Chapter 933

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Third Floor Corner, Changbai Apartment

Wei Cheng circled the already small site with an ugly expression; Zhao Botao and Qian Dong, who had been right behind him, were long gone, and Tian Ying and Feng Jingjing, who had argued with him face-to-face earlier, were also nowhere to be seen — a lone figure who still looked imposing, yet the more you looked, the stranger it seemed.

The other two people sharing the third floor had already vanished; unlike the makeshift six-person group Wei Cheng had formed, the nine-person team had split into multiple small groups long ago, which instead gave everyone a group to cling to.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Wei Cheng seethed inwardly; he vented his anger on the two girls who had talked back, the two guys who had ditched him halfway, and even Shen Yao, who had stood by watching the spectacle — not a single one was spared.

Even before entering the Instance, Wei Cheng's temper had been poor; since he survived after entering, he had become even more vindictive.

It was just that Wei Cheng was good at putting on an act, often scheming against people in secret; this time he hadn't expected the other five to be so slippery, letting them seize the initiative and causing Wei Cheng to trap himself.

"No good, I still have to find the Dormitory Manager to switch rooms!" He couldn't stay in that Quad Room; just now, the moment he came in from Outside, he suddenly sensed an indescribable horror existing beside him.

Quad Room — besides himself, who exactly was occupying the other three bunks? They couldn't just be sitting there as ornaments.

Coupled with the fact this was a Survival Instance, Wei Cheng suddenly realized he had made a wrong decision, and this decision concerned whether he could clear the Instance smoothly.

"Heh, you only know now? Wouldn't that be a bit too late?" The middle-aged man's gaze was arrogant, his face full of disdain; he looked perfectly respectable, yet made one lose all appetite just looking at him.

Shen Yao really wanted to step forward and smash that face, but she hadn't come today to pick a fight; she hadn't forgotten her purpose — the identity this body had obtained was rather special, and she believed that when he lured her to Changbai Apartment, he also harbored the intention of borrowing a knife to kill.

"Director Zhou, before anything has happened yet, no matter what you do, it's not too late."

Shen Yao said the words lightly, then used the information she had obtained to probe him backhandedly, "Rushing to send me into Changbai Apartment like this — your table manners are a bit too ugly, Director.

Besides, those people's affairs weren't done by me alone; you contributed plenty inside as well.

Today I can be sacrificed; tomorrow, can't you also be sacrificed?"

After all, they're all the Company's scapegoats — they didn't get much money, but they gave their lives readily; Shen Yao sneered as she watched the other's face instantly flush with rage, suddenly realizing her few sentences just now had also stepped on his bottom line — no one is unafraid of death; when doing this kind of thing they all held a lucky mindset, but when retribution truly landed on their own heads, they desperately wanted to live.

"Zhou Minghai, if I can't survive, don't think you'll live long either," Shen Yao abruptly stood from her chair; before leaving she dropped a few more cryptic ruthless words, merely saying if he regretted it he could come find her at Changbai Apartment, "I'll be waiting for you in 5013."

Footsteps faded as Shen Yao left; the System secretly observed Zhou Minghai — Shen Yao's Leader's — expression, until Shen Yao exited the Mingzhu Technology gate, the System still hadn't managed to relay much useful information.

'If he could be tricked into showing his hand this easily, I wouldn't have gone to rent at Changbai Apartment either,' Shen Yao took it in stride; she knew Zhou Minghai had other trump cards giving him confidence — at least in the early stage of the Instance he wouldn't have any trouble.

The System wanted to nod in agreement, but before its head could lower, it suddenly realized something was off — why would the Host think Zhou Minghai would run into trouble? 'Isn't Mingzhu Technology a location detached from the Instance?'

At the very least this Instance is called Changbai Apartment, and has nothing to do with Mingzhu Technology; although the background investigation dug up plenty of Mingzhu Technology's involvement, the problem's location is Changbai Apartment.

If it were Zhou Minghai, it would completely ignore Shen Yao's words and just stay wholeheartedly in a place far from Changbai Apartment, until those scapegoats at Changbai Apartment died cleanly.

'What you say isn't wrong, but don't forget the source of the matter,' this is a tragedy triggered by Mingzhu Technology's greed; Changbai Apartment is certainly the place designated by the Instance, but Mingzhu Technology is not innocent.

Moreover, Shen Yao entered — is she the kind of coward who lets her enemies off easy after suffering grievance?

