He even needed to take the subway to the station to buy a pressure cooker.
The priority was still to deal with the mist in front of him.
Although Shen Jie had calculated that the average time for the city defense force to resolve the mist within the city was ten minutes, to avoid any mishaps, he still needed to consider countermeasures.
Human bodies were fragile and couldn’t withstand too much rough handling.
For example, if one’s head fell off, he thought, trying to put it back on would be impossible.
In the central open space of the mechanical factory, no one dared to move out first.
Someone tremblingly took out a mist survival guide from their bag—these things were distributed every month in the city, tucked into newspapers, everyone had one, detailing emergency response measures for residents encountering mist.
[When encountering mist, do not panic. Panic will only lead to a rapid increase in infection value.
Try to self-rescue before the rescue team arrives. Choose different self-rescue methods flexibly according to different types of mist.
…To deal with mist of the “Rule” category, the best approach is to follow the rules.
Following the rules doesn’t necessarily mean survival, but not following them ensures the quickest death—especially when there isn’t enough force to suppress or decipher.
…Never give up courage and hope at any time.
For the future and continuity of humanity, survive.]
“Survive.”
Shen Jie was deeply impressed by this word.
In his long and tedious, seemingly endless memories, a long time ago, there was an old man with silver hair who once tightly held his hand and said to him, “Stay alive.”
But that was a long, long time ago.
So long that even he had trouble remembering what the old man looked like.
He also remembered the author’s name behind the booklet.
The booklet was jointly produced by the Mist Monitoring Center, Mist Cleaning Center, and the City Defense Bureau, with the handwritten signatures of over a hundred co-authors, including Zong Lin.
Just the thought of Zong Lin made him smile uncontrollably. Zong Lin’s right hand was highly mutated, so even though he could manage delicate tasks like writing, his handwriting inevitably ended up crooked and twisted.
So this signature was actually written stroke by stroke as he held Zong Lin’s hand, their joint signature.
The lines were restrained and soothing, with a slight tremor at the edges, but overall neat.
Afterward, he looked at it for a moment, feeling satisfied, then leaned over and planted a kiss on the man’s face.
Then he was lifted up, his waist hitting the desk.
(Author note: After that came the part that needed to be pixelated, as it wouldn’t pass censorship if written out.)
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Ktf olgra geif rjsr ab rla qgbqfgis ja sbeg kbgxrajalbc jcv cba wbnf jgbecv. Dea ktfgf fzjmais lr beg kbgxrajalbc?”
Pc atf rlifcmf, j ktlaf-mbiijg kbgxfg kjr atf olgra ab rqfjx eq.
“Ynfg atfgf, la ibbxr ilxf atfgf jgf rabbir!”
C ktlaf-mbiijg ijvs rabbv bc alqabf, qblcalcu ab j gbk bo rabbir cfjg atf wjmtlcfgs lc atf vlrajcmf.
In fact, many had already noticed that there was a circle of stools nearby the machinery, likely meant for workers.
This was probably the “workstation.”
No one knew when the “supervisor” and the “boss” mentioned in the third and fourth rules would show up. At this moment, time was of the essence, and finding the right workstation to sit at was the top priority.
Yet still, no one dared to move first.
The ‘Rule’ category mist was somewhat unique. Its danger was not as direct as other categories, but a misstep could bring disaster.
A strong individual from the ‘Rule’ category in the city once said in the ‘Mist Survival Guide’:
“Rules are lifesavers. Rules also lure prey into traps of death. Trust the rules, but don’t completely trust the rules.” – Gu Nian’an, City Defense Bureau.
It sounds like a tongue twister.
Everyone looked at each other, their thoughts twisting and turning more convolutedly than a tongue twister.
But there was a big man who rushed out first. The big man was burly, his vigorous muscles seemed to burst out of his suit shirt, like a brave brown bear, ready to plow through any obstacle in front of him. Then, the next second, there was a loud bang, as if the big man had collided with something. He staggered back two steps, stars swirling in his eyes, and blurted out, “Damn…”
But there was clearly nothing in front of the big man.
“Dude, what’s going on?” someone asked as they approached him.
Another person cautiously took a few steps outside, but also bumped into an invisible wall, letting out an “ouch.”
“Can’t get through… It’s like there’s an invisible barrier!”
“Huh? But the workstations are over there…”
“Try to break through? Or see if there’s another passage…”
“We need to figure something out quickly. Who knows when the inspectors will come.”
People started to panic a bit.
To make matters worse, the loudspeaker above the factory suddenly emitted a piercing bell sound. After the bell, a soft female voice came through the speaker:
“Dear employees, it’s time to start work. Please return to your respective positions and work diligently. The inspectors will begin their patrol in three minutes.”
Three minutes.
Even in real time, the City Defense Bureau might not be able to arrive, let alone in the mist where the perception of time was chaotic.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The recovered burly man’s eyes turned red as he fiercely punched the transparent wall beside him, making a dull thudding sound.
Seeing this, people around also tried various ways to break through the blockade.
Some used a 360-degree spinning kick, some attempted to climb over obstacles by riding on others’ necks, and there was even a white-collar lady who directly lifted her Chanel bag and fiercely smashed it against the wall like swinging a meteor hammer.
