Chapter 96: Special Zone, quite extraordinary indeed. You actually like someone.
PM3:16 Twin Towers, Examination Monitoring Area.
The three elevators in the Punishment Building are still operating normally, one lit with a blue light, the other with a red light.
The former is for examinees only, while the latter is for examiners, taking them to different areas respectively.
Other than that, there was one lit with a white light.
In the impression of most invigilators, the white light elevator was quite special.
It remained in a “sleeping” state year-round, always parked on the first floor because it was used on very few occasions.
At this moment, 078 stood before the elevator door, clutching a notification slip in his hand.
He took a few days off due to illness.
Just when he started to improve in the morning, he received this notice.
The notice said………………
922 sprained his ankle with a soft tissue contusion, 021 suddenly had low blood sugar causing dizziness and discomfort, and 154 bit his tongue, had an acute internal heat flare-up, and grew two ulcers. The three urgently needed rest and recovery, so the punishment of the offending examinee would be carried out by 078, who was in the same group.
At first glance of this notice, 078 thought, “What the hell kind of bullshit is this?!”
Suddenly twisting his ankle was one thing—after all, 922 was indeed clumsy. Given that the exam area had many mountain roads and required getting on and off carriages, it was just like him to be absent-minded and step into empty air.
Suddenly having low blood sugar…
Miss 021 comes from a military background, with physical fitness that’s even more impressive than a grown man’s. How could she possibly have low blood sugar?
But… this ancestor is someone he doesn’t dare to cross. If she says she’s fainting, then she’s fainting.
As for 154…
This one is truly taking it too far.
If these two ulcers aren’t on the soles of your feet, is it really so severe that you can’t even bring an examinee along and urgently need to rest???
Such a far-fetched excuse for leave, and the system actually approved it.
078 can’t help but suspect that 154 pulled some strings behind the scenes.
However, what truly surprises him about the entire notice isn’t any of this—it’s the location of the punishment.
It clearly indicated for him to take this elevator.
“Hey? Who—” An invigilator on duty for maintenance walked into the building, saw 078, and was momentarily stunned. “What are you doing over there? Got lost in a daze? That’s the special punishment zone.”
Special punishment zone.
That was how most invigilators viewed the white-light elevator.
They still haven’t figured out exactly what makes it so special.
Supposedly, they specialize in handling issues related to the core security of the system. Who knows if it’s true or not, especially since there’s basically zero reference material to go by.
078 shook the notice and said, “No mistake here—it’s clearly written in black and white on the document.”
The invigilator looked surprised, leaning over to take a look. “Oh my, which exam is this for? All the invigilators incapacitated? That can’t be right, can it?”
“It’s possible, I was done for right after my last exam.” 078 pointed at his haggard face.
The invigilator was speechless.
The notice didn’t mention who violated the rules, nor did it specify what the violation was.
But even 078 could guess with his toes who it was.
Sure enough, within just a few minutes, those two plague-bearers were brought over.
“The subject has been delivered. You can go inform 021 and the others later.” The guiding invigilator was like someone delivering a bomb, turning to leave as soon as they reached their destination.
078 couldn’t even stop him.
His expression was complicated as he looked at the two of them.
Qin Jiu lifted a finger in greeting and said, “Good afternoon.”
The hell it is.
078 muttered, seeing you two is no good.
“What have you guys done this time?” 078 said irritably. “You even had to use this elevator.”
When he mentioned “what you’ve done,” the atmosphere turned slightly awkward.
But 078 was a bit slow and didn’t notice.
Qin Jiu looked at the elevator light, also somewhat surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.” 078 muttered, “Would I dare to casually put people here?”
“What’s wrong with this elevator?” You Huo asked.
He had been a little curious last time he came, thinking it was for those vendors and drivers, but he didn’t expect to be the one using it first.
Qin Jiu briefly explained to him, and the elevator took them upstairs.
Surprisingly fast.
The elevator stopped at a large open space, similar to the one used to clear the examination hall last time, also equipped with a verification platform.
The difference was that there was no one guarding the verification platform here, and the floor-to-ceiling windows had been replaced with heavy metal doors.
【Special Zone. Entry requires credentials. Please present the relevant notification.】
078 took out his notification slip and walked to the verification counter.
When he saw that metal door, You Huo felt a sense of déjà vu again.
He’s no longer surprised by this feeling now.
“What’s wrong?” Qin Jiu asked in a low voice.
