Chapter 96

After finishing the yogurt with some sugar, Shang Jianyao held the lunch box and turned his gaze to Ren Jie and Li Zhen.

These two women, responsible for distributing the sacrament, deliberately ignored him and, in a counterclockwise order, scooped yogurt from the cylindrical container to different members.

After the sacrament, Li Zhen, holding the utensils, went through the middle door into the inner room, while Ren Jie casually chatted with the believers, asking for their opinions on today's sacrament.

Throughout this process, she didn't move in Shang Jianyao's direction at all, as she felt she could guess what that guy would say.

"He will definitely say, 'It tastes good, but the portion is too small.' How did we end up recruiting such a person into the sect? Although the 'Holy Master' always tells us to develop more young people, especially those who have just reached marriageable age, young people also need to be categorized..." Ren Jie glanced at Shang Jianyao and rationally abandoned the idea of sharing his field experiences.

She walked to the corridor leading to the middle door, turned around, and said to everyone,

"Today's gathering is over. You can leave one by one, and be careful on your way."

The members present bowed simultaneously and left Li Zhen's house in different directions, walking to various places on a night without streetlights.

Shang Jianyao and Shen Du were on the same route, both wearing dark green thick cotton coats and holding bulky flashlights. They walked silently along the edge of the surveillance cameras.

Just before parting ways, Shen Du looked up at the ceiling submerged in darkness and asked a question that had been on his mind:

"What does the real sky look like?"

Shang Jianyao looked at the beam of light from the flashlight and said,

"Very high, very blue, very empty."

Shen Du fell silent, parted ways with him, and walked toward his home.

After returning to Room 196 in Zone B, Shang Jianyao took a nap. He waited until the morning rush hour was over before rushing to the cafeteria to have breakfast before it closed.

After filling his stomach, he went to the elevator hall in the corner of Zone C.

The twelve elevators here went directly to the "Research Area."

Shang Jianyao skillfully pressed the 25th floor and, during the elevator's descent, swiped his card and pressed "3."

Upon arriving at the 3rd floor, Shang Jianyao walked along the corridor outside the metal door to the room at the far end on the right.

"Knock, knock, knock." He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a gentle female voice came from inside.

Shang Jianyao reported his name and said,

"Doctor Lin, I would like to schedule a follow-up appointment."

Doctor Lin immediately laughed and said,

"Xiao Shang...

"Since I'm free now, come in."

With permission, Shang Jianyao turned the handle and pushed open the door.

Doctor Lin still wore her gold-rimmed glasses and a white coat, sitting behind a wooden table, playing with a pen in her hand.

Unlike before, this time her hair was not tied up but casually hanging down, making her look a few years younger.

"Good morning, Doctor Lin." Shang Jianyao greeted with a smile.

Doctor Lin pointed to the chair opposite her and said,

"Good morning, sit down."

As she spoke, she glanced at the folder in front of her.

After Shang Jianyao sat down, she asked in a casual tone,

"How many days have you been back from the field mission?"

"I came back yesterday afternoon." Shang Jianyao didn't hide it.

Doctor Lin tapped the table with the end of the pen and smiled,

"It's a bit sudden today, so we won't do any tests. Let's just chat casually.

"How was it? Was the field mission smooth?"

"It was very exciting." Shang Jianyao answered honestly.

Doctor Lin became a bit curious,

"How exciting?"

"Exciting enough to kill several ordinary security personnel." Shang Jianyao used a comparison.

"You were lucky to come back alive." Doctor Lin couldn't help but exclaim.

She then smiled and said,

"Tell me about your experience, but you don't have to mention anything confidential."

Shang Jianyao showed a look of reminiscence,

"We drove out of the gate and arrived on the surface. The sky was very blue, very high, and very empty, as if it could suck you up, which was very scary, but you get used to it...

"Surrounding us were many trees, some leaves were green, some were yellow, and the air was filled with a fresh smell of feces..."

"Stop!" Doctor Lin raised her hand and pinched her nose, "You don't need to mention such details."

She then picked up her cup and took a sip of tea,

"What happened next?"

"Nothing else." Shang Jianyao answered calmly.

"Huh?" Doctor Lin was momentarily confused.

Shang Jianyao explained,

"The rest involves confidentiality."

"..." Doctor Lin was a bit stunned, "So, you encountered something involving confidentiality just a few hours after leaving. What happened after that? Is there anything else you can say?"

Shang Jianyao answered seriously,

"We ate braised beef cans, energy bars, and compressed biscuits, urinated in the bushes once, and killed two mosquitoes..."

"You don't need to mention these." Doctor Lin was a bit helpless.

She fell silent for a moment and couldn't help but ask,

"Besides the details of daily life, everything else involves confidentiality?"

