I accidentally joined a group of charlatans, so I immediately called the police and handed it over t

"Xiao Chen, no offense, but this PPT needs to have a broader scope and a higher level of understanding!"

Spit flew everywhere, landing on the dark conference table.

Wang Jianguo slammed his thermos down, his greasy fingers poking at the projection screen.

"We need to align the granularity, connect the underlying logic, and form a closed loop! Look at what you've written! It's completely lacking in direction!"

Chen Xi sat at the end of the conference table, staring down at the gap between the keyboard of his laptop.

A layer of dust had accumulated there, just like his mood at that moment.

"Mr. Wang, this is already the twelfth edition." Chen Xi adjusted his glasses, his voice steady.

"So what if it's version twelve? Steve Jobs revised the plan a hundred times! Young people shouldn't be so impetuous; they need to calm down and reflect!"

Wang Jianguo unbuttoned his suit jacket, revealing his taut shirt and belly.

"I'll work overtime tonight to refine the empowerment part further. I have to go now; I want to see the new plan on my desk tomorrow morning."

Chen Xi watched as Wang Jianguo grabbed the car keys.

The so-called "something to do" probably just means going downstairs to the foot massage parlor to "settle things over."

"Okay, Mr. Wang."

Chen Xi closed his laptop.

His professionalism prevented him from smashing the computer on Wang Jianguo's shiny face on the spot.

The conference room door was slammed shut.

Chen Xi let out a long sigh and slumped into the chair.

My phone vibrated.

It wasn't a WeChat message notification sound, but a mechanical buzzing sound I'd never heard before.

The screen turned on automatically.

A golden pop-up window dominated the entire interface, even obscuring the status bar at the top.

The Jade Emperor invites you to join the "Heavenly Court Exchange Group" chat group.

There are only two options below:

Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace.

Join now

Chen Xi frowned.

These days, malware developers are really going to have no bottom line.

Not even a "Cancel" button?

He pressed the Home button.

no response.

Press and hold the power button to force shutdown.

The screen was still lit up with that golden pop-up, so bright that it made my eyes hurt.

"Virus?"

Chen Xi sat up straight and swiped her fingers across the screen twice.

The touchscreen stopped working; aside from those two options, the phone was completely useless.

This phone contains the source files for the PPT presentation due tomorrow, as well as contact information for hundreds of clients.

If the system gets infected and needs to be reinstalled, all the hard work I've put in over the past few years will be wasted.

"Fine, you win."

Chen Xi gritted his teeth and jabbed his finger hard at the "Join Now" button.

As long as I can get into the system, I'll uninstall it immediately and then report it to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology – a one-stop service.

The screen flickered once.

The interface redirects.

No GG, no misleading download links.

This is an extremely simple chat interface, with a UI style somewhat reminiscent of WeChat from ten years ago—so rudimentary it's even a bit retro.

The group member list is displayed on the right.

【Venus】, 【Giant Spirit God】, 【Barefoot Immortal】, 【Erlang Shen】, 【Chang'e】...

Group size: 500.

Chen Xi sneered; this cosplay group was quite well-organized.

The group messages are scrolling wildly.

[Giant Spirit God]: @Old Man Taibai Jinxing, how were the seats arranged for this year's Peach Banquet? Why was I put next to that pig-headed Tianpeng? He smacks his lips when he eats!

[Venus]: Oh dear, General Juling, please calm down. Marshal Tianpeng has recently been surveying delicacies in the mortal realm, saying he's planning something called the "Heavenly Gourmet Project." Please bear with him.

【Nezha】: @Giant God, you're lucky to have a seat. Last time I had to stand and pour wine for the Jade Emperor.

[Erlang Shen]: @Nezha, did you tie up my dog ​​Xiaotian with your Hun Tian Ling again? Let it go right now, it's on a hunger strike!

[Chang'e]: Fellow immortals, does anyone have any new elixirs? The Moon Palace has been so dry lately, my face is peeling! [crying][crying]

Chen Xi's lips twitched as he looked at these messages.

Is this group of scammers also a murder mystery game gang?

You're really into the role.

Now that his phone was working again, Chen Xi decided to leave the group and uninstall the app.

My finger just touched the three dots in the upper right corner.

A line of large text suddenly popped up on the screen:

[A new member has been detected. Please change your group name card according to the group rules.]

Chen Xi typed casually:

"Newcomer reporting in, please protect me."

After sending that message, he prepared to find the "Leave Group" button.

The group chat, which was flooding the screen, suddenly stopped for a second.

Then came a bombshell of news.

[Lei Gong]: A newcomer? It's been hundreds of years since a newcomer has appeared, hasn't it? @Jade Emperor, which mortal realm did you ascend from?

【Dianmu】: Judging from the name, he doesn't seem to have any immortal status. Young man, post a picture!

[God of Wealth]: Since you're here, it must be fate. As a newcomer to the group, shouldn't you send a red envelope as a token of your appreciation?

Chen Xi rolled her eyes. It was definitely a scam.

Is the next step to send me a link to recharge my VIP membership?

Just then, a burst of red light suddenly erupted in the center of the screen, and a huge red envelope icon popped up.

Sender: [Giant Spirit God].

P.S.: "Welcome, newcomer! I'm in a good mood today, so I'm giving you a little something!"

