Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 179: Everywhere
Xu Wang pulled his savior into the office, slammed the door shut, and pointed directly outside. “You can see it too?!”
Wu Sheng showed the owl icon on his arm. “I have this too.”
“Me too!” Xu Wang almost wanted to cry and hug him, just like the overwhelming joy of meeting a compatriot in a foreign land.
“Let’s not get too excited.” Wu Sheng patted his shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”
Xu Wang blurted out everything he had experienced, but the timeline of the events was too chaotic, and he found it hard not to get agitated. As a result, his narrative was all over the place and became incoherent. Towards the end, even he couldn’t bear to listen to himself anymore, like turning neatly sorted vegetables into a jumbled rock salad.
The savior listened from beginning to end without saying a word, probably because he didn’t even know where to start asking questions without interrupting him.
“Give me a minute to sort this out.” Xu Wang shook his head, trying to calm himself down. “Let me explain it to you again…”
“Did you miss anything?” Wu Sheng asked.
“Ah, I don’t think so…” Xu Wang felt a bit embarrassed. “I just told it in such a disorganized way, I was worried you…”
“It’s not disorganized. It’s very clear.” Wu Sheng’s eyes were clear. “You’ve lost your memory and experienced two time resets; one where you were killed and one where you were holding the door and yelling for help, but there was no actual danger. Both times happened at 12:04. The number outside the window decreased from 13 to 11, and you have a strange owl icon and the message ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’ on your arm.”
“How did you summarize it like that…” Xu Wang now looked at his savior with eyes full of admiration.
Wu Sheng enjoyed the recognition and admiration in the other’s eyes. Since losing his memory, it was the first time he truly smiled. “Because I’m just like you. I’ve also lost my memory, experienced two time resets, and can see the number outside and the message on my arm. The only difference is, I haven’t died. Both times were like your second time. I just zoned out, and then it reset.”
Going from fighting alone to standing together and having someone so reassuring by his side, Xu Wang’s panic was slowly replaced by a huge question. “Why is this happening? Is this some kind of mutation?”
“It’s not clear yet.” Wu Sheng glanced at his watch. 12:09. “So far, we know 12:04 is a key moment. We’ve successfully passed it. Now let’s see what happens next.”
“Next?” Xu Wang tensed up. “You mean there’s still danger to come?”
“Of course,” Wu Sheng said. “If everything goes smoothly, ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’ wouldn’t make sense as a test question.”
“Test question?” His savior’s thought process was hard to follow.
“Oh, that’s just a metaphor I used.” Wu Sheng opened the owl icon, explaining, “See, there’s a [Roster], [Stationery Box], [Cheat Sheet], and [Report Card]. Among the four items, [Roster] and [Report Card] are blank. [Cheat Sheet] only has ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’, while [Stationery Box] has items with prefixes (Defense), (Offense), and (Illusory). Doesn’t this look like items in a game?”
“It does seem like it…” Xu Wang hadn’t realized there was so much to the owl icon. He had only seen that message and didn’t click anywhere else. Plus, each time, just after four minutes, the secretary’s crazy boyfriend would arrive, leaving him no time to think further.
“I haven’t clicked them to see what effects they have, but with a [Roster], [Stationery Box] and [Report Card], to me, this seems like a test,” Wu Sheng continued. “The [Cheat Sheet] would normally have answers, but placed here, it’s more likely a hint.”
Xu Wang remembered the first few crisp “dings”. Indeed, it very much sounded like a phone’s notification.
Wu Sheng’s expression became serious. “I guess, for some inexplicable reason, we’ve been chosen to take this test, and the question is ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’…”
“During this period, the mysterious force behind this test will set various obstacles for us, and if we fail, time will reset. The number outside the window is the number of times we can fail, meaning, you and I share 13 chances…”
“Once the number reaches zero, no one knows what we’ll face, but if possible, I’d like to win this challenge and throw a perfect score in the face of the test organizers…”
After taking a breath, he looked earnestly into Xu Wang’s eyes. “The most important part now is to find the trigger for the time reset. The first time was your death. What about the second time?”
