Chapter 156: Bai Li Qing’s Judgment
As it turned out, the Madam Director still had much to learn when it came to handling Yu Sheng.
She double-checked, again and again, to ensure she hadn’t misheard.
Yu Sheng, in high spirits, was eagerly explaining to Bai Li Qing his ambitious plan for a countryside retreat in the Night Valley, as well as the practical difficulties he had encountered with farming in the Otherworld. He elaborated on its feasibility and the progress already made—leaving the well-traveled Bai Li Qing momentarily stunned.
In all her years as a Special Affairs Bureau Commander, Bai Li Qing had seen nearly everything—but this? This was a first.
“Honestly, I need quite a bit of help,” Yu Sheng continued, seemingly oblivious to the subtle shifts in Bai Li Qing’s expression (though, to be fair, her expressions were notoriously difficult to read). He remained enthusiastic. “What I just told you is only scratching the surface. The main issue is there’s no power in the Valley. If possible, could I get some power-generating equipment? Though there’s no sun—it’s bright, sure, but who knows if solar energy works there? There’s a little stream at the foot of the mountain, but it’s too small to support even a modest hydroelectric station. If all else fails, I might have to go with thermal power…”
Yu Sheng rambled on cheerily for quite a while before he suddenly paused, slightly embarrassed, as he looked at the Female Bureau Chief. “Uh… am I asking for too much?”
Bai Li Qing remained frozen for several seconds, unsure what to say. It wasn’t until Yu Sheng spoke a second time that she finally snapped out of it. Keeping her usual composed demeanor, she replied, “…I will arrange as much as I can.”
She paused, organizing her thoughts. Her tone turned serious. “I’m genuinely surprised. What you’ve proposed ventures into territory no one has dared touch before. Frankly, your ideas alone hold immense research value… I’m very interested in everything about that Valley—its transformations and current conditions.”
“Eh, I didn’t think that far. I just figured it’d be a waste to leave all that land unused,” Yu Sheng said, scratching his head. “So, we have a deal? I’ll open certain parts of the Valley for investigation, and you support me with some supplies and personnel?”
“Agreed,” Bai Li Qing nodded solemnly. “We’ll finalize the scope and the list of support items after our specialists conduct an on-site survey.”
Yu Sheng smiled and stood up, extending his hand. “Great. Looking forward to working together.”
Bai Li Qing hesitated for a moment before standing and shaking his hand. “Likewise.”
With a soft exhale, Yu Sheng glanced back at the busy lab behind him, then murmured, “I think we’ve discussed everything. That ‘Metal Component’ I brought doesn’t seem to be yielding any results for now… How about you give me a tour of the place? Consider it a celebration of our new partnership—I’ve always been curious about your headquarters.”
Bai Li Qing blinked, then nodded. “Of course.”
“Irene, Miss Foxy, would you two wait here?” Yu Sheng turned toward the Doll and the Demon Fox Maiden.
Irene was taken aback, but before she could speak, Foxy had already jumped up instinctively. “Benefactor, I’ll go with you…”
“We’re just taking a stroll nearby,” Yu Sheng replied, rubbing the fur behind Foxy’s ears. “We’ll also talk about organizing an investigation team for the Valley—boring stuff. Stay here with Irene and keep an eye on the lab.”
Foxy froze, still a little hesitant.
Irene suddenly stood, climbed onto the table, and tugged at Foxy’s tail. “Alright, let’s wait for Yu Sheng here…”
While speaking, she looked over to Bai Li Qing. “Got any snacks? Send some over—we’ll munch while we wait.”
“Sure, I’ll have some brought in,” Bai Li Qing nodded. “Our employee snacks are quite popular.”
Hearing this, Foxy finally sat back down obediently, assuming a posture of someone waiting for food, her eyes fixed on Yu Sheng. “Then hurry back, Benefactor. I’ll be waiting—don’t go too far.”
Yu Sheng chuckled, bumping fists with Irene, then turned and followed Bai Li Qing out of the room at a leisurely pace.
Bai Li Qing said nothing along the way, moving like a block of ice—her expression unreadable, her stride mechanical and precise. She led Yu Sheng through the long corridor of Floor 54-1/2. Only when passing Special Affairs Bureau operatives did she offer a slight nod in response to their greetings. Eventually, they arrived at the elevator at the end of the hallway.
