Zheng Fan leisurely strolled back to the office in the afternoon.
He found Lin Yilin and Hong Yijia gathered around the desk, seemingly discussing something.
"You're back, Illusion Mister. I thought you'd keep wandering until evening," Lin Yilin noticed Zheng Fan.
"Because I felt like there was something I needed to tell you in advance. What are you two doing?" Zheng Fan walked closer and asked.
"A notice from the Processing Bureau. They need the various offices to cooperate on the thirty-first."
"I see."
"How was your talk with Ye-jie?" Lin Yilin suddenly asked.
Zheng Fan looked at her, "You're using your intelligence network to monitor that crazy woman, huh?"
It was impossible for Zheng Fan to be monitored, so the only way to expose his movements was through people he interacted with. It was a simple truth.
Lin Yilin said, "She's an enemy we need to focus on tomorrow, so it's normal to monitor her in advance, isn't it?"
"Ah, I thought you'd be a little conflicted because of your relationship with her."
"Why? Ye-jie rarely even does anti-reconnaissance. Monitoring her doesn't require much manpower or effort. It's perfectly normal to keep an eye on her as preparation for tomorrow's events," Lin Yilin said casually.
She then added, "Besides, precisely because I value it, I need to handle all the key aspects well. Although the most fundamental reliance is Illusion Mister's strength, I don't have a habit of sitting idly by."
Hong Yijia nodded in agreement beside her.
"You have a point. I underestimated you," Zheng Fan could only say. It seemed what he wanted to share was no longer necessary.
Indeed, that crazy person was conspicuous wherever she went, unlike Jiang Si, who had a hidden constitution.
"Speaking of which, what Ye-jie was asked to do by the Processing Bureau is probably related to what we're doing tomorrow," Lin Yilin turned her attention back to the computer.
After watching for a while, Hong Yijia took out her phone and started operating it.
"Elaborate," Zheng Fan said.
Lin Yilin explained, "There's a group that intends to launch an attack on June thirty-first, targeting the various unit strongholds of the Processing Bureau."
"Gang?"
"No gang would have such intentions right now. It might be a bit more troublesome than a gang," Lin Yilin said, looking up at the ceiling. "A religion."
"Oh, ho," Zheng Fan raised an eyebrow slightly.
A religion within Dadu, in a sense, wouldn't that be very dangerous? For an Illusion, if guided properly, wouldn't that be a massive experience package?
As he thought about it, Zheng Fan even felt a little greedy.
"Is it worth taking seriously?" Zheng Fan asked.
"It is, because it's a religion with an Illusion in charge, so it's not a small matter. Even if their people are generally of low quality, the Illusion, nourished by so many people, can easily cause huge losses once it exerts its power, especially with the Black World overlapping," Lin Yilin said.
Hong Yijia added with a headache, "That's why our Processing Bureau strictly prohibits the collective nurturing of Illusions. It's considered taboo within Dadu. You know, raising an Illusion as a 'god' can really produce some strange things. Religious ones are especially so. These idiots, why are they choosing now to jump out?"
"What do you need to do?" Zheng Fan inquired.
"Small offices like mine won't be assigned much work. It's probably just going to a nearby stronghold to make up the numbers. After reporting, we'll have free rein. It won't interfere with our plans," Lin Yilin said.
Zheng Fan nodded, "It's good if there's no major impact."
Hong Yijia, however, sighed, "How could this happen? I said I didn't want to work on the thirty-first this time, but because of these guys, I guess I'll have to go back."
"There's nothing we can do. If they mobilize a large number of offices, external consultants like you will have to show up," Lin Yilin offered a not-so-comforting comfort. "You won't be separated for long. Maybe you'll even be right next to each other."
Hong Yijia complained a few more times, then put away her phone and said to Lin Yilin, "Speaking of which, Xiao Lin, you were already following this cult, right? This is an opportunity."
Hearing this, Zheng Fan also remembered something he had forgotten to ask. He hadn't really cared much about these things before: "Yes, what kind of religion is that?"
"Earth Tremor Society. A religion born from the chaos of the earthquake ten years ago. Although it has largely disappeared in recent years, signs of its activity still frequently emerge. I've been keeping an eye on it..." Lin Yilin introduced it unemotionally.
"Related to the earthquake ten years ago, then the Illusion presiding over this cult is...?" Zheng Fan immediately thought of Lin Yilin saying that the earthquake that year was not a natural phenomenon.
