As the vehicle successfully drove through the gate of the restricted area, Zhan Pingchuan clearly felt his ability disappear for an instant as they passed through that lead-gray iron door.
He turned his head, looking deeply at that door.
No wonder Si Hongche had used a gun rather than an ability just now; it turned out the door was made of rare lead ore.
He couldn’t help but think of his childhood idea of helping someone escape. Fortunately, he was only four years old then, and even Si Hongche had treated his words as a joke, easily letting him off.
Blue Pivot was filled with rare lead ore; Oliver couldn’t possibly maintain an illusion all the way out of Blue Pivot.
Come to think of it, was he still being kept in Blue Pivot?
Zhan Pingchuan couldn’t quite remember which floor he had encountered Oliver on when he was a child, but he had heard the tall man mention the seventh floor just now.
“Damn, the restricted area is actually this big,” Liu Bo leaned against the window, exclaiming in amazement.
He had originally thought that the concrete walls only surrounded the Blue Pivot, Hong Suo, and Qian Yun buildings, but after entering, he discovered that wasn’t the case. There were also many low buildings about ten meters tall within the restricted area. It was more like a complete ecological system.
There were hospitals, supermarkets, residential areas, self-operated vegetable gardens and pastures, sculpture parks, churches, simulated rainforest ecosystems, simulated snow mountain ecosystems, simulated wetland ecosystems, and even a simulated beach.
Unless absolutely necessary, people within the restricted area could stay inside the concrete walls indefinitely, living there forever.
Tang Li was slowly recovering from his fear. He saw an elderly man carrying a large bag of fruit, walking with some difficulty. A Blue Pivot inspection team member passed by, took the fruit from the old man’s hands, and enthusiastically offered to escort him home.
The old man declined with a smile, saying he couldn’t delay the officer’s work, that he was still robust and could manage on his own.
He also saw a woman about to cross the road. The driver, who had been speeding all the way outside, actually stopped far in advance and patiently waited until the woman had safely crossed before stepping on the gas again.
The ground within the restricted area was clean and tidy, without even a scrap of paper in sight. If a leaf fragment happened to fall in the middle of the road, someone would quickly pick it up and throw it in a trash can.
Such scenes were commonplace. There was an indescribable civility within the restricted area that was at odds with the world outside.
Tang Li: “It’s so nice here. In my hometown, no one cares about the elderly; everyone only looks after themselves. And everyone assumes that only Awakened ones have value. When ordinary elderly people get sick, their families generally give up on treatment. Oh, and traffic rules are rarely followed, let alone yielding to pedestrians. Things have been getting worse these past few years, with refugees everywhere.”
When he made this remark, he had completely forgotten the humiliation he had just experienced, as the scene before him had made such a profound impact.
Lance, while mentally noting the routes and surveillance cameras within the restricted area, casually said: “Because of the broken window effect.”
If bad social trends aren’t stopped, people become numb, imitate them, and feel no guilt. Over time, people will do even worse and crazier things.
Outside the restricted area, only cities with the seven major guilds were relatively civilized, because those who broke the rules would be punished by the guilds. No matter how high-level an individual Awakened one was, they didn’t have the ability to confront a top guild.
But in cities without major guilds, just one A-level Awakened one was enough to stir up trouble.
“It seems it’s not a prison, but a utopia,” Zhan Pingchuan sneered.
He wasn’t idle either. Taking advantage of his S-level’s exceptional sensitivity, he carefully noted all areas covered by rare lead ore.
If the mission failed and they needed to escape, they would have to avoid these places. One wrong step would be irredeemable.
Liu Bo: “I definitely want to work here in the future, even as a driver or repairman.”
The driver snorted upon hearing this: “Only government councilors, clerks, and family members of Blue Pivot and Hong Suo employees are qualified to live in the restricted area. People like us who work odd jobs aren’t eligible.”
Liu Bo said disappointedly: “Is that so? Then in our team, probably only…”
As he spoke, Liu Bo turned his head to look back. He was about to say that only Zhan Pingchuan and Lance had a chance, since one was the top student in their grade and the other was an A-level Awakened one. However, when he turned around, he found these two each leaning against a window, staring outside without blinking, muttering to themselves.