Xu Wang also looked at him seriously, not speaking, just looking.
Wu Sheng paused, perhaps realizing something. “Did I say too much all at once? Actually, it’s not that complicated…”
“Brother.” Xu Wang grabbed his savior’s hand, holding it tightly with both hands. “Tell me the truth. Are you pranking me? You didn’t actually lose your memory. You know everything…”
Time: 12:17. Suddenly, without warning.
“Knock knock.”
Xu Wang snapped back to reality with the sound of knocking, feeling as if he still had the warmth of his savior’s hand in his palm.
Time: 12:00.
The number outside the window changed to “10”.
Half a minute later, the female secretary placed the coffee down for the fourth time.
A minute and a half later, Wu Sheng barged into the office, out of breath. “Wrong, there are others taking this test!”
……
15th floor, XX Pet Grooming Center.
“Woof woof! Woof woof—”
“Lin Lin, why does it keep barking…” He didn’t know what was wrong with him, having to rely on the name tag pinned to his chest to remember his and his colleague’s names.
To say “remember” wasn’t quite right; his mind was still blank, just temporarily holding onto the two names he saw.
His name tag read Kuang Jinxin.
The girl helping him calm the dog, named Lin Lin, looked two years younger than him.
The dog being serviced was a golden retriever, which should have been gentle, but it barked fiercely. Lin Lin kept soothing it, yet it remained restless.
“It’s pregnant. The most sensitive time is when it’s about to become a mom.” Lin Lin gently stroked the golden retriever’s head to soothe it.
Kuang Jinxin put down the pet comb. “Alright, that’s enough.”
Lin Lin was startled and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You only combed it twice.”
“Ah?” Kuang Jinxin looked puzzled, tilting his head. “But I felt like I’ve been combing for a long time.”
The Golden Retriever suddenly jumped off the grooming table and ran out.
Just then, an employee passed by, intercepted the dog, and, after much coaxing, managed to carry it back.
Kuang Jinxin looked at the golden retriever, now back on the grooming table, momentarily baffled.
If he remembered correctly, the dog had run out three times already, and each time this particular employee happened to pass by. It was too strange.
“What are you daydreaming about?” Lin Lin took his pet comb and got busy.
Kuang Jinxin looked around the grooming salon. There were walls on all sides with no windows and only a glass door, sealed tightly by the company’s logo.
Probably because it was a bit stuffy inside, Kuang Jinxin thought, hence why he was having these bizarre illusions.
……
16th floor, XX Brand Design Studio.
Mannequins were everywhere, fabrics of various colors cluttered the place, and designers were bustling about. It seemed even the overhead lights were malfunctioning. A maintenance worker was fixing them on a ladder, creating a bustling scene of work.
A beautiful man sat in a corner; even in an open office area, it was evident that the space around him was relatively larger and more independent.
He wasn’t busy but had turned his chair halfway to look out the window. Though frowning, his posture was relaxed, in stark contrast to the bustling employees.
“Director Chi, this is the theme for the next season. Please take a look.” An employee delivered a plan.
The contemplative man didn’t turn around, still immersed in his own aesthetic system. “Which company’s countdown advertisement is this?”
“Huh?” The employee didn’t understand.
“Too ugly.” The man didn’t wait for an answer from the employee, giving a genuinely felt criticism.
Following the boss’ gaze outside, the employee saw only a blue sky and clouds. There was no advertisement in sight.
Chi Yingxue turned his chair away from the big and ugly red “11”, his gaze falling on the planning document.
This was the third time he had received the same plan.
It must be a dream.
Only in dreams could he have a blank memory, and his employees repeatedly do the same things.
And the tattoo that appeared on his arm.
Both the design and color scheme were far from “beautiful”. Its only merit was that it was unique and somewhat intriguing.
But since it was a dream, there was no need to restrain himself—the barking from downstairs was giving him a headache.
