Chapter 652: The New World (Refreshed, Added 500 Words)

“Zhou Mingrui, Boss Huang 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 remembered he was still at work.

His pupils contracted, hairs on his neck stood up, and he glanced warily around: “Did anyone check the floor just now?!”

“No.” Luo Shan quickly typed on her phone, then snatched a pack of cookies from Zhou Mingrui’s desk: “But Boss Huang wants you to meet him on the sixteenth floor.”

Sixteenth floor?

The CEO’s office is on the tenth floor near administration; the sixteenth floor is Boss Huang’s luxury lounge for hosting VIPs and resting—normally off-limits to male staff.

As for the female employees who go up, most of them are like him.

“Uh…” Luo Shan put down her phone, blushing slightly as she glanced at Zhou Mingrui:

“When you’re out, even boys should remember to take precautions. Boss Huang plays so wildly, 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 to the page on Luo Shan’s phone—a sleek black train with cold, elegant lines, set against a starry sky.

“Going on a trip?” Zhou Mingrui asked curiously.

“Rushing for tickets.” Luo Shan nodded. “I’m planning to use my vacation to go to the Moon. The Star Dome Train passes through here, so I’m trying to grab a ticket.”

Zhou Mingrui froze. The conversation felt off, but he 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.

【This project isn’t finished. No one leaves work for now. The company has provided you with resurrection devices and fasting pills—implementing the 007 work schedule!】

Zhou Mingrui frowned at the lifeless R&D department, then mentally cursed: ‘That bastard supervisor next door 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 watch 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.

Dani Zi: [Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don’t look down on the young!]

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

Hope this is for your school’s students, not for your own consumption.

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!]

A colleague asked me today if I was Mrs. Zhou—maybe they confused me with someone else, but do I really look married?]

The photo showed the plaque of the Dano Mental Health Research Center, plus Dr. Audrey Hall posing with a Daoist in a blood-red robe.

Miss Doctor, you have multiple film companies and essential industries in your family—please stop showing off.

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: Collapse of the Boundary Sea,” “Avengers: Shadow of the Multiversal Devourer.”

Looks like there’s a new movie.

Not a bad idea, but I’m heading to report to Boss Huang right now. And Sharon always picks midnight movies—walking home feels creepy.

Maybe I’ll invite a few friends and coworkers along.

His Moments feed stopped loading here. He looked up and realized he’d been standing in the elevator for ages without pressing a floor.

“Buy Daoqi Emperor Weapons? Only from Zhe Tian Trading.”

“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, sign up now! If that fails, witches are acceptable too.”

“Legendary Chef-Mage joins Soul Rebirth Band—debut live stream tonight at midnight on the Multiversal Knowledge Platform.”

Elevator ads have gotten increasingly dense lately.

Come to think of it, could the ad revenue be shared with employees or building residents?

The elevator doors slowly opened.

Zhou Mingrui scrolled through his phone, continuing the unfinished digital manga—plot was nonsense, but even Marvel’s comics had grown increasingly grotesque since the zombies.

Then again, if they’re good-looking, even tentacle-girls could…

“Cough.”

A cough echoed.

Zhou Mingrui looked up and saw Boss Huang, hands in his pockets, watching him from the doorway of a private room.

He quickly tucked away his phone and hurried over.

Once inside the room, Boss Huang sat before a stopped antique clock and pointed to the sofa opposite: “Sit. Want something to drink?”

“No, thank you.” Zhou Mingrui sat upright.

To be honest, Boss Huang’s gaze today felt… strange.

Ever since he drank that Assassin’s Elixir, his fear of Boss Huang had grown—each encounter felt like 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.” Boss Huang leaned back, tilted his head as if thinking, then said:

“I’m assigning you overseas for two years. You’ll return after that.”

Zhou Mingrui opened his mouth: “Overseas assignment?!”

