Restricted Areas are special regions that formed for unknown reasons after the destruction of the Old Era.
Generally, any area enveloped in a mysterious, dense fog, regardless of size, can be called a Restricted Area.
To date, over three thousand Restricted Areas of varying sizes have been discovered worldwide.
The scale of these Restricted Areas is not fixed. Some are only the size of a school, while others are as vast as a country.
All Restricted Areas are shrouded in a dense fog that no one can enter. Similarly, no creature has ever emerged from a fog-bound Restricted Area.
Only when the fog disperses on its own is a Restricted Area considered "unsealed," allowing free entry and exit.
This unknown fog contains a mysterious and terrifying power. It not only completely isolates the interior of the Restricted Area from the outside world but also causes incredible transformations within and can even affect the flow of time.
According to intelligence reports, some Restricted Areas, once unsealed, have become a heaven for Extraordinary Creatures. Others have turned into bizarre, twisted lands fraught with danger.
Some Restricted Areas have even been found to have developed their own societies and civilizations by the time they are unsealed.
Therefore, before a Restricted Area is completely unsealed, no one knows what the hell it will be like inside.
For example, Zone 123 was historically a boundless plain. But when the fog dissipated, its interior had transformed into a primeval forest with a canopy that blotted out the sun, and many ferocious Extraordinary Creatures had appeared.
Zone 277 was originally a hospital, and it remained a hospital after the fog lifted. However, everyone who entered to explore it was afflicted with a deadly curse without exception. Later, the Star Association dispatched an elite team to investigate and rooted out a dense swarm of Abyssal Creatures from within.
Then there's Zone 052, which was unsealed just three years ago. The surviving humans inside had developed a kingdom that combined steam power and the Extraordinary, similar to a civilization from the Victorian era of the Old Era. It has a population of nearly ten million and is currently negotiating the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Star Association.
Zone 149, which Jiang Che just mentioned, was unsealed sixteen years ago. Inside, a civilized nation similar to one from the medieval period of the Old Era had formed, with the entire country ruled by the Holy See.
And within this Restricted Area grows a divine tree called the Star Mango Tree.
The Star Mango Tree bears only twelve fruits each year. These fruits are the Star Mangos, which can be used to heal injuries to the soul.
Injuries to the soul are already incredibly difficult to treat. Now there's a fruit that can instantly repair the soul after being eaten—wouldn't every faction be fighting tooth and nail for it?
And that is indeed the case. Over the years, countless people have tried to obtain Star Mangos through various means, but they all ended up dying miserable, miserable deaths—
Because the Holy See is not to be trifled with.
Even with various powers applying pressure behind the scenes, the Holy See has been able to withstand it all, guarding the Star Mango Tree fiercely. They only release five Star Mangos for external trade each year.
And now, someone from Xi Feng has actually managed to steal a Star Mango...
The Holy See is probably going to lose its mind, right?
But the most crucial part is...
"You're planning to give this Star Mango to me?" Zhou Chen asked in disbelief.
He could tell how precious the Star Mango was just from these few snippets of information. Only twelve grew each year, and the Holy See only released five for external trade. It was hard to imagine how many Ascenders would scramble for one.
If used at the right time, it could even be traded for a favor from some top-tier powerhouse.
Using it on a nobody like him was undoubtedly a huge waste.
Jiang Che replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Is there anything wrong with a superior looking out for her subordinate? Or are you saying you don't want it?"
"No, no, you're absolutely right, boss..." Zhou Chen nodded hastily. "It's just... can you really give this to me? Will the Holy See agree? Will those powerhouses agree?"
Jiang Che sipped her coffee with perfect composure. "You still don't understand. I told you that I'm the only one who can find a way to mend your soul on short notice. Why do you think that is?"
Zhou Chen thought for a moment. "Because... you're the leader of the Special Operations Team?"
"The leader of the *Star Association's* Special Operations Team," Jiang Che corrected, emphasizing the words "Star Association."
Zhou Chen understood.
'No matter how powerful the Holy See is, can they be more powerful than the Star Association?'
'Besides, what kind of position is the leader of the Special Operations Team? It's a role specifically for grooming and evaluating future high-ranking members of the Star Association!'
'It might just sound like a team leader, but the authority that comes with it is absurdly vast. It's equivalent to being the top local official, on equal footing with the local Star Association branch president.'
'Sometimes, even the branch president has to show her some respect.'
'No wonder Jiang Che said she was the only one who could help him. As long as she refused to give it up, no one could take the Star Mango from her.'
At times like this, Zhou Chen was always reminded of the old saying: the gap between people can be greater than the gap between a person and a dog.
'We all look about the same age, so how did she get so far ahead while I'm just a small fry who isn't even an official employee?'
'Looks like I've latched onto a powerful backer...' Yet, Zhou Chen felt little joy in his heart. Instead, he was mostly terrified.
'The more outstanding Jiang Che was, the more dangerous his job as her subordinate—her tool—would surely be.'
'But the contract was already signed. There was no backing out now. All he could do was leave it to fate and hope his new boss would cause less trouble and let him have a few more peaceful days.'
"When will we be able to find Xi Feng's hideout in Jinzhu?"
This was the question Zhou Chen cared about most.
"The intelligence department has already tracked those rats and followed the trail to uncover several collaborating local factions... If all goes well, we'll make our move tonight."
Tonight... Zhou Chen pondered for a moment, then looked up at Jiang Che.
"I request to join the operation."
Jiang Che's eyebrows rose slightly, as if she were surprised.
"Your reason?"
"My life is on the line. I want to handle it myself," Zhou Chen said, pausing for a moment. "Besides, if I'm going to be working for you, we should probably get a feel for how we work together, right?"
Jiang Che stared at him quietly. After a moment of silence, she nodded.
"Alright."
...
After leaving Jiang Che's office, Zhou Chen returned to the dormitory assigned to him by the Star Association.
Thanks to the air circulation system, even though he hadn't been back for a week, the room was still clean and tidy, free of dust.
He had to admit, the perks at the Star Association were great. Even interns got a luxurious single-person dorm. He'd heard that his classmates from university who went into engineering were all crammed a dozen to a room for their internships, slaving away day and night at manual labor. It was about as miserable as it gets...
After turning his phone's volume to maximum, Zhou Chen collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
His damaged soul had severe side effects that even becoming an Ascender couldn't fix. If he didn't sleep for eleven or twelve hours a day, he would suffer from drowsiness, lack of energy, and poor concentration.
With a mission coming up, he couldn't afford to mess up at a critical moment.