Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 251 Garrison Mission
Around noon, several black official vehicles bearing the special emblem of the Membrane Pollution Monitoring Department drove into the compound of the Jinlin District Branch.

A group of people in crisp black uniforms with stern expressions got out of the car—it was the Ministry's Inspection Section.

The procedures were handled with exceptional efficiency and silence. The head of the inspection team simply confirmed a few key information points with Jiang Jin, presented the relevant documents, and then went directly to the temporary detention room. He took out Resai Talli, who was still defiant and shouting threats in English, and put him in the car.

Throughout the entire process, the police officers in the branch office watched from a distance, not daring to utter a sound. They watched Jiang Jin calmly negotiate with those imposing headquarters officials, and watched the arrogant foreign suspect being taken away without any politeness. For the first time, they felt genuine awe and respect for this parachuted, excessively young, and previously questioned chief.

During the handover, Jiang Jin specifically mentioned to the inspection team the bizarre attempted assassination attempt on Lei Sai in the branch office's temporary detention room the previous night. The head of the inspection team was extremely shocked upon hearing this and immediately stated that "the department will investigate," before saying anything more.

The convoy left as quietly as it had arrived, taking all the tension and stress with it.

As soon as the inspection team left, the tense atmosphere in the branch office instantly relaxed.

Many police officers, especially the veteran detectives who had previously openly or covertly resented Jiang Jin, now looked at him with admiration, a newfound sense of recognition, and a greater desire to investigate.

The fact that the headquarters' inspection department handled this sensitive foreign-related case with such "politeness" suggests that Director Jiang's influence is far beyond their imagination.

Li Ruoxi sized Jiang Jin up and down, a teasing and relieved smile playing on her lips: "Not bad, Director Jiang. I didn't expect you to actually be quite capable. Considering how cool you were at handling this today and how you didn't embarrass our branch..."

She tilted her head and waved her hand dismissively, feigning magnanimity, "I'll barely forgive you for marrying Liu Yan for a minute. Just one minute! You won't get another chance like this!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jin could only offer a helpless, bitter smile.

He could never quite keep up with this great-aunt's thought process.

……

In the afternoon, at the Nirvana team's villa.

The core members gathered in the living room, and the atmosphere was serious.

After the recent series of upheavals, the team needs to reassess the current situation and plan for the future.

Without a doubt, the Nirvana team is now a force that most people dare not provoke.

Yu Tianlun first raised the first issue: "First, it's about the Duncan Club and Black Sparrow Pavilion. We've really offended the Duncan Club a lot with the Reyss-Tarley incident. Although it seems that Minister Long and Blood Lord have temporarily suppressed the matter, we must consider the possibility of their retaliation. As for Black Sparrow Pavilion, as its tentacles in China, Shen Mohan's attitude is also worth being wary of."

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, all feeling an invisible pressure.

Being targeted by such an international giant is definitely not a good thing.

Jiang Jin pondered for a moment and said, "At present, Shen Mohan seems to be maintaining the superficial principles of 'neutrality' and 'transaction,' and the Blood Lord is also mediating among them. But we must accelerate the improvement of our strength. Only when we are strong enough can we deal with any potential threats."

“The Black Sparrow Pavilion is about to hold an auction in the black market. I had originally planned to participate, but now… I’m afraid I’ll have to think it over.” Yu Tianlun sighed. “Hopefully, the situation will improve by then.”

"An auction?" Jiang Jin was taken aback. "An auction of all kinds of props?"

"Since it's a black market auction, it won't be that simple. It might even be an auction of the Blood Key."

"The Bloody Key?"

The value of the Bloody Key is incomparable to that of the Skull Key; it represents the entire fortune of a reincarnator! The extent to which a complete key could be auctioned off is unimaginable.

"Hmm, I heard the starting bid for the cheapest item is at least a thousand Resentment Crystals. We'll need to assess our team's financial situation then. Okay, next topic, Liu Yan, what was that thing you said you'd announce?"

