Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 101

When Zhou Qian came to the hotel before, he had already chosen a luxury suite in advance, located at the top of the hotel with a view over the entire Blue Harbor City. It was perfect for him and Bai Zhou to sit down, have some drinks, and clear up matters from the past seven years.

However, the silly receptionist now completely disrupted his plans.

Although the suite had two bedrooms… accommodating six people was still a bit too cramped.

Moreover, considering how naive the receptionist seemed, Zhou Qian really didn’t want to be the one asking everyone to leave the hotel. What if the receptionist let something slip and ruined his reputation?

Before he could say more, the receptionist swiftly pulled out a tablet and began introducing the features of the suite. He Xiaowei, Hidden Blade, and the recently arrived Qi Liuxing and Ke Yuxiao, all approached curiously.

The presentation was quite novel, resembling an AR mode where a 3D image of the suite rose directly from the tablet, allowing a full 360-degree view.

Upon seeing the room, He Xiaowei was amazed.

But the price was definitely steep. He couldn’t help but say, “Wow, it’s so expensive. If we convert the Blue Harbor currency to gold coins… it’s truly pricey! Unless all six of us split the cost, I think it’s just barely acceptable.”

Amidst the lively discussion, Bai Zhou remained silent, his gaze settling on Zhou Qian. Zhou Qian, sensing something, met Bai Zhou’s gaze. It felt like despite the world’s noise, their eyes always found a way to intertwine.

After a moment, Bai Zhou approached Zhou Qian, whispering, “Let the four of them stay.”

Zhou Qian pondered. “And what about us?”

Bai Zhou: “Let’s have dinner first. After that, I’ll take you somewhere.”

Staring at Bai Zhou for a while, Zhou Qian chuckled. “Zhou Ge, you have quite a few secrets.”

……

20 minutes later, the six of them were seated in a Hong Kong-style hotpot restaurant.

After chatting with He Xiaowei for a bit, Zhou Qian finally understood why they could find him so quickly—the hotpot restaurant was actually just 800 meters diagonally across from the hotel.

He Xiaowei cheerfully said to him, “We just discovered this place and thought we’d come to find you to see if it met your standards. Just as we left the restaurant and were about to cross the road, we bumped into you and Bai Zhou going to the hotel…”

He Xiaowei didn’t finish his sentence because he was elbowed by Hidden Blade.

“Master?”

Hidden Blade gritted his teeth. “Mind your words.”

He Xiaowei: “?”

Zhou Qian: “…”

He Xiaowei continued to smile broadly. Given his personality, he quickly became friendly with anyone. However, in just this short distance, he had already gotten quite familiar with Qi Liuxing and Ke Yuxiao.

“Let’s go and get the sauces!” After He Xiaowei made this suggestion, everyone started to head towards the sauce area.

Noticing that Zhou Qian remained seated, He Xiaowei asked him, “Eh, Qian’er? Aren’t you coming? Want me to prepare it for you?”

Zhou Qian didn’t respond but looked at Bai Zhou, who stood behind He Xiaowei. Bai Zhou simply smiled cryptically, not saying a word. Completely puzzled, He Xiaowei then heard Bai Zhou ask Zhou Qian, “Just the satay sauce again?”

“Mm.” Zhou Qian nodded and said, gazing at Bai Zhou, “See how sentimental I am? My tastes haven’t changed in so many years.”

He Xiaowei scratched his head, looking back and forth between the two. “Eh, what…?”

Hidden Blade couldn’t help but facepalm and quickly pull He Xiaowei away.

When they officially started eating, the main conversation was between the four ordinary players.

Hidden Blade chose to remain silent, while the genuinely aloof Bai Zhou was quietly helping Zhou Qian with the food, scooping up shrimp, fish, and abalone. Zhou Qian barely had to use his chopsticks.

Qi Liuxing, having been taught from a young age to do things for himself, sometimes disapproved of some of Zhou Qian’s behaviors. This disapproval peaked when he noticed Bai Zhou carefully extracting crab meat to place in Zhou Qian’s bowl, prompting Qi Liuxing to exclaim, “Zhou Qian, it’s not like you don’t have hands!”

Zhou Qian immediately placed his hands behind his back and boldly claimed, “I don’t have them.”

Qi Liuxing: “…”

Zhou Qian laughed, “Ah, such pleasures, Xiao Qi Gege, you as a minor wouldn’t understand.”

“Besides, you’re always so serious. It was thanks to that trait that when we first met, I was able to successfully draw aggro and you shielded me. Next time someone pulls that stunt, don’t fall for it, okay?”

