Infinite Nightmares

In Shanghai, within an upside-down park, Zhang Wenda sat on the eaves of an inverted pavilion, staring blankly at the verdant lawn before him.

On the inverted lawn, puppies, kittens, and little monsters stood playing and laughing. Many people held various toys, and some of the little creatures were camping with their parents, lying on a blanket.

A gentle breeze made Zhang Wenda’s rabbit ears twitch slightly. But his gaze was vacant; he wasn’t looking at anyone, as if he were trying to stare through the expanse of green at something beyond.

The words of the computer-person from the archives department echoed in his mind. "If you wish to become stronger, stronger even than Qianxi, you must not seek external objects, but dig inward. The deeper your understanding of your own Tri-Core, the greater your power will become."

"If you want to develop in this direction, I suggest you find someone in the Bureau who specializes in this area. The Bureau is full of talented people; they will have the answers you seek."

’Understanding my own Tri-Core...’ Zhang Wenda recalled his monster body and the way to enhance its power.

Zhang Wenda suddenly stood up from the eaves. As his slender Red Core began to glow faintly, his rabbit-like reverse-jointed legs launched him high into the air, leaping toward a distant, inverted lamppost.

"Mommy! Look! There’s a rabbit flying in the sky!"

Half an hour later, Zhang Wenda arrived at Tan Yougen’s office once again.

The moment he saw Zhang Wenda walk in, Tan Yougen rubbed his head, a headache clearly setting in. "Why are you here again? Don’t you have anything better to do? Do you want me to give you a vacation?"

"I’ve made my decision," Zhang Wenda said, standing before his desk and looking at him intently.

"Hm? What decision?" Tan Yougen looked at him, surprised.

"Didn’t you say I could take my pick of the other departments? Well, I want to join the combat team under the Security Department."

Zhang Wenda had already learned from the computer-person that Bureau 507 had methods for understanding the Tri-Core from within, and they were all housed in the Security Department.

There were even powerful individuals within that department who possessed their own Tide of Thought.

’If I want to improve my strength this way, joining the Security Department is without a doubt the best choice.’

"You want to join the Security Department? No." Tan Yougen frowned and shook his head.

"The death rate in the Security Department is very high. If something were to happen to you, how would I explain it to Biaozi? If you really don’t want to manage the warehouse in the armory department, how about you become a Tide of Thought Explorer instead?"

"Stop playing hard to get. Isn’t your whole goal to make me your pawn? I’m delivering myself to your doorstep, and you’re still putting on an act?" Zhang Wenda couldn’t stand the man’s hypocrisy.

"I was going to spare your feelings, but since you put it that way, I might as well be blunt."

Tan Yougen shook his head slightly, crossed his arms, and scanned Zhang Wenda up and down before speaking slowly. "You, are not qualified."

"I’m not qualified?!" Zhang Wenda felt instantly insulted, and a fire ignited in his heart.

"That’s right, you’re not qualified. The combat team’s work is different from other departments. They are always on the front lines. If someone is a liability during a fight with the enemy, it can get people killed."

"I do owe Biaozi, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to repay my debt with the lives of my subordinates."

"I’m not qualified? Then let me ask you! When I fought Qianxi, where was your Security Department?! Who was it that destroyed the Angel Engine?! And who held Qianxi off in Tide of Thought No. 13?!"

Tan Yougen lit a cigarette and took a slow drag. "Biaozi did."

Zhang Wenda was speechless. He was just now discovering that a person can be so lost for words that they actually laugh out loud.

"Strictly speaking, you and Biaozi didn’t hold Qianxi off. In fact, you were nearly killed by him. It was the Security Department that went in to clean up the mess afterward, which is why you’re lucky enough to be alive."

"You’re something else. You’ve got a sharp tongue, fine. I can’t be bothered to argue with you. Let’s settle this with our fists. Call someone from the Security Department out here. We’ll have a little match!"

To his surprise, Tan Yougen didn’t refuse. He nodded in agreement. "That works too."

He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed. "Hello, Miao Feng? Come over for a second. Take this kid to Training Ground 02."

Soon, the young man with square glasses who had been holding a stack of files earlier led him out of Tan Yougen’s office and into an internal elevator next door that had no buttons.

"A pleasure. My name is Pang Miaofeng. I’m Director Tan’s secretary," the young man said with a smile, introducing himself to Zhang Wenda.

"Pleasure to meet you," Zhang Wenda replied, somewhat distractedly. His mind was already churning, planning for the upcoming fight.

’This fight is my ticket into the combat team. If I can’t win, even if I find another way in, I’ll probably just be looked down on by everyone.’

"Director Tan seems to think highly of you. You know, he rarely talks that much to anyone," the young man said with a grin, pushing up his glasses.

"That’s the kind of high regard I can do without. Heaven knows what that old fox is plotting all day."

Pang Miaofeng said nothing in response to that, but behind his lenses, his squinted eyes opened just a little wider.

DING. The elevator doors slowly opened. In an extremely spacious underground cavern, a large, round iron cage appeared before Zhang Wenda.

Behind the cage was a lit building, with many people walking in and out.

Strangely, there were doors on the ceiling, and many people were standing on it, coming and going from the building.

But Zhang Wenda paid no mind to his surroundings. He was focused on observing the people in black combat uniforms, trying to determine who his opponent would be.

As Zhang Wenda observed them, they observed him back. Many of them had a strange look in their eyes, especially when they saw the rabbit jacket he was wearing.

One of them, a girl with a ponytail and a milky-white left eye, stared at Zhang Wenda with undisguised hatred.

’What’s going on? Why is she looking at me like that? This is my first time here. Don’t tell me I already have enemies here?’ Zhang Wenda glanced at her before walking toward the open cage.

Seeing that the training cage had been opened, quite a few people came down from the building and gradually gathered around.

’Is this girl my opponent?’ Just as Zhang Wenda was staring at the girl who had joined the crowd and wondering, SLAM! Pang Miaofeng, who was inside the cage with him, slammed the door shut.

"Huh?" Zhang Wenda watched the mild-mannered Pang Miaofeng put the key in his pocket, not quite understanding what was happening.

"I’m your opponent. You seem to have quite a prejudice against Director Tan, don’t you?" Pang Miaofeng took off his square glasses, and his squinted eyes slowly opened.

"Wait, aren’t you Old Tan’s secretary?" Zhang Wenda was still trying to figure out what was going on.

"I am his secretary, but I’m also his bodyguard. The original purpose of this place was to provide security services for the top brass of the Third Line. That’s why it’s called the Security Department."

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