Infinite Nightmares

Faced with Zhang Wenda’s question, 2826 neither confirmed nor denied it.

"If you join the Third Line, you’ll be guaranteed approval to use a Blue Core. We can head back right now, and you can have one in an hour, tops."

"And that’s not all. As a Bureau 507 Thought Wave Explorer, you only work fifteen days a month for very high pay. The currency can even be chosen based on your Thought Wave. For someone with your previous Thought Wave One, that’s 120 a month."

Hearing how generous the offer was, Zhang Wenda’s guard went up instantly. "Do you take me for a fool? If it’s really that good, why would you need to recruit outsiders?"

He wasn’t some naive college kid fresh out of the Ivory Tower. If the benefits were really this great, why would they need to go around recruiting? There’d be thousands of people fighting for a single spot.

In response to Zhang Wenda’s question, 2826 began to explain, "Bureau 507 isn’t looking for just anyone. Do you know why we suddenly decided to recruit you?"

Zhang Wenda spotted what looked like a firefight on a distant Floating Island. He immediately lowered his voice and said, "Why? Am I some kind of once-in-a-century genius?"

"No. You’re this old and still haven’t awakened a Blue Core. To put it nicely, your aptitude is rock bottom."

"What’s that supposed to mean? Are you just insulting me to my face now?" Zhang Wenda shot him an annoyed glance.

"Not at all. It’s just a fact. The Third Line has never prioritized aptitude in its recruitment. We prioritize a person’s character."

Song Jianguo, with her cat in tow, sidled up with a disdainful look. "Then you guys must be blind. This guy’s character is even worse than his aptitude. Compared to him, a murderer looks like a saint."

"What does this have to do with you? Go put the cat on lookout! Shoo, shoo!" Zhang Wenda shoved her away.

Even after scurrying off, the cat ears on Song Jianguo’s head were perked up high. Her face was a mask of curiosity as she focused all her attention on eavesdropping. If she had one hobby, this was it.

Once Song Jianguo was out of earshot, 2826 continued, "I’ll be straight with you. After my superiors read my report, they were impressed. They learned you didn’t pocket the moon for personal gain and sell it off, and on top of that, you’re the old man’s descendant. They immediately decided to make an exception and invite you to join Bureau 507."

"Once you join Bureau 507, your problems become Bureau 507’s problems. No matter what kind of trouble you run into, we’ll have your back."

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda’s expression turned to one of annoyance. "First of all, and I’ll say this one more time: you can’t help me with my problems."

"Second, stop sugarcoating it. You’re only telling me the good parts. It can’t be that easy to get into Bureau 507."

At this, Zhang Wenda stopped walking and turned to look seriously at 2826’s camera eye. "And one other thing I need to ask you, seriously. If I say no, if I don’t join, does that mean you won’t help me find the Oil Bab?"

shook its drone-like head slightly. "No. Business is business, and personal is personal. The official business is concluded. Your choice is your own. No matter what you decide, I’m still your friend. And since I promised to help you, I absolutely will."

Hearing this, the look on Zhang Wenda’s face softened. He carefully trod on the network cables and continued his descent. "Alright, let me think about it."

"Alright. When you’ve made up your mind, use this to contact me anytime. I’ve already saved my number in it. It can even communicate across different Thought Waves." As 2826 spoke, he pulled a pager from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Wenda.

"Oh, thanks." Zhang Wenda toyed with the ancient device, surprised. ’This thing’s pretty advanced for a relic. It even shows the time. Guess I can save money on a watch now.’

Just then, Song Jianguo crept back over, leaning in close to Zhang Wenda and whispering, "So, are you going to join? If you do, can you ask them if they have a cure for amnesia?"

Zhang Wenda gave her a deadpan look. "Jianguo, let me teach you a little something about life. When someone says, ’let me think about it,’ it really means ’no.’ Got it?"

Hearing this, Song Jianguo’s hackles immediately went up. "Why not?! Are you an idiot? It’s 120 a month! Do you have any idea how many mice you’d have to catch to make 120?"

Glancing back at 2826, who was bringing up the rear, Zhang Wenda leaned close to her ear. "You’re the idiot. You think that money comes easy? Did you forget what kind of mission 2826 was on? They send you into a den of thieves to play undercover agent, scared out of your mind. Does 120 a month still sound like a lot now?"

"Forget all that talk about ’character’ and my ’grandfather’s connections.’ To put it bluntly, high reward always means high risk. The most important lesson I’ve ever learned is that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Anything that’s practically gift-wrapped and handed to you is never a good thing."

After Song Jianguo fell silent, the surroundings grew quiet once more. The three of them continued their descent in silence.

Along the way, they were probed by a few unknown creatures, but the creatures backed off without a serious fight after realizing Zhang Wenda’s group was not to be trifled with.

Zhang Wenda noticed a pattern: most of the creatures in this "darknet" were animalistic. Even the ones that weren’t wholly beasts bore some kind of feral traits.

A sudden thought made him glance at Song Jianguo’s ears. A flicker of suspicion crossed his mind, but he said nothing.

As they continued their descent, the surrounding light grew dimmer and dimmer. Zhang Wenda also noticed that the gravity was starting to change, fluctuating unpredictably.

"Hey, are you sure the Oil Bab is down here?" Zhang Wenda asked, having reached the edge of the Floating Island and peered into the abyssal darkness below.

"According to the data I pulled from the archives, we’ll find the Oil Bab once we pass the ’rain line.’ And on that note, Bureau 507’s archives are the most extensive in existence. If there’s ever anything you don’t understand, you can find the answer there."

"Damn," Zhang Wenda muttered, speechless. ’This guy never misses an opportunity to try and recruit me.’ But he had already made up his mind. For now, he had no intention of following in his grandfather’s footsteps.

They walked for another fifteen minutes before things started to change. A single drop of black water landed on Zhang Wenda’s face.

But Zhang Wenda quickly realized something was wrong. The rain here fell sideways. A downpour assaulted them from the left, soaking them to the bone in moments—everyone except Song Jianguo.

She had already had her cat transform into an umbrella, which she was carrying on her shoulder. Only after Zhang Wenda snapped at her did she belatedly seem to realize, prompting her cat to become two umbrellas, which she then handed to Zhang Wenda and 2826.

"What the hell kind of place has rain that falls sideways?" Soaked to the skin, Zhang Wenda could only hold his umbrella horizontally against the deluge.

"There’s always a reason," 2826 said to Zhang Wenda. "No matter how bizarre things seem, there’s always a logical explanation."

He then gave Zhang Wenda a meaningful look. "Do you know why the Third Line was founded in the first place?"

"Trying to recruit me again? I’m not listening."

Zhang Wenda kept his head down and continued walking, but 2826’s voice followed him from behind.

"Do you know what kind of world is the cruelest for humanity?"

"It’s not a world where resources are scarce, nor one where the environment is unforgiving. The cruelest world is one that is utterly devoid of logic."