Chapter 72 So Many People

Chapter 72 Wow, So Many People

The next day.

Fang Ran and Zhong Wan headed out of the dorm together.

"Fang Ran, did Sister Fang need you today?" Zhong Wan asked.

"Yeah," Fang Ran replied as they entered the elevator together. "She sent me a message last night."

That late-night message that disturbed him... was from Fang Liyu.

She asked Fang Ran to come to her office today, seemingly to discuss something.

"Zhong Wan..." Fang Ran glanced at his friend a few more times, feeling that the smile on his face was a bit strange.

This guy had actually given him two bottles of nutrient drinks first thing in the morning.

It was kind of a headache...

"Last night... it wasn’t what you thought," Fang Ran mustered the courage to say.

"Oh?" Zhong Wan raised an eyebrow, instantly intrigued. "Then what exactly was it?"

"He... was just saying hello."

"Well, that 'hello'... made quite a scene."

"......"

"Zhong Wan, about him coming to the guide dormitory..."

Zhong Wan shrugged. "I know, I know. As if I’d go blabbing about it?"

By now, the two had reached the lobby of the guide dormitory, where the entrance was a transparent automatic glass door.

The rain had stopped, and the sky had cleared.

The July sun was blazing.

Lu Wenchuan, still dressed in white, was waiting at his usual spot for Zhong Wan.

Across from him... stood another figure in black.

Fu Zhangzhou stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall on the other side.

The morning sun was neither too hot nor too cold, casting a warm glow over both of them.

As well-known, top-tier Sentinels, they naturally attracted many glances from passersby.

"Tsk tsk..." Zhong Wan’s steps paused slightly. "These two are really..."

"Like guardian deities at the door."

......

"Fang Ran."

"Why are you ignoring me?"

"Fang Ran..."

Fu Zhangzhou followed behind Fang Ran as the two entered the headquarters office building one after the other.

Fang Ran kept his eyes forward, walking faster and faster, only stopping when he reached the elevator.

The Sentinel quickly caught up to him and pressed the elevator button for him.

"Why didn’t you wait for me?" There was a hint of complaint in his voice.

Fang Ran looked up and glared at him.

"You ran off pretty fast yesterday, didn’t you?"

The Sentinel faltered slightly, his eyes suddenly lighting up with excitement. "So you’re angry about that?"

"Wanna pick up where we left off tonight?"

"......"

Fang Ran averted his gaze, refusing to engage further.

Just then, the elevator doors opened.

Two familiar figures stepped out.

Fang Liyu was discussing something seriously with Lu Wenshan, but her eyes lit up the moment she saw them.

"You’re here."

Lu Wenshan, who had been about to step out of the elevator, paused and turned to Fang Liyu. "I left that document in your office."

Fang Liyu realized, "Should I have someone bring it to you later?"

"No need," he replied in his usual cold tone. "I’ll just go back up."

Seeing that he showed no intention of leaving the elevator, Fang Ran stepped inside.

The air felt instantly cooler—the elevator was noticeably cooler than outside.

The physique of Sentinels was more or less influenced by their Superpower.

Having spent more time with Lu Wenchuan lately and with Zhong Wan around, Fang Ran thought he had grown immune to Sentinels with chilling auras.

Yet, the moment he got close to Lu Wenshan, he couldn’t help but shiver.

Fu Zhangzhou followed closely behind him and suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder, warmth immediately transferring over.

The Sentinel gave a slight tug and even switched places with him.

An odd arrangement formed inside the elevator.

Two top-tier Sentinels stood in the middle, with Fang Ran and Fang Liyu pinned to either side.

The elevator began to ascend.

Fang Ran stared at the numbers on the display panel, suddenly feeling as though the temperature in the elevator seemed to be climbing too.

He glanced at Fu Zhangzhou out of the corner of his eye.

The Sentinel, for once, wasn’t looking at him but instead had his eyes half-lowered, deep in thought.

Something's wrong.

Fang Ran glanced at the vent on the elevator door.

The air exchange system was operating normally, and with Lu Wenshan—a human ice block—inside, how could it be getting hotter and hotter, even surpassing the typical summer temperature?

The only explanation...

was that the person beside him was releasing mental energy.

"......"

Fang Ran wiped the sweat beading on his forehead and was about to speak when he suddenly saw Lu Wenshan take a slight step forward.

