Even in daylight, the office was lit with a stark white light. <br>One partition after another divided the majority of the office into little cubicles. Each cubicle had an offline desktop computer and a telephone. Everyone was bustling about, some typing, some making calls, others exchanging documents. Luke Sin's workstation was located right in the center, and a banner for the Best Employee award was hung on the partition. <br>The busy morning's work had been handled, and Luke Sin straightened up, massaging his temples. The oppressive atmosphere from being in such an environment for too long was already stifling, not to mention the overwhelming amount of tedious tasks to manage. <br>"Brother Lu, are you busy now?" <br>A voice sounded nearby, and Luke Sin looked up to find it was the new young colleague in the office, Lu Chen. Neatly dressed and with a spirited short hairstyle, he exuded a sunny disposition but wore a troubled expression now. "The supervisor asked me to organize this batch of documents, but no matter how much I sort it out, it's always too complicated, and the deadline is approaching. Brother Lu, could you... could you teach me?" <br>"Sure." <br>Luke Sin agreed with a smile, "I happen to have some free time now." <br>"Thank you, Brother Lu. You're so kind!" The young man beamed with gratitude and eagerly came to Luke Sin's desk — one teaching, the other learning. From the surrounding cubicles, many dissatisfied glances were cast, along with whispered grumblings at a low volume. <br>"His own work is tiring enough, yet he still teaches others." <br>"We all have the same job. He isn't afraid of teaching others and then getting kicked out himself." <br>"..."<br>Under many dissatisfied gazes, Luke Sin helped Lu Chen organize the files and, with a wave in response to Lu Chen's thanks, went back to his work. Although the office was a tense environment and everyone was under pressure, Luke Sin adhered to his principles: helping when he could. The Blood Moon Phenomenon had changed the world, but one's integrity should remain. <br>"Luke Sin, come over here for a moment. The supervisor is calling you!" <br>Someone called out from afar. <br>"Coming!" <br>Luke Sin put down his coffee, got up, and walked to the supervisor's office. Here, he saw the supervisor, so overweight that his cheeks drooped on either side. On the opposite sofa sat a beautiful short-haired woman in a classy suit wearing sunglasses. <br>"Little Lu, there's a file here. Please deliver it to the street corner café on Qingjiang Road now," the supervisor said succinctly, pointing to a file folder on the desk. <br>Delivering documents was usually a task for the administrative or logistics group, not himself. However, Luke Sin did not decline, nodding, "Alright." He picked up the file, nodded to both the supervisor and the short-haired woman on the sofa, and left. <br>Once he left the room, the supervisor immediately changed his expression to a fawning smile toward the short-haired woman. "Mr. Chen, the Coordinator, the task you mentioned is complete. Rest assured, I ask no more questions and think no further. Just about that project you mentioned..." <br>"Rest assured, that project won't be yours!" <br>The short-haired woman stood up, gently lowered her sunglasses, and spoke in a soft voice. <br>The supervisor was stunned, thinking he had misheard. Right at this moment, he caught sight of the woman's pupils. Her pupils seemed to be rotating, faintly red, like two spinning red moons. <br>"Do not remember my visit, nor recall having assigned him anything to do!" <br>The short-haired woman said softly, her voice gentle, then she put on her sunglasses and turned to leave. The supervisor plunged into confusion for a moment, but moments later, he came to, and it was like nothing had happened, resuming his work. <br>... <br>... <br>On the suburban high-speed train, Luke Sin, holding onto a handrail, swayed half-asleep. Initially, there were seats available since he boarded near the departure station, but after seeing a pregnant woman board, he gave up his seat and stood for half an hour. <br>Slightly flickering lights illuminated the carriage, and his sister, holding a patched teddy bear, crawled across the top of the carriage toward him. She swung upside down in front of Luke Sin, playing like a swing. <br>Luke Sin kept his gaze fixed, pretending to intensely focus on the beautiful legs of a girl wearing hip-hugging shorts beside him. <br>His sister played more enthusiastically, swinging ever more fiercely. A slight creaking reverberated through the train car. <br>Fortunately, the train traveled rapidly, swaying and bumping along, masking the slight creaking. <br>"Brother, brother, look, that fat guy looks so foolish..." <br>His sister, laughing, pointed at a nearby fat guy who was sleeping standing up, drooling. <br>"Don’t talk to me..." <br>Luke Sin forced himself to carefully admire the girl's legs nearby, squeezing out a barely perceptible voice between his teeth. <br>"I can't watch you or speak with you