Ding.

The elevator doors slowly parted.

Zhang Sinda was speaking with a tall, thin man with a distinct two-toned shaved head. Both men were standing right by the elevator, seemingly about to leave.

Upon seeing Li Chengyi and the others, Zhang Sinda’s expression eased.

“Good timing, Chengyi. Move quickly; we’re heading straight to Zhao Mountain.”

“Zhao Mountain?” Li Chengyi was puzzled. That place was over 300 kilometers from Suiyang—why go all the way there?

“A new contractor of mine, a young girl, got trapped in a dead-end there. She needs our help,” Zhang Sinda explained briskly. “Put on your glasses. I’ll send the information over.”

Without hesitation, Li Chengyi turned to make space, letting the others enter the elevator before putting on his AR glasses.

Soon, lines of data appeared on his screen.

**Company Mission: Assist Zhong Ying in escaping the “Fog Street Dead-End.”**

**Fog Street Dead-End: A darkened street shrouded in fog, with all storefronts tightly shut and empty. At the street’s end, a powered slot machine sits by the roadside.**

**Hazard: At intervals, the slot machine must be pulled; otherwise, the player faces an unknown danger.**

**Slot Machine Results:**
- Three different symbols result in the player losing a part of their body.
- Two matching symbols yield an unknown reward. Previously, survivors have obtained a knife with special properties and an unidentified vial of liquid.
- Three identical symbols… outcome unknown.
- Two or three exact matches… outcome unknown.

As he read the briefing, Li Chengyi joined Zhang Sinda, Song Ran, and Sima Gui in Zhang Sinda’s company car—a rugged urban SUV, the Wuflag.

Song Ran drove, Zhang Sinda sat in the second row, while Li Chengyi and Sima Gui sat in the third row. The six-seat vehicle’s layout was a 1-1-2 formation.

With a soft thud, the doors closed, and the car gradually accelerated, joining the evening traffic. It was the end of the workday, and the streets were more congested than usual. The vehicle crawled forward, slowly making its way through the dense flow.

Growing impatient with the slow pace, Li Chengyi decided to ask for more details.

“Boss, is the slot machine the main element of the Fog Street dead-end?”

“Seems like it. The young girl managed to exit twice already. The danger level isn’t as high as the one you encountered, and, for now, she’s the only one inside,” Zhang Sinda replied.

“For now?”

“Yes. There was someone else initially, but they vanished while interacting with the slot machine. So now it’s just her.”

“So what can we do by going there?” Li Chengyi asked.

“I’ve managed to pinpoint the general location of Fog Street, but we need to gather specifics. Those with experience in dead-ends are better suited for this, as strong-willed individuals may experience memory flashes near the dead-end. These flashes can add useful details, so the task is yours to attempt. No pressure if you find nothing.”

“What happens if the slot machine isn’t played?” Sima Gui, who had remained silent, suddenly asked.

“Zhong Ying didn’t say. Her name’s Zhong Ying. She mentioned that her time inside has been increasing significantly each visit. Given the nature of dead-ends, I suspect her third time inside may trap her permanently,” Zhang Sinda replied with a sigh.

“How did she get out the first two times?” Sima Gui pressed.

“The first time, her companion vanished; the second time, she used the slot machine and managed to win two items. Perhaps the slot machine has a higher-than-usual payout,” Zhang Sinda speculated.

“Is there a dead-end profile?” Li Chengyi asked.

“I’ll share it with you. I’ll create a small group chat for us,” Zhang Sinda replied.

He quickly added everyone to a chat group that included the three of them and two others, making a total of five members.

The two others were Zhang Sinda and Zhong Ying, the new contractor.

“Here’s the profile image,” Zhang Sinda sent over a photo-like image.

It depicted a street dimly shrouded in gray fog.

Amid the fog, a narrow road stretched ahead, seemingly endless in the mist.

The street itself was paved with old, cracked concrete.

There were old-fashioned concrete pillar streetlights along both sides, illuminating a pedestrian walkway with tightly closed storefronts lining the street.

The entire scene was dim, lifeless, with no one in sight. At the end of the street, in front of a children’s store, stood an old slot machine.

The slot machine screen was powered on, flashing faint colored lights through the gray fog.

It was the only hint of color in the otherwise monochromatic scene.

“That’s the slot machine?” Li Chengyi didn’t need anyone to tell him that the machine was ominously out of place.

Everything else was in gray tones, while the slot machine was in color—a clear sign of something abnormal within normalcy.

“Once you’re on-site, investigate based on memory flashes from the dead-end. The intensity of these flashes depends on your mental strength. The stronger your mind, the clearer and more detailed the flashes. They might even bring traces of the dead-end into reality,” Zhang Sinda advised.

