Gu Jiancheng jabbed open Zhan Yan's chat window with a sharp, resentful jab.
Yan Yan, why didn't you come to school today?
While writing the draft, Yan Jian kept an eye on the gossip. The computer screen and the gossip feed were open at the same time, with a stack of documents lying on the desk. Despite his busy schedule, he found time to reply to Gu Jiancheng: "I'm working overtime today."
Gu Jiancheng:...What a terrible job!
"Will you go back to school after that?"
Zhan Yan: "Not necessarily."
"Give today's clue."
Gu Jiancheng was stunned when he heard the devastating news: 'How could your overtime work be considered evidence?'
"You are just going through the motions with your work!"
Zhan Yan:
" well-behaved ."
"I'm so busy right now."
"Everyone is still replying to you."
"Doesn't this prove that you are more important than work?"
"I'm busy."
"Play by yourself first."
Gu Jiancheng stared at the frozen chat interface, then snapped into the dialer and called Wanshitong: "Anything out of the ordinary in these places since yesterday?"
He gave several addresses of cities around Beijing Agricultural University.
Yanyao's early departure from work usually indicates a routine job. Yet today's sudden overtime on Sunday reveals how this position is highly dependent on external factors, unlike seasonal tasks such as tourism promotions or exhibition setups. The abrupt shift from leisurely days to hectic work today suggests that this job's nature is fundamentally shaped by unpredictable events.
Wanshitong yawned. "Who hired you again? Why are you so aggressive this early morning?"
He felt cold even when listening to sounds through his phone.
Hold on, boss. I stayed up all night last night. You mentioned Wuyu City, Dianning City, Yunjin City..." The omniscient voice paused abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Gu Jiancheng asked sharply.
"You need several message addresses, so I'll need a while to compile them all. But last night in Yunjin City, a major incident occurred – that's why I stayed up all night," the omniscient voice said calmly. "The Bureau of Abnormal Affairs conducted a citywide sweep last night, led by the Celestial Master."
A sudden spark of inspiration flashed through Gu Jiancheng's mind, as if a electric current had suddenly shot through his nerves. In that instant, he experienced a peculiar sensation.
He made this call to push for Zhan Yan's leads, but the information he got was about the Abnormal Affairs Bureau.
Zhan Yan was an ordinary person, and Gu Jiancheng was certain of this. The only special thing was that his soul harbored auspicious energy, likely accumulated from childhood or a past life.
Zhan Yan and Chaofan—two words that should never be paired. Yet when they suddenly collided... Gu Jiancheng flicked his tongue lightly. A metallic current seemed to flow through his tongue, leaving a faint metallic taste.
The phone kept ringing: "Boss, you mustn 't go to Yunjin City these days. The Bureau of Abnormal Affairs is investigating something. Qixia Mountain has always been the domain of the Demon King Chongming. The Celestial Master's team spent the whole night searching, but the Demon King showed no sign of life. They must have struck a deal with the Alliance of Ten Thousand Demons."
These two organizations have been at odds for years, so their potential cooperation would be no small matter. What's more, the Abnormal Affairs Bureau has been after you relentlessly. The Celestial Master is in Yunjin City, where she's too powerful and has a support team. If you get caught, you'll have no chance of escaping.
The advice from Wanshi Tong resonated through the phone's earpiece, mingling with faint electric vibrations that jolted his eardrums. Yet Gu Jiancheng couldn't resist rubbing his tongue against the palate, savoring that faint metallic aftertaste.
In the infinite world, he had survived countless crises by relying on this intuition.
"I know," he said to the omniscient being. "Send me all the materials."
After hanging up, Gu Zhencheng stood under the scorching summer sun, slowly raising his lips.
Back when Gu Jiancheng was still trapped in the infinite world, he had never understood one thing.
Was it a crisis or excitement he sensed?
Zhan Yan is still sorting out the materials.
The chaotic events in Yunjin City last night could be categorized. There's no need to fabricate separate news stories for each incident—many share similar explanations. Take those bizarre flashes of lightning in different locations, for instance. This clearly shows the Celestial Master's lack of patience in covering up his actions while fighting monsters. A simple excuse like abnormal weather causing electrical malfunctions would suffice.
After a busy morning, Zhen Hua ordered takeout for lunch: "Thank you for your hard work. You're so efficient—no need to rush at noon. Take it easy."
She was satisfied with the results of Zhan Yan's morning work.
The action team members were so caught up in their own pleasure that they didn't realize how much mental effort she was putting in to keep up the lie. Thankfully, Zhan Yan showed up again.
As a rookie, Zhen Hua refrained from sharing sensitive information with Zhan Yan. His assigned tasks involved only the extraordinary phenomena uncovered by the task force, which wouldn't affect his mental state. This left Zhan Yan with a mountain of materials. Fortunately, the young man's quick thinking and broad perspective allowed him to categorize the tasks, slashing the workload by half. It was clear that hiring him was the right call!
Zhen Hua was generous with her treatment, ordering very rich meals.
"How's it going?" she asked with a smile. "I don't know your taste, so I'll just order something random. Let me know next time if you have any dietary restrictions."
"I don't have any dietary restrictions—this is absolutely delicious," Zhan Yan said, clearly pleased.
