Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 366 New Era

Dusk falls on the market town of Muxu.

After Li Ruoxi pushed open the glass door of the rooftop restaurant, a waiter led her through the lobby to the innermost private room.

Pushing open the door, Jiang Jin was already sitting there.

Upon seeing Li Ruoxi, he nodded slightly and raised his hand in greeting.

"Oh my, big star." Li Ruoxi pulled out a chair and sat down, her voice carrying her usual tone, "I heard your social media followers have increased again, and now people want to make movies about you."

Jiang Jin shook his head with a wry smile and gestured for the waiter to pour water: "The government made me open these social media accounts so that it would be convenient to promote national policies across the internet and appease the people."

His voice was low, seemingly carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

Li Ruoxi took the cup and remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Liu Yan passed away almost half a year ago."

Jiang Jin's fingers tightened slightly as he held the teacup, his brows furrowed.

"I...I must kill that Chang Wuyong!" Li Ruoxi's voice was soft, yet it carried a sharp edge.

Jiang Jin finally raised his head, looking at her with a complicated expression: "Now, there are countless people who want to kill him—the FBI, the CIA, MI6, the KGB, and even our own government. But he's still alive. Please don't do anything rash."

Jiang Jin was afraid that she would deliberately violate the monthly rules and become a reincarnator.

Li Ruoxi twitched the corner of her mouth but didn't reply.

She looked around; the private room was tastefully decorated, and a floor-to-ceiling window offered a view of the city skyline at sunset.

"You didn't just invite me to dinner today for the sake of being an internet celebrity, did you? By the way, did the restaurant owner ask you for an autograph and a photo? You can use the photo to attract customers directly."

"I just... I heard you haven't been having much luck at work lately," Jiang Jin changed the subject.

Did your brother tell you that?

"After you quit being a forensic pathologist, now."

“We won’t starve,” Li Ruoxi interrupted him, her tone tinged with self-deprecation. “It’s just that after my brother went to jail and my grandfather was placed under investigation, everyone is now kicking us while we’re down.”

Jiang Jin gazed at her thin face: "If you have any financial difficulties, you can come to me."

"Thanks." Li Ruoxi picked up her glass and downed it in one gulp, then suddenly changed the subject, "What scary dungeons have you been to lately?"

"Quite a few. Have you seen the Taiwanese horror film 'Double Vision'? I just came out of it last week."

"have not seen."

What about the American movie "Friday the 13th"?

"The one who killed someone while wearing a hockey puck? Wouldn't the reincarnators have an easy time dealing with him?"

"Jason was later struck by lightning and mutated into an undead evil spirit, which is quite difficult to deal with, but overall he is still manageable."

“I remember now, in one movie, Jason fought Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street.”

The two chatted casually about various topics, just like countless times before. But this time, beneath the surface of their conversation, a heavy weight was surging.

After the meal, Jiang Jin put on sunglasses and a mask, completely covering himself up. Li Ruoxi stood at the restaurant entrance, watching his actions with a complicated expression.

"You must kill that Chang Wuyong... to avenge Liu Yan!" she said again, this time with an unwavering determination in her voice.

Jiang Jin looked at her through his sunglasses and nodded gently: "I will."

……

Jiang Jin bought three apartments in the city center, all in the same neighborhood.

He arranged for his parents to live on the top floor with the best view, while his brother Jiang Han's family lived in the building across the street, and another apartment was rented out.

Recently, his older brother and sister-in-law have been coming over from time to time, ostensibly to visit their parents, but Jiang Jin knows in his heart that they are looking for an opportunity to see him.

Tonight is no exception.

As soon as Jiang Jin opened the door, he heard his mother and sister-in-law Lin Yue laughing and talking in the kitchen.

The father and his brother Jiang Han sat on the sofa in the living room. The news was playing on the TV, and the host calmly reported on the latest meme pollution prevention and control measures.

"Ah Jin is back." Jiang Han stood up and patted his younger brother's shoulder. "You don't need to go to the horror dungeon for a while, right?"

“Yes, we can take a break for a while,” Jiang Jin nodded, took off his coat and hung it up. “I’m going to help Mom.”

In the kitchen, Lin Yue's mother was chopping vegetables, and Lin Yue was helping her.

"Mom, let me help."

Upon seeing Jiang Jin enter, his mother's eyes lit up: "Alright, let you show off your skills."

Jiang Jin took the kitchen knife from his mother and began chopping vegetables with smooth movements.

The vegetables were quickly transformed into even, fine shreds under his hands, each cut accompanied by a strange rhythm.

"Ah Jin, your knife skills are amazing," Lin Yue exclaimed. "Is it your Hunter class skill, [Bloody Decomposition]?"

Jiang Jin didn't even look up: "Hmm. Sister-in-law, do you need me to cut some food for you to replenish your sanity?"

"Haha, no need. We ordinary people can just take SAN value stabilizing pills." Jiang Jin continued to chop vegetables silently. He knew that his sister-in-law would definitely come to ask him again.

Sure enough, while her mother-in-law turned to get the seasonings, Lin Yue leaned close to Jiang Jin and whispered, "Jin, forget about everything else. If you can arrange for Xiao Yu to study in another city, I'll be completely satisfied and never ask you for anything again. It doesn't have to be a big city, just somewhere far from Muxu City is fine."

