Chapter 167: The Inequality Lipstick

Chapter 167: The Inequality Lipstick

In the future, ten floors underground.

Luk slowly withdrew his hand, the threads in his eyes gradually fading, and a subtle ripple appeared on his calm face.

"Looks like being the protagonist in this world isn't such a good thing after all."

He had been planning to adjust Wang Lang's causal lines, but someone had already started messing with him, accelerating events that were supposed to happen later and forcing him into a new world.

This aligned with Luk's goals, so he didn't interfere. However, he couldn't help but intervene a little when he saw the construction truck, making a few reasonable adjustments.

A meteor falling from the sky might not be reasonable, but if the future supervisor had a Level 0 artifact called "Catastrophe Equation," it would be a different story.

Who else could have acted besides him?

Luk pondered silently. While the artifacts were incredibly powerful, they were generally difficult to control. Precisely targeting the protagonist and manipulating their fate was not something a small organization could manage.

The Lighthouse Limited Company was dedicated to destroying artifacts to restore the world to its original state, so they were unlikely suspects. The Mental Health Clinic was always focused on ascending, which was possible but not very likely.

The most likely culprits were the story editors, a group of people who thrived on weaving tales.

Deceptive and unpredictable, they didn't care about fame or profit, only about having fun and living life to the fullest.

"I don't really like these chaotic types."

He sighed. The story editors could be selfless heroes one moment, risking their lives to save the world, and ruthless villains the next, eager to destroy it. It was hard to tell if they were friends or foes.

...

The meteor's impact radius extended just a few meters in front of Wang Lang, and the poor guide from another world was already dead. The construction truck was also mostly destroyed.

Faced with the sudden appearance of Kelly, Wang Lang's face was filled with confusion.

Too much had happened today, and he couldn't process it all.

His mother's condition had worsened and she had passed away, his friend was cheating on his girlfriend, he had been fired from his job, and in a fit of rage, he had killed the adulterers and turned himself in. Just as the construction truck was about to run him over, a meteor fell from the sky.

Two police officers nervously ran back, surveyed the scene, and called for backup before approaching Wang Lang.

"Are you Wang Lang? Come with us."

Wang Lang obediently extended his hands, but a hand intervened as the police were about to cuff him.

"Wait a moment. I don't think he's done anything wrong."

"No, he turned himself in, so he's a dangerous person."

One of the police officers glanced at the foreign visitor. She had deep-set features, long eyebrows, and an expressionless face, dressed in a dark black uniform that exuded professionalism.

Kelly took out a lipstick from her pocket and expertly applied it to her lips, turning her pale pink lips into a glossy deep red.

"Ma'am, please don't interfere with our duties."

"You're right, but..."

"Self-surrender = Guilt."

Kelly's deep red lips opened and closed, her speech slowing, her expression calm and confident.

"This..."

The two police officers exchanged a glance, seeing the confusion on each other's faces, and then nodded simultaneously. "You're right. Thank you for pointing that out. We almost arrested the wrong person."

"Mr. Wang, would you be willing to come to the station to give a statement? After all, you were the one who called the police."

"Unwilling." Kelly continued slowly. "Calling the police = Need to go to the station for a statement."

"Yes, that can happen."

The police officers frowned, puzzled by their lack of critical thinking today, and then nodded apologetically at Wang Lang.

"Apologies for the inconvenience."

With that, they returned to their car and drove away.

Wang Lang watched the departing police car with his mouth agape. "This... This isn't right."

Had the standards for being a police officer dropped so low? They were so easy to fool.

"Your troubles are over. Can you come with me now?"

Kelly turned her gaze to Wang Lang as the police left.

"Who are you, and why should I go with you?"

Wang Lang was resistant to the stranger's demands. Even if the police had been fooled, he had committed a crime and couldn't hide for long. He would eventually be caught, and his refusal to turn himself in might result in a harsher sentence.

"I'm an old colleague of your father," Kelly replied coolly. "Your father sent me to pick you up. Is that answer satisfactory?"

"Unsatisfactory."

Wang Lang found it laughable. The man had left his mother when he was a child, never contributing to the family, and his mother had raised him through hardships. Now, he sends someone to fetch him, especially after he committed a serious crime?

Kelly's perfectly arched eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her deep red lips moved slowly, her speech becoming more deliberate.

"Refusal = Not following me."

"You have half an hour to pack. We're going to America."

Wang Lang looked at Kelly as if she were insane. "I've already refused. Didn't you hear me?"

"..."

Kelly fell silent for a few seconds, a crack appearing in her usually calm demeanor, her expression growing serious, and her eyes sharp.

"The 'Inequality Lipstick' has no effect on you."

"What 'Inequality Lipstick'?"

"One last time, are you coming with me or not?"

"I refuse. Don't stop me from turning myself in."

"You misunderstand. I have no intention of stopping you now.

Carrie took out her phone and had a brief conversation with the person on the other end before hanging up.

