264: An uninvited "guest" and a "hand-rubbing" testing device

The strictly worded, businesslike warning letter from the "Pan-Dimensional Civilization Observation and Mediation Council (Provisional Seventh Sub-bureau)" was like a sharp-edged, hard, and cryptically meaningful stone thrown into the lake of the "Homeland" base, which had just barely regained its calm after successive waves of turmoil. Ripples spread out, churning up the silt and doubts beneath the surface that had yet to fully settle.

Wang Jianguo quickly convened the core decision-making team for a brief and efficient meeting. The conclusion was clear: adopt the strategic response plan proposed by Excellence. Evelyn was appointed to the task in her capacity as the "Provisional Special Advisor to the Homeland Civilization Ministry of Foreign Affairs," drafting the reply document with carefully chosen words. The tone of the document was perfectly struck: first, it acknowledged receipt of The Council's notice and stated that an incident report was being "earnestly prepared"; next, it emphasized with indisputable facts that all recent actions by "Homeland" were necessary acts of self-defense in response to repeated active provocations by external dangerous entities; furthermore, it subtly yet firmly expressed expectations to The Council—if The Council truly took the maintenance of regional peace and stability as its mission, it should prioritize restraining, warning, and even sanctioning those "uninvited ill-intentioned guests" to provide a basic guarantee of a safe environment for "Homeland"; finally, it explicitly declared that in the absence of effective external security guarantees and the persistence of threats, "Homeland" reserved the inherent right to take all legal and necessary measures based on its own judgment to defend its survival and development, while expressing a willingness for subsequent communication based on the principles of equality and mutual respect.

After the information was sent through the encrypted channel provided by The Council, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean. For several standard days, the communication channel remained silent. There were no further warnings or urgings, no supplementary instructions regarding the report format, and certainly no word of any "on-site assessment" team arriving. That mysterious "Seventh Sub-bureau" seemed to have merely completed a routine clerical notification and then turned its attention to other corners of the universe in greater need of "policing," temporarily forgetting "Homeland" on this remote edge of the star sector.

"Are they... just leaving us hanging?" Su Mu asked after waiting for a few days, her tone filled with confusion and a hint of indignation at being slighted. "Or is it that, in their eyes, the 'commotion' caused by our 'secondary civilization' isn't even worth their time to talk about? Too much trouble even to send someone to follow up?"

"There are several possibilities." Evelyn pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose, her eyes falling on the holographic star map that was constantly updating with the dynamics of the surrounding star sectors, as she analyzed calmly. "First, they might indeed be observing our 'stress response' and subsequent behavior as one of the bases for assessing our civilization's maturity and threat level. Second, perhaps our relatively 'quiet' state recently temporarily meets their requirement for 'maintaining the status quo,' so our priority has dropped. Third..." She paused, a sharp light flashing in her eyes. "What their so-called 'monitoring system' captured might not just be the 'interaction events' happening here. The 'ripples' or 'information echoes' generated by our successive collisions with several 'entities on the observation list' might have triggered chain reactions elsewhere in the universe, forcing them to deal with more urgent situations first."

White Elder appeared more detached, stroking his beard as he spoke slowly: "There is no need to over-speculate on the intentions of such institutions. Since they act in the name of 'Observation' and 'Mediation,' they must follow established protocols, and their efficiency is often... different from the 'efficiency' understood by ordinary people. Since there are no follow-up actions, it is instead a good opportunity for us. The priority remains to focus on ourselves—improving our strength, analyzing our gains, and consolidating our foundation. External disturbances can be set aside for now."

Thus, everyone's focus naturally shifted from deciphering the deep meaning of that "Cosmic Neighborhood Committee warning letter" back to internal improvement and deep mining of their "spoils of war."

With White Elder personally overseeing and constantly fine-tuning the "Soul-Soothing and Spirit-Calming" ancient formation, Evelyn's research team conducted a days-long, extremely meticulous, non-invasive deep analysis of that mass of "nightmare fragment (Dream Weaver Information Essence)," which had been completely passivated but still possessed an exquisite structure. The harvest far exceeded expectations. They not only successfully reverse-engineered the underlying principle models of several core technologies used by the "Dream Weaver" for "Whisper Eavesdropping" and "Dream Infiltration" (although the implementation of these technologies highly depends on the Dream Weaver's own special existence between reality and illusion and is difficult to replicate directly, the perspective of thinking they demonstrated—bypassing conventional logical defenses—greatly inspired and promoted a revolutionary technical upgrade for "Homeland" in information encryption, firewall architecture, and Anti-conceptual Penetration Detection), but they also screened and pieced together a valuable "Intelligence Compilation" from the massive, fragmented, and chaotic memory fragments. This included descriptions of "beacon" characteristics common among members of the "Whispering Secret Society," their general activity patterns in the "Information Deep-Dive Layer," and vague dimensional coordinate characteristics of several suspected temporary gathering points or information transit stations.

