American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

The power of those with superpowers is entirely innate, requiring no cultivation of their character, so most of them are flamboyant and enjoy life.

Throughout the journey, Kant praised the so-called "Dream Thief" extensively, saying that he had exceptional talent and might even be able to reach the "Lord Rank" in the future.

In his opinion, a young man with such powerful and extraordinary abilities would certainly be accompanied by sports cars and mansions, even if he did not indulge in debauchery.

However, its strength is indeed quite impressive... Zhu Mingyao carefully savored the strange energy floating around him and secretly raised his evaluation of the other party by one point.

This strange force must be some kind of defensive measure to confuse the enemy, continuously interfering with a person's spiritual perception; even someone of his level was affected to some extent.

"Oh, for the sake of the conscience God has given me, I must correct this."

"You may have slightly overestimated that cunning boy's personal character." A young man with deep-set eyes, dressed in casual home clothes, walked out from the tea room.

Seemingly of some British ancestry, his hairline was already precarious at a young age. His high forehead was as smooth and clean as a peeled egg, and even when he tried his best to comb his hair forward, it still gave off a comical feeling of trying to cover it up.

"Who can resist champagne, yachts, and lovely girls? If we could, we'd live in a bikini party every day."

The young man shrugged, deliberately making a sad expression:

"Unfortunately, the business our team is involved in has, in most people's eyes, a slight, well, legal flaw..."

Therefore, a low-key lifestyle is a necessity, at least until you've saved enough money to retire.

The young man grinned, raised his eyebrows, and gave a knowing look.

"Good morning, gentlemen. My name is Arthur, and I am Cobb's assistant. He has been waiting for you for a long time."

“Then let’s not keep the host waiting any longer and go upstairs to pay a visit.” Zhu Mingyao nodded politely and walked towards the stairwell.

A hand blocked his way, and Arthur smiled slightly:

"You may have misunderstood. To be precise, it's not about going up to visit, but about going down to visit!" After saying this, he did not step onto the stairs. Instead, he gently opened a well-hidden secret door at the corner and then gestured for him to enter.

One by one, fluorescent lights flickered on their own, their calm blue light as gentle as water, leading the visitors into the basement.

The floor is soft as cotton, with a thick plush carpet that bears visitors without making a sound. A large sofa is piled with cartoon cushions, a row of bookshelves is close to the wall, and several recliners and tea tables are arranged in a neat and orderly manner, resembling a study.

In stark contrast to the damp, musty smells often found in dark places, the air is filled with a faint lavender scent, which soothes the mind and is clearly carefully arranged, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

However, the place was empty, with only the black tea on the table still emitting wisps of steam.

Faced with the questioning gazes of the group, Arthur blinked slightly, pressed down on the bookshelf, and the floor silently cracked open, revealing another downward passage.

"This is that kid's usual rest room; his workspace is downstairs."

"They're really cautious enough..." Zhu Mingyao couldn't help but think to himself.

But he also understood why the other party was so cautious—according to Kant, the "business" they were doing, although not strictly speaking immoral, would likely be dismembered if caught by the victim.

After all, taking away someone's livelihood can sometimes be worse than killing their parents.

A cool breeze swept in, as if piercing through a layer of soft clouds, and soothing music flowed into my ears.

Looking around, this space has a more humanistic and artistic atmosphere compared to the basement above.

Bathed in the soft, warm glow of the lamplight, an old-fashioned record player slowly rotates in the corner, its melodious and nostalgic tunes flowing from its flower-shaped brass horn.

The musical notes danced in the air, blending perfectly with the tranquil space, as if they could travel through time and evoke the tenderest memories in people's hearts.

Several Impressionist oil paintings on the wall, though faded in color, still reveal profound emotions through the artist's delicate brushstrokes. The landscapes in the paintings seem to possess a certain magic, drawing people to stop and explore the stories beneath the brushstrokes.

A marble statue stands quietly beside it, its lines smooth, its form simple yet powerful, presenting a serene and solemn beauty.

"Adrian, the guests have arrived, where is that guy?"

At a dark red walnut wood desk, a young woman, who was writing furiously, looked up, brushed aside her loose brown hair, and revealed a face with a somewhat androgynous air.

