Chapter 176

Chapter 44: It Turns Out

　　Saying that Tianhai City was plunged into panic might sound a bit exaggerated, but it did indeed cause some ripples.

　　Unlike Tianhai University, which had Yuan Xiaoling and Bai Ling on guard—any trouble there was nipped in the bud so swiftly that there were virtually no casualties.

　　But things weren’t as smooth at other locations.

　　In an apartment complex in the eastern district, dozens of people met their end under mysterious circumstances. An entire building was left eerily empty.

　　The standalone villas in the northern area also suffered. Though only a few inside the villa perished, the attacker happened to pass by a mall on the way, causing more than a dozen innocent bystanders to fall victim.

　　The southern bay fared better. The target was the dock, and the route was relatively deserted. Occasionally, someone would pass by, hurriedly carrying goods, avoiding any mishap. In the end, only a handful of unfortunate souls got caught up in it.

　　When Yuan Xiaoling arrived, the large screen in the meeting room was displaying photos of the deceased. Among them were elderly folks taking evening strolls in the neighborhood, street vendors outside malls, and sun-tanned workers from the docks.

　　Yet in the photos, their deaths looked serene—truly serene. They lay motionless, as if sleeping, with only a slight pallor hinting at something amiss.

　　”Miss Yuan, you’ve arrived.”

　　Someone noticed the blonde beauty’s entrance and greeted her, drawing everyone’s attention in the meeting room.

　　”Hmm, just got here,” Yuan Xiaoling said casually. “This meeting place is smaller than last time.”

　　The greeter chuckled. “Last time was about administrative matters; this time is purely for addressing the situation… If you wish, we can proceed there now.”

　　”No need. Smaller’s fine. Less echo when we talk,” Yuan Xiaoling pulled up a chair and sat down. “Where are you guys at?”

　　A few assistants quickly approached, tidying up her table and serving her a cup of tea.

　　Another person sitting closest to the screen said, “All external appearances of the victims are shown above. The coroner checked, found no reasonable cause of death—no external injuries… and no internal ones either.”

　　”Their hearts stopped,” Yuan Xiaoling sipped her tea. “It’s normal that nothing shows.”

　　She didn’t recognize what kind of tea it was but thought it wasn’t bad.

　　”Hearts stopped?”

　　The blonde spoke casually, leaving others baffled.

　　An older Leader asked, “Did they have some unresolved issues?”

　　”…”

　　Fortunately, Yuan Xiaoling didn’t have to explain herself. Some quick-witted individuals whispered to him, and soon enough, the Leader understood.

　　”In that case, the situation is dire.”

　　”Not really,” Yuan Xiaoling shrugged her fragrant shoulders. “When there’s something to be done, then it’s urgent. If nothing can be done temporarily, it’s not urgent because panicking won’t help.”

　　Even if they panicked, they couldn’t just rush headlong toward the Inner Stone of the Mind. Right now, these attacks occurred sporadically, killing dozens each time. But if they lost, the consequences would be catastrophic. After all, Dai Hengzhu had grand plans for vengeance against the world. Even if the world wouldn’t end, evaporating Tianhai City would be effortless.

　　”Besides, meetings won’t resolve this issue. We should be discussing something else today, right?”

　　The meeting room fell silent for a moment, slightly awkward. Finally, the Leader broke the tension:

　　”I was just concerned… Since that’s the case, let’s focus on what we can do, maintaining stability in Tianhai City and creating a supportive environment for Miss Yuan and others.”

　　Surprisingly, this made the meeting seem quite meaningful.

　　Seats were arranged, the room tidied up, and the liaison personnel changed. Li Li and Luo Xing from the Four Squares Academy took over.

　　After that incident, all relevant personnel from the academy were reviewed. They were initially demoted to menial jobs. However, the city soon realized no one else could handle the leftover problems from the academy, so they were brought back to make amends.

　　”Miss Yuan, you’re finally here,” Li Li smiled in relief upon seeing her. “Your arrival reassures us greatly.”

　　”That’s right! With you here, we’re saved!” Luo Xing chimed in.

　　These words came straight from the heart. Before Yuan Xiaoling arrived, their superiors grilled them for solutions.

　　What? Can’t solve it? Weren’t you experts in this field? How come you can’t solve it now? Lack of ability? That’s your problem. Overcome difficulties, solve problems!

　　”Don’t pin it on me. I can’t fix the mess at the Four Squares Academy either,” Yuan Xiaoling leaned back in her chair, adjusting her collar while subtly showcasing her assets. “Today, let’s talk about public opinion.”

　　”Reasonable, reasonable.”

　　Li Li glanced at the well-endowed blonde beauty before her and recalled a few months ago when she secretly contacted Yuan Xiaoling, hoping she’d investigate Dai Hengzhu’s secrets. She initially thought it was about money or power, but who knew he harbored plans to destroy the world?

　　Li Li was immensely grateful that she sent that secret message that day. Otherwise, her fate would have been either being wiped out after the plan failed or being sacrificed beforehand like during the Four Squares Academy incident a year ago.

　　Saving her life wasn’t an exaggeration.

　　”Alright, stop looking at me like that. It’s putting unnecessary pressure on me,” Yuan Xiaoling waved her hand. “Tell me the current situation.”

　　”Sure.”

　　Li Li and Luo Xing were well-prepared, armed with materials. Anything lacking could be quickly searched online via mobile phones.

　　With over a hundred casualties in Tianhai City within a day, even though people were warned beforehand, they were still shaken. These days, they stayed indoors, glued to their phones, reading updates online, naturally giving rise to various theories.

　　Some claimed the entire event was a conspiracy, that those victims weren’t possessed by evil spirits but targeted assassinations.

　　Others questioned Dark Energy itself, suspecting it was the result of secret experiments conducted by unknown entities.

　　And some pointed fingers at Yuan Xiaoling, labeling her a promiscuous succubus responsible for draining the life force of those victims.

　　Regarding these posts about her, though posted under different names, they shared the same IP address, and the tone clearly carried animosity. Likely stemming from personal grudges.

　　Yuan Xiaoling thought hard but couldn’t recall anyone holding a grudge against her—or anyone alive who did. Eventually, she gave up. Anyway, it didn’t affect her much. The dislikes outnumbered the likes, and comments were heavily moderated, showing only a fraction of the actual discussion.

　　Other points of discussion were more serious, sparking genuine debates among many.

　　”Miss Yuan.”

　　Luo Xing returned from the side and informed her of the deliberation results: “They hope you can officially clarify the situation regarding these creatures. Also, the term ‘Sleepwalkers’ sounds too vague. They want you to rename them. Lastly, they seek additional advice on handling online rumors.”

　　Yuan Xiaoling tilted her head curiously. “How do they plan to handle it?”

　　”Trace the originators of the conspiracy theories and confront them directly,” Luo Xing whispered. “They’re assembling teams and will set out soon.”

　　”Such decisiveness?” Yuan Xiaoling was surprised.

　　She was astonished, but Li Li and Luo Xing seemed unfazed.

　　”Miss Yuan, there’s something you might’ve missed.” Li Li handed her a tablet, pointing to the second row of posts.

　　”The truth behind Dark Energy might stem from secret experiments by certain individuals… Ah, I get it.”

　　Because it turns out, that theory was correct.