Qi Liuxing: “……….”

“By the way,” Zhou Qian continued, “I know why He Xiaowei and Hidden Blade went to the hotel. But what about you two?”

“After we leveled up to Rank S, we rushed here,” Qi Liuxing said. “I was curious about Blue Harbor City and wanted to see what the instance looks like after reaching Rank S. By the time we arrived, it was late, and having not rested since our last instance run, we found a nearby hotel. We just wanted to rest for the night and try to contact you guys. We didn’t expect to run into you as soon as we entered.”

“So… why did you level up so fast?” Zhou Qian asked.

Qi Liuxing responded, “We found a double experience card.”

“That’s a rare item, isn’t it?” Zhou Qian frowned.

“Yes, it is,” He Xiaowei exclaimed, also surprised. “I thought I was super lucky… but…”

“Free gains often imply a plot.”

At this point, Zhou Qian picked up a piece of crab meat, dipped it in sauce, and instead of eating it himself, he offered it to Bai Zhou, who accepted it after a glance.

Zhou Qian smiled. “Right. You should eat too.”

Seeing this, Qi Liuxing, who was seated opposite them, whispered to He Xiaowei, “I missed one instance run. Did they start dating?”

He Xiaowei responded, “What? Dating? Who’s dating?”

With sharp ears, Zhou Qian shot a meaningful and warning glance at Qi Liuxing, who met his gaze defiantly. “You told me yourself that you were the ‘gazing husband stone’.”

Zhou Qian: “…”

Qi Liuxing added, “And during ‘The Flower of Evil’, you said—”

“Stop!”

Zhou Qian halted Qi Liuxing mid-sentence, set down his chopsticks, and grabbed Bai Zhou by the collar, turning him to face him. His movements were smooth, fluid, and accomplished in one go.

“Zhou Ge, let’s get back to our earlier topic. Why is it that my teammates always end up with these experience cards? Is there some hidden agenda behind this? How much do you know?”

“It could be a deliberate influence, but that’s just one possibility,” Bai Zhou replied. “There’s another possibility.”

Zhou Qian: “What possibility?”

Bai Zhou: “The system assesses player data from various perspectives and provides them with specific instances based on that. You’re already aware of this. Choosing the instances recommended by the system helps players improve their specialized skills. Haven’t you noticed that you always get instances related to hidden achievements?”

Zhou Qian pondered for a bit. “So you mean… the system dropping these cards for my teammates is, in a way, assisting me in selecting team members?”

“No, more precisely, it’s helping many people choose their teams. Is it trying to establish a… genuine legion? What is its endgame?”

“I’ll share some of my speculation about it later,” Bai Zhou said. “For now, eat.”

“Alright.” Zhou Qian released his grip and picked up a shrimp. “The exhibition hall was indeed exhausting. Let’s not talk about that now.”

At that moment, Ke Yuxiao, who had been relatively quiet, spoke up. “I’m familiarizing myself with the interface after reaching Rank S… There’s a public information board here that regularly posts updates, like newly opened instances, and where you can see everyone’s comments. I just saw…”

His tone became serious. “The Peach Blossom Legion has doubled the bounty on Zhou Qian.”

Zhou Qian laughed. “The Peach Blossom Legion doesn’t have capable members, so they’re hiring others as cannon fodder?”

Having heard He Xiaowei’s account earlier, Qi Liuxing got the gist of the situation. After some contemplation, he said, “Something feels off. What’s the Peach Blossom Legion up to? They’ve had multiple encounters with you and should know you aren’t easy to deal with.”

“This bounty might be tempting for smaller legions, but notable legions wouldn’t be interested in such a small reward. As for solo experts, many would be aware of you, especially since your previous clear videos are publicly available. So in special instances where one can’t predict the challenges, no one would dare act recklessly. Why then…”

Qi Liuxing’s point was clear: only the brash and overconfident, like the seemingly Invincible Legion, would dare accept such a bounty. It seemed the Peach Blossom Legion’s bounty was meaningless, as if they were just luring cannon fodder to Zhou Qian.

“First, they might still be testing me. Second, while there are many minor players who want me dead, it still creates some nuisance. They might just be trying to annoy me,” Zhou Qian speculated.

He then asked Ke Yuxiao, “So, is anyone brave enough to take up the bounty?”

“No one has accepted it yet. There’s an interesting comment. Someone wrote—” Ke Yuxiao began reading from the board, “‘I consulted with my Rank God player friend. They say player ​[137]​ is usually very low-key. He never takes on apprentices, nor has he ever taken anyone to a special achievement instance.”

