At ten-thirty that night, the area around the Tongxiang Street underground mall was packed solid.
Two intersections away from Tongxiang Street stood the newly appeared mirage, layer upon layer of lush green mountains. It was already a spectacle in itself, and now police cars and vehicles marked “DAIC” kept passing through, drawing crowds of people who followed along to watch.
This was a commercial district. To prevent a stampede during the evacuation of the underground mall, the police had deployed a large number of officers. The intersection had already been sealed off and cleared, but it was still packed with onlookers.
The white pickup passed through the mountain mirage, and Fang Huan Xing lifted his head.
Projection-like mountains, dazzling neon lights, streets full of people and cars, the visual noise turned all the way up. This was his first time in a real city center.
“…Brat?”
Shang Lu called him twice before he came back to himself. “What?”
Bringing the brat somewhere crowded always left Shang Lu uneasy. There were too many unknown factors. He had deliberately parked farther away, but the road here was narrow, so the truck had to hug the wall. “How about you wait in the car for a bit while I go take a look first?”
Fang Huan Xing refused. “No need.”
Shang Lu said, “Fine,” then leaned over and reached across to open the passenger-side door.
The distance between them narrowed again.
There was a very faint fragrance on Shang Lu, though Fang Huan Xing couldn’t tell whether it came from his clothes or his hair.
The scene at the clinic resurfaced in Fang Huan Xing’s mind, and he found it strange. This person was different from Xiao Huang and different from Captain Xie too. Physical contact with him felt hard and solid, probably because his shoulders were broad and his arms were long. The feeling of being held by him just now had been very dangerous.
Conclusion: too big.
What did he eat to grow like this?
After opening the door, Shang Lu glanced at him. “What are you spacing out for?”
Fang Huan Xing looked back at him. “Don’t suddenly get this close.”
Their eyes met. Shang Lu said nothing for several seconds before the corner of his mouth finally curved. “I got close because I can only get out on your side, Xiao Xing.”
Xiao Xing.
Fang Huan Xing pressed his lips together, opened the door, and got out.
Shang Lu followed right after him, squeezing out through the passenger side as well.
The two strode toward the scene. The moment the mall entrance, crisscrossed with police tape, came into view, Fang Huan Xing stopped short.
Shang Lu asked, “You sensed something abnormal?”
Fang Huan Xing nodded. “Mm.”
After spending time together a few times, Shang Lu already knew Fang Huan Xing had a special sensitivity to spatial anomalies.
At the hotel and at the hospital, Fang Huan Xing had always been the first to notice something was wrong. Shang Lu still hadn’t found a chance to ask exactly how he sensed it, how strong the sensation was, or whether it had anything to do with his ability, but he also knew very well that even if he asked, this guy probably wouldn’t tell him.
They showed their IDs and entered the underground mall, where Group Three had already assembled in full.
Spotting Shang Lu from afar, He Zhen quickly walked over. “What’s this, Bird Bro? Feeling generous enough to come help us out instead of going home after work?”
Elio’s Notes: He Zhen is teasing Shang Lu with a play on the Lu in his name, which means “egret,” hence “Bird Bro.”
“You’re thinking too much,” Shang Lu said. “Jia Ying didn’t tell you I have a case connected to this place?”
Since Zhou Jia Ying knew about the case, the information must have come from He Zhen.
As for exactly how she had found out, and whether Group Leader He had eagerly rushed to report it, that was none of Shang Lu’s concern.
With her short hair tucked behind her ears, long legs in tall boots, and a gray vest layered over her shirt, He Zhen looked less like a group leader from the Anomalous Case Department and more like a female celebrity from a fashion magazine.
Shang Lu thought she looked like she was about to go horseback riding. She’d tried a little too hard.
He Zhen looked at Shang Lu, then at Fang Huan Xing. “I heard you two are living together?”
Shang Lu: “Jealous I have someone to split the rent with?”
He Zhen was still hung up on the fact that her group had one fewer member than Group Seven, and she had also just heard that Fang Huan Xing had saved people at the hospital.
