Davis got back into the car and started it.
He drove forward, still stopping to explore some resource shops along the way, but it was meaningless; the buildings were empty.
Allen frowned and pointed to the side. "Let's check out that shop."
It was a furniture repair shop. After Davis entered, he was quickly surprised and then rushed out of the shop.
"This shop isn't empty, there's something inside!"
Allen asked, "What is it? Is it related to resources?"
Davis paused and said, "No, it's not related to resources. There are some tools inside, and the bones of mutated creatures."
Allen frowned. "As expected."
Ji Ruyue asked, "Did you think of something?"
Allen mused, "This place is exactly like the Ruined City, completely replicated. So, is describing it as another world a bit of a stretch?"
Gonzalez asked doubtfully, "What do you mean?"
Allen said, "This world was likely artificially constructed, or it could just be an illusion. Of course, I'm not entirely sure how it was built or how to prove it's an illusion, but the complete lack of resources along the way indicates something."
Ji Ruyue nodded. "That makes sense, because no resource items can be replicated. After all, if one could do that, they could simply unify the wasteland, or even rebuild civilization."
Allen frowned. "Those crystalline beings might be related to the Rhine Corporation, so could this world also be related to the Rhine Corporation?"
"Bingo!"
Bai Ye exclaimed internally.
He really liked smart people like Allen and Ji Ruyue.
They didn't need many hints from him; a simple suggestion was enough for them to think and even discover the discrepancies themselves.
Davis and Gonzalez, on the other hand, were not so good; they were too slow-witted.
As long as Allen suspected something, the rest would be easier.
Because if Allen suspected it, he would be willing to investigate the Rhine Corporation. Then, Bai Ye only needed to give a few hints and guidance for Allen to find clues and eventually uncover everything.
Meanwhile, Allen said to Davis, "Don't stop anymore, just keep going. We're heading to Laboratory No. 3."
Davis nodded.
The boss had assigned them the task of finding resources from another world, but it seemed that mission was almost impossible to complete.
In that case, following Allen to uncover the truth wasn't a bad idea.
The car soon sped forward, and a huge steel wall appeared in front of them.
This was the dividing line between the slums and the wealthy district. Beyond that steel wall was entirely Rhine Corporation territory.
Davis slowly stopped the car by the side and then looked out. "The gate is closed, but I don't see any guards."
The gate was that steel wall, which completely isolated the city in the ruined world.
So, the people in the slums called this wall the gate.
The people in the wealthy district, however, proudly called it the Gate of Paradise.
Inside the gate was paradise, and outside was hell.
"It's my turn." Ji Ruyue picked up a small metal case and said, "Give me fifteen minutes!"
Ji Ruyue took the case to a guardhouse by the gate, then unscrewed the metal casing of a machine. She opened the case, revealing a holographic computer.
Ji Ruyue pulled out two data cables, connected them to the instruments in the guardhouse, and quickly started typing on the keyboard.
Bai Ye looked at Allen curiously. "She's a computer expert too?"
"Brain domain!" Allen pointed to his head. "Besides her special abilities, Ruyue is also very intelligent. After all, her brain domain development is higher than ours, so she knows a lot."
As Allen spoke, he took out a crumpled box from his pocket and offered some of his hand-rolled cigarettes to the others.
In the wasteland, these were good things, very difficult to obtain, and could be considered a luxury. Besides cigarettes, alcohol was also a luxury.
Everyone struggled to eat; where would they get the grain to brew wine?
Bai Ye and the others opened their windows and blew smoke rings. By the time the cigarettes burned out, Ji Ruyue had also come out of the guardhouse, carrying the case.
A small iron door in a corner of the massive gate slowly opened.
Ji Ruyue got back into the car. "Let's go!"
After crossing the gate, they were in the wealthy district.
The wealthy district was significantly different from the slums.
The slums were the most realistic portrayal of the wasteland: dilapidated buildings, ruined land, people in tattered clothes, some even in rags.
Just being able to fill their stomachs each day was a luxury. The entire slum exuded a sense of sorrow and numbness.
For most people, it was just about surviving day by day.
But the wealthy district...
The feeling was very mysterious!
The buildings in the wealthy district also exuded a sense of desolation.
After all, beneath the wasteland, everything was decaying, being consumed by time and gradually turning to wilderness.
However, upon closer inspection, it wasn't that simple.
The surrounding buildings had clearly been repaired, with no messy debris. The streets, though old, had no cracks and appeared clean. There was no clutter on the streets, nor were there piles of scrapped cars.
Everything was simply old, but compared to the slums, it felt like life before the wasteland was still being lived here.
Continuing forward, there were even metal tracks still in operation that could take people anywhere in the wealthy district.
And then, various robots gradually appeared in their field of vision.
Cylindrical garbage-cleaning robots, drone-like city surveillance robots, patrolling robotic guard dogs, and armed robots for enforcement.
Of course, these robots were all stationary. After all, it would take energy for robots to move, and the mirror world was a false simulation, incapable of replicating any resource product.
Davis clicked his tongue twice. "The wealthy district is also exactly like the Ruined City."
Ji Ruyue scoffed, "As if you've been to the wealthy district."
Davis retorted, "Why haven't I? I've taken on missions in the wealthy district too!"
As Davis spoke, he slowed down the car so everyone could observe their surroundings. Meanwhile, Bai Ye's brow furrowed.
Because...
"Due to a participant discovering and entering the restricted zone, Rhine Corporation's Laboratory No. 3 (Mirror World), all participants currently in the Ruined City (Mirror World) will be included in this restricted zone."
Restricted zone...
It had suddenly opened!
...