outside. People will think I’m a lunatic..." <br>"Tch, no fun!" <br>His sister, deliberately teasing him, felt bored when he didn't take the bait. <br>"You should be careful this time; the place you’re heading to, there's something wrong there!" <br>Without waiting for Luke Sin's further questions, she started giggling, then ran swiftly along the carriage, brushing past the fat man who stood sleeping, pinching his face, and disappeared into the distance. <br>The fat man woke with a start, shouting, "Who touched me?" <br>People around glanced at the at least one-meter empty space surrounding the fat man, giving him strange looks. <br>Luke Sin joined the crowd in observing, throwing him a look as if he were a mental patient. <br>... <br>... <br>As he alighted, Luke Sin saw that he was already near the outer wall. Buildings around were rather rundown, and the towering city wall, more than ten meters high, cast deep shadows over the constructions. Although after thirty years, most of the wandering mad people outside the city had been cleared, the city inhabitants remained cautious. Every year, municipal work prioritized reinforcing and repairing those high walls. <br>Reaching the street corner café, he found the surroundings very dim. <br>The old buildings and bungalows around seemed deserted, not a single silhouette in sight. <br>There was plenty of rubbish at the door, blown over by the wind, and it seemed long uncleaned. Drawing near, an inexplicable oppressive feeling seized him. <br>Luke Sin instinctively disliked this place but, since he had promised the supervisor, held the file and went inside anyway. <br>... <br>... <br>"Thirteenth designated observer has entered the target area!" <br>Not far from this location, atop a high-rise building, over a dozen observation staff had set up various equipment. Around the high-rise, armed soldiers with loaded guns hid in the shadows, vigilantly alert to everything surrounding. <br>The beautiful short-haired woman was among the office staff, holding a document bearing black lettering: <br>"Target designation: street corner café." <br>"Mission objective: evaluate Thirteenth designated observer’s potential and specific capabilities as a mind healer." <br>"Potential hazard: The café has been confirmed as a primary mental pollution zone. <br>Specifics include: <br>Approaching the café, individuals are irresistibly drawn inside. <br>Within three to five days after entering the café, individuals die, often by suicide. <br>Analysis suggests that pollution within the café likely induces severe depressive emotions." <br>"..."<br>She put down the document in hand and asked the nearby person, "Is the support ready?" <br>The staff member nodded, indicating toward a neighboring room. <br>Through the glass partition of the rooms, a girl dressed in a doll-like dress sat inside, looking like a marionette. <br>... <br>... <br>When Luke Sin entered the café, he felt a warm, lively atmosphere envelop him. Outside, streets and interiors appeared empty, cheerless. <br>But this café was bustling, seemingly overcrowded. <br>Everyone’s faces bore smiles; some conversed intimately in low voices, others sat by windows, sipping coffee and reading, while some dozed, savoring a delectable sandwich. The store played a soothing, old melody, and sunlight streamed through the windows, making it seem as if he’d returned to the world before the Blood Moon disaster... <br>Luke Sin wove through the crowd to the counter, nodding to the bartender behind the bar, elegantly garbed in an apron. <br>"Someone asked me to deliver this file," he said. <br>The supervisor hadn’t specified whom to deliver it to, so the counter should suffice. <br>"Thank you." <br>The bartender didn't care much, just smiled and thanked him, then poured a cup of coffee, sliding it toward Luke Sin. <br>"This..." <br>Luke Sin wanted to say he didn’t plan to stay for coffee. <br>However, this coffee smelled quite fragrant, significantly different from the cheap coffee he drank at the office. <br>"Running this errand isn’t easy, my treat." <br>The bartender smiled, expressing a sincere goodwill that was very comforting. <br>Luke Sin relaxed slightly, momentarily failing to refuse. <br>Then his gaze froze slightly. <br>From the bartender’s delicate apron emerged a thick, hideous tentacle, extending slowly before Luke Sin. At the tentacle's tip, the flesh gradually cracked open, and suddenly, a black, jelly-like piece slipped into the coffee. <br>Luke Sin looked down; the jelly-like piece resembled an egg or an eye, the black pupil staring at him from the cup. <br>The coffee instantly smelled even richer, incredibly compelling. <br>The bartender smiled warmer, gently urged him to enjoy the coffee. <br>"No need, thank you." <br>Luke Sin politely declined, turned around, and walked out as if seeing nothing. <br>At the door, he looked back. <br>Every individual in the store had stopped their actions, staring woodenly, blankly, at him. <br>He hurriedly turned back, his body growing stiff, quickening his pace.)
