Chapter 256 (Chapter 255) - Working Overtime in the Middle of the Night

Yan Shi hasn't returned to the outside world for a long time.

Although, in theory, the world of the surface is her home.

The world barrier is currently in a dilapidated state, and Yan Shi is not comfortable with casually tearing a crack in it.

So she chose a safer route, walking back to the surface world from the boundary gate near the Weir Hub in the middle of the night.

The short-distance teleportation array within the city of Vil Hub remained intermittent and completely disconnected as always.

After finally getting out of the city, Yan Shi took out his phone to check the situation.

Today's steps have reached 8000.

Yan Shi: ...

She must have a chat with Duan Yunchen next time she comes.

How can the subway be disrupted!

Jie Sheng's work efficiency is quite astonishing.

Just as Yan Shi left the Weir hub city area, Jie Sheng had already sent over the summary form of the application reports submitted by Bai Yujing.

The forms are detailed and include multiple supplementary forms and scanned copies.

Regardless of the discussions within Baiyujing City at this time, and the protests by various families and sects against Yan Shi's policies at small meetings, they submitted their materials at an increasingly rapid pace, and the materials they wrote were increasingly comprehensive.

The documents are formatted correctly, with standard fonts and sizes, and all seals are present; even the attachments are numbered according to the table of contents.

The Foreign Affairs Bureau has received over 100 application materials via email.

After screening and material approval, all the floating islands that need to be sunk have been counted and located.

The formal execution will not take place until 10:00 AM to allow time for the creatures on the floating islands that need to be sunk to pack their belongings and evacuate safely.

"So, although things seem complicated and troublesome, once they're actually implemented, it's not that difficult," Yan Shi said to Lie Ri Guan Mian after reviewing the materials.

'That's how humans are.' The blazing sun crown was diverting its attention to directing the fire spirits to light Yan Shi's way.

In the pitch black, the fire spirits either condensed into floating lamps or clusters of small flowers, swirling and shimmering in the air, illuminating the entire path leading to the gate.

The blazing sun crowns them: 'They are greedy, extremely opportunistic, and adept at assessing situations. Yet, at times, they are willing to sacrifice everything, from their lives to their souls.'

'Humans are really complicated,' it muttered, unable to understand.

Yan Shi: "Because the emotions of living beings are inherently incomprehensible."

Before she knew it, she had already reached the boundary gate.

Under normal circumstances, an application needs to be submitted in advance to the cross-border management office of the nearest branch of the cross-border management bureau to cross the boundary gate.

After the application is approved, you need to wait in line at the boundary gate with the relevant documents.

The logistics staff will open the gate at a fixed time each day to allow passage.

That's why Yan Shi was so confused. Sheng Chunqiu sent people to break down the boundary gates, and not just in one place, but why didn't any of the branch offices' logistics departments discover the problem and report it to headquarters?

Although the boundary gate next to the Weir Hub had been blown up once by Lin Cai's mother, Su Jiefan, Duan Yunchen, despite his laziness, managed it very carefully.

After Yan Shi carried out a large-scale repair of the world barrier, the boundary gate was restored, and she also strengthened the vigilance and protection in the vicinity.

Even in the middle of the night, a patrol team was still stationed next to the boundary gate, with a few lights on.

Sensing someone approaching from a distance, they instantly became alert and quickly formed a line: "Who's there?"

Yan Shi walked into the light, the moonlight falling on her shoulders. She looked up and said calmly, "Good evening."

Within the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, everyone knows Director Yan.

The person at the very front of the line, closest to Yan Shi, was startled for a moment, then reacted, stopped, lowered his head, and bowed respectfully: "Director Yan."

In the dead of night, just after Baiyujing issued a new decree that caused a great uproar, Director Yan suddenly appeared near the gate of the Weier Hub. He certainly wasn't there for a visit or inspection.

A person at the door, presumably the patrol team leader, stepped forward, suppressing his surprise and doubt, and said, "Director Yan, please wait a moment, I will immediately notify the logistics staff to open the gate."

Yan Shi: "Approximately how long will it take? Can't you just start it directly?"

The patrol captain had already sent a brief message. Upon hearing this, his expression faltered, revealing a hint of difficulty: "It will take about half an hour. Director Yan, activating the boundary gate consumes a large amount of spiritual energy, so the logistics department must bring spirit stones."

Yan Shi nodded and slowly walked towards the boundary gate.

This is a huge archway that, when not in use, looks like a tourist attraction where you can stand inside and take pictures.

Yan Shi looked up at the boundary gate and placed his hand on the gate wall.

The blazing sun, already eager to test its power, exclaimed, "Yan Shi, let me give it a try!"

The fire spirits became active around them and rushed towards the boundary gate.

The dense fire spirits instantly filled the vicinity, but the blazing sun crown was in a weakened state at the moment and could only control a small area of ​​the spirits.

A steady stream of fire spirits poured into the boundary gate, yet nothing happened.

Yan Shi didn't speak. She closed her eyes, called to the water spirits not far away, and reminded them to be careful.

There were other people not far behind Yan Shi.

As everyone knows, Yanju controls the Fire Spirit.

Gradually, the nearby water spirits crowded among the fire spirits and surged into the boundary gate together.

In an instant, several spiritual lines began to rise one after another from the bottom of the boundary gate, the patterns were lit up, and they spread out inch by inch.

The gate lit up, and a flowing light curtain appeared in the center of the previously empty arch, rippling as if an entire starry sky was reflected in it.

The patrol captain standing nearby was dumbfounded.

They regularly patrol this area, so they naturally know how much spiritual energy is needed to open the gate.

