GRMFBS CH226

Tomorrow, Xiao Gu would not only face the task of saving Yang Ran, but also the trial of meeting the parents while wearing a persona. Zhan Yan decided that he ought to keep Xiao Gu in a good mood tonight. He told Gu Jiancheng about the massage chairs at the movie theater. Gu Jiancheng’s reply came two seconds late.

“What’s wrong with you?” Zhan Yan asked, puzzled.

“Looking up articles on how excessive fitness is harmful to your health,” Gu Jiancheng said honestly.

Hey, good point! He’d forward the links classmate Xiao Gu sent him straight to his dad in a bit!

“You sure think fast!” Zhan Yan was filled with hope again, blowing a mua kiss into the phone.

Gu Jiancheng fell silent again. He couldn’t help feeling that Yan Yan was being exceptionally passionate today…

Ah, I want to be by Yan Yan’s side so badly, but I can’t. If he went, Zhan Suiru’s vigilance would blow straight past the roof.

It was better to work hard on building favorability first.

After hanging up, Zhan Yan quietly exhaled a long breath.

What should I do? Why am I getting more and more nervous? He wouldn’t log into Dawn World tonight; he needed to get a good night’s sleep so he could use the Gossip System to monitor the situation over there tomorrow and ensure that absolutely nothing went wrong.

Zhan Yan had a good night’s rest. The next morning, he finished his morning workout and ate breakfast. Wuu, what Dad made is so delicious. But he couldn’t eat too much; he had to save room in his stomach for his brother’s sweet bread.

Today was the day of Yang Ran’s treatment—his Gossip System couldn’t afford a single slip-up!

Zhan Yan drank a bowl of congee, ate a fried egg, took a few bites of cold side dishes, and stopped.

The moment he set down his chopsticks, the entire family stared at him.

This appetite was barely a third of his usual intake, wasn’t it? A young young man was in the prime of his appetite, not to mention that Zhan Yan exercised every single day.

Zhan Yan: “I’m craving bread.”

He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out all the bread his brother had brought him.

“I…” Zhan Yan wanted to explain a bit more, but a pop-up suddenly sprang out from the Gossip System:

[Gu Jiancheng has arrived at the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau under the identity of Deep Shadow.]

???

Zhan Yan looked at his mother and sister, who were still sitting at the dining table, then checked the gossip strip again to make sure.

Wasn’t the agreed time starting around dusk? Why go so early?

“I just occasionally get cravings for bread,” Zhan Yan hastily offered as an excuse, grabbing the bread and darting upstairs straight to his room.

Zhan Yunkai couldn’t resist scrutinizing the dishes he had cooked: “Did my culinary skills drop?”

He took another bite. Doesn’t seem like it.

Ji Yueming reassured him, “No. The kid’s tastes might have just shifted.”

Back in his room, Zhan Yan swiftly opened several gossip strip interfaces, sorting and arranging the displays of all relevant parties side by side.

He had originally worried his sister would be anxious, but how come Xiao Gu looked even more anxious than his sister?

A new message popped up in the small group chat for Yang Ran’s treatment.

Deep Shadow: [“Polar Brilliance”?]

Zhan Yan: ?

What is Xiao Gu talking about?

Check the gossip strips, check the gossip strips!

Gu Jiancheng had put on the fake face he used in Infinite and was currently standing outside the entrance to the headquarters of the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau—a boutique toy store situated on a bustling commercial street.

The shop sold premium boutique toys marketed toward adults, such as lightsabers, palm projection screens that cast magic circles, large fluttering mechanical wings, flying sword hoverboards…

When Gu Jiancheng first arrived, he almost thought they were playing a prank on him. Luckily, the instant he stepped into the store, he sensed twenty-seven or twenty-eight gazes falling on him through technological or supernatural means, confirming that this chunibyo storefront was indeed anything but ordinary.

[Gu Jiancheng feels that the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau designing their entrance like this is way too chunibyo, simply out of their minds.]

Zhan Yan: Pfft.

It must have been tough for the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau headquarters to come up with such a disguise; ordinary people truly would never guess it.

