Chapter 651: A New World (Refreshed, Added 500 Words)

"Zhou Mingrui, Huang Zong wants you in his office."

Colleague Luo Shan's voice rang out, followed by a light nudge.

Zhou Mingrui lazily yawned, stretched his body, then suddenly remembered he was still at work.

His pupils contracted, the hairs on his neck stood on end, and he glanced warily around: "Has anyone checked the floor recently?!"

"No." Luo Shan rapidly typed on her phone, meanwhile snatching a pack of cookies from Zhou Mingrui's desk: "But Huang Zong wants you to go to the 16th floor."

The 16th floor?

The CEO's office is near the 10th floor administrative wing; the 16th floor is Huang Zong's luxury lounge for entertaining guests and resting—normally off-limits to male employees.

As for the female employees who go up, most of them and he—

"Well…" Luo Shan put down her phone, blushing slightly as she glanced at Zhou Mingrui:

"When you're away, even boys should remember to take precautions. Huang Zong's so wild, who knows if he's carrying risks."

"."

Zhou Mingrui rubbed his temples, guessing it had something to do with representing the company in the anti-takeover negotiations.

He slowly stood up, his eyes flicking sideways to the page on Luo Shan's phone: a sleek black train with exquisite craftsmanship and cold lines, set against a starry backdrop.

"Going on a trip?" Zhou Mingrui asked curiously.

"Rushing for tickets." Luo Shan nodded. "I'm planning to use my annual leave to go to the Moon—the Star Dome Train passes right through here, so I'm trying to snag a ticket."

Zhou Mingrui froze, feeling something was off about this conversation, but couldn't pinpoint why.

"Have fun."

He offered his congratulations.

He picked up his phone from the desk—wallets and ID cards could be lost, but not this phone.

【This project isn't finished—no one's leaving work anytime soon. The company has provided you with resurrection devices and Fasting Pills. We're on a 007 schedule!】

Zhou Mingrui frowned at the lifeless R&D department, then muttered inwardly: 'That bastard supervisor in the next department is at it again.'

Before reaching the elevator, he opened his Moments feed to load it up, planning to browse others' colorful lives during the elevator's signal-dead interval.

Deng En: 【Today I went to the cinema with my fiancée to see Iron Man. I plan to take her to Stark Tower for our honeymoon and surprise her—writing this down now so I don't forget.】

Hope you remember to set this post so your fiancée can't see it.

Danizi: 【Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't look down on the young!】

The image showed a Brain-Boosting Pill from the Dan Alliance.

Hope this is for your school's students, not for you to swallow yourself.

Audrey Hall: 【If I don't work harder, I'll have to go back and inherit the family business… Come on, Audrey! At your new workplace, you must work hard!】

Today a colleague asked if I was Mrs. Zhou—maybe she mistook me for someone else, but do I really look married?】

The image showed the plaque of the Dà Nuó Psychiatric Research Center, plus Dr. Audrey Hall posing with a Daoist Priest in blood-red robes.

Doctor Young Lady, you've got several movie studios and essential industries at home—please stop showing off.

Buzz buzz

A WeChat message arrived just as Zhou Mingrui stepped into the elevator.

Sharon: "Wanna go see a movie tonight? 【Image】"

"Zone: Seal Broken," "The Beginning: Supreme Sword Sect," "Multiverse: The Boundary Sea Collapses," "The Avengers: Shadow of the Multiverse Devourer."

Looks like there's a new movie.

Not a bad idea, but I'm about to report to Huang Zong, and Sharon always picks midnight movies—walking home feels creepy…

Maybe I'll just invite a few friends and coworkers along.

His Moments feed stopped loading here. Zhou Mingrui looked up and realized he'd been in the elevator for ages without pressing a floor.

"Buy Daoqi Emperor Weapons? Only from Ye Zhetian Corporation."

"Download the Dan Alliance app now to claim up to 10,000 Spirit Stones in coupons."

"Nidhogg Group launches Magical Girl 101 Idol Project—wild magical girls welcome to sign up; if that's too much, witches are fine too."

"Legendary Chef-Mage joins Soul Rebirth Band, set to debut tonight at midnight on the Multiverse Universal Live platform."

The elevator ads have gotten denser lately.

Come to think of it, could the ad money be split among employees or residents of the neighborhood?

The elevator doors slowly opened.

Zhou Mingrui continued scrolling through the digital manga on his phone—he didn't care about the ridiculous plot, but even Marvel's gotten weirder since the zombies.

Then again, if they're good-looking, even tentacle-girls—

"Cough cough."

A cough sounded.

Zhou Mingrui looked up and saw Huang Zong, hands in his pockets, standing by the door of a private room, watching him.

He quickly tucked away his phone and hurried over.

