https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html Home We’ve kicked it off with a triple upload, and starting next week, I’ll be uploading one chapter per week each Saturday. Enjoy! 8tZknh P.S.: If you guys have any theories about the characters and setting, I would love to read them in the comments! (ʘ∇ʘ) P.P.S.: The support for the original novel on JJWXC isn’t required, but it would be much appreciated! If you enjoy my translation, please show some love to Wuzhe <33 on how to make a JJWXC account and purchase a novel! The link to RAWs is on the main page of this translation ✨ Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden. “Based on my personal experience, that’s how it is.” Lian Chuan said. Secretary Chen exchanged a glance with Lei Yu, and Lei Yu remained silent. “Your personal experience is sufficient,” Secretary Chen interlaced his fingers and looked at Lian Chuan with a faint smile, “Are you ready to meet the Administrators?” “Anytime,” Lian Chuan replied. FRdnL7 Although the title ‘Administrators’ may sound a bit off-handed, just like City Affairs Bureau, or Internal Defense Building… However, the three Administrators of the Main City were the core of this enormous city’s operations. Aside from daily activities, all significant strategic decisions were made together by those three Administrators. Very few people had the privilege of speaking directly to them. For someone like Lian Chuan, who held the status of an ordinary cleanup squad member, such an opportunity should never come in his lifetime. However, this was Lian Chuan’s second time venturing into the deepest levels of the City Affairs Bureau’s underground to see the Administrators. Maybe it wasn’t even twice, he may have come here three, four times already. Who knows—memories are only images in a person’s mind with no proof to support them. Much like the Internal Defense Building, nobody really knew how deep the underground of the City Affair Office extended or how vast was its area. People only knew that all the confidential departments of the Main City were hidden deep underground, never to see the light above. VwMGjp Lian Chuan stood alone inside the transportation carriage. Beyond the meaningless window, darkness stretched endlessly. Inside the carriage, there was only one lamp filling the space with its feeble light, but it could barely illuminate less than a metre around it, so the only thing he could see was still just a dense blackness. The carriage continued to descend, and he could sense a continuous rightward rotation—however, this rotation was so extensive that it was barely noticeable. As the carriage came to a gentle stop with slight vibrations, Lian Chuan shifted his gaze away from the carriage door, observing it only through his peripheral vision. When the door in front of him opened, a powerful white light blazed forth, instantly flooding his vision. Last time when those doors opened, he had nearly been blinded by this light. In case of any sudden emergencies, he would have to rely solely on his hearing for at least three seconds—too vulnerable. tpohX He walked out of the carriage, traversed the corridor illuminated so brightly that it cast no shadows, and passed through the automatically opened door leading him to the Administrators’ meeting room. The first time Lian Chuan entered, he was so nervous that his heart was racing and his breath quickened. This time, he wasn’t. It wasn’t because he had gotten used to it, but because… He glanced at the three empty chairs behind the semicircular desk in the meeting room. LayKdQ There wasn’t a single living person here. Lucilla: Welcome to Melting City! ↜(` ∀´ )Ψ It’s a bit of a puzzle, so my main goal when picking it up was to try and piece it together again at a comfortable speed. Just heads-up, English isn’t my first language, so consider it a translation practice that I just wanted to share with the public along the way. While I’ll do my best to provide an accurate translation, please remember that it’s still a learning process for me ;;; (I guarantee that I don’t use MTL though) The themes of violence, death and derealisation, which are recurring throughout the story, won’t get tagged with the trigger warnings in the future chapters. However, I’ll try my best to list the remaining trigger warnings that might be needed in specific chapters. If you feel like a particular chapter should have trigger warnings, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments. Please support our translators at chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com .o0o. “You might need to explain the specific details of the target to Secretary Chen in a while,” Lei Yu instructed after they left the cleanup squad’s base, “You had direct contact with the target.” “Mn.” Lian Chuan nodded. rPuAyl “Lian Chuan.” Lei Yu looked at him. Lian Chuan also turned his head to look at Lei Yu. “Is there any abnormality you need to report to me first?” Lei Yu said. Lian Chuan didn’t speak, thinking silently for a moment before replying, “I’m sure there’s nothing.” ETy8n5 “Good,” Lei Yu nodded. “It was just the simplest form of attack,” Lian Chuan said, “The only advantage was speed. Apart from that, there wasn’t anything special. Even the range wasn’t really that big, unlike with… them.” “Mn,” Lei Yu nodded again, “I didn’t doubt you.” “I know.” Lian Chuan said. Evw1l8 When they entered the Internal Defense Building, Lei Yu paused and looked around. “The cat can’t enter…” “He’s not a cat.” Lian Chuan corrected. “He can’t enter.” Lei Yu repeated. “And he really doesn’t want to.” Lian Chuan nodded. ZEqsN5 The Internal Defense Building was just as bustling as he remembered, with people coming and going, all wearing serious expressions. Guards stationed no more than five metres apart added an additional layer of tension to this already busy and serious atmosphere. In reality, aside from the upcoming Festival Day, nothing particularly unusual was happening. Tension and seriousness were the norm at the headquarters, which was also one of the reasons why Lian Chuan didn’t enjoy coming here. Secretary Chen’s office was located underground, but Lian Chuan didn’t know on which floor. He tried to count them once when he was bored, but he could only determine that there were three turns on the way there. “Is that all?” Secretary Chen, seated behind his work desk, asked after listening to Lian Chuan’s report, “So, there’s no… connection with the previous failed retrievals, right? Except for the failed disconnecting?” zGBprC Chrysanthemum Garden. “Then come eat with me at headquarters,” Lei Yu glanced at his watch, and a few lines of small text flashed on the screen, “Then, let’s pay a visit to the City Affairs Bureau. The administrators want to see you sometime this week. There’s no specific time set, so let’s just do it today.” “Mn.” Lian Chuan responded and turned to leave. q9PWXc The caracal that had been by his side all along jumped onto the railings, then leaped onto the roof by the roadside, vanishing behind a chimney. Lei Yu looked at the roof and asked, “Has the cat had breakfast?” “He isn’t a cat.” Lian Chuan replied, turning his head to give him a look.