She ignored Shang Lu and turned to Fang Huan Xing instead. “Group Leader Shang is a notorious workaholic who doesn’t understand work-life balance. It’s this late and he’s still dragging a brand-new intern like you into overtime. If you change your mind, you’re welcome to join Sister Zhen’s group anytime. Sister Zhen’s group has good food and plenty of fun, and I even have a spare room for rent at home.”
Fang Huan Xing asked, “How much?”
He Zhen: “Thirty-five hundred, I guess. My place is big.”
Fang Huan Xing turned his face away. “.”
He Zhen: “Huh? What does that mean? Are you interested or not?”
Shang Lu stifled a laugh. “I’m sure that was already him being very polite to you, Group Leader He.”
A burst of commotion sounded in the distance, drawing all three of their attention.
The underground mall was packed with every kind of little shop imaginable: clothing stores, creative-goods shops, restaurants, milk-tea shops, arcades, everything one could want. After the evacuation, most of the businesses had stopped operating.
The person making all the noise was the owner of an aquarium shop, surrounded by several police officers and members of Group Three.
Shang Lu asked, “What’s going on?”
“Six people are trapped in different locations. They’re all conscious, and only one is injured.” He Zhen took out a tablet and motioned for them to look at the screen. “One of the trapped people is inside this aquarium shop.”
The tablet belonged to the underground mall’s management, and it displayed the live surveillance feed.
He Zhen enlarged the image, making the inside of the aquarium shop clearly visible. Blue light illuminated rows of fish tanks, with beautiful fish of every color swimming through the water.
Looking through the storefront, a pair of legs could be seen below the ceiling. They wore sneakers and hung above the largest fish tank, anxiously pacing through midair as though walking on solid ground. Looking upward, everything from the thighs to the waist was clearly visible, while the upper body had completely disappeared into the white suspended ceiling.
“Doesn’t it look like a bug, like he clipped through the map?” He Zhen joked, though her expression was anything but relaxed. “We climbed into the ceiling space right away and confirmed it was empty. There was no person up there; his upper body simply doesn’t exist above the ceiling. Fortunately, communication works fine. We can’t see him, but we can hear his voice. The other trapped people are in roughly the same situation, and it’s typical spatial folding. But I suspect there’s also an effect on collective memory, because after questioning them, every trapped person said they entered Tongxiang North Road Station and firmly believes you can take the subway here.”
Shang Lu asked, “What’s the situation now?”
The owner was still shouting.
He Zhen said, “We need to clear the area. The investigation may involve cutting the power, and we don’t know when the case will be resolved, so he’s worried about this batch of fish. We promised we’d switch to backup power in time and take care of them on schedule, but he still refuses to leave and insists we sign a compensation agreement. We can’t exactly use force either.”
Shang Lu said, “These fish are all different species, and the shop has coral too. Any problem with oxygenation, circulation, or temperature control could kill them, so the loss really could be substantial.”
He Zhen said, “You even know that?”
Shang Lu replied, “It’s common knowledge. For example, look at that blood-red arowana. Whether it has a chip and certificate is hard to say, but if something actually happens to it, the loss could reach tens of thousands.”
“That’s your common knowledge, not ours,” He Zhen said. “All I know is that we really can’t approve the amount he’s demanding. Since you’re already here, how about you…?”
Shang Lu gave her a look.
He Zhen returned it with a sincere smile. “Since you’re already here anyway.”
Only then did Shang Lu tell Fang Huan Xing, “Wait here,” before striding toward the aquarium shop.
He Zhen complained, “He watches you so closely. It’s like he’s afraid you’ll run away.”
Fang Huan Xing had nothing to say.
He was actually starting to get used to it.
“Don’t worry about your Brother Lu. He’ll figure something out.” He Zhen smiled and patted his shoulder. “Come on, I’ll take you to learn about the other trapped people first. While we’re at it, tell me how this case is connected to your group’s case.”
Six people were trapped in the underground mall, and they had already seen the one stuck in the aquarium shop’s ceiling.
Of the remaining five, one had appeared in an arcade near the aquarium shop with his lower body stuck in the floor, though he could still move. Another was stuck inside a mall wall, with both his front and back exposed and his breathing normal.
Another trapped person couldn’t be seen with the naked eye at all. Only his voice could be heard.
The police and mall security judged that his entire body was probably inside the wall near the elevator lobby.