An even more groundbreaking breakthrough originated from the in-depth study of the material and conceptual structure of the "nightmare fragment" itself. Combining Excellence's unique and increasingly refined Power of Order characteristics, a bold and forward-looking concept gradually formed in Evelyn's mind: Could this highly condensed "information/dream" dual-concept aggregate be used as a special "medium" or "amplifier," combined with Excellence's Authority of Order, to create a portable device capable of actively detecting, warning, and even interfering with or weakening entities like the "Dream Weaver" that rely on non-physical levels (information, spirit, concept) for attacks within a certain distance and intensity?

"In principle, it is quite feasible," White Elder gave a cautious affirmation after carefully evaluating Evelyn's theoretical model. "This 'shard' originates from the 'Dream Weaver' itself and possesses natural 'conceptual resonance' and 'potential attraction' for similar or related entities. If we use young friend Excellence's Power of Order as the 'rule-weaving net' and 'core control hub,' and use this object, after partial refinement, as a 'conceptual bait' and 'high-sensitivity sensor' embedded within a specially made dharma tool framework... it could form a 'conceptual induction field' of a certain range around the wearer. This field could not only warn of the Dream Weaver's information prying and the Guixu People's mental Whispers, but even produce weak induction and interference against some of the Lord of the Grand Feast's seductive methods that act directly on the mind. If controlled properly, it might even allow for extremely limited counteraction and dispersal."

"Sounds like... a radar that can detect 'ghosts' and 'mental pollution,' and also comes with some protective charm functions?" Su Mu tried to understand it in simpler terms.

"Exactly! And it would be best if it's portable, something individuals can wear and use at any time!" Excellence immediately perked up upon hearing this, his eyes shining with eagerness. "I was just thinking that the 'Anti-Feast Bracelet' I tinkered with before was a single-use item, and its effective range was pitifully small. If we can use this 'nightmare fragment' as the core material and combine it with my Power of Order to create an upgraded, multi-functional 'All-Around Anti-Harassment Protective Charm,' it would be so practical! Being watched by these guys who are invisible and intangible, always thinking about stabbing us in the back from the mental level—having something that can provide early warning would make me feel much more at ease!"

The execution power of the action-oriented group was instantly maximized. Excellence's "Special Equipment Manual R&D Workshop" opened for business once again, and a new project was officially launched, codenamed: "Portable Detection/Defense/Interference System Prototype for Dream Weaver and Associated Non-Physical Threats (Experimental Type)," internally nicknamed—"All-Around Anti-Disturbance Artifact 1.0."

The core material list was as follows:

"nightmare fragment" Inert Essence: Taken from that mass of grayish-white light mist, after preliminary "purification" and "conceptual refinement," it retains its "high-sensitivity induction" and "information/dream conceptual carrier" characteristics.

High-Purity Order Energy Crystal: Sourced from the cake messenger "Candy," it has been "washed" multiple times by Excellence with the Power of Order and injected with stable, neutralizing attributes to serve as an energy buffer and structural stabilizer.

Special Shape-Memory Alloy Base Material: The latest result from Evelyn's laboratory, capable of recording and stably carrying high-dimensional conceptual fluctuations and complex energy circuits at the microscopic level, serving as the main frame and information-carrying substrate of the device.

Excellence's Original Power of Order: Freshly "baked," full of strong will to "protect the Homeland," "firmly maintain the self," and "purify anomalies," serving as the "soul," "power source," and "highest rule definer" of the entire device.

Core Tools and Support Team:

Excellence's Hands and Order Control: The primary "processing tools" and "energy injectors."

Evelyn's Real-Time Data Monitoring and Theoretical Guidance: Ensuring the process stays within a scientific framework and avoids fundamental errors.

Su Mu's "User Experience" Feedback and "Safety Supervision": Providing requirements from a practical usage perspective and strictly preventing Excellence's "overactive imagination" from resulting in a dangerous product.

White Elder's Protection and Experience Guidance: Overseeing the scene, stabilizing the environment with ancient knowledge and deep cultivation, and providing guidance at critical moments.

And the process... as always, was full of the unpredictability and laughable "accidental gains" characteristic of "Excellence-style" R&D.

First Attempt: Excellence tried to gently "activate" a small portion of the nightmare fragment's inert energy to better fuse it with the shape-memory alloy base. He carefully separated a grain-sized mass of grayish-white light mist and channeled in a very gentle strand of Power of Order with "guiding" and "awakening" intent. However, perhaps the "nightmare fragment" had already developed some kind of "post-traumatic stress" toward the concept of "Order," or perhaps Excellence underestimated its "residual activity" and the "stimulus intensity" of his own Power of Order... The moment the grayish-white light mist touched the Power of Order, instead of "waking up" and "fusing submissively" as expected, it was like a startled pufferfish—with a "bang," it suddenly expanded and burst! It transformed into a rapidly spreading cloud of grayish-white mist that emitted a faint sweet-metallic scent (perceived at the mental level) and carried a strong hypnotic suggestion effect!

