The air in the conference room at the Headquarters of the Supernatural Investigation Bureau was so thick it was almost viscous.
The holographic projection in the center of the oval conference table displayed real-time footage of the highway leading out of Yunsun City —the mirror that had been suspended in mid-air still hung there silently, like an indifferent eye watching the world.
"All attempts have failed," the head of the technical department reported, wiping sweat from his brow. "That mirror can only be observed, but it's actually illusory and invisible; it can't be touched at all."
Director Mu Xingrui rested his hands on his chin, his knuckles turning white from the force. The projected light reflected in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, like etched cracks.
So far, they have been unable to do anything about the mirror; each attack only creates more casualties in the Mirror World.
A powerless silence filled the meeting room; even breathing became cautious.
"Let's continue the evacuation work," Mu Xingrui's voice was dry and rough, like sandpaper scraping, "At least it will reduce the number of new victims..."
"That mirror doesn't exist in reality; you're outside its reflection, so anything you do is in vain."
A cold, clear female voice suddenly rang out in the conference room. Everyone jumped up as if electrocuted, and the sound of more than a dozen pistols being cocked at the same time was particularly jarring in the confined space.
Mu Xingrui's pupils suddenly contracted—the conference room door remained tightly closed, and outside the bulletproof glass window was an empty corridor; the sound seemed to seep directly from the air.
"Who goes there?!" The special operations captain in charge of security stood in front of the bureau chief, his gun scanning every corner.
"Take it easy."
A plume of black smoke billowed from the ventilation vent in the center of the conference table, like ink flowing backwards. The smoke swirled and rolled, and countless skull shapes could be vaguely seen struggling and howling within it.
Everyone in the conference room retreated in an orderly fashion, making a sound.
Amidst the black smoke, a woman in a white tracksuit stepped out, her sneakers landing lightly on the ground.
Mu Xingrui's Adam's apple bobbed. He was all too familiar with that face— Bai Jingjing, a superhuman marked as "suspected extremely dangerous" in the Investigation Bureau's database.
In several previous Supernatural incidents, the mysterious woman seemed to be behind them all.
But the Investigation Bureau had no way to locate her, and no written description could capture the chilling feeling of witnessing her display of power firsthand.
"Miss Bai, it's an honor to meet you." Mu Xingrui pushed aside the special operations captain, his voice steady without a tremor. "Thank you for your timely assistance during the previous unusual incident. The Investigation Bureau has wanted to convey our gratitude to you several times, but unfortunately we haven't been able to contact you, which is why we are only able to meet you now."
Bai Jingjing smiled, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall, with an eerie black hue. Her skin was an unhealthy, deathly pale, and most unsettling of all were her eyes, their pupils dark, conveying a sense of emptiness and lifelessness.
"No need to be so polite, let's get down to business." She casually found a seat and sat down. Her sneakers made no sound on the carpet. Black smoke curled around her feet like a pet, occasionally condensing into skull shapes before dissipating.
"The mirror you were just discussing is not a mirror in the conventional sense; it is an entrance to the Mirror World, only presented in the form of a mirror image."
The special operations captain, his hand still on his holster, asked, "How did you get in? This building has..."
"Electromagnetic interference, ubiquitous surveillance, and countless guards?" Bai Jingjing's face remained expressionless as she calmly stated the harsh truth. "What use is the defense of an anthill to a bird?"
Instantly, the temperature in the conference room seemed to drop several degrees.
"Since Miss Bai is here, she must not be here to watch the show. Do you have any solutions for that mirror?" Mu Xingrui gestured for everyone to put away their weapons.
Although Bai Jingjing seemed somewhat like the mastermind behind everything, in the current situation, they could only rely on her for the time being. As for Zhang Suyuan, the only superhuman in the Investigation Bureau... let's not even mention him.
Bai Jingjing did not answer immediately. She floated to the projector and reached out to touch the floating mirror image.
"Physical attacks are useless because it's not matter at all." Her voice suddenly became ethereal, as if it came from a very distant place.
"Every shot you fire adds another bullet to the Mirror World; every missile you launch adds another explosion over there." She turned to Mu Xingrui, a dark glint in her eyes. "You're not eliminating the anomaly; you're helping it."
"Help it with what?" Zhu Ci blurted out.
"Help it eliminate the living people trapped in the Mirror World!" Bai Jingjing's expression remained indifferent. "The living people on the other side of the mirror are dead, and the clones that replace them might be able to perfectly disguise themselves as normal humans, making them indistinguishable. Haven't you noticed? The number of abnormal humans with contradictory behaviors identified in Yunsun City has suddenly decreased?"
Mu Xingrui felt a chill run down his spine. The data department had indeed reported this anomaly, but they assumed it was due to the lockdown taking effect...
"Miss Bai, do you have a way to get rid of that mirror and the ghostly thing that's coming out of it?" Mu Xingrui asked hurriedly.
Bai Jingjing frowned slightly, feigning distress. "This thing... is very troublesome to deal with."
"What are your conditions?" Mu Xingrui asked directly. He had expected that Bai Jingjing would not help for free.
Bai Jingjing clapped her hands lightly. "It's so much easier talking to smart people." She leaned closer to Mu Xingrui, "I need to enter an imperial tomb. Don't worry, it's not some particularly important royal tomb, but I need the legal right to enter, and I don't want anyone stopping me!"
The meeting room erupted in commotion, and someone stood up as if to say something.
"No problem." Mu Xingrui interrupted the others, his gaze never leaving Bai Jingjing's face. "But you need to resolve the crisis in Yunsun City first."
Bai Jingjing took a step back, and the black smoke suddenly expanded, carrying countless whispers that sounded like millions of people simultaneously hissing in her ear. When the black smoke dissipated, she held a yellowed piece of paper in her hand.
"Sign here, Chief."
"What is this?" Mu Xingrui asked.
Bai Jingjing: "Make sure you don't break any of the agreements."
Mu Xingrui: "What if we break the agreement?"
"You'd better not try it." Bai Jingjing's voice was cold.
Actually, that piece of paper was just an ordinary piece of paper, and a very old one at that; she had specifically looked it out for herself.
However... as long as she says this thing has a binding effect, then absolutely no one will dare to easily try to break the contract.
Although all her actions were guided by the voice inside her, it still gave her a real thrill.
What good is being controlled by others?
As an ordinary person, she faces more constraints; even a minor manager in the company can verbally abuse her severely.
But now, she truly stands above ten thousand people.
Mu Xingrui hesitated for a moment, then picked up the pen and signed without hesitation.
Then, the entire sheet of paper turned into black smoke and dissipated.