As soon as he entered the room, Huang Zong sat down before a stopped antique clock and pointed to the sofa opposite: "Sit. Want something to drink?"

"No, thank you." Zhou Mingrui sat upright across from him.

To be honest, he felt Huang Zong's gaze today was oddly strange.

Ever since he drank that Assassin's Drink, his fear of Huang Zong has grown stronger—each time he sees him, he gets the eerie feeling he's facing a natural predator.

"Is this about the anti-takeover?" Zhou Mingrui asked.

"No, you don't need to worry about that—the company has already decided." Huang Zong leaned back in his chair, tilted his head, as if pondering for a moment, then said:

"I'm assigning you to an overseas posting for two years. You'll return after that."

Zhou Mingrui opened his mouth: "Posting?!"

Mr. Huang nodded, pulled out a promotion and raise contract, and slid it across the crystal tabletop toward Zhou Mingrui.

"I've been watching your performance this past period. I've already contacted a friend—you'll leave with him shortly; they need you."

Mr. Huang gently swirled the red wine in his glass and said:

"You know, our company has many foreigners, so our overseas expansion has been rapid."

Zhou Mingrui picked up the contract and glanced at the address listed.

Greenland

Is this a promotion or an exile?

His expression turned peculiar; he couldn't help frowning slightly: "I have no intention of going abroad."

"Just push through it," Mr. Huang said with an unyielding tone. "Go for two years, and when you return, I'll make you deputy general manager."

"But how do I get there?" Zhou Mingrui hesitated.

Mr. Huang nodded in satisfaction, then picked up his phone and made a call.

Moments later.

A woman with pink hair and androgynous features walked in: "Hello, I'm Yuwen Mushi."

"She'll take you there on a private jet," Mr. Huang said.

"I think the Star Dome Train is pretty good, and the tickets aren't expensive."

"No budget for that."

"A taxi sword?"

"Too dangerous."

"Then send me with a magical girl. It's the 21st century—private jets are too slow."

"."

At Zhou Mingrui's suggestion, the red wine in Mr. Huang's hand stopped swirling.

He stared at Zhou Mingrui as a group of patients—staring blankly, expressions rigid, dressed in psychiatric hospital gowns—slowly descended from the ceiling like dried cured meat.

Boom—!

The room's door was kicked open.

A group of men and women in suits and sunglasses walked in.

"Huang Tao's been drifting so far across the Multiverse he's practically lost contact—who the hell is Huang Tao?" Xiao Yan said with a mocking tone.

"You stole Zhou Ge's divinity; your remaining self-awareness must have someplace behind the scenes pulling the strings," Li Huowang flung out his long sword and clucked. "You're good at deception. Since you've got no face anyway, why not join the Path of Forgetting?"

"Why are their attacks so aggressive?" Song Shuhang asked.

Su Lin stood outside the crowd, stroking his chin, sighing: "Almost turned into a demoness by Yuanshi Tianzun—the Hunter's Elixir has already taken effect."

Here, he glanced at Weigong Shilang, still keeping his red hair, covering his mouth to suppress a mocking remark.

"Go ahead and curse—heaven is a piece of shit."

"Kono baka."

"."

You'd better not curse.

"This is the contract signed by Huang Tao to cancel the Hehuan Sect's debt, agreeing to use all assets in this world to offset all livestream tips on the Ten Thousand Worlds Network and all debts in Tiancheng."

Meng Qi held a contract bearing Huang Tao's handwritten signature and fingerprint: "The Zhou representative who handled the acquisition just agreed to the Taichu Group's purchase of your company."

The "Mr. Huang" said nothing, only stared at Zhou Mingrui, his expression puzzled.

"Digital comics are still comics," Zhou Mingrui raised his phone, displaying the comic "Legendary Outer Gods: Azathoth": "This isn't your dream—it's my story."

"You can hide things from the outer universe; I can still access them."

"Didn't you just ask me to represent the group in negotiations? I agreed."

As his words ended,

the entire corporate building began dissolving like a mirage.

Above, a blue sky occasionally passed students in Daoist robes riding swords; sometimes students on brooms or transformed into magical girls bought spirit food from flying street stalls. The Urban Management Alliance, clad in steel armor and dragging plasma flames, chased unlicensed wild alchemists. Every building had a different style—from Western modern to Eastern ancient—housing countless races in this bizarre city.

In the distance, a train was approaching from beyond the stars, its track's phantom stretching into the platform.

On screens projected by artifacts, electronic displays, and image crystals, today's news played:

"Today, the Taichu Group, Dan Alliance Pharmaceuticals (Infinite Fire Domain Group), Ye Zhetian Trading (Heavenly Court Heavy Industries), Nidhogg Group, Lime Immortal Court, Tianshen Sect, and Stark Industries jointly completed the acquisition of Gustav Group, the last enterprise on Weirdness Street.

