Chapter 9: The Bureau of Evolution

Sunlight streamed through the rusted window.

Chen Mo stretched lazily and sat up in bed. Ning Xuan, the little girl, lay sprawled across his chest, drooling in her sleep—she must be dreaming of tasty treats again.

Awakening felt like stepping out of a dream, as if everything that had happened the night before was mere illusion.

Yet, the data interface opened automatically, digitizing everything in the room.

[Old Wooden Table]

[Furniture, Material: Oak]

[Note: Looks like it’s not worth much.]

#######

[Television]

[Appliance, a device with extremely low technological content, used to receive visual images and audio signals]

[Note: It’s said that watching too much television makes you stupid.]

With the flood of data, Chen Mo realized last night hadn’t been a dream; everything was real.

He turned on the television. A familiar face appeared—Lei Dongtian, the same detestable member of that special organization from last night.

Wait! Chen Mo suddenly remembered: wasn’t Lei Dongtian the one ranked second in the dungeon leaderboards and third in the points rankings? It seemed this special organization was more formidable than he’d thought.

Lei Dongtian’s expression was sour, as if every viewer owed him money. His tone was icy: “The Sphere of Evolution is an invasion launched by advanced civilizations from across the universe against Earth, designed to disrupt world order and incite humans to slaughter each other. As a protector of the people, I absolutely will not permit such chaos. I understand your desire to evolve, so the nation has established a dedicated agency—the Evolution Bureau. Soon, every city will have its own Evolution Center. Any citizen wishing to participate in the Sphere of Evolution challenge can apply at their local center. Experts and a random lottery will select participants. Those who succeed in the challenge will receive a unique evolution number and enjoy subsidies!”

To hell with expert selection and random lotteries!

Chen Mo had never expected the authorities would resort to their old tricks to fool the masses—ridiculous, absolutely hilarious! He could already foresee bribery, buying off experts, falsifying records—such things were all too commonplace. Those with neither power nor influence might apply for a lifetime and never get a single chance to enter the Sphere of Evolution!

Even if one managed to enter, they would be assigned a number, and all family information would have to be submitted—essentially, they’d be under surveillance.

No wonder the authorities responded so quickly. This method was simple and brutal: it appeased public unrest by offering the illusion of fairness, while maintaining control over all participants.

Chen Mo had nothing to his name. He knew that, if not for the Sphere of Evolution, he and his sister would have lived out their days in poverty. But the arrival of the Sphere changed his perspective; he yearned for power, for change. Why should he be born an orphan? Why should he endure contempt and bullying since childhood? He, Chen Mo, refused to accept his fate!

Yet, despite his discontent, Chen Mo understood the situation was unclear. This was more than a national issue; future conflicts between countries were inevitable. The winds were shifting. For now, the priority was to keep calm, protect his identity, and safeguard his sister.

Lei Dongtian continued: “According to the rankings, 12 million people in the Chinese region participated in the first evolution challenge. Of these, 1.32 million are members of official agencies—all have registered their personal information with the Evolution Bureau and will qualify for the next round. The remaining 10.68 million, regardless of gender, profession, or age, must register as evolution participants at their local Evolution Center within seven days. Once registered, you will earn the right to enter the Sphere of Evolution again. Otherwise, if you reveal your status as an evolution participant for any reason, anywhere, you will face severe punishment—imprisonment without exception!”

Then, for the first time, the always cold Lei Dongtian smiled obsequiously: “To the top scorer, the Great Demon King, I trust you’ll hear my message. You’re not only the points leader in our region but the global leader as well. On behalf of the organization and the Evolution Bureau, I sincerely invite you to contact us as soon as possible. We will meet all your conditions!”

Finally, the television announced the Evolution Center’s phone number—910.

910! Just for you! Interesting!

“Brother, what should we do? Do we need to register?” At some point, Ning Xuan had already climbed out of bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes and speaking lazily.

Chen Mo replied in a deep voice, “No rush. He said we have seven days, so let’s wait and observe for a while.”

Clearly, the authorities had noticed the Great Demon King’s ID. If he registered now, the ID would be exposed, and trouble would surely follow. Registration wasn’t the issue—the real problem was how to conceal his identity. Chen Mo’s plan was to kill other evolution participants and steal their intelligence seeds; that way, their IDs and records could become his own, effectively masking his identity.

But—killing...

Chen Mo really didn’t have the courage, and besides, he couldn’t just kill without cause, unless he stumbled upon a corpse like last time.

“Come on, sister, let’s go out for breakfast.”

“No! I want to sleep a bit more.”

“Fine, sleep then. I was planning to treat you to soy milk and fried dough sticks.”

“Brother! Brother! Don’t leave, wait for me!!”

Because of their financial difficulties, the siblings considered a single steamed bun a feast, let alone soy milk and fried dough sticks—those were luxury.

Chen Mo had nearly spent all his money during the New Year; now he had only fifty-two yuan left. Originally, he planned to tighten his belt until the school term started, when he’d receive scholarships and living subsidies. He also picked up trash in his spare time to make ends meet.

But now, his mindset had changed dramatically. He no longer lived just to survive—he wanted to take control of his destiny.

Swaggering out the door, Chen Mo treated his sister to the richest breakfast they’d ever had: two bowls of soy milk, four fried dough sticks, and a basket of soup dumplings—twenty yuan spent!

Ning Xuan exclaimed in disbelief, “Brother, did you strike gold? Why are you suddenly so extravagant?”

Chen Mo grinned broadly, “Haha, you’re right—I really did strike gold! From now on, I’ll make sure you eat well and live large!”

Little did Ning Xuan know, she was the real gold mine. In cities like Jingdu and Shanghai, evolution black markets had already sprung up—a beginner’s sword was selling for a hundred thousand yuan!

After their satisfying breakfast, the siblings, rubbing their round bellies, boarded the bus and headed to the Jiafuduo Supermarket. Last night, they had entered the Sphere of Evolution right outside its entrance, and Chen Mo wanted to see what was happening there now.