Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 29: The Endless Sea

“Ding—”

The four had just recognized they were at sea, and before they could think of anything else, a new hint was updated in the [Cheat Sheet].

[Welcome to The Endless Sea. Please choose a route. East Treasure Beach/West Treasure Beach/South Flying Island/North Flying Island.]

“Are we starting the challenge already?” Qian Ai looked at the options on his arm, confused. “Are we supposed to sail to the coordinate point?”

Kuang Jinxin glanced at the stern inadvertently and made a new discovery. “Captain, the spyglass!”

Ever since Xu Wang was elected, Kuang Jinxin had been very respectful, updating his address to him, almost like a caring little jacket. If it weren’t for the long journey and tight finances, Xu Wang would have liked to give him a red envelope as a fee for changing the form of address.

It was a single-tube brass spyglass, consistent with the style of the entire sailing ship, looking as if it were straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Although the sea was calm, there were still some fine waves gently rocking the ship. This instability was manageable when sitting or standing but became quite apparent when walking on the deck, unless one was used to being on a ship.

All four went to the stern of the ship, and Wu Sheng, who walked the steadiest, naturally arrived first and became the first person to look into the distance.

Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai were a step behind, shading their eyes from the sun and looking out.

Surprisingly, even with naked eyes, they could see some masts and sails of distant ships, albeit a bit blurry. The silhouettes suggested they were similar to their own ship, scattered across the sea surface…

Were there others?

Xu Wang shuddered and eagerly asked Advisor Wu, who had the clearest view, “What do you see?”

“Lighthouses,” Wu Sheng said.

“Lighthouses?” Xu Wang blinked hard and looked again. Indeed, they were ships. Where were these lighthouses?

“One in the east, south, and west.” Wu Sheng rotated the single-tube spyglass, panning it across 180 degrees without stopping, then continued turning it towards the front of the ship, which was behind the four of them. “And another one in the north.”

“Are they far?” Xu Wang asked.

“Very far,” Wu Sheng replied.

“Can you adjust the focus to see closer?” Xu Wang probably knew where the discrepancy in their observations lay.

Wu Sheng rarely obeyed, probably feeling it was safer to scan both near and far. He quickly adjusted the spyglass to bring the view closer.

What was called “near” had already been a difficult distance for the naked eye, but through the spyglass, it became crystal clear.

“There are others,” Wu Sheng reported straightforwardly.

Xu Wang, already prepared, nodded his head and looked at the faint white sails, feeling as if drums of war were beating on them.

Competitors were enemies.

Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face made them realize this.

“No way. So many people in this round?” Qian Ai had finally seen the few small white dots with the reminder of his teammates. He couldn’t tell whether they were five, six, seventy, or ninety. They were scattered too far, in all directions, bobbing up and down with the waves, appearing and disappearing. Regardless of the exact number, assuming one boat represented one team, and if these teams hadn’t yet submitted their papers, the intense competition that lay ahead was imaginable.

Kuang Jinxin moved closer to Wu Sheng, holding onto the last shred of hope. “Can you see the people on the boat clearly? Could they be NPCs?”

He really disliked fighting, not at all. Why couldn’t everyone just sit down, drink tea, and chat together?

Wu Sheng didn’t answer whether they were NPCs or not. He had been operating the spyglass in one direction for a while. Finally, he took his eye off and looked at his teammates. “Who will help me confirm something?”

The three teammates were puzzled. “Huh?”

“I saw Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face,” Wu Sheng said. “I don’t want to admit my eyes are bad, but I’m even less willing to accept this reality.”

Captain Xu bravely stepped forward to take over the lookout task. Without using the spyglass, he could see clearly with his eyes. “Damn, it’s really them.”

“They’re supposed to be in the first round, right?” Qian Ai pushed the captain aside, personally taking over the identification, and soon recognized the harsh reality.

After all three teammates finished identifying, Kuang Jinxin didn’t bother trying himself, just feeling puzzled. “Even if they passed the first level yesterday, they should be back in the second level today. How come they’re here in the third?”

“Unless…” Wu Sheng gazed thoughtfully at the vast sea. “This isn’t the third level.”

Suddenly, the waves surged, and the sailboat tossed. Initially, they could still stand, but soon they had to cling to the railing to stabilize themselves.

“They’re heading that way!” Qian Ai was holding onto the railing with one hand and the spyglass with the other, bracing the spyglass with his knees for stability. His eye was still diligently spying on the “enemy situation”.

“Which way?” Wu Sheng quickly asked.

Qian Ai, not a strategist, couldn’t differentiate between north, south, east, and west and could only gesture with his arm holding the spyglass, swinging it around. “That way—”

Which way is that?

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin were bewildered by this answer, but luckily, they had a human compass.

“East.” Wu Sheng quickly determined the direction, glanced at his arm, still scrolling the line [Please select a route.] and had an understanding. “They’ve chosen East Treasure Beach.”

Why, timewise, Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face, who absolutely couldn’t have passed the second level, could appear here and have the right to choose a route just like them?

Xu Wang couldn’t think of an answer but had already made a decision. “We’ll go there too.”

“Uh.” Qian Ai released the spyglass, turning back with a rare hint of compassion. “But targeting the same sheep for its wool isn’t very ethical, is it?”