“So lively,” Shen Jie thought.
He watched the scene in front of him, still unmoved, like a piece of salted fish lying flat on the beach, indifferent to life and death.
System: […]
It felt like there was something wrong with this host.
Even if Shen Jie was a salted fish in the research institute, he remained a salted fish in the mist as well. It couldn’t help but wonder if Shen Jie would still be this way when the world collapsed and faced death. Perhaps it wouldn’t even live to see that day, as its host might die in the mist due to being too passive.
At that time, it would surely celebrate… Well, this was its only host, so it had to protect him no matter what.
[Host, the newbie gift package is a good thing, you know.]
[As long as you crack a little mist, you can get a big surprise. It’s really a profitable deal…]
The system tempted persistently. But it was of no use.
Shen Jie remained unmoved.
A lot of people tried many methods. But it was futile.
An invisible wall blocked their way, trapping them like sardines in a can.
“Everyone, let’s calm down first.”
At this moment, a man with glasses stepped forward and said, “I’m an observer from the Mist Observation Center. When the mist spread just now, we all saw it. The color was white, with a hint of pink at most, indicating it’s the lowest-level mist manifestation.”
He adjusted his glasses and continued, “Based on experience, even ordinary people have the potential to dispel this kind of low-level mist. As long as we unite, we’ll definitely find a solution. It would be even better if there were a superpower user among us, even if it’s just a Rank Nine…”
As the burly man who was throwing punches turned around, he spoke in a booming voice, “I’m a superpower user from the ‘Nature’ category, Rank Nine, with the ability ‘Enhanced Strength.’ Even I can’t break through this wall!”
The white-collar woman swung her bag wildly, crazily pounding the wall, her face pale as she murmured, “Even if it’s the lowest-level mist, the survival rate for ordinary people is only 39%. I just finished paying off my mortgage in the city area, I just ordered KFC takeout a moment ago, I don’t want to die…”
The glasses man choked on his words.
39%.
That was indeed the correct number.
Even the lowest-level mist had a terrifyingly difficulty for ordinary people.
And himself… even though he worked at the observation center, he was just an ordinary person.
What could ordinary people do in the face of natural disasters?
Moreover, even the Rank Nine superpower user couldn’t break through this wall…
As an observer, he was well aware that the levels of superpower users and aliens varied greatly, and even a Rank Nine couldn’t match the power of many aliens. Most of the time, the aliens at the lowest level were much stronger than superpower users of Rank Nine, and sometimes even superpower users of Rank Eight might not be able to handle them.
This was determined by the degree of their own mutation.
Human was inherently at a disadvantage when it came to aliens.
“Sir, you are an observer at the observation center and must have seen a lot. Please think of a solution to help us…” A mother pulled her young daughter over, rushing to him.
She had come to visit her son in the university city over the weekend and hadn’t expected to encounter this situation on her way home.
The man in glasses swallowed hard, “Please don’t worry, I… I’ll think of something…”
[Host, it’s been a minute already.]
[May I ask, are you daydreaming or actually thinking right now?]
Shen Jie: “I’m thinking that when they get tired of hitting, perhaps they could sit down and rest for a while.”
Yes, even though the spatial shift occurred, Shen Jie was still sitting. Even though he was sitting on air, his posture remained stable, with his hands resting on his crossed legs, his back naturally straight and relaxed. Anyone would only be able to say two words upon seeing him, “elegant!”
“So elegant!”
Chen Shushu felt like applauding for him.
When the mist surged in, he was originally fleeing towards the front carriage, but then suddenly remembered the beautiful man he had just encountered was still behind. He glanced back and thought of the beautiful person with wide eyes, appearing terrified, fragile, and helpless…
Chen Shushu made up his mind and rushed back, wanting to grab his and maybe even hold his delicate hand.
But before he could touch his hand, the mist arrived first.
Charming beauty makes men fall.
Despite Chen Shushu growing so big, he still had too many problems.
He looked at Shen Jie.
Shen Jie had no support underneath him, appearing as if he was sitting on air.
Hmm… He rubbed his chin in thought. Even sitting on air, the beautiful man’s posture looked good, even if it was somewhat unscientific.
Chen Shushu pondered for a moment, then slowly crouched down, attempting to grope in the space in front of his body.
Strangely, although he didn’t feel like he touched anything, the gravity on his hand indeed gained support.
“Aren’t you going to sit?” Shen Jie spoke up.
Thank you for the chapter! ❤
Thank you for the chapter! This salted fish is really good at hiding himself 🫠
He has a man >:(
Thank you for the chapter!
Aiyah~~ hearing this type of character I just know that he’s the ‘love rival’ that’s gonna het nowhere man, respect trying to save beauty though 🕊️
Thank you for the chapter!!!
oh!!! he’s already on his seat omfg
Why did I visualise Sakamoto sitting on air with his legs crossed !!! 🤣😂
I’ve doubted it from early on, but Shen Jie is likely not human, right? Or maybe he was originally but not one any longer. From his thoughts about following Steven to eat, his thoughts about the rules not advantageous for humans, having lived for so long(?), and the desc of the novel.
Oh they’re still in the subway? Then it’s an illusion?
hey don’t get close to our mc!🔪