Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 365 The New Nirvana Team

At this moment, when Jiang Jin looked again, the traffic was flowing by, but there was no trace of it.

“Isn’t it a bit too frequent for Ash Ghouls to appear in this location, Tiexi District?” A strong sense of unease rose in Jiang Jin’s heart.

Ash ghouls usually only operate in the Oblivion Layer and occasionally flash by in the Mysterious Layer, but their recent appearance near the main road is definitely not a good thing.

He quickly took out a brand-new iPhone, dialed a number, and said in a serious tone, "Sen Cheng, bring your team over immediately. I'm at the intersection of Dongchuan Road and Jiangcheng Road. Bring everyone you can."

At that moment, he noticed a huge official propaganda airship slowly flying overhead, its massive electronic display screen scrolling through the four new monthly rules:

1. Residents of Tiexi District are prohibited from disposing of iced coffee packaging into the "recyclable waste bin" after drinking it.

2. Women in Wenbei District must eat a raw tomato on the night of the first day of their menstrual period.

3. Residents of Pingdong District must write a diary entry of more than 50 words every day this month. The content must be absolutely true and must be completed without interruption.

4. Residents of Linkang District, if they play rock-paper-scissors with their reflection in a mirror at night, they must never choose "rock" and must never lose.

Before long, several black SUVs sped up and stopped next to the Maybach. A lean and composed young man, along with seven or eight equally capable team members, quickly got out of the cars and bowed respectfully to Jiang Jin: "Commander!"

It was Zhao Sencheng, one of the branch leaders.

Jiang Jin asked directly, "Sen Cheng, have there been any unusually high reports of Ash Ghouls appearing in this area recently?"

Zhao Sencheng immediately replied, "Commander, that's right! We've been monitoring this area during our recent patrols, and we've received three sighting reports in the past week, which is far more frequent than normal. We're investigating the cause."

Their display attracted the attention of many passersby. Some recognized Jiang Jin and began to record videos with their phones.

"That person is..."

"It's Jiang Jin, the leader of the Nirvana Team and the 'Reincarnation Hunter' appointed by the imperial court!"

"My God! It's actually Jiang Jin himself!"

"He has over 50 million followers on social media! That's more than many top-tier celebrities!"

"He's a benchmark reincarnator that the country is cultivating with all its might. I heard he can even hold video conferences with the UN Secretary-General! It's said that His Majesty also thinks highly of him!"

"Wow, he's a real celebrity! I'll post a video of him online later!"

"Hey, won't you be sued for infringing on someone's portrait rights?"

"I wasn't doing anything to help a hero, so how could I be sued for violating a celebrity's portrait rights just for taking a picture of them?"

Just then, Jiang Jin caught a glimpse of a young man on the roadside. After finishing a glass of iced Americano, he casually threw the empty glass into the recycling bin next to him!
His expression changed, and he suddenly pushed open the car door and rushed over, grabbing the young man's wrist! Then he snatched the iced Americano cup and threw it into the dry waste bin next to him.

"Are you crazy?! Do you want to be contaminated by memes?!" Jiang Jin shouted angrily.

The young man was startled, but then he suddenly revealed a nonchalant expression: "What's there to be afraid of? Maybe I can become a reincarnator because of this! With superpowers, I can go to terrifying dungeons to exorcise ghosts. It's much better than living like this, constantly on the verge of death!"

"Foolish!" Jiang Jin turned to Sen Cheng and the others and said, "This person violated the Meme Contamination Prevention Act by attempting to deliberately trigger unknown contamination. Fortunately, he failed. Please call the police and hand him over to them!"

……

That evening, Jiang Jin dragged his tired body back to the luxurious villa located in the Dingyou camp.

This villa is practically a mini-fortress, with five floors above ground and two below, covering a total area of ​​over 2,000 square meters. It features a high-speed elevator, and the underground section houses an armored garage large enough to accommodate twenty vehicles, as well as a temperature-controlled swimming pool. The entire house is controlled by a top-tier AI intelligent system and equipped with multiple intelligent robots responsible for cleaning, security, and service.

As soon as he stepped into the brightly lit living room, he was greeted by two women.

The first to arrive was the deputy commander, Lin Lu, a level 2 sorcerer specializing in Yin talismans. She was dressed in a smart combat uniform modified into civilian clothes, with her hair tied in a neat ponytail. She had a pretty face and was holding a tablet computer, clearly handling official business.