Ning Xi replied almost immediately.

Ning Xi: [Tell the clerk you’d like to see the special effects of the latest model Photon Saber, and let him take you to test it.]

Gu Jiancheng: ?

With an expressionless face, he lowered his head to tap on his phone.

Deep Shadow: [You guys still play around with secret code words nowadays?]

Isn’t this going a bit overboard with the chunibyo act?

Gu Jiancheng suddenly began to wonder if his decision to gradually come to terms with the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau was too rash. Were they truly reliable?

Ning Xi: [No, the entrance is inside the darkroom used for testing the light effects.]

Ning Xi: [I’m coming to receive you.]

Gu Jiancheng walked expressionlessly up to the store clerk: “I want to see the special effects of the latest model Photon Saber. Please take me to test it.”

Zhan Yan nearly rolled over laughing reading the gossip strip.

The store clerk shuddered in terror at his intimidating aura, yet retained his professional composure, offering a stiff smile as he took a finely crafted, large toy off the shelf: “Hello, this is the newest model Photon Saber. Please follow me, the darkroom for testing the effects is this way.”

Gu Jiancheng gave a nod and followed him inside.

Ning Xi: [Our store clerks are family members of our personnel, all ordinary people.]

Ning Xi: [Please do not intimidate our employees’ family members.]

Deep Shadow: [Heh.]

Covering his face, Zhan Yan shook with silent laughter on his bed.

He had already looked it up: the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau headquarters had more than just this single entrance. Their staff didn’t walk through here for their daily commute either. However, those internal passages involved confidential protocols that couldn’t be granted to outsiders, which was why Gu Jiancheng had to take this path.

His sister… counted as external personnel, so she’d likely have to take this outer passage to the headquarters as well.

Gu Jiancheng followed the employee into the darkroom.

[Polar Brilliance employee Shan Zhi dutifully explained to Deep Shadow Gu Jiancheng how to operate the latest model ultra-color-changing boutique cool Photon Saber, his voice pitching high out of sheer nervousness.]

Another green information word was added to Zhan Yan’s “Matter” column.

Gu Jiancheng hadn’t intentionally tried to frighten the ordinary employee; it was just that being in a highly guarded, unfamiliar environment triggered a bit of stress response, causing him to accidentally slip back into the state he had during his first two years of university, radiating an aggressive aura.

Looking at the gossip strips, Zhan Yan felt a pang of heartache again. Sigh, Xiao Gu’s supernatural aftereffects were cured, but the psychological ones still needed time to recover. What should they do about this situation? A psychologist? No good. With his circumstances, he couldn’t possibly tell a psychologist the truth. An ordinary psychologist would probably refer him straight to psychiatric care, while a supernatural psychologist was someone he couldn’t bring himself to trust.

Maybe I should research it myself. Zhan Yan decided to pick up a few professional psychology books to read whenever he had free time.

The poor employee finally finished his explanation, shoved the Photon Saber into his hands, bolted out of the darkroom as if running for his life, and slammed the door shut behind him.

In his desperate rush to finish the introduction and flee, the employee had completely forgotten to switch the Photon Saber off. It was currently stuck in its dazzling, seven-colored hyper mode. The rainbow-colored light effects cycled across the darkroom, glaringly conspicuous.

Holding such a contraption, Gu Jiancheng froze for two seconds.

How did that guy say you turn this thing off again?

A concealed doorway opened inside the darkroom. Gu Jiancheng stared toward it with a wooden face.

A white-haired man who looked in his early thirties appeared at the threshold, flanked on his left by Black Wolf and on his right by a woman in blue combat gear. Both looked stern with sharp, piercing eyes, appearing remarkably imposing.

Zhan Yan had already scrolled through the gossip strips to find that the woman in blue combat gear was named Su Ming, Ning Xi’s former disciple—the one who, twenty-six years ago, while chasing celebrities, divined that her idol’s life had run out, and brought the result to Ning Xi, directly leading to all the reapers Infinite had scattered into this world being rooted out.

