys out there can’t get in now, so don’t worry.”
Ji Xiaoman wiped the sweat from her face and had no objection.
“I know it’s impossible for Xiao Tang to put us in his heart, but if he doesn’t take us seriously, there’s no need for him to hide this possible accident.” Yu Le thought for a while, then began to adjust the arrangement of the buttons on the light screen. “If they didn’t expect it, it would be a matter of virtue if we ran away now. If you don’t expect it but don’t say it, then choose you can’t do it, I’ll be very upset.”
“…” At the beginning, there was a certain person who swore they would be the first to run. Ji Xiaoman looked at Yu Le silently.
“We’ll try until dawn. It’s dark and wet outside now, which makes things more dangerous to escape.”
After Yu Le adjusted the buttons, the rhythm of the operation became faster. “But it’s enough by myself. Xiao… Man, you can fight better than me. Take an escape pod and go first. There shouldn’t be just one escape pod, right?”
Ji Xiaoman didn’t answer immediately this time. She turned her gaze, then said, “No, just one.”
After that, she sat back in the passenger seat and pulled up a few light screens in front of her. “I heard in the refuge that there are ventral cockroaches in the forest. It is indeed dangerous to go out at night.”
“Nn,” Yu Le responded vaguely, staring at the light screen in front of him.
The entire space was dyed red. After the buzzing was reduced, it was as quiet as a coffin.
“This really won’t work. You can’t make up for the error.” Seeing that Yu Le was silent, Ji Xiaoman also pulled up an operation screen. “I’ll help you adjust the error. You can stop trying to operate the machine.”
A mechanical hand pressed on Yu Le’s shoulder. “Like Mr. Tu, I’m also very good at ‘counting’.”
Yu Le’s taut shoulders loosened. The movements of his hands didn’t stop, and there was a strange emotion in his voice. “Then I’ll leave it to you, Little Captain.”
In a daze, he seemed to have returned to the Sea of Ruins. Like countless days before, he drove a giant ship, leading the ruins pirates to sprint through rubble and debris. As long as he glanced at the corner value occasionally, someone he trusted would help him take care of the details.
This felt pretty good.
The pattern on the light screen began to fluctuate again. The two of them tightened their nerves and tried to fight against the increasingly sealed connection channel. Everything seemed to be developing in a stable direction. Yu Le breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to speak—
Without warning, the entire space turned dark.
“There’s no power?!”
“Impossible.” Ji Xiaoman’s voice was full of shock. “This machine produces its own electricity, and the energy source is underground!”
“Then we’re being attacked,” Yu Le shouted. “Is there a way?”
“It won’t last long. Professor Ruan won’t leave such an obvious loophole. Someone is interfering with us. As for what…”
“Oh, I think I can guess.” Yu Le hissed. “Something is coming from above.”
Indeed, in the darkness, there was a slight rattle above their heads.
“But…”
“No one can get in but it shouldn’t be difficult to send small things in. It seems that people need to fill in more than just the details of the operation—this thing is divided into so many layers. It wasn’t meant for just two people to operate in the first place.”
When building this, Professor Ruan had limited manpower, so it was impossible to make it 100% perfect. As the rustling sound from above was getting closer, Yu Le began to increasingly doubt his judgment.
In Professor Ruan’s design, there should have been guards here to fill in those small security holes.
…But it was just the two of them.
The next moment, the lights returned. Yu Le and Ji Xiaoman raised their heads almost at the same time—
Countless human-sized mechanical spiders were moving towards them. They changed their shapes and squeezed through the ventilation cracks between the glass plate, with their speed remaining constant. Looking from the bottom up, they densely covered everything above, as countless mechanical legs were entangled in a ball.
The amount and size were enough to crush them.
“Alright,” Yu Le said deeply. “We tried our best. Let’s go, Little Captain.”
Ji Xiaoman: “……”
“At least we gave those two more than three hours of manual support. Getting attacked by that thing won’t help, and my driving skills can’t solve the problem.”
“No, that’s not the problem.”
Ji Xiaoman swallowed with difficulty.
“The power outage just now… They’re carrying EMP interference. If the escape pods are affected, we run the risk of getting stuck in the middle of the passage.”
“……”
“It’s safer to stay here.” Ji Xiaoman stood up quickly. “Lao Yu, go on. I’ll block the air gap above first.”
Yu Le glanced at the dense legs on the other side of the glass plate and felt his scalp go numb. “Why do I have the feeling we won’t last long? This is too passive.”
He squeezed the armrest of the chair tightly and thought for a moment. “Are you sure this is a contact device?”
“Yes, if there’s no attack program.”
“Okay.” Yu Le took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles. “Try and hold on first. I think we don’t have to escape.”
“……?”
“I’m going to call for help,” Yu Le said. “The super loud kind.”
“……”
The edge of the Mainbrain’s city.
Professor Ruan detected strange movements near the Mainbrain’s body, but the information he got was too bizarre. He wasn’t sure if he had lost any key clues—NUL-00 and Ruan Xian were near the Mainbrain’s body… with barely any decent weapons in their hands.
He couldn’t figure out the thoughts of those two, but he couldn’t stand by and watch them get caught by the Mainbrain. Unfortunately, his program and hardware weren’t ready, which only made the situation quite frustrating.
The black box in the glass trough spat out a large string of bubbles. The three-legged machine was circling around anxiously.
“Team 67, 29, and 14, who are closest to the desert, help clear the possible encirclement. Team 73, try airdrop supplies…. Attack? No, not yet.”
They only had one chance, and the Mainbrain didn’t seem to be vulnerable now. If they attacked rashly and were defeated, the rebels would have no recourse.
In short, first stabilize the situation, and then come up with a more effective rescue plan…
Suddenly, in the line he had left for Yu Le, there was an angry roar…
“We’re in Petri Dish No. 1306. Help!!!”
Kinky Thoughts:
This chapter in a nutshell:
Yu Le gives an emotional speech about trying their best to the end. Ji Xiaoman is moved and lies about the escape pod to stay with him
Right after the speech, a horde of spider machines sent by the Order Supervisors appear.
Yu Le: Welp, we tried our best. Time to peace out.
Ji Xiaoman: … …. Can’t. The escape pods were hit by the EMPs and might not function.
These types of scenes, like encountering true love in the vast sea of people, or cutting the correct wire out of many, were only scenes in a movie.
While movie stars played the superhero role, Huang Zhe knew that the one who would choose the correct wire wouldn’t be him. He wasn’t so lucky.
Earlier, after driving Lin Chen away, he fell into an unspeakable emotion again.
He didn’t regret it, even when he was squatting in front of the time bomb and was forced to face the death that may be coming. After all, as Lin Chen said, the occurrence of established facts wasn’t based on personal will. The reason why he felt inexplicable was because he discovered that he would really become a different person because of Lin Chen; emotional, irrational, and even his way of thinking became ugly. This was completely contrary to the elite education he had received, and all of this was because of Lin Chen.
So now, when Lin Chen asked him to do something irrational again, what should he do?
Nearly a hundred kilometers away, in the surveillance hall, Lin Chen stood quietly in front of the big screen, as if waiting for the result of Huang Ze’s thinking.
“You should know that this is very dangerous. It’s also possible that when he cuts off the wire, the bomb could detonate instantly,” Xing Conglian tilted his head slightly, leaned towards Lin Chen’s ear, and whispered.
“I know, but with only ten minutes left, it’s also equally as dangerous to let him discharge the detonator.” Lin Chen blocked the microphone as if he didn’t want Huang Ze to hear his next words. “And I suspect that the driver is lying.”
“How so?”
“There are three issues. First, when people lie, they will inadvertently remove the subject ‘I’, meaning themselves. He said, ‘while taking a smoke break’, instead of ‘I was taking a smoke break’, ‘the man stop halfway’ instead of ‘the man told me to stop halfway’… Because these events were not personally experienced by him, these sentences have lost the subject ‘I’ when he’s making up lies.”
“That’s too farfetched. He has used ‘I’ in his testimony.” Before Xing Conglian could speak, the chairman, who had been paying attention, interrupted.
Lin Chen nodded, then wandered around the room. His gaze fell on the technical geek who was desperately tapping on the keyboard and said, “Wang Chao, tell me your age. Lie the first time, then tell me the truth the second time.”
“What?” The addressed technician raised his head and gave a confused look.
“How old are you this year?”
The question came so quickly that Wang Chao had no time to react.
“16, ah!” Wang Chao held his head high and replied confidently.
“Let me ask you again, how old are you this year?” Lin Chen aggravated his tone and repeated it.
“Uh… I’m 18 this year.”
Hearing this answer, Lin Chen turned his head and gave Xing Conglian an incredulous look. “Child labor?”
Xing Conglian felt slightly embarrassed but had to say, “He’s an adult.”
The chairman still wanted to refute him, but Xing Conglian glanced at him and motioned for him to be silent.
“Continue,” Xing Conglian said to Lin Chen.
“Second, lies are different from memories of real events. Lies often have more details and are very clear. When I asked him how the suspect hijacked the bus, his answer was very clear, and he could quickly recall the place named ‘Yinchuan’. On the other hand, when I asked the Fengjing school teachers, I had to use some methods in order to get them to recall the specific name of the place.”
“But we can’t rule out the possibility that the gentleman specifically remembered the location of where he parked the bus!”
“Indeed.” Lin Chen nodded, then said, “Which brings us to the third point. When people finish telling a lie, they tend to think that they have gotten away with it, so when I ask him again after a period of time, he will react in two ways, angry or accidently spilling the truth.”
“But in such a stressful situation, shouldn’t he be angry if you ask him the question he already answered?!”
This time, the person who questioned Lin Chen was replaced by the manager of the transportation company who had been watching the big screen in the back. Yang Dianfeng questioned angrily as many staff members looked at Lin Chen with the same implications in their eyes. It was a bus driver who was strapped to a bus seat and had a time bomb attached to him. He just wanted to go home and have a hot meal, yet he was questioned obnoxiously when he was the victim.
Lin Chen wasn’t moved at all. He seemed to agree with the views of these people, so he just looked at Xing Conglian and spoke in a very soft and flat voice. “Even if the results of the polygraph can’t be used as evidence in court, as all assertions of lies cannot be 100% correct.”
“Why didn’t you tell Huang Ze?” Xing Conglian noticed that Lin Chen was blocking the mic with his hand and suddenly asked a question that didn’t have anything to do with what they were talking about.
“Look, as I say these things here, there are many people who already disagree with my assertion. How do you think Huang Ze will react?” Lin Chen raised his head slightly and looked at the man in the police uniform on the screen.
“So?”
“So… I’m pretty sure that if Huang Ze doesn’t know that the driver is lying, he will do as I say, but if he has listened to this analysis, I can’t predict what he will do next.”
Xing Conglian frowned slightly. He thought about what Lin Chen had said seriously, and then looked at Lin Chen with the same serious eyes. “But if I were Huang Ze, no matter what, I would want to know this information.”
“Even if you make the wrong choice?”
“Yes, in the face of life and death, I hope to be able to make my own choices, rather than letting others help me make the most reasonable decision.”
Lin Chen looked back at Xing Conglian. In fact, he didn’t quite understand the meaning of this sentence, but the eyes of the captain of the police criminal division were too firm, so he nodded and said, “I understand.”
——
Inside the bus, Huang Ze was squatting beside the driver’s lap, carefully studying the structure of the bomb.
At this time, a staff member has sent a signal. The cleaned tools had been sent to the bus.
When Huang Ze turned around and stepped out of the bus, Lin Chen let go of the hand holding the microphone, and then said, “Huang Ze, keep walking. Don’t look back. I want to tell you something.”
“Lin Chen, is your line open to the public?” Huang Ze asked as he walked to the pliers and cutting tools placed on the ground and squatted down.
“Yes.”
“Turn off the public feed. I have something to say to you.”
“Nn.” Lin Chen looked back at Xing Conglian, then in full view of the crowd. He switched the call to an earpiece, and said, “It’s off.”
“You asked me to cut the red wire, right?” Huang Ze raised his eyebrows slightly as he asked softly.
“Yes, listen to me. I am very suspicious…”
On screen, Huang Ze smiled softly. He faced the parking lot surveillance camera and seemed to say something. The next moment, he took off his headphones and put them in his pocket, then bent over and picked up the scissors.
In the surveillance hall, all the staff members sucked in a breath of cold air.
Huang Ze’s figure soon reappeared. He was carrying a simple pair of scissors in his left hand. The red number on the timer was still ticking down with only nearly 9 minutes left.
“Don’t let him cut it! There’s still time. Why do it now?!”
Someone in the crowd of the surveillance hall shouted, which was followed by people around responding one after another.
“Yes, yes. There’s still time!”
The private whispers gradually gathered into a torrent.
However, Xing Conglian didn’t move. He pressed one hand on Lin Chen’s shoulder.
In the screen, naturally, Huang Ze couldn’t hear those words, nor could he see such a scene. He didn’t look at the camera. He was very calm. His face and clothes were still meticulous. He picked up the scissors and stuck them into the complicated wires without hesitation.
Some of the more timid girls in the surveillance hall covered their faces with their hands and didn’t dare to look.
A soft click sounded, and the red wire broke in response.
In fact, everyone in the surveillance hall didn’t hear this small sound. Their eyes were glued to the dry and steady hands on the huge screen.
The copper wire was cut in half with its insides exposed. There was no spark or skyrocketing smoke and dust, and the bomb didn’t explode, but before people could relax, in the next second, Huang Ze took a step back, and a loud noise broke out in everyone’s mind.
It was as if water was entering the sea after being released from a dam; the numbers on the timer were rapidly decreasing. The time was quickly reduced from nine minutes to seven, and the red dot on the countdown was flashing frantically.
Before Huang Ze could even take another look at the camera, he returned to the door and shouted at the reporters and a few staff who were waiting outside the isolation line.
His mouth was wide open, and his hands waved very hard. In the blurred surveillance footage, everyone in the distance could be seen lying down. One after another, they dropped to the ground while holding their heads tightly with both hands.
But there was no sound. Huang Ze had turned off the only communication device, so everything they saw happening in the parking lot seemed to be a silent film.
In the surveillance hall, some people closed their eyes tightly and some began to cry.
Time flew by quickly, yet also slowly.
Huang Ze reappeared within the scope of the high-definition camera. He slowly approached it. In the picture, the texture of his clothing gradually became clear, but because he was too close, his face was never in the frame.
Suddenly, Huang Ze raised his dry and steady hand, and the next moment, the picture turned into still darkness.
He had turned off the camera.
There was a faint cry in the room. Lin Chen stood quietly; his breathing was calm without any changes.
“Wang Chao, bring up the last picture on the camera.” Xing Conglian’s voice was still so stable that it seemed inhumane given the current atmosphere.
On the screen, the upright corner of Huang Ze’s clothes appeared. Through the gap between his hand and his body, they could see that the time bomb on the driver had been completed to zero.
Some people in the hall noticed this. Their conversation gradually became louder, beginning as quietly as a silkworm nibbling on leaves, and as the voices grew louder, doubt gave way to joy, and many people began to applaud, while others cheered.
At the same time, the originally all-black screen suddenly lit up.
Huang Ze turned on the camera and angrily waved the scissors in his hand. In three strokes, he removed the bomb tied to the driver.