The mist spread extremely fast, instantly enveloping nearly half of the workshop's operating area. Su Mu, who was closest to the experimental bench, bore the brunt of it. She was focusing intently on Excellence's operation and was caught off guard, inhaling (or rather, being penetrated at the mental level by) a wisp of the mist. She immediately felt a dizzying, intense sleepiness wash over her, her eyelids feeling as heavy as mountains: "Hmm? What's happening... this light... so dizzy... Excellence, you... what did you add..." Before she could finish, her body involuntarily slumped down. Beside her, Evelyn (though her remote projection had no physical form, her consciousness connection was interfered with) simultaneously felt a strong mental fatigue and sluggishness in her thinking, and her virtual image flickered and blurred for a moment. White Elder reacted the fastest; with a low shout and a wave of his large sleeve, a gentle gale containing Heart-Clearing Incantation Power rose from the ground, instantly dispersing and cleansing the pervasive grayish-white mist. At the same time, he quickly chanted an ancient mantra for Soul-Anchoring and Spirit-Calming, which allowed Su Mu, who had almost fallen into a deep sleep, and Evelyn, who was in a daze, to quickly regain consciousness.

Excellence himself shook his somewhat heavy head, looking at the "hypnotic mist" on the ground that was rapidly evaporating and disappearing, and rubbed his nose awkwardly: "Uh... this... it seems there's a problem with the stimulation method and dosage... It looks like the 'nightmare fragment's' 'favorability' toward the Power of Order is negative... direct contact easily triggers a 'rejection reaction'... it turned into hypnotic gas..."

After waking up, Su Mu was both shocked and angry. She grabbed a harmless insulation tool nearby and gestured at Excellence: "You brat! Did you do that on purpose? Did you want to knock us all out so you could 'hand-craft' your dangerous goods however you wanted without any restraint?!"

The first attempt was declared a temporary failure for accidentally creating a "High-Efficiency Regional Non-Lethal Hypnotic/Hallucinogenic Mist Generation Device (Micro Prototype)." This "by-product" was treated as a treasure yet carefully sealed for study by Evelyn's team, with the note: "A highly potential asymmetric tactical control resource; requires strict regulation and in-depth study of its mechanism of action and antidote."

Second Attempt: Having learned his lesson, Excellence became much more cautious. He gave up on directly stimulating the "nightmare fragment" and instead adopted a gentler, more indirect "Infiltration and Guidance Method." He first preheated the energy crystals used as stabilizers to a specific energy state, then had them emit gentle, neutral energy fluctuations that slowly enveloped and infiltrated that small mass of "nightmare fragment" like a warm current. This time, the process was much smoother. The grayish-white light mist was like fat melting in warm water, uniformly and stably penetrating and merging into the microscopic energy circuit framework pre-constructed by the Special Shape-Memory Alloy. Finally, it formed a metallic sphere about the size of a pigeon egg, silver-gray throughout, with a hazy grayish-white glow swirling slowly inside like a nebula.

However, when it came to the most critical step—injecting Excellence's Power of Order to perform "functional definition" and "rule programming" for the device—Excellence's mindset became a bit hurried again. He wanted to give this prototype a core function: "Automatically issue a clear alarm upon detecting malicious mental attacks or information prying directed at the wearer." Perhaps because he had suffered at the hands of the "Dream Weaver" and the "Guixu People" before, his yearning for an "alarm" in his mind was too intense. When injecting the Power of Order and setting the "alarm" response rules, he set the priorities for "alarm intensity" and "response speed" too high, while neglecting the balance between "stealth" and "controllability"...

Thus, when 'White Elder' followed the test procedure and simulated the release of an extremely faint conceptual disturbance wave—equivalent to only one-millionth the intensity of the 'Guixu Whispers'—and lightly 'touched' that metal sphere—

Buzz—!!!!!

A piercing, sharp, high-frequency violent buzzing sound, almost enough to tear eardrums and comparable to a major starship collision disaster alarm, suddenly exploded from that pigeon-egg-sized metal sphere! This sound was not only extremely loud but also carried strong interference characteristics targeting biological nerves and mental concentration! Simultaneously, the metal sphere seemed to be injected with infinite kinetic energy, like a super bouncy ball being hit hard, and began an extremely frantic, irregular, high-speed jumping and spinning on the sturdy console! The silver-gray sphere dragged out a dizzying blur of afterimages, crashing everywhere on the console with 'bang-bang-bang' sounds, knocking over a series of small items; the scene was once extremely chaotic!

