It was June, and the weather was getting warmer.
But Lin Yilin didn't seem to think so; she still wore the black coat that was too big for her. This was the only part of her clothing that Zheng Fan had known her to never change.
Lin Yilin wasn't someone who didn't know how to dress up; her outfits always highlighted her youthful blooming age in various ways, making her seem less like a recent college graduate and more youthful, like a legendary JK, a high school girl.
At times like these, the scar on her face seemed a bit out of place, and her plain expression also felt like a pity.
But Zheng Fan thought it was all good.
The scar made her unique, and her expression was even less of an issue.
He wasn't the type to exclaim, "You're so pretty, smile more!" or "You look even better when you smile!" He truly didn't believe that; beauties with different temperaments naturally needed different expressions.
It was too much to give someone a "death sentence" just because they didn't smile much. Zheng Fan remembered a classmate who was like a robot; he was so handsome he didn't seem real, but because he didn't smile, people self-righteously spread rumors that he was frigid or something, which was completely nonsensical.
After the Kannetong remnants incident in early June, Lin Yilin's accumulated achievements saw significant results.
Her success rate in taking on tasks on the official website increased considerably. Some commissions only allowed one agency to undertake them at a time, and for such commissions, the Processing Bureau's official website system would screen applicants when they attempted to accept them.
Agencies without achievements were at a considerable disadvantage for these types of commissions, and Lin Yilin had been constrained by this before.
The increase in impressive commission records also raised Lin Yilin's weight on the Processing Bureau's official website.
The snowball was getting bigger and bigger.
And these commissions concerning supernatural phenomena were basically a process of opening a blind box.
Not every commission that looked like a supernatural phenomenon would ultimately turn out to be a genuine supernatural event.
For instance, not long ago, Lin Yilin snatched a commission about a "vampire."
This thrilled Lin Yilin.
Fantasy races seemed to be relatively rare in Dadu; things like vampires, which were common in fantasy stories, were not so in Dadu.
Not just vampires, but all the more concrete fantasy creatures Zheng Fan could think of were like this.
Illusions often presented things that were closer to abstract than concrete, and Phantasms were slightly better, but still extremely limited.
On this basis, fantasy creatures and fictional races with pre-set abilities and general appearances were indeed considered rare.
This made Lin Yilin very happy.
But when she arrived, she found out it was just a child with a vitamin deficiency and bleeding gums, slightly more severe than normal.
At the strong insistence of the child's parents, Lin Yilin reluctantly used supernatural methods to help treat the bleeding gums.
Zheng Fan watched from the side, exclaiming, "It's like 'Approaching Science' (a Chinese TV show known for debunking supernatural claims)."
For some agencies, this kind of blind box was actually a good thing. This was because the Processing Bureau would not deny the legitimacy of a commission due to misjudgment of its cause.
Completed commissions would ultimately be recorded as part of their achievements, though their weight was slightly lower than genuine supernatural events.
Being able to gain official recognition by simply doing trivial tasks was a "why not" situation for most agencies.
But for someone like Lin Yilin, whose interest drove her, it was hard to say.
If there was nothing to do, then fine, but she didn't like the feeling of making a wasted trip.
She'd rather stay in the agency and listen to Zheng Fan tell stories from Zheng Fan's world.
"The weather has been a bit humid recently," Zheng Fan wondered, lying on the sofa and looking at the misty outside. "So what kind of geographical location is Dadu, with its strange climate?"
Hot and humid weather was the most unbearable, and although Zheng Fan couldn't feel it now, the Toast beside him was very sensitive to humidity.
Because he was Toast, after all.
Toast, of course, would get damp.
He looked a bit wilted, his body soft and limp, his appearance no longer perfect, and his spirit significantly listless.
Was he going to get moldy?
Zheng Fan had an unbidden thought.
"Dadu is Dadu, the center of the world." Every time Zheng Fan asked about the specifics of Dadu, Lin Yilin would repeat this sentence.
Lin Yilin, sitting at her desk reading, said, "As for the weather and climate, there's no fixed rule. It mainly depends on which world is floating up and making contact during the current season. For example, during this period, a part of Water World is making contact."
Except for Violent World and Black World, which came out at the end of the month, the overlaps of other worlds were relatively random.
Rather, these erratic worlds were Dadu's most common "weather."
Saying this, Lin Yilin turned to look out the window: "The fog seems a bit thick. Could it be Mist World?"
"Didn't you say Water World?"
"Mist World is a world that often 'hitches a ride' with Water World and overlaps first. There are many stories related to Mist World in Dadu."
"I see..."
"It's just like the movie 'The Mist' that Mr. Illusion mentioned before. A thick fog covers the streets, and various things might be lurking in the mist. If it happens to bring out a bit of Black World, producing Illusions and Phantasms is even easier," Lin Yilin explained.
"People's fear of the unknown naturally acts up in low visibility, which is quite reasonable," Zheng Fan said.
"By the way, you haven't commented on the ending of 'The Mist' yet. Last time, you just finished talking and then rushed off to get off work."
"You mean the ending where all the companions commit suicide in despair, and the male protagonist even personally ends his child's life, only for him to be the sole survivor when rescue finally arrives?"
"Uh-huh," Zheng Fan nodded.
"It's not a very bizarre ending," Lin Yilin said after a moment of thought. "Too many people succumb to fear in despair. I don't think they made the wrong choice. It was just fate playing a joke."
"If it were you, what would you do?"
"I would want to see all the monsters from other worlds in the mist. Whether I die in the process or am lucky enough to be saved, the outcome afterward doesn't matter." Lin Yilin gently smoothed her bangs, then asked with some curiosity, "But listening to Mr. Illusion talk about it, this movie sounds pretty good. Just hearing it retold still lacks some meaning."
Zheng Fan nodded in agreement: "Right? Movies are always more interesting when you watch them yourself. However, the premise is that it's a good movie. If it's a bad movie, you'll just feel like your life was wasted."
"It does feel like a pity, but even a bad movie can be considered a way to pass some time, so it's not entirely without gain."
"Like that 'vampire' incident for you yesterday?"
"...So, Mr. Illusion is beating around the bush so much to try and cheer me up?"
"I don't know," Zheng Fan couldn't help but laugh.
He got up from the sofa: "Oh, by the way, I've pretty much gotten familiar with the previous ability. I'll show you a magic trick."
"Magic trick? I can see through most magic tricks at a glance..."
"This one might be a bit different. Anyway, lend me your bank card."
"...What kind of magic trick needs a bank card?"