The logistics department relies on arrays and spirit stones, and requires multiple people to operate in order to provide the energy to open the boundary gate.

At this moment, Yanju was alone, raising his hand.

Yan Shi turned to the side and said softly, "Tell the logistics department they don't need to come. You've been working hard patrolling in the middle of the night."

Her voice was calm and gentle, but no one answered.

The next moment, she stepped into the light curtain.

Her stray hairs and coat fluttered in the night wind, and after a moment, the light screen completely swallowed Yan Shi's figure before slowly disappearing.

The original site was still just an empty boundary gate.

---

Yan Shi only realized what was happening after he walked out of the gate on the outskirts of the capital.

The gate to the capital is too far from the center of the capital.

In the middle of the night, both the subway and buses stopped operating. The capital city was vast; she couldn't possibly walk back to the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs.

Yan Shi: ...

She sighed and exhaled a puff of white mist.

After manipulating the fire spirits on a large scale, the Blazing Sun Crown, though excited, fell into a deeper state of weakness and has fallen into a deep sleep.

Yan Shi stood in the suburbs for a moment, his neck filled with the biting winter wind, and immediately cancelled his plan to fly back to the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs.

She had no doubt that if she flew back to the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs today, she would catch a bad cold tomorrow.

So she silently took out her phone and dialed Jie Sheng's number.

"Director Yan." The call was answered almost instantly. Xie Sheng was quite alert, and there was no sign of fatigue in his voice.

Yan Shi: "I am currently in the suburbs of the capital city of the world."

"...Huh?" Xie Sheng was taken aback, but then immediately realized what he meant. "Okay, Director Yan. Please wait a moment, I'll contact the logistics department to send a car to pick you up right away."

After the call ended, silence fell again.

Only the light cast by the streetlights stretches into the distance.

Yan Shi didn't want to sit on the equally cold roadside bench, so she could only stand there, lower her head to gather some moisture, and play with the kitten.

She still couldn't precisely control the cat's form; Shui Ling lay sprawled out, its surface slightly frozen by the cold wind of the capital.

By the time the logistics department's vehicle arrived, it was already late at night, and by the time they reached the headquarters, it was almost 3 a.m.

The General Administration was brightly lit.

Not only was the headquarters brightly lit, but when passing by the other side of the Summer Palace, Yan Shi also noticed that the government's secret buildings in the Outer World were also brightly lit.

Countless office windows shimmered with light, revealing figures moving about.

Everyone is working overtime.

Before returning to his office, Yan Shi took a detour to the tea room and made himself a cup of hot milk tea porridge.

She held the bottle in both hands, leaned against the counter, and took a few sips. She felt the chill in her chest finally dissipate a bit, and she was also less sleepy.

Yan Shi shook his head.

Indeed, sweets save the world!

Yan Shi's secretariat is now running smoothly. Even when the secretary-general is not present, document delivery, meeting minutes, and various reports are still handled in an orderly manner.

As the head of the Information Department, Lu Jian is currently working with Bai Yujing and Xie Sheng to personally oversee the statistics and sinking of the floating islands.

Only Guigemu and Bianzheng were in the General Bureau.

Yan Shi returned to his office, turned on his computer, sat in his office chair and cleared his mind for a moment before dialing the bureau's contact number.

"Director Bian," she said, "I'm in the General Administration office now. Come up here for a moment."

The General Administration has three core departments: the Implementation Division, the Information Division, and the Control Division. These three divisions are independent of each other, yet they are nested and mutually check and balance each other on key matters.

Yan Shi had never really figured out the scope of the Control Office's business.

As the director of the Control Department, Bian Zheng does not ally with any family, sect, or faction, nor does she participate in the power struggles within the Control Bureau; she simply observes from the sidelines.

She was appointed as the director of the control department after Shan Fengyang resigned.

The core departments of the General Administration were all in the main building, so Bian Zheng came up quickly. Before long, he knocked on Yan Shi's office door.

"Director Yan." She pushed open the door and entered, her steps slow and her expression calm.

Yan Shi has already retrieved the Control Department's annual report for this year from the system.

The text was densely packed.

The anti-bombing propaganda was drafted by the Information Department and then handed over to the Control Department for implementation. Meanwhile, based on the project funding applied for by the Control Department this year, the Control Department also has three other large-scale projects underway.

Yan Shi raised his fingertips and tapped the table repeatedly: "Director Bian, isn't the anti-bombing propaganda being carried out by you on the ground?"

Bian Zheng, still puzzled, nodded cautiously: "Yes, Director Yan. Currently, everything..."

"I don't need to hear about your specific actions," Yan Shi interrupted. "I just want to know, Bian Chu, it's been half a year, how do you think the anti-bombing propaganda is doing so far?"

Bian Zheng: "Everything is proceeding according to plan."

"Oh?" Yan Shi laughed angrily. "If that's the case, then how come all the anti-bombing propaganda sites I've heard of only have a single frame?"

"At the same time, the propaganda site was chosen near the boundary gate, but the boundary gate was already broken. The General Administration did not receive any information."

As he spoke, Yan Shi casually pulled out a stack of documents and threw them at Bian Zheng: "Bian Zheng, explain to me, is this what you mean by everything going according to plan?"

Bian's expression changed drastically: "Impossible!" she exclaimed in a moment of panic.

Yan Shi: "Is the control office covering up the truth, or is the information I just received false?"

Bian Zheng pursed his lips and lowered his head deeply.

The person in front of me is Director Yan.

It is impossible for Director Yan to utter false information that has not been verified.

It can only mean that the control office has indeed made a major mistake.