According to the “Owl’s” nature, on the same route, there would definitely be competition. They had already roughed up Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face once, and to continue pursuing them to bully in a different place was a bit like bullying the weak.

Xu Wang felt conflicted, as unilaterally defining the opponent as a “fat sheep” would only incite more hatred.

Stepping forward to take the spyglass, he continued to track Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face’s ship. “They have more experience than us. Choosing the east must have its reasons. We can follow suit and won’t suffer any big losses.”

As they spoke, the waves grew larger. The deck was completely wet, and everyone’s shoes were soaked through.

What is that?

Xu Wang was about to end his watch when he suddenly saw smaller black dots floating in the open water between the ships. Upon closer inspection, they were floating balls.

Each ball was about a meter in diameter, completely transparent, with a person sitting inside each one, looking like numerous capsule toys floating in the waves.

In the increasingly high waves, these floating balls were hardly noticeable, mostly swallowed by the waves. If not for just now, one had been tossed up by a wave, quickly falling back down, tracing an arc in their field of view, he wouldn’t have noticed them at all.

What kind of operation is this? Can they fight individually?

Xu Wang was puzzled when suddenly, Wu Sheng’s calm voice came from behind. “Quick, look up at the heavens.”

Reflexively looking up, Xu Wang then realized he had complied with such an absurd invitation.

But in an instant, he felt ashamed of his ignorance.

A flying carpet.

A bohemian-patterned flying carpet, carrying four men about ten meters above the sea, was flying northward. All the surging waves had nothing to do with them. They were playing cards, seemingly playing a four-player game of Fight the Landlord by the way they formed words with their mouths.

“That’s fucking possible?!” Qian Ai howled—out the envy, jealousy, and hatred of the four people on the carpet.

How come their items were so targeted? Compared to their own: Death Stare, Hot Wheels, Mr. Thirteen, Cloak of Invisibility… none of which seem capable of navigating water!

Feeling sour like the fox under the grapevine*, a huge shadow suddenly appeared under the sea surface beneath the flying carpet.

*Referencing the Aesop fable The Fox and the Grapes.

A surging undercurrent came from the shadow, causing even their ship, at a certain distance, to shake violently!

A creature, neither fish nor beast, broke through the water, leaping towards the flying carpet!

Its body was several times larger than a whale, fish-like but covered in crocodile-like skin and bony plates, with a crocodilian head but a mouth full of piranha-like sharp teeth!

Without giving those on the flying carpet any chance to react, the creature’s jaws snapped shut, easily swallowing everything, including the people and the carpet, in one gulp. It performed a beautiful tail flick in the air before plunging back into the sea.

The waves rolled violently, like boiling water.

The four spectators clung to the railing, holding their breaths, unable to react for a moment.

“Just like that… are they dead?” Everything happened so fast that Qian Ai couldn’t recover.

“They probably got bounced back to reality… Probably.” Xu Wang couldn’t be certain either, only guessing based on his own experiences of being pounced on by the bear.

Wu Sheng took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his mood heavy and complicated. “It’s still best to keep a low profile.”

In the completely surging waves, the ship began to tilt.

Initially, the four companions thought it was normal tossing until they realized the tilting direction was consistent and their bodies were increasingly leaning back. They realized something was wrong and turned around one after another to look back.

Then, they understood what it meant to laugh at others while in the same situation*.

*Fifty steps to laugh at a hundred steps (五十步笑百步) Idiom derive from a fable referring to someone having the same shortcomings as others, but to a lesser degree, but still laughing at them.

A huge tentacle stretched out from the waves and had already latched onto the railing on one side!

The tentacle was flesh-colored, like a giant octopus, covered with numerous large and small suckers. The ship was gradually tilting towards the side where the tentacle had hooked!

“What do we do?” Qian Ai instantly broke out in cold sweat.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng exchanged glances, then suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, both ran towards the cabin!

Qian Ai didn’t wait for an answer but saw the two running away, almost going crazy. “You two can’t be serious—”

Despite his howl, he also ran.

Kuang Jinxin, not understanding why, followed the crowd into the cabin, but as the last one to start, by the time he reached the cabin entrance, the three companions had already come out with weapons.

Originally, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng weren’t looking for a place to hide but rather for suitable “weapons”—since there was a spyglass on the deck, perhaps there were other useful items in the cabin. They hadn’t explored the cabin since landing on the ship.

Why not use stationery?

The lesson of the flying carpet was too severe; who knows if using stationery on this sea is a taboo that leads to certain death.

Indeed, there were “equipment” in the cabin, but—

Ax.

Spear.

Bow and arrows.

Is this the fucking era of cold weapons!

“Where’s mine?” Kuang Jinxin, boiling with hot blood, found that his teammate had only brought three weapons out.

“There’s none left.” Qian Ai, holding a bow with arrows under his arm, strained to pull the bowstring. Releasing it, the string snapped back at his hand, almost causing unbearable pain. “Use this.” He decisively offered the bow to his teammate without hesitation.

Kuang Jinxin, who watched the whole process, felt immense pressure.

“Xiao Kuang.” Xu Wang, holding an ax, hurried towards the tentacles while instructing without looking back, “You keep watch. Report immediately for any movement, be it monsters or other ships!”

