The next morning started with the sound of Chen Ming knocking loudly on Li Wei's door.
"Wake up!"
Li Wei groaned from inside the room.
"Class starts in twenty minutes!" Chen Ming shouted.
There was a pause.
Then the door opened.
Li Wei looked half-awake, hair slightly messy.
"You could've texted."
"I did," Chen Ming said, waving his phone. "You ignored it."
Li Wei glanced at his own phone on the desk.
Four missed notifications.
"…Right."
Chen Ming stepped inside and looked around.
"You studied late again, didn't you?"
"Homework."
"Sure," Chen Ming said. "Let's go before Professor Zhang locks the door again."
They hurried across campus.
The morning air was cool, and students were already filling the walkways.
By the time they reached the classroom building, the bell rang.
Chen Ming dropped into his seat dramatically.
"Made it."
Li Wei placed his notebook on the desk.
"Barely."
The professor walked in a moment later and began the lecture.
After class, the two walked out with the rest of the students.
Chen Ming stretched.
"Alright," he said. "Cafeteria or coffee?"
"Coffee," Li Wei replied.
"Good choice."
They headed toward a small café near the edge of campus.
The place was quieter than the cafeteria, and the smell of fresh coffee filled the room.
Chen Ming ordered two cups and sat down at a corner table.
"Midterms are coming soon," he said. "You worried?"
"A little."
"That's a lie."
Li Wei smiled.
"You're right."
Chen Ming laughed.
"I knew it."
They talked for a while about classes and club activities.
Eventually Chen Ming checked his phone and stood up.
"I've got robotics practice."
"Go ahead," Li Wei said.
"You?"
"Library."
"Again?" Chen Ming shook his head. "You really like studying."
"Someone has to."
Chen Ming waved and left the café.
Li Wei finished his coffee slowly.
Then he spoke in his mind.
"System."
[ONLINE]
"Any sign-in locations nearby?"
A moment passed before the response appeared.
[INFORMATION NODE DETECTED]
LOCATION: LINHAI CITY MUSEUM
DISTANCE: 2.4 KM
Li Wei looked out the café window.
The museum was on the other side of the river.
He had visited it once during a school trip years ago.
Ancient artifacts.
Historical exhibitions.
A place filled with information.
Which made sense for a sign-in point.
Li Wei stood up and grabbed his backpack.
The museum plaza was much busier than the library had been.
Tourists walked around taking photos.
School groups gathered near the entrance while teachers counted students.
Li Wei bought a ticket and entered the building.
Inside, the main hall displayed large stone carvings from centuries ago.
Glass cases held old tools, pottery, and manuscripts.
He walked slowly through the exhibits like any other visitor.
A few minutes later he spoke again in his mind.
"System."
[ONLINE]
"Where's the node?"
[CORE INFORMATION NODE LOCATED: HISTORY ARCHIVE SECTION — FLOOR 2]
Li Wei followed the signs toward the second floor.
Compared to the main exhibition area, the upper level was quieter.
Most visitors stayed downstairs.
He eventually reached a hallway labeled Historical Records Archive.
Shelves filled with documents and recorded materials lined the room.
As soon as he stepped inside—
A message appeared.
[CORE INFORMATION NODE CONFIRMED]
[SIGN-IN AVAILABLE]
Li Wei walked to the far corner of the room where fewer people were standing.
"Sign in."
A brief pause.
Then the system responded.
[SIGN-IN COMPLETE]
LOCATION: LINHAI CITY MUSEUM
Another notification followed.
[REWARD GENERATED]
MEMORY ENHANCEMENT — LEVEL 1
A strange sensation passed through his mind.
Not sharp like the analytical upgrade.
This one felt… smoother.
Like his thoughts had more space.
Li Wei blinked slowly.
"…Memory?"
He looked at a nearby information board and read several paragraphs about an ancient trade route.
A minute later he looked away.
The details remained perfectly clear.
Dates.
Names.
Even the map printed on the board.
He smiled slightly.
"That's actually useful."
But just as he turned to leave—
A faint notification appeared again.
[ARCHIVE NODE ACTIVITY REGISTERED]
Li Wei paused.
"That again?"
[EXTERNAL SYSTEM RESPONSE DETECTED]
He didn't linger.
Instead, he walked out of the archive room and returned to the main museum hall.
Visitors moved around normally.
No one seemed to be paying attention to him.
Still, the message suggested something important.
Every time he activated a node…
Something else noticed.
Across the city—
Inside the underground facility—
The technician stared at the monitor again.
"Director," he said slowly.
The man looked up.
"It happened again."
"Another node?"
"Yes."
"Location?"
"Linhai City Museum."
The director remained silent for a moment.
Then he said quietly,
"Someone in this city is activating the Archive network."
Back at the museum entrance, Li Wei stepped outside into the afternoon sunlight.
He checked the time.
Still early.
Plenty of hours left in the day.
He walked toward the river bridge, already thinking about tomorrow's sign-in.