'When I just walked into Mingzhu Technology, I deliberately paid attention to the internal building structure,' she discovered a very interesting phenomenon: Mingzhu Technology's interior had quite a few ornaments or decorations that could get involved with Feng Shui metaphysics.

You have to understand, Mingzhu Technology is a high-tech company; its founder first created Mingzhu Real Estate then pushed Mingzhu Technology, yet this person isn't old.

On the contrary, the founder is very sharp, a genuine entrepreneur and tech nouveau riche, relying on the value generated by the Mingzhu series to make himself rise like wind and water.

For such a person to abnormally go all-in on metaphysics — however you think about it, it's inappropriate.

Unlike metaphysics in modern society, the Instance World has all kinds of situations; practicing metaphysics means some unspeakable things truly exist.

System: ……

Wow, it hadn't even noticed — how does the Host pay attention to so much?

'Naturally it's to survive; I already explained this is a Survival Instance,' a Survival Instance means the pursuit is unsolvable; they can only strive to survive amid constant pursuit.

The best solution is of course to drag more and more people down, so the pursuing Force won't only target her, and she'll also get breathing room to think.

Shen Yao felt not a shred of immorality about dragging others down to exchange for her own life — after all, no one is innocent; fifty steps laughing at a hundred steps, they've all run, what more is there to say?

'Host, what do you plan to do?' the System pressed, because it knew the Host saying this meant she definitely had a follow-up plan; tsk tsk tsk, looks like both inside and outside Changbai Apartment there'll be a good show to watch.

Shen Yao smiled faintly, got into the hailed taxi and returned to Changbai Apartment, 'Wait, listen to my arrangements; right now isn't the time yet.'

Important characters generally need a grand welcoming ceremony for their entrance; Zhou Minghai is one of the key characters in the background story, so naturally he needs that kind of earth-shattering debut to match his identity.

Sitting in the taxi seat, Shen Yao leaned back with eyes slightly closed; the sound of wind blowing past filled her ears, rhythmless yet showing a carefree freedom.

Stringing together the obtained information, countless buildings flashed through Shen Yao's mind, and finally her gaze locked onto the Mingzhu Medical Device Company building with its silver-white metal shell — cold technology, a perfect portrait of Mingzhu Technology, ironic and full of reality.

…………

"Shen Xi, come with me quickly — another Random Instance has appeared in the Beijing suburbs; the specific situation is still unclear," she had just finished a busy stretch and could catch her breath, but before the water cup was even set down, new work arrived.

Trouble!

She grumbled inwardly; although joining the Special Affairs Bureau had brought her no small benefits, the incessant matters still made Shen Xi irritable beyond measure.

Compared to other professional players' ease, Shen Xi's slightly stiff acting still needed tempering.

The High Level insiders of the Special Affairs Bureau all knew the relationship between Shen Xi and Huo Xunqi, so whenever something came up they would subconsciously call Shen Xi along — this wasn't bullying, but a form of currying favor on another level.

Because a new Random Instance meant risk, and behind risk lay benefits that drove people crazy.

Huo Xunqi naturally brought people charging at the very front every time; with this layer of protective shell, Shen Xi couldn't fall behind either, which led to Shen Xi's daily busyness.

"Sister Ting, what exactly is going on?" Holding the uniform she had just taken off, Shen Xi caught up in a few quick strides, walking side by side toward the doorway, "There've been an especially large number of Random Instances appearing in the Beijing suburbs recently."

The young woman called Sister Ting sighed, "Yeah, three have been reported up today alone; we were originally supposed to be on rotation rest."

Result? Good — there's simply no manpower, so they could only let us continue topping up.

"The specifics haven't been reported up yet; they only said it's related to a child," Shang Ting frowned, not understanding what connection the perfectly good Spiritual Qi Revival and humans could have; most of the time, humans are existences that get caught in the crossfire, but this Random Instance is rather special — it was actively triggered by humans, then spread to the surrounding area.

Shen Xi: ……

The more she listened, the more bewildered she became; Shen Xi blinked, quickly sorted through Shang Ting's words, turned to look at Shang Ting who didn't seem to have many thoughts, gritted her teeth — if this is true, it means Spiritual Qi Revival has entered a new stage, i. e., the Instance process has accelerated; the whole world will only become more dangerous, and ordinary people's survival difficulty will rise in a straight line.

