"Not Su Su?"

Bai Xu felt a chill down his spine, and the little cowlick on top of his head stood straight up.

Could it be a ghost?

Seeing his frightened expression, Ruan Xing was satisfied. "Not a ghost. I installed a tracker on Su Su—her location doesn't match."

"You mean, the one in the Quarantine Center is something else?"

Ruan Xing shook his head gently. "Her medical checkup didn't show anything major, right? I'm more inclined to think that the previous' Su Su' was something else entirely."

Bai Xu felt even worse. "Let's not get involved, okay? Just let the Quarantine Center handle it. I hate working—especially overtime!"

Ruan Xing didn’t reply. He thought about the recent frequent attacks—they all shared a strange, foul smell.

He wasn't sure what connection that woman had with the ones trying to kill him.

"You're not thinking of investigating this, are you? I absolutely disagree!" Bai Xu kept nagging. "You just recovered, and now you want to stir up trouble again. This even involves a public figure—it's not in line with our low-key approach!"

Ruan Xing didn't answer and replied with a question, "It's already past midnight. Don't you have to go to headquarters tomorrow?"

Bai Xu was startled. He looked down at his watch and clutched his head. "Crap, it's way too late to go home now."

Not long after Ruan Xing entered the bathroom, Bai Xu made a video call. His eye-catching pink hair filled the entire screen. "Yo?"

Fu Zhi looked exhausted. It was nearly three in the morning, and he hadn't slept yet. The background was a plain white wall, with a white floor and ceiling—completely empty, and even the voice echoed.

He seemed to have been working there nonstop lately.

"What happened?"

Bai Xu explained what had happened that day, focusing on the mysterious figure they saw.

"Boss, you really need to look into this!"

Fu Zhi was silent for a moment. "Got it."

Bai Xu pouted. "You're in the Tower again?"

Fu Zhi: "There are things that need to be handled."

"Ugh, it's killing me. Can't they cut some slack for people on active missions? Always in meetings, what's there to even talk about? We're already short on staff, and they're still dragging you into that mess…" Bai Xu kept babbling, taking advantage of the fact that Fu Zhi hadn't hung up yet.

Meanwhile, Fu Gui was at Ruan Xing's bedside, covering its ears with its wings.

A few minutes later, a light flashed across the screen, and another figure appeared—shirtless.

That familiar pale skin...

Fu Zhi's breathing paused. "Ruan Xing?"

"Ah, Captain, you're still up so late?" Ruan Xing greeted the camera and then casually said to Bai Xu, "Go take a shower."

Fu Zhi was stunned. "You're sleeping together tonight?"

Bai Xu: "Yeah, I'm staying with him tonight. It was too late to go home. Good thing Xing Xing was willing to take me in. It's super clean here. Anyway, I'm going to shower now. Talk to you later!"

Before Fu Zhi could say anything, the call was cut off.

He rubbed the pitch-black bracelet on his wrist and sat in silence for a long time. In the end, he didn't call back.

Around 5 a.m., Ruan Xing opened his eyes.

Across the room, Bai Xu was snoring gently, clearly fast asleep.

Ruan Xing got out of bed quietly, left a note, gathered his things, and gently closed the door. Fu Gui followed close behind.

Outside the dorm, Fu Gui finally let out a breath of relief. "I was so scared he'd wake up!"

Ruan Xing changed into light gear and brought the gun he'd previously bought.

The Investigation Corps was too conspicuous. Since he still didn't know what was really going on, it wasn't wise to make a fuss.

Ruan Xing's right eye shifted colors, and geometric patterns flickered as they rapidly rearranged until they formed a map in his vision.

A red dot appeared far away—definitely not at the Quarantine Center.

At this hour, the streets were nearly empty. He ordered a rideshare car, and the driver drove for a full forty minutes to reach the destination.

It was an office building in the outer city—tall and eye-catching. On the side of the building, large characters displayed its name: "Beautiful Building." The surrounding infrastructure was rather old, indicating some age.

Of course, no one was working at four or five in the morning. But strangely, the building wasn't dark—many floors still had lights on.

Fu Gui: "That's so sad, working overtime at 4 or 5 a.m."

Ruan Xing had already done his homework on the way there. This place used to be a fishing company that had a prosperous run. When it went bankrupt, it was bought by Beautiful Entertainment Company.

And their top celebrity was none other than Su Su.

Even at 5 a.m., the summer heat lingered. A hot gust of wind blew, messing up Ruan Xing's hair.

At some point, the cicadas in the trees had gone silent—even the birds stopped singing.

Fu Gui: "Something's off."

Which meant… he was in the right place.

Ruan Xing took a pair of black-rimmed glasses from his pocket and put them on.

Fu Gui stumbled: "You're infiltrating their HQ… and that's your disguise?"

Ruan Xing: "Yeah. I mean, I can't tell the difference between someone with or without glasses anyway."

Fu Gui's beak twitched. Fine, as long as you can't recognize yourself.

Ruan Xing stepped through the front door. The automatic entrance detected movement and welcomed him warmly, parting with enthusiasm.

As he stepped inside, it felt like he passed through a thin membrane.

The air-conditioning was set very low, and the sudden temperature drop was a bit uncomfortable.

Inside, the building looked nothing like its aged exterior. It was opulent—crystal chandeliers stacked ten stories high, marble floors polished to a mirror-like sheen. He could even see the reflection of his glasses on the floor as he walked.

He arrived at the front desk—surprisingly, the reception desk was staffed.

