After crossing two blocks, the Town Administration Hall came into view, situated right beside a main artery. It was the most crowded place Xiao Lin had seen all day.
People were coming and going at the entrance, and clerks were busy inside. Xiao Lin even spotted Zhou Zheng, the deputy captain of the enforcement team.
Zhou was standing at the door smoking with two team members, looking deeply troubled.
Lin Niannian exchanged a few brief words with them before leading Xiao Lin to the Town Mayor's office on the third floor.
When they pushed the door open, Yan Jie, the captain of the enforcement team, was already there. He was standing with his hands behind his back, conversing with Lan Shiyu.
"Has that thing excavated from Shaft No. 3 shown any changes?" Lan Shiyu asked.
"No observable changes of any significance," Yan Jie replied stiffly, his hands still clasped behind him.
"And the miners who dug it up?"
"They are under supervision, but currently, there are no issues."
Lan Shiyu nodded and didn't press further.
At that moment, Lin Niannian poked her head in. "Mayor, I'm here for work."
Lan Shiyu's gaze first landed on Xiao Lin standing behind her. "Good afternoon, Mr. Xiao," he said politely.
He then turned to Lin Niannian. "Where did you run off to at noon? You were missing for five or six hours."
"I wasn't slacking off! Mr. Xiao Lin asked me to be his tour guide to familiarize himself with the town. And I did a great job, didn't I, Mr. Xiao?"
Hearing this, Lan Shiyu cast a pitying look at Xiao Lin. "Mr. Xiao, actually, I originally planned to assign Zhou Zheng or Yan Jie to be your guide."
Xiao Lin sighed. "You should have told me earlier; I wouldn't have had to suffer like this..."
"So... what's the verdict?" Yan Jie asked from the side.
"It's like... an overly energetic small dog..."
Yan Jie looked at him with deep respect. "Mr. Xiao, your literary foundation and your use of metaphors are truly breathtaking!"
Well, someone like Yan Jie, who speaks in complex sentences right off the bat, probably isn't suitable as a tour guide either...
"So, is there something you need, Mr. Xiao? Surely you didn't come just to vouch for Lin Niannian?" Lan Shiyu pointed to a chair, signaling Xiao Lin to sit.
"Of course not. I just heard Niannian say that you have internet access here?"
Lan Shiyu and Yan Jie exchanged a glance for a few seconds. Then, Lan Shiyu spoke, choosing his words carefully. "We do have the internet, but it might be completely different from what you imagine."
"Completely different? What do you mean?"
Lan Shiyu pondered for a moment, then looked up. "It's hard to explain. Can I let you experience it directly?"
"How?" Xiao Lin looked around curiously. He didn't see any computer equipment in the office. "You don't seem to have any networking facilities here."
"The facility is right here." Lan Shiyu dragged Lin Niannian over. Lin Niannian giggled foolishly.
Xiao Lin was speechless. "So, are we supposed to shove an ethernet cable up Lin Niannian's nostril and turn on the power?"
Lin Niannian subconsciously covered her nose.
"Alright, alright, just show Mr. Xiao directly," Lan Shiyu said.
Lin Niannian became slightly serious. She adjusted her glasses, hugged her book to her chest, and said:
"Mr. Xiao, in a moment, I will connect our minds. During this process, you need to clear your thoughts and not overthink it."
"My personal computing power isn't high. If your mind wanders, I might not be able to bring you in successfully."
As she spoke, a dim blue light emanated from the depths of her pupils.
The next moment, darkness began to sprint and spread through the room at incredible speed, devouring everything around them.
The walls, the furniture, and even Yan Jie vanished, replaced by a vast, dark void.
Then, a city constructed of lines rose from the ground. Skyscrapers with hundreds or even thousands of floors were everywhere.
Roads and overpasses made of lines were intricately interwoven. Streams of traffic sped along the highways at a constant pace, quickly disappearing into the distance.
A three-dimensional, immersive virtual world.
"Is this... your internet?" Xiao Lin couldn't help but be awestruck by the sight.
"How is it? Amazing, right? Only Transcendents and psychics can enter this place," Lin Niannian introduced proudly.
Pointing to the strange scenery, she said, "Those buildings are personal databases. Data travels through the highways—there are public lanes and private lanes."
Xiao Lin looked at a highway tilting into the sky, where countless vehicles were passing at incredible speeds, too fast to see clearly.
"What is this place... used for?" Xiao Lin asked, looking around at the incredible scenery.
"This virtual world was built by Wisdom City. They provide communication services and conduct knowledge trading. Of course, you can pay for memberships and such."
Lan Shiyu interrupted Lin Niannian's lecture. "Alright, let's get back to business. Is Mr. Bai online?"
Lin Niannian tilted her head, sensing for a moment. "He's online, right in his database."
"How do we get there? Do you have a car, or do we take the bus?" Xiao Lin asked.
Lin Niannian smiled mysteriously, raised her hand, and slowly made a pulling motion backward.
Accompanied by her movement, the entire city began to shift, rushing violently behind them.
Their bodies instantly pierced through countless buildings and highways. In the blink of an eye, they were standing in a room.
This room was the only place not made of lines. It had color, shape, and sound, looking no different from the real world.
It was an office—not luxurious. A middle-aged man in his forties sat behind the desk, elbows resting on the surface, looking at the three of them.
"This is Mr. Bai, the person in charge of Blue Dragon Mining Company," Lan Shiyu introduced. "Mr. Bai, this is Mr. Xiao Lin. He recently moved to our satellite town and is interested in the internet, so I brought him here for a taste."
Mr. Bai looked Xiao Lin up and down, then offered a friendly smile. "Welcome to the satellite town. I hope Shiyu hasn't neglected you."
"No, Mayor Lan is very responsible," Xiao Lin said earnestly.
"That's good. However, the content of the upcoming meeting might be a bit boring..."
Xiao Lin knew this was a polite way of asking him to leave. Besides, he also felt it was inappropriate to eavesdrop on someone else's meeting, so he went with the flow.
"That's perfect. I've seen the part I was interested in, so I won't disturb your meeting."
After a polite farewell, Xiao Lin felt the surrounding darkness dissolve rapidly. It vanished completely in moments, and he found himself back in that quaint room.
Lin Niannian and Lan Shiyu stood quietly in place, appearing as if they were asleep.
"Mr. Xiao, you're back. Take a rest and have some tea," said Yan Jie, looking up from his book.