Su Wan needed more information to verify this terrifying hypothesis.
【Ding! 10 minutes remaining until the end of this travel. Please prepare for return.】
The system’s notification echoed in her mind, pulling Su Wan back from her deep thoughts to reality.
She opened her eyes and walked quickly out of the room.
In the first-floor lobby, six robots were operating in an orderly fashion.
C1 was registering new vagrants, C2 was handling daily tenant needs, C3 was restocking the convenience store, C4 was organizing intelligence, and C5 and C6 were patrolling the corridors.
Everything was in perfect order.
Su Wan walked to the entrance and looked outside.
The Death Tide had passed, and those vagrants who had escaped with their lives were once again starting their day-to-day struggle for survival.
But unlike before, more people were converging toward the Terminal Station.
The vagrants who had witnessed the bullets halting mid-air and the building remaining unscathed during the Death Tide had already spread the news throughout the ruins of Area A.
This was a place where one could survive.
Su Wan brought up the system panel to check the current status.
【Current total tenants: 774】
【Occupied rooms: 180 (Full)】
【Average occupancy per room: 4.3 people】
【Current Point balance: 140,600 (Points updating in real-time...)】
Su Wan opened the Infrastructure Expansion interface.
【Existing Building Horizontal Expansion (Add Side Wing): 15,000 points per floor.】
【Confirm expansion?】
She selected another vacant area on the west side of the main building.
【Command Confirmed: Performing horizontal expansion on the west side of the bound building “Terminal Station,” adding a single-layer side wing (6 rooms + corridor) × 12 floors.】
【Total points consumed: 180,000.】
【Current Point balance: -39,400.】
【Note: The Host's points have entered a negative status. Please repay within 30 natural days; late fees will be incurred upon expiration.】
Su Wan looked at the jarring negative number, her mouth twitching.
But this time, she didn't even have the energy to grumble.
【Construction initiated... Utilizing “Rule-Overlay Silent Construction” mode. Estimated time: 60 seconds.】
Sixty seconds later—
A twelve-story side wing appeared out of thin air on the west side.
From the outside, the silhouette of the Terminal Station building changed once again.
The original twelve-story main building now had a twelve-story side wing pressed against its eastern side and another twelve-story wing on its western side.
The three structures merged into one, resembling a towering small fortress.
The 72 new rooms were enough to accommodate two or three hundred people.
And yet, still no one noticed a thing.
To the vagrants flocking toward the Terminal Station, in their perception, the building had always looked this way.
Su Wan withdrew her gaze and issued commands to the six robots simultaneously through the system:
“C1 through C6, continue with registration tasks. The move-in process for new tenants remains unchanged; prioritize the newly arrived vagrants for room assignments.”
“Order Maintenance Team, assist in guiding the crowd to ensure registration proceeds in an orderly manner.”
【Command received.】
The electronic eyes of the six robots flashed simultaneously in confirmation.
Everything was properly arranged.
The operation of the Terminal Station was gradually getting on the right track.
Su Wan checked the time on the system panel.
【Time remaining until the end of this travel: 3 minutes.】
She turned and walked toward Room 102.
Su Wan thought to herself how convenient it would be if she could travel between the two worlds at any time.
The truth about that colossal entity, the Death Tide, and this world was waiting for her to explore.
But for now...
She could only wait until she traveled back again.
Su Wan entered Room 102 and closed the door.
【Time remaining until the end of this travel: 10 seconds... 9 seconds... 8 seconds...】
A flash of light surged.
Su Wan’s figure disappeared from the apocalypse.
...
After the familiar sensation of weightlessness, Su Wan returned to Blue Star.
It was currently ten in the morning, and the noisy sounds of people and the roar of machinery drifted in from outside.
The construction site had already started work.
Su Wan walked to the window and glanced out through the frame.
The empty lot was piled high with newly delivered construction materials. Old Zheng was shouting at the top of his lungs, directing workers to unload cargo, while a few electricians were setting up temporary power lines—a scene of bustling activity.
The puppet was not in the room.
Su Wan was slightly taken aback, then immediately focused her mind, sinking into the depths of her consciousness to activate the information synchronization authority with the puppet.
【Connecting to Host Puppet... Connection successful.】
【Synchronizing real-time vision... Synchronization complete.】
The next second, another image surfaced in her mind—
The questioning room of the Jiangcheng Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment.
Cold white lights, grey-blue walls, a long metal table, and two chairs bolted to the floor.
A camera hung in the corner, its red indicator light blinking silently.
The puppet was sitting in one of the chairs, posture upright and expression calm, wearing the dark blue tracksuit she had been wearing when she went out last night.
Two officers, one male and one female, sat opposite her. A notepad and several documents were spread out on the table.
Su Wan’s pupils contracted slightly.
The police station?
What happened?
Without hesitation, she immediately issued a command: 【Retrieve Host Puppet's complete memory from the past ten hours and synchronize transmission.】
The flow of information surged into her consciousness like a dam breaking—
【Memory recall initiated】
Time: 4:20 AM.
The puppet had entered a sleep state, and the clamor at the construction site had quieted down.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
Caller ID: An unknown number, but the location showed as Jiangcheng.
The puppet answered.
“Is this Ms. Su Wan?” The voice on the other end was formal, carrying the characteristic steadiness of a public official.
“This is the Jiangcheng Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment. We have a few questions we need to verify with you. Please cooperate with the investigation.”
“Please come to the Criminal Investigation Detachment at 9:00 AM this morning to assist with our questioning.”
The puppet’s reply perfectly replicated Su Wan’s tone: “Understood. I'll be there.”
The call ended.
Time: 8:50 AM.
The puppet walked through the gates of the Public Security Bureau alone.
People were coming and going in the lobby—citizens reporting crimes, various individuals brought in for investigation, and uniformed officers moving through the crowd.
The puppet noticed many reporters waiting outside the police station. It seemed that the various scandals and gossip surrounding wealthy families were truly popular.
The puppet reported her identity at the front desk and was soon led to a questioning room on the second floor by a female officer.
She sat quietly in the questioning room, her face calm and devoid of any unnecessary expression.
Time: 9:15 AM.
The door to the questioning room was pushed open.
Two officers, one male and one female, walked in.
The man was in his early thirties, with a resolute face and sharp eyes; the woman was younger, with her hair in a ponytail, holding a notepad.
The two took their seats. The male officer flipped open the document in front of him, his gaze falling on the puppet’s face as he spoke:
“Ms. Su Wan, thank you for cooperating with our investigation.”
“Don't be nervous. This is just a routine questioning. First, let’s confirm your identity.”
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