“Got it!” The ship tilted beyond 45°, and Kuang Jinxin, holding onto the railing, quickly moved to the stern, combining his naked eye with the spyglass.

Qian Ai, failing to switch duties, reluctantly went to meet the captain.

Xu Wang swung the ax at a tentacle, but the first strike slid off. The tentacle was covered in water and mucus!

Wu Sheng arrived with a spear and thrust it straight in, then turned to Xu Wang. “Again!”

Xu Wang raised the ax high and brought it down forcefully!

Bang—

The ax blade embedded deeply into the wooden railing snapping off the tentacle, leaving about half a meter on the deck, which bounced a few times before sliding into the sea with the tilt.

The injured tentacle quickly left the railing, disappearing into the water.

The ship didn’t right itself, as the waves were getting higher and higher. The force of the rough sea was far greater than that of the tentacle, as if it could capsize the ship at any moment!

Another tentacle stretched up.

No, five!

Five tentacles hooked onto one side of the railing, from bow to stern, as if tied with a tow rope!

Xu Wang wanted to continue chopping, but as he raised the ax, the ship suddenly tipped forward!

Except for Kuang Jinxin at the stern, who clung to the railing unmoved, the three in battle lost their balance and lurched towards the tentacles!

Wu Sheng and Qian Ai reacted quickly, grabbing the railing in time. Xu Wang, holding the ax, couldn’t react in time and crashed heavily into the railing. However, the inertia didn’t stop, and he flipped over the railing and into the sea!

The cold sea water instantly submerged Xu Wang’s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

There was no distinction between reality and illusion; in an instant, he thought of one word: death.

It was the innate fear of the deep sea in humans.

Xu Wang held his breath and struggled upwards. Just below the surface, a wave hit him, pinning him firmly under the water, unable to surface! Struggling desperately, his fingers suddenly touched something. Straining his eyes open in the salty seawater, he saw a spear shaft.

Xu Wang grabbed the spear shaft tightly, as if it had a sensor on it. As soon as he gripped it, the spear pulled up forcefully, quickly lifting him to the surface!

Once at the surface, he saw Wu Sheng hanging outside the ship on a rope ladder, one hand gripping the ladder and the other pulling him up with the spear.

Seeing his head emerge and taking deep breaths, Wu Sheng sighed in relief and pulled him closer.

Xu Wang finally returned to the ship’s side, struggling in the turbulent waves to grab the end of the rope ladder and climb back onto the deck with Wu Sheng’s help.

Reborn, Xu Wang knew he owed Wu Sheng a lot, but all he could muster was a dry, “Thank you.”

Wu Sheng was holding the spear against the deck like a mighty general from the Yang Family*. “Next time, we’ll tie a rope on you.”

*A collection of Chinese folklore, plays and novels on a military family from the earlier years of imperial China’s Song Dynasty. The stories recount the unflinching loyalty and the remarkable bravery of the Yangs as they sacrificed themselves to defend their country from foreign military powers.

Xu Wang gritted his teeth but had to accept his indebtedness.

Looking down, he noticed something new. “Eh? Why isn’t it tilting anymore?”

The ship had somehow regained its balance, still bobbing but far more stable than the one-sided tipping before.

“Lao Qian really couldn’t get the hang of the bow and arrow, so he changed tactics.” Wu Sheng gestured towards the bow.

Xu Wang looked up and didn’t see Qian Ai but saw a “human fireball” clinging to the railing, smacking and pounding the remaining tentacle.

The flames around him were over three meters tall, engulfing Qian Ai’s body, or rather, the flames seemed to burst from his body like a “fire coat”, burning intensely. Even standing where Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were, they could still feel the heat hitting their faces.

The fire illuminated the bow, charred the railing, and burned the tentacle.

“Still acting tough? Ah? If I don’t turn you into grilled squid, I wouldn’t live up to my ID Lao Qian Eats All Over China*!”

*[Shen Zhou] (神州) It’s a poetic name for China.

Xu Wang swallowed hard, hesitated for a long while, and didn’t dare to approach, fearing being scorched by his frenzied teammate.

“[Invincible Hot Wheels]?” That was the only fire-related thing he could think of.

“Uh-huh.” Wu Sheng affirmed.

“Can we use stationery?”

“So far, no issues have been found. The flying carpet earlier might just have been an unfortunate accident.”

“Were those tentacles burned away by him?”

“Charred.”

Xu Wang suddenly realized, no wonder after returning to the deck, he always smelled a barbecue aroma.

The last tentacle, using all its might, finally escaped the “clutches” and pitifully retreated back into the sea.

The waves were still large—obviously, the sea floor wasn’t truly calm—but a whiff of burnt smell diluted the tension pervasive in the sea breeze.

The flames of the “human fireball” gradually weakened and finally disappeared, revealing Qian Ai’s face, charred red.

The scorch marks on the railing were all his medals.

“Impressive.” Xu Wang gave him a thumbs up.

Qian Ai returned to his comrades, nodding slightly and giving off a hint of hidden achievements and fame.

Xu Wang patted his shoulder. “Don’t hold it in.”