At the moment when the timer was powered off, the shining LCD screen suddenly popped open with a bang. Huang Ze was so scared that he almost fell to the ground. Many colorful ribbons sputtered out. In the ribbons, a clown, who had just popped out, was dangling, and its finger almost poked Huang Ze in the face. Huang Ze’s face was livid. He stood up and held the clown’s hand.
There… in the clown’s hand… was a lemon-colored candy wrapper.
Jiang Zhe’s angry roar no longer came from the phone. Lin Chen handed it back to Xing Conglian.
On the monitoring screen, Huang Ze put a Bluetooth headset on, then carried a high-definition camera and approached the bus in the corner of the parking lot.
“Everyone, back off.”
Huang Ze’s voice came through from the other end of the phone as he drove the reporters behind him away.
Xing Conglian leaned closer to the microphone. “Inspector Huang, please be careful when opening the door. The suspect is very likely to have connected the lead that started the timer to the door, so…”
“So it doesn’t rule out the possibility that the bomb might explode suddenly if I pull the door again?”
“Yes…”
Before Xing Conglian could speak, Huang Ze was already carrying the camera towards the open door.
Everyone’s hearts tightened abruptly.
The high-definition camera sent back a clear image of the scene. From the image, it was clear that there was a thin line connecting the time bomb to the door, which was hanging softly.
Facing the sudden policeman, the bus driver opened his mouth and began to struggle frantically.
Huang Ze put the camera on the front seat, adjusted it, and then asked, “How’s the picture?”
The camera was aimed at the driver’s chest. On the left side of the driver’s heart, the line of the time bomb and the detonator were fully visible.
The timer was transformed from the simplest electronic clock. The bright red numbers were constantly flashing. It currently showed 19 minutes and 58 seconds.
Xing Conglian pondered for a moment, covered the phone’s microphone, and said to the staff around him, “There should be an auto repair warehouse at the highway rest stop. Go and find all types of pliers, wrenches, and cutting tools. Wash them with water and deliver them within ten minutes.”
Hearing this, Lin Chen suddenly grabbed Xing Conglian. “Didn’t you say this bomb isn’t complicated as long as the fuse is removed?”
“That’s a type 101 detonator. Removing the fuse is like cutting the fire wire. It’s not completely safe. If Huang Ze has been professionally trained, we have a safer way, which is to directly remove the safety gasket and install the ignition pole.”
In the picture, Huang Ze squatted on the ground and patted the back of the driver’s hand. Then he leaned close to the bomb, looked at it for a while, then suddenly turned his head and stared at the camera lens, asking, “Captain Xing, what do you have in mind?”
“Plan L or Plan L.”
“Life or luck, desperate or desperate.” Huang Ze laughed. In the camera, the tips of his hair were wet with sweat, but he was still smiling. “It seems that I have underestimated you, Captain Xing. Which unit are you from?”
Xing Conglian’s face was solemn. He felt a sense of sympathy for Huang Ze as they shared those code words. “I would like to ask Inspector Huang what’s the fastest time you can remove a detonator?”
“Probably a little faster than Captain Xing.” Huang Ze looked at the numbers ticking on the driver’s chest and said, “I need to have a set of No. 3 pliers and cutting tools. If not, I can make do with a utility knife and screwdriver.”
“It’s already being prepared.”
After Xing Conglian finished speaking, Huang Ze gave a light “Nn”, and said nothing else. The two fell into an unbearable silence.
At this moment, Lin Chen, who had been staring at the big screen, suddenly said, “Huang Ze, give your Bluetooth headset to the driver.”
“What do you want to do?” Huang Ze suddenly turned his head and gave a deadly look to the camera.
“Ask for a testimony.” Lin Chen glanced at Huang Ze’s angry gaze on the big screen before moving his face to the bus driver again. His tone was calm and monotonous, as if he didn’t seem affected by the life and death situation on the screen.
Huang Ze turned his head and glanced at the driver, then lowered his voice. “This man is scared to death. At this time, you want to interrogate him?”
“He has all the clues about the missing twenty-six children and two teachers.” Perhaps it was due to the screen light being too bright, but Lin Chen slightly narrowed his eyes. “But, it may already be too late.”
After Lin Chen finished speaking, Xing Conglian gave him a deep look, thinking that his words at this moment weren’t very appropriate.
Huang Ze rushed out of the bus and lowered his voice, as if he didn’t want the driver to hear the conversation. “What you mean is, if I fail and both of us are blown up, you won’t have the chance to ask for his testimony, right?” He took a deep breath and continued, “Lin Chen, you’re really cold-blooded.”
In the monitoring hall, Huang Ze’s scolding was once again broadcast through the phone and accurately transmitted to everyone’s ears.
Lin Chen didn’t seem to be aware of the questioning glances. His lips opened lightly, and he only said one thing, “Yes.”
Huang Ze sneered. He tore off his Bluetooth angrily and rushed back to the bus, patted the driver on the shoulder, lowered his head and reassured him, then hung the Bluetooth to the driver’s ear.
The bus driver seemed to be still in extreme panic and didn’t know what was going on. He shook his head desperately.
“Sir, I hope you can calm down and answer a few questions.” Hearing a rapid gasping sound coming from the earpiece, Lin Chen took the phone from Xing Conglian’s hand and started speaking.
Hearing this, the driver subconsciously looked at the camera and tried to open his mouth. His limbs were shaking so badly that he couldn’t form a coherent sentence.
“The police officer in front of you is risking his life to save you, but we have not yet located the remaining twenty-eight lives in the bus. If you can’t calm down, I’ll ask the staff on the scene to give you an injection of chlorpromazine*, which is a commonly known tranquilizer, to help you calm down so you can answer my questions.”
*It is primarily used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Other uses include the treatment of bipolar disorder, severe behavioral problems in children, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, nausea and vomiting, anxiety before surgery, and hiccups that do not improve following other measures.
While Lin Chen was talking, there were whispers around the hall. Xing Conglian frowned slightly but stopped looking at Lin Chen. Out of everyone’s gaze, Lin Chen was quietly holding his hands and gently squeezing them.
It was obvious there was no chlorpromazine at the scene, but the bus driver didn’t know this.
Lin Chen’s words miraculously calmed the driver down. He gasped and spoke intermittently. “Help me. Please help me! I have children… My wife is waiting for me to go home and have dinner with her…”
The driver’s crying voice moved everyone present. Some of the young girls couldn’t help but shed tears.
“I would like to ask you if you still remember the events of how the bus got hijacked?”
“At the rest stop in Meicun. While taking a smoke break, someone put a pistol to my back and asked me to get in the car, so I did what he said.”
Hearing this, Huang Ze took out his phone and brought up a blurred surveillance photo and asked the driver, “Is it this person?”
The driver glanced at the photo and nodded hurriedly. “Yes, that person was a bit short and wore a gray scarf, so I couldn’t see his face clearly!”
Lin Chen frowned slightly. Before Huang Ze spoke again, Lin Chen continued, “Then do you remember how he controlled the entire bus?”
“He asked me to sit down and pretend to be driving. He sat on the dashboard. When the children came, he took out a pile of candy and distributed it to them. When the teacher came, he quietly jabbed his gun at the teacher’s waist.”
“Where did the children and teachers go?”
“The man stop halfway and put the bomb on me. He told me to park the bus in the parking lot of Langchuan Rest Station. He also said that I needed to park in space No. 27, saying that if the bus was parked in the wrong space, the bus would explode.”
Minutes and seconds passed as Lin Chen continued to question the bus driver.
“Where is the halfway you’re talking about?”
“The place where you pass the North Sichuan exit.”
“How far is it from here?”
“About ten minutes.”
“Do you remember the exact time they got off the bus?”
“I don’t. I don’t have time to remember this. Mr. Police, why haven’t you acted yet? It’s almost too late!” The driver said while looking down at his chest and seeing there were less than fourteen minutes left.
Huang Ze heard this and went to get the Bluetooth.
“I have one last question. Can you repeat, how did he control the entire bus?”
Lin Chen once again asked the same question he asked earlier, causing the whispered conversation in the surveillance hall to turn into an uproar.
“I have already answered this question. Didn’t I make it clear just now? Why are you still asking me about it?!” The driver suddenly raised his voice, looking frantic and agitated. He struggled desperately, and the situation in the bus suddenly became uncontrollable.
“Lin Chen, what the hell do you want to do!” Huang Ze suddenly retrieved the Bluetooth and yelled into the microphone.
“Huang Ze, please put on the Bluetooth and answer a few questions.”
In the picture, Huang Ze complied and put on the headset. Lin Chen spoke again, “Can you really disarm this bomb within thirteen minutes?”
“Do you want to hear the truth?”
“How sure are you that when you defuse the bomb, you won’t detonate the explosive due to an accidental spark or a slight vibration?”
“In the case of ample time, the success rate is between 75% and 80%.”
“In other words, if there’s not enough time, like now, your success rate will be greatly reduced and it’s also possible that you will detonate it during disarming it.”
“You’re quite direct.”
“Huang Ze, do you trust me?” Lin Chen’s expression was quiet. His face had a serene expression as he asked a question that was seemingly unrelated.
A few months ago, he asked the same question to Xing Conglian. Now, the person who was answering the question had changed. Because the other party was Huang Ze, he couldn’t guarantee to get the expected answer.
“Trust you? After you killed Xiao* Wei, how can you make me trust you?” Huang Ze turned his face towards the camera. The black-haired young man was full of sweat. He tugged at the corners of his mouth to emphasize each word he just spoke.
*Little/small (小) When used in front of a name, it’s an affectionate/friendly way to call someone who’s usually younger than you.
Xing Conglian could clearly see that when Huang Ze mentioned the name of a certain girl, a strange expression appeared on Lin Chen’s face. The look wasn’t remorse or reminiscence, but pain as if a steel nail had pierced one’s bones or a heavy hammer had slammed into their back; no matter how deep and restrained people were, they would be unable to control their emotions in an instant because of the sudden appearance of a certain name. This was why many people called this kind of emotion heartache.
It was just that Lin Chen was still Lin Chen. The painful expression on his face quickly disappeared, and his voice was still as clean and calm as ever, without the slightest choking. “Do you see the red wire that’s fixed to the driver? After the tools are delivered, please cut that wire.”
As night fell, the huge clusters of black cubes began to become more active. The arc between the small cubes leapt from time to time, so that even with the nearby lighting being good, the blue arcs of light were still particularly conspicuous.
The Order Supervisors stationed nearby had never encountered this situation.
They deployed their electromagnetic isolation nets, set up missile disruptors, and turned on invisible programs to protect the Mainbrain from being hit by any long-range weapons. The calculation cubes themselves were extremely resilient, so it was difficult for pure attacks to be effective.
The behemoth was like a dragon with diamond scales, and they never thought it would one day help a louse.
Not long ago, they did spot the armored off-roader but didn’t find any weapon response inside the vehicle. The most dangerous thing was probably NUL-00, but the Order Supervisors had known about it in advance—NUL-00’s body was just ordinary flesh. No matter the size or strength of it, it couldn’t hurt the body of the Mainbrain.
What was more, NUL-00 got off the car halfway.
It wasn’t that no one had done this before. They would accidentally discover the location of the Mainbrain and, either out of hatred or worship, would try to rush to the magnificent body to give their own death an extra sense of ritual.
In the treatment of such sporadic lunatics, the Order Supervisors would kill them before they were even halfway there. This time, the armored off-roader was quite strong and burned for a long time. Considering the situation was like killing a chicken with a bull’s knife*, they decided to just let the car smash into the edge of the Mainbrain.
*(杀鸡用牛刀) Metaphor referring to doing small things without taking a lot of effort.
However, the driver didn’t die. He carried a box on his back and climbed to the center of the Mainbrain, and then curled up there motionless.
“That’s about it.” The garrison leader wiped the sweat from his face. “We thought the S-type Prototype would be active with NUL-00, but…”
As a result, the man that was stuck at the center of the Mainbrain, didn’t mind that he was turning into charcoal. Except for blowing up his body clean with heavy weapons, the garrison leader couldn’t think of any other ideas. However, they would miss their best chance—NUL-00 was still wandering around, and there was no guarantee the weapon system would work.
Then again, with M-β and R-β presence, NUL-00 couldn’t do any damage. The two visitors were like tough chewing gum stuck to the bottom of one’s shoe. They didn’t really cause a serious problem, but they couldn’t be shaken off.
It was simply inexplicable.
As a result, the commander had directly appeared at this moment, so the leader of the garrison was at a loss as to what to do. Should he let the garrison retreat or not?
Zhuo Muran didn’t immediately participate in the battle. He glanced at the mechanical box attached to the central part of the Mainbrain. He glanced at Tang Yibu, who continued to confront M-β. He pondered for a moment, opened a light screen, and rummaged through the data. Not long after, an angry old man appeared on the light screen.
“There are signs of invasion in the machine expedition area of Petri Dish No. 1306. What’s going on?”
“I was going to ask you!” Even in the face of the Commander of the Order Supervisors, the old man’s tone was unceremonious. “Didn’t you say that Ruan Xian wouldn’t risk it? I even rejected the A-level garrison application. Now the garrison is shit. Everyone’s locked up with that thing. The B-level guards are all useless. How can we study with peace of mind?”
“Are you sure there are no offensive programs installed inside the machine?”
“This is the first item during our key inspection that we check for! Of course not! The system of that thing is cleaner than my face!”
“Let me ask it another way. Can it make its own attack on the system?”
“…God, it’s just a communicator! It’s used for spreading stuff. Spreading! To propagate, it first has to have something to propagate! Take a step back, it can be at most be an auxiliary computing device.”
The old man scratched his head in anger.
“It depends on the design concept and technical solution, understand? You group of wooden heads only look at the danger all day long. Whether it is dangerous or not, what we care about is its value! In case the two who went in breaks it…”
“That is, if an external facility is connected to it, it can be used as a computing aid, but it will not pose a direct threat to the Mainbrain,” Zhuo Muran calmly interrupted the old man’s shouts.
“Yes!”
“Thank you.” Seeing that the old man was still planning to speak, Zhuo Muran simply cut off the communication and looked at the Mainbrain.
Ruan Lijie’s device was too crude, so he would need to go deep into the Mainbrain. Otherwise, the distance was too far, and he wouldn’t be able to break the Mainbrain’s defense system.
He was probably relying on the “communicator” that Ruan Xian left in Petri Dish No. 1306 to last until now. The Mainbrain felt no pain and wouldn’t tire. Without the support of existing programs and a reliable backup, Ruan Lijie’s failure was only a matter of time.
NUL-00 took a long time to peel away thousands of calculation cubes from the outermost layer of the Mainbrain, but ultimately the impact on the Mainbrain was minimal. Without continuous wireless energy supply, the other party couldn’t pack them up and take them away. At most, he could only use them to deal with M-β here.
…Are these two performing an act?
But this wasn’t the first time Zhuo Muran had seen such a “performance”. Thinking about the inexplicable chase in the Glass Conservatory, Zhuo Muran didn’t plan to let his guard down.
Since Ruan Lijie and NUL-00 were still in human bodies…
Zhuo Muran said to the leader of the garrison, “Continue to supply poisonous gas No. 93 to the center of the Mainbrain, then call all the cleaning machines to clean up the dirt. It doesn’t matter if they can’t attack the head. Let them continue cutting off his flesh as fast as they can consume.
