Embers Ad Infinitum

Long Yuehong’s first reaction was to believe that Shang Jianyao really didn’t see it. His second reaction was to come to a realization: How do you know that what I saw will give you a sty if you didn’t see anything?

Therefore, he ignored Shang Jianyao’s words, frowned, and muttered to himself, “Could this be a Naturalism Church parishioner who slipped through the net?”

“What a lack of civility,” Shang Jianyao commented, nothing but whistling in the wind.

Long Yuehong shone the flashlight at the distant intersection and said with uncertainty, “Could it be a sudden mental illness?”

As a company with a large population, a few people in Pangu Biology would have mental problems every year. It was not strange for such people to do anything.

“It’s also possible that all his clothes were stolen.” Shang Jianyao raised another possibility.

Long Yuehong glanced at him. “Do you think we’re outside?”

Vicious crimes in Pangu Biology were often crimes of passion. There had never been cases of snatching other people’s clothes. If there was, there was also a premise—the criminal had a mental illness.

Shang Jianyao didn’t answer Long Yuehong’s question and smiled. “It’s not too far from your house.”

Huh? In the beginning, Long Yuehong didn’t understand what Shang Jianyao meant. However, he soon figured out the main point Shang Jianyao wanted to express.

The person suspected to be a Naturalism Church parishioner had entered a room in Zone C, one that wasn’t that far from his home.

Shang Jianyao could already sense all human consciousness within 30 meters.

Long Yuehong’s heart immediately palpitated as his mind entered a highly tense state.

“Report to the Order Supervisory Department?” he asked in deliberation as he shone the flashlight down the dark corridor.

Shang Jianyao patted the flashlight in his right hand with his left palm. “Good idea.”

Long Yuehong exhaled. “Then, let’s go over now.”

The Order Supervisory Department on this floor was beside Zone C’s Rec Center.

Shang Jianyao nodded and thoughtfully said, “I recalled something.”

“What?” Long Yuehong subconsciously asked.

Shang Jianyao sighed. “Back then, Uncle Shen wanted to go to the Order Supervisory Department to report the Life Ritual parish. However, he immediately became a Heartless after entering…”

This caused Long Yuehong’s hair to stand on end. He felt like a shadow had descended from the sky and enveloped him. He reluctantly said, “It’s different this time, right? The Naturalism Church has already suffered a serious blow.”

He didn’t want to pretend that he didn’t see anything and return home as if nothing had happened because the place where the person lived was really too close to his home.

It was very easy to get caught in the crossfire.

“I’m just reminding you to be careful.” Shang Jianyao seemed to have returned to a normal state. With that said, he walked to the distant intersection with a flashlight.

Long Yuehong quickly followed. During this process, he subconsciously stretched his hand to his waist, but he realized that there was no familiar Ice Moss pistol or United 202.

In the heavy darkness, two flashlight beams illuminated the road ahead. The surroundings couldn’t be considered quiet, and the employees—who had just laid in bed and hadn’t fallen asleep—occasionally whispered.

As they walked, Long Yuehong suddenly felt that something was amiss. “This isn’t the way to the Order Supervisory Department…”

The paths in the underground building weren’t complicated.

Shang Jianyao swung the flashlight and smiled. “Let’s find that person first and talk to him.”

“That person?” As Long Yuehong asked, he already understood who Shang Jianyao was referring to—the person suspected to be a Naturalism Church parishioner.

He thoughtfully asked, “You want to know why he joined the Naturalism Church and if there’s any way to save him?”

It was only then that he could decide whether to report it to the Order Supervisory Department.

“I want to ask what the Naturalism Church’s Holy Communion is.” Shang Jianyao turned his head to glance at Long Yuehong as if his question was very strange.

As expected of you… Long Yuehong sighed, but he still felt that Shang Jianyao had shared some of his thoughts.

As they spoke, they arrived at a room.

The number plate on the door was 23.

495th floor, Zone C, Room 23.

The windows here were covered by thick curtains without any gaps.

“Here?” Long Yuehong suppressed his voice and asked.

Shang Jianyao nodded and stretched his body before saying to Long Yuehong, “Stay a distance away and provide support.”

This time, his voice was so deep and solemn that it didn’t allow for any protest.

“Uh, alright.” Long Yuehong took a few steps back.

After he stopped, Shang Jianyao bent his finger and knocked on Room 23’s door three times.

After a brief silence, a male voice sounded anxiously. “Who is it?”

“Shang Jianyao.” Shang Jianyao politely introduced himself.

“I-I don’t think I know you,” said the male voice behind the door in confusion.

“It’s fine. We’ll know each other from now on,” Shang Jianyao said with a smile.

The man behind the door fell silent for a few seconds. “What do you want? I’ll call for the Order Supervisors!”

Shang Jianyao patted the flashlight in his right hand with his left palm. “Sure, sure.”

The male voice behind the door trembled after a while before asking, “W-what do you want?”