Chen Xi instinctively nodded.

This is muscle memory developed over years of grabbing WeChat red envelopes.

A line of small, golden text appeared on the screen:

"Congratulations! You've won the Giant Spirit God's red envelope—[Marrow Cleansing Pill] x1."

Chen Xi chuckled.

"Marrow Cleansing Pill? I'd rather have a Strength Pill."

The next second, the phone screen suddenly burst out with a blinding white light.

Chen Xi subconsciously raised his hand to cover his eyes.

"Clatter." A crisp sound of impact.

The light faded, and the conference room returned to deathly silence.

Chen Xi slowly lowered his hand, his gaze falling on the keyboard.

There lay a black pill quietly.

It is about the size of a fingernail, completely black, with some kind of strange pattern faintly flowing on its surface.

A faint, refreshing fragrance instantly filled the air.

Just one puff and Chen Xi felt his mind instantly clear, the fatigue from being sprayed by Wang Jianguo for an hour was swept away.

Chen Xi froze.

He glanced at his phone screen, which was still displaying the message "Congratulations on winning the red envelope."

Then look at the pills on the keyboard.

He then looked at the surveillance camera on the ceiling.

There was no projector, no holographic equipment, and no prank devices.

This pill just fell out of thin air.

Chen Xi felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, and a surge of electricity shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.

What kind of technology is this?

3D printing?

Mass transport?

Or did we really encounter ghosts or spirits?

He reached out, his fingertips trembling as he tried to touch the pill.

It abruptly pulled back just before they were about to touch.

What if there's radiation?

What if there's a virus?

Chen Xi quickly pulled out a napkin, carefully wrapped the pill in it, and squeezed it through the paper.

This completely exceeded the materialist worldview he had established over twenty-five years.

Chen Xi suddenly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

He paced back and forth in the conference room.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest.

If this group is real...

If this medicine is real...

The Marrow Cleansing Pill is a miraculous medicine in novels that can transform one's body and grant immortality.

If I swallow it, will I gain superpowers?

Does that mean I can punch that pig-headed Wang Jianguo flying?

Will that allow me to escape this damned 996 corporate slave life and reach the pinnacle of life?

Chen Xi stopped and stared intently at the wad of napkin.

Reason was like a bucket of ice water, poured over my head.

The ingredients of this stuff are unknown. Eating it might make you immortal, but it could also kill you instantly or turn you into some kind of monster.

More importantly, this power, which transcends human cognition, is absolutely not something a mere employee like him could defend.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

Once exposed, he might face endless dissections and studies, or be kidnapped by some dark forces.

He had seen too many protagonists online who gained superpowers, tried to hide their identities, and ended up living like rats in the gutter.

tired.

too tired.

They also have to guard against the government, guard against villains, and earn money to support their families.

Chen Xi took a deep breath, picked up his phone, and opened Tieba (a Chinese online forum).

A user posted: "What should I do if a pill suddenly falls out of my phone screen? I need help urgently!"

The result popped up:

"Is the original poster on drug use? I suggest you make an appointment with a psychiatrist."

"Did the phone overheat and cause the battery to swell?"

"Is this a new type of magic trick? Is the poster selling products via livestream?"

None of them are reliable.

Chen Xi closed the webpage.

He glanced at the interface called "Heavenly Court Communication Group" again.

The group chat was still buzzing with activity.

[Sun Wukong]: @Giant Spirit God, your lousy Marrow Cleansing Pill is only good for clearing the intestines of mortals. You have the nerve to offer it as a red envelope? Even a single hair of mine is better than that!

[Giant Spirit God]: Shut up, you damn monkey! That was a piece of trash... cough cough, a beginner version that I refined with thousand-year-old spirit herbs!

Chen Xi's pupils contracted slightly.

mortal.

It helps with digestion and bowel movements.

These keywords quickly combined in his mind.

This is more than just an opportunity.

This is a strategic resource of nuclear bomb level.

Chen Xi closed his eyes and made a decision in his heart.

A decision that could change his fate and even the entire world order.

He didn't want to be some kind of lone hero.

He just wanted to live a peaceful life and see the world's most spectacular scenery along the way.

In this country, the most powerful force has never been any conglomerate or reclusive sect.

Chen Xi did not hesitate at all.

"1" "1" "0".

Dial out.

"Beep—beep—"

After two beeps, the call was connected.

"Hello, this is the 110 emergency call center. How can I help you?"

The operator was a young lady with a gentle voice.

Chen Xi picked up the napkin containing the pills and held it up to her eyes.

The conference room's stark white light shone on it, casting a small shadow.

"Officer, I need to report a crime."

Chen Xi's voice was frighteningly calm, his speech was slow and deliberate, and his pronunciation was clear and articulate.

"I suspect I have encountered an extremely dangerous supernatural event, or a high-tech crime that current technology cannot explain."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

"Sir, please calm down. What exactly happened? Have you been threatened?"

"There is no threat, but I now have a piece of evidence in my possession."

Chen Xi looked at the pills in his hand, his tone firm.

"My phone just materialized out of thin air and sent me an unknown chemical pill through a chat app."

"I request that this item be handed over to the state immediately."

"Please make sure that the national security authorities get involved. I'm not joking. I'm willing to take legal responsibility for every word I say."