Boss Huang nodded, pulled out a promotion-and-raise contract, and slid it across the crystal table to Zhou Mingrui.

“I’ve noticed your performance. I’ve contacted a friend—you’ll leave with him. They need you there.”

Boss Huang gently swirled his wine and said:

“You know our company has many foreigners, so our overseas expansion is rapid.”

Zhou Mingrui picked up the contract and checked the address.

Greenland

Was this a promotion or exile?

His expression twisted; he couldn’t suppress a frown: “I don’t want to go abroad.”

“Get over it.” Boss Huang’s tone left no room for argument. “Go for two years. When you return, I’ll make you Deputy CEO.”

“But—” Zhou Mingrui hesitated. “How do I get there?”

Boss Huang nodded in satisfaction and dialed a number on his phone.

Moments later.

A woman with pink hair and androgynous features entered: “Hello, I’m Yuwen Mushi.”

“She’ll take you there by private jet,” Boss Huang said.

“The Star Dome Train looks great, and tickets aren’t expensive—”

“No budget for that.”

“Teleporting 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, Boss Huang’s swirling wine stopped.

He stared at Zhou Mingrui as a group of patients—blank-eyed, expressionless, dressed in psychiatric hospital gowns—slowly descended from the ceiling like dried meat.

Crash—!

The room door was kicked open.

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

“Huang Tao’s gone missing in the Multiverse City—where even is Huang Tao?” Xiao Yan said with mocking tone.

“You stole Zhou Ge’s divinity. Your remaining self-awareness must be controlling this from behind.” Li Huowang tossed his longsword, snorted: “You’re good at lying. Since you’ve got no face, why not join the Dao of Forgetting?”

“Why are they so aggressive?” Song Shuhang asked.

Su Lin stood outside the crowd, stroking his chin, sighing: “Almost turned into a witch by the Heavenly Zun . The Hunter’s Elixir’s effect kicked in too…”

He glanced at Wei Gong Shirou, still with red hair, covering his mouth to suppress mockery.

“Go ahead and curse. The Heavenly Zun is a bastard.”

“Kono baka.”

“.”

Better not curse.

“This is the contract signed by Huang Tao to cancel his Hehuan Sect debts—agreeing to forfeit all assets in this world to settle all livestream tips on the Multiversal Knowledge Platform and debts in Multiverse City.”

Meng Qi held a contract bearing Huang Tao’s handwritten signature and fingerprint: “The Zhou representative who handled the acquisition just agreed to let Taichu Group buy your company.”

The “Boss Huang” remained silent, staring at Zhou Mingrui, his expression puzzled.

“Digital manga is still manga.” Zhou Mingrui raised his phone, displaying the comic “Legendary Outer God: 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 ask me to represent the group in the acquisition? I agreed.”

The words fell silent.

The entire corporate tower began to dissolve like a mirage.

Across the azure sky, students in Daoist robes rode flying swords past occasionally, while others on brooms or transformed into magical girls bought spirit food from roadside stalls; the Urban Management Alliance, clad in steel armor and dragging plasma flames, chased unlicensed wild alchemists. Every building bore a different style—from Western modern to Eastern ancient—home to countless races in this bizarre city.

In the distance, a train was gliding in from beyond the starry sky, its track’s phantom laid upon the platform.

On screens projected by talismans, electronic displays, and image crystals, today’s news played:

{Today, Taichu Group, Danmeng Pharmaceuticals (Infinite Fire Domain Group), Zhetian Trading (Heavenly Court Heavy Industry), Nidhogg Group, Lime Immortal Court, Tianshen Sect, and Stark Industries jointly acquired Gustav Group, the last remaining enterprise on Mystery Street.}

{As a new-quality productive force engaged in foreign trade, this acquisition will refine our industrial structure and promote full-chain development.}

“Learn about the Church of the Fool. Please allow me a moment to introduce you to our supreme savior, the Fool.”