"Stop! Stop! Shut it off quickly!" Even though Su Mu had covered her ears in advance, her brain was still numbed by the highly penetrating alarm sound, and she shouted at Excellence.

Excellence himself was also stunned for a moment, frantically trying to cut off the energy supply, but the metal sphere seemed to have a built-in emergency energy circuit based on the characteristics of the 'nightmare fragment.' When 'attacked' (even if it was just a test), it not only sounded an alarm but also activated a short-term, high-power physical movement mode! It bounced, spun, and screamed with such 'vitality' for a full minute before finally exhausting the initial kinetic energy that came from who-knows-where, rolling to the edge of the console and coming to a stop. The workshop was a mess, everyone's ears were ringing, and their minds were irritated by the continuous high-frequency alarm.

"The alarm... certainly sounded..." Evelyn took off the high-grade soundproof earplugs she had put on just in case, looking expressionlessly at the finally quiet metal sphere, and then at the pale-faced Excellence. "But student Excellence, have you considered... that we might need a 'pre-warning,' and not a 'mutual-destruction-style' 'anti-intrusion physical sonic attack'? Are you afraid the enemy won't know we've discovered them, or do you want to send us all away with noise first?"

The second attempt gave birth to the 'High-Sensitivity but Zero-Stealth, Mental Attack Alarm with Strong Physical Harassment and Noise Pollution Functions (Self-Amusement Version).'

Subsequently, Excellence underwent a half-hour 'Joint Technical Ethics and User Experience Seminar' from Su Mu and Evelyn. The core idea was repeatedly emphasized: the functionality and practicality of equipment must be balanced with safety, stealth, and comfort! One cannot place one's own people in unnecessary danger or extreme discomfort just to defend against an enemy! The design philosophy needs to be human-centric!

Third attempt: After the 'profound education' of the first two times, Excellence's mindset completely settled down. He no longer pursued the extreme of a single indicator but instead focused on the systematic nature, stability, and intelligence of the overall device. He spent a great deal of time redesigning the energy circuits and conceptual structures, performing multi-layered and multi-dimensional coupling of the nightmare fragment' broad-spectrum sensing characteristics with the fine definitions of 'protection,' 'purification,' and 'identification' from the Power of Order. He abandoned the crude 'loud noise alarm' and instead designed a tiered response mechanism: for extremely faint or distant threats, it would only send an extremely slight 'spiritual flash' similar to an intuitive warning to the wearer's consciousness; for medium-intensity approaches or probing, it would trigger a faint energy halo on the device surface that was difficult to discern with the naked eye while simultaneously sending a conscious warning; only when high-intensity, close-range direct attack intentions were detected would it trigger a stronger, yet more restrained, defense and interference field, which could be actively controlled to some extent by the wearer's intent.

The carving process this time was long and meticulous, as if Excellence were polishing a most precious work of art. He experienced dozens of micro-energy circuit instabilities and conceptual coupling point conflicts and adjustments. Finally, with the subtle guidance of White Elder and Evelyn's real-time data calibration, a brand-new 'work' slowly took shape in the warm light of Order in Excellence's palm during the late-night hours.

It was a silver-white pendant with a simple and smooth design, shaped like an elegant teardrop, its surface polished like a mirror and feeling as warm as jade. The interior of the pendant was not solid but seemed to encapsulate a miniature nebula—a faint, misty gray-white halo and threads of silver-white Order runes slowly circulated, intertwined, and coexisted within, forming a serene and profound dynamic image. It wasn't large, just enough to be gently held in an adult's palm; when worn around the neck, it transmitted a strange, soul-soothing warmth upon contact with the skin.

"Here, try it out?" Excellence said with a tired but satisfied smile, handing the pendant to Su Mu, who had been waiting somewhat anxiously.

Su Mu took it carefully, a comfortable micro-warmth coming from her fingertips. She looped the silver chain around her neck and fastened the clasp. The teardrop-shaped pendant hung naturally, resting just below her collarbone, its warmth seeming to penetrate the skin and slightly soothe her mind. "It's on. Now what? How do we test it? It won't be another world-shaking commotion, will it?" she asked with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

White Elder smiled slightly, once again extending a withered finger and lightly pinching the air, simulating a conceptual fluctuation that was even fainter than the previous two tests but more pure in essence, carrying the sense of 'Guixu' extinction, which silently spread toward Su Mu's position.

Just as this fluctuation entered a range of about three meters around Su Mu, a change quietly occurred!