“Contact the people in Petri Dish No. 1306. Tell them to block the signal as much as possible. Have the logistics team destroy all food supplies. All humans and mechanical beings containing biological tissues are also to be withdrawn. Have the Type-D machines form a physical enclosure in the periphery and equip as many poisonous weapons as possible.”
“Yes.” The leader took a deep breath between his teeth.
After Zhuo Muran gave the order, he tightened his gloves and quickly operated the light screen as if communicating with someone.
In less than three minutes, the orange-red poison gas began to diffuse to the middle of the Mainbrain. The scene was somewhat splendorous, accompanied by the flashing blue light of the arc. Due to the gas, the Order Supervisors could no longer see the curled up human body clearly. They could only confirm his movements through the scanning screen—the man was curled up tighter and breathing weakly, but he was still alive.
The cleaning machines didn’t go through smoothly. Those insect-like machines squeezed through the gaps in the cube and headed towards the person, but they were shredded one by one by a round thing and were thrown to the ground—just looking at the appearance, that thing looked like a Grove R-660, but it had a clearly mutated mouth. It circled around the person, vigilantly biting anything that got too close, one by one.
The leader secretly glanced at Zhuo Muran’s direction. He was uncertain whether he should be nervous facing such an inexplicable battle. Their commander was advancing towards NUL-00 most likely to join the battle in person.
No matter how they looked at it, the opponent was bound to lose, and Commander Zhuo’s behavior was too fussy. It seemed it was better to be managed by the Mainbrain. The leader glanced at the scan screen with lingering fear and looked at the living dead man who was still breathing.
The people in the rebel army were truly crazy.
In the system of the Mainbrain.
MUL-01 finally settled on Tang Yibu’s appearance. It crossed its arms and looked at Ruan Xian on the opposite side.
After a few hours of battle against “this one” Ruan Xian spent most of his time defending. Except for its thought system being invaded and a little “epidermal damage” caused by NUL-00, the Mainbrain didn’t suffer any substantial damage.
It became seriously confused.
“NUL-00 had stopped its plundering behavior. This is my home court. There is always a limit to its plundering.” The Mainbrain temporarily stopped its attacks. “And you… are attacking my brain here, but your physical body is rapidly depleting. I can’t think of any other explanation than self-abuse.”
Ruan Xian didn’t answer, but carefully perfected his defense.
“Your invasion and the use of the equipment in Petri Dish No. 1306 did surprise me. However, it turns out this kind of invasion is indeed meaningless.”
The Mainbrain fiddled with the fast-flashing characters under its hand and continued to stimulate Ruan Xian.
“By 6 in the morning, order in all small and medium-sized strongholds will be restored. I found no trace of a backup. You will die here, and the best ending for NUL-00 is to escape. What exactly do you want? Is this really at the behest of the other Ruan Xian?”
Ruan Xian finally moved. He held back the overwhelming discomfort in his brain and barely uttered a word.
“Guess?”
Forest petri dish, deep in the ruins of the Institute.
“I really can’t drive this thing.” Yu Le’s voice changed its tone. “Didn’t Xiao Tang say that if we turn on this thing, we’re already halfway won? Okay, it’s now on. I don’t see the need to drive it… Even if it’s a ship or a car, I can barely understand it. What the hell is this?”
Yu Le sat in the main driver’s seat, touching and grabbing things with a look of pure confusion.
“I can help you understand how it works.” However, Ji Xiaoman’s face was also full of doubts. “There may be similarities in operation… But to be honest, I’m not too sure.”
“Right.”
“Anyway, try it first.” Ji Xiaoman debugged the buttons one by one and started summoning light screens. “In a while, I have to find the ejection device so we can escape. Since you’re idle here, just listen to what Tang Yibu said and try your best.”
Facing the layers of light screens in front of him, Yu Le sighed fiercely, then stretched out a finger and poked it.
“You said those two guys are okay. From the time this place closed, there hasn’t been a reply from Tang Yibu, and no movements from Xiao Ruan at all.” Although he couldn’t understand any of the indicators on the light screens, Yu Le habitually stretched out his hand and adjusted the light screens to a position that was convenient for operation.
“I don’t know.” Ji Xiaoman bit her lip and continued to ponder about the button in front of her. “But this place shouldn’t block external signals.”
In the dim and weird environment, the two fell silent. Only the sound of the humming machine was left in the air.
After a few minutes, Yu Le took the lead to break the silence. He leaned back in his chair and faced the light screens floating in the air, as if resigned to his fate.
“Forget it. Come on, come on. A last-ditch effort. Little Profiteer, teach me well. I’m going to toss around with this system… By the way, there shouldn’t be any self-detonation button for this thing, right?’
“No.” Ji Xiaoman shook her head and sat down in the “co-pilot seat” beside Yu Le.
“Okay.” Yu Le spit in his hands and rubbed them together. “Let’s do this.”
After these words, the Mainbrain’s offensive suddenly became violent, as if it wanted to crack his defenses in one go. Ruan Xian expected this reaction, but it was more difficult than he thought. The good thing was that his physical body was now replaced with a system signal. Now all he could feel was the pain in his brain, as he could no longer feel his body.
Before connecting to the machine, Ruan Xian had already curled his body into a stable position, holding the mechanical box tightly in his arms. He couldn’t feel the burning pain on his body or the wounds caused by the cleaning machines, which was a good thing in some ways.
He had successfully hacked into the system of the Mainbrain. From the judgment of ordinary machines, his body was now associated with the hardware of the Mainbrain. They wouldn’t move him and the mechanical box casually—as long as Tang Yibu stabilized M-β, he wouldn’t be killed so easily.
Ruan Xian looked at the virtual hands of the program, then turned his gaze to the projection of Tang Yibu’s mental core. The golden light mass floated warmly. Although he couldn’t see Tang Yibu’s face, Ruan Xian still had a weird sense of solidity.
This made the pain in his brain lighten by a few notches.
Realizing that it was facing “Ruan Xian”, the virtual image of the Mainbrain could no longer remain stable. During the frequent attacks, the image of “Tang Yibu” was horribly distorted. Compared to the human form, it was more like a broken photo or a distorted mass of flesh. It seemed the Mainbrain wasn’t sure what kind of image could shake him, so it kept changing its form.
Ruan Xian wasn’t distracted by it. He focused all his energy on instant defense. Without a ready-made program like Professor Ruan’s and exterior support, he didn’t dare be distracted.
It wasn’t time yet.
Tang Yibu didn’t look at what was happening to the body of the Mainbrain.
As long as he stopped M-β and R-β by himself, Ruan Xian wouldn’t die. Tang Yibu knew this well, but still didn’t want to see it.
“Go to Mr. Ruan.” He leaned on the edge of the Mainbrain’s body and patted π’s shell. “It’s best to clean up those cleaning machines. Destroy them one by one.”
The wreckage of the armored off-roader fell at his feet. Its shape was deformed due to the high temperature. Since the iron bead had transformed, it could now tolerate the high heat and could still move freely. It rubbed Tang Yibu’s hand and squeaked softly, while its three small eyes flickered at the wreckage all over the ground.
“Yes, we don’t have a car anymore.” Tang Yibu added, “…I’m a little sad too.”
“Gwah…”
“Let’s go. It’ll be very dangerous here soon.”
The iron bead rubbed Tang Yibu reluctantly again, then stretched out its four limbs and firmly clung to a black cube that was spinning fast and moved towards the direction of Ruan Xian. As soon as π stepped on the hot metal cube, it tentatively took a bite, but it didn’t even leave a toothmark behind.
After a few disappointing clicks, the round figure of the iron bead disappeared among the ocean of floating cubes.
Tang Yibu adjusted his breathing for a while. His only kind was behind him, with his creator burning quietly and slowly at the center of this suspended cluster of cubes.
M-β finally landed in front of him.
Its form was still like that of a hairless tiger, but it could be seen that the Mainbrain had restricted its mouth. R-β was riding on its back, looking at him with eyes similar to Ruan Xian.
Just as he was observing the opponent, the opponent was also evaluating him.
“You didn’t make any upgrades.” R-β opened her mouth. The voice was pleasant to the ears. “Without the S-type Prototype, you—”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
A palm-sized black cube obeyed Tang Yibu’s command and broke away from the cube formation, directly shattering R-β’s skull. Upon seeing this, M-β took a step back, lowered its body, and let out a low growl.
“This is the body of MUL-01.” Tang Yibu spoke while staring at the recovering skull that was splattered like a rotten tomato. “In other words, the external equipment that it can control—I can also use as well.”
There was no physical transformation, no cutting-edge weapon—he didn’t even fish out Professor Ruan’s attack program, but now he had the fastest and most robust weapon in the world.
Dozens of black cubes separated from the body of the Mainbrain. The blue arcs of light were disconnected from the surrounding cubes and coiled and flashed on all sides of the cubes. They obeyed Tang Yibu’s command and rotated around him.
Compared with the huge body of the Mainbrain, these dozens of calculation cubes were almost negligible. At the moment, the Mainbrain was concentrating on Ruan Xian, so Tang Yibu took the opportunity to have them “rebel” and take them for his own use.
However, he just stood at the edge of the body of the Mainbrain, quietly looking at the enemy in front of him without any intention of taking the initiative to attack.
M-β was like a real tiger. It cautiously circled around Tang Yibu for half a circle. After half a minute, it stopped, stretched out a dozen wrist-thick cannons from his exoskeleton, and blasted them in Tang Yibu’s direction. Along with the explosion, M-β rushed out like an arrow, opened its mouth in the direction of Tang Yibu, and bit.
R-β didn’t choose to watch the battle. Her body was filled with blood mist, and she attacked relentlessly with M-β.
Tang Yibu didn’t take these attacks hard. He stepped on the gap in the body of the Mainbrain and quickly climbed to the top, avoiding the explosions. He then flashed away, leaped with his back to the ground, and made a few gestures with his hands—the black cubes started to rotate at a high speed, leaving black afterimages in the air, shattering one of M-β’s front paws.
The blue arcs coiled around the surface and maintained a high temperature. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. In the next moment, dark red blood entered from R-β’s body down the pipe, and M-β’s front paws were immediately intact again.
“…You can’t win.” Although her head was broken once, R-β didn’t seem angry, and instead just slowly finished her sentence that was interrupted.
“I really can’t beat you.” Tang Yibu fell to the ground. His entire body was tense. “But you can’t get past me either.”
R-β squinted. They had received instructions from the Mainbrain that it was imperative to get rid of the intruder entrenched at its core. However, the Mainbrain didn’t specifically leave the door of convenience open for them. If they entered the dense suspended cube array, their mobility and state would inevitably be affected.
At that time, NUL-00 would be quite a deadly opponent.
But NUL-00 didn’t seem to be at ease because of this. He was flat-faced. The corners of his mouth drooped as an increasing number of black cubes floated around him. Their rotation became more and more regular, and a faint electric arc began to slowly connect the palm-sized metal cubes together.
NUL-00 was snatching resources from the Mainbrain a little by little similar to boiling a frog in warm water*.
*Refers to boiling a frog slowly to death. Metaphor used for people who cannot or are reluctant to notice or react to an emerging threat. || In this context, it’s saying Tang Yibu is slowly taking resources from the Mainbrain, and because he’s taking a little at a time, the Mainbrain won’t notice until it’s too late.
Having the A-type Prototype meant NUL-00 should be proficient in his offensive, but instead it was clearly putting on a defensive style. They couldn’t kill him, they couldn’t get around him, and if they didn’t do anything, he wouldn’t take the initiative to attack them. He was truly a piece of sesame seed candy*.
*(牛皮糖) Referring to a sticky, chewy candy that’s a metaphor for a very difficult person (to deal with). It’s also a double entendre because the Tang in Tang Yibu’s name also means candy.
However, the Mainbrain’s command must be executed. Looking at the current situation, the longer time dragged on, the more cubes NUL-00 would steal. His computing power was growing rapidly, and the pressure on their side would only increase.
R-β glanced around.
The Mainbrain, who was currently fighting with the intruder, was obviously aware of this. When the black cubes around NUL-00 began to count in the hundreds, the border garrison finally began to act—the gap between the calculation cubes was too narrow that dozens of laser snipes were futile. They put on thick heat-resistant suits and mounted oxygen tanks on their backs, and began to move in the direction of the center.
R-β breathed a sigh of relief and continued to fight NUL-00 with M-β.
Tang Yibu knew what the Mainbrain wanted to do.
While machines would be confused by the rules, humans wouldn’t. As long as the stationed Order Supervisors were close enough and possessed extremely destructive weapons, they could naturally kill the unsuspecting Mr. Ruan.
It was time to act.
“This is a formal warning.” Tang Yibu stared closely at M-β, who was spinning around him, looking for flaws and waiting for the opportunity to attack. The sound echoed under the gradually darkening sky through the amplifier on his collar. “I am the prototype of MUL-01, NUL-00. Please don’t get involved in a battle you shouldn’t be involved in.”
“Your target is my love interest. It’s not too late to retreat now.”
The blood-red sunset sank into the other side of the desert. The computing cube next to Tang Yibu was like a weird swarm of bees. In the cobweb-like blue light arcs, those golden eyes were particularly dazzling.
A commotion broke out in the garrison that was heading deeper towards the center. Still, one of them took the lead and continued forward. As soon as the man stretched out his arm in an attempt to make way, the black cubes squeezed together violently, crushing his arms to dust and splattering blood everywhere.
“I warned you,” Tang Yibu continued. The black cubes around his body began to spin even faster.
“I’ll kill anyone who dares to retreat.” A familiar voice joined the conversation. Zhuo Muran jumped off the aircraft wearing a complete combat exoskeleton on his body. He made a long face.
“Don’t worry. Without support, NUL-00 could only peel off the outermost layer. Did you see him control any of the cubes in the inner layer?”
Tang Yibu clicked his tongue. A change in their plans had really appeared. Zhuo Muran shouldn’t have come this fast.
Zhuo Muran’s statement was correct. The closer they got to the inner layer, the more difficult it was for him to capture the black cubes. The hardware between Tang Yibu and the Mainbrain was still too far apart. Even if the Mainbrain’s defenses weren’t focused on him, Tang Yibu couldn’t immediately obtain resources that could rival his opponent.
It was one against three. This wasn’t good.
…Unless he could take one out in the planned time slot.
Forest petri dish, before the sunset.
When he was about to reach the tenth floor, Yu Le’s entire suit was already soaked with sweat. The tenth floor was tightly guarded, and he couldn’t control his heartbeat. Looking at Ji Xiaoman’s sweaty neck, it was obvious he wasn’t alone.
Security checks were carried out layer by layer. Even with Tang Yibu’s technical support, Yu Le still felt a little exhausted. In normal times, he could still say a few words to Ji Xiaoman, but at the moment, there was surveillance watching him, so he couldn’t make a peep.
Ji Xiaoman quietly grabbed Yu Le’s cuffs, lowered her head and stared at the ground. Her whole body was taut like an arrow that could leave the string at any time.
With a soft sound, they arrived at the tenth floor.
After layers of reporting, the two had long been free of mud on their shoes. The corridor in front of them was obviously newly renovated. The walls were brand new white, which was illuminated brightly by the lights. They slowly moved forward on the clean floor while surveillance machines embedded on the edge of the corridor turned to look at them one by one, scanning repeatedly and never stopping.
Every step forward was like the beat of their heart.
