He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

Everyone has high expectations for their debut work, and Ai is no exception.

"How's the...taste?"

Ai swallowed hard, leaned half her body on the table, and stared intently.

"What does it taste like?"

Cui was startled by Ai's reaction, leaning back tactically. "It's just... the taste of coffee... is there anything special about it?"

Ai looked away, glancing slightly to the side: "I thought your eyes would light up, and you'd probably rip your clothes or something. Looks like my culinary skills aren't up to par..."

They use strange talk to distract people, but secretly they teach each other secret techniques.

- Never mind, I'll look at it myself.

The skill of insight is frozen in the pupils. Ai's gaze pierces through the present world and peers into Cui's soul—the broken vessel remains dull and lifeless, and the dye added inside has no effect... The fine particles and impurities float in the red liquid, showing no intention of becoming "repair materials".

It doesn't seem to be of much use?

The medicine has been taken, but the active ingredients are not dissolving... Is this how my first attempt at alchemy fails?

—The underlying principle is incorrect.

Ai Yi hypnotizes herself: drinking goji berries for health is mainly for psychological relief, while Cui is unaware that she is being fed something strange, thinking she is just drinking coffee... This is not superstitious at all.

So he decided to use conversation to help the medication break down, so he casually started a conversation, saying, "I heard from them that you're also a young lady from the upper city?"

"I'm not a rich girl, I'm just an ordinary person."

After denying the identity Ai Yi mentioned, Cui put down her teacup and shrank back on the cushion, looking somewhat awkward.

Ai asked softly, "Did you know Inspector Wei before?"

"..." The little hand under the table unconsciously tugged at the hem of her uniform. A hint of embarrassment flashed in the girl's eyes as she said weakly, "Wei Sir is my college classmate, so... I guess you could say we know each other."

Is it even possible to have a "rough" understanding of someone?

Ai narrowed her eyes, lost in thought.

This sense of distance is too strong. What exactly did Virtin do to her?

Could it be a case of school bullying and being bullied...?

-Uh-huh?!

Ai's eyes lit up, and a highly credible guess popped into his mind—because if he delved deeper into the "not-so-good" side of their relationship, he could completely understand the "contradiction" that Cui had shown before.

There's a term for it, "Stockholm Syndrome," which refers to the complex psychological state of a victim developing special feelings for the perpetrator. In this context...

It seems to match up?

After some analysis, Ai Yi had a look of sudden realization:

Perhaps Mr. Wei left her with some kind of childhood trauma, and then this trauma was magnified by the filter of time until it transformed into a crack in her heart and a wound on the vessel.

Such perfect reasoning, just as I imagined!

Ai took a deep breath, her stomach churning with crimson fluid, and spoke as if it were casual conversation: "When I was with Wei Sir, I asked her a lot about her past. She told me about her life at the academy, and she seemed to mention one person quite often..."

Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Seizing the moment when the girl was still in a daze, he quickly glanced at the name tag on her chest:

"She mentioned a name to me, Cui, it must be you?"

"It's me..."

Cui's eyes were glazed over, seemingly lost in thought, while Ai took the opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief...

Making up stories out of thin air is indeed a troublesome task; I almost got caught, but luckily I reacted quickly.

He secretly observed Cui, who looked completely bewildered, trying to discern her current emotions and the root of her illness.

She seemed a little excited?

The three horizontal lines of the moth's pattern subtly interfered with the girl's judgment, making her thoughts more volatile and sensitive. Amidst the light, delicate fluttering of wings, the girl's unguarded mind was laid bare before Ai's eyes, leaving no secrets, not even a trace—

She wasn't just excited; she seemed so excited she was about to cry.

Uh……

Ai tilted her head, looking dazed: "What's going on?"

"Vildin, she mentioned me..."

At this moment, Cui completely disregarded the etiquette she had always upheld. Her thin chest heaved violently, and under Ai Yi's questioning gaze, tears quickly and silently fell from the corners of her eyes.

"Really?"

Her voice was trembling with tears. Although the red liquid was amplified by the moth invasion, this reaction was clearly abnormal, making Ai Yi suspect that she had overdone it.

-My seduction technique is so effective?

Her emerald eyes were misty with tears, as clear and soft as emeralds. The girl's expression was hard to decipher, as if she were crying or laughing. She was slumped over the table, trembling violently, her voice choked with sobs: "She still remembers me..."

.

Isn't this going a bit too far?

Ai felt... there was a bad feeling about this scene, like Cui was about to turn evil at any moment.

He wailed inwardly:

"Damn it, Miss Wei, what exactly did you do to her...?"

This quiet, well-behaved, and timid little girl, just from hearing your name mentioned, seems to be developing into a yandere.

This feeling is far too heavy... So you're the head of Miss Wei's support group!

Ai was momentarily startled and her hair stood on end. She even took two steps back, briefly shifting the balance of power.