Inside the silver-white teardrop pendant on Su Mu's chest, the gray-white halo that had been slowly circulating suddenly and clearly accelerated its rhythm without warning! Simultaneously, a cool and clear mental fluctuation carrying explicit information of 'vigilance' and 'abnormal approach' dropped directly and unerringly into the depths of Su Mu's consciousness, like a water droplet into a still lake. This feeling was not a sound or an image but a pure 'knowing,' making her heart tighten instantly as she instinctively heightened her alertness to her surroundings, her gaze sharply scanning the area. Almost at the same moment, the smooth surface of the pendant rippled with an extremely faint silver-white halo, like water patterns, which was almost undetectable unless one stared intently. When White Elder's simulated 'Guixu' fluctuation entered a range of about one meter around Su Mu, it seemed to encounter an invisible, tough, yet soft 'membrane'; its corrosiveness and induciveness were greatly weakened and delayed, eventually fading and dissipating rapidly like a water drop on scorching sand, failing to have any substantial impact on her.

"I felt it!" Su Mu's eyes lit up, and she blurted out with surprise in her tone, "It's very clear! It's not a noise, not a vibration, just a 'thump' in my heart, and I suddenly understood that 'something wrong is approaching'! Moreover, that feeling just now... that made me feel a bit cold and want to give up (referring to the Guixu Whispers simulation) seemed to be blocked out; it couldn't get in!"

White Elder nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. The warning mechanism is clear, timely, and has minimal interference for the wearer. Although the interference effect is not strong, it is sufficient to dismantle most low-level conceptual erosion and mental suggestions. For the 'Dream Weaver's' customary hidden peering at the information level, it should also possess considerable sensing sensitivity and information-shielding effects. The effective range, according to my Perception, is between five to fifteen meters around the wearer, dynamically changing with the intensity and characteristics of the threat source. This item can be called the 'Heart-Clearing Mind-Protecting Pendant,' or 'heart-clearing pendant' for short."

Evelyn had already started various instruments to perform an all-around scan of the pendant, with the data panel flashing satisfying green indicators: "The energy consumption level is extremely low, and the built-in micro-energy circulation system can slowly absorb free cosmic radiation and biofield energy from the environment for self-maintenance. In a conventional environment, relying only on passive absorption, it is expected to run continuously for three to six months; if it encounters frequent or high-intensity detection/interference, the battery life will shorten accordingly, but it can be supplemented through active charging or replacing spare energy crystals (if there is a design interface). It is deeply bound to the wearer's biological information and life magnetic field; without the wearer's authorization or special decryption procedures, others cannot activate the core functions, providing good anti-loss and anti-abuse features. Excellence, the design and manufacturing craftsmanship this time show significant progress!"

Excellence let out a long sigh of relief, a smile of relief and accomplishment appearing on his face. Finally, a success! Despite the twists and turns and several failures, the final result was gratifying. This 'heart-clearing pendant' might not be able to withstand powerful physical artillery or violent energy torrents, but against the invisible, intangible, and pervasive 'conceptual harassment,' 'mental pollution,' and 'information eavesdropping' that currently troubled and unsettled everyone in 'Homeland,' it undoubtedly added a practical and reliable personal psychological and information defense line for everyone.

"Preliminary estimates show that the material for 'nightmare fragment' is limited, and my injection of the Power of Order and fine carving also require a lot of time and mental effort," Excellence calculated. "Mass production is currently unrealistic. But prioritizing the production and distribution of a batch for core command personnel, key scientific research positions, and front-line reconnaissance and warning positions should be doable. We can start with a small goal, say... thirty to fifty pieces?"

"For the first batch, there is no need to be greedy for quantity; the focus is on stability and reliability," White Elder added. "I can apply some simple 'Heart-Clearing and Spirit-Soothing' charm principles and miniature array techniques to the pendant's base material. Without affecting the main functions, it will slightly increase the effect of calming the mind and resisting fatigue. This item may play an unexpectedly important role in the future long-term maneuvering and confrontation with the 'Dream Weaver,' 'Guixu People,' and even the messengers of the 'Lord of the Grand Feast.'"

However, just as everyone was rejoicing over the success of the 'heart-clearing pendant' prototype and beginning to discuss the first batch's production list and technical details, the indicator light of that special encrypted communication channel from the 'Pan-Dimensional Civilization Observation and Mediation Council'—which had been silent for several days and was almost temporarily forgotten—suddenly turned from dark to bright without warning and emitted a regular and continuous hum.

This time, what was transmitted was not cold, rigid text information, but a formal communication request with a certain formatted ritual procedure. The sender's identification clearly displayed: "Pan-Dimensional Civilization Observation and Mediation Council · Temporary Seventh Sub-bureau · Field Special Dispatch Office."

"They really... came knocking on the door?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a complex emotion that was both expected yet slightly surprising.

"Connect the communication and see what this 'Special Envoy' actually intends," Wang Jianguo ordered in a deep voice, and the atmosphere in the meeting room instantly shifted from the joy of R&D success to the formality and caution of receiving foreign guests.

The communication link was established. After the light and shadow on the main screen stabilized, the image presented caused everyone present except 'White Elder' to be slightly stunned.