Suddenly, one of the surveillance machines found a clue. Its warning light sounded, and the entire corridor turned dazzling blood red. This time, Yu Le, a born ruins pirate, reacted quickly—he grabbed Ji Xiaoman and ran straight to the end of the corridor, easily opening all the props Tang Yibu had given them.
“What’s going on?!” When this was done, Yu Le still had some energy to yell at the communicator.
“The security system on the last level is too complicated for me to crack.” Tang Yibu didn’t sound very happy at the moment. “It’s going to be closed sooner or later anyway. You should have opened the props already. This will temporarily disrupt the door and weapon operating systems, so just rush in as soon as possible.”
“Why didn’t you fucking say such an important thing earlier?!”
“If I said it earlier, you will be more nervous and exposed yourself even faster. If the alarm is triggered as soon as you get out of the elevator, the time may not be enough for you to run to the entrance.”
“……Fuck.” Yu Le gritted his teeth.
Before the heavy partition door came down, Yu Le lowered his body and dragged Ji Xiaoman into the room at the end of the corridor. Unfortunately, when they crossed the door, Yu Le didn’t get the opportunity to catch his breath—after the partition door descended, a deafening pumping sound exploded in his ears and the oxygen in the space began to rapidly pump out.
“Hurry up, Little Profiter, hurry up!” Yu Le groped around in the dark. “Hurry up and start this damn thing or we’ll suffocate here!”
“Don’t be nervous. I’ll help you.” Tang Yibu continued to guide. “The switch is in the upper left corner of the middle row in the M area. Miss Ji should understand. I’ll take care of the palmprint lock for you.”
The room was pitch black when suddenly a light lit up from Ji Xiaoman. The little girl was pale. She turned on the lights on her prosthetic limbs to their max and hurriedly looked for the switch—there was already a cacophony of human noises coming from outside the door. The Order Supervisors had found their invasion and most likely had blocked off the door.
Finally, as the partition door began to crack open, Ji Xiaoman found the switch among hundreds of operation panels and pressed it with one hand. The light screen with the outline of a handprint floated in the air, and a complete palm print appeared in the middle. As the scan ended, the sound of pumping in all directions stopped abruptly, and there was no more movement outside the door. From nowhere came a rumbling sound of something being launched, and the dark space was illuminated by lights.
“Well done.” Tang Yibu’s interest didn’t sound high. “Open it and we have halfway won. The next act is up to the two of you.”
“Holy shit.”
This time, Yu Le didn’t care about Tang Yibu’s tone. He looked at the “ground” beneath his feet and swallowed.
What was under them wasn’t a floor, but a thick layer of glass that was strung together by a huge machine in the middle, partitioning the space into transparent cylinders. They couldn’t see the top from above or the tail end beneath their feet.
The machine in the middle looked like a withered corpse of a dragon, completely lacking the regular beauty of what machines should have. It was undulating slightly, as if it was a living thing. Their location seemed to be on the main console, which was the most complex part of this thing—a variety of switches embedded in the uneven dark brown console and odd-shaped pipes stacked on the edge of the thick glass. There were three chairs in a slightly more spacious area, which looked a bit like a navigation platform.
“How can I put this…”
Yu Le stared blankly at the main seat in front of him as well as the huge and weird machine in the middle.
“If this mission was the one I imagined… This is definitely the most, uh, overrated moment in my life.”
Blue Vest’s attention was completely focused on the “Physical Examination Room”. After all, that seemed like the most harmless of the three. Yin Ren expressed his understanding. He took a few steps back and made a pose as if saying, “I don’t know anything”.
Red Fedora had long, thin eyebrows. At this moment, she looked as if all the blood from her face had been drained, like an unpainted porcelain sculpture. She gripped her bracelet tightly. Her hands were trembling, which made the beads on the string rattle.
Seeing his two companions were “weak and helpless”, Blue Vest tried to adjust his breathing and showed a leader-like expression. Unfortunately, before he had time to make a grand speech, a loud knock came from the door, causing him to stumble.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
As if the person on the other side of the door knew they were standing outside, he, she—or it—knocked heavily on the door four times.
“You guys can come in together.” The voice behind the door was shrill to the point where it was almost inaudible to human ears.
Blue Vest exhaled and took the lead, pushing the door open.
There was no one behind there.
The physical examination room wasn’t large, and there weren’t many things inside. A round table was placed in the middle of the room, and three acacia wood trays were placed in the center of the table.
The ceiling of the room was filled with monitors on each side. They squeezed together and turned slowly. Yin Ren wasn’t sure what their purpose was, but the way they twisted and turned, he thought they were like sparrows on the branches of a tree in winter.
The content of the trays was more interesting.
Three trays were arranged in an equilateral triangle. One held a piece of red leather with a pattern painted on it. The skin was thin and soft and was cut square with a pair of iron scissors; another tray had a pile of broken bones with a few dead flies scattered around it; and the last tray had an eerie-looking pen lying alone in the middle of the tray without any paper.
Blue Vest and Red Fedora weren’t as calm as Yin Ren as they continued to look around vigilantly…
The monitor above his head clicked softly as countless red lights flickered, making people uncomfortable. The corner of the room was empty, as if the knocker before was a ghost.
Yin Ren was determined to pull his two teammates back on the right path. He cleared his throat. “What are these?”
Blue Vest: “Ah, huh? What?”
“These things that are on the table.”
Blue Vest opened his mouth and looked as if he was trying to focus, but this time, it was Red Fedora who spoke first.
“It’s the ‘Three Divisions of Heaven’. It’s a test used by the metaphysics lineage to divide the ranks.” Her lips turned pale. “But… But these are real. Generally, they use substitutes on the outside that aren’t so evil.”
Blue Vest nodded bitterly, facing Yin Ren’s inquisitive eyes.
Blue Vest appeared to be procrastinating as he took a half step back and moved away from the table.
“He doesn’t understand this, so let’s just tell him. These Three Divisions of Heaven refer to the three fundamental metaphysical directions—spirit smith, corpse servant, and ghost master.”
Blue Vest took out a string of wooden beads from his pocket, and he kept on muttering.
“The spirit smith is someone who makes spiritual weapons for people or for themselves. Do you play games? It would be like a kind of prop that you buy that has high technical content.”
“Everyone’s familiar with the corpse servant. You must have heard stories of corpse hunting. After the promotion of cremation, such people are now gone. Now, they mainly use animal bones. They are a bit like necromancers in a game.”
“The ghost master, better put, would be considered a psychic. They can withstand evil qi and command ghosts to work. This kind of cultivator is the most numerous.”
“The ‘Three Divisions of Heaven’ is a test to measure what kind of job you’re naturally suited for. In fact, there are high-level occupations like ‘ghost general’, but that’s beyond our reach.”
Yin Ren nodded frequently as he listened.
The cultivators of thousands of years ago weren’t so sophisticated. With no detailed practice, they all clumped together like ingredients in a stew. After a cursory listen, the current classification seemed much more reasonable.
“Have you tested before?” he asked curiously.
“I’ve tested a long time ago, but not… formally. These days, only Shian can come up with such authentic stuff.” Blue Vest smiled wryly. “Why don’t we go by the results? I’ll try ghost master and my friend will try the spirit smith. Brother, you can test for the corpse servant first.”
Having said that, Blue Vest reluctantly walked to the tray where the pen was placed. Red Fedora took a few deep breaths and picked up the leather-rimmed scissors.
Yin Ren glanced at the broken bones that were covered with dead flies in front of him.
The bones exuded a strong aura of death, which should be the specialty of any large tomb. The dead flies were quite fresh. They were soaked in some kind of liquid and also had an ominous aura. If a person who was predestined touched them, they could probably move their position even more freely.
If Yin Ren wanted, he could even let them fly all over the room.
However, Blue Vest just said that there were few corpse servants. Rare things were precious, and he didn’t want to work like crazy, let alone become eye-catching… He had slept on a pile of bones for more than a thousand years and was almost completely pickled, so why bother.
Yin Ren picked up the pile of bones, then quickly retracted his hand, showing an almost serene expression. The tray remained silent, and the bones showed no signs of abnormality.
The other two were more successful.
When Blue Vest picked up the wooden pen with both hands, his complexion gradually became blue. A thick, translucent stream of evil qi slowly gushed out of his seven orifices. His expression was twisted, as if he were smiling but not, and his entire body clicked, as if something was fighting for the right to use his body.
Although his posture was ugly, he at least carried on. Yin Ren looked at him twice more and saw that Blue Vest was in good condition and there was no damage.
Red Fedora was much more tragic.
As soon as the red scissors touched her skin, the expression on her face disappeared.
The gray-white blade slashed across her skin, and red blood beads broke through the surface and dripped down her wrist, almost forming some sort of line. Red Fedora tilted her head as if her neck were broken. Her eyes were bulging, and her teeth were clenched.
Yin Ren recognized that kind of skin.
It was the soft skin peeled off a corpse worm. As long as it was stained with the flesh and blood of the corpse worm, it would contaminate the human skin. The constantly reborn skin would close the visible orifices and strangle the victim until he or she melted into a flesh-skinned dumpling.
Due to its characteristics, the skin of the corpse worm was extremely difficult to deal with. This piece of leather should have been cleaned up by a spirit smith, but it wasn’t something ordinary people could touch.
The more Red Fedora cut, the more she shook. Halfway through cutting, there was a choking whistle that sounded in her throat. Her hands were trembling so much that she could barely hold on the scissors.
Yin Ren looked at her intently.
Finally, Red Fedora struggled to finish cutting the piece of skin. Her face was covered in cold sweat, her eyelids were covered in flesh-like glue, and her hands were bloody from the tips of the scissors. Human blood was mixed with the corpse worm’s corrupted blood, making it look like she was wearing a pair of crimson gloves.
After she released the scissors, she almost fell flat on her ass.
“Let’s change. I’ll try the ghost master.” After panting for half a day, Red Fedora finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
Yin Ren: “You still want to test? Shouldn’t you take a break…”
Red Fedora smiled wearily. “You have to try all three. People may not be suitable for just one direction… Why? Are you sacred?”
“I’m not afraid, but is this really safe?” Yin Ren clasped his arms. “The test alone is so dangerous, so the work must be even more…”
“The test is conducted according to the most stringent standards,” Red Fedora whispered. “Being stringent is good. There’s a reason why Shian’s salary is notoriously high. The risk isn’t small… If you fool around casually and something happens in the future, it may hurt others.”
Yin Ren was silent for a moment before he let out a sigh. “Please give me your hand.”
Red Fedora puzzledly looked at him.
“I want to see if your injury is serious.”
“Are you a doctor?” Red Fedora spread out her hands obediently.
“Somewhat.”
Yin Ren lowered his head. His long hair slid over his shoulders. He didn’t touch her hand but pretended to put his hands around Red Fedora’s hands.
According to what Blue Vest said, this girl had a talent for making spiritual weapons. Yin Ren didn’t know what Shian’s treatment level would be like. He only knew that if the corrupted blood of the corpse worm seeped deep into the flesh, it could cause a lingering disease to develop.
Making spiritual weapons was a delicate task, so a smith’s hands should not tremble.
Yin Ren held his breath and concentrated. He condensed a gentle breath-like magic in the palm of his hand. Most of the blood in the depths of the wound was sucked away by him, and the rest wasn’t enough to worry about.
“It’s nothing major,” he said. “Remember to deal with it as soon as possible. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Thank you.”
Red Fedora raised her hand and wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve. At this time, Blue Vest seemed to have calmed down. The three of them took a step around the round table and exchanged positions.
After being put down by Red Fedora for a while, the corpse worm’s skin had already returned to its original state. The previous corrupted blood was still in place, exuding a burst of fishy smells.
Yin Ren picked up the scissors and cut at the skin…
But it didn’t cut.
The scissors that were incredibly sharp before, now seemed as if they didn’t even have a blade, let alone make a small slit.
This time, the three of them all failed. The broken pile of bones didn’t respond to Blue Vest, and as soon as Red Fedora’s fingertips touched the wooden pen, she stepped back several steps as if she had been electrocuted without even picking it up.
After two rounds, all three of them had only one occupation left untested. Compared with the guaranteed Blue Vest and Red Fedora, Yin Ren’s situation was particularly embarrassing.
Blue Vest hesitated for a bit, but still said a few words of comfort. “Don’t be discouraged. Since Shian let you, an outsider, take the exam, you must have some talents… Come on, try the ghost master.”
Yin Ren smiled at him. He walked around again and stopped in front of the tray containing the wooden pen.
At present, the most suitable occupation for him was ghost master.
The number of people in this profession was inconspicuous, so there was no need for him to work hard. It was enough to be patient with evil spirits—it was just asking an Evil Spirit whether they could handle evil spirits was about as absurd as asking the sea if it was afraid of rain.
Yin Ren stretched out his hand without hesitation and grabbed the wooden pen.
This wooden pen was older than him. It was most likely transformed from a fuji* wooden pen thousands of years ago. There were at least ten ghosts attached to it. The moment Yin Ren touched the pen, they began to pour evil qi in him one by one.
*Method of “planchette writing”, or “spirit writing”, that uses a suspended sieve or tray to guide a stick which writes Chinese characters in sand or incense ashes.
The evil qi entered his body and was extremely cold. If he were a normal person, he could only rely on his physical body to resist. Yin Ren closed his eyes. He didn’t absorb the foreign evil qi right away, but instead let it pass through his limbs and bones.
There were countless ghost hands pulling and scratching from all sides. The evil qi was increasing evenly, making his blood feel as if it were mixed with icicles, but his body felt no pain. It was similar to a pharmacist weighing medical herbs; the ghosts were adding little by little to find the balance of his “talent”.
Unfortunately, his body was basically condensed evil qi. Pain was still pain. Yin Ren wouldn’t be injured, and it was a pipe dream that his body would get possessed.
He even admired the ghosts in this pen a little—the ghosts in the wild were fierce and vicious and acted chaotically, while the ghosts in this pen were well-trained. He had reason to suspect that they were even orderly queuing up in the pen.
One, two, three…
Ignoring the torture-like pain, Yin Ren estimated the time and let go at a pace about the same as Blue Vest. He didn’t “fight to the limit” like Blue Vest, so his evaluation might be a bit higher, but not by too much.
Thanks to his two teammates, he successfully got away with it.
Seeing Yin Ren’s results, Blue Vest’s expression lightened a little. “Haha, look buddy. Like I said, you have talent!”
“This is the end of the test?”
“Yeah, the test is over.”
“Then who will come…” Yin Ren just wanted to ask who would fill out the form, when he saw the wooden pen take off in place.
The wooden pen was floating in the air and swished wildly around the three people’s examination report, almost puncturing the paper. As it moved, the monitors around the ceiling twisted, and a chugging mechanical sound rang out incessantly.
The wooden pen first filled in Blue Vest’s form: [Ghost Master: Good-; Spirit Smith: x; Corpse Servant: x]
Then came Red Fedora’s form: [Ghost Master: x; Spirit Smith: Good; Corpse Servant: x]
Last was Yin Ren’s: [Ghost Master: Good; Spirit Smith: x; Corpse Servant: x]
The strength judgments of the three of them were not far apart. Yin Ren was quite satisfied with the result.
“Get lost.” A slightly disgusted voice came from the wooden pen. “The first kid sweated so much. Disgusting!”
After the shrill voice finished, a series of vague “yes, yes, yes” came from the wooden pen.
