Chapter 94: Chapter 94: The Second Otherworld

Estimated waiting time: one thousand hours.

That’s about 41 days.

’So, in about a month and a half, I’ll be able to descend into a second Otherworld?’

Wang Xi thought.

All signs pointed to the same conclusion: Kaos was like a door, linking the Main World to the Otherworld.

The two worlds shared some kind of unknown connection.

This was especially true now that the second Otherworld had been anchored.

It only solidified Wang Xi’s suspicions.

The Profound Mysterious World...

’It corresponds to the "Profound Mystery" series of Mazes, the ones coded with the Club symbol ♧. So, it must be an Otherworld related to Eastern myth and folklore.’

Wang Xi’s expression grew thoughtful.

There was a lot of information about Mazes online, but it was all jumbled. Getting accurate intel wasn’t easy.

But now he was a "Professional Four Stars" Hero. He could log into the Hero Association’s official website and search for relevant information directly in their internal database.

It was highly classified and guaranteed to be authentic.

This was just one of the many conveniences that came with his rise in status.

Wang Xi made up his mind. Over the next month or so, he would find time to gather more information on the "Profound Mystery" series of Mazes and prepare for his descent in advance.

As he was pondering this, a stream of information suddenly gushed forth once more from the narrow rift in his mind—

It was an unfamiliar scene.

A scene that Kaos had happened to capture while it was anchoring the Profound Mysterious World—

It seemed to be a second-floor bedroom in a small, white, Western-style house. The window was half-open, and rainwater trickled in winding streams down the glass. Outside, the glow of a streetlight blurred into a hazy, shattered gold.

In the bedroom, a phonograph stood by the window, spinning slowly. The vinyl record occasionally produced a scratchy, static sound, but from the brass horn flowed a beautiful piano melody: Debussy’s "Clair de Lune."

The slender figure of a woman with her back to the viewer sat before an easel, her delicate fingers holding a charcoal pencil, gently sketching on a sheet of snow-white paper. The outline of the person in the drawing was already taking shape—

A high-bridged nose, lips pressed lightly together, slightly upturned corners of the mouth, deep-set eyes... yet, when it came to the eyes, the girl hesitated, unable to bring her pencil to the paper.

The desk lamp beside the easel cast a dim yellow light, illuminating one side of her face while the other remained hidden in shadow. Her waterfall of black hair was unbound, and she wore a moon-white silk nightgown, its cuffs smudged with charcoal.

Her fingers seemed to be trembling slightly.

WHOOSH—

This fleeting, carousel-like vision didn’t last long, vanishing from Wang Xi’s mind after just a few seconds.

But he was completely stunned.

His pupils contracted.

Everything in the scene was completely foreign to Wang Xi, except for the girl. She looked familiar.

Even though her clothes and hairstyle were completely different.

But that fleeting glimpse of her profile was nearly identical to the face that haunted his memories.

"Xu Mowan..."

Wang Xi murmured in disbelief.

Could it be her?

Did girlfriend number seven, the one who ran me over, also cross over into this world?

’Probably not.’

’It’s probably just a coincidence. They just look alike.’

...

...

「The next day.」

Wang Xi got up early.

He changed into a white half-sleeve T-shirt and a pair of blue-striped track pants, then left the house looking fashionably lazy.

He then took the free railcar to the company.

Thanks to the greeting announced over the railcar’s broadcast system, he once again enjoyed the undivided attention of all the other passengers.

Fortunately, it was the morning rush hour. The car was crowded, and after a brief period of excited chatter, no one pushed through to ask him for a photo or an autograph.

The railcar stopped at Zebra Avenue Station in the Dawn District. A few schoolgirls near the door blushed and greeted Wang Xi. After getting off, he turned back, waved, and responded with a smile.

Then, amid a flurry of gasps and squeals, he walked straight toward the Cupid Housekeeping Building on the street corner.

As soon as he walked through the courtyard gate, two uniformed security guards in the guardhouse shot up from their chairs, saluted him, and called out respectfully:

"Good morning, Mr. Wang!"

The loud voices startled Wang Xi. He gave a resigned smile and replied politely:

"Good morning to you two as well."

He remembered when he had first started here. The security guards would just sit in their chairs, smoking, and call him Xiao Wang.

Now, his status had changed.

They called him Mr. Wang.

He couldn’t help but feel that a sad, thick barrier had now formed between him and the guards.

Wang Xi walked away quickly, climbing the steps into the lobby. But as soon as he entered, he heard Manager Yang Fu’s sharp, scolding voice:

"How many times have I told you? You need to be efficient! Time is money, and time is life! If you keep dragging your feet all day, are you even going to get any work done?!"

A middle-aged woman in a black suit sat on a sofa in the rest area, her legs crossed and a cold expression on her face. Standing before her were Lei Wen, Luo Xiaoliang, Zhu Yuhe, Gao Fen, and the other Cleaners from Team Two.

They stood with their heads bowed like students being reprimanded, silent as cicadas in winter.

"It’s been over half a month, and the disaster wreckage in the Rust Belt still hasn’t been cleaned up! The reconstruction work is severely hampered, and the higher-ups at the Overlook Bureau have called to rush us several times!"

Yang Fu continued to berate them:

"Lei Wen, as the team leader, you haven’t led by example, nor have you fulfilled your supervisory duties. Your salary for this month will be cut in half. Everyone else will have their pay docked by a third. All of you will go back and memorize the Cleaner’s Manual twice. I’ll be conducting spot checks!"

"Huh?!"

Everyone was shocked.

Docking that much pay was just brutal.

"Manager Yang, it’s not that we aren’t trying our best, but this disaster was unusual. That hardened syrup is really difficult to clean once it’s stuck on..."

