77: Chapter 77 The Observer is Not the Fifth Teammate

[White Tower Entrance Rules Updated]

[Four-person Team Entry Conditions Unchanged]

[New Addition: One Supervisory Observer Position]

[Candidate Observer: Deputy Director of the Department of Education's Special Career Development Division — Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue]

The air in the old classroom turned cold instantly.

Zhou Heng stared at the blackboard, his face livid.

They had just established the mutual recognition of the operational window and had just rejected the "Youthful Projection of Zhou Chengyue" from the replacement suggestions, yet the Department of Education had turned around and shoved the real Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue into the White Tower.

Chen Ye's first reaction was to curse:

"What is this supposed to be?"

"We just finished practicing teammate coordination, and it adds a fifth person for us?"

Shen Tingxue looked at the blackboard, her voice cold.

"What the White Tower wrote is 'Supervisory Observer Position'."

"Not a teammate."

Lin Jin nodded.

"That is the problem."

"The Department of Education doesn't want him to be a teammate."

"They want him to use his status as an Observer to influence how we proceed."

Zhou Heng turned around abruptly.

"I don't agree."

His Thunder Spear had already appeared in his palm.

"Letting him enter the White Tower is worse than smashing the entrance right now."

Qin Shanhe held his enamel mug, his expression also grim.

"We can't smash it."

"The White Tower entrance has already responded to the old project permissions."

Gu Changye's voice came through the communication talisman.

"The permissions the Department of Education brought out this time are real."

"In the No. 9 peripheral training project twenty years ago, there truly was a supervisory observation seat."

"Theoretically, the Observer does not participate in team actions; they only record the testing process and abnormal risks."

Chen Ye sneered.

"Theoretically."

"These three words are the most terrifying."

Lin Jin looked at the communication talisman.

"Captain Gu, is Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue the only candidate?"

Gu Changye was silent for a moment.

"The Department of Education submitted a designated candidate."

"The reason is that he was once a White Tower test subject, is familiar with the old project rules, and simultaneously possesses deputy director-level supervisory authority."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"There's one more point they didn't write."

"He is my second uncle."

Lin Jin added:

"He is also the 104 Barrier Breaker Position."

Shen Tingxue said:

"And he is personnel associated with the Department of Education project."

As these three sentences landed, the White Tower prompt on the blackboard flickered.

It was as if something was recording.

Qin Shanhe looked at Lin Jin.

"What do you want to do?"

Lin Jin did not answer immediately.

He walked to the blackboard and looked at the line [Supervisory Observer Position].

He unfurled the Hand of Rules.

[Target: White Tower Supervisory Observer Position Rule]

[Source: No. 9 Peripheral Training Old Project Permissions]

[Current Status: Application for Activation by Department of Education]

[Fault: Observer position boundary unclear; may be rewritten into on-site command, replacement suggestion, or identity correction permissions]

[Danger Level: High]

[Maintenance Suggestion: Define the Observer position clearly; limit the scope of Observer intervention]

Lin Jin read the prompt aloud.

After listening, Chen Ye immediately said:

"Then let's fix it."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"Fix it so he can't enter."

Lin Jin shook his head.

"That won't work."

Zhou Heng's expression grew even uglier.

"Why?"

"Because the old project permissions are real."

Lin Jin said.

"If we directly deny the Observer position, the White Tower might instead judge that we are refusing supervision and generate something even more disgusting."

Chen Ye was stunned.

"For example?"

"An automatic observation sample."

Lin Jin looked at the blackboard.

"Perhaps it could be the Youthful Projection of Zhou Chengyue."

"Perhaps it could be a rule recorder generated by the White Tower itself."

"Perhaps something even worse."

Shen Tingxue nodded.

"We cannot refuse the supervision itself."

"We must define the boundaries of the supervision."

Zhou Heng gritted his teeth.

"So we still have to let him in?"

Lin Jin looked at him.

"We aren't letting him in to be your second uncle."

"And we aren't letting him in to be the previous generation's Barrier Breaker Position."

"We are only letting him in to be a restricted Observer."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"Do you think he will obediently observe?"

"I don't think so."

Lin Jin said.

"So, we must make him pay a price when he doesn't behave."