Shang Jianyao nodded,

"We need to wait for the company's review to determine what can be said and what cannot."

"Um." Doctor Lin sighed, "What exactly did you encounter? Oh, were there any casualties?"

She was worried that this might upset Shang Jianyao and worsen his condition.

Shang Jianyao shook his head,

"No."

Doctor Lin sighed in relief and decided to change the topic,

"Did you feel any growth from these experiences on the surface?"

"Yes." Shang Jianyao said seriously, "I realized that saving all of humanity is a very difficult task. Often, we can't even save a small town, a settlement, or a child."

Doctor Lin nodded in approval,

"Good to know.

"I'm not saying your ideal is wrong, but I think you should set some more achievable goals before this ideal.

"This can help boost your confidence and improve your condition."

Shang Jianyao responded immediately,

"Yes.

"So, I need to work harder to train and improve myself. Only then can I save all of humanity."

"..." Doctor Lin rolled her eyes and sighed quietly.

Before she could speak, Shang Jianyao asked,

"Doctor Lin, the main reason I came to see you today is to ask how to overcome the hidden fears in my heart."

Doctor Lin's expression changed, and she smiled,

"That's a good question."

She didn't use professional jargon but spoke in a very approachable, conversational manner,

"In my opinion, the premise of overcoming hidden fears is to recognize them and face them.

"Escaping will never solve the problem.

"Sometimes, it's better to face your bloody wounds."

Seeing Shang Jianyao's thoughtful expression, Doctor Lin added,

"However, in practice, I don't recommend immediately facing your fears, as this could cause secondary trauma and lead to a mental breakdown.

"The correct approach is to take appropriate methods, step by step, to approach those fears, from the periphery to the center, and in this process, continuously rebuild your inner strength, gradually eroding the shadows.

"When you can fully face those nightmares, you will find that they are not powerful and can be easily defeated."

At this point, Doctor Lin smiled and said,

"You can tell me your general feelings, and I can help you design some plans."

Shang Jianyao remained silent without answering.

Doctor Lin was not surprised and said,

"No rush, you can take your time, a whole week.

"Remember to come for a follow-up next week.

"If you feel you can't talk to me, you can try another way or find someone you trust to talk to."

Shang Jianyao nodded slightly,

"Thank you, Doctor Lin."

He then stood up and politely said goodbye.

After returning to the 495th floor, Shang Jianyao turned to the fourth elevator area in another direction.

This area led to the Security Department.

Shang Jianyao waited for a while, entered, and swiped his card to press the 647th floor.

Soon, he arrived at the changing room next to the "Old Adjustment Team" and changed into light clothing.

As Shang Jianyao pushed open the door to the training room, he saw Jiang Baimian, with her hair in a ponytail, sitting on a bench, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a towel.

"Why are you here?" Jiang Baimian sensed his presence earlier.

She remembered she had given the three team members a two-day break.

"Training." Shang Jianyao answered honestly.

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and realized,

"Right, your peers are all working at this time. You have nothing to do at home except sleep."

"I can also read books." Shang Jianyao replied.

"..." Jiang Baimian was about to glare at him but suddenly sensed something and looked back at the door.

Bai Chen, wearing a dusty scarf, appeared there.

Before Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao could speak, she said,

"I have nothing to do."

Jiang Baimian smiled and praised,

"Good."

Bai Chen had just taken a few steps inside when Long Yuehong also walked over with a towel.

"You, you're here too?" Long Yuehong was surprised and a bit panicked when she saw the team leader, Shang Jianyao, and Bai Chen all looking at her.

"Why are you here?" Jiang Baimian asked instead of answering.

Long Yuehong stammered,

"My mother introduced me to a girl, who is working and can only meet after dinner. I thought I might as well come here to recover my body since I have nothing else to do."

Jiang Baimian's smile grew wider,

"Very good."

She then looked around and said in a serious tone,

"Since you're all here, let's practice combat."

"Ah..." Long Yuehong looked troubled.

...

At 8 PM, Shang Jianyao, as usual, lay in bed, half-closed his eyes, and waited for the radio program to start.

A few seconds later, the familiar sweet voice echoed,

"Hello everyone, I am the news broadcaster Hou Yi. It is now 8 PM...

"The board held its 22nd meeting of the year today to discuss the focus of winter work...

"The cotton in the inner ecological zone has had a bountiful harvest...

"Today at 9:35 AM, Wang Yafei, the manager of the 'Supply Market' on the 478th floor, died of a sudden heart attack at his workstation..."

Shang Jianyao's eyes snapped open, and he sat up immediately.

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PS2: More updates tomorrow, first update at midnight, second and third updates at regular times~

PS3: Wishing everyone a happy New Year and a smooth new year~