Qian Ai slightly shook his head. “I thought [Invincible Hot Wheels] would conjure up a cool-looking vehicle that I could ride under my feet and hit people with…”

Xu Wang sighed. “I understand.”

Qian Ai’s dignified expression instantly collapsed. “Why did I turn into a fire wheel! It’s not cool at all, and it’s so hot!”

While Classmate Qian was questioning fate, a warning from Kuang Jinxin at the stern echoed. “Captain, there’s a ship!”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were startled, immediately running towards the stern, with Qian Ai, still warm, following a beat behind.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t use the spyglass and was simply staring ahead, not even raising his hand to point out the direction to his teammates, because that ship had already come close to them.

The two ships were no more than ten meters apart, bobbing with the same wave.

The people on the other ship also saw them, eyes meeting, both sides wary.

It didn’t seem like they were heading towards them—just that, coincidentally, the two ships bobbed together.

Suddenly, a charred tentacle tip slowly hooked onto the railing of the opposite sailing ship.

The sea monster that suffered a loss here had found a new target!

Kuang Jinxin quickly shouted, “Watch your back!”

The three people on the opposite deck were startled, reflexively turned back, and quickly saw the tentacle on the railing.

Paying no more heed, the three quickly ran to the cabin and soon came out with an ax and spear.

The same ship, the same weapons.

So, where’s the bow and arrow?

Xu Wang, harboring doubts, noticed not only the absence of a bow and arrow on the opposite side but also one less person. He looked around and finally found the fourth person atop the mast.

That person sat at the top of the mast. They were too high, so he couldn’t see their face clearly—only a slender and well-proportioned body outline could be seen. They were wearing a jacket that was quite nice-looking.

Just like what they had encountered, the other ship also began to tilt under the tentacle’s force.

The one holding the ax among the three was also the main fighter but was less lucky than Xu Wang, hacking twice without really hitting.

The one with the spear jabbed for a long time without really helping. The unarmed one got directly angry, looked up at the mast, and shouted, “Chi Yingxue, fucking get down here and help—”

“Don’t struggle in vain,” the person on the mast said in a leisurely and mockingly cool voice. “With you three’s poor fighting ability, falling into the sea is inevitable. Why waste your energy.”

“What do you mean, ‘you three’!” The shouting person got angry, wishing he had wings to fly up and fight with the one surnamed Chi. “Aren’t you part of the fucking team?!”

The person on the mast pondered for a moment. “In terms of appearance, not really.”

“Fuck!” The one below exploded in rage but could do nothing but curse to the sky. “Recruiting you was really a blunder of my eyesight—”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 28: Accident

This was the terminal, and nearly every counter had passengers checking in. Identifying those caught up in the same situation among the throngs of people was impossible unless they were as conspicuously foolish and loud as they had been the day before.

At Counter 9, a few people were getting their boarding passes with normal demeanor and attire, indistinguishable from the other passengers.

“Are you sure they aren’t NPCs?” Xu Wang wasn’t doubting Wu Sheng but noted that identifying people required emotional intelligence, not just IQ, which wasn’t Classmate Wu’s forte.

“Of course,” Wu Sheng replied confidently. “If you look carefully, there are obvious differences between them and others.”

Xu Wang frowned, squinting harder, joined by Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai, all peering intently.

After a long time, so long that the others had already finished getting their boarding passes, they turned to prepare for the security check.

Qian Ai couldn’t help but speak up. “There’s no difference…”

Kuang Jinxin added, “Can’t tell them apart.”

Xu Wang looked towards Wu Sheng, hoping he would listen to the voice of the crowd.

As a result, Classmate Wu responded with an expression of “Why do I always have to spell it out so clearly?”

“Eyes,” he said. “Look at their eyes. Only those four have dark circles.”

Xu Wang was speechless.

Kuang Jinxin: “Wu Ge…”

Qian Ai: “It’s Sheng Ge!”

Wu Sheng: “It’s nothing big. I was just a bit more careful.”

Xu Wang: “If you two keep idolizing him blindly, he might just fly to the moon first!”

Despite his words, Xu Wang had to admit that Wu Sheng’s observation was very accurate.

They looked at the glass table and saw their own reflections, resembling panda cubs themselves. Even after twelve hours of sleep, the faint signs of weariness under their eyes persisted. Humans are naturally active during the day and rest at night. No amount of sleep during the day could fully make up for the night’s loss.

With “dark circles” as a distinguishing feature, looking at the vast crowd felt like applying a “filter”, where all irrelevant people blurred into the background, leaving only those with dark circles standing out more clearly.

In the next ten minutes, they discovered two more teams, as discreet as the previous one. Without careful distinction, it was hard to recognize them from the other travelers.

“We look the most foolish by comparison.” Qian Ai observed after watching. “None of them are rushing around recklessly. They’re all sneaking.”

“Must be veteran teams,” Xu Wang guessed. The teams just coming up from stage 1/23 wouldn’t be so cautious. It seemed that these teams must have the experience of passing this level, probably had failed at some point, returned, and now had just completed the first stage again.

Since they had submitted their papers, there wouldn’t really be any intersection with these teams just about to board planes. At most, they would watch from afar, silently noting details in case they encountered them in later stages.

But then—

Xu Wang suddenly wondered, ‘How many people had been watching them last night?’