The second topic was raised by Liu Yan, which surprised everyone.

"Everyone," Liu Yan stood up, her voice soft yet firm, "I need to leave the team for a while, which may take one to two months."

"What?" Jiang Jin was the most surprised and looked abruptly at Liu Yan. "Liu Yan, where are you going?"

Liu Yan shook her head, her eyes filled with apology and unwavering determination: "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. But it involves the key to my advancement in the witchcraft profession... It's a secret trial that I must complete alone. I can't reveal the details, nor can I ask anyone for help."

She looked at Yu Tianlun and the others: "If all goes well, I should be able to successfully advance to... Witchcraft LV2 when I come back."

"LV2 witchcraft?!" Upon hearing this, Yu Tianlun's face lit up with joy. "That's wonderful! Liu Yan, if you can successfully advance, it will be a qualitative leap for our team! The level 2 witchcraft master is as unpredictable and difficult to deal with as well as as effective in actual combat as many ordinary level 3 combat professions! Our Nirvana team will truly be upgraded from ragtag to powerful!"

This news eased the somber atmosphere brought about by the first topic, and everyone was happy for Liu Yan, expressing their understanding and support.

After all, for reincarnators, improving their individual strength is fundamental to the survival and development of the team.

The third topic is, naturally, the team's choice of which dungeon to run next.

Yu Tianlun projected the intelligence he had gathered into a PowerPoint presentation onto the screen: "Judging from the information provided by Boss Wang from Japan and the 'compensation' from Blood Owl Lord, we have quite a lot of data on the Japanese-style horror instance. High risk brings high reward. Next, we can choose to undergo an adaptive trial in the Japanese-style horror instance—'White Plum Hospital'. Of course, the Japanese-style instance may also bring the risk of meme going out of control, so we need to vote on it within the team."

The proposal was unanimously approved.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Jiang Jin personally drove Liu Yan to the subway station.

On the platform where they parted, the couple embraced.

"Be careful, stay in touch, and notify me immediately via telepathy if you encounter any danger!" Jiang Jin hugged his wife tightly, giving her countless instructions, his eyes filled with worry and reluctance.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. You too, don't push yourself too hard in the dungeon." Liu Yan gently patted Jiang Jin's back, softly comforting him, "Wait for me to come back."

The subway pulled into the station, and the doors opened. Liu Yan gave Jiang Jin one last, deep look before turning and stepping into the carriage. The doors closed, and the train slowly started moving, heading into the distance.

Jiang Jin, however, did not even know where she was going.

……

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the doorbell of the Nirvana Residence Villa rang.

Jiang Jin opened the door, and standing outside was Wen Qi, the camp's assistant officer who always wore a professional smile.

Jiang Jin was quite surprised: "Assistant Wen, you could have just informed them, why did you have to come in person?"

“Deputy Commander Jiang,” Wen Qi smiled, her first words carrying a hint of reproach and astonishment, “you really have a lot of nerve! You dare to offend the Duncan Club so badly? And you even took it to Minister Long?”

Wen Qi now truly admired Jiang Jin. If it were her standing in front of Long Mingzhang, her legs would have gone weak, and she wouldn't have dared to utter a single word of "no." This guy, on the other hand, was incredibly audacious, daring to confront Long Mingzhang head-on! How many heads did he have?

Jiang Jin gave a wry smile, let Wen Qi into the house first, and said, "Assistant Wen, the situation is special..."

"Alright, alright, I know everything. Sigh, where's Commander Yu?"

"They all had something to do and went out first."

Wen Qi nodded and got to the point, "I have something important to discuss with you. We've received a notice from above to assign you to a permanent garrison in Tiexi District. Come with me first."

“A fixed garrison?” Jiang Jin was taken aback, only then remembering that he also had the official title of “Captain of the Twelfth Patrol Team,” which was arranged for him by Long Mingzhang. “That’s right.” Wen Qi nodded, her expression becoming serious. “You must remember that Tiexi District is a rather special area. The terminus of Line 14 is there, and that area… is also one of the closest ‘isolation zones’ to the city center, so the pressure to maintain stability is immense.”

