Nightmare Despair

Chapter 104 Party
At noon.

An internal accountability meeting regarding the "Xinhui Industrial Park Incident" is currently being held in the conference hall on the third floor of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs.

The entire meeting room was oppressive and somber. Deputy Director Zheng Wen's face was ashen; he had been silent and gloomy since the meeting began, with veins throbbing on his forehead.

The situation in this incident is quite complicated.

A mirage wandering in the city coincidentally collided with the invasion of a nightmare reality.

Subsequent statistics showed that the incident resulted in 49 deaths, injuries, and disappearances among residents, with economic losses exceeding ten million yuan.

However, what was giving the leaders of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs a major headache at this moment was not the number of dead and injured or the economic losses.

However, in this search for patients with nightmare syndrome, the Paranormal Affairs Bureau suffered an unprecedented major failure.

"The nightmare has invaded reality... We haven't even figured out who the patient is!" Zheng Wen slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup bounce. "What am I doing, getting called by my superiors in the middle of the night to criticize me!"

"How would I know?"

"I not only don't know what I'm good for, but I also don't know what you guys are good for!"

The meeting room was deathly silent. Everyone present looked dejected, like eggplants wilted by frost.

Before the advent of the Internet age, the department in charge of nightmare affairs had ample staff and plenty of approved funding.

At that time, the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs often set up grassroots offices in streets and communities.

Within the jurisdiction of each office, patients with nightmares can usually be found within five to nine days.

This efficiency is not high, mainly relying on the sense of responsibility of grassroots civil servants, but as long as the person in charge is conscientious and responsible, there are unlikely to be any oversights.

With the advent of the internet age, the screening methods for nightmare patients have shifted online, and most of the staff of the Bureau of Extraordinary Events have also moved online.

The Bureau of Extraordinary Events' cyber surveillance force, in conjunction with an artificial intelligence screening mechanism, monitors the entire Red Star Network.

Whenever someone talks about dreams, mentions having the same dream repeatedly, or even experiences unexplained physical weakness,

The cyber force will immediately list it as a key target and hand it over to local authorities or semi-official organizations such as Wumeng for further assessment and handling.

Online monitoring has greatly improved efficiency, and there have been no major blunders like the Nightmare Intrusion in recent years.

However, this unprecedented oversight has now occurred precisely in Xishan City.

Of course, there was also good news: the subway incident was resolved smoothly without any unexpected incidents, and they once again safeguarded the city's safety.

The bad news is that although the Xinhui Industrial Park incident did not cause too much harm, the risks it represents are considerable.

If the follow-up handling goes wrong even slightly, losing one's official position is a minor matter; if social stability is compromised, then all is lost.

Zheng Wen glanced around at everyone with annoyance, then picked up the manuscript on the table and took the opportunity to announce a new strategy.

Investigate the cause of the error.

Strengthen surveillance of citizens and cancel humane treatment measures.

The Wumeng organization was temporarily reorganized into Special Operations Team Two, and Special Operations Teams Three and Four were newly established... Personnel were recruited and supplemented from martial arts forces and social forces.

……

Because he had no money to replenish the biochemical fluid, Ding San was extremely weak and could only keep his head down and remain silent.

Her hands clenched and unclenched, her heart filled with anxiety.

The cancellation of the humane treatment method... means that the value of the Dreamless Organization has been further reduced.

Although Ding San was upset, she still did not intend to oppose Zheng Wen's decision.

She understands.

The overall situation is important.

Whether it's a humane approach or a compassionate policy, it's all based on ensuring overall stability.

But now that even the most fundamental things are threatened, there is no reason to care about so much anymore.

……

In the afternoon, Zhou Qing treated everyone to a meal at a well-regarded hot pot restaurant, where the siblings, Lu Yan, and Sui Die met up.

As soon as they met, Zhou Qing sensed that something was wrong.

She looked her brother up and down a few times before realizing where that strange feeling came from—

Before, when I stood in front of my younger brother, my line of sight would reach his chin, but now it only reaches his chest.

Zhou Qing stroked her chin, secretly wondering to herself.

Could nightmares make people shorter? Lu Yan scratched her head and said, "Xiao Kai, have you grown quite a bit taller recently? And you've gotten so much stronger too. What those martial arts content creators on Pixiv said is true. Can martial arts really cause a second growth spurt?!"