She put down the sketch filled with dense geometric shapes and pointed towards a dark door:

“We just came up with a new dream construction plan, and he’s in a hurry to finalize it. He told me to tell you to go directly to the [Dream Room].

“Sigh…” Arthur put his hand to his forehead, his face full of apology. “That was so rude of him. He’s always like this. As the oldest in the group, I sometimes feel like I’m not an assistant, but a butler and babysitter…”

The faint magical aura faded, and he knocked on the door with his knuckles. A few seconds later, a slightly dejected young man's voice suddenly rang out:

"Oh! How could I forget that we have guests? Of all times, we have to start building the dream setting from scratch."

The door was flung open, and a handsome young man with slicked-back hair stood in the doorway, his eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and helplessness, as if he had just emerged from a complex state of mind.

"It's really difficult to see you," Kant complained with a gloomy face, then turned to introduce:

"He is the expert I recommended, Dom Cobb, you can also call him by his nickname."

—【The Dream Thief】!

Chapter 447 Dreaming

Various smooth, colored stones were polished to an exceptionally smooth finish and were intricately joined together to form a pool with a diameter of about three meters.

The pool was filled with an unknown azure liquid, and its surface was shrouded in ever-changing, ethereal mist.

Besides that, there was only a small round table, which made up all the things in the room.

"I'm so sorry, I don't have any chairs here. I'll have to trouble you all. Arthur, could you please get me some tea?" Cobb rubbed his head vigorously, his neat golden-brown hair becoming a messy tangled mess.

“It’s alright. Rather than sitting down for tea and a chat, we’d prefer to get down to business first.” Nick took out a small bag.

“Kant should have contacted you beforehand about the general situation. Let me give you more details. Also, these are the missing person’s… personal belongings.” He hesitated for a moment, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face, as he picked out several uniquely shaped and clearly useful pieces of silk.

Well, the reason I didn't bring Renn along was precisely because of this. That old father, who was already on the verge of losing his temper, would probably explode on the spot if he saw his precious daughter's underwear being examined in public.

"So you all want me to infiltrate the dream world and hunt down a dangerous demon monster?"

After listening to Nick's introduction, Cobb casually put his hands in his pockets and sat lazily on the edge of the pool made of colorful stones.

"Do you understand the dangers involved? I won't go into the complexities of the theories here, I'll just use the simplest language..." He had a cynical smile on his lips, but his eyes clearly showed seriousness.

"For ordinary people, no matter how bad the nightmare is, they might just see a psychologist after waking up. But for a true master of the power of dreams, they can easily inflict those injuries on their enemies. In other words, if you are killed by him in a dream, your physical body will also die in reality!"

The young man shut his mouth, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over the faces of the group.

“Our business principle has always been to prioritize safety. We only ever try to extract small trade secrets from the minds of the wealthy. But now, you want to drag me down with you.”

"The reward is negotiable. I don't think the old [Fire Dragon] will be stingy with his treasure vault." As an official, Nick had extensive experience dealing with extraordinary individuals from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds, and he instantly understood the implication.

He was even prepared to subsidize part of it himself.

Anyway, if he really solves this case, he will have his own way of getting a reward from the government, and the amount will definitely be enough.

After all, making reasonable expense claims is a basic skill for every civil servant. No matter how big the other party's appetite is, he can find a way to satisfy it and ensure that the budget is "reasonable" and sufficient.

“No, it’s not about money.” To his surprise, Cobb shook his head firmly.

"Usually, people who say that end up coming back to you. Your next line isn't going to be, 'I need more money,' is it?" Zhu Mingyao sneered.

"Haha, you certainly have a business mind. Perhaps I should hire you as a negotiation expert for my team when receiving clients." Cobb chuckled, then said with a serious expression:

"My condition is that you must come with me as my bodyguards to ensure my safety."

Nick looked at him in surprise, "You can actually bring other people into dreams?"

No wonder he was so surprised. Although various extraordinary schools of thought have methods like entering dreams, most of them only involve communication through spiritual bodies, causing some mental influence on the recipient. Being able to transform one's physical body to enter is already astonishing. But to be able to bring others along at the same time is practically a divine skill!