It was a... 'being' that was difficult to accurately describe using conventional human aesthetics or cognition. It roughly presented a humanoid silhouette, similar in height to an adult male, wearing a uniform that was extremely well-tailored, retro in style yet full of futuristic feeling, with a material that looked like flowing dark-blue metal and solidified halo; every fold seemed to have undergone the most precise calculation, appearing meticulous. However, 'its' torso and limbs were not flesh or machinery but were composed of light-blue holographic light and shadow that constantly and slowly rotated, flowed, and changed with subtle geometric patterns, giving it an illusory texture with slightly blurred boundaries. There were no facial details, only a soft and uniform light-blue glow, but at the position usually corresponding to the mouth, regular light patterns pulsed like water waves, synchronously transmitting clear, standard Universal Galactic Language speech without any accent or emotional color:

"Greetings to the 'Homeland' Civilization Temporary Management Committee. I am a formal field special envoy from the Pan-Dimensional Civilization Observation and Mediation Council, Temporary Seventh Sub-bureau, individual serial number CZ-7391. I am now acting under direct instructions from the Bureau's Oversight and Execution Office to conduct a preliminary on-site contact, situation verification, and basic assessment regarding the abnormally high-frequency multi-dimensional interaction events in the GX-07 Star Sector (to which 'Homeland' belongs) mentioned in previous communications. My dedicated shuttle will arrive at the designated docking coordinates provided by your side in 0.5 standard cosmic hours. Please receive me and provide the necessary security guarantees and information consultation convenience in accordance with the 'Basic Safety Guidelines for Inter-Civilization Contact.' Reiterate: the core purpose of this trip is only to investigate facts and preliminarily assess impacts; we expect your cooperation. Communication ends."

The voice was steady, clear, and evenly paced, like an excellent reading machine, with every syllable exuding the indifference and precision of official business.

"A... 'Light-Shadow Person'? They can't even be bothered to simulate a specific face or form?" Excellence commented in a low voice, carefully observing this strange visitor on the screen. "Efficient enough, and mysterious enough."

"Accept the visit request and provide the coordinates for Berth B7 of External Spaceport No. 3. Inform them that we will arrange the corresponding reception procedures," Wang Jianguo replied in a steady official tone.

The Light-Shadow Person special envoy in the communication screen nodded slightly (that cluster of blue light on the face made a small rise and fall similar to a nod), and then the communication was cut off.

"Seems like just a low-level clerk doing things by the book and running errands for an investigation," Su Mu curled her lip, making a preliminary judgment.

"Do not be deceived by its appearance," White Elder warned, his expression growing more solemn. "An organization like this, even a low-level 'Field Special Agent,' is by no means an ordinary character. Their form of existence itself has already transcended the scope of conventional life; they are far from being as simple as a pure holographic projection. What energy systems they contain, what abilities they possess, the scale and authority of their missions, and especially... whether their assessment criteria naturally lean toward those so-called 'high-dimensional entities' on the 'watch list' while treating the survival rights of us 'secondary civilizations' as secondary—all of this remains unknown and requires extreme vigilance."

"Then let's give this 'Special Agent' from the 'Cosmic Neighborhood Committee' a proper 'reception.'" Excellence flexed his wrists, a glint of curiosity mixed with wariness flashing in his eyes. "It's quite a coincidence; our 'heart-clearing pendant' is fresh out of the oven. Why not use this 'reception' to test its 'quality' in the field? Let's see if it produces any... interesting reactions to this uniquely shaped guest. Who knows, it might 'sense' something we can't see from the outside?"

"You want to use the 'heart-clearing pendant' to probe that light-and-shadow agent?" Evelyn immediately grasped Excellence's intention, her brow furrowing slightly. "Theoretically, there's a possibility of detection, but the risk is also present. If this agent carries some high-level malice or monitoring attributes we don't yet understand, or if their essence has some hidden connection to the 'Dream Weaver' or 'Lord of the Grand Feast,' the 'heart-clearing pendant' might produce a faint resonance or warning. However, the operation must be extremely discreet and gentle; it must not be detected. Otherwise, the other party might view it as a serious provocation, directly worsening the assessment results or even triggering a conflict."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Excellence smiled, a cunning light dancing in his eyes. "Class Monitor, lend me your 'heart-clearing pendant' prototype for a moment. I'll add a temporary 'plugin' to it to give its sensing signals 'one-way encryption' and 'threshold fine-tuning.' This will make its reaction more 'subtle' and 'restrained,' quietly sending only the core sensing data back to me for analysis. When the Special Agent arrives, I'll 'welcome' him personally, wearing it for a close-range, friendly 'contact' and 'experience.'"

"What are you up to now?" Su Mu looked wary, but she still followed his request, unfastening the silver-white pendant from her neck and handing it over. "Just don't pull any 'hypnotic gas' or 'noise bomb' stunts this time! If we lose face in front of an alien 'beat cop,' 'Homeland' won't be able to show its face anywhere!"