Beside him was the team doctor, Zhuyou LV1 Zhuyan Master Asakawa Reiko, dressed in a simple and elegant home outfit. With a gentle temperament and a soft smile on her face, she naturally stepped forward like a wife waiting for her husband to return home and helped Jiang Jin take off his coat.

"Commander, you're back," Lin Lu said, her tone full of concern. "The meal is ready. It was made by Sister Lingzi herself and has been kept warm."

Then, she raised the tablet in her hand: "This is the team's main activity report and profit summary for this week, including detailed data on our clearing of the [Child's Play] and [Scream] dungeons. The harvest of Resentment Crystals and Shards is 15% higher than expected."

Reiko Asakawa said softly, "Captain, you mentioned last time that you wanted to stock up on another batch of SAN replenishing potions for the team. I went to the official market and several large black markets today. The price is rising almost every day, and the supply is tight. However, a few large suppliers said that if we order in large enough quantities, and considering your reputation as Captain Jiang Jin, they can offer us a 20% discount."

Jiang Jin rubbed his temples, nodded, and then said to Lingzi, "You can decide on the price; I trust your judgment. Give me the receipts and purchase list later, and I'll sign them for reimbursement."

After all, resentment crystallization is not taxed, and no invoice can be issued; financial reimbursement only requires receipts.

"Also, guild leader, your sister-in-law called earlier. You should have been in the [Hell Apartment] instance at the time. She said..." Lingzi lowered her voice, "that she had something to ask you... it seems she hopes to send your nephew to a boarding school outside Muxu City..."

Jiang Jin sighed. Ever since he became a hunter appointed by the imperial court, relatives he hadn't contacted in eight hundred years would come looking for him, let alone his sister-in-law who had always taken good care of him. It would seem heartless to refuse, but he couldn't set an example by giving his sister-in-law special treatment. Now, the monitoring department had a completely new atmosphere under the military's reorganization.

Just then, a shadow darted out from behind Jiang Jin and affectionately rubbed against Lin Lu's calf—it was Deathstroke!

Its body is now much more solid than before, clearly indicating that it has been well "fed".

Lin Lu squatted down, gently stroking Deathstroke's head, and said with a smile, "Deathstroke, are you happy? We've harvested quite a few resentment crystals this time, so we can feed you more and make sure you're full!"

Looking at the intimate interaction between Deathstroke and Lin Lu, Jiang Jin said helplessly, "I feel like Deathstroke is closer to you than to me."

Lin Lu looked up and blinked: "Captain, you are powerful, but you are really not good at taking care of and getting close to pets. Now, every time Deathstroke comes back from the contaminated layer, he deliberately appears in the mysterious layer and runs to me wagging his tail and acting cute."

Watching this slightly heartwarming scene, Lian De, who was secretly observing from the corner of the corridor, nudged a refined-looking young man with a buzz cut and wearing glasses next to him with his elbow, lowered his voice, and winked, saying, "Lin Shan, the betting has started! Guess who our commander's second wife will end up with? I bet on Sister Lingzi, ten crystallized resentments!"

Lin Shan adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a gleam of wisdom, or perhaps a gossipy light. He calmly analyzed, "I bet on Vice Commander Lin, also ten points. Miss Lingzi is gentle and virtuous, but Vice Commander Lin has fought alongside the Commander, their teamwork is impeccable, and she's clearly more proactive. The Commander may seem cold, but she's deeply sentimental; the camaraderie that developed from long-term companionship is more likely. Most importantly, Vice Commander Lin has amazing potential. Once she advances to LV3 and marries the Commander, the boost to her strength will be astonishing."

The two exchanged a smile and continued to secretly observe the subtle atmosphere in the living room.

...Afternoon.

At this time of day, the zoo should have been bustling, but an unusual silence quietly crept in along the path leading to the rabbit enclosure.

It was in this silence that Chen Ming realized he was lost.

He remembered that he had just been enjoying the shade under the huge banyan tree at the edge of the rabbit enclosure. Although the fifth rule of the visitor guide clearly stated "Do not stay alone under the shade of trees in the rabbit enclosure", he just felt that the rule was inexplicable. The weather was so hot, and it was cool and comfortable under the shade of trees, so why couldn't he stay there?
But now, he regrets it.