Perhaps not just last night.

Kuang Jinxin had just mentioned feeling like they were being watched. Yes, just as they could watch others, those who had finished but hadn’t yet moved to the next stage could also watch them.

Spying eyes are always sneaky. The difference lies in whether they harbor malice or not.

“Clearly, we are all victims sucked into this,” Kuang Jinxin murmured to himself, puzzled. “Why don’t I feel any kinship when I look at them, but instead feel fear…”

“It’s not just the fault of those four bastards from yesterday,” Qian Ai angrily recalled. “It makes me distrust every team I look at now.”

“It’s not entirely their fault,” Wu Sheng pointed out sharply. “It’s the existence of a competitive relationship that leads to this inevitable end.”

Xu Wang agreed. “If each subsequent stage only allows one team to pass, and failing teams have to go back, then any two teams might encounter and compete, fundamentally cutting off any path to friendship.”

“But there could be fair competition.” Kuang Jinxin still felt uneasy.

“If the first stage wasn’t hidden and each team could see the others, that possibility would exist. Mutual visibility would facilitate early negotiations,” Xu Wang explained patiently, patting his head. “But the situation now is such that the first stage deliberately creates the impression that teams are hidden from each other. When teams with this mindset enter the second stage, if there are veteran teams present, they will attack such new teams because the information is already asymmetrical and the veterans have an absolute advantage. Naturally, they won’t come out and advocate for fair competition.”

“The teams that are crushed will learn from their mistakes and then crush new teams.” Qian Ai sighed. “It’s a vicious cycle of hatred.”

Xu Wang quietly looked at the bustling travelers beyond the fence, saying, “The Owl intentionally designed the stages this way.”

Qian Ai shivered at the thought. “Can we not use personification? It makes this cursed place seem sentient.”

“It doesn’t need to be sentient, just logical.” Wu Sheng tapped the table gently and continued, “If malice is the operating logic of this world, then all the stages, settings, environments, and conditions for passing are based on this logic, and the behavior patterns of those involved will inevitably lead to this logical conclusion.”

Qian Ai blinked at Xu Wang.

Xu Wang patted his shoulder. “In other words, this world is filled with malice.”

Qian Ai glanced apologetically at Wu Sheng and then sincerely said to Xu Wang, “I like your explanation.”

The four had been sitting in the cafe for less than an hour but were already restless. They should have taken advantage of this rare “post-submission era” to catch up on sleep, but they were too energized from sleeping too much during the day, feeling like fully charged power banks.

With no other choice, they decided to wander around the airport and ended up discovering both good and bad news.

The good news was that the products in the shops were real, unlike the coffee that was ordered but never served. Whether it was convenience stores, bakeries, cosmetics, or various brand shops, as long as the transaction was completed right there with cash, the items were genuinely authentic.

Then came the bad news: these items also required payment, and every shop was clear in its demand for cash only. In essence, one could swipe on their phone, but they had no choice here—there was no mobile signal or wifi at all.

Scouring their pockets, only Qian Ai had brought his wallet. He took out a hundred yuan, spent ten on a keychain, and forty on a big bag of biscuits. The cashier gave him fifty in change, all in the newest edition of RMB, indistinguishable from what circulated in the real world.

The reason for buying these wasn’t out of fondness or whim, but Wu Sheng’s suggestion: if they could pay with real money in the “Owl” and receive items in return, could these items then be used in reality? Even if they could bring them back, items like souvenirs, bags, clothes, snacks, or cakes, and even brands identical to reality, wouldn’t be of much use. For instance, buying an LV here and then claiming it was from the “Owl” at airport prices would make no sense to anyone.

Still, Wu Sheng insisted on testing this theory.

“Understanding all the operational rules of this world is the foundation of conquering it,” he reasoned, compelling Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin to agree and follow his lead.

The four opened the biscuits as soon as they left the store, dividing them among themselves. For about two or three minutes, they did nothing but stand at the store entrance, munching on the biscuits earnestly and attentively, as if they were back in preschool, and snacks were their entire world.

When only one biscuit was left, they finally stopped, and Qian Ai put the individually wrapped biscuit in his pocket along with the keychain and the change, forming a happy and fortunate “Owl family”.

Whether these items could be brought back to reality remained unclear, but at least in the “Owl”, the biscuits genuinely provided them with calories and a sense of fullness.

“If the things here can really be eaten,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly wondered, “does that mean the planes can also be taken? Maybe we can go directly to Shandong from here!”

“You’re being silly.” Qian Ai smacked him on the head. “Even if we could go, it would cost just as much as a regular ticket, and all our stuff is still at the hotel. Are you planning to leave everything behind?”

“That makes sense.” Kuang Jinxin scratched his head and vowed to think before he speaks next time.

But Wu Sheng suddenly said, “It’s not silly.”

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai looked at him, puzzled.

Wu Sheng added just a few more words, “Not silly at all.”

Their six eyes met for a few seconds. Four of them then turned to Xu Wang.

Xu Wang, imitating Wu Sheng’s tone and slight uptick in inflection, which sounded almost teasing, said, “Understanding all the operational rules of this world is the foundation of conquering it. We may not fly, but we need to explore the situation.”

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai understood.