The elevator shuddered, and the temperature abruptly began to drop.

A layer of mist formed on the silvery elevator walls, as if it would frost over any second.

Fu Zhangzhou stood completely still, only lifting his eyelids slightly.

The mist instantly turned to liquid, gathering into tiny droplets before rapidly evaporating and shrinking.

The elevator kept swinging between hot and cold, the temperature swinging wildly.

Fang Ran felt as if he were one moment on a plain, the next at the edge of a volcano...

Finally.

With a *ding*, the elevator chimed.

"Enough!"

"Enough!"

Fang Ran and Fang Liyu shouted simultaneously.

The elevator doors slowly opened.

The hot and cold air rushed out, and the temperature inside gradually returned to normal.

Fang Ran finally sighed in relief.

The way these Sentinels think... sometimes it's truly hard to understand.

What were they competing about?!

He tugged at Fu Zhangzhou's arm. "Let's go out."

Fu Zhangzhou threw a provocative glance at the person beside him and allowed Fang Ran to pull him out of the elevator.

Lu Wenshan's gaze shifted slightly, lost in thought.

Fang Liyu took two steps forward, then hesitated and looked back. "Sentinel Lu Wenshan, maybe... wait a moment, and I’ll bring the document out for you."

"Not necessary." After speaking, Lu Wenshan followed her out.

The elevator doors finally closed.

The four stood in the elevator bay. For a moment, no one spoke, and the atmosphere remained somewhat strange.

Suddenly, each of their terminals vibrated simultaneously.

Fang Ran looked down and opened his.

"Emergency incident in District 4, SX-46W area. All relevant headquarters personnel receiving this message, please report to assist immediately. Thank you for your cooperation!"

Fang Ran frowned at the message.

His employment paperwork clearly wasn’t complete yet, so why was this message sent to him?

"This... it's the coastline area again," Fang Liyu said, also reading the message. "Fang Ran, I updated your status in the system this morning. You’re already an official headquarters employee now. Your tier assessment can be done later."

"......"

"Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou, the incident area is near the coast. Please bring Guide Fang Ran to the waiting point first. Coordinates are here..."

Fu Zhangzhou glanced at it and narrowed his eyes.

"This area again?"

After communicating with him, Fang Liyu turned to Lu Wenshan. "Sentinel Lu Wenshan, please transfer me to the scene... no, to the Guide waiting point."

Fang Ran was surprised. "Sister Fang, you’re going to the waiting point too?"

"Yes." Fang Liyu nodded. "I’m currently mainly in charge of the Guide department, so naturally, I need to stay with you all."

She smiled and added, "It’s just getting back to my old job."

Fu Zhangzhou glanced down at that moment.

Fang Ran’s hand was still holding his arm.

The Sentinel’s lips curved slightly. He loosened his grip and, before Fang Ran realized what was happening, took his hand instead.

With a slight tug, his Guide was drawn close to him.

Fang Ran turned his head, his eyes meeting Fu Zhangzhou’s.

"You... what are you trying to do?"

"Look into my eyes," the Sentinel said softly, his gaze seeming to swirl with unseen energy.

Fang Ran looked at him, surprised. "Huh?"

"3, 2, 1." The Sentinel counted down.

Weightlessness suddenly overwhelmed him.

Everything Fang Ran saw shattered into countless fragments at that moment, leaving only the Sentinel’s compelling gaze.

He reached out and instinctively clung to the person in front of him.

Countless shards of color swirled and raced past Fang Ran’s vision.

The next moment.

His feet landed firmly.

His mind went blank, only aware that he was in a very warm embrace.

Fang Ran blinked, and the world before him gradually became real.

The sound of crashing waves and whistling wind rushed into his ears all at once, while a biting sea breeze swept across his face, tousling the strands of hair over his forehead.

He and Fu Zhangzhou were standing on a flat area near the cliff, facing a three-story villa ahead.

Had they arrived at the waiting point?

Compared to the disorienting sense of distortion and weightlessness from last time, this instant transfer was far more bearable—except for the fierce sea wind. Instinctively, he shrank deeper into Fu Zhangzhou’s embrace.

A low chuckle came from above.

“Still not willing to let go?”

Fang Ran paused, then immediately broke free from the embrace and straightened up.

Fu Zhangzhou laughed again, his gaze gentle as he looked at him.

“I’d love to stay like this a bit longer with you, but this damned device keeps beeping.”

