My bizarre resurgence: My price is the ability to trade everything.

Midnight.

The phone screen lit up.

[The Taboo of the Number 7 - Day 4 Task]

【任务内容：在凌晨12:00至凌晨6:00之间，与一个「陌生人「进行至少七分钟的对话。对话内容必须包含至少七个「7「相关的话题。】

[Task Reward: Completing this task costs 7 CP. Failure to complete the task will deduct 70 CP.]

[Warning: After the conversation ends, your memories will "resonate" with that stranger's. You may see fragments of their memories, and they may see yours.]

I stared at the screen, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.

Talking to strangers...

At least seven minutes...

Includes seven topics related to the number "7"...

And... memory resonance?

Does this mean that the stranger can see my memories?

What do I remember?

The scales of cost? What Chen Xuan taught me? Su Mingyue?

If the other party is a member of Night Raven...

I gasped.

wrong.

calm.

Let's analyze it first.

A seven-minute conversation is not difficult.

Topics related to the number "7" are not difficult to find.

But the question is—who is this "stranger"?

The rule doesn't specify an object, which means I need to find a "stranger" myself.

But it's the middle of the night, and it's pitch black outside. Where am I supposed to find strangers?

And even if you find someone, how do you determine if they are a "suitable" stranger?

What if the other party is some kind of psychopathic killer, or...

Even worse, an embodiment of the bizarre?

I rubbed my temples, feeling like my head was about to explode.

Never mind, I'll call Su Mingyue first.

"Feed?" Su Mingyue's voice was a little hoarse, clearly she had been woken up.

"The fourth day's mission has been announced," I said.

"Let me see..."

The sound of pages turning came from the other end of the phone, followed by silence.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"This task... is a bit troublesome," Su Mingyue said.

"I can tell."

"No, you didn't notice." Su Mingyue's voice turned serious. "Did you notice a detail?"

"What details?"

"The definition of a 'stranger'," Su Mingyue said, "The rules don't say that this stranger must be someone you didn't know before. It only says the three words 'stranger.'"

I froze for a moment.

"you mean......"

"What I mean is, this person might not be a true stranger," Su Mingyue said. "He might be someone you know, but to you, he's a 'stranger.'"

Someone I know, but a stranger to me?

What does this mean?

"Wait a minute..." I suddenly realized something, "Are you implying... that person is you?"

Su Mingyue remained silent.

"We've known each other for a long time," I continued, "but if you're hiding something from me, then you're a 'stranger' to me."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"This is just my guess," Su Mingyue said, "but it's very likely."

"But... what's this memory resonance?" I asked. "If I talk to you, you'll see my memories, and I'll see yours too?"

"Yes," Su Mingyue said, "this is the most dangerous part of this mission."

I fell into deep thought.

If I talk to Su Mingyue, what will she see?

The balance of costs?

Or something else, something more secretive?

more importantly--

What will she show me?

"I refuse," I said suddenly.

"What?"

"I refuse to talk to you," I said. "What if you're hiding something from me? What if there's danger hidden in your 'memories'? I can't take that risk."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

"You've changed," Su Mingyue finally spoke, her voice carrying a complex emotion.

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't have been this cautious before."

"I wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess before." I gave a wry smile. "Zhang Hao said one thing before he died—'Don't trust anyone.' I think he was right."

You doubt me?

"I don't know who to suspect," I said, "but I won't take any risks until I figure it out."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone.

"Okay." Su Mingyue's voice sounded a little tired. "So what are you planning to do? Go find real strangers?"

"No," I shook my head, "It's too dangerous. If I encounter some strange, disguised person, I might lose my life."

"So how do you plan to complete this task?"

"I don't know," I said, "but I won't talk to you."

"Lin Xiaofan..." Su Mingyue's voice carried a hint of helplessness, "What do you think I'm hiding?"

"I don't know," I said, "but I only know one thing—if Zhang Hao wrote that sentence before he died, he must have discovered something. And before that, the person he trusted most... was probably me."

"What do you want to say?"

"I want to ask, were you among the people Zhang Hao contacted before he died?"

There was complete silence on the other end of the phone.

I heard Su Mingyue's breathing become rapid.

"No," she finally said. "I have no private contact with him whatsoever."

"But you know him."

