Early the next morning, Beibei and the others arrived after receiving the news, but there was little they could do. Overnight, the technical departnt had provided extrely limited feedback—the database contained no matching records.
By noon, Nalan Shuo personally visited Yang Xiao’s office to report so new information to him. Besides Yang Xiao, they had found another person who had received a ghost script titled "Substitute for Death," and this person happened to be a mber of their Patrol Defense Office.
"Can I have a word with him?" Yang Xiao imdiately inquired, understanding the critical importance of a reliable teammate in the Nightmare World.
"No rush, he’ll be here soon," Nalan Shuo replied.
Learning that the other party had already set out overnight, Yang Xiao slowly nodded and then asked, "What kind of person is he?"
"He’s a sub-team captain in the Enforcent Team of the Min Province Public Office. His surna is Zhou. Here’s part of his profile; take a look to get a preliminary understanding." Nalan Shuo handed Yang Xiao a dossier he carried with him.
Opening it, Yang Xiao found only a single sheet of paper. Glancing through it, he quickly gained a rough understanding of Captain Zhou. This man was no ordinary individual. In a three-against-one situation, he had achieved the feat of killing two Venerable Level Heretic Cultivators and capturing one severely injured alive. Additionally, he had survived five Nightmare tasks.
In terms of strength, at the very least, he was an Angel Envoy with one foot in the Ghost Level. Being able to pass five Nightmare tasks indicated that his intelligence, skills, and ntal resilience were excellent. Yang Xiao was greatly looking forward to eting him—a formidable ally indeed.
About half an hour later, Yang Xiao t Captain Zhou in the conference room. This person was even younger than Yang Xiao had anticipated, roughly around 40 years old. He wore a deep-blue casual outfit, had strikingly deep-set eyes, a straight posture, and an expressionless deanor, giving off an impression that he might be difficult to deal with.
As Nalan Shuo and Yang Xiao walked into the room, Captain Zhou stood up. With ti pressing, a brief introduction was exchanged before Nalan Shuo left, leaving Yang Xiao and Captain Zhou alone.
"Director Yang, I reviewed your profile on my way here. You’ve not been with the Patrol Defense Office for long, yet your achievents are impressive. If the data is accurate, this will also be your sixth Nightmare task," Captain Zhou said in a calm tone.
"This should also be Captain Zhou’s sixth task. At present, relying on the technical departnt for clues is probably a pipe dream. We’ll have to figure things out on our own this ti." This sense of isolation was sothing Yang Xiao was already accustod to.
"Exactly. Typically, ghost scripts nad after locations, people, or buildings are easier to uncover clues for. But the word ’Substitute’... it’s truly..." Captain Zhou shook his head with a bitter smile.
Ghost Script boxes often contain things like the "big money to adopt a child" scam from back in the day, which used to be everywhere at the ti. They followed almost identical thods, making them nearly impossible to track. However, analyzing the period-specific style of this scam reveals that the task’s setting is likely modern, roughly around 20 years ago.
The two delved deeper into their conversation, exchanging information about their individual habits and specialties. Unlike Yang Xiao, who had pivoted into this field later in life, Captain Zhou underwent rigorous training from a young age. His close-combat skills were exceptional, and he excelled in disciplines like Muay Thai and various martial arts. He was also highly proficient in battlefield first aid and intelligence work.
By sharing their experiences with previous tasks, the two gained a preliminary understanding of each other’s thods for handling problems and thought processes—sothing crucial for their cooperation moving forward.
The conversation grew more engaging, and their bond deepened. After all, soon they would be venturing together into an unfamiliar Nightmare World. Sticking together would be their only chance at survival. The stronger their allies, the higher their odds of making it out alive.
At the end of their conversation, Captain Zhou looked at Yang Xiao, his expression turning serious. His voice was low and husky: "Director Yang, we’ve both fought to survive in the Nightmare World and understand just how terrifying that place is. Sotis, we’re forced to make incredibly painful decisions—it’s unavoidable but necessary. However, unpleasant matters should remain in that ugly world; there’s no need to bring them back with us. Do you understand what I an?"
"Our Director often says sothing similar. ’Nightmare matters stay in nightmares; once you’re out, learn to keep your mouth shut.’ Only people who do that live long lives. And besides," Yang Xiao smiled faintly and gave Captain Zhou a aningful look, "in that kind of place, you’ll find that only the two of us are friends."
"Director Yang, you’re understanding. I expect we’ll work together very well." Captain Zhou stood up, extending his hand to Yang Xiao.
"Captain Zhou, I’ll be counting on you." Yang Xiao also stood, clasping Captain Zhou’s hand tightly.
Yang Xiao didn’t see Captain Zhou for the rest of the afternoon. Rumor had it he was video-calling his family, which was sothing Yang Xiao didn’t have to worry about. He simply ate when he wanted, drank when he felt like it—a good life while alive. If he died? Well, that was that. He’d only be sorry for the savings he’d managed to accumulate.
By evening, Nalan Shuo called Yang Xiao to his office. Before he even entered, Yang Xiao sensed sothing was off—Huang Qiang was there, standing outside the door and locking it behind him after letting Yang Xiao in.
"Director, what’s going on?" Yang Xiao asked quietly.
Nalan Shuo was seated on the sofa, smoking a cigarette. He waved Yang Xiao over, his expression odd. "What did you two talk about?"
"Our individual strengths, ways of handling things, thought habits—it was mutual introductions, just to get a sense of each other," Yang Xiao answered honestly.
"What do you think of Captain Zhou?"
"He’s exceptional. The way he handles tough problems is highly ingenious—swift and decisive, with sharp thinking. He has a clear vision and isn’t constrained by anything—a real remarkable character," Yang Xiao replied, speaking highly of Captain Zhou. Finally, he added with a hint of admiration, "Our Patrol Defense Office is truly brimming with talent. Soone of his caliber being just a sub-team captain in the Enforcent Team—it’s a waste of his potential."
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