Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 93 The Terminus of Line 14

"Xiaoyu, we can talk about playing with the cat after we finish eating. Let's start our meal!"

The father picked up a bottle of red wine from the table and unscrewed the cap; clearly, the wine had been brought by his older brother.

After the meal began, the mother kept putting food into the bowls of Jiang Han, his wife, and Xiao Yu. The father also clinked glasses with his brother while giving them various instructions: "As the captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Changming District Public Security Bureau, your responsibilities will be even greater in the future. You must pay more attention to safety in your daily life."

"Don't worry, Dad. The police force in Changming District is the best overall. Nothing will happen."

Jiang Jin ate in silence throughout the meal, and he couldn't get a word in edgewise when it came to his parents' or his older brother and sister-in-law's conversations.

At this moment, his father suddenly noticed him and became somewhat displeased, saying, "You've been picking at cilantro for so long. Look at Xiaoyu, he's not picky about food, but you've always been averse to certain foods since you were little, wasting food! Look at your brother, he became the captain of the criminal investigation team at such a young age, and what about you? You've been on the job for three years and haven't even been promoted by half a rank. Even the trainee police officers you used to supervise have now climbed over you!"

Jiang Jin stood there awkwardly, chopsticks in hand. He appeared to be obediently listening to the reprimand, but his attention was actually focused on the cilantro he had picked out. He felt that it looked a lot like the food residue in the stomach and intestines of the corpse that Li Ruoxi had dissected that day.

After the meal, Jiang Jin helped clear the dishes, while his parents wanted his brother to stay and talk a little longer.

"Ding Ding-"

Just as Jiang Jin put all the dishes and chopsticks into the sink and was about to help wash them, his phone rang. He looked down and saw the caller ID: Li Ruoxi.

Jiang Jin's hands were covered in grease, so he simply turned on the speakerphone and asked, "Hello, Forensic Doctor Li, what's up?"

"Urgent case!"

A young woman's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Comrade Jiang Jin, a major case has occurred tonight on Changping Road Food Street in Tiexi District. I'm on my way to the scene. We're short-handed, and the higher-ups have ordered you to immediately reinforce the Criminal Investigation Department!"

Jiang Jin frowned slightly: "A major case? Has a murder occurred? Okay, okay, I'm coming right away!"

"Okay, see you there!"

Jiang Jin then hung up the phone and looked apologetically at his relatives: "The situation is urgent, I have to go there immediately."

The mother grumbled with displeasure, "You're not even in a high-ranking position, so why are you always so busy..."

The father's reaction was rather calm: "It's good for young people to take on more tasks and perform better. When you get to the scene, remember to observe people's expressions and listen to the leader's instructions. Talk less and do more. At the same time, learn from your previous mistakes and pay attention to safety."

"Got it, Dad."

Jiang Jin quickly put on his coat and stood up from the dining table: "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, brother and sister-in-law, you don't need to wait for me. I don't know when I'll be available over there."

Jiang Han took a scarf and wrapped it around Jiang Jin's neck, saying, "Your coat is too thin. It'll get colder tonight. Dad, Mom, I'll see A-Jin out."

"Brother, there's no need..."

“Just listen to me,” Jiang Han helped Jiang Jin tie his scarf. “You’ve always been a worry for Dad and me since you were little. You should settle down with Xiao Liu soon.”

Jiang Jin's inner monologue: Brother, I'm actually married now. I'll bring your sister-in-law to meet you next time.

Jiang Han saw Jiang Jin downstairs. As they entered the elevator, he said to Jiang Jin, "Be careful when you get to the scene. If you encounter any emergencies, don't rush ahead recklessly just because you're eager to make a contribution. Dad is actually all bark and no bite. Don't let his words fool you. This time, you were contaminated with memes, and he and Mom were very worried about you. The day we received the contact from the monitoring department, Dad smoked five packs of cigarettes."

“I know, brother,” Jiang Jin nodded and said, “I feel more at ease with you going to Changming District. It’s the district with the highest per capita SAN value in the city. By the way, if you or your sister-in-law, Xiaoyu, accidentally violate any of the monthly rules, remember to contact me immediately.”

Jiang Jin's ability to alter rules can also alter the monthly rules. He absolutely cannot allow any of his relatives to become reincarnators and venture into terrifying dungeons!
"Take good care of yourself, kid. I'm applying for housing subsidies now, and I'll try to buy a house in Changming District. Once you get married, I'll bring your parents here. After all, this place is too close to the suburbs, and the per capita SAN value in Tiexi District has been declining year by year. During this time, remember to take good care of your parents."

When the elevator reached the ground floor, Jiang Jin stepped out and said, "Alright, brother, don't come out anymore. Go upstairs. Don't keep your wife and Xiaoyu waiting for you too long."

"Alright then, have a safe journey. Be careful when taking Line 14, watch the platform carefully, don't miss your stop."

He then quickly walked out and sent Li Ruoxi a message: I'll be there in half an hour. You should find a seat and order your food first. Remember to make the barbecue extra spicy.

The Changping Road food street that Li Ruoxi mentioned is a famous night market in Tiexi District, especially known for its barbecue.

“Comrade Jiang Jin, a major case,” Jiang Jin clicked his tongue, “The only time you, Li Ruoxi, call me ‘comrade’ is when I agree to treat you to a late-night snack.”

The Yunjue District where Jiang Jin's family lives is one of the five main urban districts of Muxu City. It is close to the Tiexi District in the southwest, and their home happens to be located at the junction of the two districts. The surrounding area is mostly filled with second-hand markets and building materials markets, unlike Tiexi District, which is full of food night markets.

"Ah Jin, wait a minute!" Jiang Han suddenly ran over.