Just moments ago, Su Ming had been holding Ning Xi back: “Master, you can just have someone else receive him, Master!” You’re a squishy glass cannon with no combat capability right now, Master! “At least swap in someone who can take a beating, right?” Su Ming had dragged Black Wolf over.

Black Wolf: ???

What do you mean, swap in someone who can take a beating?

“I’m not scared of him at all, alright?!” Black Wolf had thrown his chest out, raised his head, and inhaled sharply.

Yet the deputy director was a man of steadfast determination; when he said he would go personally, he went personally, not even intending to bring anyone along.

Worried sick about him, his disciple had insisted on dragging the durable Black Wolf along with them.

With muscles taut, chest puffed out, and face impassive, Black Wolf had sworn to project an imposing aura. Isn’t he just Deep Shadow? He’s here to cooperate, not to brawl. What’s there to be nervous about? Besides, this is our headquarters; one shout from me could summon eight hundred vans full of our guys!

The hidden door slowly slid open, and Black Wolf took a deep breath.

Inside the dim, mysterious chamber, he saw Deep Shadow… holding a dazzling, seven-colored lightsaber.

The newest model Photon Saber was loaded with features, even boasting an infrared motion sensor. Sensing the arrival of newcomers, it automatically triggered sound effects:

“Pew pew pew!”

Gu Jiancheng: …

Black Wolf: …Pfft.

No! He had to hold it in!

Gu Jiancheng’s face darkened further. His deep, chilling gaze locked onto Black Wolf, whose lips were twitching wildly.

Black Wolf jolted, and the wolf ears atop his head popped out with a shhhk.

Ning Xi remained completely unperturbed, walking over with a smile toward Deep Shadow: “Hello, I am Ning Xi.”

He naturally extended a hand toward Gu Jiancheng.

Su Ming and Black Wolf held their breath involuntarily.

Su Ming: His expression is terrifying, Master! Are you really not afraid of Deep Shadow making a move on you, Master?!

Black Wolf: Has your danger sense completely broken down, Deputy Director? Do you honestly think I can hold my own against Deep Shadow, Deputy Director?

The dazzling Photon Saber shifted its sound effect: “Swoosh swoosh swoosh!”

Ning Xi had set his sights on Deep Shadow for a very long time. Deep Shadow possessed formidable strength, shared their objectives, and had now stabilized his condition, no longer carrying the risk of an imminent contamination flare-up at any second. What a wonderful partner for cooperation!

He had originally intended to use this cooperation to forge a deeper partnership with Deep Shadow, though the initial plan was to keep him around for a chat after he finished treating Yang Ran. But since Deep Shadow had arrived this early, it indicated that he had an intention to communicate beforehand as well.

Ning Xi’s smile was exceptionally cordial.

In truth, he felt something was slightly off.

Ever since Approaching Science mentioned that Deep Shadow was willing to help Rong Sui treat Yang Ran unconditionally, he felt a faint sensation that things were slipping beyond his control. But he couldn’t put his finger on why.

It wasn’t that he thought Deep Shadow wouldn’t help Rong Sui. Based on his assessment of Deep Shadow, Deep Shadow would indeed be willing to help Rong Sui, but certainly not without attaching a single condition.

Those who couldn’t secure benefits for themselves never survived Infinite.

Perhaps Deep Shadow wouldn’t demand a price from Rong Sui, but he should have at least pushed for terms that made things easier for himself, such as that wanted poster that had been carelessly neglected…

[The ultra-color-changing boutique cool Photon Saber rapidly cycled flashing multicolored lights accompanied by “pew pew pew” sound effects; amidst the brilliant color shifts and audio, Ning Xi offered a genial smile to Deep Shadow Gu Jiancheng.]

[The ultra-color-changing boutique cool Photon Saber progressed into a smooth chromatic shift from red to violet with “swoosh swoosh swoosh” sound effects; amidst the kaleidoscope of lights and audio, Deep Shadow Gu Jiancheng scrutinized Ning Xi with unfathomable eyes.]