A young woman in professional attire smiled at him. When she saw his face clearly, her smile grew even brighter. "Hello, are you a new trainee?"

Fu Gui, hiding in his arms, clicked his tongue. "Well, saves you the trouble of infiltrating."

He was referring to his own time working at Happiness Cinema.

Ruan Xing: [Do you even know what a trainee is?]

Fugui: [It's like a celebrity-in-training. Usually, they're pretty good-looking.]

"Yes, I'm a new trainee," Ruan Xing replied bluntly.

Receptionist: "Please fill out this information form. You can wait on the third floor afterward."

Fu Gui watched as Ruan Xing finished filling out the form. "After you debut here, are you going to quit your job in the Investigation Corps? Being a celebrity is really popular right now—at least you wouldn't have to run around all the time."

Ruan Xing found that odd. "I didn't come here to be famous."

Other than the lobby on the first floor, the rest of the Beautiful Building was carpeted with thick rugs. As Ruan Xing took the elevator, he caught a faint metallic scent—it was the same one he had smelled on Su Su.

The moment the third-floor door opened, he was met with a dimly lit hallway carpeted in dark hues. Many young people were already standing or leaning against the wall on both sides of the hallway.

Ruan Xing didn't slow his pace. "Excuse me, is this where we check in?"

One of the young people glanced him up and down. "Don't know."

Didn't seem very friendly.

Ruan Xing looked around. Many had light makeup on and wore trendy clothes, but upon closer inspection, the fabric wasn't great—they seemed to be putting on a front despite not being well off.

What surprised Ruan Xing was that not everyone looked particularly attractive.

Ruan Xing: [Didn't you say trainees are all supposed to be good-looking?]

Fugui: [Yeah, generally speaking. But there are also people who think they look good.]

Maybe he was staring too long, but one of the more average-looking trainees turned to him with a wary expression.

Not wanting to get too close to the others, Ruan Xing instead noticed a timid-looking young man curled up in a corner. He looked disheveled, wore a black collar around his neck, and had a slightly panicked expression.

"Excuse me, is this the check-in area?" Ruan Xing asked kindly.

The young man looked up. "Did you come here by accident?"

Ruan Xing: "I'm looking for someone I know who's here."

The boy opened his mouth, looking anxious. "Don't look for them. You should get out of here—"

His voice was low, and Ruan Xing leaned in to hear him better. But just then, a side door down the hall opened, and the boy immediately went silent.

Ruan Xing turned his head—and was hit with a pungent, fishy stench that instantly invaded his senses. Yet none of the others seemed to notice it. Instead, smiles bloomed across their faces.

At the door stood a strikingly beautiful young man with shimmering earrings, jet-black wavy hair, and an androgynous face.

Many in the hallway looked visibly stunned.

The beautiful man smiled, exuding a captivating charm. "Alright, come in."

The trainees surged through the door like fish released into the water.

Ruan Xing didn’t rush. Behind him, the boy with a black collar showed no expression and only moved slowly after Ruan Xing stepped inside.

The boy seemed injured—he limped slightly, and his clothes were dirty and mismatched, a stark contrast to the others.

Once inside, everyone stood still as they surveyed the room.

It was quite spacious. Neat rows of chairs filled the space, all facing a semicircular stage at the front.

Fu Gui peeked out from Ruan Xing's jacket. "These people probably came voluntarily, hoping for a quick shot at fame. Just selling your looks can get you far nowadays. In the apocalypse, there are way too many people like that."

Ruan Xing understood well. In desperate times, surviving was already hard enough. If there was a chance for something better, who wouldn't want to take it?

The elegant young man now stood on stage. "Dear trainees, welcome to Beautiful Entertainment's audition. We uphold a fair and just—but not public—selection process. I'm your host, Lulu."

The crowd murmured in low voices.

"I'm sure you all know our very first champion—today's top celebrity, Su Su!"

"If you succeed in debuting, not only will you gain massive popularity, but you'll also be able to thrive in this post-apocalyptic world. I believe that's why most of you came here."

The trainees' faces lit up with hopeful anticipation.

Ruan Xing raised his hand. "If this opportunity is so great, why didn't you debut?"

The boy with the collar looked at him in shock—clearly surprised someone dared to ask.

Lulu glanced at Ruan Xing's face, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "I did participate. But the competition isn't that simple. Only someone who reaches Su Su's level can debut."

"Besides, the company has held countless auditions. We receive new applications every week, and the contests are ongoing. Yet the number of people who actually debut—well, it's not even enough to count on one hand."

He listed a few familiar names, and the trainees' eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I know many of you might not be confident and worry about not reaching the same heights as your predecessors. But what I want to say is that our company offers the most complete selection and rewards system. As long as you pass all the trials, you will succeed in joining the ranks of the elite."

"During your training with the company, we will take care of all your living expenses—food, shelter, everything. You won't need to worry about the outside world or about money. Everything here is free."

Too good to be true...

Not only could they become stars, but they wouldn't even have to worry about starving?

Applause broke out from the crowd.

Seeing that the atmosphere was rising, Lulu clapped his hands gently. Behind him, the projector displayed two photos—one of a plain-looking man who wouldn't stand out in a crowd and another of the current, stunning Lulu.

"This was me a month ago. And now, here I am standing before you."

The room exploded into gasps. Many were wide-eyed—That's not even the same person! The guy in the first photo looked like an oily middle-aged man! Even plastic surgery couldn't transform someone that much!

Just how did he do it?

Lulu smiled. "We reward every round's winner."

"Beauty is just one of the prizes."