The Netherworld Research Institute was as peaceful as ever. Everyone was so relaxed they might as well have been watering flowers, reading the paper, and munching on sunflower seeds.
At other administrative planets, simply keeping a close eye on the Netherworld's pull on the material world and the fluctuations in its depth would keep people so busy they could barely touch the ground.
But Hengzhou had such a high lockdown level that rifts were unlikely to form, let alone let Servant Creatures spill into reality.
So things were especially quiet.
Section Chief Ma from the Monitoring Room walked in, carrying a thermos with both hands clasped behind his back.
There weren't many people in the department, just a handful—fewer than you could count on two hands.
"Chief, could we get off work early today?"
Little Li asked.
"What's the matter? Something come up at home?"
Section Chief Ma asked with a beaming smile.
"I need to queue up and buy the championship merch from Hengzhou's top hundred for my girlfriend. Student Qin came from our Tai'an, after all. We ought to show him some support."
Little Li scratched his head as he spoke.
"That's a good enough reason. Approved."
Section Chief Ma nodded. He wanted to leave early himself—today was his turn to pick up his kid.
Eastern Xia citizens always saw the Netherworld Research Institute through a mysterious lens, as if it were a place filled entirely with genius intellectuals and madmen.
In reality, its work was no different from that of agencies like the meteorological bureau or environmental protection bureau, which weren't especially prominent.
Both were responsible for drawing up plans to guard against "disasters" and issuing warnings. Neither had any armed forces.
"Speaking of Student Qin, he once caused a disturbance in the Netherworld's depth that left