Li Ang was among the first batch of residents to return to Yin City. After alighting from the bus, he went to the community entrance to complete a rather tedious resident information registration. Then, he stopped at the supermarket near the entrance to buy some backup daily necessities and groceries—vegetables, poultry, eggs, and meat, as food consumption in Yin City might be affected in the coming days—before finally returning home.
This Mid-Autumn night, which should have been peaceful, was unbearably difficult. The official, worldwide broadcast of the game's kill announcements also meant that last night would inevitably be recorded in the annals of human civilization.
As Li Ang put the vegetables in the refrigerator, a strange feeling welled up inside him. He had personally been involved in this event, perhaps even playing a role in pulling back the curtain on a new era on the stage of history.
As an uncertified, self-proclaimed genius, Li Ang had no clear plan for his life goals. According to his earlier thoughts, he might have continued his studies to become a scholar or scientist, dedicating himself to research. If he were fortunate enough to be favored by Lady Luck, perhaps he could even make scientific discoveries beneficial to humanity's understanding and transformation of the world before his twilight years, becoming an inconspicuous piece in the grand mosaic of human science.
But the existence of the kill game had completely shattered all preconceived notions. The human species, civilization, nations, and individuals would all be swept into an epochal tide of supernatural elements engulfing the globe. No one was absolutely safe.
"When successful, benefit the world; when in poverty, maintain personal integrity. Such matters are best left for the Special Affairs Bureau to consider."
Li Ang sat on the sofa, his thoughts churning. Amidst his contemplation, his friends list vibrated, indicating a message from Xing Hechou.
Finally... Li Ang let out a long sigh.
In this mission, killing enemy players triggered global announcements that revealed the nicknames of both the killer and the victim. Chu Yin and Ash, two members of the Special Affairs Bureau, already knew his nickname. There was also Liu Wu Dai, a teammate with whom he had been matched several times before. Throughout the mission, Li Ang had mentally prepared himself to face the Special Affairs Bureau. Especially given the significant impact of the Mirage Dragon incident, they were bound to contact him.
Xing Hechou: "Brother Li, are you there? This is Xing Hechou."
Li Ang scratched his head. "Not here."
"Haha, Brother Li, you're quite humorous," Xing Hechou replied dryly, then immediately sent another message. "Ahem, I presume you're aware of my purpose, Brother Li. I'm representing the Special Affairs Bureau, and I'd like to ask you about what happened at the bottom of the Demon Prison.
"This information is vital to us. It concerns the future strategy of the Special Affairs Bureau and relates to the safety and property of millions of people.
"We hope you can cooperate with us as much as possible.
"Naturally, in addition to the consultation, we will also compensate you.
"This will serve as payment for your time and as a token of our gratitude for your contributions during the Yin City incident.
"Without you, the outcome of the Misty Territory anomaly could have been much worse."
Xing Hechou's words were earnest. In fact, at that very moment, he was sitting in a conference room, surrounded by a group of think tank members and senior leaders of the Special Affairs Bureau.
According to information from Ash and Chu Yin, this Li Rising had eliminated two demons alongside them, saved tens of thousands of innocent people, and thwarted Datura's plot. His actions demonstrated that he was a comrade with a pure heart. He deserved commendation.
The only question was what information Li Rising had secretly exchanged with the Mirage Dragon inside the misty gate of the Demon Prison. At that moment, Ash and Chu Yin, stunned by the dragon's imposing aura, had fainted and missed the scene, failing to gather any intelligence.
All the messages Xing Hechou sent to Li Ang were issued under the direction of the Special Affairs Bureau's decision-makers. Every word was polished by the think tank. Furthermore, it was cross-referenced with the psychological analysis team's profile of "Li Rising" to ensure the language wouldn't cause displeasure and would encourage him to communicate as willingly as possible.
To allow the think tank team a comprehensive view of the exchange, Xing Hechou projected the chat interface in the office. He also had a designated recorder document the conversation and record the footage.
Li Ang didn't hurry to respond. He guessed Xing Hechou likely had a platoon of psychological analysts and think tank members on standby; the more he said, the more information he would reveal.
Li Ang didn't mind relaying the information the Drought Demon had shared with him to the Special Affairs Bureau. However, he wanted his descriptions to be as concise and clear as possible, free of subjective influence.
After pondering for a moment, he used the most succinct and precise language to tell Xing Hechou everything the Drought Demon had revealed about the Demon Tide in the Demon Prison.
After sending the information, both sides strangely fell silent. About ten minutes later, Xing Hechou sent a message: "Thank you very much, Comrade Li Rising."
Accompanying this message was a friend transfer.
[Player "Xing Hechou" has transferred 5,000 Game Coins to you. Note: None]
Li Ang was slightly surprised as he accepted the transfer, but he didn't feel overly flattered or compelled to return the Game Coins. Extracting Divinity from the Abnormal Embryo had cost him 7,000 Game Coins, and he was indeed short on funds right now. A single coin can stump a hero, after all. To the wealthy Special Affairs Bureau, this amount of Game Coins probably didn't mean much.
"The organization will remember your contribution," Xing Hechou said seriously. "By the way, Brother Li, have you considered joining our Special Affairs Bureau? These are special times, and the Bureau needs all the strength it can rally to protect the lives and property of the people.
"We desperately need comrades like you."
Xing Hechou didn't spell it out, but his meaning was clear. According to the think tank's assessment, this meticulous Li Rising, with his counter-surveillance skills, was unlikely to be a simple, law-abiding citizen in the real world. He was probably a high-threat, unstable element.
The phrases "special times" and "needing all strength" were a hint that past transgressions could be forgiven and handled leniently.
Li Ang fell silent for a moment, then declined, "Let's discuss it in the future."
"Understood." Xing Hechou, somewhat regretfully, conveyed that the Special Affairs Bureau's doors would always be open to Li Ang before ending the communication. He then returned to discussing the Demon Tide with the think tank in the meeting room.
Sitting to the left of the conference table, Yin Yidong, the Deputy Director of the Yin City Special Affairs Bureau—an unremarkable middle-aged woman—slowly asked, "What are your thoughts? How credible is the information Li Rising revealed about the Drought Demon, the Mirage Dragon, and the Demon Tide?"