Moreover, although Wu Sheng was right there, not moving his lips, they still had the illusion that Wu Sheng was using ventriloquism to speak for Xu Wang—such was the depth of Xu Wang’s understanding and the vividness of his imitation of Wu Sheng, almost to the soul level.

As the four were about to head over to the airline counter to inquire, someone suddenly ran out of the restaurant opposite, bumping into a traveler about to enter and sprinting eastward in a frenzy.

After running for about a dozen meters, a waiter ran out of the restaurant, chasing and shouting, “Thief!”

The four were stunned, facing a dilemma between acting heroically or standing by.

Their hesitation lasted only a brief moment, but in that instant, a chilling voice echoed throughout the terminal—

[Owl: Dear, getting something for nothing* isn’t advisable.]

*(不劳而获) Idiom referring to possessing the fruits of others’ labors without working yourself. From the saying of Confucius.

They recognized that voice; it was the usual teasing prompt that played in their ears. But now, the voice had lost its lively and mischievous tone. It was now cold as a knife, with a hint of eerie mockery that sent shivers down their spines and pained their ears.

The running man suddenly fell to the ground with a scream, convulsing violently as if in extreme pain, rolling around and screaming.

The four watched with horror, but the passing travelers seemed not to notice, continuing their hurried or leisurely pace as if there wasn’t a thief in agonizing pain right there.

The waiter finally reached him, and as the only person reacting to the thief, bent down to reach out. What happened next shocked them.

The moment the waiter’s fingertips touched the thief’s shoulder, the thief suddenly disappeared, leaving only a stack of neatly arranged hundred-yuan bills.

The waiter’s hand didn’t even pause, picking up the bills as if that was what he intended to do all along.

The four watched the waiter walk back into the restaurant calmly with the bills, suddenly feeling confused. Perhaps at the moment of picking up the money, he, like the other travelers, didn’t even see the thief. He was just after the money because… he knew the thief would disappear.

“Was that thief… a real person?” Kuang Jinxin asked hesitantly, already somewhat confused.

“Should be,” Wu Sheng said. “Otherwise, the Owl wouldn’t have spoken.”

“But the Owl’s voice has never been public before.” Qian Ai pointed out a problem, noting that since entering this world, all guidance from that voice had been heard individually by each person.

“It’s probably a warning to others* who might have the same idea,” Xu Wang suggested. “A direct warning for anyone who might think of committing such acts.”

*Kill the chicken to scare the monkey (杀鸡儆猴) Idiom referring to making a public demonstration of punishing wrongdoers to deter others who might copy them.

“Well, it worked,” Qian Ai admitted, now devoid of any criminal thoughts but still somewhat resentful. “Who made it in Shaanxi today and Shandong tomorrow? Does it think money grows on trees?”

“Will he die?” Kuang Jinxin suddenly asked.

“No.” Xu Wang was sure. “The Owl said it’s not advisable. If the consequence of effortless gain were death, then to maximize the warning, it could have simply stated that one would die, which would be a stronger deterrent. There’s no need to be so indirect.”

Kuang Jinxin sighed in relief but was still shaken.

Even if the man wasn’t going to die, the pain he experienced was evident.

Although the incident shook all four of them, standing there wouldn’t help; they still had their path to tread.

After a short pause, they went to the airline counter.

They wanted to inquire about flights to Shandong, but every airline counter gave the same trained response—Sorry, we don’t sell tickets here.

Whether there were flights was secondary; there was simply no place selling tickets in the entire terminal. They thought of trying the check-in counters, maybe swiping their arms or ID cards—Qian Ai had brought his, which was effectively all he had—but as they approached the counter, ground staff stopped them before they could even queue up, with no explanation and just a firm denial.

The security checkpoints treated them the same; there was no way to sneak in.

It seemed that overnight, all functional pathways had closed to them, turning the airport into a pure leisure zone. Shopping was possible, but boarding a plane was out of the question.

Exhausted and disheartened by 4 a.m., the four returned to the coffee shop. With nothing else to do, Xu Wang looked at his friends and, after much consideration, finally brought up something he’d been pondering. “As the captain, I think it’s necessary to set up a communal wallet…”

The so-called communal wallet meant everyone contributing an equal amount of money for shared expenses like food, accommodation, and travel, avoiding the hassle of alternating who pays or splitting every bill. For instance, Wu Sheng had booked the tickets to Shaanxi for him and Kuang Jinxin. He wanted to give Wu Sheng money but was afraid that mentioning it would seem like not treating him as a friend, so he could only mentally plan to return the favor next time, which was quite bothersome.

It wasn’t about being petty. In fact, if the roles were reversed, Xu Wang wouldn’t mind if Wu Sheng didn’t repay him, but as their journey seemed set to be a long one, they couldn’t continue in such an ambiguous manner.

People often say discussing money hurts relationships, but Xu Wang learned from his years in society that discussing money upfront doesn’t harm relationships. In fact, it might even help maintain them. It’s the settling of accounts later that’s truly deadly.

Despite this, money was still a sensitive issue, and Xu Wang was prepared for his teammates’ misunderstanding or opposition.

And indeed, they did oppose.

Qian Ai was the first to raise his hand.

Xu Wang, ever democratic, said, “Go ahead.”