“I saw you on the way and felt that you weren’t in the right state. I wanted to ask if you needed help.” Shang Jianyao assumed a warm demeanor.

The male voice behind the door suddenly became a little shrill. “No, I’m fine. You can go back now.”

“Really?” Shang Jianyao looked like he didn’t believe him.

The man behind the door seemed to be sobbing. “Really, I’m really fine. Go back quickly. Go back.”

As Shang Jianyao listened, the flashlight in his hand moved down and shone at the crack at the bottom of the door.

In the yellowish light, there was no black figure in the gap.

A few steps away, Long Yuehong quickly recalled who lived in this room as he listened to Shang Jianyao’s conversation with the man behind the door.

As an old resident of Zone C, he wasn’t too unfamiliar with this area even though his family didn’t stay at this end of the corridor.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Long Yuehong’s gaze suddenly froze as he blurted out, “Nobody lives in this room!”

He remembered that several rooms in this row hadn’t been assigned!

After scaring himself, Long Yuehong quickly added, “It was like this before we left. I don’t know now.”

They had been out for months, so it was normal for the company’s internal distribution of rooms to change.

Shang Jianyao nodded slightly and knocked on Room 23’s door with a smile. “I heard that nobody lives here?”

There was silence behind the door. Nobody replied.

Shang Jianyao didn’t ask any further. He turned around and walked back to Long Yuehong’s side. Then, he calmly said, “To the Order Supervisory Department.”

“Alright,” Long Yuehong replied reflexively.

After walking out of the corridor, he suddenly reacted and asked, “Why didn’t you continue asking? Why didn’t you just open the door and enter?”

As Shang Jianyao swung the flashlight and watched the yellow beam flick around, he calmly said, “The human consciousness inside has vanished.”

“This…” Long Yuehong felt his blood run cold.

He didn’t ask any further and followed Shang Jianyao to the Order Supervisory Room beside the Rec Center.

As long-term residents of this floor, they knew the two Order Supervisors on night duty; they weren’t strangers at all.

After exchanging greetings, Shang Jianyao said, “When we were using the bathroom, we saw someone running naked along the corridor.”

After finishing the case recount, he added, “How vulgar!”

“Running naked?” One of the Order Supervisors seemed to recall something, and his expression became a little solemn. “Did you see which room he entered?”

Long Yuehong was just about to answer when Shang Jianyao shook his head. “No.”

“Then, I’ll contact the higher-ups to check the surveillance cameras.” The Order Supervisor from before nodded and said, “Go back first. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious.”

“Alright.” Shang Jianyao immediately turned around and left without any hesitation.

Long Yuehong followed beside him and asked in confusion, “Why didn’t you say Room 23?”

Shang Jianyao’s expression was abnormally calm. “To send them to their deaths?”

“That’s true…” Long Yuehong came to a realization. “Let them report it and get the higher-ups to investigate.”

After separating from Shang Jianyao and returning to his home, Long Yuehong washed up and lay on the upper bunk while his younger brother took the bottom.

He listened to the street outside, wanting to wait for an outcome.

However, the night remained ever so peaceful.

Long Yuehong barely fell asleep after an unknown period of time.

…

The next morning, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong arrived at Room 14 on the 647th floor in an uneventful manner.

Jiang Baimian—who was staring at the computer screen—looked up at them and asked in confusion, “Why did the higher-ups suddenly send an email asking us to collectively do a mental status evaluation?”

Although this was a process that every field team and company would complete after they returned, under normal circumstances, nobody would rush them. The team leaders would schedule their team’s appointments.

Jiang Baimian originally planned on letting Long Yuehong and the others meet the psychiatrist after the review. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know what to say or what not to say. Who knew that she would suddenly receive such an email?

This made her feel like her team’s mental problems were serious and that the higher-ups knew about them.

Long Yuehong thought for a moment and spoke before Shang Jianyao could. “It might be related to our experience last night.”

He quickly recounted the matter regarding their encounter with the Naturalism Church last night.

“What has this got to do with evaluating our mental states?” Bai Chen felt that these two matters couldn’t be related.

Jiang Baimian tersely acknowledged her words. “Maybe the higher-ups discovered that there was nobody running naked after checking the surveillance cameras. Shang Jianyao was talking to the wall back then…”

“Uh… Team Leader, don’t scare me.” Long Yuehong couldn’t help but tremble.

Jiang Baimian smiled. “What are you afraid of? It’s not like you haven’t experienced illusions before.”

At this point, she slowly exhaled. “Why are so many things happening after our return…”

Shang Jianyao cast his gaze at Long Yuehong.

Bai Chen resisted the urge to turn her neck.

Long Yuehong quickly defended himself. “It’s not like I caused the problem with the Life Ritual Church.”

Just as he said that, Shang Jianyao revealed a thoughtful expression.

“What are you thinking about?” Jiang Baimian probed.

Shang Jianyao nodded slightly and replied seriously, “I’m considering a better new name for myself.”