“Hence, he’s never showcased his strength to the average player. Almost no one knows about ​[137]​, but he’s the real deal. This person advises everyone not to take the bounty.'”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian laughed again, looking at Bai Zhou. “I always said, Zhou Ge, you’re my lucky charm. Plus, we have two Rank God players here!”

……

Inside a private booth in the virtual game hall.

As the door opened, high-level gamblers who placed their bets on Zhou Qian were leaving with satisfaction.

To protect players’ privacy, certain content within the game instance wasn’t broadcast in real-time, such as when a player was taking a shower. For semi-open major instances like Blue Harbor City, the system didn’t provide a broadcast feature either. Therefore, since Zhou Qian hadn’t entered the instance yet, the high-stakes gamblers had the opportunity to relax.

In a corner of the booth, Priest slowly smoked a cigarette. By the time he finished it, the surroundings had emptied. He stood up and noticed the sparse crowd in the hall. After scanning the area, his gaze landed on a person sitting quietly in the corner, shivering slightly. He had been sitting for a long time, drained of all strength.

At this time, he heard a voice.

“Do you feel it’s unfair? You’ve put in so much, invested money, energy, and did research. You gathered countless outside information, trying to help Wen Bin achieve victory…”

“But he lost, and so did you, utterly defeated. On the other hand, Zhou Qian’s high-level gamblers… They just followed the right person, did nothing, and effortlessly won money?”

It was Priest’s voice. Observing the man’s reaction, he continued, “The money they won was essentially taken from losers like you. When you think about it, it feels even more unfair, right?”

“You… Are you from the Peach Blossom Legion?” The man looked up. “What do you want from me?”

Priest responded, “Based on your behavior, I think you have potential. That’s all. This game is as such; placing your hopes of victory on someone else feels too elusive. Join the Peach Blossom Legion, and I will personally mentor you.”

“To clear my debts… seems like this is the only path I have left. But I have questions for you,” the man said.

“Ask away.” Priest’s expression is gentle.

The man inquired, “Can Zhou Qian’s gamblers keep winning forever?”

Priest chuckled. “There are no eternal winners in this world. The only difference is whether they fall sooner or later. Experience usually shows us the higher one climbs, the harder they fall. Zhou Qian will face this fate. So will his gamblers.”

“But what if? What if Zhou Qian keeps winning? Then his gamblers can effortlessly win, right?” The man clenched his fists. “Like you said, it’s unfair!”

“If you think that way, then you underestimate human nature,” Priest said. “Human greed knows no bounds.”

“You mean…”

“Before reaching Rank S, a player has only one gambler. At that time, all the prize money belongs to that gambler. But after reaching Rank S, even though the total prize money decreases, the number of people wanting to become Zhou Qian’s gambler increases. If you were one of them, would you be willing to share what belongs to you?”

Seeing the man’s reaction, Priest smiled. “Wait and watch them all sink together.”

……

Blue Harbor City 2301.

He Xiaowei and the others went to the hotel.

Zhou Qian ignored the doubtful look in Qi Liuxing’s eyes and just followed Bai Zhou to the beach.

After walking around the deep blue sea for about ten minutes, Zhou Qian asked Bai Zhou, “So, where are you taking me?”

Bai Zhou looked straight ahead and responded in a gentle tone, “I told you before, I came to Blue Harbor City and bought something at the auction house.”

“Mm.” Zhou Qian looked at him. “So, what did you buy?”

“We’re here.” Bai Zhou slightly tilted his chin forward.

Zhou Qian looked up and saw a two-story villa by the sea.

“You bought a house?”

Zhou Qian walked up to the peculiar-looking door and, turning to Bai Zhou with a smile, asked, “How do you open this?”

Bai Zhou approached and said, “First, let’s register your fingerprint.”

Bai Zhou then pressed Zhou Qian’s index finger on the door lock’s system panel three times, completing the fingerprint registration. After entering the living room and changing shoes, Bai Zhou gave Zhou Qian a tour of the entire house, eventually leading him to the master bedroom, where he provided a clean set of clothes and a bath towel.

“You’ll sleep here tonight. I’ll be in the guest room next door. Do you want to take a bath before sleeping? Want me to make you some milk?”

Zhou Qian, not in a hurry to shower, pointed at the clothes in Bai Zhou’s hand and asked, “Are these all in my size? How long ago did you prepare these?”