“Why are you the captain?”

“……”

Although the focus of his teammate’s questions wasn’t what he had expected, Xu Wang quickly composed himself and tilted his head innocently. “I thought we had reached a consensus on this.”

Qian Ai wasn’t discontented, just utterly confused, and his confusion deepened after getting a response. He instinctively looked at Kuang Jinxin, who also shook his head in bewilderment.

Qian Ai turned back to Xu Wang. “Um, there are four of us, and two don’t remember agreeing. Are you sure we reached a consensus?”

“Alright, alright.” Xu Wang, unsuccessful in his subtle maneuvering, conceded good-naturedly. “Then let’s choose now. After all, we’re a team and need a leader to avoid chaos and inefficiency…” Before he even finished speaking, he raised his hand. “I’m running.”

His seamless transition from advocating to nominating himself left Qian Ai utterly impressed. By comparison, he felt completely outplayed in rhetoric and strategy. He gave up on competing, but when it came to choosing a team leader, he had another candidate in mind…

Wu Sheng caught Qian Ai’s supportive gaze and promptly responded, “I vote for Xu Wang.”

Xu Wang, bracing for a “fierce competition”, was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by Wu Sheng’s gift.

Qian Ai was surprised too, but not pleased. Instead, he doubted his own hearing. “Class monitor, you weren’t like this before. Weren’t you always the one to step up for honors and leadership roles?”

“I was young and naive back then.” Wu Sheng waved off, sighing deeply with a gaze lifted 45 degrees, like a sage reflecting on the past. “Now I’ve matured, become more composed, and objective…”

“Sorry to interrupt.” Qian Ai coughed lightly. “Can we get to the point?”

Reluctantly, Wu Sheng brought his gaze back down, shrugged, and said, “I admit I’m smarter than Xu Wang, but throughout history, the intellectual often stays behind the scenes, acting as a strategist rather than a leader…”

“In Water Margin, Wu Yong was the smartest, but Song Jiang led the team…”

“In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang was the smartest, and Zhou Yu wasn’t far behind, but one followed Liu Bei and the other served Sun Ce…”

“So,” Wu Sheng looked around at his teammates, his eyes finally resting on Xu Wang. “Leadership isn’t about being the smartest. It’s about knowing people, utilizing them, and playing with human hearts. In that, I’m far too lacking.”

Seeing the rare genuine humility on Wu Sheng’s face, Xu Wang wanted to smack him. “Couldn’t you just simply say you support me as the leader…”

The journey might have been circuitous, but the outcome was bright.

Xu Wang was elected and immediately continued the previous topic. “Here’s what I think: this is going to be a long-term battle, and we’ll surely be fighting side by side for a while. Since our living expenses are shared, let’s just pool our money into a ‘class fund’. This way, it’s more convenient, and keeping detailed accounts will also help our team’s sustainable development.”

Qian Ai was the first to raise his hand again, but this time in support. “Agreed.”

“Money” might be a difficult topic, but addressing it openly and clearly, like Xu Wang did, was refreshing.

“Agreed!” Kuang Jinxin was the second to raise his hand.

Wu Sheng nodded. “No objections.”

“Let’s each put in five thousand first. Air tickets are expensive.” Xu Wang thought for a moment. “Xiao Kuang is still a student. If you can contribute less, do so; if not, don’t worry, I’ll cover your part…” To alleviate any potential pressure on Kuang Jinxin, Xu Wang added with a smile, “But it’s a loan, remember. You’ll have to pay it back.”

“No need,” Kuang Jinxin quickly said. “I have five thousand!”

Xu Wang looked at him skeptically. “Don’t bankrupt yourself.”

“Xu Ge—” Kuang Jinxin was unhappy about being treated like a child by Xu Wang, but his argument wasn’t convincing. “If it’s not enough, I can always ask my family for more!”

Xu Wang was both amused and annoyed. “Then what will you tell your family when they ask what you need the money for?”

“For traveling,” Kuang Jinxin replied smoothly. “A few days ago, when my family asked why I ended my internship early, I said I wanted to see the world, so I’m out and about.”

“And they agreed?”

“Yeah, my grandma was especially happy, telling me repeatedly to make the most of my youth and see the world, and if I needed more money, just to tell her.”

“……”

Xu Wang was speechless, unable to decide if the Kuang family was overly indulgent or just thought he was naïve and inexperienced, needing to face the world and its challenges.

“Alright then.” Since the kid had money, he wouldn’t insist. They were all partners, regardless of age, and should respect each other equally. Sometimes, over-special treatment could be detrimental to unity. However, as the captain, he still gave the youngster a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Just don’t force yourself. If things get tough, talk to your brothers. The four of us are comrades in a minefield, already fated to tough it out. No harm in a little more hardship.”

Kuang Jinxin laughed, though his eyes were a bit teary. He nodded fiercely to dissipate the heat. “Yes!”

At five o’clock in the morning, they returned to reality.

The last piece of biscuit and keychain in Qian Ai’s pocket had disappeared, but the change he found was still there.

They weren’t immediately famished. The satiety from the biscuit and Xu Wang’s injury in the icy plain carried over to reality.