From the communication talisman, Gu Changye said in a deep voice:

"I can request tripartite synchronized filing."

"But the Department of Education may not accept excessive restrictions."

Qin Shanhe gave a cold snort.

"If they don't accept it, they don't get in."

As soon as he finished speaking, a new countdown automatically appeared on the old classroom's blackboard.

[Supervisory Observer Position Confirmation Countdown: Twenty Minutes]

[If the observation rules are not confirmed, the White Tower will fill in the Observer position permissions on its own]

Chen Ye's expression changed.

"It even has a countdown?"

"Does this tower just really love countdowns?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou looked at the blackboard, his voice heavy.

"Filling it in on its own is the most dangerous part."

"The White Tower will fill it in according to the logic of the old project."

"And in the logic of the old project, the supervisory party has great power."

Lin Jin picked up a piece of chalk and wrote four characters next to the blackboard.

[Observation Boundaries]

"We aren't arguing about whether he enters or not right now."

"We are first arguing about what he can do after he enters."

Zhou Heng gripped his Thunder Spear and said nothing.

But he was no longer acting impulsively.

Lin Jin wrote the first clause.

[The Supervisory Observer does not belong to the Rule Maintenance Special Class team and does not enjoy teammate status; they do not participate in the Mutual Verification Contract.]

The White Tower prompt on the blackboard shuddered slightly.

[Clause under verification]

Lin Jin continued writing.

[The Supervisory Observer shall not be judged by the White Tower as a replacement candidate and shall not replace any team member's position.]

Chen Ye immediately nodded.

"This must be included."

"Otherwise, once he gets in, if the White Tower just says Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue is more suitable for the Barrier Breaker Position, wouldn't that be the end of it?"

Zhou Heng's expression was gloomy, but he did not refute.

Lin Jin wrote the third clause.

[The Supervisory Observer only possesses recording rights; they do not possess on-site command rights, route suggestion rights, or contract modification rights.]

Shen Tingxue added:

"What about when there is a life-threatening danger?"

Gu Changye's voice came through.

"According to the Abyss Processing Bureau's emergency rules, Observers can issue danger warnings."

Lin Jin nodded and added a sentence at the end:

[When involving immediate life-threatening danger, they may issue one factual warning, but they shall not include route choices, replacement suggestions, or identity definitions.]

Chen Ye stared at it for a long time.

"What does 'factual warning' mean?"

Lin Jin gave an example.

"For instance, 'There is contamination on the left' is allowed."

"But you cannot say, 'Take the straightest path'."

"And you cannot say, 'Zhou Heng is useless, let me do it'."

Chen Ye suddenly understood.

"Got it."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"If he really dares to say that, I'll strike him down first."

Lin Jin continued writing the fourth clause.

[Before the Supervisory Observer enters, they must publicly disclose their own conflict of interest: 104 Barrier Breaker Position status, blood relationship with Zhou Heng, position in the Department of Education's Special Career Development Division, and historical association with Project No. 9.]

When this clause was written, the blackboard paused for a significantly longer time.

It was as if the White Tower was also judging how much of an impact this would have on the Observer position.

Qin Shanhe looked at that line and sneered.

"Publicly disclose conflict of interest."

"The Department of Education will like this clause the least."

In the communication talisman, Gu Changye said:

"I will submit these clauses for temporary tripartite review records."

"But Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue himself must confirm."

Lin Jin looked at the countdown on the blackboard.

Fifteen minutes remaining.

"Get him online."

A few seconds later, the projection array in front of the old classroom lit up.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's figure appeared beside the blackboard.

He was wearing the black uniform of the Department of Education, his expression calm, as if all the previous arguments had nothing to do with him.

His gaze first swept over the clauses on the blackboard, then landed on Zhou Heng.

"You all lack trust in the Observer's authority."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"Are you worthy of trust?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue was not angry.

"Trust is not a condition for review."

Lin Jin took over the conversation.

"That is why what we wrote are restrictions, not trust."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

"Lin Jin, you are more familiar with the process than I thought."

"I was forced into it by your Department of Education."

Lin Jin replied quickly.

Chen Ye almost laughed out loud but forcibly held it in.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at the blackboard.

