“Da Si Ming” and “Shao Si Ming” were both deities in the legends of some place in the old world, in charge of the life and death of human beings.

And that place was called “Chu.”

For Jiang Baimian, none of this was important; it only added a little new content to her folklore culture library.

What she cared more about was seeing the two words "Si Ming" at this place and at this moment.

Jiang Baimian once again turned her gaze to the administrative supervisor named "Zhao Danlin," to the corpse that had already turned into white bones.

She hesitated whether or not to search the corpse's pockets.

After a brief hesitation, she made up her mind, went around the desk, and came to the side of the remains.

What she was thinking was that since she had already come here, deeply into this vortex-shaped building, what was there she dared not do?

Since it was extremely dangerous either way, it meant that any choice was acceptable.

Jiang Baimian rummaged through the corpse's pockets but only found a neatly folded plain-colored handkerchief.

She also checked the desk drawers and the file cabinets next to it, finding no valuable clues, only writing down a bunch of names.

These didn't belong to researchers; they were either administrative personnel, finance-related, or subordinate to security supervisor Brian Stanley.

Jiang Baimian didn't repeatedly confirm because she knew time was very tight.

She turned and walked out of this office, heading to other places in the administrative area.

After wandering around for a while, her gaze suddenly froze.

An office with the exact same layout as before appeared before her eyes again!

And the sign on the door of the room also read "Supervisor's Office."

Jiang Baimian slowly walked to the door of this room, looking at the skeleton leaning against the back of the desk.

The skeleton was wearing a white female shirt, a matching black business suit, and a metal nameplate on the right chest with the words "Administrative Supervisor: Zhao Danlin."

Seeing this, Jiang Baimian's scalp tingled.

Everything from before was repeated.

In the next second, Jiang Baimian considered another possibility.

After careful recollection, she roughly understood what the problem was:

She was lost...

She had walked back to the supervisor's office in the administrative area!

Huff, it's not ghost walls, nor space reset or time loop... Jiang Baimian clearly breathed a sigh of relief.

In this place with abnormally turbulent electromagnetic environment, the time display on her electronic watch and military exoskeleton device was no longer accurate and difficult to use to make judgments.

Calming down, Jiang Baimian once again used the magic weapon of "one slow, two think, three pass," and walked towards the area connected to the administrative area.

...

"Wenster. Garand..." Shang Jianyao stood at the door of the room with the dark red door, repeating the other person's name.

Wenster. Garand didn't care about his behavior, still sitting on the sofa, eating teddy bear cookies one by one.

"I haven't heard this name..." Shang Jianyao thought for a while, shaking his head.

He looked at Wenster. Garand again, asking doubtfully:

"This is 'Zhuang Sheng's' mental world. Are you one of His personalities, or a character from some memory?"

Wenster. Garand maintained a slightly simple and honest smile:

"Consider me the latter."

"But as a character in some memory, how can you interact with me, answering my questions?" Shang Jianyao was quite puzzled by this, "Could it be that 'Zhuang Sheng' has implanted different thoughts, a whole set of thoughts, into everyone in the memory?"

Wenster. Garand smiled:

"What I said about a character in memory may not be the same as what you understand."

"Then you have to explain it clearly. Am I supposed to figure it out myself?" The honest Shang Jianyao expressed his dissatisfaction.

Suddenly, a picture flashed in his mind, and he raised his hand to rub his chin.

Shang Jianyao looked at Wenster. Garand, thoughtfully saying:

"I seem to remember why you look familiar.

"In Koningmus, at the house of that Fate Disciple named Brooklyn. Garand, I saw a group photo, and the middle-aged man in it looked very similar to you.

"Hehe, you and that Fate Disciple also have the same last name, Garand..."

Speaking of this, Shang Jianyao suddenly stopped.

His pupils suddenly dilated, reflecting the figure of Wenster. Garand.

In the next second, he blurted out:

"Are you 'Twisted Shadow'?

"Are you April's Fate Disciple, 'Twisted Shadow'?

"Why are you here?"

Wenster. Garand sighed, put down the bag of teddy bear cookies in his hand, and slowly stood up:

"If you continue to go on, no matter what choice you make, it's not what I want to see.

"'Si Ming' once contacted me through you, but I still hope to maintain the status quo.

"So, I came here."