Liu Bo: “?” What’s wrong with them?
Tang Li, however, didn’t notice Lance and Zhan Pingchuan. He murmured: “No wonder they’re so well-mannered. They’re all high-level intellectuals from the Federation government and Blue Pivot Hong Suo.”
Zhan Pingchuan noticed that as they approached the Blue Pivot building, the rare lead ore began to significantly decrease. Perhaps because so many high-level Awakened ones gathered here, the Federation government didn’t restrict their abilities to facilitate their work with powers.
So Zhan Pingchuan had time to interject: “Well-mannered? Classmate, is your brain the size of a walnut?”
The driver explained: “That person only behaves that way toward outsiders like you. Within the restricted area, he has a completely different face.”
Liu Bo: “That still shows the good management within the restricted area, just like what Classmate Lance said, the broken window something…”
In Lance’s Spirit Realm system, a complete map of the route the vehicle had traveled had already formed, including all surveillance camera points and viable blind spots.
He withdrew his gaze, inwardly sneering, but his facial expression remained calm and normal: “Do you remember Star University’s notice about saving electricity? I see that all kinds of simulated ecosystems here require high-intensity electricity twenty-four hours a day.”
Liu Bo then realized that all the pleasant scenery in the restricted area was entirely man-made. Maintaining it required a large amount of manpower and energy.
Meanwhile, Star University couldn’t even afford to keep street lights and surveillance on at night. If not for this, Director Erdiff wouldn’t have been mysteriously killed on a rainy night without leaving any clues.
“That’s true! We’ve been trying so hard to save electricity, while they use it so lavishly in the restricted area.” Liu Bo couldn’t help feeling indignant.
Zhan Pingchuan gave Lance a deep look and smiled: “Little classmate Lance means that the reason this place looks civilized is because they’re being supported by the entire Federation. They have sufficient resources and status without having to fight for them, so there’s no opportunity to expose the darkness of human nature.”
Lance immediately turned his head to meet Zhan Pingchuan’s gaze, his amber pupils slightly dilated, his expression somewhat surprised.
Zhan Pingchuan: “What’s wrong? Do you feel like we’re spiritually connected?” We’re simply a perfect match.
Lance smiled sweetly and nodded.
No, I just had the strange feeling that a cow just played the piano for me.
The squad leader immediately corrected their distorted thinking: “The councilors and other staff have contributed so much to the entire Federation; this little preferential treatment is what they deserve. Put away your cynical thoughts. If you’re envious, just honestly contribute to the Federation. One day your family can move in too.”
Lance asked curiously: “So it seems your family has already moved in.”
The squad leader said proudly: “Not yet, but soon. I’ve already applied for a temporary residence card and am just waiting for approval.”
Zhan Pingchuan realized: “From your tone, I thought you were a permanent resident. So even temporary residence requires an application.”
Squad leader: “……”
Liu Bo vaguely felt that Lance and Zhan Pingchuan were taking turns mocking something, but their faces still had the clarity and innocence of college students. Perhaps he was overthinking.
The vehicle finally stopped outside the Blue Pivot building. The four of them got out with their luggage and looked up. The Federation’s spear stood straight and tall, deep blue and majestic. The entire glass curtain wall reflected the sunlight from top to bottom, so bright that one could hardly open their eyes.
The squad leader, with his head held high and chest out, swiped his ID card to lead them through the glass doors, directly to the first-floor lobby.
The Blue Pivot building had a total of twenty floors, divided into three underground levels and seventeen above-ground levels. Each district of the Blue Pivot inspection team occupied two above-ground floors as office areas.
The First District managed information networks, occupying the first and second floors. The Second District managed investigation, occupying the sixth and seventh floors. The Third District managed trade, occupying the third and fourth floors. The Fourth District managed weapons development, occupying the eighth and ninth floors. The Fifth District managed ability management, occupying the tenth and eleventh floors. The Sixth District managed military medicine, occupying the twelfth and thirteenth floors. The Seventh District guarded the fourteenth and fifteenth floors. The Eighth District handled combat on the sixteenth and seventeenth floors.
The fifth floor was a large deliberation area, with conference halls and the strategy department.