Bai Zhou replied, “I thought there might come a day when you’d need them. I wasn’t sure about the size, though. Try them on. If they don’t fit, I’ll buy you more.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian examined the clothes thoughtfully before accepting them. His expression then turned serious. “Zhou Ge, after my bath, I’d like to drink some alcohol.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “Alright. Just a little. Red wine?”

Zhou Qian replied, “Sounds good. How about we drink together and chat?”

“Okay,” Bai Zhou nodded again.

Afterward, Zhou Qian showered upstairs, and Bai Zhou did the same downstairs. They then climbed the small staircase, heading to the rooftop. The view from the rooftop was stunning, offering a glimpse of Blue Harbor City’s neon-lit sea and the colorful horizon. Zhou Qian enjoyed the vibrant colors, which lifted his spirits.

Taking a sip of wine, Zhou Qian turned to find Bai Zhou draping a light jacket over him.

Zhou Qian squinted and said, “Zhou Ge, sometimes I think you’re quite romantic, like right now. But sometimes, I feel like you don’t understand anything at all.”

Bai Zhou just smiled softly, adjusting the jacket for Zhou Qian and taking a sip from his own glass.

Zhou Qian faced the vast sea ahead. The sea breeze touched his cheeks, leaving a hint of a salty taste in his words.

“I often wonder what the hell you’re thinking.”

Adjusting his white shirt, Zhou Qian began, “Like these clothes. Did you prepare them in advance because you knew I’d enter this game?”

“The time I had carbon monoxide poisoning in the real world, was it you who saved me? That night, I’m sure I saw a dragon. I’m beginning to doubt something…”

Taking another sip of wine, Zhou Qian continued, “Did I die then? Did you, as a god, revive me? What did it cost you?”

He set down his glass and looked at Bai Zhou, tilting his head slightly. “Who is the god in this game?”

Bai Zhou paused before replying, “Your father was a gambler in this game.”

Zhou Qian nodded. “I suspected as much.”

Bai Zhou continued, “He lost in the game and tried to win back his money in the real world through gambling but lost even more. When I found out about it, I learned someone hired your father to kill you. If he succeeded, all his debts would be forgiven. He failed and was killed.”

“So, who has been trying to kill me all this time?”

Zhou Qian frowned. “I’ve always wondered about the motivations of the Peach Blossom Army.”

“In a way, I feel the game chose you. Or us. It’s like an inescapable destiny for both of us. However, someone doesn’t want us to have this ‘destiny’. I have some speculations. In the future, we can verify them together. About that night—”

Bai Zhou continued, “My divine status was already quite advanced. At that time, I already had the ability to manifest as a dragon in reality. That’s why I was able to come to your aid when I received the message. The dragon you saw was indeed me. However, I only managed to get you out of the room. I don’t have the power to resurrect the dead, neither now nor then. So you never died.”

“After forcefully manifesting as a dragon in reality, I exhausted much of my spiritual energy. While you were hospitalized for eight months, I was bedridden for the same period, unable to enter any instance. Unlike you, we aren’t bound by time limits for entering instances. I’m sorry that after getting you out of the room, I couldn’t maintain my dragon form and had to leave, unable to save your mother.”

Zhou Qian shook his head and asked, “You were incapacitated for eight months… So the dragon I saw later wasn’t you?”

Bai Zhou replied with another question, “Are you saying you saw a dragon at Spring Hill Mental Asylum?”

“Yes, many times,” Zhou Qian confirmed. “It was what led me into the game.”

“That wasn’t me,” Bai Zhou admitted. “If I could, I wouldn’t have wanted you to enter. But ever since the incident with your father, I felt the game had chosen you. So…”

Zhou Qian chuckled.

It seemed he had found the answers he was seeking, and he appeared relieved. Looking at Bai Zhou, he said, “So you bought this house and prepared these clothes for me? Zhou Ge…”

“Yes?”

Zhou Qian became serious. “When I was younger, I said some childish and hurtful things. Please don’t take them to heart. About buying a house… I was just trying to annoy you back then. I never expected…”

“Bai Zhou, so what if you’re smart? You’ll never be able to afford a house like mine.”

“Zhou Ge, I’m sorry for what I said that day. You will buy many houses like that.”

……

Thinking about it now, whether it was the former or the latter statement, maybe for Bai Zhou, both were burdensome, right?

He was confined and couldn’t buy a house in the real world. Yet, in his mental sanctuary, he genuinely remembered this and acted upon it, as if he wanted to prove something to someone.

