Infinite Nightmares

Zhang Wenda watched the street gradually grow bustling as he wolfed down his breakfast.

As for 2826’s current situation, Zhang Wenda couldn’t help in the slightest. All he could do was hope the guy was all right.

He washed down the bun in his mouth with a gulp of warm soy milk. For someone who’d been up all night, it was unbelievably comforting.

After eating and drinking his fill, the rising sun cast its morning light on him. Zhang Wenda felt a pleasant warmth spread through his body, and a wave of drowsiness washed over him.

Seeing that the Xinhua Bookstore behind him had opened, Zhang Wenda lay right down on the pile of cats. "Useless cat, your turn for night watch. Send the cats out, you hear me? Teacher, you should get some sleep too."

As Song Jianguo muttered and cursed under his breath, Zhang Wenda pulled a cat into his arms and fell into a deep sleep.

’Sleeping in front of someone else’s shop isn’t exactly proper,’ he thought, ’but under the circumstances, I can’t be bothered.’

He didn’t know how long he had slept, but when Zhang Wenda woke up again, the sun was high in the sky outside. Somehow, they were now on the first floor of the Xinhua Bookstore.

But before Zhang Wenda had a chance to think about anything else, an unexpected person appeared before him. It was 2826. He was back.

"Holy shit, you decided to come back? The three of us nearly got ourselves killed because of you!" Zhang Wenda shot up and started complaining.

"My apologies. It’s my fault. The channel between Thought Wave Twelve and Thought Wave Three was maliciously closed, and I was tied up by a few things," 2826 began to explain.

"Forget the excuses, let’s get down to business. What about my situation?" As Zhang Wenda asked this, his heart leaped into his throat.

mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "Originally, you didn’t meet the requirements. However, after some discretionary consideration from the higher-ups, they’ve decided to make an exception and let you join the Third Line."

"Really? That’s great? Not as a temp?" Zhang Wenda was completely surprised. The Third Line of the past hadn’t been this easygoing.

hadn’t planned on explaining, but after a moment’s thought, he leaned in and said in a low voice, "This is a friendly, off-the-record reminder. The negotiation process wasn’t actually that smooth. But they were more afraid that if they didn’t let you join the Third Line, you’d turn around and join the Big Circle."

"For Bureau 507, someone like you joining the Big Circle would be a bigger problem than not recruiting you at all."

"Ha~ So I’ve made myself valuable enough to be co-opted, is that it?" Zhang Wenda had never expected to receive this kind of treatment.

’Looks like getting into trouble with the Big Circle wasn’t entirely a bad thing. Is this a blessing in disguise?’

’Now that I have the cover of Bureau 507, it’ll give me a lot more leverage, whether I’m fighting the Big Circle or looking for a way to solve the problem of my monstrous body.’

"So, when do I report to Bureau 507?" Zhang Wenda was already getting impatient, feeling the novelty of joining a new company.

"You can’t go yet. You’re currently in a probationary period, under my supervision. Only after you pass the three-month probation will you officially become a member of Bureau 507."

Hearing that very familiar phrase, Zhang Wenda’s expression shifted slightly. "You’re not going to work me like a dog during my probation, and then once the three months are up, tell me I didn’t pass the evaluation and kick me to the curb, are you?"

"Are you kidding? We’re the Third Line, a legitimate organization. Why would we ever do something like that?"

"Good, good." Zhang Wenda’s face relaxed a bit. "So, what’s the monthly salary for the probation period?"

"During probation, the pay is 32 yuan per month in Thought Wave One currency. If you want to switch thought wave currencies, you’ll need to file a report."

At the mention of money, Song Jianguo’s ears perked up. He immediately started counting on his fingers, calculating how many red-braised fish he could buy with 32 yuan.

"And for a full-time employee?" Zhang Wenda pressed on. ’You have to be clear about salary and benefits before joining a new company. I’m not about to work for free.’

"As a new employee, you’ll get 46 yuan a month. Later on, it will increase based on your combat merits and rank. Most frontline personnel get paid more."

"The money isn’t the most important part. The most important thing is that as soon as we announce you’ve joined Bureau 507, the Big Circle won’t dare to touch you again."

"Wait. Tell the Bureau not to announce it yet." Zhang Wenda stroked his chin, lost in thought.

After thinking for a moment, he looked at 2826 and said, "You just said that the salary increases with combat merits, right? Does that mean I can also end my probation early by earning merits?"

"Yes, you could say that. But probationary members aren’t usually assigned missions, so what you’re saying is pointless."

"No! It’s not!"

Motivated by the prospect of a salary, Zhang Wenda was now full of drive. "What if I help Bureau 507 capture an enemy from the Big Circle’s upper echelon, at the very least? Would that mean I could end my probation immediately?"

"Upper echelon? Who?"

"Tang Xingxiong!" Zhang Wenda said the woman’s name. "She’s coming to find me in three days. She wants to pull me into the Big Circle. I already pretended to agree. We can set up an ambush. When she comes looking for me with her guard down, we can capture her alive!"

’Since he could use that woman to get into the Third Line, why couldn’t he use her to climb even higher? If you’re going to use someone, you might as well go all the way.’

"Tang Xingxiong?" 2826 sounded extremely surprised to hear the name. "Are you sure it’s her? A woman?"

"Yes, a woman. The three-headed Crow. Saber, the guy in charge of a factory before, had to listen to her. I get the feeling she’s worth a lot."

Zhang Wenda gave 2826 a quick rundown of what had happened. "So? If I sell her out, how much of a raise can I get? And you still haven’t told me about the ranking system in the Third Line."

didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled out a phone and started tapping on it rapidly, apparently communicating with someone.

"Hey, Haozi, I’m hungry. Give me money, I want to buy food," Song Jianguo said, clutching his stomach.

Zhang Wenda gave him twenty cents to get rid of him, then turned to look at Teacher Rabbit. "Teacher, look, I found a job. And it seems like an iron rice bowl."

Teacher Rabbit didn’t say anything, just gave Zhang Wenda a thumbs-up. The two of them looked at each other and smiled.

Just then, 2826 put down his phone. He didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he pulled Zhang Wenda up to the second floor of the Xinhua Bookstore and led him into a private room.

Once they were secure, 2826 said, "Your intel is very useful. I didn’t expect her to approach you so quickly. In fact, we’ve come up with a plan that will strike an even bigger blow against the Big Circle Gang."

"If you agree, not only will your probationary period be canceled immediately, but your salary will be raised to the same as mine—120 yuan a month. Furthermore, subsequent subsidies, combat equipment, and training in Third Line techniques will all be issued to you."

"That good? 120 a month, same as you? And all these other benefits? What’s the plan?" Thinking about all that money, Zhang Wenda’s eyes lit up.

But very quickly, Zhang Wenda realized something was wrong. His smile slowly faded. "Hold on a second. What do you mean, ’the same as you’?"

As it suddenly dawned on him, Zhang Wenda began to shake his head vigorously.

"No way! Don’t even think about it! You can kill me, but I’ll never go undercover in the Big Circle Gang like you!"