A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

The task that Deputy Director Liu assigned to me this time, judging from the task description alone, is not actually that difficult.

It was just a errand, delivering a batch of supplies to that military restricted area in the east of the city, and handing it over to the mysterious 749 colleagues guarding it.

Ji Zuodao glanced at the task briefing on his phone, and a "ding" sounded in his mind—he remembered.

A while ago, Liu Ming mentioned it to him about taking Zhao Lingling to school.

It was probably a few years ago when something rather strange and eerie appeared in the Jinghai area. The people in charge discovered that there was something to it and originally wanted to investigate it slowly.

As it turns out, something went wrong at some point. It's said that the investigator from the Zhao family was disobedient, thought his family's methods were tough enough, and insisted on playing the hero by going in to "handle" the situation on his own.

Well, this action really got the weirdo into a frenzy, and it went berserk on the spot!

The rules are spreading like wildfire, almost engulfing half of the eastern part of the city.

Finally, with no other option, the director of the 749 branch of the Jinghai Public Security Bureau led half of the elite troops of the 749 branch, along with almost all the Qi cultivators from the Zhao family, including the Zhao family patriarch, and gritted their teeth to push forward. Only then did they manage to "press down" the rampaging domain and forcibly suppress it.

It was merely a suppression; from that day on, a military restricted area was added to the east of the city.

Ji Zuodao scrolled down to the supplementary materials following the mission instructions and discovered that the people at the National Research Institute hadn't been idle these past few years; they had actually figured out a method to stabilize that rule-based domain—

They put a specially made boundary marker in there, which effectively contained the rampaging area and prevented it from spreading further and harming people.

The bad news is that this field is currently "allowing entry but not exit".

The boundary marker can hold it in place, but if the brothers inside want to get out, they'll have to work hard on their own.

In other words, those brothers who rushed in to suppress the strange creatures back then...

They're still trapped inside, staring at that eerie giant eye.

"Well, so it turns out we're going to bring warmth to the brothers inside who are holding their ground."

Ji Zuodao understood the situation.

Without delay, he went to the logistics department and got a special briefcase, which was filled with enough supplies to fill an entire truck.

Then, we rode in the car and leisurely made our way to the military restricted area in the east of the city.

Upon arriving at the location, Ji Zuodao truly realized that the security here was exceptionally tight.

It was truly a place where there was a guard every three steps and a sentry every five steps.

The barbed wire fence was very high, and there were cameras and sensors flashing red dots everywhere.

Even though he showed his 749 epaulettes and electronic credentials, he still went through four checkpoints and repeated verifications by different people.

The soldiers stationed here have top-notch mental fortitude and professional skills.

Even when they saw a black dog pawing at the steering wheel in the driver's seat, they didn't show the slightest surprise.

They don't even glance at it twice; they check what needs to be checked and let it through as if this is the setup they see every day.

"It seems the country really cares about this thing that's under its control," Ji Zuodao muttered to himself.

Finally, led by a stern-faced, taciturn soldier, Ji Zuodao drove through layers of checkpoints and arrived at a heavily guarded open area deep within the restricted zone.

The atmosphere here was even more somber, as if an invisible pressure permeated the air.

In the center of the open space stood a alloy guard post that looked like a temporary structure.

Not far in front of the guard post, the air seemed subtly discordant, as if viewed through an invisible, slightly rippled layer of thick glass.

An investigator, dressed in a 749 Bureau uniform but looking somewhat tired and pale, was already standing at the edge of that "incongruous atmosphere," seemingly having been waiting for a long time.

Ji Zuodao parked his car a dozen meters away from the guard post and carried the supplies over.

The closer you get, the more obvious the sense of disharmony becomes.

He stopped when he was about seven or eight meters away from the investigator.

His eyes narrowed.

He saw it.

Between him and the investigator, a thin, seemingly fragile yet incredibly resilient membrane of light floated faintly.

The light membrane was like an inverted, invisible giant bowl, enveloping an area in front of it and isolating it from the outside.

The light film itself is almost transparent, and only at specific angles and under certain lighting conditions can one glimpse a flowing, unnatural glimmer.

The investigator waiting to receive the supplies was standing inside this light membrane.

The two were only a few meters apart, yet it felt as if an entire world separated them.

"Hey bro, you've got a tough job!"

Ji Zuodao smiled and waved to the person inside, trying to sound relaxed.

"We've been ordered to bring you warmth! Deputy Director Liu is thinking of everyone!"

The investigator inside the light membrane forced a smile and nodded.

His eyes revealed the weariness of years of perseverance, and a faint glimmer of light when he saw his colleagues and supplies outside.

Ji Zuodao didn't waste any words. With a surge of strength, he steadily tossed the tightly sealed box of supplies over through the faint light membrane.

The light membrane rippled slightly, like ripples on water caused by a pebble thrown into it, and the box passed through without any hindrance.

The investigator opposite, named Li Tiezhu, shifted his feet slightly, reached out and caught it steadily, his movements clean and efficient, clearly indicating he had done this job many times before.

"Thanks, brother, it must have been a long trip."

Li Tiezhu placed the box at his feet, rubbed his hands which were red from the cold, looked at Ji Zuodao, and gave him a simple smile.

"You look unfamiliar, young man. Are you new here in the last couple of years?"

"Yes, I've been here for about a month now."

Ji Zuodao nodded, which was considered a greeting.

His gaze swept over Li Tiezhu's slightly dry lips and the weariness in his eyes.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out an unopened pack of cigarettes and a plastic lighter, and with a flick of his wrist, tossed them over through the shimmering film.

"then."

Li Tiezhu's eyes lit up instantly, like a hungry wolf seeing meat. He hurriedly caught it, his movements even faster than when he caught the supply box.

"Hey! Good lad! You're so smart!"

His forced spirits suddenly brightened considerably, and he praised the gestures while his hands continued to work.

With a "rip," he deftly tore open the cigarette pack seal, popped out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it with a "click."

He took a deep breath, and smoke slowly escaped from his nostrils and between his teeth.

His squinting eyes and blissful expression made him look like someone who had just downed an ice-cold beer on a sweltering summer day, with every pore of his body radiating comfort.

"Finally back to normal... Damn, I've been off for almost a week, my mouth was practically tasteless."

Li Tiezhu took two more deep drags, then let out a sigh of relief, holding his cigarette between his fingers, and looked up at the world outside the light membrane.

In the distance were the high walls of the restricted area and the bleak winter sky. His gaze drifted, as if he could see further beyond them.

"Outside...it must be almost Chinese New Year, right?"

He asked, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible melancholy.

"Yes, about another half month," Ji Zuodao replied.

"About half a month...it's been great, really great."

Li Tiezhu nodded, muttering a phrase repeatedly, it was unclear whether he meant that time was passing quickly or that it was good to be able to celebrate the New Year.

He silently took a few more puffs until the cigarette burned down to the filter, then reluctantly stubbed it out and carefully put the remaining cigarette and lighter into his inner pocket.

Then, he bent down and lifted the heavy supply box.

"Okay, I've received the stuff. Thanks, bro."

Li Tiezhu waved to Ji Zuodao as a farewell, but before turning away, he remembered something and added a sentence at the top of his lungs.

"Oh, by the way, if you see Lao Liu when you get back... please tell him to send the New Year's gifts from the bureau to my house! My mom really loves the sausages they make in the cafeteria!"

"Alright, I will definitely deliver the message," Ji Zuodao replied.