The moment it started, Jing Shu activated the Rubik's Cube Space's unique ability.
Xiao Hei immediately began explaining beside her, afraid to waste even a second. The man conducting the verification, who'd looked exhausted just moments ago, suddenly went blank and mechanical.
"As long as you can present a hundred pounds (about 45 kilograms) of food or resources of equivalent value, you can become a citizen of Austin and enjoy full rights. Even if you're a fugitive, you don't have to worry about pursuit from the outside world. But Austin has recently placed a huge bounty on a group of Asian people. So, any Asian-looking individuals must be sent to the Review Department. Only after the department confirms you're not on the wanted list will you be issued a pass and allowed to change your identity at the Data Center. Still, because of that bounty, most people just hand over every Asian they find to claim the reward."
Jing Shu's expression shifted slightly in realization. So, the slavers were panicking now.
"Maybe we should back out?" Monk rubbed his head. He still had trauma from the last time they got caught the moment they stepped in, no questions asked.
Yang Yang shook his head. "No, something's off. Look at his attitude—it's totally different from before. He's way too easy to talk to."
Jing Shu asked calmly, "So if we want to become citizens of Austin, what should we do next?"
Before Xiao Hei could translate, the man nodded lazily as if half-asleep. "Alright, I'll have John take you all to the Review Department."
That was practically walking into a trap. The Review Department was notorious for what it did to Asian detainees. What were they going to do, wipe out the entire department?
"If anything goes wrong, I can take out everyone within my line of sight in three seconds," Zhen Nantian muttered, rubbing his wristband.
Wait a minute—why was this guy so obedient? Every word Jing Shu said seemed to go straight through to his brain.
Those who had climbed out of the mountains with her didn't doubt her anymore. Her authority had already become unshakable. But for those who hadn't witnessed her before, especially Monk, the whole thing was unnerving.
Zhen Nantian remained silent, each word he spoke so rare it felt precious. Maybe that was what confidence looked like—the kind of confidence that came from knowing he could escape any situation.
They passed through strict inspections and scanners. The hidden weapons embedded in their bodies went unnoticed, but all their firearms were confiscated at the security checkpoint. John eyed Ling Ling, whose pale, sickly complexion had recovered into a healthy glow. To foreigners who couldn't tell faces apart, curves were all that mattered.
"Another batch of walking corpses," John thought with a smirk before leading them to the Review Department. He left quickly afterward. He wasn't about to hang around with these sewer rats.
The Review Department was basically a medieval prison dressed up in modern clothes. The men in uniform were its wardens, except with way more authority—they also oversaw Austin's patrol and security.
Screams and wails echoed from inside, sending chills through the air.
"Hey, boys, look alive! More Asians just came in!" one of the guards hollered, grinning wickedly. "I bet these are the ones on the bounty list. Let's rough 'em up till they can't talk, then send 'em upstairs."
Monk took a step forward, his muscles bulging so hard they nearly ripped his shirt, but Jing Shu raised a hand and sighed. "Five of them, huh. That's a bit tricky. Still, I guess it's the perfect time to test the Cube Space's true power."
Before the Cube Space had upgraded, hypnotizing two people at once had already been difficult. But she'd kept pushing herself for months, training through excruciating pain. Now that the Cube Space had evolved, every one of her abilities had leveled up.
The Cube Space was a construct beyond six-dimensional space. The fifth dimension corresponded to speed, something like an "electrical wave" or "ultrasound." Before, she hadn't fully understood, but after the Cube's enlightenment, it all clicked into place.
When her brainwaves matched a target's frequency, she could induce hypnosis. When she tuned them to guide another's thoughts, she could implant suggestions. That meant she could communicate across languages. And when her own waves synchronized perfectly with those around her, she became invisible—completely undetectable.
Every person had unique brainwave signatures, shaped by their consciousness and willpower. The stronger the mind, the harder it was to influence. So controlling five people at once was the perfect test of her newly upgraded space.
"Sir, we're not the people you're looking for," Jing Shu said softly. "We're here to become citizens of Austin. Please issue us our passes."
A strange stillness fell. She'd spoken in Chinese, yet the man, who used English, somehow understood.
His eyes turned glassy. "Then record your fingerprints, iris, and facial data. Roxie, take them to registration."
"Rofe, what're you saying? These are Asians, we're supposed to—oh, wait, you're right. I'll take them now." Roxie, a young woman, also stared blankly ahead as she led the group toward the fingerprint scanners.
With each additional person she controlled, sweat beaded more heavily on Jing Shu's forehead. Five targets was her absolute limit, but she was satisfied.
The once-noisy Review Department fell eerily silent. One by one, its occupants became hollow-eyed and dazed, like sleepwalkers. Guided by Jing Shu's invisible hand, the team passed inspection and received their travel passes.
They were now officially citizens of Austin.
The bizarre sight made her teammates' scalps prickle. If she ever turned this power on them, what would they become?
Xiao Hei whispered, "Chinese Gu techniques are seriously profound."
See? Jing Shu didn't even have to say anything anymore. Someone always filled in the blanks for her. Perfect.
Zhen Nantian, however, looked intrigued. "Try it on me next time."
Jing Shu had tested it before—on Tank, Snake Spirit, and Ling Ling. Ling Ling's mental strength made her almost immune, while Tank fell under almost instantly.
If she ever tried using it on Zhen Nantian, though, she doubted she'd succeed.
With the passes secured, they finally stepped into the legendary Austin Castle. Jing Shu had achieved in ten minutes what Yang Yang couldn't pull off in ten days. Even he had to admit it—she was a total badass.
To finalize their citizenship, each person had to hand over a hundred pounds (about 45 kilograms) of grain or equivalent resources. Yang Yang had already prepared for that, so they carried in bag after bag before entering the softly glowing Data Center, where they could finally rewrite their records freely.
With Jing Shu leading the way, the whole process went as smoothly as drinking water. They submitted their old data, registered new identities, and each received a randomized verification code—the "key" that allowed every Austin citizen to move freely inside the castle.
===
Hey darlings~ ✧.ヾ(｡>﹏<｡)ﾉﾞ
I finally made a Discord server! Sorry if it looks a bit messy or awkward, I've never actually made one before lol.
The main reason I made it is… I just really wanna interact with you all! Maybe I just wanna share updates about my life, something funny I found, or my little thoughts/impressions on the chapter I'm currently translating (aka tiny spoilers wkwkwk) ヾ(≧▽≦*)o And a bunch of other stuff too~
I mean, I can't really do that on Webnovel, right? And AO3 is kinda similar…
Also, since I started uploading on AO3 after hitting the project limit on Webnovel, I kinda ended up with two separate "reader groups" (you know what I mean, right? >w<). So I thought, why not bring everyone together in one cozy place? Plus, it's easier to chat about translations or Webnovel stuff in general.
I'd be super happy if you joined 🥺
75sprU6DdD
See you there~ ✧*.