“I understand,” Jiang Jin replied in a deep voice.

Wen Qi added, "This is a fixed garrison mission, lasting for one week. Before the garrison mission ends, you cannot apply to enter the instance for trials—unless your SAN value shows a significant downward trend and you need to enter the instance to recover. This is the rule."

"I understand," Jiang Jin said, indicating his understanding.

Upon arriving at the aide's office, Jiang Jin was given the official written garrison documents.

"So, where are my team members?" he asked, showing some curiosity about this newly formed patrol team.

Wen Qi's face revealed a subtle "you'll see" expression: "This team was formed rather hastily, and we're short-handed. For now, we can only assign you three people. Come in."

As soon as she finished speaking, the office door was pushed open, and three people walked in one after another.

Jiang Jin looked up and was completely stunned when he saw the person walking at the very front!
"Cai, Cai Xiaoyu?! What happened to you...?"

Upon seeing Jiang Jin, Cai Xiaoyu immediately flashed a bright, slightly goofy smile and scurried over, exclaiming, "Brother Jiang! Surprised? Unexpected? I told you I was coming to join you! Look, I've got all the paperwork done. From now on, I'm one of your soldiers! Please take care of me!"

Jiang Jin looked at his gleeful expression, his lips twitching slightly, speechless: "You actually came..."

It has to be said, this guy's professional skills are really something else; even a reincarnator of Li Yuanxiu's level could fall for it. It's just... a little too embarrassing.

The other two were a brother and sister. The sister looked to be eighteen or nineteen, with a high ponytail, dressed in a neat tracksuit, her eyes bright and full of energy. She became unusually excited upon seeing Jiang Jin, her cheeks flushing. The brother was slightly younger, about sixteen or seventeen, and seemed somewhat introverted and quiet, wearing headphones and standing silently behind his sister.

The older sister stepped forward, trying to appear calm, but her voice still carried obvious excitement: "Hello! Captain Jiang Jin! My name is Shi Mitao! This is my younger brother, Shi Baixuan! We...we are newly assigned team members! I...I'm your fan! You are so amazing!"

Jiang Jin was a little embarrassed by the sudden enthusiasm and could only nod: "Welcome...welcome to the Twelfth Patrol Team."

Well, now I have a passionate, immature young man under my command, a fanatical, brainless fan of mine, and a silent younger brother who seems to be a sister-complex... This team combination is truly "promising".

Wen Qi suppressed a laugh and instructed, "Alright, everyone's here. Captain Jiang, your task is to lead your team to the designated garrison location in Tiexi District before midnight tonight to report for duty and begin patrolling. Here are the location coordinates and precautions. Take the documents and go there to relieve the patrol team."

Jiang Jin took the document, thought for a moment and said, "Assistant Wen, before I go to the garrison, I would like to go home to see my parents. My home is in Yunjue District, which is east of Tiexi District, so it's on my way."

Wen Qi checked the time and nodded in approval: "Okay, but don't be too late, be sure to arrive on time."

……

That evening, at Jiang Jin's home.

The dining table was laden with dishes carefully prepared by the mother. The father, Jiang Zhiguo, the mother, Zhou Huilan, and the brother, Jiang Han, were all present.

To be honest, this time, they were all quite shocked when they looked at Jiang Jin.

Especially the father, Jiang Zhiguo, who had always thought that his younger son was useless and far less mature and promising than his older son, Jiang Han, looked at Jiang Jin with disbelief and a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment and relief in his eyes.

He silently placed a large piece of braised pork into Jiang Jin's bowl, and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Eat more... I heard that... there's a lot of memetic pollution going on in Pingdong District, it's not peaceful. Fortunately, Tiexi District is on the other side, quite far away. But... anyway, try to be careful."

