Remove all restrictions and transform into a bizarre girl.

The terminal just sent the message.

Chen Nian's device vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and glanced at it; it was Su Wanqing calling her.

"Niannian, where are you? When did you buy the terminal? I haven't seen you since I woke up."

"Walking around in the center of the base," Chen Nian replied.

"Fine, you sneaked out without us!"

"You're all sleeping like pigs, how can I wake you up?"

"..."

The scene fell silent for a few seconds before Chen Nian finally gave in and asked the three of them to come out.

Chen Nian casually found a coffee shop, went in, and sat down to wait for the others. The price wasn't high; a cup of coffee could be bought for 1 Gray Coin. She drank her coffee and played with her terminal.

About 40 minutes later, she heard light footsteps behind her and stopped beside her.

Chen Nian was looking down at the settings menu on her terminal when she heard footsteps stop at the table. Thinking it was Su Wanqing and the others, she said without looking up, "Su Su's here? Have a seat. I ordered you drinks; help yourselves at the bar."

"I am not Su Su."

The voice was clear yet unfamiliar. Chen Nian looked up and saw a girl with a high ponytail standing by the table. She was about the same age as Chen Nian, wearing a beige short jacket and dark jeans, carrying a canvas bag, and tilting her head slightly to look at Chen Nian, with a half-smile on her lips.

Chen Nian paused, confirming she didn't recognize the face: "You are...?"

"Xu Xue." The girl pulled out the chair opposite Chen Nian and sat down, her movements natural and casual, as if she had known Chen Nian for a long time. "You may not have heard of me, but I have heard of you. The junior who took down the weird BOSS in Zone C with a single blow, right?"

"I heard that you also went to the mining area in Zone C and made quite a fuss about it."

Chen Nian put down the terminal, leaned back in her chair, and looked her over.

The other person's expression was frank and her gaze was direct, not seeming to have any ill intentions, but her overly familiar attitude made Chen Nian unable to figure out her intentions for a moment.

"Many people have heard of me." Chen Nian picked up her coffee and took a sip, her tone indifferent. "Which class are you in? How did you find me? And how did you know about the mining area?"

"I am a senior who has already graduated from your academy. I was also here during the welcome ceremony, and I was standing in the back row."

"Of course, you may not have noticed me, but I came to see you today because I have something to talk to you about. I don't know if you're interested." Xu Xue took out a palm-sized notebook from her canvas bag, opened it to a page, and pushed it in front of Chen Nian.

The page had a hastily drawn map with several locations marked with arrows and a few lines of small text next to it.

"This is something you might be interested in next," Xu Xue said, pointing to a location circled in red on the map.

It's another handmade map like this.

Chen Nian immediately became alert upon seeing this.

Last time, I only escaped danger by breaking through to the seventh sequence. What if she has figured out my strength and sets a trap for me this time?

Chen Nian's gaze lingered on the handmade map for a few seconds before slowly lifting it to look at Xu Xue.

She didn't reach for the notebook, but simply picked up her coffee cup and took another sip, her movements so slow it seemed as if she was deliberately prolonging the process.

"Senior," Chen Nian put down her cup, her tone calm, "Since you've heard of me, you must have learned your lesson the hard way. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would be used as a pawn?"

Xu Xue raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised by the response. Instead of immediately explaining, she pushed the notebook further towards Chen Nian: "Read it first."

Chen Nian didn't move.

Xu Xue wasn't in a hurry. She withdrew her hand, leaned back in her chair, and glanced out the window, as if waiting for something.

The coffee shop was quiet for a while, with only the low hum of the coffee machine behind the bar.

After a dozen seconds, Xu Xue spoke again, her voice lower than before: "I know what you're thinking. The last person who gave you the map led you into the mine to feed the monsters. So it's normal that you reflexively become wary when you see this kind of hand-drawn map."

Chen Nian neither denied nor nodded, but simply looked at her quietly.

"But I'm different from the owner of that motorcycle modification shop," Xu Xue said, taking a folded ID card from the side pocket of her canvas bag, unfolding it, and pushing it across the table.

It was an official cadre ID card with Xu Xue's photo, name, and a badge of an officer from the Bureau of Strange Things.

"Let me formally introduce myself. I am a full-time staff member of the official Bureau of Paranormal Affairs. There is a place near Base 996 that is similar to that mine and needs someone to investigate. It is too risky for me to go alone. I need a partner."

"Then why did you contact me?"

"Now, apart from a few old guys stationed at the base, the younger ones have all gone to the front lines."

"It can be said that, apart from you, there is no other Rank 7 expert in the entire 996 base who has both the strength and the free time."

"You're the only one I can contact."

"And this is also paid for; your reward will be no less than 1 Gray Coins."

Chen Nian remained silent for a few seconds, her fingertips gently tracing the rim of the cup.

She didn't agree immediately, but fell silent.

Making money in this rear area is difficult; 1 gray coins is indeed a lot.

If she were still on the front lines, she definitely wouldn't go, but things are different now. It's too difficult for her to make money in this small place.

Chen Nian felt that she had been completely outmaneuvered by this woman named Xu Xue.

She will definitely accept the order.

After thinking for a long time, he finally asked Xu Xue, "How much do you know about this place? How risky is it?"

When Xu Xue heard this question, she knew that Chen Nian had something to say, and she smiled slightly. She said with a smile, "I understand less than 15%, but the risk should not be high. We have professional instruments to detect it. The strangeness inside is probably not strong. None of them exceed Sequence 8, at most the peak of Sequence 8."

"The police should be able to handle this kind of strange situation."

Xu Xue shook her head: "Half of the Public Security Bureau was transferred to the front line and can't provide personnel support right now. Of course, they did provide financial support. This 1 Gray Coins was provided by the Public Security Bureau."

Chen Nian looked at her for a few seconds, then reached into her pocket, pulled out the newly purchased terminal, opened her contacts, created a new contact, and turned the screen towards Xu Xue: "Number."

Xu Xue read out a string of numbers, which Chen Nian entered, saved, and then put the terminal away.

"I need two days to think about it," Chen Nian said.

"Okay." Xu Xue stood up, picked up her canvas bag, and nodded to her. "Contact me anytime you've decided. I'm not in a hurry."

She turned and walked towards the coffee shop entrance, her off-white short jacket flashing in the sunlight, before pushing open the door and going out.

……