Zhou Kai shrugged and laughed, "Don't believe everything internet celebrities say, but once you get the hang of it, the results probably won't be bad."

Lu Yan glanced down at her size, her eyes lit up, as if she had made up her mind and was full of energy.

Soon, the hot pot broth began to simmer and bubble, filling the private room with a rich, spicy aroma of butter.

At that moment, a television set hanging on a nearby wall began broadcasting the news: "Last night, a hazardous chemical leak occurred in the Xinhui Pharmaceutical factory building in the Xishan Emerging Industry Park, resulting in... related personnel..."

Zhou Qing's face turned pale as soon as she heard the name Xin Hui.

She sat in her seat nervously twisting the tissue in her hand, her constant fidgeting revealing her anxiety and panic.

Seeing that her expression was off, Lu Yan asked with concern, "Huh? Xinhui? Isn't that where you work? This is really disregarding employee safety!"

"It's alright..." Zhou Qing forced a smile, barely louder than a mosquito's buzz, "I happened to be working the night shift at another factory yesterday, so nothing happened."

Lu Yan snorted in dissatisfaction: "Tsk, if you really can't do it, you might as well come work for us at the factory and look after the computers. You might as well quit this lousy job."

However, just like Zhou Kai before, Zhou Qing also politely declined Lu Yan's offer.

"Okay, okay, I'll consider it..." Zhou Qing nodded perfunctorily.

Before long, all the hot pot ingredients were served.

Zhou Qing seized the opportunity to change the subject and no longer brought up what had just happened.

The women chatted about other things, and Zhou Kai didn't interrupt. He just ate his food silently, but his eyes were always on his sister, and his expression was inscrutable.

During their conversation, Zhou Qing occasionally noticed her younger brother's gaze. When their eyes met, she immediately looked away guiltily, pretending that nothing had happened.

Zhou Kai smiled slightly, but didn't say anything, and continued to focus on the food in the pot.

Of the four people present, only the brother and sister knew exactly what had happened last night.

After dinner, the four of them strolled around the mall for a while. Before parting, Zhou Kai suddenly said, "Sis, quit your job when you get back today. I've found you a new one."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing's tense nerves relaxed instantly, and she laughed, "Haha, don't joke around, bro. You haven't even found a job yourself yet, and you're already telling me to quit..."

She had no intention of resigning. Having signed a confidentiality agreement, she knew perfectly well that these kinds of incidents were rare accidents, and besides, she could simply be transferred to another position or department. Jobs are so hard to find these days; what if she resigned and couldn't find a new one?
Zhou Kai nodded seriously and said, "My ancient martial arts training is going quite smoothly. With the support of a few friends, I opened a club on the ninth floor of that office building next door... Want to go take a look?"

"Huh?" Zhou Qing tilted her head, her clear eyes full of confusion.

'Really? My brother's made it big?' Zhou Qing wondered to herself.

Zhou Kai said calmly, "It's true, the entire ninth floor is mine."

Lu Yan clicked her tongue sourly beside him: "Tsk, Xiao Kai has hooked up with a rich woman, the eldest daughter of the Vista family... giving away an entire floor like that..."

Sui Die and Zhou Qing were stunned, their complex expressions mixed with unconcealed shock, and they couldn't recover for a long time.

It wasn't until Zhou Kai led them upstairs and showed them around that they believed it was all real.

"Wow, you've really struck it rich, bro." Zhou Qing's nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Sis, why are you crying? Are you feeling pressured because I earn too much?" Zhou Kai joked.

Zhou Qing blushed and spat, "What are you saying! I'm angry... Confess properly later, how exactly did you manage to trick that young girl into your hands!"

As she spoke, she swung her small hammer and struck Zhou Kai on the shoulder.

……

……

Before leaving.

Sui Die handed Zhou Kai a black briefcase.

Inside was the night vision device that Zhou Kai had asked her to get.

Sui Die remained expressionless and said in a deep voice, "What you want."

The scene's style almost made Zhou Kai burst out laughing.

It's just like an underground transaction in the dark world.

However, theirs was a legitimate transaction with a clear exchange of money and goods, while Zhou Kai got the equipment for free by taking advantage of his sister's connections.

He suppressed a laugh and, in a perfunctory manner, extended his hand to shake hands with Sui Die: "It's been a pleasure working with you, sister."

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(End of this chapter)