"Don't worry, it's absolutely safe this time." Excellence took the pendant, which still carried Su Mu's body heat, his smile appearing exceptionally "innocent." "It's just a simple, non-invasive... 'background security check' for our 'cosmic beat cop' who has come from so far away."

Half a standard hour later, a small shuttle with extremely smooth lines, a matte silver-gray paint job, and no visible markings, weapon hardpoints, or obvious energy leakage, glided silently into the docking airspace outside the "Homeland" base like a precise ghost. It hovered perfectly over the designated Berth B7 before descending vertically with absolute stability. The silence of its flight and the precision of its attitude control showcased a technological foundation far exceeding the current level of "Homeland's" conventional spacecraft.

The hatch slid open soundlessly, and the light-and-shadow agent, designated CZ-7391, stepped onto the slightly worn metal deck of the "Homeland" spaceport with a stride whose length and lift seemed precisely measured. Its (or his) body, composed of pale blue light and shadow, appeared even more illusory under the relatively simple lighting of "Homeland." Only the well-tailored dark blue uniform had a clear silhouette and unique texture, exuding a non-biological, clean, and detached aura. There was no rise and fall of breath, no heartbeat, and not even a discernible biological field or high-energy reaction. It was as quiet as a highly realistic 3D image lacking the warmth of life.

Led by Wang Jianguo, the reception party from "Homeland" was already waiting by the berth. Members included Excellence, Su Mu, a remote projection of Evelyn, and White Elder serving as a high-level civilization consultant. Around Excellence's neck, he now wore the "heart-clearing pendant (specialized stealth detection version)" that he had urgently "fine-tuned and upgraded."

"Welcome to 'Homeland,' Agent CZ-7391. I am Wang Jianguo, the head of this civilization's temporary management committee." Wang Jianguo stepped forward and extended his right hand according to universal interstellar etiquette.

The light-and-shadow agent bowed its head slightly, its gaze (if the blue light on its face could be called a gaze) seemingly scanning Wang Jianguo's extended hand in less than a hundredth of a second. Then, it also raised its "right hand," composed of flowing light and shadow, and gave Wang Jianguo's hand a virtual squeeze. At the moment of contact, Wang Jianguo felt a gentle, stable, but non-physical force field envelop his palm, accompanied by a strange, slight static-like tingling sensation, before they separated. "Thank you for the reception, Director Wang Jianguo. My internal programs have recorded your biometric information and current authorization status. The mission timeframe is clear; I hope to enter the workflow as soon as possible." Its voice remained a flat, synthesized electronic tone, but compared to the remote communication, it seemed to have a trace of an indefinable "physical presence."

Its "gaze" swept steadily across the people present, pausing on Excellence for an extremely brief moment, almost imperceptible to an ordinary person. Excellence could feel a slight "gaze" like that of a high-precision scanner pass over his entire body, especially focusing on the Power of Order core within him, which was so different from an ordinary person's. The other party seemed to have noticed something but did not immediately inquire or show any emotion.

"Please follow us. We have prepared temporary office and meeting facilities for you, Agent, hoping to facilitate your work." Wang Jianguo stepped aside to lead the way, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.

The group walked toward the reception center inside the spaceport. Excellence followed seemingly casually at a distance of about a step and a half behind and to the side of the agent, but his mind was highly concentrated. All his senses were closely linked to the "heart-clearing pendant" on his chest, acting like a sensitive radar to capture any hint of abnormal fluctuations.

For the first few dozen meters, everything was normal. The "heart-clearing pendant" had no reaction, as if the agent were merely a harmless, high-level automated tool.

However, just as the group stepped into the spacious and bright alloy doors of the reception center, passing through a composite energy curtain used for routine disinfection, dust removal, and basic biological/energy scanning, a sudden change occurred!

The gray-white halo inside the "heart-clearing pendant" on Excellence's chest, which had been swirling slowly like a nebula, suddenly accelerated its rotation without warning! At the same time, an extremely faint but exceptionally clear and complex "ideational information packet" slammed into Excellence's consciousness through the sensing channel strengthened and filtered by the "heart-clearing pendant," like ripples from a stone thrown into a deep pool!

This was not an attack, nor even entirely malicious; it was more like the "informational afterglow" naturally emitted by a highly automated, all-encompassing "existence scan" and "potential threat assessment" program. It was mixed with "cold logical calculations," "inhuman efficiency priority," a "veiled condescension toward inefficient life forms," and a trace of... an extremely subtle "indifferent attention" from a high-level existence that viewed all things as chess pieces—the same feeling Excellence had sensed from the "player" behind the "Dream Weaver" when analyzing the "nightmare fragment"! The "heart-clearing pendant's" characteristic sensing of "unnatural, high-level information entities with potential rule-interference tendencies" had been strongly triggered!

