In a higher office at Tomorrow's News.
The manager, wearing rimless glasses, drank his coffee while listening to the report from Ji Wei. A look of astonishment and wonder appeared on his youthful face, which seemed to be in its twenties.
"That's a clever approach," the manager set down his coffee cup, nodding in admiration. "Huaizhi Sushi is Huai Shi, hmm, an interesting idea. It can be sent to the entertainment section of the Asia edition, gathered up for a piece of gossip news, although it's still not enough for the front page... There's no helping it; everyone is waiting for the new scandal involving His Holiness in Rome. The entertainment department is indeed under a lot of pressure to produce this kind of news. I've just received two more warnings from the Palace of the Pope; it's really tough to handle."
Gossip news. The underlying message was clear to Ji Wei.
"So you also think this is purely baseless speculation?"
"Not necessarily. What if it happens to be right? Now that you mention it, I do see some resemblance."
The manager chuckled, shaking his head. "But perhaps there really is some intimate relationship between the two, or perhaps, we shouldn't deny the one-in-ten-thousand chance... But with such arguments alone, rudely merging two characters into one is really unprofessional. That's not how a news worker behaves, Ji Wei. Paparazzi may have no bottom line, but journalists must have integrity—news without evidence is something we absolutely cannot sell to customers. Why do you think that is? Certainly not because we are morally superior, but because news without evidence simply doesn't sell for a higher price!"
Ji Wei couldn't help but roll her eyes. So after all this time as a manager, that's all the integrity you have? But then, should an intelligence dealer really be preaching about civic-mindedness, moral conduct, and the love of labor? Selling the news of your own father's death for money—now *that's* professional. So the reason this inference is labeled as gossip news is because it can't be sold for a high price, right?
"Won't you try doing some investigation?" Ji Wei asked. "I think the relationship between Huai Shi and Huaizhi Sushi is a very good entry point; there should be gains to be had."
No matter how speculative it was, one had to admit, the clue suggested by the investigator was an excellent topic. If handled properly, it could be very explosive.
"No need, not at this time. News involving the Ivory Tower's internal affairs is Luo Su's exclusive domain. That old guy cherishes his subordinates and students immensely; it's not worth the risk of angering him."
The manager scratched his head. "To be honest, I'm really a bit afraid that old fellow will burst in here and give me a beating. Do you know about the incident with the Hell News Group next door?"
"Hmm?"
"Last time, because of the Town of Dusk incident, their entertainment reporters planned to run a story titled 'Popular Teacher from Ivory Tower Secretly Marries Ivy Vine and Has Children: What's the Deal?' They were blocked by an old librarian who just sat at their door, effectively isolating the reporter for two whole months. By the time the hype died down and the librarian left, the reporter couldn't even speak properly. What a tragedy."
While he spoke in a sympathetic tone, the schadenfreude in his voice was unmistakable.
"Right now, we're in a cooperative honeymoon period, so it's best to avoid such incidents as much as possible. After all, the company needs to make a living, right? If we can make a bit more, who wouldn't want to?"
The manager gestured dismissively, bringing the anecdote to a close.
"Next, you can hand over the Nara news to someone else to follow up on, Ji Wei. I have a new assignment for you."
"Oh?"
"Huangquan Slope in Kyoto, you know of it, right?"
"Are you referring to one of the gathering areas in Current Circumstances for Beastified Characteristic Beings?"
"Roughly. Lately, things have been very chaotic there. No, I should say it feels very ominous. I need someone meticulous to take charge and ensure no clues are missed."
Ji Wei frowned. "I don't mind, but I've been following the Nara news for so long. Why the sudden, abrupt transfer? Aren't there other people available?"
"You are the most suitable person for the job."
The manager picked up his coffee cup, looking down at the murky liquid at the bottom, then asked suddenly, "I remember, you were the one who compiled the details of the Feuerbach Mansion incident, right?"
Ji Wei's breath caught for a moment.
"It's just a suspicion." The manager put down his coffee cup, rubbing his temples. "We always need capable people. So, what's your answer? Ji Wei, apart from you, I can't think of anyone more suitable for this position."
"I'll go, if the handover can be completed by tomorrow."
"You really are very by-the-book."
"No, it's just a work habit."
Ji Wei closed the schedule book in front of her, rose to her feet, and said her goodbye.
In the silent office, the manager leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the pale ceiling and the vast Reflection that constantly emerged from the pure white.
He squinted.
「 」
By the time Huai Shi woke up, it was already afternoon.
Earlier, after finishing breakfast, Miss Huaizhi Sushi had pedaled her bicycle back to the Li Jian family estate in a leisurely fashion. She'd made no attempt to hide the commotion she caused in the city the night before and, yawning, had returned to her room to fall into a deep sleep.
Huai Shi opened his eyes to the afternoon sunlight outside the window and felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. It was the lethargy that comes with complete rest and relaxation.
His heart felt calm and peaceful.
He rose slowly and methodically washed his face, brushed his teeth, and examined his Reflection in the mirror. Right, a man's appearance is indeed more pleasant.
In the mirror's Reflection, Huai Shi's skin gradually disappeared, followed by the bloody musculature beneath, ultimately revealing the intricate Reflection of the Stigmata.
The network of the Buried Sacred Place was rooted between his bones and internal organs, infiltrating his heart, lungs, stomach, and even nerves and glands, strand by strand.
Like a giant tree growing inside him.
Now, in addition to his already fully transformed right hand, Huai Shi's heart had become like a dim and transparent shadow, silently pulsating, with a hint of darkness surfacing in the crimson blood within his body.
Thanks to the potent stimulation from the large and filling portions of industrial food, the Etherization of Huai Shi's internal organs had advanced further.
To digest the enormous Disaster, his body instinctively tried to fuse with the Stigma of Soloist, rapidly increasing the pace of Etherization.
It was now at around forty percent.
Thanks to Tong Ji's repeated backstabbings, after being pierced several times, Huai Shi's heart had been the first to complete its Etherization, no longer constrained by flesh and blood.
Having assimilated with the Stigma, it possessed the resilience of a miracle itself, no longer a fatal vulnerability.
Truly, cause for celebration. In the future, I could probably endure a few more stabs when backstabbed again, right?
Another unexpected transformation was Huai Shi discovering that one of the Source Armaments in his Soul had vanished.