"I don't know. Although all intelligence indicates that the Earth Tremor Society has an Illusion god that they have worshipped for a long time, the true identity of that Illusion has never been confirmed. Everything is shrouded in mystery," Lin Yilin did not confirm, saying as she touched the scar on her face.
"So, while we don't know why they're suddenly taking action this time, at least we can confirm their true nature. Are they really the mysterious masterminds behind the great earthquake as rumored, or just a bunch of imposters putting on a show?" Hong Yijia added.
"Mm..." Lin Yilin responded somewhat absentmindedly.
Hong Yijia left after taking a few calls.
Lin Yilin, meanwhile, repeatedly flipped through a large amount of data and intelligence on the computer. Zheng Fan glanced at it a few times and felt dizzy, his reading phobia about to act up.
"It's quite a coincidence, isn't it? Several things seem to have collided," Zheng Fan said.
Lin Yilin looked up, "I think it's great. Shouldn't we be happy in this situation? It's like everything I've been focusing on suddenly has a breakthrough. This June thirty-first is simply a lucky day."
"It's really good to be so optimistic."
"Oh, by the way, Illusion Mister, although you might not need it, I'll tell you anyway."
"What?"
Zheng Fan was teasing Toast when he looked up at Lin Yilin, and couldn't help but freeze.
In the shadows behind the desk, Lin Yilin's eyes became particularly somber. It was an darkness unique to Lin Yilin herself, completely different from when Zheng Fan possessed her, brewing in those eyes.
No matter how respected the person standing in front, for the unscrupulous Lin Yilin, it was impossible for her not to have her own counterattack.
"...Heh, that's why I say you're truly too interesting," Zheng Fan couldn't help but laugh.
...
It was 11:41 PM. Lin Yilin changed into a light short-sleeved shirt, black knee-length shorts, and swapped her leather shoes for sneakers. Finally, she put on her coat as usual.
Zheng Fan glanced at the pattern on the front of Lin Yilin's white short-sleeved shirt: several black Earthworms tied into a knot, forming a five-pointed star.
"Is this custom-made?" Zheng Fan couldn't imagine any manufacturer producing clothes with such a pattern.
"I know someone who does this."
Lin Yilin checked her phone to confirm the time and walked out.
"So you really like Earthworms, don't you?" Zheng Fan said.
"Not bad. Perhaps after getting used to something, it becomes a liking," Lin Yilin replied.
About a ten-minute walk, there was a Processing Bureau office at Beixiao Road, which intersected Xiding Road. Lin Yilin was assigned to take care of the situation there.
When Lin Yilin arrived, many people had already gathered there.
Including the highly popular Banmu Office.
However, there weren't many familiar faces, because more capable people should go to larger offices or even directly be stationed at street sub-bureaus.
Lin Yilin reported to the Processing Bureau staff at this office.
It was very late when she arrived, but the other party, seeing Lin Yilin as such a young girl, didn't make things difficult for her.
While the other party was confirming her information, Lin Yilin surveyed the simple office and said, "This office hasn't had any sealed and stationed Illusions recently, has it?"
The Processing Bureau staff member glanced at Lin Yilin and said distractedly, "I don't know."
Lin Yilin nodded, "Okay, so there are. Then we need to be careful."
The Processing Bureau staff member had just finished confirming and handed Lin Yilin an earphone, a temporary sidearm, and ammunition. Hearing Lin Yilin's words, he couldn't help but freeze.
Before he could react, Lin Yilin simply took the items, politely nodded, and turned to leave.
In the distance, the sky darkened abnormally.
The originally clear night sky, unknowingly, seemed to be covered by dark clouds.
But what pressed down was not just simple dark clouds.
Everyone present was focused on their electronic devices, staring at the time.
Lin Yilin glanced at her phone and then looked up into the distance.
12:00, it had arrived.
Zheng Fan silently watched ahead from the side.
When he first arrived in this world, he saw darkness recede from the earth. And now, he witnessed how darkness poured into the world.
A large amount of noise came from his ears: human voices, insect chirps, roars, friction, white noise...
The whole world was different; to be precise, that world had arrived.
All the electronic devices of everyone present, after a flicker, showed abnormal numbers on their calendars. On the street, a discarded, worn-out calendar, half of which had been torn off, had its pages turn when a gust of wind blew, stopping at June.
Only the complete month of June had something that shouldn't exist—
June thirty-first.