“So… memory flashes are like premonitions?” Li Chengyi suddenly realized.

“They are similar. But there’s a fundamental difference: a premonition pulls you into the dead-end, where you risk harm. Memory flashes, however, are just images—remnants of the dead-end’s essence. Unless you have an extremely powerful mind, they won’t hurt you,” Sima Gui explained calmly.

“For those with strong mental strength, is there any way to distinguish the two?” Li Chengyi asked, frowning.

“No. You’ll have to figure it out yourself,” Sima Gui replied, glancing at him. “In my experience, a premonition will drag you into the dead-end no matter where you go. Memory flashes only affect you as long as you’re at a specific location; if you leave, the influence ends.”

Li Chengyi recalled his experiences in college and the noodle shop.

In retrospect, those times were likely memory flashes, not premonitions.

“I heard you want to become an Intellective Engineer?” Sima Gui shifted the topic suddenly, looking at Li Chengyi.

“Yeah. Why do you ask, Mr. Sima?” Li Chengyi was puzzled by this sudden change in topic.

“With that much money, wouldn’t you rather spend it on enjoying life instead of sinking it into a bottomless pit?” Sima Gui shook his head.

“There’s nothing wrong with strengthening myself,” Li Chengyi replied.

“We’re not likely to live long anyway. Better to do what you want—whether it’s going after a girl, trying a new sport, or experimenting with some new hallucinogen,” Sima Gui scoffed.

“Well…”

“Why hesitate? We’re all on borrowed time. We might die in a dead-end or outside of it—it’s all the same,” Sima Gui shrugged. “I even know some people who, right before they went in, blew up entire malls.”

“What’s the point in blowing up malls?” Li Chengyi couldn’t understand.

“Maybe seeing it as bothersome,” Sima Gui chuckled. “They live one day at a time, knowing they could die any second, while everyone around them seems carefree and happy. Doing something extreme becomes natural.”

“Not everyone thinks that way,” Zhang Sinda interjected.

“I do, quite often,” Sima Gui said with a chuckle.

Zhang Sinda fell silent. Dead-end survivors often walked the fine line between life and death, frequently displaying neurotic behavior. He had encountered many such people in his search for his missing son.

Even his own son was somewhat like that.

“Live one day at a time, experiencing what you want. No point in worrying about the rules,” Sima Gui added with a laugh.

Li Chengyi reflected on his words.

Indeed, when you’re living on the edge, you stop caring about all the usual formalities—politeness, rules—they all go out the window.

Just like when he was at the Gleis Parking Lot. When Aishi Realty’s people picked a fight, he dealt with them instantly.

His mindset at the time was exactly as Sima Gui described: “I could die at any moment, so why overthink things? Act now and deal with the consequences later.”

A heavy silence settled in the car after Sima Gui’s words, as if a shadow had draped over them.

Eventually, the car left the city limits, heading toward the outskirts.

“That’s why Zhong Ying reached out to us instead of the authorities,” Zhang Sinda finally broke the silence.

“Exactly. If the authorities caught wind of us, they’d lock us up to prevent any public disruptions,” Sima Gui nodded.

“The more the authorities control, the less likely people are to trust them,” Zhang Sinda commented.

Li Chengyi silently watched the scenery whiz past outside.

It dawned on him that without status or power, dead-end survivors were essentially ticking time bombs in society.

---

**Yongnian Town, Aishi Realty Headquarters**

The police had completed their investigation, the bodies had been removed, and bloodstains had been cleaned.

As night descended, the chirping of crickets filled the air, and the entire Aishi building stood eerily quiet.

After so many deaths, the building was now feared by the locals.

Anyone who got close felt as if a faint smell of blood still lingered in the air.

In the darkness, a tall woman in a gray-white trench coat and black scarf around her neck slowly approached the iron gate, peering inside.

The only light source was the bright moon above.

But the woman seemed to see clearly in the dark, her gaze moving and occasionally pausing.

Each time her gaze stopped, it was at a spot where Li Chengyi had killed an Aishi guard.

“Found anything?” A voice asked through her earpiece.

“A little. I’m going inside to investigate,” she replied quietly.

“I’ve found something too. Recently, the only notable conflict involving Aishi Realty was with a new pharmaceutical company in Suiyang,” the male voice continued.

“What’s the name?”

“Hongjin. It’s probably related. Look into it when you have a chance,” he replied.

“Got it. I’ll check it out first… Whoever this is, they’ve got strength and speed—likely a privately funded or experimental modified individual.”

The woman glanced around, then leapt over the two-meter-high iron gate with ease, like a monkey.

She landed soundlessly and followed the path Li Chengyi had taken, making her way directly into the lobby.