“Keep up, everyone. I need to find someone to arrange work for you. During the Dawn Day period, affairs are busy, and all districts are short-staffed, especially the First and Second Districts,” the squad leader said while frequently greeting passing colleagues.
The inspection team members in the lobby were all hurrying about, with no one able to stop for a chat. At most, they would nod and move on.
After showing off his extensive network, the squad leader led the four of them through a connecting corridor. On the opposite side, they encountered a staff member pushing a food cart. The squad leader waved his hand, and the food service worker hurriedly pulled the cumbersome cart aside.
Lance thoughtfully looked at the food cart and asked: “Who is this food for?”
Squad leader: “Of course, it’s for the inspection team members of various Blue Pivot districts. During the Dawn Day period, everyone is so busy that they basically don’t have time to go to the cafeteria to eat. So each district sends the most idle person to the cafeteria to collect everyone’s meals.”
The so-called “most idle person” in each district was actually the most easily bullied one. Doing such errands repeatedly didn’t count toward performance, and colleagues wouldn’t remember your good deeds.
“After picking up everyone’s meals, do you still have to deliver them to everyone?” Lance pressed further.
The squad leader shot him a look: “Of course. If you pick them up, you have to deliver them, don’t you?”
Lance’s pupils gleamed with interest.
This was actually a great job—having this role would give him a legitimate reason to enter any room, making it much easier to approach Oliver.
Tang Li whispered to Lance, “Gosh, this is clearly just a way to bully newcomers. I hope none of us get stuck with this job. Otherwise, when we apply to the big guilds in the future, are we supposed to say we gained experience delivering meals at Blue Pivot?”
Liu Bo said, “Relax, Blue Pivot wouldn’t go that far. Otherwise, this internship would be pointless.”
Lance didn’t respond to the two of them, instead asking, “May I ask the name of the inspection officer who will be assigning us our jobs?”
The squad leader slowed his steps, turned to look at Lance, and frowned: “Why do you want to know that?”
Lance pressed his lips together: “Since they’re in charge of assigning our work, they’re basically our teacher. We can’t not even know their name, right?”
The squad leader met Lance’s gaze and immediately understood—so this wasn’t a clueless freshman. As soon as he arrived at Blue Pivot, he was already thinking about making connections, despite acting so disdainful of the restricted area’s privileges just now.
“It’s Robert White from District One,” the squad leader replied with a cold sneer.
Lance relaxed a little. Fortunately, it was an English name and easy to spell. If it had been another name, he would have had to dig further to get the exact characters.
Liu Bo thought to himself, as expected of a good student—so thorough.
After all, only by getting on the good side of the person arranging their work could their internship go smoothly, and maybe they could even get a glowing recommendation letter before leaving.
They walked a bit further and were about to enter the office when Lance suddenly clutched his stomach and frowned: “Sorry, could you tell me where the restroom is?”
“We’re almost there, you—” The squad leader turned back, glaring at Lance, but saw his cheeks flushed and his eyes pitiful. “Can’t you just—”
Lance hunched over, holding his stomach, his features scrunched up in pain.
“Fine, left turn and straight ahead. Hurry up, no one’s got time to wait for you!” The squad leader’s tone was unfriendly.
“Stomach ache?” Zhan Pingchuan placed his warm palm over Lance’s lower abdomen, worried: “Want me to go with you?”
Lance immediately pressed his hand down, carefully instructing: “No need. Just keep an eye out for me, and don’t leave before I get back. We have to tell him we want to intern together.”
Zhan Pingchuan was suddenly filled with a sense of mission for the family’s future.
His wife was thinking of everything just to intern with him and have an office romance—what a passionate little fox!
Zhan Pingchuan said solemnly, “Don’t worry, if you don’t come back, no one leaves.”
Lance gazed at him deeply and smiled.
Liu Bo: “……”
Tang Li: “……”
Leaving behind a smile to placate the little idiot, Lance headed straight for the restroom. Once inside, he quickly checked every stall, confirmed no one was there, locked the door, and took out an anchor point from his pocket, tossing it onto the restroom floor—
“Lily!”
Lily was the youngest member of the Black Lantern Society. She awakened her B-level ability at thirteen, but it wasn’t because she was especially gifted, but because of her biological mother.