"Yes. I know," Su Mingyue said, "but that's because I'm investigating Zhang Hao's death, not because we know each other."

How do I know you're telling the truth?

"You don't know," Su Mingyue's voice turned cold. "You only have the choice to believe it or not."

I did not answer.

She's right.

In this world, I no longer know who to trust.

"I'm hanging up," I said.

"Wait a minute," Su Mingyue suddenly said.

"What?"

"Believe it or not, I have to tell you something." Su Mingyue's voice turned serious. "That phone call Zhang Hao made 7 minutes and 07 seconds before he died wasn't something he initiated."

"What do you mean?"

"It was the other party who called him," Su Mingyue said. "And... although the number's location was listed as Jiangcheng University, the signal source... was coming from within the General Administration."

I was stunned.

Internal to the General Administration?

Are you sure?

"I'm sure," Su Mingyue said. "I only discovered this three days ago. I originally wanted to tell you today, but..."

"But you're not sure if you can trust me," I said for her.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Yes," Su Mingyue said, "Now you know. I was indeed hiding some things. But it wasn't because I had any bad intentions, but rather... I didn't know whether I should tell you or not."

Why?

"Because I suspect there are Night Raven agents within Headquarters."

My heart skipped a beat.

Is there someone named Night Raven inside the General Administration?

How did you know?

"I don't know," Su Mingyue said. "I just suspect it. That 7-minute and 07-second phone call originated from headquarters. This means either someone used technical means to spoof the signal source, or..."

"Either there really is a mole."

"right."

I took a deep breath, my mind a jumbled mess.

If what Su Mingyue said is true, what does that mean?

This means that from the very beginning, everyone I came into contact with—Chen Xuan, Su Mingyue, and everyone else—could have been pawns of Night Raven.

This means that this so-called "Bizarre Response Bureau" may have already been infiltrated.

This means... I may have been used by someone from beginning to end.

"Damn it," I couldn't help but curse.

"Now you understand why I didn't tell you, right?" Su Mingyue said, "Because I wasn't sure if you were friend or foe."

"You suspect I'm one of Night Raven's men?"

"No," Su Mingyue said, "I suspect you, like me, are a pawn being used."

A pawn being used...

I gave a wry smile.

"Alright," I said, "then I'll ask you a question."

"What's the problem?"

"What would you do if I refused to talk to you?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I will respect your choice," Su Mingyue said, "but I will continue my investigation. If you survive tonight... we'll talk again."

"What if I don't survive?"

"Then there's nothing to talk about."

I remained silent for a while.

"Su Mingyue," I suddenly called her name.

"Um?"

"Believe it or not, I have something to tell you," I said.

"What?"

"I don't trust anyone," I said, "but if I had to choose someone I could work with temporarily... I'd choose you."

Why?

"Because you didn't lie to me," I said. "At least you told me you were hiding something. That shows you still have a bottom line."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone.

"...Okay." Su Mingyue's voice sounded somewhat tired, but also relieved. "Then let's cooperate for now."

"Temporary cooperation."

"But there's one thing—" Su Mingyue suddenly said.

"What?"

"You still have to complete tonight's task," Su Mingyue said. "Whether you believe me or not, you have to find a 'stranger' to talk to."

"I know," I said, "but I won't contact you."

"So what do you plan to do?"

I glanced at the time.

12:35 a.m.

Five and a half hours left.

"I have an idea," I said, "but I need your cooperation."

"What are your thoughts?"

"I won't talk to you, but I can have a 'video call' with you."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is..." I paused, "...we can both look at each other's screens without saying a word. That doesn't count as a 'conversation,' right?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"You're crazy," Su Mingyue said.

"Maybe," I shrugged, "but it's still safer than talking to someone I don't know anything about."

"But the rules require a 'conversation,' not a 'video call.' What if it doesn't count?"

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that," I said. "It's better than dying."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone.

"Okay," Su Mingyue finally said, "I agree. But on one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"Tonight's video call was recorded in its entirety."

Why?

"Because I need evidence," Su Mingyue said. "If the mission fails, I need to know why it failed. If the mission succeeds, I need to know... exactly what you saw."

I froze for a moment.

She wanted to know what I had seen...

This means she also wants to know what's in my memory.

"Okay," I said, "but you have to give me a copy of the audio and video recordings."

"Can."