Although it's said that love arises from hatred, I suspect you're being a bit too extreme.

but……

Ai narrowed her eyes slightly. In her insightful perspective, the black fragments that had been lingering in the vessel finally began to dissolve in the surging red liquid. They were then enveloped and filled into the broken cracks, gradually transforming into invisible repair materials.

You know what, talk therapy...it really works!

Although she still didn't know why Cui had such a deep obsession with Wilting, the result was good—her talk therapy technique was showing initial results. If she could continue for a few more sessions, this glass knife, completely wrapped in her palm, might actually be able to be bandaged from the inside out, and then try to present the sharp side outwards.

I'm a fucking miracle doctor.

Let's press our advantage...

Ai pushed up his glasses, his grey eyes appearing even more unfathomable in the reflection. He spoke softly to Cui, who was slumped over the table, "Although I don't know what happened between you two in the past, from what I heard from Wei Sir, Cui is outstanding, proud..."

As he continued casting the spell, suddenly, two sharp "beep beep" sounds rang out from the doorway.

The next instant, the sound of flapping wings in the room went out almost at the same moment the door opened.

Ai stiffly raised her head and saw Sherlock's half-figure walking in from outside the door, still muttering:

"Eileen, your internship application has been approved..."

He looked up, then froze, muttering softly, "Tsk, looks like... I arrived at the wrong time."

- Of course it's not the right time to cut me in half!

Ai Yi showed no embarrassment. She coughed twice and drifted away from Cui's ear. After the influence of the moth dissipated, the girl, who had recovered from her abnormal emotions, fell into confusion. She wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks and looked at a loss.

"Why are you crying?"

Sherlock frowned, his questioning gaze fixed on Ai, when in the next instant, Cui, holding her breath, abruptly stood up from her seat and bowed solemnly to the two of them: "Excuse me, I'm sorry to have disturbed you..."

Without waiting for any response, Cui, looking sullen, slapped her cheeks, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and ran away.

"Click." She closed the door.

The office fell into a deathly silence.

"What's going on? Tell me."

Sherlock's expression was strange, seemingly serious yet also barely suppressing a laugh. He slowly walked to the coffee machine and began grinding coffee powder: "I came in and saw you'd made that young lady cry. Isn't tormenting Inspector Wei enough for you?"

"Nonsense, I didn't bully her, I was just healing her with love."

Ai replied irritably. For the past two weeks, he had been hanging out with Sherlock, and the two had become quite familiar with each other, their interactions becoming increasingly informal.

In everyday life, he also defined Sherlock as an old scoundrel, while Aye himself was described by Sherlock as a "little scoundrel."

The two of them hit it off after a while, and from then on, the scourge of the Countermeasures Bureau began to visit each other in pairs.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the new executive officer parachuted in from the Upper City headquarters. You managed to make him cry, tsk tsk tsk..."

Sherlock clicked his tongue repeatedly, picked up a new mug, and started filling it with coffee: "No wonder you couldn't switch hands with Visser because of you. Looks like you have a special attack on the young lady..."

Knowing Old Deng's temperament, Ai sighed, picked up the coffee Cui had left unfinished, and drank it all in one gulp, muttering, "I just don't quite understand what's wrong with young people these days."

"Unhappy family of origin, childhood trauma, mental illness, mental problems, emotional disorders... The word 'pain' is directly engraved on the lid of the vessel, and the trigger points are more and more numerous. Either stepping on them will cause an explosion... or a gravity field will unfold. They are all born rock and roll mascots."

He shook his head, saying, "I am filled with doubt and sorrow for the future of this world..."

"Aren't you young too? You speak like an old man."

Sherlock glared at Ai, took a sip of the still-steaming hot concentrate, and said calmly, "These past few years haven't been easy for anyone. To put it more professionally... the growing pains of an economic downturn, the illusions before a bubble bursts. Everyone can feel this change."

He remarked with emotion, "For the foundation, the number of naturally awakened, wild-type qualified individuals is increasing. Five years ago, on average, one in every ten thousand people would become a qualified individual. Before the last quarter of this year is even over, the statistical proportion is already approaching one in two thousand, several times higher..."

As I said before, you can't be qualified without being crazy, which shows that everyone's mental state is not optimistic these days.

"So now, even within the foundation, the competition is getting fiercer—after all, there are only so many paths to advancement, and whether you choose to climb the ladder or curry favor is up to you."

The gray-eyed boy tilted his head slightly: "I'm clinging to Wei Sir's coattails, and I also have the Path to Glory in my hands, so things can't go wrong, right?"

Sherlock didn't deny it, and naturally changed the subject: "Speaking of Officer Wei, where is she... wasn't she going to find you?"

Ai Yi was a little dazed, hugging her mug and curling up on the sofa: "She fell asleep in the dream room. I didn't wake her up. Boss is also very tired."

"Tsk, at least you have some conscience."

Walking up behind Ai, Sherlock snatched the empty cup from his hand and placed it on his head: "Your internship review is due, I'll send it to the think tank..."

"Ding—You have a new email."

The doorway mimicked the think tank so much that a light screen appeared on his pupils.

Ai quickly scanned the document, glancing over the various comments, and finally saw the word "Passed" at the end.

