Vol. 1 - Ch. 26 - Are you ready to answer my questions?

After Qian Fan said this, he left. Chen Ling stood still, inadvertently recalling Wu Youdong's lowered head, his fists clenched slightly.Wu Youdong bowed his head. Then what about him?

In a past life, perhaps Chen Ling wasn't much different from Wu Youdong. Only by bowing his head could he carve out a path in society. But this time...

A slow turn of Chen Ling's head sent his icy gaze sweeping across the devastated remains of Ice Spring Street. A cold scoff escaped his lips.

Want me to bow my head? Heh...

...

Zone Three.

Basement.

A chilling gust of wind swept up from the void, howling as it struck Chu Muyun!

The kerosene lamp on the ground swayed violently, extinguishing in an instant. With the entire basement falling into silence and darkness, Chu Muyun groaned, falling heavily to the ground!

He raised his head in astonishment, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief!

Just now, during the activation of his Origin Eye, he'd glimpsed something horrifying - crimson eyes staring back from the endless abyss of the void!

Their gaze alone sent tremors through his divine pathway.

"This, this is..."

Chu Muyun stood still for a long time, then suddenly snapped back to his senses.

He bolted up the stairs, a frantic energy fueling his ascent, until he burst back into the convenience store.

The woman behind the counter watched his flustered arrival with a furrowed brow. "What's wrong, Seven of Spades?"

"I saw them," Chu Muyun gasped. "I saw..."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Saw what?"

"'World Destruction."

The woman was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he meant.

"That guy is a 'World Destruction calamity!" Chu Muyun asserted firmly.

"That's impossible." The woman shook her head immediately. "Even the head of the Fusion Faction can't merge with such a calamity. You must be mistaken."

"I wouldn't dare!" Chu Muyun insisted, his voice laced with urgency. "Its very gaze sent shivers down my divine path!"

"This..."

"We must inform the Red King and the Grey King immediately." Chu Muyun pressed, grabbing a pen and paper, his movements sharp with purpose.

"If this is true... it's going to be a big mess." The woman immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. "Even if the Red King and the Grey King come together, we may not be able to deal with him, unless the Lord of the Aurora also joins us. "

Hearing this, Chu Muyun paused.

"What's wrong?" The woman asked.

"A 'World Destruction level calamity possesses the power to annihilate a human domain." Chu Muyun turned his head to look at her, his eyes flashing with madness. "So if we kill him and release the 'World Destruction'... would we still need to carry out that plan?"

The woman was stunned.

"But that's a 'World Destruction’! Are you crazy?!" The woman stopped halfway through her words, shaking her head. "Almost forgot, you formal members are all lunatics..."

"I was just speaking casually." Chu Muyun muttered, pushing his glasses back up. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure, "Let's ask the Grey King and the Red King for instructions first..."

Chu Muyun finished writing the letter and handed it to the woman, who glanced at him.

"Oh, by the way, weren't you going to conduct an assessment on him for absorption? Are you still going to do it?"

"Proceed."

"As the recommender, what is your assessment of him?"

A heavy silence descended before Chu Muyun spoke, his tone laced with a newfound gravity. "S+. Extremely dangerous."

Knock knock knock...

The crisp knocking on the door caught the attention of the several District Two enforcers who were leisurely drinking tea, causing them to look over in confusion.

"Who could be coming at this hour?"

"I have no idea..."

Qian Fan said as he opened the door to the tea house.

Chen Ling was standing quietly outside, and upon seeing the door open, he smiled and waved to the enforcers inside.

These were the enforcers from Zone Two who were originally supposed to be responsible for Ice Spring Street. However, they were all huddled here drinking tea, leaving everything to Chen Ling and Wu Youdong. This reeking apathy spoke volumes. Wu Youdong's accusations seemed all too real.

These enforcers were colluding with the people from Ice Spring Street. By not conducting searches themselves and instead sending only two newcomers, they were merely putting on a show. This way, if Headquarters in Aurora City were to inquire, they could say they were short-staffed and that Chen Ling and Wu Youdong were handling everything, thus shifting the blame onto them. At the same time, they could maintain good relations with Ice Spring Street. It was definitely killing two birds with one stone.

Seeing it was Chen Ling, the enforcers immediately lost interest and bowed their heads to drink tea, showing no intention of conversing with him.

"It's you? What brings you here?" Qian Fan asked, surprised, upon seeing Chen Ling.

"I need some clarification from you gentlemen regarding my tasks," Chen Ling replied.

"What about?"

"My task is to inquire with the survivors of Ice Spring Street about information regarding the calamities, correct?"

"Yes."

"What if they don't cooperate?"

Upon hearing this question, Qian Fan smirked inwardly but maintained patience in his response.

"If they don't cooperate, you find a way to make them cooperate... We are enforcers, we have the authority."

"So, can I use force?"

"Of course."

Chen Ling couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing the laughter from the other enforcers inside.

"Alright, I understand," Chen Ling nodded. "If they don't cooperate, I'll bring them over and let you gentlemen handle it."

"Good. Hurry then, your assessment will be over tomorrow, and you must complete the task today."

As Chen Ling left, Qian Fan closed the door behind him, and laughter erupted from inside without restraint. Sᴇaʀᴄh the NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"This kid is really stubborn..."

"Even more so than that Wu Youdong."

"Did you hear that? He's going to use force... Doesn't he realize what Ice Spring Street is?"

"Sigh, he's from a poor background, where would he get all this information from? Stop making fun of him... Let's just drink tea."

The muffled laughter seeped through the door crack and into Chen Ling's ears, but he paid it no mind.

At this moment, his attention was focused on the flashing prompts in front of him:

【Audience Expectation +1... +1... +1】

"The Chen Directing Principles, Article 13:

"In situations where the conflict is already clear, emotional peaks can be appropriately increased through character relationships, pulling the audience's emotions, enhancing the satisfaction of the original conflict eruption, and even adding subsequent conflict climax points."

Chen Ling could certainly go directly to Ice Spring Street and cause a scene, but in doing so, the conflict would be relatively singular, and the "audience expectation" would not increase significantly...

So, he chose to involve the enforcers.

Chen Ling walked through the half-ruined Ice Spring Street to the place with the most survivors - the Black Axe Tavern.

This place was usually the most frequented by residents of Ice Spring Street, and now, with half of the street in ruins, it was also a temporary residence for some people. It was where Wu Youdong had been insulted yesterday.

But Chen Ling was not him.

With one hand holding investigation forms and the other pushing open the tavern door, the entire tavern fell into silence as the door creaked open.

Countless pairs of sinister and cold eyes turned toward the door, focusing on Chen Ling.

"Hello, I am Enforcer Chen Ling."

"Are you ready to answer my questions?"