After Lin Yuan sent the text message, she did not expect the other party to reply immediately. She stood up, straightened her clothes and walked out of the yard.

When I walked out the door, I happened to meet a neighbor who was walking his dog.

It was a very cold day, but the young hostess was dressed fashionably in a set of high-end sportswear, showing off her beautiful figure, and she was holding a very cute pet dog.

She saw Lin Yuan, nodded to him from a distance, and gave him a polite yet distant smile - they had met several times in the past few days.

Lin Yuan discovered that people near his home were leading a refined and comfortable life, as if they were living in a prosperous age without worries.

But she knew that if she walked a short distance further and crossed a not-too-high wall, she would see a completely different world.

Those crowded shanty towns with sewage flowing everywhere and those families that can't even feed their children are the real lives of the vast majority of people in this world.

The personal terminal on his wrist lit up. Lin Yuan took a look and saw a small dolphin pattern floating on his wrist.

The head image of the personal terminal communication was set by himself. In order to save trouble, Lin Yuan uploaded the holographic image taken by the fat killer whale on the bedside.

The chubby little killer whale hops back and forth.

Lin Yuan reached out and tapped the jumping fat tiger whale, and a peek-a-boo virtual screen popped up on his wrist.

The plump killer whale pattern is cute, but the text that pops up is very formal and formulaic. It almost looks like a document between government departments.

Things to note when inviting unfamiliar friends to your home:

1. Prepare some snacks that are acceptable to everyone, not too spicy or with too special a smell.

2. Prepare some entertainment activities for everyone to enjoy together, such as motion games or table games, so as not to neglect any guests.

3. If there are many women, you can prepare tea and snacks. Please see the attachment for recommended brands and tastes.

4. If a man asks you to drink, refuse him.

…

Finally, don’t forget that the purpose of the party is to make yourself happy. Working too hard or caring too much about what others think will make the party lose its original purpose, so it is not recommended.

Ni Ji called with a long message that sounded very formal, like an official document.

But Lin Yuan read the soft and delicate feelings of a friend from between the lines.

She read the words carefully. It was exactly what she needed.

How should I reply to be polite? Lin Yuan thought. She rarely chats with others using personal terminals, right? She is very familiar with those words and phrases.

Actually, just saying thank you will also do.

[Let me do it, I'm good at this.] A tentacle crawled up around Lin Yuan's wrist. The soft tip tapped the virtual screen several times quickly.

"You have to come too~~"

There was a pink heart emoticon at the end of the word "Oh".

The chat port showed that the other party was typing, then canceled, typing, and canceled again. This repeated several times, but in the end, no reply was sent to her.

[So you don’t know how to do it at all, and you scared the little fish. ]

[Next time, I will try it]

【It may be more effective if you do it together】

[Humph, dead fish, too arrogant]

In the security office, the morning sunlight shone in obliquely from the window. The sentry leaning against the window railing looked at the personal terminal on his wrist. The cold lines of his facial features softened in the morning light, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

In his mental picture, in the mysterious palace deep in the sea, the owner of the palace was turning over pearls and shells that had not been touched for many years.

I dug up bits and pieces of memories from my student days, of that carefree boy playing with his friends.

At that time, he was still very innocent, without so many things on his mind. When he was not training or competing, he would go out of the academy wall with many of his brothers, go fishing, climb mountains, go shopping, play games, bring back all kinds of food, and chat all night long...

It turns out that there was such a time in my life.

Ni Ji carefully selected these memories, pondered the guide's personality and interpersonal relationships, and integrated them into a suitable text. After revising it again and again, he clicked send.

Soon, the other party replied with a short sentence, attached with a sparkling heart-shaped emoticon.

You have to come too.

Ni Ji knew that maybe this was just a way for the other party to invite her, and that symbol was just an emoticon that girls nowadays often use when chatting.

But he still looked at that short sentence for a long time.

Yesterday’s bloody storm and the future’s precarious situation seem to have become blurred.

At this moment, in this warm sunshine, he found precious peace.

He lowered his eyelashes and tapped the input box several times with his slender fingers, but in the end there was no reply.