You Huo said, “It looks familiar. I might have come here before.”
“Come here before” had two possibilities: either as an examinee who violated rules, or as an examiner.
Examiner 078 was busy with verification a short distance away.
The system’s voice sounded one after another.
Qin Jiu looked at the back of 078 and suddenly said, “I saw your previous violation records, right after the last cleanup mission.”
You Huo looked at him.
“It says in there, at one point you were extremely close to someone.”
“…Who?”
“Don’t know,” Qin Jiu said.
The system’s influence over the invigilators was far greater, keeping his memories firmly suppressed, not letting even the slightest trace leak through.
He looked down and asked You Huo, “Do you have any impression, chief examiner?”
You Huo suddenly recalled that fragmented memory that had flashed through his mind when he was pinned against the railing, lost in a kiss with Qin Jiu.
In that hazy scene, the person behind him said… Other invigilators and examinees don’t sleep together.
As You Huo listened to the identical sounds ringing in his ears, his lips moved slightly.
“No,” he said.
“Really?” Qin Jiu pressed again.
“No.”
Qin Jiu’s gaze fell on his profile.
Leaning against the wall, You Huo didn’t look aside as he waited for 078, the line from his jaw to his neck tensing into a sharp, thin silhouette.
Suddenly, a finger broke the rules once more, flicking his earlobe once again.
“Then what were you thinking about during those few seconds of distraction just now?” Qin Jiu asked.
You Huo: “…”
He fell silent for a couple of seconds before saying, “I was thinking about how many minutes 078 would actually need to verify a lousy notification slip.”
This remark wasn’t spoken in a lowered voice.
Suddenly called out by name, the invigilator awkwardly said, “I haven’t been to this place before, so I’m not very familiar with the operation. 001, do you know how to do it?”
Qin Jiu stared at him expressionlessly.
078 said, “Oh, right, you would know but you’ve forgotten.”
“There used to be someone in charge of this place, so we never had to operate it ourselves.” Qin Jiu walked over.
“Where is she now?” You Huo asked.
“She was punished and sent away,” Qin Jiu said. “Actually, you’ve probably seen her before. She was assigned to the examinees’ resting area.”
“I’ve seen her? Who is she?”
“Her name is Chu Yue, the owner of the inn at the resting area.”
You Huo froze.
He had indeed seen it—just after the first exam ended. That Boss Chu even broke the rules by cooking dumplings for them.
078 scratched his head.
He had pressed several buttons incorrectly, and the verification interface was all messed up.
Not knowing which part he had poked, the interface changed again, unexpectedly displaying an exceptionally brief list.
That was a page of entry and exit records.
Looking at the first column showing the time, it was about three to four years ago, spanning approximately a year.
Throughout the year, the entry and exit records only span a single page, truly showing how few people have been here.
The list should include the violator, the supervising invigilator, and the person in charge.
There were many unfamiliar code names and names listed above; Examiner A appeared several times among them, while Chu Yue was recorded in every single entry.
You Huo suddenly remembered the message he left for 021, telling him to go to the rest area to find someone.
Even though he had only been to two rest areas so far, and the people he had met were few and far between, such a narrow selection of targets was prone to errors.
But there was something called intuition.
He had a hunch that the person they needed to find might be Chu Yue.
Qin Jiu was just about to turn to the next page when the system’s voice rang out once more.
It likely couldn’t bear the presence of the incompetent 078 any longer and actively popped up three scanning interfaces for 078 to verify one by one.
Information approved.
At last, the heavily guarded metal doors swung open, and a scent hit them right in the face.
It smelled like a computer room that hadn’t been used for a long time.
The moment You Huo caught a whiff of that scent, he stopped in his tracks.
He could almost hear a woman speaking beside him, her voice eerily similar to that of the innkeeper from the small hotel.
……
078 nearly bumped into his back and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” said You Huo.
He had just suddenly remembered something.
* * *
Inside the metal gate was another security door. Every rule violator had to go through it for a second verification.
In those days, Chu Yue’s hair was longer than it is now, and she would always just grab a rope and tie it up before getting to work.
That day when she received the violation notice, she was biting on the rope, using her fingers to comb her hair back.
Back then, the violation notices contained very detailed information, unlike now.
They included both the violator’s name and the details of the violation.
Violator: A
Violation: Excessive closeness with examinee Qin Jiu.
