Working Records in a Weird World - 56

 

| WRIAWW | That Zong Le Never Goes Out! | 56

While Guiyi City was shrouded in turmoil, the Infinite Space was a completely different scene.

The survivors who had just made it through the ?-level mission were now immersed in a crazy celebration. The shops along the main street were all decked out with lanterns and colorful decorations, and neon lights bathed the surroundings in a psychedelic hue. Bright ribbons and multicolored balloons intertwined in the air, while lively music drowned out all conversations.

"Congratulations to me for surviving another question mark-level mission!"

"Congratulations! Cheers!"

"Alright, cheers! Cheers!"

Amidst the continuous clinking of glasses, survivors wearing exaggerated party hats slung their arms around each other. Some were dressed in bizarre costumes, tossing candies into the crowd, while others, already drunk, clung to lampposts, pouring out their hearts.

People were venting the pent-up stress in their chests, reveling all night long.

This was a tradition after completing a dungeon, every time they survived a ?-level mission, the survivors would throw a collective celebration to commemorate their survival.

After all, no one knew if the next mission would be their last.

Enduring the grueling survival in various dungeons and executing tasks under such conditions naturally led to psychological stress and various mental issues. In such circumstances, alcohol became a numbing agent to ease their nerves.

It was no longer just a pastime but a necessity for survivors, something they relied on after meals. Even someone like Yu Anlian, who believed alcohol impaired thinking, and Ka Guya, who looked underage due to side effects, would indulge a little during these festive days.

"This question mark-level mission went smoother than any before."

"Yeah, in the first phase, we had the help of the talented newcomer, and in the second phase we had a S-level leader. It felt like we were on a vacation at Taikang Yongle Hospital!"

Although there were casualties, they were relatively few, not even reaching the casualty rate of some small-scale S-level group missions.

How could this not be a cause for celebration?

Moreover, the rewards from the ?-level mission were incredibly generous, and many survivors had upgraded their enhancement levels, giving them an extra layer of security for future missions.

"Speaking of which, Zong Le is truly amazing."

Since the battle at Taikang Yongle Hospital, Zong Le's reputation as the talented newcomer spread far. He is currently dominating the forums. An entire page of posts, aside from discussions about the mission and routine threads, was practically dedicated to him.

The content of these posts was incredibly diverse. A survivor from the morgue came forward to say that Zong Le had actually revealed his surname was Zong, but everyone in the department thought he was lying and no one believed him.

Another team of D-level survivors mentioned that they had recently encountered him during a D-level courier mission, where they accidentally stumbled into an S-level task and managed to escape unscathed.

At the time, they thought this guy, with his immense strength was just a normal D-level, they never imagined he was the talented newcomer everyone on the forum was searching for.

There were even more posts, some from people who had no direct connection to him at all.

"Exactly! The most important thing is, with his talent, even at C-level, he shone brightly in a question mark-level mission. Truly, the new generation surpasses the old. We can't compete."

Even seasoned veterans couldn't stop praising him.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen him around today," the senior said, raising his glass and glancing around. "But if he had joined the celebration, the forums would’ve exploded with news. Just the toasts alone would’ve surrounded him in layers."

"That talented newcomer probably wouldn’t participate in such an event. Several firsthand witnesses who’ve done missions with him have come forward on the forums. He’s incredibly low-key, to the point of being unwilling to reveal his ID."

"It’s rare to see such a young man these days," laughed the 4th Santa Claus with a thick beard by the bar. "I have high hopes for him. If the ultimate dungeon raid lasts long enough, he might reach S-level before returning to the real world."

"S-level? Santa, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration!"

"Exactly, S-level requires being in the top 100 of the leaderboard. Everyone in the top 100 now has fought their way through blood and fire."

"I admit that the talented newcomer is impressive and gifted. But no matter how talented, he still needs time to grow. The ultimate dungeon will last at most half a year. Not to mention, with the goal of going home, the survivors are more motivated than ever. Just earlier on the street, I saw several teams that used to only take D-level missions saying they’d increase their mission frequency starting next week, aiming to return home sooner. In this situation, the ultimate dungeon will definitely be conquered within half a year!"

The success of the first ?-level mission injected a strong dose of confidence into many hesitant survivors. Everyone believed this was a good start, and they would march triumphantly back to the real world.

Santa Claus listened to their rebuttals but only smiled without a word.

Outside the bar window, the sky was a hazy blue. The weather, though beautiful and distinct from the eternal night of the dungeon, felt monotonous after a while.

"I really hope to see the real world’s sky soon."

"We will soon."

The survivors gathered around Santa Claus at the bar were all familiar faces, old comrades who often teamed up for dungeon raids. Though they didn’t join any guild, they were a force to be reckoned with.