He put away the virtual screen on the terminal and turned back to the table where they were discussing the battle.

"Are you done talking?" Ji Xuan asked casually.

"Yes, she asked me where she could buy some delicious refreshments."

Ni Ji did not avoid the topic. He briefly talked about it naturally before turning his attention back to Area 77.

He once thought about not having any entanglement with Lin Yuan and not letting her get involved in his dangerous world.

But last night - I can't think about last night right now.

Since what happened last night had already happened and could not be reversed, he decided not to dwell on it anymore. He was not the kind of person who would dwell on it.

He knew that there was a small moon hidden in his heart. After last night, it could never be erased and would forever stay in the sea.

But no one can get past him and hurt that person.

Ni Ji could actually sense that the adjutant Ji Xuan beside him was fully observant at the moment, with a pair of vertical pupils belonging to a spiritual body, hiding behind him and carefully observing "him". He was carefully observing "his" every move, with a slight expression.

To him, compared to the powerful Luther, this inconspicuous Ji Xuan is the truly terrifying person.

But he was not afraid. At this moment, all the thoughts and emotions that should not exist and should not be read by others were firmly sealed in the seabed.

They were sizing him up and down, and he was looking at the two men in return.

Except for Lin Yuan, he had never lost to anyone in the field of spiritual power, not even once.

Luther asked various investigative questions about the contaminated area, and Ni Ji responded very easily, knowing everything about it. Sometimes he was even a little proactive and sharp.

"If you can disclose all the information and the true purpose." He pointed his black finger at a vague area on the map, "I would be willing to help you, sir, to try to break through the Golden Tree contaminated area."

Luther and Ji Xuan exchanged glances.

They disclosed to Ni Ji some of the data collected within the Empire about the Golden Tree contaminated area, and the most critical small part was deliberately retained.

Who would have thought that this legendary strongest man in the North could see through it at a glance.

"The reputation is well-deserved." This time, Ji Xuan also stretched out his hand and shook hands seriously with Ni Ji's hand which was wearing a military glove.

***

Lin Yuan came to the Special Research Department.

"Hurry up and do it, I still have something to buy," she said to Roy.

After returning from the Dongbin sentry post, she submitted to the Special Research Office a survey report on several polluted areas she had visited. Because she had personally visited each place, the report was written in great detail.

But if she wants to go out again, according to regulations, as a guide, she still needs to go through a series of approval procedures.

"Oh my God." Roy covered his forehead and cried, "I've lived for so many years, but I've never seen a guide like you. How long have you been back? Are you so anxious to go to the contaminated area?"

The two walked along the corridor of the Special Research Office. The red oak wainscots and carved skirtings gave the office of this institution a heavy historical atmosphere.

On both sides of the long corridor, there are some old imperial medals and photos of the Special Research Department’s past members.

It seems that this place may have once been glorious in the imperial power structure. But now it is deserted and sparsely staffed, and has become a small and unknown department.

The few members who occasionally came in and out were all elderly people, holding cups of tea filled with wolfberries, and they were very happy to see Lin Yuan.

"Are you the new investigator? Not bad, a nice young girl."

They didn't even care whether Lin Yuan was a sentinel or a guide.

Life here is very peaceful. It is located on the periphery of the imperial administrative structure, and there is no room for advancement. No one cares whether you work or not.

"Although our Special Research Department has the word 'Special' in its name, it is actually a retirement department." Roy said to Lin Yuan earnestly, "You only need to do research once a year. As a young girl, you should focus on clothes and jewelry, attend more high-society dinners, and get to know some talented people. That's the serious thing."

Lin Yuan didn't agree with his words, but from his emotions, he caught a sense of the older people's desire to pass on their life experience to the younger generation. It was a kind intention.

So she listened quietly all the way without saying anything extra.

"But coming back to the subject, I read the contaminated area investigation report you submitted a few days ago. It was really amazing." Roy's expression gradually became gentle, as if he was lost in his memories, "It reminds me of your..."

He came to his senses and swallowed the second half of his sentence in time, carefully observing Lin Yuan's expression.