Jiang Jin paused for a moment with his knife, then continued chopping vegetables: "Sister-in-law, Muxu City is currently under complete military control. The entry and exit checks are very strict. It's no less difficult than getting a Beijing residency permit if you want to go out to work or study for an extended period."

"I know it's difficult, that's why I'm begging you." Lin Yue's voice was pleading. "Ah Jin, what if the memetic contamination in Muxu City spreads to the urban area one day? I need to take my child out of there at least. You can talk to the leaders, so please help me. Your brother can't ask, but Xiaoyu is his only son."

Jiang Jin thought to himself: "Sigh, sister-in-law, you have no idea how many eyes are watching me, waiting for me to beg them. Such a huge favor will be difficult to ask for later. So many powerful figures and so many eyes are watching me now."

But Lin Yue, his sister-in-law, has always been good to him, so it wouldn't be right to refuse, otherwise it would hurt their friendship.

At this moment, Jiang Han walked into the kitchen, subtly dismissed his wife, and then said, "Ah Jin, don't listen to your sister-in-law's nonsense. We won't make things difficult for you. We're all born of the same parents, so why should my son have special privileges?"

Jiang Jin could hear the bitterness in his brother's words. He put down the kitchen knife, wiped his hands, and said, "Brother, I actually thought about arranging for Mom and Dad to go abroad as well, but it's really difficult. The military's management is too strict now, and... Minister Wang will be returning to China to take up his post soon."

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Zhiguo, the father, came over. He patted Jiang Jin on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "Jin, I'm an old man with one foot in the grave. I don't ask for anything anymore. Think of a way to take Xiaoyu out of here. In case... that would be enough to leave a son for our Jiang family."

Jiang Jin found the meal tasteless and unappetizing.

His family's expectations were like an invisible net, binding him tightly.

He knew their fears were real—although the memetic contamination of Muxu City was contained outside the outer ring of the enclosure, no one knew how long that defense line could last.

But he also knew that if he abused his privileges, it would become a handle for others to use against him.

After the meal, Jiang Jin drove away from the residential area.

As he passed through the outer ring checkpoint, he noticed that the number of checkpoints had increased again.

Now all the inspectors have been replaced by soldiers; you can't see a single policeman.

The line of cars waiting for inspection was very long, and there was a tense atmosphere in the air.

At that moment, an argument broke out next to the car in front.

A middle-aged man was explaining something to the soldier with great emotion, while his wife leaned against the car door, her face pale, one hand tightly clutching her chest.

"I'm taking my wife to the city for a doctor's visit; she's having chest pains!" the man practically yelled.

The soldier pointed expressionlessly to the data on his helmet: "There are hospitals in the suburbs too, you can't enter the outer ring road."

"Why can't I enter if the SAN value is above 80%?"

"The policy has changed. Your wife's SAN value has a B-level potential for decline, and based on the comprehensive assessment, she cannot enter. Please turn back immediately."

Many people took out their phones to record videos and discussed the topic.

Six months is far from enough time for everyone to accept the tremendous changes of this new era.

Jiang Jin stopped the car and walked over. He showed his identification, and the soldier immediately saluted: "Commander Jiang!"

Now, the entire Reincarnator team has been incorporated, and the government has issued certificates to them collectively.

"What's going on?" Jiang Jin asked, his gaze sweeping over the helmet display screen. The data showed that the woman's SAN value was 81%, but there was a red "B" next to it, indicating that her SAN value was rapidly declining and would likely fall below the 80% safety threshold before entering the city.

Jiang Jin took out a bottle of light blue potion from his Reincarnator watch: "This way, I can help her relieve the pain first."

He handed the medicine to the driver, then asked the couple to follow him in their car. The couple immediately expressed their gratitude profusely.

The scene outside the outer ring road is completely different from that in the city center. Many shops have closed down, there are few pedestrians on the streets, and occasionally you can see homeless people huddled in a corner.

Some once bustling commercial plazas are now deserted, with only a few convenience stores still lit up.

Jiang Jin dialed Lingzi's number and then parked at a plaza.

Soon, a white sedan drove up and stopped next to him.

Lingzi got out of the car, wearing a light gray trench coat, her long hair swaying gently in the night breeze.

"Commander, where is the patient?"

Jiang Jin briefly explained the situation. Lingzi nodded, walked to the couple's car, and gently placed her hand on the woman's forehead. A soft aura of healing emanated from her palm, and the woman's complexion improved visibly.

After the couple left, expressing their gratitude profusely, Jiang Jin said to Lingzi, "I'm sorry to have made you come out so late at night."

Reiko shook her head, her smile gentle: "I'm happy to be able to help the leader. How about... we take a walk around the area? I really like the night view here."

Jiang Jin took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

The two walked slowly along the empty square, their footsteps sounding particularly clear in the quiet night.

The fountain in the center of the square had dried up, and the bottom of the pool was covered with fallen leaves. Most of the surrounding shops had their shutters down, with only a few still displaying their signs.

Jiang Jin knew Lingzi's feelings for him, but he had no time to think about personal matters. The thought of revenge burned like a fire in his chest, leaving little room for other emotions.

"Captain, I recently used the Evil Spirit Bookmark to return to [Midnight Bell]," Reiko asked softly, breaking the silence. "Thank you for helping me exchange for such a precious item as the Evil Spirit Bookmark."

"It's okay, you can visit your child anytime you want."

Just as they were about to return to their parking spot, a piercing crash shattered the tranquility of the night!

(End of this chapter)