Blue Vest: “……”
Blue Vest pretended as if nothing happened. “It’s almost over. There’s only the stress test left.”
Red Fedora nodded breathlessly, showing a look of relief. She wiped the blood from her hands carefully for fear of dirtying her report.
Yin Ren paused slightly with the hand holding the report. The black door stood quietly on the corner that was just opposite of the stress test room, emitting a strong aura that couldn’t be ignored. The deep blackness seemed to be a vortex that was constantly drawing his attention.
In addition to Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo, there were also four other examinees present.
When the evil qi leaked out from the vision examination room, two of them changed their faces—they were both ordinary looking. One was a man who was wearing a blue vest and was tall and thin. The other was a woman with curly hair wearing a red fedora.
Blue Vest and Red Fedora seemed to know each other as they exchanged slightly nervous glances.
The two of them were covered with common gadgets of things found in a small market, such as jade plaques, pendants of various colors, and suspicious wooden beads. They were all entangled in a pile and clattered with each of their movements.
Yin Ren peeped with interest. Those items exuded a small amount of magic aura, so they were most likely low-level spiritual weapons.
Cultivators who were just getting started liked to use these things. After thousands of years, this tradition still hadn’t changed much. Such spiritual artifacts were easy to start with and made lively noises when worn, which was conducive to strengthening courage.
Unfortunately, the courage of these two wasn’t strong enough. Their expressions were solemn as they whispered to each other for a while, then they retreated.
When Yin Ren turned his head, he realized something was wrong.
That was just a distraction. He himself was at the forefront to be examined first—seeing him not moving, Zhong Chengshuo consciously stood behind him. Several other people were so happy that someone took the lead that they instantly formed a line behind him.
Yin Ren: “……”
A dead Taoist friend won’t die in poverty*, right? Yin Ren slowly looked at Zhong Chengshuo, who had an innocent look on his face.
*(死道友不死贫道是) It’s a saying that means harming the interests of others for the sake of one’s own interests. || In this context, basically Yin Ren inadvertently took the lead to go first for the exam, and everyone’s happy that they don’t have to be the first guinea pig.
With Yin Ren as the leader, the small team was neatly arranged. The four people remained motionless, as if they were holding some bizarre ceremony. With no one coming in for so long, the person behind the door said in a muffled voice, “You can come in, one at a time.”
Yin Ren made sure that his evil qi was sealed without flaws before he bit the bullet and opened the door. As soon as he stepped into the room, the heavy wooden door closed behind him with a loud bang.
Behind the door was a big white wall.
The wall was covered with tiny cracks, and a piece of paper was passed in the most conspicuous area. The white paper was a little yellowed, and it said something along the lines of “Please remove your glasses, contact lenses, and all spiritual artifacts you’re carrying.”. On the side were metal lockers full of keys that were dangling from orange number plates and looked like some kind of brightly colored fungus.
Everything smelled like it had been used for years.
Passing through the narrow entrance, the space immediately widened.
There were no windows in the room. The lights were dim, and there was a dense surge of evil qi coming from the right. Yin Ren didn’t determine the source of the evil qi but instead looked straight at the corner of the wall, his face remaining unchanged.
In the corner of the wall, there was a large group of things squeezed together, which was particularly incompatible with the cold and clean space.
That thing vaguely had a human form, but it was two-to-three times larger than an ordinary human. Its soft fleshes were stacked on top of each other. Its limbs and head were swallowed by layers of fat, leaving only a few bulges, and its skin was covered with crimson cracks.
This thing was like a bulging beehive, pulling out countless amounts of pale red mucus from its body and filling the corner like honey. As the huge body converged, the mucus exuded a light, fishy smell similar to egg whites.
It wasn’t good to stare at others, so Yin Ren politely withdrew his gaze and surveyed the entire room.
A man and a woman sat in the corner, near the beehive.
They wore the standard uniforms of the staff and had identification cards hanging around their necks. The cold light shone on the faces of the two of them, revealing a complexion that resembled corpses.
In front of them, in addition to the notebooks and pens, there was a dark, flattened spoon-like thing. If Yin Ren’s modern knowledge reserve was richer, he would know that this was called an “eye occluder”
Fortunately, the staff was very considerate.
They didn’t seem to care about Yin Ren’s abnormal behavior of “staring at the corner” and planned to guide him step by step.
“Use this to cover one side of your eyes and then point out the direction ‘they’ are pointing.” The female staff member handed over the eye occluder.
As soon as she finished speaking, a white light suddenly lit up to Yin Ren’s right.
The “wall” that was overflowing with evil qi became transparent, and it was only now that Yin Ren realized the actual size of the room.
The room was divided into two parts, and the space he was standing in only took up half of it. The right half of the room was separated by a glass wall and was hidden in the shadows. It was painted black and divided into twelve equal parts with white lines with the characters 1 to 12 painted on them.
A monster stood beneath each of the corresponding numbers.
The monster on the far left should be an ordinary ghost, with only a faint silver-white outline. It squatted against the wall and looked so weak that it could dissipate at any second. The monster on the far right was shaped like an irregular sarcoma. It was bound by rusty iron chains, and the evil qi it was exuding was about equal to 10 Resentment Baskets.
In the gap between the chains, it stretched out a segmented tentacle-like thing, pointing upwards.
This was indeed a vision check, but unfortunately it wasn’t checking for the strength of one’s eyesight, but rather the “astral eye’s” vision.
“Are you ready?” the male staff member asked in a hoarse voice.
Yin Ren nodded and picked up the eye occluder.
“Starting from the number 12, just point out the direction you see. Okay, let’s start. Number 12.”
The sarcoma-shaped monster moved. The original bent tentacle suddenly stretched straight and pointed at the ceiling.
This guy was in pretty good spirits. If it had a waist, it would be very straight. Yin Ren scanned it back and forth with suspicious eyes several times, trying to find the Shian employee card.
Seeing Yin Ren just looking at it, No. 12 shook its tentacles vigorously and pointed up slowly again. Although it had no face, Yin Ren felt a trace of kindness out of nowhere—it looked like it was teaching a child who didn’t know any better.
Yin Ren stretched out his hand speechlessly and pointed upwards.
The sarcoma made a satisfied grunt, and its tentacles wrapped around to form the shape of a human hand and gave him a “thumbs up”.
Although he didn’t know what that meant, Yin Ren smiled awkwardly and gave the same gesture back.
……
When asked about No. 5, Yin Ren deliberately made a laborious appearance.
Upon seeing this, the female staff member knocked on the table and made a gesture toward the glass. All the monsters changed their directions. This scene was repeated a few times to make sure that it wasn’t a fluke that Yin Ren guessed correctly before they moved on. During the entire process, the monsters were extremely cooperative and even seemed as if they enjoyed it.
…Was Shian’s treatment really good? Yin Ren couldn’t help but feel a little moved.
His left and right eyes were tested alternately. He flattened the bowl and “reluctantly” answered No. 4.
“Not bad.”
The female staff member smiled briefly, causing a few extra stiff folds to raise at the corner of her mouth. She wrote furiously for a while, then stamped something on his examination form.
The lines of the seal were dark, and the pattern was similar to that of Fang Yuanyuan’s work permit.
“Take the examination form and turn right when you go out. The next check-up items are in no particular order. Try to finish your exam before 5 PM.” The female staff nodded at Yin Ren. “You can go now and call the next one in.”
After Yin Ren went out, he saw Zhong Chengshuo.
Seeing that Yin Ren was safe and sound, the rest of the group relaxed a bit, to varying degrees. Only Mr. Zhong was staring at a certain point in the void and had a thoughtful expression on his face.
Yin Ren patted Zhong Chengshuo on the shoulder and said, “Zhong Ge, it’s your turn.”
It looked as if Zhong Chengshuo had fallen asleep while standing, as it took him a while to recover. He blinked in confusion and then muttered, “Thank you.”
Yin Ren smiled at the rest of the group. He clinched his physical examination form and sat down on a black chair. There were definitely people watching him now, so he had to maintain the virtue of being human—in such a strange and gloomy place, a human wouldn’t ever go out alone.
Also, this would give him a chance to eavesdrop on the situation.
Unfortunately, reality didn’t go as smoothly as he imagined. The door panel was blessed with some kind of technique that made the other side as quiet as if it were underwater. The wooden door closed quickly, drowning out the sound of Zhong Chengshuo’s footsteps and the evil qi.
As a result, Mr. Zhong walked out with a solemn face within two minutes of entering.
He took the examination form in his hand, and the column for his vision was blank except for two bold “0.” The writing was quite heavy, indicating the staff’s surprise. At the top of the examination form was a very eye-catching red seal that was the same style as “Professor Li’s” work permit.
It seemed that this kid was blind and stable, which was reassuring.
“Let’s go together?” Yin Ren asked deliberately.
“Sure, but they told me to go this way. You as well?” Zhong Chengshuo didn’t seem bothered by the two 0s. He pointed calmly to the side of the red chair.
“I have to go out and turn right. Unfortunately, it’s a different path.”
Zhong Chengshuo nodded understandingly. “You can wait a little longer. There must be someone who’s going the same way as you.”
Having said that, Zhong Chengshuo turned around decisively and walked straight into the depths of the corridor. Despite the strange and weird environment, Zhong Chengshuo’s posture was relaxed. His figure was soon swallowed up by the darkness at the end.
Yin Ren: “……”
He didn’t understand whether he was being overly cautious or whether the hearts of humans today were too courageous. In view of Fang Yuanyuan’s emphasis on “don’t go in the wrong direction”, Yin Ren obediently waited in the chair. The tips of his long hair were slightly bent by the seat.
Yin Ren was patiently waiting for a “companion”.
Blue Vest and Red Fedora really knew each other. As soon as Blue Vest was finished, he wandered anxiously around the door until Red Fedora rejoined him with her examination results. The two didn’t deliberately hide their results. Their exam forms were stamped with black marks.
Yin Ren: “Do you want to wait together? This place is a bit eerie, so it’s better if there are more people.”
Blue Vest smiled nervously. “Let’s go. I’ve talked to the people behind me just now. They’re applying for the science post, so they aren’t the same as us.”
“Yeah, it’s the red seal of that guy that came out before and just left by himself,” Red Fedora exclaimed.
Since the “two people behind” hadn’t entered the door yet, the “red seal” she was speaking of was probably referring to Zhong Chengshuo.
She didn’t know of his brilliant results. Most people should have at least seen No. 12, but for Mr. Zhong, all he probably saw was an ordinary vision examination room.
Yin Ren struck while the iron was hot. “Can I go with you?”
“Yeah. The more people, the livelier,” Blue Vest gladly agreed.
Lord Ghost King pretended not to understand the meaning behind “more people”. They stood in a line pattern and headed towards the other end of the corridor.
“Just now, I heard you guys talk about ‘red marks’ and ‘science post’. What does that mean?” The opportunity was too good to miss, so Yin Ren asked as if he didn’t have any clue.
Red Fedora showed astonishment. “You don’t know?”
“I was involved in some kind of incident two days ago and just got placed here. I haven’t heard of these things before.”
Unsure whether Blue Vest was using it to relieve tension or if he had a teacher’s heart, when he discovered that Yin Ren didn’t know anything, he became ecstatic. “Then let me tell you. The ‘red seal’ is for the ‘science post’. The science post only accepts genuinely highly educated talents, which at least start with a master’s degree.”
Yin Ren could understand the word “talent”. It seemed that Zhong Chengshuo was indeed a scholar, as he thought.
“On the other hand, the black seal is a non-scientific post, but they possess some special skills. There are only two kinds of people in this line of work. One is that you had a strange encounter during your adventure, and the other is through family heritage from an expert.”
Yin Ren looked at the two of them again. He felt that the temperament of these two weren’t like the former, but their skills of these two weren’t on the level of a master either. However, out of courtesy, he didn’t inquire too much about it.
“You know a lot,” Yin Ren continued to test.
“I did some homework beforehand. The stamp they gave us just now is to classify us. Next, they will examine our ability and determine our post.”
“In other words, if you already have a stamp, that means you’ll be able to pass?”
Blue Vest suddenly deflated like he had hit a leak. “How can there be such a good thing as that if you don’t have the strength? Brother, don’t you know what Shian’s annual salary is?”
Yin Ren wasn’t worried about strength. Even if he was in poor condition, he could easily defeat all cultivators in the vicinity. What he was worried about was being able to control the degree of “normal”—after a thousand years, the standard of “normal” was quite elusive.
It was right to follow these two. Blue Vest and Red Fedora were excellent references. This time, he definitely wouldn’t be the first to go up. From this moment on, they were a harmonious and friendly trio of underdogs.
The underdog trio didn’t have to go far before a second, third, and fourth door appeared at the same time.
One of the doors was labeled “Physical Examination Room,” which was followed by a simple brain icon. Opposite it was a “Stress Test Room”, with a cracked heart painted on the door plate.
The last door was close to the corner. It was dark in that area, and the sign on the door was blank.
The author has something to say:
Atheists are an indispensable combat power of this institution—!
But strange things can be said to objectively exist (?
For Yin Ren, the last half of the day had been more exciting than the past thousand years combined.
When the rain stopped last night, Yin Ren gazed at the stars through the car window—under the seal, he had slept for a full 1,040 years. This meant that his 1,400th birthday was something worth celebrating.
Thousands of years had passed, and the vicissitudes of life in the world had changed.
People in contemporary metaphysics were extremely vigilant. Yin Ren was sure that he hid himself well, but since he broke the seal, thousands of spells within a radius of ten miles were poised, and there were also arrays that were further away. There were countless seals like petals on a thousand-layered lotus, wrapping the small city of Haigu right in the middle.
Unfortunately, no one thought that an Evil Spirit would be basking in the sun in the courtyard of the institution in question.
There was a decorative pool in the park of the Shian Group. The fountain continuously gushed, and there was a relaxing water bar set up by the pool. The sky was clear and blue, allowing the sun to shine through the clear edges of the parasols.
Yin Ren collapsed under the shade as he crushed the mint leaves in his cold drink.
Not long after lunch, they were brought here by the staff. He just ordered a berry soda with ice cream, and now his body was immersed in the impact of this new taste. Yin Ren stretched out from head to toe, exuding the aura of “I’m in a super good mood”.
The person who recommended the iced berry drink to Yin Ren was sitting opposite of him…
“I’m the HR person here, surnamed Fang.”
Miss Fang had a cheerful round face. She wore thick makeup, and her hair was permed into a big maroon wave. She wore a pair of caramel-colored contact lenses, and her long nails were plastered with fancy decorations.
She was wearing a fashionable parquet skirt with a work ID hanging on her chest. There was a strange black mark with “Fang Yuanyuan” on it.
The middle-aged man next to her was also wearing a work ID, but the seal on his name was standard vermilion.
“Professor Li has something to say. He always has a stinky face on, so I’m here to adjust the atmosphere.” Miss Fang pointed to the man sitting next to her and spoke in a playful and cute tone.
Yin Ren pretended not to notice the miniature magic array in her contact lenses and the powerful charms under her manicure. Conservatively estimated, this “playful and cute” Miss Fang could tear up a spiteful ghost within ten heartbeats.
He stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of ice cream and gave a look like he was all ears.
Zhong Chengshuo was sitting to Yin Ren’s right with a glass of ice water in front of him. He was more proactive than Yin Ren. “Professor Li? That Professor Li Nian?”
“Yes.”
