"Why are there so many cars today?" Li Chengyi frowned as the taxi crawled forward in heavy traffic.
He had calmed down a bit—no longer tense like before. Returning to the real world after another encounter in the Dead Zone, he could finally breathe easier.
"Oh, haven't you heard about what happened at Imperial Institute of Technology?" the driver asked casually.
"Imperial Tech?"
"Yeah, some nutcase went in and set off a human bomb—terrorist attack. They say they caught him, but a few still died," the driver explained simply.
"We've got people from Suiyang studying there too. These cars are probably picking up families."
"But… weren't only two people reported dead?"
The driver squinted at the string of funeral cars ahead, draped in white.
"Maybe it's all from the same family," Li Chengyi said.
"Could be. They're blaming some group called 'Utopia'—organizing online. The National Security Bureau is already on it. Don't worry, our country's strict with this kind of stuff. Unlike Baixing—over there, even senators get shot in their own homes."
Li didn't comment. He just nodded politely.
Soon, they passed the intersection and arrived at the New Century Building.
Night had fallen, but the building glowed with activity. People were going in and out, and karaoke noise spilled from one floor.
After paying, Li took a familiar route through the side entrance to the staff elevators.
Just as he reached the elevator button, a group entered the hall.
It was Sindra, flanked by two muscular bodyguards in black T-shirts.
Sindra reeked of alcohol and wore AR glasses with a dark amber tint. He removed them and gestured—his bodyguards immediately dispersed to guard both ends of the hall.
He stepped beside Li, pretending to wait for the elevator.
"She's dead?"
The question was sudden, but Li understood.
"Yes," he said simply.
He hadn't killed Meng Dongdong out of cruelty. She'd bought him time—enough to explore the Dead Zone longer. His plan had worked.
But it was still his first time using someone's life so directly for gain.
"Hard to swallow?" Sindra asked softly.
Ding.
The elevator arrived.
They entered and pressed 19.
Fans whirred overhead. LED ads flashed on the elevator walls—smiling animated girls in bright colors.
"The first time is always the worst," Sindra said. "You feel… different. Afraid of being caught. Afraid of yourself."
"How did you get over it?" Li asked.
"Learn the rules. Then adapt," Sindra replied.
Ding.
The doors opened.
The office was empty and quiet. Only the safety lights blinked green.
Sindra didn't go to his office right away. He went to the break corner and brewed two cups of instant coffee.
"Sugar?"
"No, thanks," Li said, following.
"Relax. Let's talk first."
Li took the cup, added sugar and milk, and stirred. Surprisingly, it tasted warm and comforting—strange for cheap instant coffee.
"What did you see inside?" Sindra finally asked.
"Shouldn't we connect with the profiler?"
"She's on standby. Want to start now?"
"Yes. The sooner, the better—I don't want to forget any details."
"Good. Emotions make people forget. Stay calm."
Li nodded, then carefully described every feature of the white-clothed boy he saw in the Dead Zone—facial structure, race, eye shape, skin tone…
Then they entered the office, and Sindra used his projector to cycle through composite sketches.
After more than thirty—
"That one!" Li pointed.
On the wall was the image of a pale, thin boy in white pajamas, standing quietly in front of a red maintenance door.
Around eleven or twelve years old, with sickly white skin, dark eye sockets, black lips, and a blank expression.
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely."
Sindra studied the image.
"He looks like a Floran. Maybe mixed with local blood. Makes sense—the Gelius parking lot was found in a predominantly Floran area."
"Will the Dead Zone pull people in again? The monster was way faster this time."
"It's random," Sindra replied. "Dead Zones are countless. Most people go in alone. You were one of the rare cases to enter with others."
He tapped a few messages on his phone.
"What about the seam? Any findings?"
"Didn't make it. The boy showed up before I got far."
"Your timing's off. Only a month and a half, and it's pulling you in again. Something triggered it. Think carefully," Sindra warned. "We can't let the window shorten again. You'll need to visit Gelius in person ASAP."
"I'll tell my family tomorrow. Can I leave then?"
"Yes. Bring this photo. Ask around. We're still digging up the site. I'll assign someone to go with you."
"Understood."
Li left the building and headed home. His hand rested on the pistol under his jacket.
Meng Dongdong's twisted expression… the dangling leg in the monster's mouth—images that haunted him.
And yet, that cup of cheap coffee had worked.
Calmness returned.
But deep down, something inside him had shifted.
Soon, he arrived at his residential complex.
He stood outside for a long time, thinking about how to break the news to his family.
Tell them you found a job. Then mention the business trip…
"Li Chengyi."
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Under the streetlight, a slim young woman jogged toward him—ponytail bouncing, wearing a white tracksuit and a half-removed earbud.
Lin Sang.
He recognized her immediately.
"Night run?"
"It's only 8 p.m. Not that late," she retorted.
She gave him a look—top to bottom.
She, Li Chengyi, and Chen Xudong had been best friends for ten years.
But lately, he had been drifting away. Even Xudong noticed.
She didn't know why. But now that she'd run into him—she wasn't letting it slide.
"What's going on with you? You ghosted us. Xudong tried calling too."
"Nothing. I've just been busy. Got a new job," he said flatly.
In his memories, the old Li Chengyi may have had a crush on Lin Sang.
But he couldn't fake those emotions.
"Busy with work doesn't mean you just cut us off—" she began.
"I'm tired. Anything else?" he cut her off, checking his watch.
"Hey! What kind of attitude is that?" she snapped, stepping forward to grab his arm—like she used to.
But the moment her eyes met his—
She froze.
His gaze was calm… but cold.
Her hand stopped mid-air.
"Go home. It's not safe out here at night," Li said, turning away.
She stood there, watching him walk.
And for the first time… noticed how much broader his back had become.How his very presence felt different—colder.
[🎯 Suspense Ending – Character Shift Tease]Something's changed. Not just in the Dead Zone… but in him.What do you think happened to Li Chengyi's heart?💬 Share your theories and thoughts in the comments!📚 Add this book to your Library so you won't miss what's coming!