When the planning document was delivered for the second time, he had already asked; there was a pet grooming center downstairs.
“Who opens a pet grooming center in a building…” he muttered as he got up and walked out. Wanting a good sleep and a peaceful dream wasn’t too much to ask for. It was a reasonable request that should be fulfilled.
The employee was left behind, recalling the boss’ expression of “I’m going to find fault”, dared not call out to the departing figure.
The messy office made Chi Yingxue’s walk from his station to the door winding, nearly getting hit by pliers falling from the maintenance worker’s ladder. Luckily, he dodged in time.
He chose to walk down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator to go down just one floor.
On the stairs, he encountered a group of security guards taking a man down. They probably didn’t take the elevator because they were afraid of the negative impact.
He courteously made way, not in a hurry.
Yet, as the man passed by him, he suddenly broke free from the security guards, attempting to strangle him.
Whether the man was desperately seeking help or truly confident he could overpower him, Chi Yingxue didn’t give him a chance. He kicked him down, startling the security guards, fearing the man wouldn’t live to see the police arrive.
He had held back; a real kick would have sent the man tumbling down the stairs.
After this commotion, reaching downstairs, his irritation had somewhat subsided, but the barking became louder and more distinct, reigniting his headache.
Ignoring the receptionist’s attempt to stop him, he barged into the grooming salon, and upon opening the door, he saw two people and a dog.
Kuang Jinxin and Lin Lin were also stunned.
The Golden Retriever suddenly jumped down, clinging to Chi Yingxue’s leg, and wouldn’t leave, wagging its tail and sticking out its tongue. Even its barking sounded cheerful.
Chi Yingxue was puzzled.
Kuang Jinxin smiled, saying, “It likes you.”
Chi Yingxue felt strangely familiar with the voice, but his dream-addled brain wasn’t functioning well. He looked closely at the other person, forgetting why he came, and asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”
His gaze was fixed on Kuang Jinxin’s face, so obviously that Lin Lin didn’t even bother to think twice, bursting into laughter.
Kuang Jinxin was initially puzzled, then, scratching his head, asked uncertainly, “Brother, are you hitting on me?”
Before Chi Yingxue could answer, a wave of dizziness hit them both.
……
Rooftop, 12:00.
“Mr. Qian! You can always earn money back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”
Amidst the clamorous shouting, Qian Ai’s vision gradually cleared. He was standing on the edge of the rooftop, with a seemingly endless abyss behind him, and a man dressed as a security guard stood two meters away, calling out earnestly.
“Mr. Qian! Think about how painful it would be to fall down! Smashed to pieces, you’d turn into a meat pancake—”
Meat pancake? Xianghe… meat pancake?
What a time to think about eating!
He scorned himself in his mind.
But soon, he realized something was wrong; he could remember Xianghe meat pancakes, Sichuan skewers, Northeast stew, Peking duck, and so on, but couldn’t recall who he was or why he was standing there.
“Mr. Qian—”
“Stop wailing!” He couldn’t take it anymore. The rooftop wind was strong, and being howled at like this, he was likely to lose his footing.
“Who am I?” He urgently wanted to know the answer.
“Mr. Qian!”
“Ding—”
“Qian Ai—the Ai from mugwort*.”
*The [Ai] (艾) from mugwort (草头艾).
“Who am I?”
“The boss of a trading company. We work on the tenth floor!”
“Ding—”
“Can you turn off your damn phone first!”
“That’s not my phone ringing…” The security guard was almost in tears, having gone to great lengths to persuade this suicidal boss to come down, accommodating even his feigned ignorance. What more could he do!
He wished this Mr. Qian really had amnesia; at least he wouldn’t be attempting suicide!
“Mr. Qian, think about your family, your wife, your children. Where there’s life, there’s hope…”
“Wife? Children?” Qian Ai was utterly confused. “Do I have any?”
“……” The security guard had blurted that out without thinking, not knowing the specifics of his family affairs.