"That's settled then."

"Wait a minute," Su Mingyue suddenly said.

"What's wrong?"

"What device are you planning to use for tonight's video call?"

"cell phone."

"Mobile phones are easily monitored," Su Mingyue said. "I'll give you a special device."

"What equipment?"

"I'll send it to your email later," Su Mingyue said. "It's an encrypted tablet; the signal has been specially processed, making it difficult to track."

"How did you get such a thing?"

"It's for investigation," Su Mingyue said. "Don't ask so many questions."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.

I put down my phone and leaned back in my chair.

My mind is a complete mess.

The traitor within the Night Raven...

Su Mingyue's secret...

And there's still tonight's mission...

Can I really survive tonight?

One o'clock in the morning.

I received an email from Su Mingyue.

The attachment contains the model number and password of a tablet.

"The equipment is in a drawer in the analysis room on the third floor of the headquarters," the email read. "The password is 1234567."

1234567 ......

It's 7 again.

I gave a wry smile and went to the third floor to get the equipment.

The corridor was empty, with only the echoing sound of footsteps.

Following Su Mingyue's instructions, I found the drawer and opened it.

Sure enough, there was a tablet inside.

I picked it up, and the screen lit up automatically.

The screen displays a video call application.

"Are you ready?" Su Mingyue's message popped up.

"Ready."

I clicked the call button.

The screen flickered, and then Su Mingyue's face appeared.

She sat in her room, wearing a gray sweatshirt, her hair a little messy, but her eyes were clear.

"Can you see me?" she asked.

"I can see it," I said.

"Okay." Su Mingyue nodded. "Then let's start the timer. Seven minutes."

Seven minutes.

I took a deep breath and began to use the breathing technique of "Concentrating Breath".

Four—Seven—Eight...

But just as I was about to speak, I suddenly sensed something.

It's a feeling of being watched.

From the screen.

From Su Mingyue's eyes.

Those eyes...

Something's not right.

"Su Mingyue," I suddenly called out.

"What's wrong?"

How often do you blink?

On the screen, Su Mingyue was stunned for a moment.

Why are you asking this?

Answer me.

"About... fifteen to twenty times per minute."

I stared at the screen, carefully observing her eyes.

One second... two seconds... three seconds...

She didn't blink.

Ten seconds passed.

She still didn't blink.

"You are not Su Mingyue," I suddenly said.

The "Su Mingyue" on the screen smiled slightly.

"When did you find out?"

"Your blinking frequency," I said, "is normally fifteen to twenty times per minute, which is about once every three to four seconds. But you haven't blinked for more than ten seconds."

"Just because of that?"

"There's another reason," I said. "Su Mingyue just said on the phone that she suspects there's a mole within headquarters. But it's impossible for her to appear in front of me so quickly, and for her to request a video call."

"So you suspect I'm a fake?"

"Yes." I stared at the screen. "Who are you?"

The "Su Mingyue" on the screen remained silent for a while.

Then she smiled.

The smile was strange, like a crack had appeared in the skin.

"Who am I?" Her voice changed, becoming low and hollow. "I am you."

I was stunned.

"I am another you," she said, "the you deep within the scales."

My heart skipped a beat.

Deep within the scales... is there another me?

"What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

"I'm talking about... that thing inside you." The "Su Mingyue" on the screen—or rather, the imposter Su Mingyue—slowly stood up. "You thought the Balance of Price was something you awakened? No. It's always been there. Waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?"

"Yes." She—or rather, "it"—slowly walked towards the camera. "Every Balancer is a host chosen by the scales. And you... are the seventh."

the seventh.

Am I the seventh balancer?

"This is impossible..." I murmured.

"What's impossible?" it said. "From the moment you were born, the scales were etched into your soul. Zhang Hao's death, Su Mingyue's investigation, Chen Xuan's appearance... everything is part of the Scales Plan."

"What plan?"

"The plan to awaken you," it said, "and tonight... is the final step."

last step?

Before I could react, the screen suddenly went black.

Then, a sharp pain shot through my chest.

It looked like something was trying to burst out of there.

I looked down.

The area on its chest is glowing.

A faint, eerie golden light.

That was... the light of the scales.

"The moment has finally arrived." A voice echoed in my mind, "Welcome back, the seventh Balancer."