"Why are there so many cars today?" Li Cheng颐 asked, pressing his temples as he watched the taxi slow down in the heavy traffic.

His condition had improved somewhat, much better than before.

Escaping from the blind spot and constantly interacting with the real world had slowly restored his somewhat depressed mood.

"Oh, it's because of what happened the other day at Imperial College, didn't you know?" the driver said matter-of-factly.

"Imperial College?"

"Yeah, some terrorist attack, someone rushed into the school with a human bomb. They were caught, but still, several people died." The driver gave a brief explanation.

"Some people from Suiyang study there too. I guess these cars are picking people up from there. But... wasn't it said that only two people died?"

The driver muttered, looking at the funeral cars decorated with white flowers ahead.

From their perspective, they could see at least four different types of cars with white flowers and white cloth on the road ahead.

"Maybe they're all from the same family?" Li Cheng颐 suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. The authorities announced that a terrorist organization called Ideal Land was spreading online and recruiting people to carry out attacks. The Security Administration has launched a full-scale investigation and manhunt." The driver's tone was relaxed, clearly trusting the authorities.

"Although our country seems lifeless, when it comes to security, they don't mess around. This Ideal Land or Ideal Country will be wiped out soon. Unlike Bai Xing, which is full of chaos every day, even councilors can be shot and killed in their homes. It's too dangerous."

Li Cheng颐 didn't comment, just echoed a few words.

The car quickly passed the red light and drove for a few more minutes, arriving at the New Century Building.

The sky was dark, but the building was brightly lit, with a constant stream of people coming and going. The sounds of KTV singing and shouting could be faintly heard from inside.

Li Cheng颐 got out of the car, paid the fare, and turned right, familiar with the route to the building's employee entrance.

He walked into the small side hall and pressed the elevator button.

Before the elevator arrived, several people hurried into the hall.

Xindela and two burly bodyguards in black t-shirts strode in, spotting Li Cheng颐 immediately.

He reeked of alcohol and was wearing a pair of tea-colored augmented reality AR glasses.

Taking off the AR glasses, Xindela gestured, and the two bodyguards behind him retreated, spreading out to guard the front and rear entrances.

He walked closer, standing next to Li Cheng颐, pretending to wait for the elevator.

"Is she dead?"

The words seemed to come out of nowhere, but Li Cheng颐 understood.

"She" referred to Meng Dongdong.

"Dead." Li Cheng颐 hadn't killed Meng Dongdong in the end, using her to delay the monster and extend his time in the blind spot.

Ultimately, he had achieved his goal.

It was the first time he had done this, using a human life as a tool to achieve his own ends.

"Are you feeling bad?" Xindela asked softly.

*Ding.*

The elevator arrived, the silver-white metal doors slowly opening.

The two entered one after the other, pressing the button for the nineteenth floor.

The ventilation fan whirred overhead, and projection advertisements played on the elevator walls, repeatedly showing animated beauties.

The red and green lights illuminated their faces, making them look like paint palettes.

"Just a little stuffy," Li Cheng颐 replied.

"You'll get used to it," Xindela said, staring at the changing red floor numbers.

"The first time, I was the same as you. Afterward, I felt different, like I couldn't go back, afraid of being discovered, afraid of some inexplicable thing, afraid of being caught, afraid of many things."

"How did you adjust?" Li Cheng颐 asked.

"Understand the rules, and then adapt." Xindela smiled.

*Ding.*

The elevator doors opened.

Outside was a quiet company lobby.

The employees who worked there during the day were nowhere to be seen. Only the emergency lights on the wall flashed, emitting a green glow to indicate that the air and temperature were normal.

Xindela walked out first, not entering the office, but going to the side of the lobby and pressing a button on the coffee machine, filling a disposable cup with coffee.

"Sugar?"

"Thanks, no need." Li Cheng颐 walked behind him, somewhat puzzled. Shouldn't the most urgent thing be to arrange a profiler for him immediately?

"Have a cup, don't rush." Xindela handed him the coffee, smiling, and then poured himself a cup.

Li Cheng颐 took it, added sugar and creamer, stirring gently with a stirrer.

He took a sip.

It was wonderful.

Although it was the cheapest instant coffee, it felt unusually smooth and comfortable.

"Now, tell me, what did you encounter inside? What did you discover?" Only then did Xindela ask the question.

"The profiler..."

"We can connect at any time, shall we start now?"

"Yes, immediately, I'm worried I'll forget." Li Cheng颐 tried to recall the face and features of the boy he had seen in his mind.

Strangely, now that he had calmed down, he could recall the scene more clearly.

"Feeling it?" Xindela smiled, "Memory recall is indeed better the sooner you record it, but if you want to not miss any details, you need to be calm. Emotions can cause you to miss and confuse many things."

"Thank you." Li Cheng颐 nodded. Now completely calm, he began to carefully describe the white-clothed boy's appearance.