The surrounding scenery had become unfamiliar. The once clear road signs seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, making them blurry and indistinct no matter how you looked at them.

He tried to walk back according to his memory, but after several turns, he always found himself back where he started, or in a completely unfamiliar place.

A chilling sense of panic slowly crept up his spine.

He muttered to himself, recalling rule number 10 of the visitor guidelines, which stated that if he violated any of rules 1-9 and found himself lost, he needed to find the nearest beverage shop within 15 minutes, look for the blue-clad employee, and then have him taken to the lion enclosure!

He suppressed his panic and started running, his eyes anxiously searching for any possible location that might be a beverage shop.

Time passed second by second, and he could feel an invisible pressure gathering around him, and the air seemed to become viscous.

Finally, after turning a corner, he saw a beverage shop.

However, his heart sank when his gaze fell on the salesperson behind the counter.

That's not a blue uniform.

It was a pure black uniform, well-tailored and smooth in texture.

The woman in the uniform was arranging shelves with her back to him.

She had a tall and straight posture, and her long, black hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall. Even from this angle, her extraordinary temperament was evident.

Chen Ming recalled that the rules clearly stated to look for "salespeople wearing blue uniforms" and warned that "if you see a salesperson wearing a black uniform, pretend you didn't hear anything they say to you."

However, he had already wasted too much time; this was the only open beverage shop he found after getting lost.

As if sensing the movement behind her, the woman slowly turned around.

The woman was extremely beautiful, and her figure, wrapped in a black uniform, was even more curvaceous, with her breasts rising and falling, leaving Chen Ming stunned for a moment.

"Do you need help?" the woman asked, her voice clear and melodious, yet mechanically flat and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Chen Ming opened his mouth, then, remembering the warning in the rules, stammered, "I...I'm lost..."

The woman tilted her head slightly, sizing him up.

Then, she did something that almost froze Chen Ming's blood.

She raised her right hand and pointed to the shelf, and in that instant, Chen Ming clearly saw something wriggling in the cuff of her black uniform.

There were several gray, strange insects peeking out from the edge of the sleeve, slowly wriggling!

"Would you like to buy some drinks first?" The woman's voice pulled him back from his shock. Her expression remained unchanged, as if the strange sight on her cuff had nothing to do with her.

"How about some rabbit blood to start?"

Chen Ming's breathing suddenly stopped.

Rabbit blood!

Rule 4 explicitly warns: "The zoo's beverage shop does not offer 'rabbit blood,' and if you see it on the shelf, please do not buy it."

And now, this woman in a black uniform with unidentified objects wriggling on her cuffs is directly recommending "rabbit blood" to him!
At that moment, he dared not look at the shelves!
Fear overwhelmed him like a tidal wave!

He wanted to turn and run away, but his body wouldn't obey him.

“I…I won’t…” he tried to refuse, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, and the wriggling at the cuffs became more pronounced, with several thin, insect-like black shadows undulating beneath the fabric.

Chen Ming suddenly took a step back!
"No! The tourist rules say we can't buy it!" he almost shouted, then turned and ran wildly, not daring to look back.

He didn't know how long he had been running until the burning pain in his lungs forced him to stop. He bent over, gasping for breath, his heart pounding wildly!

"It's a hallucination, it must be a hallucination caused by being too nervous..." He tried desperately to comfort himself, but the soul-searching fear felt incredibly real.

We must find the staff member in the blue uniform and go to the lion enclosure! Then, we heard four white lions roaring together!
He ran wildly down the maze of narrow streets, and finally, the outline of another beverage shop appeared beside the main road!
He stared intently at the store until he could clearly see the familiar blue uniform behind the counter.

It was a middle-aged male employee who was wiping the counter; he had an ordinary face and a slightly tired expression.

"Hello! This is Article 10 of the Tourist Rules! I... I'm lost! I've broken the rules!" He rushed to the counter, his voice hoarse and urgent.

The employee in the blue shirt stopped what he was doing and looked up.

"Which rule did you violate?" The employee's voice was calm, even somewhat rigid.

"Fifth, I...I stayed in the shade of the trees in the rabbit park! Alone!" Chen Ming answered hurriedly, not daring to hide anything.

The employee nodded, put down the rag, and moved slowly and deliberately.

"Come with me."

(End of this chapter)