As a new-quality productive force engaged in foreign trade, this acquisition will help our city refine its industrial structure and promote full-industry-chain development."

"Learn about the Yuzhe Sect—please allow me a moment to introduce you to our supreme savior, Mr. Yuzhe."

A young man with a monocle handed out flyers and souvenirs to every passerby.

At that moment, a breeze blew in from nowhere, carrying a flyer into the "Mr. Huang"'s hand; those who had taken the flyers all pulled out monocles and placed them on their right eye sockets.

Zhou Mingrui: "."

In broad daylight, I've been conned.

Mr. Huang's hand began involuntarily reaching into his pocket: "I confirmed you contained no other components."

He didn't understand how Amon, after entering this world and suffering blindness and foolishness, could still interfere.

Loki-dressed Amon, Amon holding dice, Amon wearing a mask—all stepped forward.

"I am their heart pact and emissary; naturally, I can deceive other avatars, making them believe they are the Path of Forgetting and Joy, adding just a little error—though this method has serious flaws, it does elevate my status somewhat~"

Amon grinned and smiled: "This time, it's my turn to awaken within your body."

It seemed he still remembered how Yuanshi Tianzun nearly seized his body to escape Keleyn.

But Amon could do this alone—could the others

be broken.

Li Huowang turned his gaze toward Su Xiangrong and said earnestly, "Brother Su, Zhao Lei has had another episode—can you take him away for treatment?"

"I saw the Star God in the Simulation Universe wearing a monocle," Xing tugged at Su Xiangrong's sleeve. "Could you also treat Aha?"

Su Xiangrong: "."

Diagnosed as healthy, discharged.

The others watched as 'Huang Zong' put on the monocle and sighed in relief.

Kleine opened his own comic and gained control of the corresponding illusory multiverse.

Coupled with Meng Qi's Cause of All Results as the link, all stories were stitched together and interconnected, so that at the moment of entering the Dream World, each illusory multiverse overlaid this world.

'The remainder of the Tianzun's self exists within all things, but to do more, He must choose a vessel.'

'No wonder Huang Zong resisted the acquisition—because Su Xiangrong and Lu Mingfei's dream forms are uncontrollable; if this company were acquired, he would be at a disadvantage.'

'So he never met Li Jiatu—he had me handle it.'

In an instant, Zhou Mingrui thought of many things, but suddenly he frowned—because the part of himself belonging to Kleine had not yet returned?

An inspiration struck; he turned to look at the stopped clock—the hands moved slightly.

Click-clack.

Huang Zong, wearing the monocle, shattered—along with the monocle.

The entire city began collapsing from Zhou Mingrui as its center, sinking into deep darkness, as if swallowed by an abyss.

All things began to converge; the Ancient Ones trapped in the neither-alive-nor-dead state by Puppetry began to twist, exuding symbols of multiple Source Substances.

The previous Desire Mother Tree had transformed into a girl resembling Mei Lisha, reaching out toward Zhou Mingrui.

'That's within my expectations,' Zhou Mingrui smiled, looking at Li Huowang and revealing:

'My true body remains within the Source Fortress—you know this is reality.'

Li Huowang nodded.

In an instant, the entire world plunged into darkness, leaving only the two of them.

The remaining dream concepts, under the continued influence of Xinsu, finally vanished.

Kleine froze abruptly in midair, his expression devoid of any emotion as he stared at Zhou Mingrui: 'You won.'

'But you didn't fully lose,' Zhou Mingrui sighed helplessly. 'You used the alarm clock to absorb back part of your self from the dream's residual forms.'

'That doesn't prevent you from remaining dominant in the future,' Kleine said calmly.

Zhou Mingrui nodded and walked toward Kleine, frozen in midair—their fusion was about to complete—when a faint light appeared.

Kleine turned to look behind him.

There, in the rippling waves of light at his ankle, a figure extended a hand.

It was a luminous form, bearing symbols of Bai Ta, Lei Ting, and the Sun; it reached out and grasped its own ankle.

'Don't think you can escape alone,' the Primordial Creator stared at Him.

At that moment, from the ripples behind the Primordial, Su Xiangrong also crawled out and seized Kleine's other ankle.

'How can the three of us get along without you?' Su Xiangrong smiled.

The Celestial Manifestation merged, and he reverted to the form of Su Yuling—but that warm, soothing smile, capable of warming all things, stirred a ripple in the Tianzun's calm expression.

Slowly, a translucent cloak-wearing, masked phantom was pulled out from within Kleine.

It struggled to return to its body—but

Two other figures, like demons, entangled it and dragged it into the ripples, leaving no trace of movement.

Zhou Mingrui swallowed hard.

Do I still need to wake up?