Zhan Yan thought to himself that he was doomed; such a solemn, monumental meeting of top-tier figures had turned entirely into a chunibyo recital in his mind.

Gu Jiancheng’s expression did not waver; he had heard of Ning Xi’s legendary accomplishments.

Infinite preferred underhanded schemes: scattering reapers first, collecting intelligence until it was sufficient and the target world was thoroughly unsettled, then moving in to swallow it whole.

It wasn’t unheard of for a target world to detect the reapers in advance, but discovering the reapers merely meant realizing an invasion was underway; it didn’t mean they could solve the trouble the reapers brought.

The reapers dispatched by Infinite were like ants, burrowing into any hidden crevice to gnaw away at the foundations. They knew how to dodge, how to hide, how to identify ant poison… they would do everything possible to extract rewards from Infinite. Even if one wave was wiped out, more reapers would follow. They were Infinite’s expendables, willing to do anything for release, to return home, or simply to survive.

This world was the only one that had swept away every single one of Infinite’s reapers in one fell swoop. Ning Xi’s Great Derivation Arts had forcefully dragged Infinite’s standard invasion procedure straight into its next phase. And throughout that entire first phase, those reapers hadn’t managed to inflict any damage upon this world.

Even after losing such abilities, he was still able to serve as the deputy director of the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau, displaying neither despondence nor defeat, perfectly composed and self-assured.

Gu Jiancheng thrust the Photon Saber into Ning Xi’s outstretched hand.

Ning Xi took the Photon Saber and turned it hilt-up: “There’s a secret toggle here. Twist it, hold it down, and it shuts off.”

The Photon Saber’s flashy seven-colored light cut out. Only the faint glow provided by the light strips along the base of the darkroom walls remained, barely enough to discern their surroundings.

Su Ming and Black Wolf exhaled in relief. The tense atmosphere finally vanished.

Zhan Yan exhaled in relief as well. The chunibyo atmosphere had finally returned to normal.

Ning Xi casually passed the deactivated Photon Saber behind him and offered Deep Shadow a friendly invitation: “Shall we?”

Black Wolf had just been struggling to keep his chest puffed out and maintain his commanding presence when a giant toy was suddenly shoved into his arms without warning.

Black Wolf: …

He turned around and shoved the oversized toy straight into Su Ming’s embrace.

What kind of junk is this? Disgusting!

He resumed puffing his chest out proudly.

Ning Xi led Gu Jiancheng through the hidden doorway. Once they officially entered the headquarters of the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau, the aesthetic snapped entirely back to normal.

The walls and floors were sleek and immaculate, concealing defensive arrays underneath; metallic bulkheads blended seamlessly with the architecture across three sequential blast doors, each requiring multi-factor authentication. Inside the main facility, personnel bustled past with brisk steps while arrays of running instruments hummed softly… Everything operated with crisp order, steeped in an atmosphere of utter professionalism.

Gu Jiancheng walked side-by-side with Ning Xi with complete natural poise, while Su Ming and Black Wolf followed behind. Passing staff members couldn’t help casting discreet, astonished glances their way.

Black Wolf curled his lips involuntarily, baring two sharp canines.

Su Ming shot him a puzzled look: What’s wrong with you?

Black Wolf shot her an awkward grimace back: Don’t you think the way we’re standing makes us look like lackeys? And we’re being stared at by an entire crowd.

He bared his teeth and swept his gaze across the area, scaring away every stealthy onlooker. Isn’t he just Deep Shadow? What’s there to look at? Tch, annoying.

Su Ming transmitted her voice in a whisper: “I think they’re looking at you.”

Black Wolf found that baffling and transmitted back: “Looking at me? What’s there to look at on me?”

He was at the headquarters all the time; it wasn’t like he was some rare, unseen specimen.

Su Ming quietly pointed to her head.

Black Wolf’s ears twitched.

Damn it! When did his wolf ears pop out!

Black Wolf reached up to clamp his hands over the two large, fluffy ears.

Shrink back, hurry up and shrink back!

The two large ears twitched and trembled against his palms.

Black Wolf: … What the hell are you nervous for!