The restaurant he ordered from wasn't as good as his dad's cooking, but it wasn't so bad that it was hard to swallow—already a real accomplishment.
"How is your work today?" Zhen Hua asked again.
"Very good," said Zhan Yan.
After binge-watching and gathering tons of new info terms, Zhan Yan felt his information panel's energy bar would soon fill up again—no telling what new ability it might unlock.
"Isn't it amazing to see so many messages?" Zhen Hua asked again.
Zhan Yan understood. The editor-in-chief was concerned that he might be swayed by a flood of extraordinary news at once, which could undermine his steadfast materialist convictions.
No, he is the most staunch materialist when he works!
It may seem magical at first glance, but science can explain it all. I've encountered even more unscientific claims before, and they all turned out to be baseless. Take alum being used to pretend oil had boiled in ancient times—it looked miraculous then, but now technology has debunked it all," said Zhan Yan.
Zhen Hua felt reassured: "I see you're getting up to speed at work. I'll give you more tasks this afternoon. This batch of news is urgent—work hard, and I'll send you a red envelope after you finish."
Since Zhan Yan's mental state is stable, we can try to assign him messages involving some abnormal issues.
I was afraid last night's incident would spread.
When Yan Zhan's phone rang, the screen lit up with a Weibo notification.
He looked down and said, "President, I think we shouldn't be so anxious."
The gossip about Ling Yuteng that he shared yesterday went viral.
Top trending topic:
#Lingyuteng Octopus#
The pedestrians were stunned.
What's going on with Ling Yuteng? He got into a heated argument with a food blogger yesterday, and now he's got octopus-related issues. Is this his latest food-related feud?
"What happened?" Zhen Hua asked.
Then, upon seeing the news of Ling Yuteng's' eight-legged' move, he dominated four of the top ten trending topics.
I think everyone's too busy right now to read our news," Zhan Yan said, turning her phone screen toward her.
Zhen Hua was stunned to see Ling Yuteng's eight romantic partners, both male and female. She pulled out her phone, tapped on the trending topics, and started watching the gossip.
The Abnormal Transaction Management Authority has struck the perfect timing to act. Now all the news is overshadowed by this major scandal.
Someone who can be cheating on their boss, co-starred film star, director, and fans all at once... and still hasn't gotten caught. Before anyone criticized Ling Yuteng's character, people were first stunned by his time management skills.
Among these eight individuals, some are autistic, others refuse to believe, and a few are furious yet maintain their dignity. While some will not respond initially, others are so enraged they are ready to fight tooth and nail.
Setting aside those who remained silent, the few who responded all admitted they were unaware of others 'involvement. They had long believed themselves to be Ling Yuteng's true love, maintaining their secret relationship solely to support his idol career.
After several of Ling Yuteng's girlfriends exchanged messages, they shared some of their chat records. The comparison revealed that Ling Yuteng often ordered gifts for his partners simultaneously, including pastries, snacks, and bouquets, and the gifts he ordered for each one were not entirely the same!
The internet quickly exposed the chat records between Ling Yuteng and several shop owners he regularly ordered gifts from.
"Give [the coder] half sugar, he doesn't like sweets."
[Code] switched to strawberries instead of durian.
She switched from the [coded] lily to a non-flowering variety because she dislikes pollen.
Remove the [coded] carnations and add more forget-me-nots.
[Note] It's mildly spicy, but she can't eat spicy food.
Add more Sichuan peppercorns to the [coded dish].
...
The crowd was shocked.
"I was mixed feelings, but I was actually touched. He could even remember everyone's taste and preferences!"
Seriously, don't you think it's ridiculous to split someone's legs?
"Needless to say, not everyone is cut out for being a sea king."
"No wonder everyone thinks they are the only true love."
"Damn, my boyfriend is all mine, but he can't even remember my seafood allergy."
I'm curious to know what the others who stayed silent are thinking now. @Lu Jiandong @Director-Xue Hongbo @Yin Zhiwei
All these individuals have their own influential accounts. However, several victims who haven't spoken up remain anonymous, with no names or details appearing in any version of the leak, making them impossible to @.
Ling Yuteng is a tough guy too—he even dared to cheat on his boss while negotiating with him.
"Could his boss know too? Ling Yuteng works for him—when he's busy or free, the boss would know. I don't believe it. His financier definitely knows, and might even be happy about it."
Your circle is chaotic...
"The world of the rich is beyond my comprehension."
...
Zhan Yan was also curious about Jinzhu Lu Jiandong's inner journey. He turned on the gossip mode and searched for some information.
Lu Jiandong, overwhelmed with heartache, called his foreign friend Matthias who couldn't understand Chinese, and tearfully poured out his troubles.
Lü Jiandong sobbed in Chinese, clutching a bottle of Wuliangye: "I never imagined! I thought he was just keeping in touch with the director, but turned out he was dating her. I thought he was home visiting his parents, but he actually rented a room next to their house with his girlfriend. I thought..."
Matthias spoke in Spanish, brandy in his goblet, his face full of sympathy: "Lu, you sound so sad. I'm sorry I can't understand you, but I can drink with you."
Shake the glass and drink the wine.