Chapter 101: Dimension 08

Three hours later.

Under the scorching sun, flakes of plaster rained down from the walls with a clatter. After the boy’s flurry of aerial kicks on wires, this weathered little alley faced yet another brutal trial.

The dashing male lead, who should have swooped in to heroically save the beauty, stood quivering under the cold, menacing glares of the flower-shirted thugs. Trembling black lines hovered around him, the special effects clashing wildly with the script. With tears threatening to spill, he endured the eighteenth NG for this shot.

Near the gates of Film City, a sedan peeled out of the parking lot. Xiao Ming’s smug face beamed from the open window.

The highway stretched toward the distant, glittering heart of the city. Early summer sunlight blazed fiercely, spilling into every corner. Skyscrapers loomed alongside endless streets, where people rushed about in a frenzy.

On a bustling street thick with the pulse of daily life, people clustered in small groups, their muffled clamor drifting through the air.

Beneath the vibrant “Beautiful Breakfast” sign, inside the shop, a young man with striking brown hair gaped in astonishment. A vivid sea of exclamation marks erupted behind him.

Yu Bai’s face was full of shock. “You’re going to see that agent?!”

The man with blue eyes replied, “I haven’t set a time with him yet.”

That explained why Xie Wufang, fresh from his phone call, had first asked what they should do next.

Amid his surprise, a wave of curiosity surged through Yu Bai.

So Xie Wufang hadn’t simply accepted the agent’s business card on the bus out of politeness?

He recalled the scrawny agent’s infectious torrent of words and couldn’t resist asking, “Are you thinking of becoming an actor?”

When Yu Bai had politely turned the man down, he’d completely forgotten to check what his companion thought.

Back before they crossed over, during their chats at home, Xie Wufang had already said he had no interest in acting.

Had the agent changed his mind?

Question marks swirled above Yu Bai’s head as he speculated inwardly, only to hear Xie Wufang’s steady voice: “No.”

“He said he could find a teacher to teach me how to create.”

Create?

Yu Bai froze for a second.

Why the sudden interest in creation?

And if he was really into it, he could have just asked him.

Sure, he was only a contributor to a third-rate magazine, but writing paid the bills.

…Hold on.

Xie Wufang had actually asked him about it before.

Once it clicked, Yu Bai couldn’t help but chuckle. “You want to learn how to lie from this teacher?”

Xie Wufang nodded slightly. “Yes.”

The non-human’s expression was so frank and composed that Yu Bai almost believed lying was some profound, serious art.

In a sense, it was a kind of creation.

He wondered how Xie Wufang and the agent had even communicated.

It might end up like the boss lady trying to teach someone how to make fried chicken—total miscommunication.

…Now that he thought about it, he was a little eager to see it.

Yu Bai’s eyes crinkled with amusement. He made no move to talk him out of it.

After all, it was rare for the non-human to take the initiative on something.

Besides, that agent might resemble a hyper-caffeinated top salesman, but he came across as oddly sincere. No dark emotion effects clung to him, so he probably wasn’t a bad sort.

“We don’t have anything urgent right now, so feel free to do whatever. Want me to come along?”

He absolutely wasn’t hoping to watch the show.

He just worried the god might accidentally get taken advantage of by some human.

“Sure,” Xie Wufang said without hesitation. “I’ll set a time with him.”

The call hadn’t even gone out yet, but Yu Bai figured with that agent’s personality, he’d jump at the chance to meet immediately—ideally right then and there.

While Xie Wufang made the call, Yu Bai stepped out of the breakfast shop to let their other two companions know.

Earlier, a street brawl had broken out. One of the peacemakers spotted the uniformed officer in the baozi shop and ran over to seek Uncle Police’s help.

It wasn’t really criminal investigation territory, but Li Nanxiao had gone to handle it anyway.

Qiao Jinmei, of course, tagged along for the spectacle, snatching a handful of melon seeds on the way.

With the sudden arrival of the police and a sharp command to stand down, the two men who had been locked in combat finally separated. They spat at each other: “Fuck! Don’t let me catch you later!”

“You’re the fuck! Watch your damn mouth!”

They had reached the stage of hurling final threats when they spotted the slow-rising wisps of regretful little spirits drifting up from the heads of some onlookers. Their tempers flared anew.

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean? Huh? Not had enough? Come on then—”

The enraged man lunged forward again amid cries of alarm from the crowd, which scattered like waves. In the end, the ever-duty-bound Li Nanxiao nipped the new brawl in the bud.

“Shut your mouth!” Uncle Police barked, his icy glare radiating authority. “You want to come back to the station with me?!”

The man put on a tough front but was secretly terrified of cops. He slunk away, muttering in resentment.

“…Fine, count me unlucky!”

The commotion on the street finally died down, and the crowd dispersed. Leaning against the shop door, Qiao Jinmei cracked her seeds and sighed. “What tempers. Harmony brings wealth, you know.”

Unaware of the details from inside the shop earlier, Yu Bai called out curiously to Li Nanxiao as he headed back. “Uncle Li, what happened? Why’d they start fighting?”