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was tipsy.

"Speaking of it, we’ve been away for so many years."

"Could there be a time difference in the infinite space? I’m worried about my aging parents waiting for me..."

"Don’t overthink it. Before leaving the Infinite Space, didn’t Red Heart and Diamond Knight take all the letters we wrote for our families to be delivered? Besides, they must have told the world about what is happening here. Last time, I heard from an insider that the real world has sent reinforcements, though they haven’t revealed their identities yet. Which can give us some confidence."

"True, we shouldn’t always think negatively. Look on the bright side, at least some seniors have already sent our messages out. Who knows? By the time we successfully escape the dungeon and return to the real world, our families might be there to welcome us."

"Exactly. Ah, this wine is really good. Another round!"

As they chatted, their worries and anxieties gradually dissipated into the smoke and alcohol.

Yet, even amidst the revelry, discussions about the talented newcomer didn’t fade away.

After thoroughly combing through Zong Le's mission records, the enthusiastic survivors turned their attention to the guilds. That day in the hospital lobby, a grand scene unfolded as the major guilds vied to recruit him, giving many a firsthand taste of melon.

Everyone grew even more curious about which guild the talented newcomer would ultimately join and what conditions each guild had offered to sway him.

Logically, an event of this magnitude would have been widely announced on the forums if any guild had succeeded. After all, the talented newcomer's reputation was undeniable, and everyone wanted a piece of the pie while showcasing their guild's strength. Survivors, having witnessed many guild rivalries over the years, were all too familiar with this process.

However, after four or five days, the guilds remained eerily silent, taking no action, which only fueled everyone's curiosity.

[So, which guild did Zong Le join?]

[No idea, there's no news at all. Maybe the conditions haven't been finalized yet?]

[Possibly. Personally, I think Moon Guild showed the most sincerity, while Watchtower Guild probably offered the least.]

Some opportunistic survivors even started a betting pool on the forum, wagering on which guild Zong Le would join. Within hours, the odds reached staggering levels, and the number of participants skyrocketed into the thousands.

Entertainment options in the Infinite Space were limited, so everyone loved a good spectacle. Plus, the completion of the ?-level mission had granted survivors additional vacation time, allowing them to rest before taking on necessary tasks, which only increased the number of people participating.

While the outside world buzzed with speculation, the major guilds were tearing their hair out in frustration.

Every day, the guild leaders would ask their vice guild leaders, "Has he opened his messages today?"

But the answer was always the same: "No."

Back at Taikang Yongle Hospital, with so many eyes around, everyone had privately planned to negotiate further after the initial chaos, so they didn't press too hard. They all added Zong Le as a friend, intending to reach out later.

But who could have guessed that after the mission ended and the celebrations were over, when they were ready to contact the talented newcomer for negotiations, they discovered he had turned off his friend messaging function!

It was a bolt from the blue!

This kind of negotiation required direct contact with the person in question, but with the only communication channel severed, all parties were left helpless, staring in disbelief.

"What do we do now?"

"What can we do? He turned off his friend function. Should we send him a carrier pigeon?!"

The strategists in the guilds were equally at a loss: "This newcomer is so careless! He didn't even leave his friend messaging open. What is he thinking? Doesn't he have any friends in the Infinite Space to chat with?!"

In a way, the strategists were spot on, as they had indeed hit the nail on the head.

"Sigh," Ning He frowned. "It's not completely hopeless. There's still one last, clumsy option."

This clumsy option was to send people to stake out the streets of the Infinite Space, hoping to stage a chance 'encounter.' After all, Zong Le wasn't like the top-ranked veterans who owned their own dungeons and could return to them after missions.

He had to be somewhere in the public space. Plus, they could monitor the forums closely, as Zong Le's current popularity meant that his appearance in any shop would surely draw a crowd.

But to everyone's surprise, even after two days of staking out, there was still no trace of him.

"What's going on?" At the monthly meeting of the Moon Guild, Ka Guya listened to her subordinates' reports, feeling drowsy. Beside her, Yi Siqi shot her a disapproving glare, then threw herself back into the endless work.

"The other guilds are looking out for his location. What if they beat us to it? We paid a high price for the information on the talented newcomer which gave us an advantage over other guilds."

"Vice leader, it's not that we're not looking out, it's that Zong Le simply doesn't leave his house!"

One subordinate couldn't take it anymore and cried out in frustration: "It's been days since the question mark-level mission ended, and we haven't even caught a glimpse of him. I bet he hasn't stepped outside once since the mission ended and is just ordering takeout at home! With a shut-in like that, no one could find him!"

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