"I don't know. Even with a Psychic Power item, you couldn't achieve that, could you?"
"Could there be some unique trick to it?"
"I read online that this 'Shadow' is very likely one of our own from North Star Country. Can we find a way to locate this person?"
"It would be very difficult. I heard that in the strategy office set up by the higher-ups, some top computer experts tried to hack the terminal groups, but they all failed."
"Finding them through technical means is impossible. The power of a Fire Thief is the power of a god—how can we humans possibly crack it? I think we'll have to use the media."
"You're right. Everyone, contact whatever media assets you can still mobilize. We need to do everything we can to make this 'Shadow' want to step forward and reveal their identity."
"Alright. I still have several media departments running on my end. I'll get on it right away."
The members of the Qingmei Association were all titans of industry. Their companies had connections with numerous media outlets. Some even funded and controlled their own media arms, using them for everything from corporate warfare against rivals to muddying the waters and deflecting attention when scandals arose.
Now, it was time to put them to use once again.
That night, numerous media outlets went into overdrive, reporting on the "Shadow 21-Second" incident.
The most popular video featured a well-known host, who spoke with great emotion to the camera:
"According to our sources, the individual nicknamed 'Shadow' is very likely a citizen of our North Star Country.
In the face of the great disaster that is the Apocalypse Rules, the people of North Star Country must unite as one and overcome these difficult times together. While the penalty for failing the second rule is not fatal, passing it will surely help us survive the more brutal rules to come.
Therefore, on behalf of our nation, I strongly urge this 'Shadow' to act with great compassion, to step forward and help their fellow countrymen pass this challenge. I am certain that everyone will see you as a hero and sing your praises!"
The host was so moved by his own words that his eyes welled up with tears, and the comment section was filled with praise.
"I support the host!"
"That's right! If 'Shadow' is willing to help everyone pass the rule, he'll be a national hero!"
"We're all from the same country; of course we should help each other!"
"I believe that if 'Shadow' is really from North Star Country, they'll definitely step up. We don't have such selfish people in our nation!"
"Waiting for the hero to reveal himself!"
This wasn't the only such video; many more like it popped up on major websites that evening.
The content was more or less the same, all centered on one theme: a plea for "Shadow" to come forward and share the method for completing a full marathon in 21 seconds.
Guan Tong sat on the sofa, watching similar videos on several channels, and was left completely speechless.
'Are they trying to bait me out with this?'
He wasn't an idiot. It would be beyond coincidence for several channels and media outlets to be broadcasting the same type of video one after another. Something was definitely up.
Guan Tong strongly suspected that someone was manipulating the media from behind the scenes, deliberately orchestrating this whole performance.
'I'm not falling for this crap...'
He wouldn't have minded sharing, but with the media pulling a stunt like this, Guan Tong certainly didn't dare reveal his identity now.
He knew that however sweet they sounded in the videos, the methods they'd use on him once they found him would be just as ruthless.
This wasn't paranoia; it was a reality so obvious you just had to think about it for a second.
How many of those originally powerful bigwigs didn't want to flex their muscles in this new era of rules?
They would never pass up an opportunity to get ahead.
This was also why Guan Tong had been unwilling to register his Psychic Power data when he got that call from the new department at the Public Security Bureau.
They said anyone with a score over 80 had the chance to receive special support. But what came after that?
Benefits are never free. Gaining privileges also meant shouldering responsibilities.
Guan Tong didn't want to register only to suddenly receive a mandatory notice one day, ordering him to assist with some experiment or task.
And you wouldn't be able to refuse, because you had accepted their "support."
Guan Tong couldn't speak for others, but he, for one, was steering clear of that mess.
So, for the next few days, no matter how the media went on a full-blown propaganda blitz, calling "Shadow" selfish and unpatriotic, he simply ignored it and went about his business.
It wasn't until the eighth day after the arrival of the second rule that the online trend of condemning Shadow finally began to die down.
For one, the ten-day time limit was almost up, and Shadow still hadn't surfaced. There was no point wasting any more breath.
For another, with time running out, most people had accepted reality.
They just couldn't complete the challenge. Even when they followed the official suggestions and tried to use Psychic Power items in creative ways, they still couldn't figure out the trick.
After trying everything, they realized it was useless and simply gave up.
Besides, the penalty wasn't death, just a decay of their Psychic Power.
Many people's mindset had now become "live one day at a time." If their power decayed, so be it.
Meanwhile, the powerful magnates gave up their search for "Shadow" and instead began to recruit openly.
These magnates were targeting people with high Psychic Power.
As time went on, the public gradually realized that high Psychic Power would become increasingly important.
So, these magnates began to form their own factions, aiming to recruit a batch of elites into their teams ahead of time.
Whether for banding together to face the subsequent Apocalypse Rules or for competing with other magnates on various fronts, having more elites on their team would undoubtedly give them an advantage.
It wasn't just private magnates doing this; national governments were involved as well.
North Star Country was one of the quickest to act. They had been planning for this step back when the Public Security Bureau established its new department and began calling everyone to register their Psychic Power levels.
Many people with high Psychic Power posted online, saying that not long after registering, they received an official invitation to join a subsidiary department of the Apocalypse Rules Strategy Research Room.
The Apocalypse Rules Strategy Research Room, the same organization that had published the Apocalypse Rules White Paper, was a special department established by the government.
In this post-Apocalypse Rules era, one could tell from the name alone just how many resources this Strategy Research Room could mobilize. Even becoming a member of a mere subsidiary department would undoubtedly grant a person considerable power.
In addition to North Star Country, other moderately powerful nations had also established organizations similar to the Strategy Research Room, all vigorously recruiting High Spirit Users from around the globe.
As for compensation, it certainly wasn't just money.
Someone online revealed that the compensation offered by these organizations, besides Gold, included many things that couldn't be bought on the open market.
For example, scenic vacation homes in prime locations, access rights to special venues, and the right-to-know for certain classified information.
There was a lot of information about this online—some true, some false, and some just so outlandish it was impossible to tell.
However, someone pointed out that joining such an organization required signing a non-disclosure agreement. Things that couldn't be discussed wouldn't be posted online, so most of what was circulating could be assumed to be false.
All this hustle and bustle had nothing to do with Guan Tong.
He had spent the last few days entirely focused on studying his own "shadow."
Ever since discovering this new application of his power, he would go out whenever he was free, "connecting" to various shadows to feel the differences.
For instance, he had connected to the shadow of a tiny ant—such a minuscule little thing. He had also connected to the shadow of a massive stadium. The feeling of controlling the small versus the large was, of course, completely different.
The smaller shadows had the advantage of being agile and discreet, not easily noticed.
The larger ones were a different story. A shadow that big would draw the attention of passersby with the slightest movement. Anyone who wasn't blind would notice something was off!
These experiments were so engrossing that Guan Tong lost all track of time. It was just too much fun. He couldn't even sleep at night unless he had completely exhausted his Psychic Power.
This continued right up until the tenth day, the final day of the second Apocalypse Rule.
After 9 AM, the results would be finalized.
Guan Tong woke up at 7 AM, quickly wolfed down some breakfast, and was about to head out for more experiments when a casual glance at his personal terminal made him freeze.
[Name: Guan Tong]
[Nickname: Shadow]
[Title: Orderkeeper]
[Psychic Power: 97]
[Sublimation Coin: 0]
[Comprehensive Bio-Metric Evaluation: Average]
'My Psychic Power cap… increased by 1 point?'