Unbeknownst to him, Zhou Qian put down his glass of wine, laid down, and gazed at the colorful clouds and stars in the night sky.

After a while, Zhou Qian whispered, finally asking the question that bothered him the most. “Zhou Ge, why… seven years ago, did you leave without saying goodbye and transferred schools?”

When asking this, Zhou Qian didn’t look at Bai Zhou; he just stared at the night sky. But his ears were perked up, clearly paying attention to every breath Bai Zhou took.

Bai Zhou replied, “On the day I received the diagnosis, I sat alone in the park behind the hospital for a long time. Someone approached me, asking me to participate in an experiment related to a ‘gene regression’ program. They said it could cure me and promised I’d recover in a few months. I agreed and signed a confidentiality agreement.”

“I see. You thought that in a few months, you could act as if nothing had happened and happily reappear before me.”

As Zhou Qian whispered this, he suddenly realized something.

He often told Bai Zhou that he was perfect. But it turned out that such words might have been a burden for him.

Especially back then, when Bai Zhou was so young. He was at an age where he needed guidance. But perhaps, at that time, Zhou Qian was too dependent on him, making Bai Zhou feel that he could only be the one to rely on and should never show his vulnerability.

Only now did Zhou Qian truly understand that Bai Zhou’s decision to participate in the experiment wasn’t because he wasn’t afraid of death or because he was naive. Even if he knew the chances of survival were slim, even if he realized how absurd the “gene regression experiment” sounded, he would still proceed.

All because he wouldn’t want to be seen in a state of physical decay, becoming paralyzed, disabled, and finally dying miserably.

Of course, it might not be just because of Zhou Qian. Bai Zhou’s parents were also problematic. Due to his birth, his mother missed a promotion and always resented him. His father seemed too busy to care for him.

Bai Zhou felt that his parents couldn’t accept an imperfect version of him. They couldn’t bear the idea of their promising son becoming a victim of a degenerative disease, becoming a lifelong burden.

Both Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou were children neglected by their parents. Both carried trauma from their original families. But these traumas shaped their personalities in very different ways.

At this moment, Zhou Qian couldn’t help but think that Bai Zhou had his own obsessions, wrapping himself in layers of chains. But he didn’t know what he truly looked like in his heart.

There were some things… Maybe he really didn’t understand.

He was always been fulfilling what he believed were his duties and responsibilities in an almost clumsy and stubborn way, but he didn’t understand anything at all.

Zhou Qian clenched his hands tightly, relaxing only after a long while. The starry sky suddenly became blurry, and then he closed his eyes as if to hide his emotions.

But Bai Zhou seemed to see something. He said, “Zhou Qian, when I chose to participate in this experiment, I never thought of seeking death. I have always been fighting for a chance to live. I never thought of leaving you behind. Back then I—”

“It’s okay. Zhou Ge, I understand now,” Zhou Qian said with his eyes closed. “After these few days together and the conversation tonight… I fully understand. I won’t be angry with you anymore.”

“Zhou Qian…”

“I’m tired. I want to sleep here for a while.”

“Alright. Then sleep.”

After an unknown period, feeling Zhou Qian’s breathing become steadier, Bai Zhou knew he had fallen into a deep sleep. The night deepened, and the wind by the sea grew strong. Fearing that Zhou Qian might catch a cold, Bai Zhou eventually carried him downstairs and then into the master bedroom, placing him gently on the bed.

After tucking Zhou Qian in, Bai Zhou turned off the bedroom light and then went out to the hallway.

What Bai Zhou didn’t know was that Zhou Qian, pretending to be asleep, had clenched and then released his hand under the blanket. Standing quietly in the hallway for a long while, Bai Zhou re-entered the room and sat in the chair next to the bed.

The white light from the hallway faintly illuminated half of Zhou Qian’s face while casting a long shadow of Bai Zhou sitting on the chair. After a long while, that shadow finally moved—

Bai Zhou leaned forward, gently brushing away the stray hairs on Zhou Qian’s forehead with his hand. Then, with utmost care, he leaned down and lightly kissed that smooth forehead.

After the soft kiss, Bai Zhou got up to leave. But as he turned, a hand reached out from under the blanket, grabbing his wrist. Bai Zhou stood still.

After a moment, he heard Zhou Qian ask him, “After you transformed into a dragon during ‘Last Wish’, did you do something like what you just did?”

The night was deep.

Zhou Qian’s tone held a hint of provocation.

He then asked, “Zhou Ge, under what pretense should I stay at your house? As brothers, friends, old classmates, or… something else?”

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