Zhong Chengshuo’s sitting posture suddenly became more rigid.
Professor Li behaved just like his appearance, as if he were covered with thorns to keep people at arm’s length. This person was extremely careful with his words. Yin Ren could understand the meaning—Shian Group had decided to give them some special work. In order to show their formality, they sent their leader “Professor Li Nian”, to come forward.
As for what this special work was, Professor Li didn’t specify.
Yin Ren didn’t even know what “HR” and “Professor” even meant. He wisely remained silent and let the modern man, Zhong Chengshuo, go up to bat.
Sure enough, Zhong Chengshuo opened his mouth. “When I applied for the position, I checked the box ‘open to job transfer’. As long as the treatment remains the same and the place of work is in Haigu, I have no problem.”
“Thank you for your understanding. However, this job is relatively special and requires a short interview.” Fang Yuanyuan smiled sweetly.
Zhong Chengshuo glanced at Yin Ren. “Am I working together with him?”
It wasn’t that Zhong Chengshuo regarded himself too highly, but even patients with amnesia weren’t spared from this job, which was beyond his expectations.
Yin Ren reluctantly drank all his cold drink and stirred the cream at the bottom of the cup with his straw. “I don’t remember who I am, but never mind that. I like it here. Whether it’s sweeping floors, pouring tea, or washing dishes, I can do anything.”
He spoke sincerely.
Such an institution would definitely have relevant information, so the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. As an ordinary Evil Spirit without ambition, he just wanted to get his powers under control as soon as possible, keep his sanity, and then… enjoy life in this new era to his heart’s content.
“The interview is only a preliminary screening. In my experience, there’s a high probability that the two of you will not be in the same position,” Fang Yuanyuan continued with a smile. “I’ll begin.”
She didn’t wait for the two of them to respond and quickly threw out a question—
“Do you two believe that there are ‘ghosts’ in the world?”
Zhong Chengshuo’s expression froze while the mint that Yin Ren was kneading fell to the table. Professor Li Nian tapped the table with his index finger and swept his gaze between the two of them.
Zhong Chengshuo frowned, obviously thinking about how to respond.
Yin Ren: “…I do.”
This time it was Yin Ren who answered before Zhong Chengshuo, causing Professor Li’s eyes to dart towards him.
“Go on.”
“There’s nothing to say. I just believe what the ancestors passed down. To tell you the truth, based on my experience a while ago, you have to believe it, whether you did or didn’t before.”
After speaking, Yin Ren began to stir the bottom of his drink again.
Vanilla cream and berry juice were mixed into a beautiful pink color, which looks like fresh brain matter. When it was stirred around by the straw, it exuded a sweet aroma.
“Do you have any impression of the name ’Yin Ren’?” Professor Li asked calmly. “Yin from ardent, Ren from blade.”
Yin Ren stopped stirring the straw.
“I do.” His tone was solemn.
“Uncle Zhang told you? I even had the sensation of flying in the sky—it’s unbelievable—it was like a dream.”
“I told your people about the situation at the time… Let me think about it…‘Dizziness, everything sounded like a water film, chills all over, and my body wouldn’t listen to orders.’ Minister Li, do you think I was possessed by something wicked?”
Professor Li didn’t answer.
“In case I am really possessed by something wicked, I probably shouldn’t be called ‘Yin Ren’.”
Seeing that the other party was silent, Yin Ren continued according to the planned script.
“…But the name is not bad. I’ll just call myself ‘Yin Ren’. At least it’s better than ‘Zhang San’.”
Professor Li still looked cold. “You can register as that.”
He nodded slightly at Fang Yuanyuan, who quickly typed a few lines on her phone.
Then she turned to Zhong Chengshuo and said, “Mr. Yin’s answer is standard. How about you, Mr. Zhong? Have you thought about it?”
Yin Ren was relieved. He happily let go of the straw and looked at Zhong Chengshuo, who was sitting upright.
Zhong Chengshuo had not once touched the iced water in front of him. The ice cubes had all melted away and drops of water were flowing down the outer wall of the cup, forming a ring of water at the bottom. Though he himself had a difficult expression on his face, there wasn’t a single bead of sweat.
“I don’t believe in ‘ghosts’, but I don’t deny there are ‘phenomena that can’t be explained by modern science’.”
As Zhong Chengshuo spoke, he took off his glasses and wiped them carefully.
After sitting still for so long, Professor Li’s expression finally changed. “Oh?”
“For example, people in the past couldn’t explain the phenomenon of a mirage and called it a ‘ghost city’. Many people believed that it was evidence that ghosts and spirits do exist. Nowadays, even children know the cause of a mirage, which has nothing to do with the popular concept of ghosts and gods.”
“When the path of human science does not exist, ‘modern science cannot explain a phenomenon’ is unavoidable. People’s experiences lead them to classify them as a supernatural phenomenon or related to ghosts and gods… I just don’t agree with this classification.”
Fang Yuanyuan raised an eyebrow and rubbed the small decoration on her nails.
“In other worlds, even if there are ghosts standing in front of you—” she meaningfully stretched out the end of her sentence.
“Personally, what an atheist should do is not ‘stubbornly deny’, but ‘find a more reasonable explanation’.”
“Even if it’s rather anomalous and fits people’s descriptions of a ghost?”
“It’s still a phenomenon, and any phenomenon has its causes.”
Zhong Chengshuo’s answers were smooth, as if he had pondered such questions a long time ago. Stared at by those deep eyes, Fang Yuanyuan’s smile froze for a moment.
She quickly adjusted her state. “The two of you answered well. You can participate in our induction examination in the afternoon. Ah, do you have any questions for me?”
Zhong Chengshuo: “I just had a physical entry exam a few days ago…”
“Believe me, this one’s different. What about Mr. Yin?”
“Do you really have no shortage of handymen?” Yin Ren asked hopefully.
A smile ripped through Fang Yuanyuan. “This job is definitely better than ‘doing chores’.”
“Okay, I still have a few questions.”
“Please ask.”
“Will this job require frequent travel? It’s not convenient for me to move around, so I might not be able to do it—”
“Not the early stages. We’ll consider the employee’s personal situation. As for your health, Shian will bear all follow-up medical expenses.”
“Not only the body, but I’m also worried about my mental health. Why don’t you tell me what this ‘special job” entails first?”
“I’m sorry. It’s not convenient to say right now. After you pass the physical examination, my colleague will explain the work content to you.” Fang Yuanyuan shook her head.
Seeing that he couldn’t get any more answers, Yin Ren took a deep breath and took out his ace hidden in his sleeve…
“Five insurances* and a full pension?”
*Refers to endowment insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance, and maternity insurance.
Fang Yuanyuan: “……”
Fang Yuanyuan: “…In full. There’s also a supplementary provident fund, and the year-end bonus is extremely generous!”
Fang Yuanyuan felt a bit confused. When she first saw Yin Ren, she thought this person wasn’t easy to get along with. Generally speaking, people with excellent looks tend to be arrogant and usually possess a less-than-savory personality.
Unexpectedly, this beautiful rookie was someone who was worried about gains and losses.
On the other hand, Zhong Chengshuo was even more unusual—as a real newcomer to the workplace, he seemed completely uninterested in his transfer.
Were the conditions of these two people reversed?
Fang Yuanyuan couldn’t figure out why. Professor Li Nian had left to take a call and then never came back. She had to improvise on the spot and sent the two of them to Shian’s Building II.
“These are your temporary documents.”
Fang Yuanyuan jogged away from their sights and then came back panting.
When she came back, she had two more work cards in her hand. The cards were tied up in a soft gray color, with the letters “Shian” printed on them in a neat and simple font.
There was no photo on the card; only black letters on a white background.
Zhong Chengshuo: “0-1-1. Yin Ren, 0-1-2.”
The Chinese characters expressing the numbers were under the name of the person. The font was slightly smaller. Below that in a smaller font was the sentence “for entry examination”.
After making sure the two of them had hung their work ID around their necks, Fang Yuanyuan pointed them to the elevator. “The entry examination starts at 2:00 PM. Remember to get the entry exam paperwork at the door. Except for the first item, there’s no hard and fast rule on the order of the exam, but always remember—don’t go in the wrong direction and don’t run around.”
The elevator was large, with enough space to fit a bed. There were no messy decorations on the wall; just a soft, glowing metal surface. It rose slowly and steadily. Yin Ren curiously watched the numbers change one by one and finally stop at “21”.
A soft “ding” sounded, and the heavy elevator doors slid open.
Outside the elevator was a dark corridor with no windows on either side, and the end was engulfed in pitch darkness.
The elevator was facing a light-yellow wooden door. Two rows of chairs were lined up against the wall on either side of the door. The seats on the left were black, while the ones on the right were a dull vermilion. They were identical in style, and there were a few young people sitting on them.
A wooden table was placed diagonally in front of the wooden door, with a stack of forms placed on top of it. In terms of thickness, the stack of paper didn’t exceed ten sheets.
Yin Ren stepped forward first and quickly found the one that belonged to him. The name and number were labeled in the upper right corner of the form. The text on the paper was slightly different from what he knew, but he probably could still read it.
Under the title “Medical Examination Form” was followed by a line of large-print prompts in bright red…
[Note: Please be sure to check your eyesight first. Those who do not check their eyesight are not allowed to continue the entry examination!]
Only when Yin Ren raised his head did he notice the “Vision Examination Room” sign on the door. The words were followed by a moving eye, which he found quite thoughtful.
Yin Ren and the eye exchanged polite glances before looking away, seemingly unintentionally.
“It’s time for the entry examination. Please line up. We’ll check one person at a time.” Fang Yuanyuan clapped her hands with a smile, and a clicking sounded from the wooden door.
Yin Ren tensed his face and tried to make himself look nervous.
…Fang Yuanyuan was right. This exam was really “different”. As soon as the wooden door opened, evil qi rushed out. The force was so thick that it was pressing. If one were to compare the evil qi to flowing water, then the entire corridor had just been completely flooded.
Yin Ren was pretty sure there was something evil on the other side of the door, and there were certainly more than just one.
The author has something to say:
The false Ghost King: Cold and aloof, doesn’t say a word, and is inseparable from humans.
The real Ghost King: Rotten.jpg
I heard a friend say that the scabbard had been rotting for hundreds of years because Yin Ren had no idea how long he had been sealed. XD
According to Chen Guoliang, after Qi Rui went to Hong Kong, she quickly clung onto a wealthy businessman and became his kept mistress. She abandoned her original identity and changed her name. With the help of her gold master, she applied for a new ID and appeared in the social scene of high society under the name of Martha. Her face was also different from the photos that Dong Zhi had shown Chen Guoliang. Most likely, she had extensive plastic surgery. Chen Guoliang also said that there would be a charity dinner in two days. The wealthy businessman he knew would be on the guest list, but he didn’t know whether the man would bring his wife or his mistress.
This was indeed a valuable piece of information. When Dong Zhi let Chen Guoliang off the hook, he expected that the other party would hide away and wouldn’t make big splashes, but he didn’t think he would be so capable and provide him with such an important clue.
Dong Zhi hung up the phone and relayed what he had learned.
Long Shen asked, “Can this Chen Guoliang get us an invitation to this banquet?”
Dong Zhi said, “He should be able to. On such occasions, he would usually bring an assistant or a female companion. I can ask him to give us the invitation for his plus one, but in this case, there’s only one.”
Long Shen shook his head. “You go. I won’t. I don’t know if Qi Rui has also been cursed. You investigate first, and I’ll come forward in due course.”
Since he said that, Long Shen probably had a comprehensive plan so Dong Zhi naturally agreed.
Their rare leisure time was interrupted again. Long Shen was concerned about Dong Zhi’s curse and didn’t want to delay any more time. The two went back to take a short break, then took a flight directly to Hong Kong in the evening.
The history of Hong Kong wasn’t long, but this century was enough to make it world-famous. Due to some complicated factors, the Special Administration Bureau hadn’t set up an office here. Later, it was managed by the Pengcheng office across the river. It was precisely because of the high degree of liberalization in the city that people like Chen Guoliang, who were just ordinary and liked to flaunt, were so sought after and respected by the rich, and there was no Special Administration Bureau to interfere with him.
However, after suffering a great blow from them, this Master Chen had become much more low-key. Nine out of ten banquets couldn’t get his attendance, and it was even more difficult to meet him. Dong Zhi didn’t know what he had learned during his ideological education trip on the mainland, but speaking of him now, he seemed more sophisticated and respected.
Hearing that Dong Zhi was coming, Chen Guoliang personally brought his assistant to the airport to pick him up. The assistant had followed them to the hotel the previous time and witnessed the bloody and fierce battle, but that didn’t deter him from resigning. This time, he didn’t feel that Chen Guoliang was making a mountain out of a molehill, and instead, he followed in his boss’ footsteps and looked at Dong Zhi with respect and admiration, not daring to be neglectful at all.
Dong Zhi didn’t elaborate on Long Shen’s position in the Special Administration Bureau, only saying that he was his master, but this title alone was enough to make Chen Guoliang’s eyes straighten as he stretched out his hands in a dreamy expression to greet him. “It turns out you are Mr. Dong’s master. Hello, hello. I have heard so much about you. How should I address you?”
Long Shen shook his hands lightly. “My surname’s Long.”
Despite not revealing his full name, Chen Guoliang didn’t care but actually felt that this was the panache of a true master.
Thinking about how powerful Mr. Dong was, it naturally didn’t need to be said regarding his master.
Chen Guoliang stretched out a thumb that had a jade ring on it, and, like many enthusiastic Hong Kong people, he exclaimed repeatedly, “Long is a good surname. Only such an elegant name like that could be worthy of a master like you! No wonder, when I saw you from a distance, I thought you were very different. Now it’s even more amazing looking at you up close. It’s just like…”
The assistant finished the sentence for him. “An immortal! A person of wonder!”
Chen Guoliang: “Yes, yes. An immortal hidden among the mundane world.”
Dong Zhi: ……
After a wave of touting, Chen Guoliang thought he had ignored Dong Zhi, so he opened his mouth to prepare for the next wave. Dong Zhi seemed to sense this and quickly interrupted him. “When will the banquet start?”
Cheng Guoliang: “Tomorrow night! I have two invitations. You two…”
Dong Zhi said, “I’ll go with you. My master has other arrangements.”
Chen Guoliang was a little disappointed. He felt that having a master like Long Shen present would have a strong effect on his performance, but given that Dong Zhi was looking at him, he didn’t dare protest. He hurriedly said with a smile, “I have arranged a hotel for the two of you. How about the Four Seasons Hotel? It’s the best hotel in Hong Kong!”
They didn’t intend to play on this trip, so it didn’t matter where they were staying. Naturally, they had no opinions. Dong Zhi didn’t want Chen Guoliang to pay so they asked him for the cost and reimbursed him for the expense. Chen Guoliang didn’t expect that his flattery had rubbed them the wrong way, which made him a little annoyed for a while. He resolved to do everything he could next time to satisfy Dong Zhi.
Early the next morning, Long Shen left, saying that he had to make other arrangements. Chen Guoliang waited downstairs in the lobby on time at 8. He thought he would see Long Shen again, but when he learned the other party wasn’t there, he couldn’t help but be disappointed.
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “Master Chen, did you see a thicker thigh, so you no longer want my arm?”