“Have you found my kid?” The trapped man was extremely anxious. “My phone has no signal, my wife is away on a business trip, and my child is home alone doing homework. It’s so late and I still haven’t gone back, so he must be terrified.”
A police officer answered, “Don’t worry, sir. We’ve already sent officers to your home.”
The final two people were completely suspended in midair. At first the police could only hear someone talking, and it wasn’t until they went down to the second basement level that they noticed the pair near decorations on the ceiling. One of them had missed his footing in the invisible space, fallen, and started bleeding heavily from his injury.
“He’s lost so much blood. I used my clothes to bandage him the way you taught me, but I don’t know if I did it right.” The girl on the ceiling shouted down to the people below. “He looks like he’s about to pass out.”
Medical staff and police were gathered below. “You did it right! Keep pressure on the wound. There’s no better option right now, so the injured man needs to stay still and keep as calm as possible!”
The girl said, “Okay! He says he wants you to call his company and ask for leave on his behalf because he has a very important meeting tomorrow! And please contact his family too.”
The police asked, “You two aren’t together?”
The girl and the injured man were complete strangers. She also seemed unable to see what was below, so she could only feel around, lie prone on an invisible surface, and look downward.
“No, we’re not together.” She looked close to tears but didn’t cry. “I still need to get back and bring my mom her medicine.”
The police said, “Don’t panic. Hang in there. We’ll definitely get you out. Tell us what medicine she needs, and we’ll deliver it to your mother.”
…
“Pretty eerie, right?”
He Zhen said to Fang Huan Xing.
“I joined the Anomalous Case Department because I heard the work was never boring. I came for the weird stuff. What about you? Why did you join?”
Group Leader He asked every newcomer this question.
Fang Huan Xing didn’t answer.
He had his reasons.
He Zhen sighed, her expression still fairly calm. “The truth is, you only understand after you actually come into contact with it. I’d rather not have any of this weirdness, much less the excitement. Look at the people affected by it. They’ve been dragged into disaster for no reason at all. If you want thrills, wouldn’t it be better to find them in a game?”
They had just finished going over the trapped people’s situations when Zhou Jia Ying arrived. “Where’s Brother Lu?”
“Your Brother Lu is using his cash superpower.” He Zhen didn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest that she had failed to win Zhou Jia Ying over. “Come on, this kid doesn’t like talking. Tell me how the cases are connected.”
Zhou Jia Ying was equally natural about it. “Sure. I brought some recordings provided by another fusion-disease patient from a few months ago who also mentioned Tongxiang North Road Station.”
He Zhen said, “Perfect. I’ll take you to see the trapped person over there so he can tell you what he knows. Xiao Xing, call Shang Lu over in a bit.”
For now, it looked like the two groups would need to work the case together, which suited Group Leader He just fine.
Fang Huan Xing waited for Shang Lu in Group Three’s temporary work area and saw a dog so ugly he didn’t want to look at it twice.
It stood on three legs with its face buried in a lunchbox, snorting and grunting as it ate.
Sensing someone nearby, the ugly dog raised its rice-speckled face. It was the first time they had been this close, and man and dog stared at each other for several seconds before San Tiao suddenly bared its teeth at Fang Huan Xing and let out a low growl.
A police officer walked past.
Members of the Anomalous Case Department pushed a large spatial phase regulator past.
San Tiao turned vicious, barking furiously at Fang Huan Xing until its leash pulled taut.
Fang Huan Xing watched the ugly dog lose its mind with a cold expression, pulled some beef jerky from his pocket, and chewed through the strips one by one.
San Tiao completely lost it.
“What are you doing?” Shang Lu picked San Tiao up. “Did He Zhen eat all the snacks Dad bought you? If you’re trying to get food out of this big brother’s mouth, even growing two more legs won’t help.”
Fang Huan Xing: “…”
That family hierarchy didn’t seem quite right.
“Shang Lu!” He Zhen called as she returned. “Bring the dog over!”
Only then did Shang Lu put the dog down and remove the leash. Tipping his chin at Fang Huan Xing, he said, “Come on.”
Fang Huan Xing asked with disgust, “Why did you bring it?”