Jiang Jin was taken aback, but Jiang Han took out a medicine bottle from his clothes and handed it to Jiang Jin: "This is the latest type of cognitive stabilization tablet, MPTTD-007, issued by the monitoring department. Take it."

"Brother, this..."

Although the pills were supposed to be free, so many people went to get them to prevent meme contamination that Jiang Jin queued up several times but still couldn't get one.

"Take these, don't be shy. You are a police officer after all, and you might inevitably get involved in meme contamination cases sometimes. I have plenty here, remember to bring them with you when you go on missions, just in case!"

Jiang Jin understood his brother's personality, so he didn't refuse anymore. He nodded, put away the medicine bottle, and said, "I'll remember, brother. Goodbye."

Jiang Han returned home, sat down, and saw his son playing with the cat. He then said to his father, "Dad, Ah Jin has his pride too. Don't criticize him in front of the younger generation." "It's his fault for being useless. Why should I be worried? Since he chose to apply to the police academy, he should do his job well!"

After a while, the doorbell rang.

"Huh? Ah Jin forgot to bring something?" Jiang Han immediately went to open the door.

Mr. Jiang frowned as well: "How old are you? Still so forgetful! If you're late, you'll get scolded by your boss!"

However, Jiang Han was shocked when he opened the door!
Two people were standing outside the door, both wearing white work clothes for meme contamination monitoring, and judging from the style of their clothes, they seemed to be of high rank!

"Hello," one of them said, "Is this Mr. Jiang Jin's house?"

"Yes, yes... Could it be that there's something wrong with the meme contamination on my brother again?" Jiang Han couldn't help but feel nervous.

However, the other party said, "No, our department has decided to recruit Mr. Jiang Jin to join the 12th Patrol Brigade of the Outer Ring Belt under our department, and I have come in person to deliver the letter of appointment."

At this moment, Jiang Jin's parents also arrived.

Upon hearing this, Jiang's father's mouth gaped open in astonishment, resembling an "O".

"Patrol team? Meme contamination monitoring department?"

The patrol team of the Membrane Pollution Monitoring Department is a top-level national organization, directly under the jurisdiction of the Yanjing Imperial Court!

"You mean...my son?" At this moment, Mr. Jiang felt like he was floating on clouds, and it all seemed unreal!

At this moment, Jiang Jin had already boarded the Line 14 subway and found an empty seat.

Just then, he heard a voice from the side.

"Oh dear, why is the terminus of Line 14 marked in black?"

Sitting next to Jiang Jin was a couple, and it was the woman in the couple who said these words.

Judging from her accent, she wasn't a local from Muxu City, and it seemed that she and the boy were in a long-distance relationship who had finally met in person.

Jiang Jin looked up at the Line 14 platform schedule in front of him, and the final terminal station that was completely marked in black.

“Well,” the boy said, “the terminus of Line 14 is one of the seven restricted zones in Muxu City. Most of the citizens of Muxu City also find it strange… Although Line 14 is an automatic train, this station has not been abolished. However, citizens must remember that they must never ride to the terminus.”

Upon hearing this, the girl was extremely surprised: "Wait... if it's a quarantine zone, how can it be entered by a regular subway train? Shouldn't it be completely quarantined like Qingtan Community and Baimei Hospital?"

"Therefore, the Line 14 subway station is the most outrageous and incomprehensible of the seven restricted areas. The explanation from the Membrane Contamination Monitoring Department is that this station cannot be cancelled, otherwise it would lead to more serious consequences. Now, the only option is to announce via broadcast at the station before the terminal that everyone must leave this train."

"This is too outrageous! Maybe we should get off at the next stop. It's creepy."

Actually, there were still 5 stops to go before the final stop, but the girl was clearly quite nervous.

"Okay, let's get off at the next stop and take the bus."

Watching the couple leave after arriving at their destination, Jiang Jin couldn't help but sigh. In this world, if you accidentally break any rule, you might become infected with meme contamination. Therefore, there is always a sense of panic in society. Who knows how many more citizens will become reincarnators?

As for the terminus of Metro Line 14, it's the closest quarantine zone to my home. If there's a sudden memetic contamination causing a sharp drop in SAN value, I'll probably have to prioritize using this quarantine zone to enter the horror instance.

Half an hour later, Jiang Jin found Li Ruoxi in the food street of Tiexi District.

Under the neon lights, in front of the plastic tent of "Old Song's Barbecue," a 27-year-old female forensic doctor wearing frameless glasses and with a buzz cut had a table in front of her that was now full of barbecue and beer.

After Jiang Jin sat down, he smelled the aroma of meat on the table and his mouth watered. He couldn't wait to pick up a skewer of grilled tendon and start eating it in big bites.

Li Ruoxi looked disgusted: "Didn't you eat a single bite at home? Sigh, your scarf looks pretty high-end, is it new?"

"No, my brother gave it to me..." Jiang Jin took off the scarf to avoid getting it covered in cooking fumes.

“That’s right. An elder brother is like a father, no wonder your parents favor him,” Li Ruoxi said with a smile. “I wish my brother was half as good as yours.”

"What's wrong? Did your brother make you angry again?"

"Hmph, he wouldn't dare! Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Nothing's more important than a good meal! Here, look, to suit your taste, I asked the boss to put double the spice in the beef tendon and kidney..."

Before the female forensic doctor could finish speaking, the boss came over, rubbing his hands together: "Excuse me, sir, could you please show me the SAN report from the last two weeks?"

Jiang Jin took out his phone and turned it on. The screen saver showed his graduation photo in uniform at the police academy graduation ceremony. After entering the unlock password, he opened the meme monitoring app, which displayed a SAN value report of 87.5%.

(End of this chapter)