Lily’s mother had a one-night stand with a classmate and became pregnant with Lily. By the time she realized, it was too late to easily get rid of Lily.
After Lily was born, her mother went from a pure university student to a single mom, was kicked out by her family, and her life took a nosedive.
So her mother pathologically blamed everything on Lily. Lily grew up under abuse and humiliation, which twisted her personality, making her withdrawn and a bit crazy.
To force Lily to mature quickly and become her cash cow, her mother kept feeding her hormone pills.
After once being forced to take twenty hormone pills in a row, Lily ran away from home and hid in the underground city.
To her, her mother was far scarier than any beast in the underground city.
She barely survived for three months in the underground city, eating up the last of her food. If not for her B-level awakening, she would have died and become a pile of bones.
Later, people from High Tower Guild found her unconscious in the underground city and brought her back. After a careful check, they found her body covered in man-made scars and the aftereffects of hormone drugs.
Fortunately, there were recovery system Awakened ones in High Tower Guild, and Lily’s life was saved.
Lily then joined the Black Lantern Society, learning to control her powers and develop her first-tier ability under the guidance of Dream Witch and Mad Clown.
Later, Lily’s biological mother drowned after drinking, and only then did Lily’s biological father learn of her existence.
By then, Lily’s father was married to a kind and gentle wife. When his wife heard about Lily’s experiences, she was heartbroken and offered to take Lily in as her own daughter.
So Lily got a new home, and for the first time experienced what motherly love was.
Lily’s father and stepmother weren’t Awakened, so Lily worried about scaring them. During the day, she played the role of a mentally healthy daughter at home, and at night, she handled Black Lantern Society’s assignments for those who’d lost the will to live.
A few hours earlier, Dream Witch had wiped off her lipstick, removed her eye makeup, changed out of her sexy short skirt, and pinned up her wavy hair.
She buttoned her white shirt all the way to the top, put on a knee-length business skirt, then stepped into some old-fashioned, plain black heels, and knocked on Lily’s family door.
Dream Witch, in a perfectly serious tone, asked, “Is Lily home?”
Soon, the door opened a crack from the inside. A blue-haired little girl winked mischievously at Dream Witch, then turned and shouted into the house, “Mom, our homeroom teacher Ms. Meng is here!”
A gentle but anxious woman’s voice came from the kitchen: “Oh my, on a holiday like this, please let the teacher in!”
The woman hurriedly wiped her wet hands on her apron and rushed out from the not-so-spacious home, her face still glistening with sweat from her chores. Smiling with her eyes, she said, “Ms. Meng, what brings you here? I was just cleaning up at home.”
Dream Witch adjusted her glasses, stood up straight, and hugged her lesson plan more conspicuously, as if afraid people wouldn’t know she was a proud people’s teacher.
Dream Witch: “No need to be formal, Lily’s mom. I just dropped by unexpectedly.”
The woman smiled brightly, but nervously twisted her apron: “Um… Teacher, is there some problem with Lily’s studies? She just transferred here and is behind in her previous coursework, but we’ll work hard to catch up, you—”
Dream Witch smiled and waved it off: “You’ve misunderstood, Lily’s mom. Lily’s grades are excellent. I think she could be top of her grade next year.”
Lily’s eyes widened, then she silently rolled her eyes.
She might be able to top the assassin rankings, but top of the grade? Forget it.
The woman was incredulous, her face flushing with joy: “Really? Her last school’s teachers always said she couldn’t keep up. I was so afraid she’d lose confidence. Thank you, Ms. Meng, for recognizing Lily. So… does Lily get along with her classmates? She’s shy and quiet, I’m worried she won’t adapt and will be bullied.”
At the word “bullied,” Dream Witch’s mouth twitched.
“Lily’s mom, don’t worry. Lily is hardworking enough, and a lot of people really like her.”
For example, those who run funeral parlors, coffin shops, sell burial clothes and wreaths, and cemetery salespeople.
Hearing this, the woman’s eyes even filled with tears. She turned and cupped Lily’s young face, choking up: “Sweetheart, transferring to this school was the right choice. You’re doing better and better, your classmates like you, your teacher values you. Do you know how happy that makes your mom?”