The criminal investigation captain sighed. “All because of that special effect.”

“What should have been a minor spat—something a sincere apology could fix—turned ugly when everyone’s real emotions were floating right there above their heads. Throw in short tempers and rudeness, and boom, fists fly.”

Li Nanxiao glanced at his phone, flickering with new alerts, and rubbed his throbbing temple.

“Fights are small potatoes. Truth is, we don’t have time for this. Someone called it in, but no patrol cops can get here anytime soon. Every precinct’s short-staffed, and the holding cells are packed.”

The animation effects had only been active for three hours.

A world where true emotions hung exposed for all to see was far more dangerous and chaotic than normal.

Having caught the tail end of it, Yu Bai said sincerely, “Good thing you came straight over without changing out of your uniform. Otherwise, you might not have stopped them.”

“Yeah.” Li Nanxiao hesitated. “My team’s swamped too, and there are cases popping up that I’ve never seen before.”

Unlike the isolated Go timeline before, now two timespaces had merged—reality intertwining with the animation world. The degree of fusion was unclear, and events might unfold entirely differently.

Seeing the troubled look on his face, Yu Bai realized something and was about to speak when Xie Wufang approached from behind.

“He says he can be at the company in half an hour. We can head over anytime.” Xie Wufang’s gaze flicked to the newly lit phone screen. “The address just came through.”

Li Nanxiao looked surprised. “You’re heading out?”

“Yeah, I’m going with Little Xie.” Yu Bai took over smoothly. “We’ll wander around, see if we spot any aliens.”

Not that they’d necessarily recognize them.

He didn’t mention what they were going for.

After all, telling the straight-arrow Uncle Police they were off to learn how to lie…

It just felt off.

In a serious tone, Yu Bai added, “Uncle Li, you go handle your stuff. We’ll all get a feel for this world, see how much the animation’s affected things. We can swap notes later.”

He knew Li Nanxiao was a cop with a deep sense of duty, pouring nearly all his energy into work. His personal life was nonexistent—no family, just constant ribbing from his team about being a workaholic’s workaholic.

Whether for civilians or his colleagues, he couldn’t just stand by.

Even if this was a doomed alternate timespace, destined to either fade into vague memories or end in alien apocalypse.

“Fair enough. I was worried they were overwhelmed anyway.”

Relief eased the tension in Li Nanxiao’s features. He cautioned them specifically: “Be careful out there. Steer clear of anyone whose emotions look off. If anything happens, call me.”

Qiao Jinmei immediately set aside her seeds, brushed her fragrant palms, and ignited with enthusiasm behind her. “Good point. I’ll go poke around too, sniff out some aliens. If I find anything, I’ll let you know right away. Here, let’s exchange numbers.”

The other two humans obliged.

“Oh, right, Captain Li, mind sharing those notes you made? I could organize them for you. I was pretty good at language arts in school!”

“No need. I’ll make you a copy. Is there a print shop nearby?”

“Yes, yes, it’s right around that street corner. I’ll take you there! Honestly, Captain Li, your handwriting looks pretty good. I can actually read every word—way clearer than those doctors’ prescription scrawls!”

“…Thanks.”

Was that a compliment? Or… a compliment?

Either way, it sounded a little strange.

Seeing the well marks popping up repeatedly on Uncle Li’s forehead, Yu Bai turned away and couldn’t help but stifle a secret laugh.

Under the bright summer sun, the lush green streets bustled with people walking in pairs, each heading off in different directions.

The address for the Broker Company that Xiao Ming had given was also in the city center—not far at all, just a ten-minute walk.

Along the way, aside from the cityscape that looked mostly unchanged, the people who had once hurried by with blank expressions now wore their own emotional landscapes: sorrow, joy, utter breakdown…

And every now and then, split-screen calls hung visibly in the air.

Here, the 2D and 3D worlds blended together seamlessly, creating a bizarre beauty that bordered on madness.

As Yu Bai brushed past a stranger, his fingertips accidentally grazed the intangible damp rain trailing behind them, as if briefly overlapping with that world of grief.

He let out a soft sigh and said to the man beside him, “I wonder if these special effects will ever fade… What if the world falls apart on its own before the aliens even show up?”

Sirens wailed through the city from time to time, mingled with the blare of ambulance horns.

Xie Wufang didn’t know the answer—and he wasn’t one for wild speculation—so he simply cast a soothing glance his way. His eyes were gentle and clear, like gray-blue lake water rippling softly, serene and beautiful.

The Broker Company’s office building gleamed with sleek modernity. Under the front desk receptionist’s unblinking stare, the two stepped into the elevator lobby, hit the button, and prepared to head upstairs in search of Xiao Ming.

Ding. The elevator doors slid slowly shut.

Not far off, two figures approached this way.

A boy with his hands shoved in his pockets, strolling lazily along, and an assistant jogging toward the elevator.

Thus, a familiar scene unfolded once again.

“Hey—wait up!”

With the sound of hurried footsteps, a hand thrust in at the last second, blocking the doors just before they could close.