Shang Lu stopped, his dark eyes fixed on Fang Huan Xing as he lowered his voice and asked, “Cats and dogs have never gotten along, but even you knew to use food as a cover, so don’t you know why it was barking at you?”
Fang Huan Xing fell silent.
Shang Lu was much smarter than Fang Huan Xing had imagined, and he already knew that.
But being seen through didn’t feel good at all.
Also, what did he mean, cats and dogs had never gotten along?
Where was the cat?
The two of them brought the dog to the aquarium shop, where the spatial phase regulator was already running and its screen continuously displayed fluctuations in the reality baseline.
Half of the trapped person’s body was inside the ceiling, and although they couldn’t see him, they could hear his voice. “You’re here? What do you need me to do? Should I try crouching?”
“Don’t move around!” a Group Three member shouted up at him. “We need to check what things are like on your side first!”
The trapped man sounded very excited. “Oh, oh, okay, got it! The Anomalous Case Department’s instruments are precise, so I won’t move around and accidentally step on one! Hey, make sure you record this. I want to watch it after I get out!”
Everyone: “…”
He Zhen beckoned. “San Tiao, come here.”
The moment Shang Lu put it down, it scampered happily over, and all he could do was curse under his breath, “Ungrateful mutt.”
Group Three set up a ladder, and He Zhen held San Tiao up to sniff the half of the man’s body protruding down through the ceiling. It was still ugly, but somehow it looked much smarter now.
“San Tiao may have come into contact with an anomalous interference source on the fishing boat. It can smell whether a living being is carrying a reality anomaly, which means it can smell whether someone shows signs of positional overlap.”
Shang Lu told Fang Huan Xing this as though it were something entertaining, watching for his reaction.
“I had no idea when I adopted it. He Zhen took pity on it and brought it along to a field scene, and that’s how she discovered it.”
What’s the big deal?
Fang Huan Xing walked over to the phase regulator, watching the fluctuations on its display as he looked around.
“Don’t worry. Only the reality baseline is abnormal. This gentleman is normal in every other respect, just like the other trapped people.”
On the other side, He Zhen was discussing the situation with everyone.
Shang Lu said, “Saving people comes first. For now, we need to reconstruct the original layout from before the spatial folding. Have each trapped person describe exactly what they can see on their side.”
He Zhen said, “We’ve already swept the entire mall and found no obvious interference source, and the calibration anchors haven’t found any area with an abnormal RG value either. At this point, our only option is to use the reality-baseline fluctuations to identify safe data and manually realign the baseline.”
“But this is too slow. It’ll take far too long,” Zhou Jia Ying said. “I’m worried the injured person can’t hold out.”
Another Group Three member said, “There’s no way around it. Without an interference source, we can’t get an accurate reference value for the folded space. The other baseline snaps back into overlap the moment it fluctuates, and the margin of error is too large, so we can only measure it slowly.”
“Overlap?”
“Right. The two lines separate just a tiny bit and then immediately overlap again, with a very distinct rhythm.”
The voices became muffled, and the scene before Fang Huan Xing stretched and blurred into the distance in an instant.
A blinding expanse of white.
Thump, thump. Fang Huan Xing heard his own heartbeat pounding inside his ears.
His head and body were covered in tubes, and he was immersed in slick water. Crackle, crackle, beep. The orderly sounds were like a countdown as two differently colored images on the wall repeatedly overlapped.
“What’s wrong?” a voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Fang Huan Xing abruptly came back to himself, still standing in the underground mall.
The aquarium shop was brightly lit, with blue and orange light reflected across the water. As the ornamental fish swam, soft ripples of light played over his face.
Shang Lu stood in the same wash of light.
Within layer after layer of rippling water-light, he stood with his arms folded in a relaxed posture, quietly asking Fang Huan Xing at a volume too low for anyone else to notice.
“Not feeling well? Or are you sleepy?”
Shang Lu reached out and lightly stroked the back of Fang Huan Xing’s head in a soothing gesture.
The faint tremor in Fang Huan Xing’s palm slowly subsided, as though after plummeting at tremendous speed, he had finally landed on solid ground.
“Someone definitely tampered with the reality baseline here,” he said. “I recognize this rhythm.”
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