Lily blinked her round eyes, nodded obediently, then raised her small hand to wipe the woman’s tears.
The woman held Lily’s hand and gently kissed her cheek, her soft sideburns, damp with sweat, brushing against Lily’s delicate nose bridge.
“Mom always knew you were so brave, that you’d definitely be able to walk out of the nightmare.”
Just then, two low coughs came from outside the door: “Ms. Meng, didn’t we come to see Lily about something?”
Mad Clown had grown impatient with waiting and couldn’t help but interject.
The woman heard the voice and froze, peering behind Dream Witch, becoming even more surprised: “Ph… Physics teacher, why are you here too?”
Lily secretly stuck her tongue out at Mad Clown.
Mad Clown, who had washed off his face paint and changed into professional attire, displayed a standard smile: “We’ve discovered that Lily has exceptional talent in physics, so we’re planning to give her some extra lessons during the holiday, so she can participate in next year’s physics competition. If all goes well, she might even get early admission to Star University.”
The woman covered her mouth, her eyes widening: “My… my goodness.”
She could hardly believe it. Good news was pouring down on her today—the problem child at home had suddenly become a competition genius!
“Great, great! If the child has talent, we’ll definitely support her fully.” The woman hurriedly brought out the most expensive cherries in the house, insisting on giving them to Mad Clown.
Mad Clown was about to reach for them when he saw Lily’s eyes widen, almost shooting fire.
Those cherries were something her mother had scrimped and saved to buy.
Mad Clown pursed his lips and withdrew his hand: “Thank you, but I just remembered I’m allergic to cherries.”
The woman stammered: “Well then, teacher, when school starts, her father and I will personally go to the school to thank you.”
Lily shook her head desperately.
Wouldn’t that expose everything?
Dream Witch smiled calmly: “Lily’s mom, the physics teacher is tutoring Lily privately. If you specifically go to the school to thank him, how would the other children feel if they saw?”
The woman finally came to her senses, slapping her forehead in embarrassment: “Look at me, I’m so careless. Don’t worry, teacher, I absolutely won’t say anything inappropriate or hold the child back.”
Mad Clown: “In that case, we’ll take Lily now. Don’t worry, we’ll definitely bring her back after class this afternoon.”
With that, Mad Clown gave Lily a look.
Lily grabbed her clothes, put on her shoes, and darted out the door in one swift move, still muttering: “I can’t wait to immerse myself in the world of physics. Here I come, competition and early admission!”
The woman watched Lily’s knowledge-thirsty figure with a satisfied smile: “Take care!”
After Mad Clown and Dream Witch had walked far enough with Lily, far enough that they could no longer see the woman’s shadow, Mad Clown couldn’t help but mock: “That last line of yours was so stupid, I got goosebumps all over.”
Lily unwrapped a blood-red candy and popped it into her mouth, the candy clattering against her teeth: “Why didn’t you get goosebumps when you were pretending to be my physics teacher? That’s physics—you can’t even understand the questions!”
Mad Clown gritted his teeth: “You’re not only questioning my intelligence but also my comprehension ability!”
Dream Witch interrupted the argument: “Enough, don’t worry about things you don’t have.”
Mad Clown: “……” I’ll fight you penny-pinching siblings to the death.
The two successfully brought Lily back to the Black Lantern Society and received Lance’s summons at one o’clock noon.
Lily picked up her notebook with one hand and placed her other hand on Mad Clown’s shoulder. In an instant, Lily was teleported to the bathroom on the first floor of the Blue Pivot building.
“Wow,” Lily looked around, exclaiming softly, “What a unique summoning place, and it’s the men’s room.”
Lance put his finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet, then smiled: “Lily, write that Robert White assigned Lance to handle meal delivery for Blue Pivot’s Second District.”
“OK.” Lily’s eyes gleamed with mischief. She opened her notebook and quickly wrote down the line with a pencil. The words appeared black on the paper, but in an instant, they turned bright red.
Control system B-level Awakened one’s first-tier ability [Written Reality].
##
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Ho ho. Another control ability… But not enough to override Si’s S-Level control ability 🥺