Inside the elevator, she swiped a black card without selecting a floor. Still, the elevator surged upward as though it already knew the destination.
“Where are we headed?” Yu Sheng asked, curious, as he noticed she hadn’t chosen a floor.
“N Floor,” Bai Li Qing replied casually. “A good place for a conversation.”
Yu Sheng instinctively glanced at the control panel inside the elevator, but found no button labeled “N Floor.” Instead, the screen simply showed the ascending floor numbers, which continued to increase until eventually surpassing any known limit. At that point, the display no longer indicated floors, only the phrase “Elevator Ascending” glowing persistently.
After some time, he sensed the elevator slowing. The lighting in the cabin gradually dimmed. The ascending message on the display vanished, and a few seconds later, the entire screen went black save for a single, bold letter: N.
The cabin door slid open. Bai Li Qing was the first to step out, and Yu Sheng, hesitating only a moment and driven by curiosity, followed her outside.
What greeted him was baffling.
Beyond the elevator was not a corridor or room, but a barren landscape paved with jagged, dark rocks. The ground was limited in scope, only a few hundred meters in diameter. Its edges were fragmented, with broken stones floating in the air, and even this entire rocky platform seemed to be suspended in mid-air.
Surrounding this “island” was an endless expanse of Chaos Void, stretching into infinity. Above the island hung a luminous and grand river of radiant energy, flowing from the edge of space across the sky like a suspended celestial current.
Turning back, Yu Sheng saw the elevator shaft bizarrely emerging from the center of the Floating Fragmented Island. It pierced through the stone-covered terrain like a vertical pipe and extended upward until it vanished into the resplendent energy stream above.
“…You really have a stunning view at headquarters. Is this still Borderland?”
“Welcome to the ‘Rooftop’ of Borderland—or at least a part of it,” Bai Li Qing replied coolly. “Very few come to this level. It has always been my favorite observatory, though others don’t seem to enjoy it as much. Want a drink?”
Yu Sheng blinked. Only then did he notice that near the elevator, a small area had been leveled out. Stones marked its border, and within it were arranged sofas, a coffee table, chairs, a bar counter, and even a drink cooler and ice maker. Bai Li Qing was calmly retrieving a drink and some ice, offering the gesture toward him.
Yu Sheng stared. “…How did you get water and electricity up here?”
“…Huh?” Bai Li Qing tilted her head.
Yu Sheng repeated, “I mean, the water and power supply…”
Bai Li Qing’s expression finally twisted with amusement. “I’ve entertained guests here before, but you’re the first to ever ask that.”
“Well, I value rational explanations,” Yu Sheng said as he walked over and sat on the sofa. “Water, please. Lots of ice.”
Bai Li Qing handed him a glass of icy water and replied with practiced calm, “We drew it from the elevator shaft. But if you’re going to ask how the shaft ‘penetrates’ this space, then I really can’t explain. That’s a question for the Technical Division.”
Yu Sheng murmured in acknowledgment, not pressing the matter further. After a sip, he composed his thoughts and asked directly, “Tell me the truth. What’s the deal with Foxy’s origins?”
Bai Li Qing seemed utterly unsurprised.
Her reply was strikingly frank. “We suspect she came from ‘Outside.'”
“Outside?” Yu Sheng frowned. “You mean…”
“Do you remember the files Song Cheng gave you? About the Dark Angels?” Bai Li Qing met his gaze.
Yu Sheng paused briefly, then nodded slowly. “The Dark Angels are Intruders from Beyond the World…”
“Exactly. The key phrase is ‘Beyond the World,'” Bai Li Qing said, setting her cup down with a serene air. “The appearance of those Intruders revealed something crucial—that beyond our known universe, there are other ‘things’ out there. Entities completely different from us, incompatible, strange, and incomprehensible. Until Miss Foxy appeared at your side, that was the entirety of our understanding of Outsiders.”
Yu Sheng sat dumbfounded for several seconds before frowning. “Foxy isn’t a Dark Angel. She’s not even an Intruder. She’s a victim of the Dark Angels.”
“Yes, I know. That’s why I only said she might be an Outsider. I never claimed she was a Dark Angel or something similar,” Bai Li Qing remained unshaken. “Even if this challenges everything we’ve known about Outsiders until now, I can still make a rational judgment.”