The young man proudly crossed his arms and nodded, "Please trust a master in this field, but naturally, it also requires your full cooperation."

"How about it?"

“No objection. I happen to be very interested in dream spaces, where you can occasionally find extremely rare and precious materials.” In response to his companion’s question, Zhu Mingyao seemed to ponder for a moment, then suddenly smiled faintly and tilted his head at Nick.

“Alright, gentlemen, let’s embark on a dream journey.” Seeing that they all agreed, Cobb raised his eyebrows, smiled, and clapped his hands sharply.

Amidst the crisp applause, the surroundings dimmed instantly. The pool filled with alchemical potion surged up with a splash, then dispersed just before reaching the ceiling, transforming into fine, rain-like droplets that poured down.

The pool, the round table, and the entire room began to flatten and become transparent, as if everything in the room was disappearing from this dimension at an extremely fast speed.

The people standing in the middle of the room were completely unaffected; the change seemed to affect only the inanimate objects around them.

In an instant, everything vanished, leaving only a few figures standing in a dark void.

A colossal, azure beast emerged from the void. Its massive form resembled a moving building, its translucent body shrouded in a light mist, its entire body radiating a faint, shimmering glow, as if a dazzling galaxy were hidden within its belly.

Sometime later, Cobb's figure had quietly disappeared, and what remained in his place was a strange giant whale.

"Please don't panic, please don't resist, let go of all distractions, and imagine yourself swimming in the endless, vast ocean." Cobb's peaceful laughter came from all directions, making people feel as if they were wrapped in soft honey.

The enormous whale let out a deep, long cry, its wide tail fin rising high and then falling heavily, and an illusory giant wave appeared out of nowhere, engulfing everyone in it.

Zhu Mingyao closed his eyelids slightly, feeling as if he were enveloped by gentle water, swaying softly and carrying him into the deep, distant depths.

At such moments, the mind experiences unprecedented relaxation and tranquility, as if all worries and anxieties have drifted away with the ripples, leaving only clarity and peace.

The surrounding world gradually blurred in his perception, replaced by an endless expanse of blue, the color of the ocean and sky, a symbol of freedom. He felt as if he had truly transformed into a swimming fish, freely darting through this world.

The magnificent skyscrapers are covered in green banknotes, like a comical feather duster pointing straight to the sky;

A chubby boy, wearing a clean white napkin, sat at the table, his mouth agape with excitement, as he let the hamburgers and cola that seemed to have grown legs leap into the table hand in hand.

A muscular, strong man spreads his arms wide, his eyes greedily darting towards a group of swimsuit-clad women... well, there are also versions with completely reversed genders, and even inhuman versions.

A series of bizarre and wonderful scenes flashed by, leaving the viewer overwhelmed.

"This is the most basic thought in everyone's heart, reflecting one dream after another. We must follow Miss Catherine's dream and reach the place where she last appeared."

Hey!

Seemingly provoked by some disturbing images, Zhu Mingyao jerked violently, placing his hand on Nick's shoulder and shaking the latter awake from his dazed state.

"Do you see that? The cultural atmosphere of the Federation is truly worrying!"

"Huh?" Nick's expression changed slightly, as if he had just recovered from the astonishing sight. He blinked and his gaze gradually focused on his companion's face.

"Yes." His fingers twitched slightly, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"Such a trend...is truly shocking!"

Chapter 448 Appearance 1

The wondrous scene woven from countless dreams vanished in an instant, as if everyone were traveling through an endless kaleidoscope tunnel.

"Does the concept of distance exist in the dream world? I think I just saw some scenery from around Portland," Nick suddenly asked. As a native who had lived in the area for many years, he noticed many things that seemed familiar.

Cobb's voice echoed leisurely: "Indeed, dreams are illusory realms formed by the unconscious mental processes that emerge during human sleep."

Even though dreams theoretically have no direction or distance, people in the same area often dream of things that are similar due to the subconscious influence of what they see and hear in their daily lives. As a result, they tend to cluster together and form relatively fixed areas.