"Now that my internship is over, I'll be a full-time employee of the foundation?"

Ai was still a little surprised: she didn't expect that such a big organization would make it so easy to get rid of the internship hat.

He had no idea how powerful his "backing" was. Someone else had worked diligently for a year but was still just an intern.

"You should first decide where you want to put your name on..."

Sherlock sat down opposite him, thought for a moment, and then said softly, "Wei Sir and I are both from the Execution Department, so normally it would be better if you were under the same department as us. However, you'll have to decide this yourself."

"The Countermeasures Bureau is too large, with many departments that are quite diverse. The more orthodox ones include the Execution Department, Research Department, Coordination Department, and Logistics Department... Some departments have more ordinary staff, such as those in charge of financial statistics and internal auditing..."

"For a mysterious apprentice like you, if you have ambition, I recommend the Execution Department. It's the frontline group against covert incidents. Although the work is indeed a bit troublesome and the level of danger is not low, you get the most resources and there are many ways to advance... Risk comes with reward, after all."

Sherlock watched as Ai took the cup off her head, finished cleaning it, took another sip of her coffee, and continued, "Of course, if you don't want to go to the front lines, you can prove your talent in the field of scientific research, or... if you have a strong learning ability, the Alchemy Institute and the Ritual Equipment Manufacturing Institute under the Logistics Department are also options. Anyway, the Countermeasures Bureau is a large and powerful organization, and you can find a place to eat anywhere."

It really has a very scientific internal structure.

Ai nodded silently.

As the overlord of the hive, the Foundation has ventured into almost every field, not just the occult, which makes it a bit difficult for him to choose.

After a while, Ai raised her head, blinked, and said calmly, "Where can I find the guidelines and materials needed for the Path to Greatness?"

"You mean the Holy Curtain?"

Sherlock was taken aback for a moment, then shrugged: "Well... the Countermeasures Bureau might not be able to help you."

Under Ai's astonished gaze, he explained quietly, "The Holy Curtain Path is a grand path controlled by the neighboring courtyard. Although we are ultimately from the same family, our systems are different."

"Does the Grand Road project even have different names depending on which company it belongs to?"

"Of course, the main guiding principle studied within the Countermeasures Bureau is 'Revelation,' because we are the chief stewards of the Nest City, and we need to use our brains more often. The Court of Judgment next door is 'Fire,' and the Courtyard is 'Dome,' each corresponding to three different grand paths: the Gate, the Fire Sword, and the Holy Curtain."

Seeing Ai's bewildered expression, Sherlock suddenly changed the subject: "However, it's not that absolute. After all, there aren't many apprentices on the Path of Glory. All three sides should be lenient and not leave anyone with no way out..."

"What should I do next?"

Seeing Sherlock close his eyes to rest, Ai stood up helplessly and offered him a cigarette: "Brother, give me some directions."

Sherlock calmly tilted his head back to finish the last sip of his coffee, put a cigarette in his mouth, and then slowly said, "You can go and mooch off the students in the neighboring courtyard."

Ai tilted her head: "?"

"Literally, you've been to the Dream Chamber, and you must have been inside the White Tower. As the Foundation's base at the Grand Pool, it's definitely more than just a scenic spot."

Sherlock exhaled a puff of white mist, his eyes narrowed slightly, and continued.

"Sometimes the White Tower organizes group explorations of the Grand Gift Pool. Following those beacons, mystical scholars of the same origin can form teams to enter the invisible realm guided by secret history. This is commonly known as 'running a dungeon'—by extension, you should know what 'crashing a dungeon' means."

"It really is an online lobby..."

Ai frowned and muttered to herself, "This doesn't sound very ethical, like doing something wrong... Would anyone really want me to freeload off them?"

"As long as you can demonstrate sufficient value."

Sherlock stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette, slightly raised his eyelids, and said seriously, "Whether it's the Foundation or your future teammates—people always only allocate resources and goodwill to valuable individuals. That's a simple principle, isn't it?"

Then, he chuckled and smiled again: "But if you can carry all the other newbies by yourself, who wouldn't want a pro in their team to carry them?"

-yes……

Ai suddenly remembered that in front of Wei Sir and his group of acquaintances who knew each other almost inside and out, she could only pretend to be a newbie in Jhin 2. But in a team of newbies of the same level, the fox who didn't need to hide her skills was simply... quack!

With the cheat code, he has to activate it!

Having achieved a clear objective, Ai immediately prepared to retreat:

"Thanks, uncle, I'll be going now..."

Before he could finish speaking, the fox, eager to leave work and slack off, had already disappeared halfway out of the office door. Sherlock snorted twice, took two square boxes out of his pocket, and threw them outside.

"Here, I promised to return it to you when I got back. Remember to treat yourself to something nice... But minors should still smoke less! If you're stressed, come and have a heart-to-heart talk with your older brother."

Thanks!

He swallowed the cigarette through the crack in the door, and the 24-year-old fox uncle disappeared in the blink of an eye.