The mother, Zhou Huilan, was filled with worry, constantly reminding him of various details of daily life. Finally, she suddenly remembered something and reminded him, "Ah Jin, it's the end of the month today. Remember to check your phone at midnight. The 'rules' are going to be updated. Don't forget to check!"

Jiang Jin felt a chill run down his spine, only then realizing that today was the last day of the month.

This is a matter of life and death; if the rules change, many things may change as well.

But it's not a big problem... he can change the rules himself anyway.

The family ate their meal, the atmosphere a mixture of warmth and sadness.

When his parents asked why Liu Yan hadn't come along, Jiang Jin had to explain that Liu Yan had important business to attend to and needed to leave for a while, so the wedding had to be postponed, and he apologized.

Upon hearing this, the mother immediately showed her displeasure and said, "What time is it? Is there anything more important than getting married?"
When his father asked about buying a house, Jiang Jin said it was fine and there was no need to worry.

Just kidding, he can easily exchange two resentment crystals for money and buy a big villa. It's no big deal.

After the meal, Jiang Han, the older brother, saw Jiang Jin out.

As Jiang Han walked downstairs in the residential complex, he took out a cigarette and lit it, looking rather worried.

“Ah Jin,” Jiang Han suddenly spoke, his voice low, “Now, inside the bureau… and even outside, there are starting to be some rumors about ‘superpowered individuals.’ It’s very unusual. The time you saved the children at the orphanage, and this time the memetic contamination on us was removed… tell me, are you… one of them?”

Jiang Jin was silent for a moment, then said vaguely, "Brother, there are some things... the less you know, the better. Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

He knew that the global announcement of the existence of reincarnators was not far off.

People will soon realize that meme contamination is not a somatic mental illness, but a real, supernatural horrific disaster. At that time, the world will inevitably be plunged into panic.

Jiang Han gave his younger brother a deep look, but didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he hugged him tightly and said, "No matter what, you must be careful! I know that you played a big part in making me alright this time."

As the head of the criminal investigation team, he would have better access to inside information than ordinary people.

Finally, Jiang Han asked a question that had been on his mind for a long time: "Xiao Jin, tell me, why did you insist on going to police academy to become a policeman? Most people say it's because you admire me and want to be like me. But only I know that's not it. What was it really for?"

Jiang Jin gazed at the slightly dim starry sky in the direction of Tiexi District in the distance, his eyes becoming somewhat distant, his memories gradually drifting back to the past.

"Brother, do you remember? Our family used to live next to the old industrial park in Tiexi District."

"I remember, conditions weren't good back then, but... it was quite lively."

“Hmm.” Jiang Jin nodded. “I remember once, we went to play in an abandoned factory area and saw a group of older kids ganging up on a kid who was even smaller than us. You and I couldn’t stand it, so we rushed over and stopped them.”

Jiang Han also recalled the past and smiled: "Yeah, but in the end, those brats' parents turned the tables on us, saying we were bullying them. When we got home, my parents didn't praise us. Instead, they said we were meddling in other people's business and that in this day and age, it's good enough if people can take care of themselves. Don't try to be a hero."

Jiang Jin's voice lowered: "Yes... 'Just take care of yourself'... But, brother, why does everyone think that just taking care of themselves is enough? When our parents were young, people's idols were the military and police, model workers, and Lei Feng... But now, if everyone thinks like that, who will stand up for them when injustice and bullying befall them?"

He turned to look at his brother, his eyes gleaming with a resolute determination: "I want to prove that it's not like that. I can't change the world, but at least I can avoid being changed by it. So, I decided to become a policeman. At least, wearing this uniform makes what I do legitimate."

Jiang Han looked at his younger brother, speechless for a long time, before finally patting him heavily on the shoulder: "Good lad! Go on, be careful!"

The two brothers bid each other a solemn farewell.

Jiang Jin turned around and strode towards the subway station. He was going to meet up with his new teammates and head to Tiexi District to begin his first fixed-station deployment as a patrol captain.

(End of this chapter)