Facial shape, race, skin color, eyebrow shape, and other details were all described one by one.

Then, he waited for the synthesized images to be compared until he identified the closest likeness.

After the description was completed, the two went into the office.

Xindela took out the previous projection flashlight and projected the synthesized portraits one by one.

After scrolling through more than thirty images, Li Cheng颐 suddenly shouted to stop.

"That's the one!" He pointed to the image on the wall.

In the picture, a curly-haired boy wearing a white nightgown was standing quietly at the door of a small red room.

He looked about eleven or twelve years old, with brown-black hair and very white skin, the kind of unhealthy white that looked sickly.

His eyes were black, and his eye sockets were also black, as if he hadn't rested well for a long time.

He looked very thin, with a blank expression, and his dark lips were slightly open.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure!"

Xindela carefully examined the portrait.

"Looks like you've found a key clue. This child looks like a Flore, perhaps with Yi nationality blood. And the address of the Gelius parking lot that we found is mainly inhabited by Flores."

"Can people still enter the blind spot? This time I found that the monster inside was much faster than before," Li Cheng颐 asked seriously.

"Not necessarily, but there are too many blind spots. No one knows how many there are in this world, so on average, most people who enter the blind spot are alone most of the time, occasionally encountering others. Like you. The first time was with three people, which is rare." Xindela explained.

He took out his phone, quickly sent a few messages, and then looked up again. "What about the crack? Any clues?"

"No, I didn't have time to walk deep into the crack before I met this guy." Li Cheng颐 pointed to the projected boy.

"Your timing is off. You went in again after only a month and a half. Something must have caused this change. You should think about it carefully." Xindela paused. "Also, to avoid shortening the time again, you must go to the Gelius parking lot site as soon as possible."

"I'll tell my family tomorrow, can I leave tomorrow?" Li Cheng颐 knew the situation was urgent and made a decisive decision.

"Yes, after you get there, look for information based on this boy's portrait, and wait for the excavation work to deepen. I'll arrange someone to accompany you," Xindela replied.

"Okay."

Leaving the company, Li Cheng颐 took a taxi straight home, his hand often touching the holster at his waist.

The painful expression of Meng Dongdong constantly surfaced in his mind.

And the human leg hanging from the corner of the monster's face.

A cup of cheap coffee, costing only a few yuan, miraculously calmed him down completely at this time.

But for some reason, without him even noticing, something began to slowly change.

Soon, he arrived at the residential area.

Li Cheng颐 opened the door, paid the fare, got out of the car, and then stood at the entrance of the residential area.

He didn't go in for a long time, just stood by the green belt at the entrance, thinking about how to talk to his family.

First, he had to say that he had found a job, and then mention that he was going on a business trip tomorrow...

"Li Cheng颐." Suddenly, a figure quickly approached on the sidewalk under a street lamp not far away.

It was a slender young woman, with a ponytail, wearing a white, close-fitting tracksuit, with an earphone hanging from her neck.

Lin Sang.

Li Cheng颐 recognized the person at a glance.

"Running so late at night?"

"It's only eight o'clock, isn't it too late?" Lin Sang retorted, her big eyes squinting slightly, looking up and down at this long-lost friend.

She, Li Cheng颐, and Chen Xudong were playmates and buddies for ten years.

Recently, Li Cheng颐 had clearly been slowly distancing himself from her. Even asking Chen Xudong yielded the same answer.

She didn't know what she had done to offend him. Since she happened to meet him today, she had to ask him clearly.

Ten years of friendship shouldn't just fade away.

"Why haven't you been exercising with us lately? Dongzi has been calling you, looking for you several times. I couldn't find you either. What's wrong with you?" Lin Sang suppressed her anger, but her tone was still somewhat dissatisfied.

"It's nothing. It's just that a lot has happened recently, and I found a job, so I'm a bit busy," Li Cheng颐 said calmly.

The former Li Cheng颐 had been a little in love with Lin Sang, but he really, really couldn't fake that feeling.

"Just because you're busy with work doesn't mean you can..." Lin Sang was interrupted by Li Cheng颐 before she could finish speaking.

"Sorry, is there anything else? I'm tired after work and want to go back and rest." Li Cheng颐 raised his hand, looked at the time, and said coldly.

"Hey, Li Cheng颐! What's with your attitude?" Lin Sang took a step forward, wanting to reach out and grab his arm like before.

But somehow, as soon as she got close, seeing his calm pupils, she suddenly felt a chill all over her body, her steps faltered, and she didn't dare to reach out.

"I'm going back. You should go back early after you're done exercising. It's dark and not safe outside." Li Cheng颐 instructed, turned around, and walked into the residential area.

Lin Sang watched him from behind, suddenly feeling that his once-average build seemed to have become stronger.

And just now, that inexplicable cold temperament....