The air suddenly went quiet, and a distressed voice came through the security guard’s walkie-talkie. “Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”
Qian Ai sighed, deciding to come down from such a dangerous place. Whether the security guard was telling the truth or not, he currently had no desire to die. Even if he were truly bankrupt, he’d just have to pick himself back up.
Just as the security guard was about to report his situation via the walkie-talkie, he caught a glimpse of Qian Ai lifting one leg.
He held his breath and lunged forward with all his might!
Qian Ai’s eyes widened in panic as he watched the security guard lunge at him. The moment the guard grabbed his leg, he suddenly felt dizzy…
“Mr. Qian! Money can be earned back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”
Qian Ai stood on the edge, his body swaying slightly, feeling an eerie sense of unreality.
Has he heard this before?
“Mr. Qian! Think about how painful it would be to fall down! Smashed to pieces, you’d turn into a meat pancake—”
He had heard this before…
“Mr. Qian, think about your family, your wife, your children. Where there’s life, there’s hope…”
Something was definitely wrong. Either he was going mad, or the security guard was.
Behind the security guard was the door downstairs, its glass reflecting a hint of red.
He looked back as if compelled, and there in mid-air was a blood-red “12”.
“Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”
The voice from the walkie-talkie brought Qian Ai’s attention back.
Fragments of memories flashed through his mind: the walkie-talkie, the third floor, the security guard, lunging… lunging?
Overwhelmed by the flood of memories, Qian Ai was so shocked that he nearly lost his balance, the sudden gust of wind making him sway even more.
“Mr. Qian!” The security guard, horrified, lunged forward again!
“…Again?!”
This time, the dizziness didn’t come as expected when his legs were grabbed. Qian Ai was momentarily stunned but then leaned backward and fell from the rooftop.
The security guard had lunged too forcefully, grabbing the legs but knocking the person over, unable to tighten his grip in time, and the person was already gone.
In fact, even if he had tightened his grip, the strength of holding onto the legs wouldn’t have been enough to save a grown man.
Dizziness, disorientation, 12:00.
“Mr. Qian! Money can be earned back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”
“Shut up! Be quiet! Don’t move!” Qian Ai, with a surge of energy, quickly came down from the edge, ran to the center of the rooftop, and only then, gasping for breath, felt grounded.
Outside the building, the blood-colored “12” turned into “11.”
“Mr. Qian, have you come to your senses?!” The security guard was nearly ecstatic with joy, his voice changing pitch.
“Nonsense!” Qian Ai wiped his forehead, not caring if there was any sweat. “Or else you’d have lunged again!”
“Huh?” The security guard looked innocently puzzled.
Qian Ai wanted to beat him with a stick.
The wind on the rooftop helped Mr. Qian cool down a bit. “Your walkie-talkie should be ringing about now.”
The security guard didn’t quite understand. After a few seconds, the walkie-talkie indeed rang. “Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”
The security guard gave him an incredulous look before responding to the call. “Okay, coming now.”
As he reached the door and saw Qian Ai hadn’t moved, he asked, “Mr. Qian, let’s go down together?”
Qian Ai shook his head. “Go on with your work.”
The concern returned to the security guard’s eyes.
Qian Ai rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to get some air and smoke a cigarette. If I wanted to die, I would have jumped just now.”
The security guard thought about it, and with the walkie-talkie urging him on, he gave a couple of words of caution and then left.
Qian Ai squatted seriously on the rooftop, smoking two cigarettes, and then—came up with nothing.
The situation was too bizarre, completely unscientific, and even more perplexing.
He took out his phone to check the time: 12:15.
He sighed, got up, and went back inside the building. The person had said he worked on the tenth floor. Maybe going back to the company, he could remember something.
From the 22nd floor to the top, he waited in front of the elevator doors for a while before the elevator arrived.
At 12:17, the elevator doors slowly opened on the tenth floor.
As Qian Ai stepped out, he just saw the words “Trading Company” and felt a pain in the back of his head, his vision instantly going dark.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, Qian Ai instinctively guessed—it was a brick.
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