Lei Wen said, his face etched with misery.

His kid at home wasn’t doing well in school, and he’d recently spent a lot of money on tutoring classes. If his pay was cut, he might struggle to make the monthly mortgage and car payments.

"I can understand that there are difficulties, but I can’t understand why it’s still not resolved after so much time has passed."

Yang Fu said coolly, her face stern.

"Why didn’t you report it to me sooner? Or ask our colleagues in the engineering department for help? To be blunt, these are just excuses!"

"..."

Lei Wen opened his mouth but was left speechless.

Some time ago, the deputy manager of the cleaning department, Lin Zhifeng, had been arrested, causing a huge stir throughout the company. As the manager, Yang Fu had been so busy with the fallout that she was practically a ghost. When would he have had a chance to report to her in person?

The report he sent was still marked as unread today.

But he didn’t dare say that.

He was afraid it would just add fuel to the fire and make Yang Fu even angrier.

Just as the atmosphere fell into a heavy silence,

"Good morning, everyone."

Everyone heard a familiar voice ring out.

They turned to see the young, dark-haired man walking slowly toward them, his hands in his pockets.

"Xiao..." Lei Wen started to greet him, but immediately corrected himself. "Mr. Wang, good morning."

"Long time no see, Brother Lei."

Wang Xi smiled and nodded, which made Lei Wen freeze for a moment.

He then politely greeted the others. His former colleagues from Team Two were all surprised, but they quickly returned his greeting politely.

Yang Fu shot up from the sofa.

Her previously icy expression vanished as if she were a Sichuan opera face-changer, instantly replaced by a beaming smile.

"Deacon Wang, good morning."

Yang Fu walked over, her hands folded in front of her. Her tone held an indescribable reverence, as if she had become a different person in an instant.

"Are you on your way to the Miscellaneous Affairs Department to see Manager Xia Ling?"

"Yes." Wang Xi glanced at the others present, then said to Yang Fu, "I’m actually not too familiar with the company yet. Could I trouble you to show me the way, Manager Yang?"

"Not a problem."

Yang Fu covered her mouth and chuckled.

She abandoned the members of Cleaning Team Two, strode forward, and said:

"Please, follow me."

Wang Xi agreed and followed close behind.

Leaving the others standing there, staring at each other in confusion.

"Brother Wang, he’s..." Yu Zihan said hesitantly. "Transferred to the Miscellaneous Affairs Department to become a Deacon?"

"Not a Deacon." Lei Wen glanced at the young man with long hair, his voice full of emotion. "A Senior Deacon."

"?!"

Everyone’s eyes widened.

A Senior Deacon...

There were only three of them in the entire company, right?

With Wang Xi, that made four.

Within Cupid Housekeeping, the status of a Senior Deacon was practically transcendent. Forget department heads; even the store manager himself had to treat them with courtesy.

Aside from the board of directors, they were essentially the highest level of company management below the store manager, with extremely broad authority.

"As expected of the number one in this year’s Professional Warrior assessment!"

Zhu Yuhe said, cupping her blushing cheeks in her hands.

Yu Zihan glanced at her and corrected,

"He was third."

"I don’t care! He’s number one!"

...

...

"We’re here. This is it."

Yang Fu led Wang Xi to the fourth floor, stopping in front of an office door.

"Usually, Miss Xia Ling is the only one in the Miscellaneous Affairs Department. The other Senior Deacons and Deacons rarely come by."

"Thanks, Manager Yang."

Wang Xi said with a polite smile.

"Don’t mention it." Yang Fu chuckled lightly. "You did spend a few days in the cleaning department, after all. We can say we’ve worked together... If you need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to find me."

"I wouldn’t want to impose."

"It’s no trouble."

"Oh, that’s right, Manager Yang." Wang Xi smiled, leaning against the glass curtain wall of the hallway. He spoke casually, "I overheard you dressing down your team just now, and it reminded me of something. After Lin Zhifeng was arrested last month, you had to deal with the messy accounts he left behind and also appease the Overlook Bureau on behalf of the board of directors. You must have been very busy, right?"

Yang Fu froze at his words.

She didn’t know why the young man had suddenly changed the subject to bring this up.

She subconsciously clenched the hem of her suit jacket.

"I may have only been a Cleaner for a few days, but I know it’s a tough job where you risk your life for your pay."

Wang Xi paused for a moment before sighing with emotion,

"Docking their wages is like taking their lives. If Lei Wen and the others suddenly quit, how do you plan to handle that mess in the Rust Belt?"

His gaze was calm, and he lowered his voice.

"They work under you, but they aren’t scapegoats to take the fall for you... Lin Zhifeng was just arrested. You wouldn’t want to follow in his footsteps, would you?"

"Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a manager being strict, Manager Yang, but please be strict with yourself as well. The reconstruction work is being held up, and I believe you are the one primarily responsible."

Yang Fu’s pupils contracted sharply, and her nails dug crescent moons into her palm. The corner of her eye twitched, but she still maintained her smile.

Wang Xi suddenly added lightly,

"Don’t dock their pay. Give them a bonus instead. There’s no point in forcing the Cleaners to work. It’s more important to have the engineering department hurry up and develop a solvent for that hardened syrup."

"You’re right to remind me, Deacon Wang!"

Yang Fu nodded in vigorous agreement, then spun on her stilettos and hurried away, her heels clacking down the hallway.

"I’ll go make a report right now and apply for this month’s bonus for Team Two!"

"Heh..."

Wang Xi let out a soft laugh and retracted his gaze.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK.

A world-weary woman’s voice came from inside:

"Come in."

Wang Xi pushed the door open and entered. When he saw the woman behind the desk, he froze for a moment.

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