"Wang Lang, male, 21 years old, sentenced to death for murder, to be executed immediately. According to the International Convention on Sealed Artifacts, I hereby, with the authority of a future Level 4 Administrator, issue a special summons to you."

"Congratulations on becoming a future Level 1 Agent. You will receive the reward of weekly intimate interaction with a sealed artifact for one month. If you survive the month, your crimes will be pardoned."

Before Wang Lang could fully grasp what she was saying, Carrie struck swiftly, delivering a heavy punch to his abdomen.

"Ugh..."

He curled up in pain, and another sharp blow to the back of his head blurred his vision.

...

A strange ceiling.

Wang Lang awoke from his uncomfortable sleep, slowly opening his eyes to a stark white ceiling.

The room was square, painted a pristine white without a speck of impurity. It was empty except for Wang Lang and a single display stand.

On the stand, a beautiful bronze statue of a girl knelt with her hands raised high, tears in her eyes, as if pleading to the heavens for forgiveness. In her hands, she held an ornate and luxurious box.

He hesitated, then got up, noticing that his hands and feet were shackled. A conspicuous note was attached to the door.

"Do not touch the box. Stay in the room for ten minutes, and the task will be complete."

"What the hell is this?"

Wang Lang muttered under his breath, puzzled by the strange requirement, but his body obediently followed the instructions.

Apart from his recent impulsive actions, he had always been a law-abiding citizen in his 21 years of life, never daring to disobey orders or leave work early.

Now, as he calmed down, Wang Lang felt a surge of fear and regret for his impulsive actions, which had destroyed his future. He dared not defy any rules again.

...

Meanwhile, in a room on the first floor of the base.

Five people silently observed Wang Lang's behavior. He paced around the room, occasionally glancing curiously at the bronze statue and the box, but his attention was more focused on the statue.

"Really beautiful. It looks so lifelike, just like a living person."

Carrie heard Wang Lang's words through the surveillance system and turned to the other four, nodding slightly.

"Wang Lang has not been corrupted by the 'Pandora's Box.' His interest in the box is even less than in the bronze statue. He was also immune to my 'Inequality' lipstick. Based on this, we can preliminarily conclude that he has resistance to mental corruption."

One of the four, a dark-skinned man with a menacing gaze, his eyes flickering.

"Do you mean to have him take over his father Wang Ming's 'Ultimate Engraving'?"

"Yes."

"No way! Chinese people can't be trusted!"

After speaking, the dark-skinned man did not hide his hostile gaze, staring provocatively at the only Chinese person among the four, a middle-aged man in his forties with an ordinary appearance and a pair of glasses, exuding a scholarly demeanor.

Hearing the dark-skinned man's words, the middle-aged man adjusted his glasses and smiled, countering, "The product speaks for itself."

"You...!"

"Enough, Chuliang, Klevin. I didn't call you here to hear you argue."

The leading white man, with messy hair and a cloudy right eye, intervened, his gaze fixed on Carrie.

"Since the Doomsday Horn was sounded, Wang Ming has been in custody, and the Ultimate Engraving has not posed a significant threat on him. Why do you suddenly want to replace him with Wang Lang?"

Carrie was straightforward, "I want to treat the meme pollution caused by Derivative One. The quill pen in the Ultimate Engraving that can alter and influence effects is a possible solution. If we can turn the pollution into power, it will elevate our future."

"Hold on, can I ask why you chose Wang Lang? You didn't know he had mental resistance before, did you?"

Chuliang raised his hand, speaking calmly.

"I visited Wang Ming recently. He said that if anyone could inherit the Ultimate Engraving, it would be his son."

Chuliang shook his head, smiling, "Why would you trust a man corrupted by a sealed artifact, who wants to destroy the world and has even sounded the Doomsday Horn?"

"Because... because..."

Carrie was momentarily speechless, her brow furrowing.

"Because Wang Ming was your teacher, because Derivative Three hasn't caused any damage in years, and because you feel indebted to your teacher and want to make up for it."

"..."

Carrie realized the implications and answered sternly.

Apart from what Chuliang said, Wang Ming happened to commit his crime on the day she arrived, and she happened to discover Wang Lang's mental resistance.

"The Story Editing Department is getting out of hand, even weaving us into his story now."

A red-haired woman, who had been silent, spoke coldly, "Should we send a sealing team to eliminate them? With the information from the Tree of Wisdom, I have a good chance of winning."

"No, the Story Editing Department is unique. The protagonists they create have the ability to turn the impossible into the possible and the possible into the inevitable. Moreover, they don't have many sealed artifacts, so it's not worth causing friction over a minor issue."

The white man shook his head, "No problem, as long as the protagonist joins our side. Having an excellent pawn on our side is a good thing, though it will be a bit more challenging for everyone afterward."

After all, wherever the protagonist goes, chaos and turmoil follow, with all sorts of improbable events occurring.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end