Don't go to the moon, there are gods on the far side of the moon.

The Tianheng base is located in the Gobi Desert northwest of the space city.

From the ground, it looked like just a cluster of white factory buildings and a few communication towers. But after the elevator descended ninety-seven meters, Lin Jibai realized that Wen Zhaolin's so-called "commercial spaceflight" was never just commercial spaceflight.

The alloy doors opened one by one.

Under the cold white lights, the massive underground dome resembled an inverted crater. A circular training arena, a cryogenic sample chamber, a neural synchronization chamber, and an orbital simulation chamber unfolded in concentric circles.

In the very center stands a black pillar.

The column has an uneven fracture and its surface is covered with fine lines, resembling stone or some kind of charred bone.

Lin Jibai recognized him at a glance.

Model of Buzhou Mountain.

No.

This thing is much more realistic than the models in the exhibition hall.

A muffled sound suddenly came from deep within his eardrums, like someone banging on a door from a great distance.

thump.

thump.

thump.

"Don't stare for too long."

Xu Wangshu's voice came from behind.

She had changed into a gray-white research coat, with a name tag that read "Lunar Back Sample Group - Xu Wangshu". Her face was even colder than the night at the hospital, and there was a dark circle under her eyes from lack of sleep.

Lin Jibai looked away: "You've joined Tianheng too?"

"I didn't join," Xu Wangshu said calmly. "I was invited to supervise the safety of the samples. To put it bluntly, Tianheng doesn't dare to kick me out right now because only I can understand a part of the lunar far side lattice."

"What about Xiaoman?"

Xu Wangshu remained silent for half a second.

"There are currently no deaths recorded."

These words were like a nail driven into Lin Jibai's heart.

There are no reported deaths.

Not alive.

It just wasn't recorded as a death.

Lin Jibai clenched his fist: "I want to see Wen Zhaolin."

"He will see you."

A strange male voice rang out.

A tall, thin man, around thirty years old, wearing a black training uniform, walked towards them, his back ramrod straight like a fully drawn bow. His right eye had a metallic pale gold gleam, and when he stared at someone, it was like a scope.

"Before that, you need to complete the adaptor registration."

He raised his hand, and his watch emitted a blue light.

"Lin Jibai, 24 years old, is an outsourced equipment maintenance worker at the space city and also works part-time as a food delivery driver. His father, Lin Wangchuan, is Project Repairman 07 of Buzhou Mountain. His younger sister, Lin Xiaoman, suffers from moonlight sleep disorder and has now been accepted by the Guanghan Palace."

Lin Jibai's eyes darkened: "Repeat Xiaoman's condition?"

The man calmly said, "Being received by the Moon Palace does not equate to death. You'd better distinguish between your emotions and the facts."

"Who are you?"

"Lu Chen Gong".

The man raised his finger and tapped his right eye.

"Houyi sequence pre-adaptor".

The training ground suddenly became quieter.

Lin Jibai then noticed that there were quite a few people standing in the circular stands.

Some were nearly two meters tall, with faint reddish lines under their skin; some had small scales behind their ears; some stared intently at the dome, as if they could see something beyond the sky; and there was a girl of seventeen or eighteen with white bandages wrapped around her wrists, from which gray marks like feathers seeped out.

They were all looking at him.

It's not a welcome.

It is an examination.

It's like looking at a dangerous sample that's about to be opened.

Lu Chengong tossed the list into the air.

Lines of names lit up.

"Kuafu bloodline adaptee: Zhou Lie".

"Jingwei Echo Adaptor: Chen Qingyu".

"The River God's side branch adaptor: Shen Chao."

"The one who resonates with the low frequencies of fate: Gu Nanzhi."

"Chang'e Candidate: Vacant".

The last line was a glaringly bright red.

"Gonggong-side variable: Lin Jibai."

The moment the red light appeared, discussions erupted in the training ground.

"Gonggong?"

"The broken pillar lineage?"

"Is he the variable that will break the Heavenly Ladder?"

"Why did Mr. Wen allow this kind of person into the base?"

Lin Jibai stared at the line of text: "What does 'Gonggong-side variable' mean?"

Lu Chengong didn't answer, but simply tossed a black metal ring over.

"Put it on."

"What if I don't wear it?"

"Then you will be classified as an unregistered anomaly, and the base's defense system will break your legs first, and then send you into a cryogenic chamber."

Lin Jibai smiled.

He wasn't doing it because it was funny.

It's because the first thing life taught him from childhood was: when someone lays rules in your face, first see who those rules are actually protecting.

He caught the metal ring, but did not put it on immediately.

"Registration is fine. But I need to see the full list, including those who have been eliminated and those who have died."

Lu Chenggong's eyebrows twitched slightly: "You're not qualified."

"Then I won't wear it."

People around them sneered.

"A subcontracted repairman, trying to negotiate terms?"

"His sister is in the hands of the Moon Palace, does he really think he has a choice?"

Lin Jibai looked up at the monitor on the dome.

He knew Wen Zhaolin was watching.

"President Wen," Lin Jibai's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough, "You let me in because I'm useful. Since I'm useful, stop wasting my time with pointless formalities. I don't need your protection. I want to know what possessed my sister, why my father disappeared back then, and how many more people on the list died in your so-called adaptation."

The air condensed.

Three seconds later, Wen Zhaolin's voice rang out from the center of the dome.

Gentle, stable, like an instrument that never malfunctions.

"Show him."

Lu Chengong's eyes turned colder, but he still waved to unlock it.

The list is now expanded.

The names, densely packed, filled the air like tombstones.

Lin Jibai glanced at it and felt a chill run down his spine.

Adaptation failure: 312 people.

Nerve rupture: 47 people.

Identity Archives: Nineteen people.

Receiving personnel on the far side of the moon: seven.

In one of the lines, Lin Jibai saw a familiar surname.

"Lin Wangchuan".

Status: Defected.

Permissions: Repairman 07.

Last person contacted: Wen Zhaolin.

Lin Jibai's fingertips tightened little by little.

The father did not simply disappear.

He once stood inside Tianheng.

She even stood beside Wen Zhaolin.

Lu Chengong coldly said, "Put it on when you've had your fill of looking. Gonggong side variable."

Lin Jibai fastened the metal ring to his wrist.

In an instant, the black pillar trembled.

All the lights in the training field flashed simultaneously.

The last line of the list was suddenly changed.

"Gonggong-side variable: Lin Jibai."

Risk level: Not containable.

Recommended action: Disconnect.

Deep within the base, ancient and cold mechanical sounds echoed.

"A column breakage factor has been discovered."

"Perform cleanup?"