Chen Guoliang was a slick person. When he heard this, he smiled and said, “How dare I? Your arm can stand up to dozens of others. You can take me down with just a finger. Besides, Mr. Long is a thigh, and you’re an arm. It’s a perfect match for you two father and son to fight a tiger*!”
*Referring to the idiom (打虎还得亲兄弟，上阵须教父子兵) which means regarding matters of life and death, only people who are as close to brothers and sons can do it together.
Naturally, he didn’t know the relationship between Long Shen and Dong Zhi, but hearing that they were a perfect match made Dong Zhi happy.
“Master Chen came here so early. Where are you taking me?”
Chen Guoliang asked, “Did you bring a suit?”
“No.”
Chen Guoliang seemed to have expected this answer, as he showed a confident smile. “Tonight’s dinner is dominated by people from the financial sector, the rich and powerful, and those from the entertainment industry. If you don’t have status, you can’t enter the venue, so you need to wear more formal clothing. I will take you to buy a suit.”
Dong Zhi didn’t expect that Chen Guoliang would be so mindful about this matter, so he thanked him. The two then went out together as Chen Guoliang’s assistant drove them to their destination.
On the way, Chen Guoliang asked how Dong Zhi’s stay last night went.
“I wonder if you have heard of the reputation of the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong? This is known as the Swiss Bank of Hong Kong. As long as you enter this hotel, all your personal information will be kept strictly confidential. No matter what your identity is outside, at the hotel it will be absolutely safe. I know you two came to do business and certainly wanted to keep it low-key, so I arranged this place for you. Are you and Mr. Long satisfied?”
The words were asked with respect and modesty, but his face showed a look that begged for praise.
Dong Zhi raised his eyebrows. “How do you know that we wanted to keep a low profile this time?”
Cheng Guoliang was stunned and thought, ‘Did my flattery rub him the wrong way again?’
Dong Zhi lowered his voice and said mysteriously, “Actually, did you know? With the confidentiality of this hotel, mixed with fish and dragons, also means that there’s likely someone who’s not human among us. Even if it kills someone, changes into their skin, and re-assumes their identity, no one will know.”
All of Chen Guoliang’s hair stood up. He immediately recalled that day when he followed Dong Zhi and saw Han Qi covered in blood, as well as her magic fetus.
“Stop, stop. Don’t say any more!”
Dong Zhi couldn’t hold it in and said happily, “I’m just teasing you. I can’t believe you fell for it!”
Chen Guoliang: ……
He wanted to get angry, but he didn’t dare, so he could only hold back his grievances.
Dong Zhi patted him on the shoulder. “Okay, you provided us with a good clue this time. If we can really find Qi Rui tonight, you’ll be rewarded for your contribution.”
Chen Guoliang immediately became excited. “What kind of reward?”
“What do you want?”
Chen Guoliang tentatively said, “Why don’t you teach me a move so that I can become someone like you?”
Dong Zhi glanced at him. Chen Guoliang immediately understood and pressed a button. A barrier rose between the driver’s seat and the back seat, blocking the front from hearing their conversation.
“Master Chen is very skilled in this business, just like an agent in a spy movie!” Dong Zhi joked.
Chen Guoliang smiled bitterly. “You joke. Those rich people come to me for help, so privacy is often required. I have no choice but to do so.”
Dong Zhi stopped harping on the issue and returned to the original topic.
“For those of us who cultivate, you either have a teacher or you have to join the Special Administration Bureau to get relevant training.”
Cheng Guoliang hesitated. “The requirements for the Special Administration are very strict, right? Since I took that ideology class, I should be able to pass the test. I still remember the words I was taught last time.”
“Then, can you recite the core values?”
When Chen Guoliang heard this, he straightened up his waist. “Prosperity, strength, democracy, civilized, harmony, patriotic, dedication, honesty, and friendliness!”
Dong Zhi was slightly impressed. “Do you really remember it in your heart?”
Chen Guoliang said proudly, “Of course. You have to be sincere!”
Dong Zhi said, “We plan to set up a liaison office in Hong Kong. After all, this is an international city where many forces converge. Once something happens, it’ll usually be one step late to get feedback from Pengcheng.”
Chen Guoliang’s eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed. “Yes, yes. It’s more convenient to have a liaison office!”
Dong Zhi said, “However, we are still investigating the liaison personnel. If Master Chen is interested, you can sign up.”
“What’s the main responsibility of this liaison officer?”
“The liaison officer is a non-staff member, so they are not considered part of the Special Administration Bureau, which means their task won’t be as heavy. The main purpose is for us to have a direct channel of contact. If something happens, you can contact us directly.”
Of course, such a liaison also wouldn’t be privy to too many things about the Special Administration Bureau to prevent secrets from leaking.
Chen Guoliang was really interested.
In fact, this position was tailored for him. Being who he was, Chen Guoliang wasn’t qualified to enter the Special Administration Bureau, but he wasn’t a bad person. He had a firm position and a bottom line. At best, he could be regarded as a not-so-bad person, but he did have extensive contacts in the three religions and a wide network in Hong Kong. This was very in line with the needs of the Special Administration Bureau. Therefore, after discussing it with Long Shen, Dong Zhi decided to give him a shot. The contact point in Hong Kong wouldn’t be affiliated with a branch office but would be directly under the jurisdiction of the General Administration Bureau.
Chen Guoliang hesitated for a moment, then smiled. “Then, may I ask, do non-staff also get paid?”
Dong Zhi smiled. “How about authentic talismans from a Taoist sect?”
Chen Guoliang’s eyes widened.
“There are exorcism talismans from Mount Longhu, Maoshan, Qingcheng, Yuanming Palace, and Mount Wusha. Wearing them can calm your nerves and dispel evil spirits, but I can’t give you much. Within the scope of my authority, I can only give you one every month. Don’t think this amount is too small. Although they are the most common exorcism talismans, fakes are rampant outside. I dare say that you can’t get an authentic Taoist talisman like this in all of Hong Kong!”
If he had these real goods in hand, he wouldn’t need to use tricks in the future. Not to mention he would develop a connection with the Special Administration as a result, which meant he would also have a big backer!
Dong Zhi seemed to see through his mind and said, “Don’t be too preemptively happy. Non-staff members also need to take a test before joining. The Special Administration Bureau is a law enforcement department, not a tool for you to show off your identity to the outside world. You must not disclose them to the public, and you must never use their names to deceive others, let alone do things that violate the law and national interests.”
“Understood, understood!” Chen Guoliang said it repeatedly with a bitter face. “Oh, Dong Ge, you look down on me. Although I’m native to Hong Kong, I’m also Chinese. How can I do anything that goes against national interests? Moreover, since I hadn’t formally entered a Taoist sect before, I could only rely on lip service. Now, in the future, I can really help others!”
“That would depend on actions rather than words. If you want to join, I will send you a form later. You can fill out your personal information. If you sign up, I’ll let you know if there’s news later.”
Chen Guoliang smiled.
Dong Zhi reminded him, “I know you have a close relationship with many rich people, but the most important thing in cultivation is to do good and accumulate virtue. This kindness is not only for the rich but also for the poor. We treat everyone equally. Don’t just make money and connections and forget about the important foundations of life. Otherwise, sooner or later, it will come back to bite you.”
Chen Guoliang hurriedly responded, “I now donate to charities every year, and in the future I will regularly go to welfare homes to distribute cold clothes and food to the elderly and actively participate in volunteer work!”
As they were talking, they had arrived at the mall, which was just opening. There was no one inside the store. Dong Zhi quickly picked out a suit and refused Chen Guoliang’s offer to pay. He took out a black card that Long Shen gave him, which shocked Chen Guoliang, who no longer dared rush to the checkout.
Long Shen hadn’t contacted Dong Zhi, nor did he tell him what he was planning, but Dong Zhi knew that the other party had his own business, most likely related to work, so he didn’t bother him. He went to lunch with Chen Guoliang.
After lunch, Chen Guoliang had an appointment, but he pushed it off because of Dong Zhi’s arrival. However, the other party kept calling, saying that it was an urgent matter. When Dong Zhi saw his predicament, he offered to go with Chen Guoliang to have a look. Naturally, Chen Guoliang was happy and hurriedly drove him to the client’s home.
The villa was located on a hillside. It was said that in the colonial era, only those bestowed the title of peacemakers by the British and the Queen of England were eligible to buy homes here. Naturally, there was no such rule now, but the price of these villas was still high, especially in Hong Kong.
The other party’s name was Nie Gui, the head of the Nie family. The Nie family was engaged in real estate and the jewelry business in Hong Kong. The family’s business was not publicly listed, but according to a gossip newspaper, their assets should be within the top ten in Hong Kong. However, none of this was earned by Nie Gui, who was your typical second-generation dandy. He had been eating, drinking, and having fun since returning from studying abroad. However, his parents suddenly died, and the huge industry fell into his hands. It was said a while ago that Nie Gui went to court with his uncles and brothers and fought several lawsuits before finally getting most of the business, but the Nie family didn’t continue to flourish under his hands. Recently, there had been rumors that Nie Gui had been lingering in nightclubs, chasing women all night long. Everyone said that the Nie family would sooner or later end in his hands.
And it was this Mr. Nie who contacted Chen Guoliang at this time. As soon as Dong Zhi saw him, he felt that this person hadn’t slept for a few days, as his eyes were sunken and there were heavy bags under them.
Nie Gui’s temper was also a bit impatient. When he saw Dong Zhi come in, he thought he was Chen Guoliang’s assistant, so he waved his hand and said, “Master Chen, just the two of us today. Let your assistant go outside and wait!”
Chen Guoliang said hurriedly, “This is Master Dong, who is a very powerful practitioner. Today, he happened to be visiting Hong Kong to do business. To give me face, he came specially with me. With multiple people, we can help Mr. Nie much better!”
Dong Zhi looked too young, and his baby face was cute and harmless. When Chen Guoliang introduced him like this, Nie Gui looked at Dong Zhi suspiciously for a while before he extended a hand.
“Master Dong, right? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Dong Zhi didn’t mind his attitude. Since entering the Special Administration Bureau, he had seen such attitudes before, including Chen Guoliang, and later, without exception, such attitudes would change 180°.
Nie Gui began to talk about his own affairs. In fact, it was simple. It was nothing more than that he had recently lost energy. He always felt that he didn’t sleep enough, which made him more tired during the day. He had drunk many traditional Chinese medicines and taken various supplements, but they weren’t effective. He always felt that someone was whispering in his ears, so he went to the hospital for an examination. The result came back that there was nothing wrong with him; no auditory hallucinations, no mental illness—so Nie Gui had to turn from science to metaphysics and ask for Chen Guoliang’s help.
Chen Guoliang asked him if he had encountered any strange people or things recently. Naturally, he said no, but his expression was weird, making it easy to doubt his words.
“I haven’t been in good health recently, so I haven’t even gone to nightclubs!” Speaking of this, Nie Gui lowered his voice. “Master Chen, do you think I’m being haunted by a vixen?”
Chen Guoliang: “I don’t think so? You said you always hear someone talking in your ear. Do you remember what they said?”
Nie Gui scratched his head and said, “It seems to be my mother talking, but I don’t remember exactly what she said. When she’s still alive, she always nags me, saying I’m the only child, and they’re worried I’ll be bullied by my uncles and brothers after they leave, but I’m fine, aren’t I? Master Chen, do you think it’s my mother’s ghost that has not moved on? Do we need to do a ritual or something?”
The corner of Chen Guoliang’s mouth twitched. He wanted to say, “It wasn’t you who killed your mother, so why would her spirit haunt you?” but he heard Dong Zhi say, “I saw it.”
Nie Gui was puzzled. “What did you see?”
Dong Zhi: “Your mother. She came down from the stairs and is now standing at the bottom looking at you.”
Nie Gui suddenly turned around and saw no one at the stairway. Soon his scalp exploded, and he had goosebumps all over his body.
Dong Zhi said slowly, “She’s wearing a bright yellow skirt and a top hat, and she seems unhappy. Oh, she started talking. She said that you are alone, with no one to care about you now. All you do is go pick up girls all day long. Given that your business has already shrunk by half, you will lose all of the Nie family’s business sooner or later, even if you don’t have relatives fighting with you.”
Nie Gui’s face turned pale. He was about to open his mouth to retort but was interrupted by Dong Zhi. “Oh, she’s speaking again. She said that she always wanted you to start a family before she died, but you didn’t want to. At this rate, it’s better that you have erectile dysfunction so you don’t go out all night and catch something.”
Nie Gui’s face turned even paler.
“Mom! You can’t treat me like this. Aren’t you cursing your own son? If I get erectile dysfunction, who will take over the Nie family!”
Dong Zhi said coldly, “You can adopt, or it can be directly inherited by your uncle and others when you get sick and die.”
Nie Gui looked angry, as if he were about to attack something, but Dong Zhi’s next sentence, “Your mother is waiting for you to speak,” immediately shut him up.
Chen Guoliang was secretly happy when he saw this. He had long heard that the Nie family was headed by a woman. When Nie Gui’s mother was alive, the affairs of the company were basically decided by her. Under the standard style of a strong woman, children would either be cowardly and incompetent or rebellious and debauched. Nie Gui was obviously a combination of the two. He wasn’t afraid of heaven and earth, but only his mother.
It was indeed an effective move by his mother. Nie Gui promised that he wouldn’t go out and mess around in the future. He would reform himself and learn how to run the family business, and he wouldn’t lose the business that his grandfather and mother had built and left behind for him.
Dong Zhi also gave him a talisman.
“This is a soothing talisman. After you wear it, your body and sleep will gradually improve. If you do more good deeds and accumulate virtue, the previous unhappiness will naturally disappear, but the ghost will continue to live here. If you relapse, even the gods may not be able to save you, let alone Master Chen.”
Nie Gui looked at the talisman suspiciously. “Is this really useful?”
Dong Zhi drew back his hand. “Then I’ll just take it back.”
Nie Gui hurriedly snatched the talisman back. “I was just speaking casually!”
Dong Zhi said, “Don’t move. I will help regulate your body now.”
In fact, Nie Gui didn’t initially put Dong Zhi in his sights at first, but he discovered that it was Dong Zhi who did everything from beginning to end. Chen Guoliang rarely interrupted, and it could be seen that his attitude towards Dong Zhi was also very respectful. It didn’t take a smart man to realize who was the dominant of the two, let alone Nie Gui.
However, he was uneasy about how young Dong Zhi looked. At this time, he saw the other party flick him on both sides of the shoulders, asked him to sit down again, and pressed on his baihui point.
“Wake up!”
In Chen Guoliang’s ears, Dong Zhi’s volume was about the same as usual, but in Nie Gui’s ears, the sound was nothing short of a jackhammer. With a sudden ringing in his eardrums, his mind was suddenly awakened by a deafening wake-up call.
Nie Gui’s eyes suddenly changed when he looked at Dong Zhi.
“Master, Master, what divine art did you use on me? Why do I feel as if my spirit has all of a sudden improved?”
“This is called a Lion’s Roar.” Dong Zhi’s expression became more profound in Nie Gui’s eyes.
He didn’t explain much, but Nie Gui felt that this was how things should be. A master should be arrogant and temperamental.
“Master, can you,” Nie Gui leaned closer and lowered his voice, “send my mother away. With her here, I’m under a lot of pressure!”
Dong Zhi said, “She hasn’t had her wish fulfilled, so I can’t forcibly send her away. This is against the harmony of heaven, understand? And it’s useless to whisper to me. She heard everything and has been staring at you this whole time.”