"The first clause, I can accept."

"The Observer does not belong to the team members."

"The second clause, I can also accept."

"I will not apply to replace any members."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"That sounds nice."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue ignored him.

"The third clause, recording rights are fine."

"But the total cancellation of route suggestion rights is unreasonable."

"I have White Tower experience."

"When necessary, my suggestions can reduce your mortality rate."

Lin Jin shook his head.

"You can state facts."

"You cannot offer choices."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue asked:

"What if I know which path is a dead end?"

Lin Jin replied:

"You can say that path has high-risk contamination."

"But you cannot say which path Zhou Heng should take."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue was silent for a second.

"You are preventing me from influencing him."

"Yes."

Lin Jin did not hide it.

"Also preventing you from influencing me."

"Influencing Shen Tingxue."

"Influencing Chen Ye."

"If the Observer can offer route suggestions, the White Tower can write your suggestions as the optimal solution for the old project."

"By then, if we take your path, we are being led astray by you."

"If we don't take your path, we are refusing supervision."

"I am not taking that bait."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's gaze finally deepened a bit.

Qin Shanhe sat in the back, holding his mug and gently blowing on the hot steam.

His expression was as if to say, the brat hasn't wasted his time getting beaten up by dungeons these past few years.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue said:

"The fourth clause, public disclosure of conflict of interest, is fine."

Zhou Heng frowned instead.

He didn't expect Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue to agree so quickly.

Lin Jin did not relax either.

Agreeing too quickly meant he wasn't afraid of these few clauses.

Or rather, he had other preparations.

Gu Changye's voice came from the communication talisman:

"The clauses have been submitted for tripartite review records."

"Does the Academy confirm?"

Qin Shanhe said:

"Confirmed."

"The Abyss Processing Bureau confirms."

Gu Changye said.

All eyes turned to Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue spoke calmly:

"The Department of Education confirms, but reserves the right of interpretation."

Lin Jin said immediately:

"We do not accept the reservation of the right of interpretation."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

Lin Jin pointed at the blackboard.

"If the observation boundaries can still be interpreted by the Department of Education after the fact, then there are no boundaries."

"Change it to 'reserves the right to appeal'."

"The right of interpretation belongs to the tripartite review records and the White Tower's real-time records."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue was silent.

Eight minutes left on the countdown.

Inspector Han Su's voice suddenly cut in.

"The Department of Education accepts the modification."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue glanced to the side, as if he had been interrupted by Inspector Han Su.

But he did not object in the end.

The clauses on the blackboard began to turn gray-gold.

[Supervisory Observer Position Restriction Clauses Established]

[Observer: Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue]

[Status: Non-teammate, non-replacement candidate, non-contract member]

[Permissions: Recording, factual warning]

[Prohibited: On-site command, route suggestion, contract modification, identity definition]

[Violation Consequence: Observer position automatically frozen, violation record entered into tripartite review]

Chen Ye let out a long sigh of relief.

"That's more like it."

Zhou Heng, however, continued to stare at Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue.

"Why do you insist on entering the White Tower?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

"Because you don't know what is inside the White Tower."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"You know?"

"I have been inside."

"And then?"

Zhou Heng took a step forward.

"After you came out, 104 had an incident."

"Shen Qingshuang went missing."

"Lin Shoushan entered No. 9."

"Teacher Xu Wenzhou was gagged."

"You entered the Department of Education."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's gaze finally turned cold.

"Zhou Heng."

"Do not simply attribute old events you do not understand."

Zhou Heng stared at him.

"Then explain it clearly."

"Twenty years ago on the first floor of the White Tower, what exactly happened?"

In the projection, Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue did not answer immediately.

And just at this moment, the blackboard suddenly lit up on its own.

It was not Lin Jin's chalk writing.

Nor was it the tripartite review records.

It was the White Tower's text.

[Supervisory Observer Position Restrictions Established]

[Candidate Observer Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue must complete entry identity verification]

[Verification Question Generating]

Everyone looked at the blackboard.

For the first time, a clear change appeared on Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's face.

The next second, a line of white text slowly appeared.

[Verification Question: Twenty years ago on the first floor of the White Tower, who did you replace?]