I write obituaries for the gods

Huihui tapped her chin with her index finger, recalling:

"Some of his men wanted to send us some fresh vegetables, but the ladies at the station refused, saying that the food reserves in the encrypted room were sufficient."

“Not opening the door is the right decision,” Lin Chen nodded slightly. “It also shows that the liaisons at the site have not yet been incorporated into the current investigation bureau.”

“Of course, those people were personally assigned by Director Hua Molan,” Li Zhanyi said. “They would never betray the director because of Louis’s instigation.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the two girls, Lin Chen hung up the call.

After the image disappeared, Li Zhanyi noticed that Lin Chen's fist clenched slightly.

She reached out and grabbed Lin Chen's wrist.

"A lot of pressure?"

Lin Chen turned his head, looked into the girl's bright, dark eyes, and nodded gently:

"Ah."

Having taken complete control of the operation this month, Lin Chen finally understood the immense pressure Jiang Zhengge was under.

Previously, as an investigator, all he needed to do was follow orders and do his part. Although he was in the decision-making circle, he was ultimately not responsible for leading the overall direction.

But now that he's in that position, Lin Chen realizes there are so many things he hadn't noticed before.

He makes every decision and bears every consequence, but without the protection of the Bureau of Investigation, his margin for error is virtually zero.

"..."

Li Zhanyi leaned gently on Lin Chen's shoulder and whispered:

"Thanks for your hard work, Brother Lin."

The girl's body was soft and carried that familiar scent of pomelo blossoms. It was hard to tell if it was the smell of the laundry detergent or if she really smelled that good.

Lin Chen closed his eyes, and the two cuddled together by the bed for a while before Li Zhanyi got up:

"Let's go, make dinner, and get a good rest tonight! When I was setting up our temporary base today, I found some DVDs in that building. It looks like there are quite a few popcorn movies. We can eat potato chips and watch movies tonight!"

"There's such a comfortable life," Lin Chen muttered.

"It's so rare to feel like I've rediscovered the past, so let's play along. Come on, let's go to the kitchen together. Let's see if we can make some fancy variations of those pre-made vegetable buns today!"

Li Zhanyi chattered away and quickly walked out of the room, looking ecstatic.

Watching her retreating figure, Lin Chen chuckled softly, stood up, and followed her into the kitchen.

......

The next day.

Lin Chen drove a dilapidated Land Rover Defender, carrying Li Zhanyi, on the main road leading to the Southern Development Zone.

As for where the Land Rover came from...

It was taken from the investigator's checkpoint.

He and Li Zhanyi entered the real world through a hidden exit in Shuiwa City, quickly passed through the Investigation Bureau's checkpoint in three minutes, and drove away in the SUV parked next to the checkpoint before backup arrived, onto the main road.

He didn't feel guilty at all, since the car looked like it had been stolen from someone else by the Bureau of Investigation agents.

“The staff at the Investigation Bureau are getting more and more outrageous. Now they drive Defenders, they’ll be banned from driving Range Rovers later,” Lin Chen frowned. “I don’t know where they learned that.”

Upon hearing this, Li Zhanyi glanced at Lin Chen:

"Maybe it was some young investigator from the Rapid Response Division who started driving a Ghost right after starting work and then drove a Ferrari 296 a few months later."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen was taken aback, then scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

"This is all..."

“These things are definitely something Louis used to insult you, no doubt about it,” Li Zhanyi shook his head. “He’s just jealous.”

"..."

Lin Chen didn't speak. Every time Louis was mentioned, he felt a little uncomfortable.

Even now, he still feels that Louis's true colors aren't quite genuine.

"Can a person really be twisted to this extent by jealousy and desire?" Lin Chen said softly.

“To be precise, he was a Julien Sorel-like figure,” Li Zhanyi said. “A brilliant mind, an ordinary background, a high opinion of himself, but with an underlying sense of inferiority, wanting to climb up the social ladder by any means necessary.”

“There are too many people like this in the Bureau of Investigation. Perhaps it is by creating this kind of identity resonance that Louis has been able to consolidate his position.”

“At first, Hua Luori said that Louis’s rule wouldn’t last more than a week,” Lin Chen said.

"She underestimated him; he's always been very capable."

Li Zhanyi's eyes dimmed slightly.

"Yes...he was actually quite good..."

For a moment, the two people in the car fell silent.

The guards traversed the open field. It was unusually dry today. Under the blue sky and white clouds, ruins were everywhere. Weeds and moss climbed the broken walls. Small green snakes flicked their tongues in the weeds, then shrank back in fright at the roaring off-road vehicles.

The wind blowing in from outside the window was cool and comfortable, and Lin Chen immediately felt his mood improve.

"Look ahead!" Li Zhanyi craned his neck.

A massive city wall appeared at the edge of the horizon, rising higher and higher, the concrete structure dominating the entire field of vision like a towering mountain.

Thick cannon barrels protrude from the city wall, aimed at the main road.

A voice came from the radio:

"Stop immediately, or we will fire. Repeat, stop immediately."

"That's really scary."