Remark: The said examinee is an outsider, with a danger level assessment of S-grade. Examiner A is a core personnel with access to classified information, meeting the basic identity verification criteria for security threats.
Penalty Decision: White Zone / Single instance.
Other: As per A’s request, punishment delayed by 5 days.
Chu Yue stared at those lines, quickly tied up her hair, and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Looking at the young chief invigilator standing steadily inside the safety door, she pinned her arm badge on and walked over. “I realize the system really does play favorites. You asked for the punishment to be delayed, and it actually agreed.”
A scoffed and said, “Delaying by five days is harmless to it—why wouldn’t it agree?”
“That’s true.” Chu Yue nodded, pressing her fingerprint next to the safety door.
“Stop folding your arms; don’t lean against just any door,” Chu Yue said.
Due to certain connections, and because of the unique environment they were in, she was the only one in the entire examination area who could speak to Examiner A in such a manner.
The safety door buzzed as it reported a series of detection data.
Chu Yue suddenly asked, “So that guy left?”
“Mm.”
“How did you convince him?”
“Didn’t convince him.”
“Quite the tough talker,” Chu Yue muttered, “So how did they leave?”
“Re-examination attempts have reached the limit,” A said. “The system forced it to end.”
The young invigilator’s thin eyelids lowered slightly, his tone indifferent.
But Chu Yue knew—his mood wasn’t good.
Most of the time, he wore a cold expression, as if he were in a bad mood every day, so subtle changes usually went unnoticed by ordinary people.
Only Chu Yue, who knew a bit about the situation, could notice it.
“You’re really something,” Chu Yue said, pursing her lips with annoyance. “You deliberately delayed the punishment until after he left.”
A raised his hands as instructed and turned around, ignoring her as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
He’s always been this way, and Chu Yue is long accustomed to it.
With her personality, she actually doesn’t like prying into others’ private matters at all.
Today is an exception, because she feels someone needs to bring this up to A.
Hiding something on one’s own and being forced to conceal it are two different feelings. No one likes to keep a fundamentally good thing forever buried in the shadows—unable to let anyone know, unable to show too obvious emotions, unable to drop one’s guard.
No one wanted it this way.
He was wound too tightly, always had to say a few words, to give him an outlet.
Chu Yue thought.
“What if, I mean what if,” Chu Yue said casually. “What if that person comes back again? If they knew you took the punishment all by yourself, they’d probably…”
His voice was faint, his tone certain: “There is no ‘what if’. If the system really sends people out, there will definitely be measures in place.”
Chu Yue said, “Hey, I was just making a comparison.”
He fell silent again.
Security door verification passed. The punishment area has finally been fully unlocked.
A picked up his coat, greeted her with a nod, and headed for the entrance.
Light filled the entrance with a white mist. Chu Yue stood at the edge of the fog, her finger resting on the control switch, ready to close the door for him at any moment.
The uniform accentuated his tall, straight figure, making many young women in the examination hall hesitate just at the sight of him.
Chu Yue suddenly remarked with a touch of wonder, “It’s really something, that you could actually like someone.”
His footsteps paused for a moment. He glanced at Chu Yue but did not argue.
The next second, he strode away, disappearing into the white fog.
A month later, the person he was convinced could never return appeared again, standing before him once more—this time as an invigilator.
* * *
【Qin Jiu, current verification result: Examinee.】
【You Huo, current verification result: examinee.】
[Does not meet the basic verification criteria for security threats, special zone not open, punishment not approved.]
You Huo snapped back to reality.
He and Qin Jiu followed 078, walking through the security door one after the other.
The announcement of the result sounded just like the system’s voice, as if the system had just slapped itself twice.
078 stared at the notification, dumbfounded for a long time, thinking: Unbelievable!
He knew the system liked to emphasize rules, rigidly believing it could follow all of them, which was its superiority over irrational humans.
Who would have thought it could trip itself up like this?
Not long after the security door announced the results, white smoke suddenly billowed from the end of the passage.
No one could tell whether it was caused by a sudden malfunction burning out or by the system’s sheer anger.
After making the trip in vain, 078 wasn’t too upset; he could finally see the two jinxes off.
Speaking in a tone full of “liberation for all humanity,” he said, “I’ll take you back to the rest area.”
You Huo suddenly asked, “Can the rest area be specified?”
Before 078 could open his mouth, the system cut in to answer: “No!!! Random!!!”
Its voice echoed through the entire penthouse.