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

At that moment, a breeze blew from nowhere, carrying a flyer into “Huang Zong”’s hand; those who had taken flyers immediately lifted monocles and placed them over their right eye sockets.

Zhou Mingrui: “.”

In broad daylight, I’ve been fooled.

Huang Zong’s hand began involuntarily reaching into his pocket: “I confirmed you contained no other ingredients.”

He didn’t understand how Amon, even after entering this world and suffering blindness and folly, still managed to interfere.

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

“I am their heart-talisman and emissary; naturally, I can deceive other avatars into believing they are the Dao of Forgetting and the Joy. Add a little error—though flawed, it elevates my status somewhat~”

Amon grinned. “This time, it’s my turn to awaken within you.”

It seemed he still remembered how the Celestial Zun nearly seized his body to escape Qing.

But Amon could do this alone—could the others…

Break?

Li Huowang turned his gaze to Su Lin and said earnestly: “Brother Su, Zhao Lei has relapsed. Can you take him away for treatment?”

“I saw the Star God in the Simulation Universe wearing a monocle,” Xing tugged at Su Lin’s sleeve. “Why don’t you treat Aha too?”

Su Lin: “.”

Diagnosed as healthy. Discharged.

Others watched as “Huang Zong” put on the monocle and exhaled in relief.

When Qing opened his own comic, he gained dominion over the corresponding illusory multiverse.

Coupled with Meng Qi’s Cause of All Fruits as a link, all narratives were stitched together, interconnected into one unified whole—so that at the moment of entering the Dream World, each illusory multiverse overlaid upon this world.

“The Celestial Zun ’s remaining self resides within all things, but to do more, He must choose a vessel.”

“No wonder Huang Zong resisted the acquisition—Su Lin and Lu Mingfei’s dream forms are uncontrollable. If this company were bought, he’d be at a disadvantage.”

“That’s why he never meets Li Jiatu—he has me handle it.”

In an instant, Zhou Mingrui connected many dots—but then he frowned, because Qing’s portion of self had not yet returned?

A spark of intuition struck him; he turned toward the stopped clock. The hands twitched.

Click-clack.

Huang Zong, monocle and all, shattered.

The entire city collapsed inward from Zhou Mingrui’s center, sinking into profound darkness—as if devoured by an abyss.

All things began to coalesce; the Ancient Ones trapped in puppetry’s neither-living-nor-dead state twisted, exuding symbols of primordial essences.

The former Tree of Desires transformed into a girl resembling Melissa, reaching for Zhou Mingrui.

“That’s within my expectations,” Zhou Mingrui smiled, looking at Li Huowang. “I reveal to you:”

“My true self 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 continuous influence of Xin Su, finally dissolved.

Qing hung motionless in midair, expressionless, gazing at Zhou Mingrui: “You won.”

“But you didn’t lose completely,” Zhou Mingrui sighed helplessly. “You used the alarm clock to absorb back part of your self lingering on the dream’s forms.”

“That doesn’t prevent you from becoming dominant again,” Qing said calmly.

Zhou Mingrui nodded and walked toward Qing, suspended in midair—about to complete fusion—when a faint light appeared.

Qing turned his head.

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

It was a luminous silhouette bearing symbols: the Tower, Thunder, the Sun. It grasped its own ankle.

“Don’t think you can escape alone,” the Primordial Creator stared at Him.

From the ripples behind the Primordial, Su Lin also crawled out, seizing Qing’s other ankle.

“How can we three manage without you?” Su Lin smiled.

The Celestial Manifestation merged; he became Su Yuling once more—but that gentle, warming smile stirred the faintest ripple across the Celestial Zun ’s calm expression.

Slowly, a translucent cloak-wearing, masked shadow peeled away from Qing’s body.

It struggled to return to its body—but…

Two other figures, like demons, entangled it, dragging it into the ripples—silent forever.

Zhou Mingrui swallowed hard.

Do I still need to wake up?