F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Chapter 178 Another Face of This World

At the alley entrance, the man in the jacket turned the corner and disappeared completely.

Chen Yifan stood still, without moving.

He looked down at the black metal card in his palm.

The card is thin, but the edges have a strange texture, neither metal nor cheap plastic.

The design on the front features the character "夏" (Xia).

What kind of organization is this?

but……

"cage……"

Chen Yifan's fingertips gently traced the patterns on the card, the man's words echoing in his ears.

Because of Lin Sen's appearance, he changed his approach.

They gradually became more high-profile.

It was precisely this high profile that caused another side of the world to be rapidly revealed to him, little by little.

The World Engine is a farming tool, and Blue Star is a farm.

Everyone in it, regardless of strength or status, is born into a cage.

Longdu, Wuhan University, Tsinghua and Peking Universities, the military headquarters...

They are the most ornate and sturdiest perches in the cage.

It allows powerful birds to stand higher and see farther.

But in the end, it was still in a cage.

And what is this card, and what is this organization that claims to be able to take people to see the "view outside the cage"?

Is it another group of "The Immortal Society" trying to escape from prison?

Or... something else?

Or rather...

Is this the hidden power of the authorities?

Heretics...

"Fanzi! Why are you running so fast!"

Wang Fugui's panting voice came from behind, interrupting Chen Yifan's thoughts.

He and Lin Xiaoyu quickly caught up.

"Who was that person? They were acting suspiciously. What did they say to you?"

Wang Fugui craned his neck, curiously examining the card in Chen Yifan's hand.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Yifan silently removed the card from his palm and stored it in his storage space.

"Someone asking for directions."

He answered casually.

"Asking for directions? Doesn't seem like it!"

Wang Fugui looked suspicious.

"Can asking for directions really get you directly summoned from in front of all those big shots?"

"Fanzi, don't be silly! The military's requirements are so high, you'd be a second lieutenant as soon as you enroll! That's an officer! How prestigious!"

He was so excited that his face turned red, as if he were the one who had been robbed.

"However, in my opinion, Wuhan University is still better."

Wang Fugui started analyzing again, counting on his fingers.

"Leisurely, free, and I've heard all the girls there are gorgeous! Let's go together, brothers, and have four years of university life—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Lin Xiaoyu stood to the side without saying a word.

Her clear eyes glanced at Chen Yifan, then at the alleyway where the man had disappeared, lost in thought.

Since completing the job change.

She has already integrated the [Bloodthirsty Poisonous Vine] into her body.

The feeling that man gave her just now, through the [Bloodthirsty Poison Girl], was very strange.

His aura was completely different from that of the principal and the people from Longdu Martial Arts University.

That was a... very dangerous aura.

"It's not decided yet."

Chen Yifan patted Wang Fugui on the shoulder, interrupting his daydream.

"This isn't urgent. I need to go back and discuss it with my mom first."

"That's right, you can't go wrong by listening to your aunt."

Wang Fugui nodded in deep agreement.

The three walked side by side out of the school, with a cacophony of voices behind them.

Above him was a golden list, and all this glory and clamor seemed to be separated from Chen Yifan by an invisible membrane.

His heart had drifted to a deeper, darker place.

The man, the card, and the metaphor of the "cage"...

This completely rekindled his vigilance and desire to investigate, which had been suppressed by Wang Qingyun's "heretical" remarks.

He had to find out exactly what this mysterious organization was all about.

Why did they approach me?

It's because my college entrance exam scores were too ideal.

Or did Wang Qingyun report his situation to his superiors?

Or perhaps, it's because of something else?

After parting ways with Wang Fugui and the others, Chen Yifan did not go straight home.

He turned the corner and headed straight towards the Jiangcheng Security Bureau.

There is only one person who can give him the answer to this matter.

Wang Qingyun.

This person almost became the modern-day Chenlong.

……

Jiangcheng Security Bureau, Wang Qingyun's office.

The smell of smoke has faded considerably.

Wang Qingyun sat there, seemingly looking at documents, but his gaze drifted out the window.

Chen Yifan pushed the door open and came in. He wasn't surprised; he just raised his chin, signaling for him to close the door.

"sit."

There was no unnecessary small talk.

Chen Yifan sat down opposite him; the office was quiet and somewhat oppressive.

"Have you decided where to go?"

Wang Qingyun poured him a cup of tea.

"not yet."

Chen Yifan shook his head and decided to take the initiative.

"Uncle Wang, I've come today to inquire about an organization."

Wang Qingyun's hand holding the teacup was as steady as a rock, without even a ripple on the water's surface.

He lifted his eyelids, but his eyes, which always seemed weary, held no emotion.

"explain."

"Today at school, a third party contacted me."

Chen Yifan didn't take out the card; instead, he used language to create a trap.

"A middle-aged man, wearing a gray jacket, very ordinary, but he didn't seem to fit the style of other schools."

He gave me a token, a black card with one word engraved on it.

Chen Yifan paused for a moment, stared intently into Wang Qingyun's eyes, and uttered the last word.

"summer."

The words fell.

A very subtle, almost imperceptible twitch appeared in the muscles of Wang Qingyun's face.

He leaned back in his chair, interlaced his fingers, and stared silently at the ceiling.

After a long while, he exhaled, and his breath carried a strange smell.

"It's them...?"

This is not a question, it is a statement.

Wang Qingyun did indeed know.

Moreover, this statement reveals another piece of information:

Wang Qingyun was surprised that "they" would come.

"Who are they?" Chen Yifan pressed, relentlessly pursuing the question.

"A group of...something special."

Wang Qingyun slowly sat up straight, his expression becoming unusually serious.

"Or rather, it is another face of this world that is unknown to others."

He looked at Chen Yifan and suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with self-mockery.

"You know, the Dragon Kingdom has the 'Twelve Zodiac Guardians,' who are the shield of the nation, the maintainers of order walking in the sunlight, and the strongest spear under the rules of the [World Engine]."

Chen Yifan nodded, waiting for what was to come.

"But where there is light, there is also shadow."

Wang Qingyun's voice was extremely low, as if he were telling a secret that had been buried for many years.

"There is an organization that does not belong to any government department, but is indirectly affiliated with the state. It is not bound by any law, and its very existence is a top secret."

"Its members have no code names, no identities; their only identifier is the word you see."

"And they..." Wang Qingyun raised his finger and tapped his temple, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable.

"Responsible for handling everything that the authorities cannot handle."

"They even handle things that...even the twelve zodiac animals can't handle."

Chen Yifan's heart clenched.

Could it be...?

"Heretical sect?"

Wang Qingyun gave him an approving look.

"That's right."

His voice turned cold.

"You can think of them as pathfinders, but just as much, they are the guillotine hanging over the heads of all professionals."

"They don't exist in official records. But at the highest levels, they have an unofficial code name."

Wang Qingyun paused, met Chen Yifan's probing gaze, and slowly uttered the name that surprised him greatly.

"A word dug out from ancient ruins, very fitting."

"The code name is..."

"The Lamp Holder".