Shang Jianyao didn't seriously listen to what Wenster. Garand was saying at all. When the other party uttered the first word, he had already forcibly twisted his body, strode away, and ran wildly.

This is called running away on the spot!

But every word that Wenster spoke shook this space, bringing high-frequency tremors.

The light around Shang Jianyao instantly dimmed, as if covered by a huge shadow.

The airflow was presented in a visible way, condensed into an invisible cage.

Not only that, the space around him was also bending, as if to wrap him inside, and return him to an egg.

Shang Jianyao used his abilities without reservation, trying to influence Wenster. Garand, but whether it was the "thought implantation" in his shouts or the silent "affected person," they were limited to his body by the curved space, unable to reach Wenster. Garand's body.

When the curvature of the space and the condensation of the airflow reached a certain level, Shang Jianyao's sensing range was compressed to the body surface.

His consciousness then lost the existence of Wenster. Garand.

Clang clang clang! Zizz zizz zizz!

Shang Jianyao alternately used the two basic abilities of "interfering with matter" and "interfering with electromagnetics," sometimes smashing the condensed airflow and curved space with a huge hammer, and sometimes creating electromagnetic storms.

——As an Awakened in "Zhuang Sheng's" domain, after entering the "New World," his "interference with electromagnetics" ability is getting closer and closer to "manipulating electromagnetics."

But whether it was the silver-white gathering into clouds, releasing thick lightning bolts in all directions, or the forceful swing of the air hammer, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, unable to shake the approaching airflow, nor to prevent the curvature of the space.

In a hurry, Shang Jianyao tried to directly interfere with the airflow and space, but compared to the "giant waves" created by Wenster. Garand, the influence he exerted was like the waves sprayed from a water gun.

Before he knew it, the condensed airflow crushed all of Shang Jianyao's resistance in just two or three seconds and wrapped his body.

Shang Jianyao had no choice but to show his trump card and shout loudly.

"Xiao Chong, save me!"

At this time, the curved space was about to turn into his coffin.

Eighth Research Institute, at the end of that passage, behind the iron-black door.

Inside the tactical backpack next to Shang Jianyao's physical body, the "Life Angel" necklace showed no change, but the string of "Six Senses Beads" lit up with a hazy green light.

This light spread out, shrouding Shang Jianyao's body.

In "Zhuang Sheng's" mental world.

Shang Jianyao, whose consciousness was collapsing, suddenly became clear-headed.

Then, he saw the blue-green light and the calmed airflow and space, and heard Wenster. Garand's cold voice:

"'Bodhi,' are you also involved with 'Si Ming' and the others?"

The sinister and vicious Shang Jianyao didn't bother to listen to the conversation. While the others hadn't recovered, he stomped wildly towards the end of this passage.

He had to seize the time to distance himself from Wenster. Garand.

This suspected Fate Disciple of April, "Twisted Shadow!"

...

Because the end of the administrative area wasn't too far, Jiang Baimian didn't get lost this time and successfully arrived at her destination.

There were several conference rooms on both sides of the corridor ahead.

Jiang Baimian opened them one by one, finding that they only contained tables, chairs, whiteboards, projectors, and other items, without a single corpse.

"There were no meeting arrangements that day at that time?" Jiang Baimian scanned it once, muttering silently to herself, "Then where were the researchers concentrated, their own laboratories, or the place downstairs guarded by security personnel?"

The place that, once she tried to enter, would show signs of "Apathy."

Jiang Baimian also examined the conference room beside her, remembering the white walls, brown doors, light white long table, a dozen matching chairs, the drooping curtain, and the row of windows opposite.

She continued forward.

...

Stomp stomp stomp, Shang Jianyao ran wildly in the "maze" until he was a little mentally exhausted, then stopped, propping his hand against a vermilion door, panting and recovering.

With a creak, the door he was propping up wasn't closed tightly and suddenly opened backward, almost causing him to stagger and fall into the room.

After steadying himself, Shang Jianyao saw a bay window, with darkness outside.

At this time, a young woman was sitting cross-legged on the windowsill, with long black hair, wearing a white dress, with a beautiful face and a cold expression.

Shang Jianyao asked again with doubt:

"Have we met before? Why do I feel you look a little familiar?

"Why does everyone I randomly meet feel familiar? Is everyone in the world really brothers and sisters?"

That beautiful woman slightly raised her chin and said:

"I am Jiang Xiaoyue."