Almost at the same instant Excellence perceived all this, the light-and-shadow agent walking ahead experienced a minute hesitation in its precise, uniform steps that would have been unnoticeable if Excellence hadn't been fully focused. Its featureless face, composed of blue light, seemed to "turn" very slightly toward Excellence. Although it had no eyes, a "scanning sensation" more definite and penetrating than when it first landed fell upon Excellence like a physical beam of light, specifically focusing on the position of the "heart-clearing pendant" on his chest!

"Detecting non-standard energy fluctuations and composite conceptual sensing modules attached to the torso of high-dimensional order node individual 'Excellence.' Fluctuating characteristic analysis... partial match with 'watch list' subsidiary database entry: suspected 'conceptual defense/detection derivative device.' Commencing deep structural analysis and potential risk assessment..." The agent's flat electronic voice sounded directly in Excellence's ears (or rather, at the level of conscious reception) through some unknown information transmission method! It had actually discovered the anomaly of the "heart-clearing pendant" so keenly, and it didn't even care about being detected, directly starting a "background scan" and "talking to itself" like a work log!

Excellence felt a chill in his heart, but his face remained calm. He also condensed his thoughts into a beam and "responded" coolly toward the direction of the other party's likely information reception: "It's just a small trinket made out of personal interest, used to help focus and refresh the mind. Surely, this is not within your Council's 'Secondary Civilization Technological Development Restriction Catalog,' is it, Mr. Special Agent?"

"Instantaneous retrieval completed. No exact match found in the current 'Restriction Catalog' or 'Recommended Technical Specifications.' No violation of basic regulations. However, the energy characteristics of this device have a low-probability correlation with residual information from 'Watch List Entity - Dream Weaver.' It must be recorded as an additional information point in this assessment report." The agent's answer remained rigid, as if executing a preset program. But Excellence could clearly feel that the intensity of the "scan" falling on him—especially the attempt to penetrate the surface of the "heart-clearing pendant" to peer at its internal structure and his energy core—had significantly increased and become more "intrusive."

Just as Excellence frowned inwardly, considering whether to mobilize a trace of the Power of Order to construct a firmer "information barrier" around his energy core as a warning, White Elder, walking a bit further ahead, seemed to casually adjust the rhythm of his steps. The tip of his left foot lightly tapped the special material of the corridor floor.

Hum—

A thin layer of clear light, as faint as dawn but containing an indescribable sense of ancient, upright, and peaceful meaning, rippled out soundlessly but swiftly with White Elder as the center. It instantly swept across the entire corridor and, naturally, through the illusory body of the light-and-shadow agent.

The stable pale blue light and shadow on the agent's body experienced an extremely brief blur and disturbance, almost invisible to the naked eye, as if the signal of a precision projector had encountered some inexplicable interference. Its intensified, intrusive scan was also gently brushed aside by an invisible hand, abruptly cutting off.

"Detecting unrecorded high-dimensional Order energy interference. Source: unknown ancient life individual labeled 'White Elder.' Energy nature analysis: differs from mainstream Order lineages, contains 'neutralization,' 'guarding,' and 'stabilization' composite concepts. Behavioral judgment: suspected protective intervention. Record. Threat/value assessment parameters for individual 'White Elder' upgraded. Scanning priority for individual 'Excellence' suspended." The agent performed another quick "internal log" update and then, as if the interference had never happened, continued following Wang Jianguo with its precise steps, showing no sign of being offended or surprised. But Excellence could clearly perceive that the other party's "attention" and "assessment weight" regarding him had quietly risen a level. At the same time, it also cast a deeper, more cautious "scrutiny" toward the consistently composed White Elder.

A silent exchange, occurring in an instant between highly alert probing and subtle, firm counteraction, had already completed one round before both sides officially sat down at the conference table.

Excellence's fingers lightly brushed the "heart-clearing pendant" on his chest, which seemed to still hold a trace of residual warmth. A look of solemnity and reflection flashed deep in his eyes.

This "Agent CZ-7391" was by no means a simple "clerk" who just followed the rules as it appeared on the surface. Its very existence was a precision observation and assessment tool, and the will and power it represented were unfathomable.

The intense reaction of the "heart-clearing pendant" and White Elder's perfectly timed intervention seemed to be faintly confirming some of their previous guesses and concerns.

This so-called "preliminary field contact and situation verification" would likely be far more than a simple "inquiry" and "recording."

The true assessment and contest had perhaps already quietly begun the moment they first laid eyes on each other.

"This is getting interesting." A faint smile tinged with a fighting spirit curled at the corner of Excellence's mouth. He straightened his collar and followed the group into the serious atmosphere of the meeting room specially prepared for this "reception."

The show had already begun. And every "actor" on the stage held their own agendas and deep meanings in their eyes.