The pale text "Game Cleared" had barely faded from her retina when a powerful sense of weightlessness struck.
This dizziness was not unfamiliar. It was as if her soul had been forcibly stuffed back into her body, requiring a few seconds of buffering to regain control of her physical balance. As the blurry light spots in her vision gradually coalesced into a clear image, Lin Xiao found herself standing in the first-floor lobby of Xinyuan Mall.
The deafening silence of the dungeon was gone, replaced by distant traffic sounds and muffled voices. These cacophonous background noises of the real world now seemed to carry an unreal tranquility.
Lin Xiao exhaled deeply, trying to calm the heart still pounding violently in her chest.
Ever since that trip to the outskirts, the familiar world had been like a shattered mirror, showing strangeness and distortion everywhere. The accidents kept coming, leaving no room to catch a breath.
"Um, do you guys feel like there are too few people around?" Lin Yunfei lowered his voice, a hint of unease in his tone.
Lin Xiao glanced around at his words. Xinyuan Mall wasn't exactly a popular landmark, and its foot traffic wasn't usually crowded, but it shouldn't be this empty and desolate either. The spacious atrium was deserted, as if... they had just stepped out of that terrifying world, and the real world had become barren along with it.
Ji Youran turned her head to glance at the young man who called himself "Xu Liang." Upon hearing Lin Yunfei's words, a flicker of understanding crossed his eyes.
A subtle movement stirred in Lin Xiao's heart. Based on Dou Wenbo's earlier reaction, it was clear that some people in this world had long known about these anomalies, only keeping the general public in the dark. That so-called "Special Affairs Administration" probably had a well-practiced procedure for handling survivors who accidentally entered dungeons.
Tap, tap, tap.
A rapid set of footsteps broke the brief silence. Several people in uniform strode quickly from deep within the mall, looking like security personnel, but their movements betrayed an unusual professionalism. They approached Lin Xiao and the others directly, and the leader pulled out some kind of electronic device.
"It seems our time is running out." Ji Youran said in a low voice, a flash of vigilance in her eyes. "These people are likely related to the 'Special Affairs Administration.'"
Lin Xiao felt the tension in the air, currents stirring beneath the surface. She realized that their experience in the dungeon might have already attracted the attention of certain organizations. The situation ahead would become even more complicated.
Several people in dark uniforms walked in synchronized steps, clearly well-trained. The leader quickly scanned Lin Xiao and the others' faces with his phone, then concisely gestured for them to proceed to a nearby temporary office.
In the temporary office, Lin Xiao held a cup of hot water, trying to calm her racing heart. She recalled the scene of separating from Ji Youran and the others in the elevator, and her mood remained difficult to settle.
About ten minutes later, the office door was pushed open. A young woman in a white T-shirt walked in followed by several subordinates. She showed her credentials for the "City Special Affairs Administration."
She got straight to the point: "According to the report, there was an incident at Xinyuan Mall. We need you to cooperate with a simple investigation."
Lin Xiao was silent for a moment. The white T-shirt seemed to sense something and asked curiously: "Is there something you're hesitating about?"
Lin Xiao pulled out a crumpled shopping list from her pocket and said calmly: "Since I'm already here, I wanted to ask if the mall will be open today."
This request surprised everyone present. Normally, people experiencing a supernatural event for the first time would either be terrified out of their wits or appear dazed. Someone who had just escaped danger but was immediately concerned about whether the mall was open and about her shopping list was truly unprecedented.
The curious staff member couldn't resist taking a peek at her shopping list, which only contained daily necessities like soap, facial tissues, and compressed biscuits.
After the white T-shirt finished handling these trivial matters, she began seriously asking about Lin Xiao's experience in the elevator. She introduced herself as Lin Xiao and explained that "Xu Liang" was actually her pen name.
Regarding the work question, Lin Xiao directly said she had no works and quipped that she was "realistically immature." This unique way of answering left the office in silence, the staff amazed by her reaction.
Though they knew Lin Xiao was joking, as an ordinary resident of the outer city, her career plans were obviously not the focus of the investigation. The white T-shirt quickly steered the conversation back on track. After getting a basic understanding of the situation, she handed Lin Xiao a confidentiality contract.
Lin Xiao scanned the contract and noticed the key point was prohibiting disclosure of dungeon experiences. The contract terms were vague and full of mystery, and the paper texture was unusual, seemingly not ordinary paper. The white T-shirt began explaining the concept of dungeons, comparing them to spaces with special rules where triggered individuals would be pulled in.
She suggested signing and going home afterward, implying that knowing too much could be dangerous. Lin Xiao felt a unique professional aura about the white T-shirt, different from ordinary people, as if containing some force transcending reality. Though not particularly strong, had Lin Xiao not been in her weakened state, she might not have been able to detect it at all.
At the door, Lin Xiao unexpectedly ran into Lin Yunfei.
Lin Yunfei was overjoyed to see Lin Xiao. He wanted to share his feelings about escaping danger, but remembering the confidentiality agreement he had just signed, he had to forcefully stop himself. He seriously bowed to Lin Xiao to express his gratitude, emphasizing that being able to meet again was all thanks to Lin Xiao's composure. Lin Xiao smiled and comforted him, mentioning that job-hunting season was highly competitive and graduates often viewed life and death more calmly during this period. Perhaps in a few years, Lin Yunfei would have similar insights.
The two parted ways at the station, each heading home. Lin Xiao was about to open the system to check her settlement information.