Chapter 18: PreparationsA few days ago, Mu Zimian returned to the Third Ring after concluding his investigation in the Fourth Ring. After submitting the blood traces found at the attack scene to the Bureau 404 laboratory for analysis, he obtained new leads. Today, he specifically returned to the Fourth Ring to verify certain matters.At the entrance of the North Third District transfer station, Mu Zimian recognized Shan Xiaoxi, even though she was completely concealed from head to toe in her work uniform at the time.The smuggling routes from the Fourth Ring to the Third Ring were no secret to the Night Watchers. Mu Zimian had no intention of disturbing the big players' operations.Mu Zimian was not there to investigate the smuggling channels, but the clues were related to smuggling.He was not surprised that Shan Xiaoxi was involved in smuggling. Although he was from the Inner Ring, he understood how difficult life was for the common people in the Fourth Ring.Mu Zimian was an excellent and responsible Night Watcher.Ever since he saw Shan Xiaoxi crying for her friend in the alley next to the police station, he had felt deep sympathy for her.He followed Shan Xiaoxi quietly, simply wanting to escort her. The reason he deliberately ran past her was only to remind her to hurry home; he truly did not mean to frighten her.Whether she was aware of his goodwill or not, and regardless of whether she felt grateful for it, a sense of justice and responsibility was the original motivation behind his silent actions.As the saying goes: In a large forest, you'll find all kinds of birds.In this unequal world, there was a dedicated and conscientious Night Watcher with a rather rustic name—Mu Zimian.His father, who called himself an artist, had complained about his name more than once, but because it was given to him by his mother, no one had the right to change it.Mu Zimian watched as Shan Xiaoxi returned to the orphanage, then turned and left to attend to his own affairs, completely unaware that his subconscious act of kindness would bring a nightmare upon Shan Xiaoxi.Lu Bei was waiting at the building entrance. This time, Shan Xiaoxi returned much later than before, and Lu Bei had been waiting there the whole time.Only after stepping inside the building and watching the door close did Shan Xiaoxi let out a long sigh of relief, her palms sweating as she gripped the telescopic baton.Sensing Shan Xiaoxi's tension, Lu Bei couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Sis, are you okay?""I drank two bottles of Bone Wine and got a bit drunk," Shan Xiaoxi made an excuse for herself, patting Lu Bei's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm fine now. You should go back to sleep."Lu Bei took another careful look at Shan Xiaoxi's face. Apart from her flushed complexion, she didn't seem to have any other abnormalities, so he bid her goodnight and went back to his room to sleep.Shan Xiaoxi returned to her own room and gulped down two large glasses of water. The aftereffects of the Bone Wine were much milder this time compared to last; she hardly felt drunk at all. Her racing heart was only due to the earlier sprint.Just like last time, she wasn't the least bit sleepy. Since she couldn't sleep, Shan Xiaoxi simply took out her diary and recorded everything she had seen and heard that day, along with an analysis of the feasibility of smuggling.After all this commotion, it was nearly dawn when Shan Xiaoxi finally yawned, packed her things, and went to bed.Thus, the night passed without further incident.In her dreams, Shan Xiaoxi did not relive events from her past life this time. Instead, she recalled memories from her childhood.Shan Xiaoxi's parents were a pair of adventurers. In this world, adventuring was not a hobby—it was a profession.Adventurers belong to official organizations. The authorities organize adventurers into teams, assign them tasks, and provide wages based on their work results. Most of the adventurers' work takes place in the Buffer Zone within the city's Sixth Ring.The Buffer Zone is the area where the city borders the wilderness. No personnel are stationed there permanently, not even the military—only adventurers come and go.The work of adventurers involves exploring the Buffer Zone, such as mapping detailed terrain and geology, collecting soil samples, and so on. Once the authorities have gathered sufficient information about the Buffer Zone, they can expand the city's boundaries and push the Buffer Zone outward as well.Thus, the work of adventurers is even more dangerous than that of the military. Of course, adventurers' wages are relatively higher.Before their parents went missing, Shan Xiaoxi's family lived in the Fourth Ring, and their standard of living was quite good. Their disappearance seemed like an inevitable outcome of this profession, though it came a bit earlier than expected.Due to the unique nature of adventurers' work, most adventurers inherit the profession from their parents, including Shan Xiaoxi's parents.Therefore, Shan Xiaoxi and her brother received relevant education from a young age. If they hadn't become orphans, they would have become junior adventurers at the age of fourteen and could have worked alongside their parents.When their parents went missing, her brother was already ten years old. He had completed his basic adventurer education by the age of eight and had undergone over two years of junior training under their parents' guidance.From this, it is clear that Shan Xiaoxi's parents were not the type to spoil their children. They understood deeply what it truly meant to protect their children.Her brother inherited their parents' way of thinking. He always emphasized to the still-young Shan Xiaoxi the importance of self-preservation and personally taught her the knowledge their parents had passed down to him.Even after the siblings were separated, her brother constantly reminded her in his letters not to slack off, always holding her to the standards of an adventurer.Shan Xiaoxi has always listened to her brother since childhood. Back then, she even considered skipping university to become an adventurer.On the third floor of the orphanage, there is a training room her brother renovated, which Shan Xiaoxi has been using. Over the years, her brother sent her various pieces of equipment, all stored there. However, since she started working at the gallery, she hasn't used that equipment for a long time.After the initial shock of discovering the smuggling passage, Shan Xiaoxi calmed down once she returned home. Through repeated rough calculations and deductions, her answer to whether she had the ability to "slide across like frozen meat" was yes.If she hadn't been trained as an adventurer from a young age, Shan Xiaoxi would certainly not have had the courage to attempt smuggling. But the reality is that she does have the capability, and her chances of success are over fifty percent.Thus, Shan Xiaoxi only needed a day to make her decision and quickly devised a smuggling plan. To refine this plan, she still had many preparations to make.For example, she needed to know the approximate length of the cable to calculate the time required to slide across and the impact force she would likely endure upon landing, so she could prepare accordingly.The length of the cable couldn't be measured directly, but an approximate value could be calculated based on the width of the Abyss and the angle of the cable's incline.Due to the unique magnetic field within the Abyss, there are no birds or wind, so there would be no external interference during the slide. Only the effects of gravity and the resistance of the pulley needed to be considered.Several related issues still needed to be resolved. For Shan Xiaoxi, the process of smuggling herself across had turned into a physics problem.To solve this physics problem, detailed observation and measurement within the underground passage were required. For this, Shan Xiaoxi had to make multiple trips back and forth through the passage, each time accompanied by Lin Ting.Shan Xiaoxi was very grateful for Lin Ting's help, but Lin Ting always said she could only assist to this extent.Everything progressed smoothly. The answers to the physics problem were all recorded in Shan Xiaoxi's mind, and she had also undergone intensive training to ensure her physical stamina was sufficient.Besides preparing for the smuggling, Shan Xiaoxi took the time to send Selena some small gifts, such as lipsticks and lip balms she had mixed herself, securing her irreplaceable position in Selena's heart.But three days before departure, an unexpected incident still occurred.

The Fashion Rookie and The Mysterious Gentleman