Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Suddenly, those amber eyes looked over. Qiao Yu hurriedly averted his gaze, his fingers involuntarily clutching the fabric at his chest as he cursed inwardly.
*Are you trying to kill me!*
Usually, his heart was like a rusty old fan, barely sputtering along, yet now it was thumping away like a frantic deer. Could it not show a little more backbone?
Just then, Man-Eating Crocodile let out a mumble, rubbed his eyes, and sat up. “Are we out?”
“We’re out.”
Wulong Tea and the others also woke up one after another, their eyes collectively turning toward the person walking their way.
That person had long, pitch-black hair, dampened by the drizzling rain until it looked like fine silk that had just been dyed, casting a faint matte sheen over his noble and elegant aura.
He looked desolate and solitary, like a lone swan.
He was truly a man of exceptional beauty, with skin as white as snow and exquisite features. However, those amber eyes were like winter ice, devoid of any warmth, making people shrink back in hesitation.
“National Special Security Bureau. I am Shang Yan.”
The young man stepped into Ping’an Apartment, bringing with him the chill of the rain. He held an ID card belonging to the Security Bureau between his slender fingers and gave a brief self-introduction.
Except for Qiao Yu, everyone present had experienced at least one Instance. They knew that whenever a new Instance appeared, people from the Security Bureau would come to make contact. Thus, after a brief moment of being stunned, they quickly regained their composure.
“My ID is First Blood.”
First Blood stood up straight, a rare trace of nervousness appearing on his face.
The man named on that ID was the Director of the Special Security Bureau. He was someone they absolutely could not afford to provoke.
Shang Yan lazily pulled out a slim tablet and logged into the backend of the Security Bureau’s official website. His fingertips tapped rapidly on the screen a few times, and after confirming the information, he nodded.
“My ID is Wulong Tea.”
“Man-Eating Crocodile.”
“Pozhan.”
“I’m Your Dad.”
Shang Yan’s curled index finger paused slightly. Wearing a sour expression that seemed to say ‘you all owe me five million,’ he looked over in displeasure. The next second, Shang Yan’s eyes, which had been half-closed in laziness, suddenly snapped wide open.
The youth hidden in the shadows had a sickly pale complexion and eyes as clear as water. The subtle emotions occasionally flickering in the corners of his eyes and brows gave off a faint, captivating charm, making his originally clean and elegant features look like peach blossoms in March-beautiful and ethereal.
Looking at this face that was both familiar and strange, the coldness in Shang Yan’s eyes melted away like snow, only to refreeze in the next second. He instantly resumed his lazy demeanor, the transition going unnoticed by anyone else.
“Next time, remember to include the words ‘My ID is…’ or you’ll seem very impolite.”
Qiao Yu blinked, an inexplicable sense of grievance welling up inside him.
This was the first time he had seen him act so cold and heartless.
*Shang Xiaoyan, you’ve certainly come up in the world, haven’t you?*
After speaking, Shang Yan entered Qiao Yu’s ID into the official website. After clicking search, he found that the Security Bureau had no file on this person. He knit his brows impatiently. “First time streaming?”
Qiao Yu replied, “Mhm.”
Shang Yan clicked his tongue and turned off the screen. “Stay behind after the questioning. A new streamer’s personal information needs to be registered with the Security Bureau.”
After saying that, he ignored Qiao Yu and turned to look at the others. “Ping’an Apartment is an Instance that has appeared for the first time, and we have detected that it has already undergone mutation. Can you briefly explain what happened inside?”
If it were a first-time Instance, they would usually have to be taken back to the Bureau for a detailed investigation. After all, the Security Bureau had been established specifically to handle the trouble brought about by the emergence of the Nine Lives Live Stream three years ago.
Shang Yan had entered the Live Stream Room for the first time four years ago, making him part of the very first batch of streamers selected. At that time, the Live Stream Room was still within controllable limits and had not yet attracted social attention.
As the number of people selected by the Live Stream Room grew, everyone finally realized that this phenomenon was contagious. It was like a flu; as long as there was one source of infection, everyone near them would be pulled into the Live Stream Room.
The only slight comfort was that the selection process had an age limit: adults between eighteen and forty years old.
Over time, the government discovered that any location could potentially manifest into an Instance. Once a place became an Instance, it would periodically pull in groups of streamers for a hunt. To protect these streamers, a department called the Special Security Bureau was established.
The Special Security Bureau registered the personal information of all streamers, recorded Instance details, and summarized the death rules for each one. This way, streamers who received a notification could contact the Security Bureau for detailed information, significantly reducing the mortality rate.
This was also why the Special Security Bureau placed such importance on newly manifested Instances, regardless of their level.
Fortunately, this new Instance had been sealed by the streamers inside as soon as it appeared, saving Shang Yan a lot of trouble.
After learning everything that had transpired in the Ping’an Apartment Instance, Shang Yan looked at Qiao Yu with a somewhat peculiar expression.
A rookie streamer who could seal a boss and resolve an extremely rare Aberration Source during their very first Instance… it was truly breathtaking.
“That’s how it happened,” Pozhan said, uncomfortably tugging at his crumpled, ruined suit, his eyes filled with a hint of anxiety.
He hadn’t showered in four days. Right now, he wanted to find a hotel immediately and clean himself up.
He wasn’t the only one. Aside from Qiao Yu, probably no streamer would be bold enough to casually take a shower when they knew a ghost might appear in the bathroom.
“Alright, I understand.” Shang Yan nodded and made a gesture of dismissal. “Thank you for your cooperation. You may go.”
Everyone felt a surge of relief. They said their goodbyes and left Ping’an Apartment.
Qiao Yu tried to slip away with them, but a quick-handed individual grabbed him by the back of his collar. “Tsk. Rookie streamers need to register their personal information.”
Qiao Yu watched longingly as Wulong Tea stood at the apartment entrance, booking a high-speed train ticket home. His entire face was written with envy.
“Sorry, I almost forgot.” |_•`)
Seeing the forced smile on the other man’s face, Shang Yan irritably tossed a tablet to Qiao Yu. “Fill in the information yourself.”
What a pain~
As if I want to waste my time here with you.
Shang Yan was feeling extremely irritable right now. He hadn’t gotten enough sleep to begin with, and then suddenly seeing this face-going from surprise to disappointment-the drop-off had put him in a terrible mood.
Meanwhile, Qiao Yu caught the tablet fumbling, his heart a mess of conflicting emotions.
Bad news: Ran into my ex-boyfriend.
Good news: I’m wearing full makeup…
No, wait-I’ve basically swapped heads.
He took a deep breath, constantly admonishing himself.
Don’t panic, don’t panic. I’ve already come back in a different body; there’s nothing to fear.
By the time he finished recording his information and handed the tablet back, Shang Yan was no longer sleepy at all. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, staring at the name column in the file.
“Do you have your ID card with you?”
Hearing this, Qiao Yu confidently handed over the original owner’s ID card without a moment’s hesitation. He even had the presence of mind to wonder where he should rent an apartment next.
Beep-
A warning tone sounded. Qiao Yu instinctively looked toward Shang Yan, only to see that the man had conjured an ID card reader out of nowhere. Qiao Yu instantly went numb.
As for Shang Yan, he stared at the words displayed on the reader: ‘This household registration has been cancelled due to death.’
His expression… was complicated.