Lin Chen pressed the radio button:

"I'm looking for Shen Xuanyi; we have an appointment."

"Even if you call on the King of Heaven himself, it won't help. Stop the car right now, or else... um? Miss, what's wrong...?"

There was a pause on the radio for a few seconds, then Shen Xuanyi's voice came through:

"Welcome, it's been a long time."

......

Chapter 10 Southern Development Zone (6000k)

After passing through the wall, the massive structure made of concrete and scaffolding came into Lin Chen's view.

Under the vast blue sky, the structure looked like a monster, yet it also vaguely resembled a medieval castle.

"My God, we're still eating instant noodles, and you're all living in castles."

In the back of the truck, Lin Chen gazed at the distant castle and murmured to himself.

Shen Xuanyi sat opposite Lin Chen. Seeing Lin Chen teasing her like that, she simply chuckled.

"This is just a structure above ground, a multi-purpose shelter, but it's not suitable for living in."

After not seeing her for a while, the group's heiress's refined style had become somewhat dusty. Although she wore a Loro Piana polo shirt underneath, she wore a rough and stiff coat on the outside, and even wore a hard hat on her head.

This made Lin Chen feel more at ease. The Shen Xuanyi who owned a car and a house before was still too distant.

"..."

The sounds of cattle and sheep mingled with the breeze, and as far as the eye could see, the open fields were filled with flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.

Various facilities are scattered across the fields, making it hard to imagine that this entire system was built in just two months.

"How have you been lately?" Lin Chen asked Shen Xuanyi.

Shen Xuanyi shook her head:

"It's not exactly good, but it's better than before. The situation outside is unclear right now, it's a complete mess, and it's difficult to handle either side."

She straightened her helmet and raised her index finger at Lin Chen:

"We'll talk about the rest once we're in the encrypted room."

"Okay." Lin Chen nodded.

The truck passed through layers of checkpoints and finally arrived at the giant bunker.

After entering the bunker, Lin Chen and Li Zhanyi followed Shen Xuanyi through a long, winding corridor until they finally arrived at an elevator.

Taking this elevator, Lin Chen went straight down to...

"Thirty-five...thirty-six...thirty-eight..."

"Thirty-eight floors underground?" Li Zhanyi exclaimed in shock. "Sister Xuanyi, did you dig a skyscraper underground?"

"Pretty much," Shen Xuanyi smiled faintly, "It's safer this way."

"Ding!"

The elevator doors opened, revealing yet another unremarkable concrete passageway.

After stepping out of the elevator, Shen Xuanyi casually picked up two safety helmets from the side and handed them to Lin Chen and Li Zhanyi:

"Come on, put it on. This is the safety procedure."

The two put on hats and followed Shen Xuanyi through the winding underground passage, finally arriving at a gate marked "Encrypted Bunker".

"I miss the archivist," Lin Chen blurted out out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Li Zhanyi was taken aback.

"It's alright, let's go."

As the group entered the encrypted bunker, a shockwave that seemed to freeze space emanated from every corner of the room as the heavy doors closed.

"Your encryption facilities here are quite good," Lin Chen said, looking around. "Were all built in the last two months?"

“It’s not that exaggerated. It goes back even further,” Shen Xuanyi chuckled. “We Easterners believe in being prepared for a rainy day. After all, Yudu is a place full of dangers. Any mistake could overturn our previous life. It’s always good to prepare in advance.”

Shen Xuanyi led Lin Chen and Li Zhanyi to sit down at the conference table, and then sat down in the head chair herself.

"Let's talk. I don't think you came to see me just to catch up."

"Two requests."

Lin Chen nodded to Shen Xuanyi:

“I plan to move Huihui and Liti out of Guter Street. The environment in the entire Westview District is in terrible condition right now, and I’m afraid something might go wrong later.”

"So, you want to find a place to stay with me?" Shen Xuanyi was taken aback. "I'm flattered. You trust me so much..."

"What could a queen who can live in a castle even in chaotic times possibly entrust with anything?" Lin Chen chuckled.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt Li Zhanyi kick his calf.

Ouch...

"I already told you this isn't a castle."

Shen Xuanyi smiled faintly at Lin Chen, then nodded:

“No problem, I can provide absolute protection. The Peak Group won’t touch us for the time being, at least not for the next few months.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen raised his eyebrows slightly:

"It sounds like you and Mr. Iron Face... have an agreement?"

Shen Xuanyi nodded without any hesitation:

"Of course, but that's a story for later. Let's talk about your needs first."

"it is good."

Lin Chen glanced at Li Zhanyi and exchanged a look with her.

Shen Xuanyi and Mr. Iron Face have an agreement... This is not a good sign.

You have to understand, Peak Group is a lackey of the Foundation. If Shen Xuanyi has any cooperation with them... who knows if United Concrete Group has already been infiltrated?

Clearly, Shen Xuanyi immediately noticed the hesitation in Lin Chen's tone.

She sighed helplessly and said:

"Don't worry, the agreement between United Concrete Group and Pinnacle Group is essentially about using them, not forming an alliance."