Lin Yuan seemed not to hear what he said.

The little girl in a white dress was standing in front of a photo frame in the corridor.

In the photo frame, three or five high-spirited sentinels stand side by side, looking at the world outside the frame with smiles on their faces.

The woman standing in the middle was very tall, with a fit body and long legs. Her features were somewhat similar to Lin Yuan's, and she smiled very carefreely.

"What did you just say?" Lin Yuan turned around and asked with facial features very similar to the person in the photo, "Do you think of my mother?"

"So you knew." Roy was stunned and a little sad. He took out the silk handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to his eyes. "I thought you didn't remember her. They told me that you had forgotten everything about your childhood."

The two walked all the way to the data room at the end of the corridor.

Roy helped Lin Yuan find the information she wanted and reimbursed her for the expenses incurred during the research.

While he was busy running back and forth, Lin Yuan was sitting there looking through the materials, which contained very detailed data on the polluted area.

It's just that Roy has just started talking, and I can't help but talk about those old people that I miss.

Even while walking back and forth, he kept talking.

"You don't know, when your mother and her family were still alive, our Special Research Department was the most powerful special forces under the Queen."

"The research reports submitted by our Special Research Department every year are the most detailed and practical. The Empire's research on mutant species and the improvement of the Empire's contaminated area database are mostly due to us."

"At that time, I was still young and inexperienced, and I didn't have the qualifications to go out. But every time I saw them coming back from outside, their high-spirited looks made me envious."

"Your mother is really a strong and gentle person."

"The faces of those seniors still frequently appear in my dreams. I remember them clearly, every single one of them."

"Who would have thought that such an accident would happen back then?" Roy couldn't help but start taking out his hand again. "Don't mention it, don't mention it."

Covering his hands with tears in his eyes, he suddenly saw the document Lin Yuan was reading, and his eyes widened.

"Golden Tree Contaminated Area?" He swiped the document away from Lin Yuan, "Are you crazy? Why are you looking at the data of Area 77? Is that a place you can't touch? Stay away from it. It's a place you can't return from once you go there."

"So far!" He swung the document and tapped Lin Yuan's head, then locked it in a cabinet. "So far, no one has successfully conquered this dangerous contaminated area. Do you think a little girl like you can touch it casually? Don't even think about it."

"I'll just take a look." Lin Yuan said, "Did my mother ever go there?"

"Your mother? She definitely hasn't been there. No one has ever been there alive and conscious." Roy said, vaguely remembering something. "Strange, I think I did hear her mention this place before."

Roy didn't know that as he was speaking, a tentacle suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the locked cabinet, squeezing into the folder and pulling out a small map.

The tentacle rolled up the map and threw it through the gap in the locker, and the other tentacle quickly caught it.

Then the tentacles of the map moved in the shadows and handed it to Lin Yuan's fingers.

Lin Yuan flipped the map of the Golden Tree contaminated area with his slender white fingers and put it in his pocket with an expressionless face.

The map was not very detailed, only showing data from before the area was polluted. But if you want to go to such a dangerous place, it's better to have a map than nothing.

On the way home, Lin Yuan bought things according to the dessert guide given by Ni Ji.

The rose cake from this shop is crispy and refreshing, the pineapple cake from that shop is sweet and sour and delicious, the pea yellow cake from the old brand looks good, and the sugar figures blown by the sugar figure blower on the roadside are also very cute.

Let him blow up a killer whale, an octopus, a lion, a gyrfalcon, a big tiger, a little cat and a little snake...

Before you know it, you've bought too much. The boxes, big and small, are piled so high in your hands that you can't even see the road ahead.

A child running towards her bumped into her, and tentacles appeared one after another, grabbing various candy boxes.

No one cared about Lin Yuan, so he fell.

The boy who bumped into Lin Yuan apologized with a grin and ran away while apologizing.

[Catch him quickly, he took my wallet. ]

[I'm holding the rose cake]

[I'm looking at the pineapple cake]

[It doesn’t look good if the candy man is broken, so it needs two people to hold it?]

[What does the wallet matter? As long as the food is not lost, it’s fine.]