Nie Gui’s face turned pale.
Dong Zhi said, “When you get married, have children, and turn to the path of righteousness, she will naturally leave as soon as her wish is fulfilled. Remember what I said. Otherwise, no matter how much you try, it’ll be useless even for me to help you.”
Nie Gui responded with a bitter face.
Chen Guoliang finally spoke. “Mr. Nie, you are also attending tonight’s dinner, right?”
Nie Gui nodded. “Yes, why? Is Master Cheng going too?”
Chen Guoliang smiled and said, “Mr. Dong wants to find Mr. An. Can you help with the introduction, Mr. Nie?”
Mr. An was the gold master of Qi Rui. The An family was also a famous and powerful family in Hong Kong. Mr. An was also recognized as a peacekeeper, so his family background was a bit deeper than the Nie’s. Chen Guoliang hoped to make a good impression on Dong Zhi, so naturally he had to do his best, but he had no friendship with the An family and was worried he would be treated coldly. If Nie Gui was there, the scene would be much better.
Nie Guo agreed. “No problem. I’ll take care of it!”
Now that he had witnessed Dong Zhi’s abilities with his own eyes, he no longer had any doubts.
“Master, can you give me your contact information? If there’s anything wrong, would it be convenient for me to contact you?” Nie Gui’s Mandarin wasn’t very good, so he often speaks sloppily and bluntly.
Dong Zhi gave him his number. Nie Gui wanted to give him a red envelope, but he was rejected. Nie Gui regarded him as a respectable master and enthusiastically retained them for afternoon tea. Chen Guoliang felt that this was a good opportunity to get closer and kept making eye contact with Dong Zhi, but Dong Zhi didn’t seem to notice his “ogles” and inferred that they had something to do, so they left the Nie villa shortly after.
Nie Gui felt reluctant to let them go. “Master, see you tonight!”
Sitting in the car, Chen Guoliang looked puzzled.
“Dong Ge, do we have something else to do?”
This form of address was confusing as he was older than Dong Zhi, but Dong Zhi didn’t bother to correct him.
Dong Zhi said casually, “No, but if we stay any longer, he will definitely ask me to ask his mother about business matters and pass on the information to him. I can’t just make things up on the fly. Of 36 strategies, the best is to get away at once*!”
*(三十六计走为上计) Idiom referring to once you reach an irreversible point, there’s no other way but to run away. This comes from the original saying that refers to if you’re unable to resist the enemy, the best policy is to escape.
Chen Guoliang was speechless. “Did you lie to him just now?”
Dong Zhi blinked. “Of course. Do you think there are that many monsters and ghosts out there that you can just run into them so casually? He’s not sick at all. It’s just that he’s been overindulging in sex, leading to dysfunction, mental fatigue, and hallucinations.”
Chen Guoliang felt that his brain seemed to have rusted, and he was left speechless for a while.
“Then how did you describe what Madam Nie’s clothes were?”
Dong Zhi said, “That’s easy. There’s information online. I just checked on the way there. His mother’s photo is also on the internet, so I just picked an outfit.”
Chen Guoliang was at a loss. “And what’s the point of pressing his baihu just now?”
“He’s been upside down day and night for a long time. His yang was declining and his yin growing. After so long, he wouldn’t be able to raise it, so I raised his yang fire on his shoulder a little higher, then used the Lion’s Roar to restore his sanity. As long as he doesn’t go to sleep drunk, he’ll slowly get better.”
“The truth mingles with the false, what’s false is true, and what’s true is false. You have great skills, just like a master in the art of war!” Chen Guoliang stood in awe and gave him a thumbs up. “Dong Ge, you are really born to do business. You’re simply talented and have deep wisdom. Why don’t we start a company together? I’m sure that within a few years, we’ll take over the world!”
Dong Zhi didn’t know how to reply to this and could only say, “I’m a public official. Unless there are special work needs, I’m not allowed to take on private work.”
Chen Guoliang’s face was full of regret. “Then it’s not a problem with money?”
Dong Zhi gave him a look.
Chen Guoliang laughed. “Yes, yes. I know public officials in Hong Kong are also like this, so how could I not be aware of the rules in the mainland?”
Dong Zhi: “Then shall we find some time to participate in ideological education again?”
Chen Guoliang immediately shut up.
This episode didn’t delay them too much. At this time, it was about two hours before the banquet. Many people would arrive in advance. Chen Guoliang took Dong Zhi to get his hair styled. Seeing that the time was getting closer, the two of them arrived at the Peninsula Hotel and presented the invitation letter at the door. The waiter then led them into the banquet hall.
Recently, an international financial forum was held in Hong Kong, so the banquet was also hosted for these guests. When Dong Zhi and Chen Guoliang arrived, there were already many people present. Naturally, there were those who liked to flaunt and would arrive late to show off their status.
The author has something to say:
A small theater that has nothing to do with the text:
He Yu: Boss, look at Dong Zhi. Now he’s more deceitful than anyone else. I don’t know where he got it from.
Long Shen: From you.
He Yu: … No, according to the script, you should ask me what’s wrong.
Long Shen: What’s wrong?
He Yu: Last time I saw a man named Nie Gui calling him and saying that he has changed and asking if Dong Zhi could send his mother away. Later, I asked Dong Zhi what was going on. Boss, be careful when you’re sold by him to help count money.
Long Shen: It’s okay. He has a black card and a secondary card, so he’s not short of money.
He Yu: According to the script, you should say that you’re willing to be sold by him… Wait, no. Why does he have a black and a secondary card? I want one too!!! I want to recharge my game packs and buy a new character! Hey, wait, Boss, where are you going?!
Reporters were the most well-informed people in the world. Therefore, the first person to learn about the disappearance of the Fengjing School bus wasn’t Huang Ze, but a female reporter from the Provincial Daily News.
At that time, they had just finished their interview at the scene of the bus hijacking and were about to call it a day.
The female reporter quietly took out her cellphone and walked to Huang Ze’s side and said, “Inspector Huang, my friend in the municipal bureau said something happened on Qiong Mountain. If you give me this exclusive, I won’t tell others.”
Huang Ze looked at the woman’s exquisite makeup, and his first reaction wasn’t shock but sourness.
Lin Chen…
Sure enough, this was the case, so since it was like this, what else could he do?
Just like ants transmitting information or a swarm of bees dancing to communicate with each other, the news of the disappearance of an entire class of students in the first grade of Fengjing School quickly spread like wildfire among the reporters.
For reporters, what could be more exciting than encountering a big event again during an interview?
Huang Ze was besieged as he was surrounded by microphones and cameras. He could only answer in a business-like tone. “The police are still investigating this case. All relevant details aren’t convenient to be disclosed.”
However, how could a human block a reporter’s pervasive tentacle? Instead of letting these tentacles stretch indiscriminately, it was better to contain them within a controllable range.
So Huang Ze took these reporters to Qiong Mountain together.
At that time, they were almost at the Langchuan Rest Stop.
Many cars were swarming out of the Langchuan Rest Stop. The rest stop managers were solemn and diverted passing vehicles at the intersections. Obviously, something had happened.
Before Huang Ze could react, the news vans behind him had swept forward and rushed in before him. When he got out of the car, the cameramen already had their cameras out and had started shooting.
Huang Ze took a deep breath. The air was mixed with strange smells; the aroma of dumplings, the smell of oden, and the soft scent of babies drinking milk. All these smells were wrapped in the strong smell of gasoline. Around him, more and more vehicles were beginning to evacuate. He raised his eyes and looked around. The exhaust had covered the rest stop in smoke and dust. The staff wearing badges were running towards him with faces full of panic.
He knew that something had happened here.
He also knew that Lin Chen and that policeman had guessed right again.
Coincidentally, when Huang Ze was thinking of the other party, the other party seemed to be thinking of him as well.
The cellphone in Huang Ze’s pocket began to vibrate. He took out his phone and looked down. It was an unknown number with an area code of Hongjing.
There were indeed very few people who knew his private number.
“Hello.”
In the Hongjing highway surveillance hall, Inspector Huang’s indifferent voice came from the other line. Wang Chao held up the phone, somewhat deflated.
Xing Conglian glanced at him and took the phone.
On the LED screen, Huang Ze, who was in a police uniform, tilted his head slightly and asked in a low voice, “Where are you?”
This question was too familiar, and there was an indescribable twisted emotion in the tone.
The corners of Xing Conglian’s lips slightly raised as he looked at the big screen and said, “Hello, Inspector Huang.”
A low and slightly hoarse voice reached Huang Ze’s ears. He suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart, so the frown on his brow became slightly more obvious.
“First of all, I sincerely thank Inspector Huang and your media friends that are behind you for your arrival. There is a small matter that I need your help with.” Xing Conglian moved his gaze from the display screen and then to the school bus in the corner of the parking lot as he continued, “I think you should already know about the missing school bus full of children. Then, if you look in the direction of nine o’clock, you should see a school bus painted with blue clouds. That is the bus that’s missing. The problem is, the bus driver is being tied to his seat with a time bomb…”
Hearing this, Huang Ze raised his head and looked in the direction of nine o’clock. Then he stepped away and started to run. As he ran extremely fast, he asked an irrelevant question, “Xing Conglian, why do you have my private number?”
Hearing this, Xing Conglian glanced at Lin Chen and said, “Due to the special circumstances, special means were used.”
“Heh. Time bomb? Special means?” Huang Ze had a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth. He seemed to perceive something and looked at the camera in the corner of the parking lot. “Give Lin Chen the phone.”
In the monitoring hall, Lin Chen stood aside. He noticed the sudden glance from Xing Conglian. He looked back at the police captain, who was giving him a strange look, and stretched out his hand to him.
Huang Ze was standing in front of the school bus. In the car, the driver’s face was like gold foil; he was sweating profusely as he was struggling desperately in his seat. On the driver’s chest, a red timer was ticking down every second. Seeing this scene, an inexplicable anger surged in Huang Ze’s heart. “Xing Conglian, are you proud?”
However, the response from there was no longer low and hoarse, but clear and tranquil. “Huang Ze…”
Huang Ze felt ridiculous. “Lin Chen, you said something would happen on the highway, and now something really did. I even have to suspect that you arranged all this.”
Lin Chen’s face was dyed an extremely bright bluish-green in front of the large LED screen. Hearing this, he raised his head slightly. His eyes weren’t angry, but full of deep disappointment. “Shut up Huang Ze. I don’t have time to discuss conspiracy theories with you.” His voice was extremely cold. “Look at the bus driver in front of you. If you don’t want to save him, turn around and leave immediately.”
“What is this? An ethical question you’re giving me? Let me dismantle the bomb without any protective gear and see if I’m willing to bet my life on the lives of me and the driver?”
“No. This isn’t an ethical issue.” Lin Chen paused before continuing, “Saving people is your duty.”
It must be said that in terms of convincing others, Lin Chen had an absolute special advantage.
“In other words, if I don’t save him, I’ll be considered a derelict coward.” Inspector Huang sneered at the other end of the line. “Say it, what do you want me to do?”
Lin Chen didn’t say anything but returned the phone to Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian connected to the phone and stabilized his breathing. “Inspector Huang, the location of the bus happens to be a blind spot for surveillance. Among the reporters you brought, someone must be carrying a camera with a wireless transmission function. Please connect the camera to the WiFi network of the rest stop. We need to see real-time images of the scene.”
“Oh, and then.”
“Then…” Xing Conglian felt a little embarrassed. “Then please point the camera at the time bomb. We need you to disarm the bomb yourself…”
“Alright.”
On the screen, the reporters in the parking lot were running towards Huang Ze’s location.
Huang Ze was surrounded by the crowd. He didn’t know what to say. Some reporters turned around and ran away in fright, while those who were bolder remained at the scene. Some ran to get a wireless camera for Huang Ze, while others directly pointed the camera lens to record him.
Suddenly, the crowd didn’t know what had broken out, and things became more chaotic.
Xing Conglian held the speakers closely to his ears and vaguely heard what Huang Ze was saying.
After that, another voice loudly interrupted.
“Young Master Huang, you can’t take this risk!”
The speaker was Jiang Zhe, the psychology expert who had earlier believed that the hijacking was nothing more than a prank by a rebellious teenager.
Jiang Zhe held Huang Ze’s sleeve tightly. He knew very well that if Huang Ze really risked dismantling the time bomb, in case danger did occur, he would certainly bear the Huang family’s anger a thousand times over, since he was the one who brought Huang Ze to such a dangerous place.
“Didn’t you say that this was all just a prank? Then I shouldn’t be in any real danger, right?” Huang Ze looked at the psychology expert next to him with a slightly sarcastic smile.
“Yes, yes. Mr. Jiang, is the time bomb in the bus also a means the “Candy Bandit” is using to attract attention? Can you analyze and tell us where the children on the bus have gone?”
The reporters’ cameras quickly moved from Huang Ze’s face to Jiang Zhe’s mouth.
“No, no. The behavior of the hijacker has escalated. This is no longer a simple teenager in his rebellious phase. I suspect that this teenager is likely a patient with antisocial personality disorder*! His violence and aggressiveness are rooted in his genes. He does all this to satisfy his criminal pleasure. He may be watching us through surveillance right now. The more people die, the greater his pleasure. So you see, Young Master Huang, why did he park the bus near the gas station? It’s because he wants to blow up everything here. He wants to cause mass casualties. Even if you disarm the time bomb, you will not succeed because he has definitely tampered with it!”
*A personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of disregard of, or violation of, the rights of others as well as a difficulty sustaining long-term relationships. Lack of empathy is often apparent, as well as a history of rule-breaking that can sometimes include law-breaking, a tendency towards substance abuse, and impulsive and aggressive behavior.
Jiang Zhe spoke very quickly. Because of his words, some reporters who were originally going to stick around started to panic.
However, Huang Ze still continued to look unconcerned.
Seeing this situation, Jiang Zhe realized that it must be something Lin Chen said to Huang Ze just now on the phone.
He suddenly became energetic. He grabbed Huang Ze’s phone and yelled at the other end, “Lin Chen, if you really want to retaliate against the Huang family, come at me. Don’t let innocent people die because of this!”
On the other end of the phone in the surveillance hall, Jiang Zhe’s impassioned voice was heard by everyone, spreading throughout the entire hall.
All eyes in the hall suddenly shot at Lin Chen in unison. Those eyes were like knives.
Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian, who also looked at him.
Finding the other end of the line silent, Jiang Zhe was about to take advantage of it when he suddenly heard a question.
“Jiang Zhe, can you recite it?”
As if he was punching cotton or a spark that fell into water, Jiang Zhe could only feel the heaving of his chest. “Recite what?”
“The DSM-IV-TR criteria for personality disorder. Can you recite it?”
“What is that thing?” Jiang Zhe blurted out. “Lin Chen, stop playing tricks!”
“The DSM-IV-TR is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders revised by the American Psychiatric Association in 2000. It is one of the most authoritative diagnostic manuals for mental illness in the world. Since you think the suspect is a patient with antisocial personality disorder, please recite the diagnostic criteria.”
Jiang Zhe’s face flushed. “Who would endorse a book in this situation? Is it that remarkable that you can recite it?”
“Yes, do you want to hear it?”
Kinky Thoughts:
Well, like him or hate him, at least Huang Ze has balls.
Kinky Translations 