"There's no way to prevent this kind of thing either; the Instance process cannot be interrupted," even from the start, this matter wasn't led by them; the whole world can only be forced to adapt to this life — ordinary people who want to survive still have to enter Instances.

"Uncle Huo, the capital outskirts aren't safe, the city isn't either, other cities and even the country have been turned upside down by Instances, the entire social order is teetering on the brink of collapse," it hasn't collapsed yet not because they're strong, but because the time for total collapse hasn't come.

Facing such a torrent of fierce beasts, an individual's obstruction has no effect whatsoever.

After running a trip to the capital outskirts and returning, Shen Xi came to see Huo Xunqi looking grey-headed and soil-faced, her mouth speaking words that didn't look favorably on this world's changes, yet her eyes still carried a streak of unyielding tenacity, like a cheetah facing a colossal giant — even if it can't bite it to death, it still tries to take a bite, to let the other party know pain.

Huo Xunqi said in a deep voice, "The Officials have a plan encouraging ordinary people to participate in Instances."

Shen Yao was surprised, "That would kill many people, even if the Officials' plan is perfect it won't work."

Because people are uncontrollable, especially random Instances — no one knows what the situation inside really is; more people going in doesn't mean more coming out. Instance clearance has never been a string of data; it's a path piled up one cold human life after another.

"The Officials will release all known information to the public as much as possible, taking advantage while the situation hasn't become thoroughly terrible, encouraging eligible ordinary people to seize time and become Players as soon as possible."

How could Huo Xunqi not know how many innocent people would die doing this, but if they don't burn the boats, staying behind is just a slow death.

Who would like to deceive themselves and wait for death? When that day truly comes, believe me, the problems that explode out will absolutely be larger than right now.

When people are shrouded in enormous despair, any crazy thing can be done.

Better to take advantage while the Officials can still spare a hand to help, push forward the process of ordinary people becoming Players a bit earlier — even if this process is somewhat bloody, quite a few people will die, but at least the road ahead is visible, people's hearts hold a sliver of hope.

Shen Xi:...

Although what Uncle Huo said isn't wrong, this is actually a kind of arrogance too — a choice without choice, how good can it be? It's just calculation after picking and choosing.

"Alright, let's not speak of these for now. Your mother entered an Instance and hasn't come out yet, you're still an Apprentice Player on this end. My suggestion is to raise your Player level as soon as possible. You have quite a few items in hand, entering a fixed Instance you have self-preservation capability. Be fast," Huo Xunqi walked to the window side and gazed at the distant crowd, where vehicles constantly came and went, everyone busy.

Shen Xi touched the pocket watch she had hung around her neck, indicating that today when she returns she'll apply to her superiors, and from tomorrow start entering fixed Instances — she won't return to the Special Affairs Bureau for work until she becomes an Official Player.

Shen Xi left for a full seven days. When she reappeared, the aura on her body was much stronger. The original Apprentice Player had become an Official Player, only her current level is relatively low, still circling in the beginner stage.

"After becoming an Official Player, many panel functions can be unlocked," Huo Xunqi first had the two add each other as friends who can contact anytime — unless entering an Instance, there's no possibility of being unable to contact. "Also luggage space. Remember to prepare more carb foods and daily necessities. An Official Player's Instance difficulty is higher than an Apprentice Player's. Even the same Instance content, the clearance conditions will become different because of the Player's level."

Huo Xunqi had previously entered a mining area Instance. His clearance requirement was to find out the cause of mining wealth resource depletion, while other players' requirement was to dig how much mineral. Both sides stayed in the Instance for one month, their respective experiences completely describable as worlds apart.

However you put it, she's a child he watched grow up. The pits Huo Xunqi stepped in definitely won't let Shen Xi fall into again. He tried his best to speak out all his experience. Huo Xunqi was just about to say something extra when he heard the office door knocked bang bang bang, and before Huo Xunqi could open his mouth someone rushed in.

"Bureau Chief, something's happened. The entire Meng City has been rolled into an Instance."

"Speak clearly. Meng City, hundreds of thousands of people — what kind of random Instance can make them all fall in?!"

Huo Xunqi strode forward and rushed out of the office, opening his mouth to let everyone around stop the work in their hands, and go all out to understand this sudden situation regarding Meng City.

And at this time in the Changbai Apartment Instance, Shen Yao, leading the six temporarily surviving people, welcomed the character who had once appeared in the background data — among them Zhou Minghai with an iron-green complexion.