…

Lin Yuan sat on the ground helplessly. In the peacetime when there was no fighting, most of the tentacles were sleeping in the dimensional space, and the few that were still active only cared about their precious snacks.

Even Lin Yuan himself thought that it didn't matter if a little money was lost. As long as the snacks he had worked so hard to buy were fine, it was fine.

A slightly older girl grabbed the boy who ran away by the ear and dragged him back.

"Jiang Xiaowa! Come out." The little girl, who was less than ten years old, had a few freckles on her face and looked very imposing.

"Jiang Xiaochong, leave me alone." The boy was very unconvinced.

"Look carefully, this is my sister from the Guidance Academy."

Lin Yuan went to the Special Research Department today, so he wore a guide uniform.

The boy who had been screaming all the way saw Lin Yuan's special skirt and silver epaulettes, and immediately stopped grinning.

"Guide College? The same place as Sister Nicole and the others?" He touched his head and took out Lin Yuan's wallet from his trouser pocket. "Here, I'll give it back to you. Because you're a guide."

Several younger children were hiding behind the pillars, with their heads popping out laughing. The youngest was about two years old.

The freckled girl patted the boy on the head and said, "There's more!"

"Yes! Sorry, guide sister." The boy apologized loudly and bowed obediently.

Lin Yuan, who was sitting on the ground, saw the house number where she was - No. 25, Black Street, District 19.

Her memory was never very good. But she remembered the house number.

At that time, on that airship, the sentry with broken legs died just one step away from the escape door.

"I have many brothers and sisters. The youngest sister is only two years old and can't even walk properly. If I die, I don't know if she can survive." The sentry said this at last with tears in his eyes.

Nicole took the last two Imperial coins from his hand. She took his ID badge. It had his house number printed on it. This is where he is.

Nicole said, "Leave it to me."

It turns out that they did a lot of good things during the time when I was not around.

Lin Yuan took back her wallet, stood up and patted her skirt.

Several children came over and helped her stack the boxes that the tentacles were holding.

"Please don't tell Nicole and Shu about this." The oldest girl smiled shyly and said, "The guide brothers and sisters often come to help us, and we are very grateful to them in our hearts."

"I will definitely take good care of my brother in the future and not let him do this again."

"Where are your parents?" Lin Yuan asked her.

"My father passed away a long time ago in the contaminated area. My mother is not in good health and is lying in bed." The little girl said this as if it was normal. There were many children like them on this street.

She picked up the box with the candy figurines in it and put it on top for Lin Yuan.

"But it's okay. I can join the army soon and I'll be a sentry too," she said proudly.

Her father died in the contaminated area, and her eldest brother died in the contaminated area. She was ready to take over as soon as possible.

To provide my younger brothers and sisters with three meals a day and my mother’s medical expenses.

The two-year-old little sister came over, held her legs, and stared at the lifelike candy figures in Lin Yuan's arms.

The elder sister reached out and pressed her younger sister's head back without making a sound.

【no】

【no】

【no】

【no】

Lin Yuan took down a sugar figure of a little snake and handed it to the little girl.

The remaining four or five pairs of eyes suddenly looked at her with blinking eyes.

No words in his mouth? The feeling of drooling in his heart made Lin Yuan's head buzz.

So the kitten was gone, and the tiger and the bird were all gone.

The tentacles? Squeaking.

【Opposition】

【Dedicated】

【overbearing】

[Wow, I’m about to cry]

Who told you not to help me just now? Lin Yuan was unmoved. After distributing the candy men, he held the remaining snacks and walked home with a blank expression.

All the candy men were divided up, leaving only a blown-up killer whale and a round little octopus.

The killer whale fluttered its little tail, its eyes were smiling, and it looked very happy.

The octopus has a round head and its tentacles are tucked under its body, looking a little silly.

Lin Yuan looked at the only two remaining candy figurines along the way and felt much better.

A small tentacle came up and grabbed the killer whale tightly, licking it all over.

"Is it sweet? I haven't eaten it yet."

Lin Yuan thought a little unhappily, you won’t be able to taste the food if you eat it this way.