Era of Magic and Martial Arts

She frowned slightly, just about to turn her head to look beside her, but her gaze was firmly locked again, like a magnet stuck to the viewfinder.

"Don’t make a noise, look at the camera, the shadow, the shadow..."

Deng Jiajia’s eyes were wide open, a mix of terror and shock weaving through her gaze, staring fixedly at the unfolding transformation in the camera.

Her mouth opened, speaking excitedly and somewhat incoherently:

"I knew it, I knew it, shadows are the real protagonist, look, it’s alive again, and there are two, three, four???... look quickly...."

Tang An’s eyes widened, pulling out the rat’s head he had bitten off, a retching sound coming from his throat.

The retching sound, if translated into words, would roughly mean——"Look, look at me, damn it! See me first!"

Ren Xuan’s eyes also widened, lips trembling, sputtering out a string of monosyllables:

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..."

He looked at Deng Jiajia, seemingly entranced, and then at Tang An, who was retching a rat’s head, and then at the floor, where a dense mass of rats was crawling, and...

A figure tripping over the rats, staggering but still desperately coming forward!

It felt like his eyes weren’t enough, his mind wasn’t enough, his mouth wasn’t enough, and most importantly.... his feet also seemed not enough!

......

Light Prism TV Station.

Director Wei Guangming stood with his arms crossed, his eyes glued to the large screen in front of him, veins bulging on his forehead, his expression terrifyingly gloomy.

The originally splendid images on the screen vanished one after another, replaced by glaring static.

The previously skyrocketing viewer ratings also came to a halt, like the flatline of a dead man’s heart rate.

"What’s happening?! Where’s the footage? Where did it all go? Switch the camera positions quickly! What are you all standing around for?!"

Wei Guangming suddenly turned, his voice thundering like a bomb in the control room.

The staff at the station were silent and motionless, none dared to meet his gaze, all lowering their heads, not daring to make a peep.

"Director, there’s no way to switch... all the campus camera positions are destroyed, and the only drone left crashed after entering the sewers..."

A technician sheepishly began to speak, but was brusquely interrupted by Wei Guangming.

"Didn’t I send people to support the scene? Where are they?!"

Wei Guangming barked, his voice full of barely suppressed anger.

The director sighed helplessly, having no choice but to stand up and, biting the bullet, replied:

"Director, most of the reporters ran away on the way, saying the scene was too dangerous, no amount of money would make them do it.

Old Kong and Old Shi, the two veteran reporters, did go in, but according to the live feed we just received, their heads were...uh, being used as balls by the monster."

The director snorted coldly, his tone full of sarcasm and fury:

"A bunch of deserters! Useless! And buffoons! What about those newcomers?"

The director sighed, his tone full of helplessness:

"The three newcomers entered the underground passages and soon lost contact.

They might have run into the monster, or perhaps got so scared they found somewhere to hide..."

Wei Guangming slammed his hands down heavily on the table, producing a loud "bang," sending the items on the table jumping.

He then suddenly grabbed the file on the table, raised his arm high, full of anger, and fiercely flung it at the director’s face.

The edge of the folder cut across the director’s cheek, instantly leaving a black-and-red mark; his head was knocked to the side, but he didn’t dare to retaliate even a bit.

"Useless! Useless! All useless! Most people here were hired by you, have you been raising a bunch of worthless trash at the station?!!"

Wei Guangming’s voice seemed as if it could lift the roof off, anger burning fiercely in his eyes.

"Now, with such high ratings, every second of live broadcast cut off is a crime! You’ve all become sinners of this station! I want, I want to..."

He glanced at the screen where the ratings were plummeting as if in a nosedive, his face turning an ashen hue, his fists cracking.

Wei Guangming resolved in his heart that after this incident, he would conduct a thorough overhaul of the station.

These cowardly, incompetent fools, not one of them should stay!

He wanted to recruit again, garnering a batch of responsible, capable, and courageous elite soldiers, thoroughly changing the bad ethos of the TV station.

While Wei Guangming raged, Wang Cong quietly watched from the side, his calm demeanor and the gourd on his back seemed a bit out of place with the oppressive atmosphere.

His eyes darted, secretly pondering:

"This station director Wei Guangming is quite rare, very ambitious indeed.

Maybe the cooperation between the Second Prison and the TV station doesn’t have to be limited to the ’Octagonal Cage Beast Fighting’ plan, maybe it can go further..."

The Second Prison was once mired in a whirlwind of public opinion due to a riot, and has yet to completely shake off its negative impact.

Wang Cong took all this in, noting Wei Guangming’s behavior at the moment, a thought sprouted in his heart.

"If I could have the opportunity to extend a hand into the TV station, providing Wei Guangming with competent hands, he’d probably jump at the chance."

Fitting, isn’t it? Wang Cong just happens to know where to find the type of talent Wei Guangming urgently needs.

Of course, he wasn’t doing this just to help Wei Guangming.

He was calculating that Feng Mu would hardly reject an opportunity to infiltrate, even control, a TV station, right?

Feng Mu’s words are not only pleasant but also make sense; his profound thoughts and heartwarming voice should be heard by more people.

Doesn’t this hold more guidance and educational significance than showing the public these gory, violent images?!!

Being Feng Mu’s devoted follower, truly a die-hard, Wang Cong was deeply influenced by Feng Mu, his very being brimming with the glow of humanity.

He was willing to share Feng Mu’s... great love with more people!

Of course, besides personal emotional factors, Wang Cong also believed controlling a TV station would be more conducive to Feng Mu’s progress.

A single Second Prison was too small to contain Feng Mu’s ideals.

As an excellent subordinate, with a sincere heart Wang Cong felt he should always be ready to pave the way to higher heights beneath Feng Mu’s feet.

At that moment, the director suddenly brightened, pointing at the big screen and barking out excitedly:

"Director, there’s footage!"

Wei Guangming’s roaring came to an abrupt stop; he lifted his head, staring at the screen, his face shifting from raging fury to ecstatic joy:

"The signal’s back?! Where’s the signal originating from?!"

The technician quickly rushed to the console, typing furiously on the keyboard, and then replied with excitement:

"Director, the signal is coming from the sewers! The live source number is... it’s the camera Deng Jiajia took!"

"Deng Jiajia?!"

Wei Guangming’s eyes sparkled brightly; he slapped the table robustly, laughing heartily:

"Good! Good! Deng Jiajia did not let me down! This is the elite reporter of Light Prism TV Station!"

Wei Guangming’s voice was filled with praise and joy, as if his earlier fury had never occurred.

He quickly stepped up to the screen, staring intently at the footage, issuing nonstop orders from his mouth:

"The footage in the sewers is a bit dim, brighten it with technological means, also immediately push the live stream out.

The footage our TV station reporters captured, risking their lives, I won’t allow anyone in Zone 9 to miss it..... Quick, quick, quick, get the ratings back up for me!!!"