“If you don’t feel like doing the mission, maybe we could—”

“No need,” Fang Ran cut him off. “Just take me to the waiting point first.”

The Sentinel looked at him for a moment before slowly replying, “Alright.”

“But remember, trust no one except Fang Liyu and your friend.”

......

“Guide, please proceed to the room ahead to wait.”

“Okay.”

Following the support staff’s directions, Fang Ran walked to a room.

The day he met Fu Zhangzhou, he had been brought to this seaside villa for an emergency mission. He hadn’t expected to return here just a few months later.

He pressed his hand on the door handle and pulled, and the door swung open automatically.

The room, long unused, was filled with dust, and the damp, salty sea air gave the atmosphere an unpleasant odor.

As soon as Fang Ran stepped inside, he couldn’t help but sneeze into his hand, followed by a few coughs.

“Are you okay, Guide?”

A figure glided over and handed him a tissue.

“I’m fine,” Fang Ran covered his mouth and waved a hand. “Thank—”

He looked up, about to thank him, but froze.

The person had exceptionally beautiful eyes, with a natural redness at the corners that lent them a touch of fragility.

When those eyes looked at you, they were gentle yet subtly enchanting.

Very captivating.

Fang Ran’s heart fluttered slightly.

This was Wen Qi.

“...Thank you,” he composed himself and finally finished his sentence.

“Fang Ran.”

A familiar voice came from the other side of the room.

Zhong Wan rushed over to him, looking curious.

“Why are you here too?”

Fang Ran replied, “Sister Fang pulled some strings for me. The rank confirmation test can be done later.”

“Really?” Zhong Wan pointed toward the window. “Let’s sit over there then.”

Fang Ran nodded, shooting a subtle glance at Wen Qi.

He had already returned to where he was sitting, showing no intention of following them. His earlier action seemed nothing more than the characteristic kindness of a gentle person.

Fang Ran averted his gaze and said to Zhong Wan, “Zhong Wan, have you been here long?”

“No, I just arrived too.”

The two sat down on a large sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window.

“I just finished performing purification on Lu Wenchuan and rushed over as soon as I got the message.”

“Speaking of which, didn’t the coastline have a major outbreak just a few months ago? What’s happening today?”

Fang Ran shook his head; he didn’t know the answer either.

The coastline of the Fourth Security Zone was unique.

The sea harbored vast numbers of mutated monsters, and while minor outbreaks occurred frequently, large-scale outbreaks generally happened only once a year.

Since the alert had been sent to high-level Sentinels like Fu Zhangzhou and the Lu Wenchuan brothers, it meant this monster outbreak was significant.

Yet barely over four months had passed since the last one.

Had something influenced it?

As Fang Ran pondered this, deep in thought, a few more figures appeared at the room’s entrance.

Fang Liyu entered carrying a box of nutrition packs, followed by two others.

“Those two are here too?”

Fang Ran only looked up when he heard Zhong Wan’s words. The people following Fang Liyu were... Zhao Fan and Shen Ke.

Zhao Fan sported his usual disdainful look, avoiding Fang Ran’s gaze.

Shen Ke, however, noticed Fang Ran looking over and gave him a bright, sweet smile.

Fang Liyu frowned just then, swatting a hand to fan the air in front of her.

“Ahem, the smell in this room...”

She turned to adjust the ventilation system by the door before announcing to everyone, “Listen up, everyone. This will likely take a while today.”

“You can have some nutrition packs now to conserve your energy.”

"The Sentinels needing purification will probably be here soon."

"Okay."

"Got it!"

"......"

Everyone chimed in one after another.

Fang Liyu glanced around, and, spotting Fang Ran and Zhong Wan sitting together, walked over. "There you two are."

Surprisingly, Zhao Fan and Shen Ke also followed her.

The five-person sofa was soon filled up.

Fang Ran and Zhong Wan exchanged a glance.

Setting aside Wen Qi over there for the moment, just on this sofa...

Fang Liyu is a semi-S-class, Zhao Fan is A-class, Zhong Wan is B-class, he's C-class himself, and there's also Shen Ke, whose rank is unknown.

It's like... a complete set.

"Wow, so many people, huh?"

Even though there weren’t many people in the room at the moment, Zhong Wan couldn’t help commenting.

No sooner had he spoken, there was a knock at the door.

A tall figure appeared in the doorway.