From this, Advisor Wu summarized two more points to the “Owl’s Operational Logic”:

(1) Fake items can be consumed in a fake way, real money for real items, usable within the Owl, dissipating outside; food energy can be sustained, and cash can be liquidated.

(2) Equivalent exchange √; getting something for nothing—×.

They didn’t catch up on sleep that day but headed straight to the airport.

Their precise new coordinates were in Dongying, Shandong. There was no direct flight from Yulin to Dongying, so they had to transfer at Xianyang Airport.

This was fine. The 13:05 flight left them an hour and a half to transfer at Xianyang, arriving at Dongying Shengli Airport by 17:30—a total of four and a half hours of travel, so it wasn’t too troublesome. And once in Dongying, they had over six hours to settle in, which was quite relaxing.

Boarding the plane, the four of them thought optimistically.

Then, when the plane arrived smoothly at Xianyang Airport, the sky suddenly changed, and a torrential downpour began, accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms.

The four sat in the terminal, watching the rain pour down like a waterfall outside the glass, with a growing sense of dread layering in their minds.

“Lucky we’re off the plane.” Qian Ai echoed everyone’s thoughts. “I would have suffocated on board.”

The horror of the red-eye flight was something they definitely didn’t want to revisit in reality.

The storm not only brought back painful memories for the group but also severely disrupted the airport’s normal order, grounding all flights. When would they resume? That depended on the rain.

So they waited.

The group waited from around 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., 5 p.m. to late at night, with no signs of the rain letting up. The tarmac outside was dark and silent, as if the rain had turned into ink.

“Damn.” Qian Ai glanced at the time on his phone. “We won’t have to stay here overnight, right?”

“If the vortex opens up later, won’t it scare everyone?” Kuang Jinxin referred to the anxious passengers waiting around them.

Xu Wang imagined the scene. “They might be scared at first, but they’ll forget after.”

“It’s about the distance,” Wu Sheng noted. “It’s nearly a thousand kilometers straight from here to Dongying. Unless we can get on a plane inside or find some other faster mode of transport, there’s no way we can reach the coordinate point before 5 a.m., let alone pass the level.”

Qian Ai knew he was being pragmatic, but he couldn’t help but want to bring his teammates back to the basics. “Can you guys first think about what if we go in and the flight has left, and if we can’t go far inside, we might have to rebook the tickets…”

“No need.” Wu Sheng was nonchalant. “You can change or cancel flights before they take off.”

Qian Ai looked up in despair.

Xu Wang understood his teammate’s struggle. He handed Wu Sheng a cup of warm water he had just fetched, helping to explain, “That’s someone else’s ticket, not ours.”

Wu Sheng, holding the cup, looked puzzled.

As Xu Wang had taken on the financial responsibility of the communal wallet and had handled the ticket booking, he had the most say—

“We bought non-refundable, discounted tickets, also called ‘Happy Flying’.”

Wu Sheng drank the warm water in one gulp, nodding in agreement. “Nice name.”

Despite Qian Ai’s prayers, midnight came as scheduled, but the storm didn’t stop, and amidst the noisy rain, a clear owl’s hoot was heard.

A purple halo appeared on the terminal’s dome, and except for the four of them searching in all directions, no other passenger noticed.

However, two minutes later, all the passengers saw in horror—they were lifted into the air like a whirlwind, disappearing into the vortex.

After a dizzying sense of weightlessness, the four landed—not on the ground, but on the deck of an old-fashioned sailing ship.

Apart from them, there was no one else on the ship.

Outside the ship, the vast ocean lay before them, the calm sea shimmering with a pale green light under the sunlight.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 27: Reward

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled into the room, the color of the burning clouds. The warmth of the sunset quietly climbed up the bed, dyeing the corners of the eyes and brows of someone deeply asleep, like a mischievous child blowing air, warm and ticklish, determined to disturb peaceful dreams.

After turning over, Wu Sheng woke up leisurely, and upon lifting his eyes, he saw the familiar sleeping face on the opposite bed.

Xu Wang lay on his side facing this way, straddling the blanket, sleeping deeply and sweetly. The evening sunlight outlined his facial features more distinctly. His usual clever spontaneity was still present, yet now accompanied by a bit more docility and tranquility.

Wu Sheng lay there, quietly watching, feeling like there was a calm and peaceful sea inside his heart—blue, vast, and serene.

Time passed, unknown how long…

“What are you doing?”

Xu Wang had been awake for a while and opened his eyes to find Wu Sheng staring intently at him. If one must stare, then let it be, but his gaze wandered, seemingly pondering over something delightful, with genuine joy and cheerfulness deep in his unfocused eyes.

Startled back to reality, Wu Sheng calmly met Xu Wang’s gaze. “You were talking in your sleep. I was debating whether or not to wake you.”

“Talking in my sleep?” Xu Wang raised his eyebrows in skepticism. “What did I say?”

Wu Sheng, with a straight face, replied, “Class monitor, save me…”

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes with complex emotions, warily scrutinizing the speaker, unwilling to believe in his heart yet unable to find evidence otherwise…

“Class monitor, I can’t do it without you,” the speaker added another sentence.

Xu Wang exhaled in relief, and his heart settled down, finding the completely out-of-character “sleep talk” unconvincing. “Wu Sheng, do you know what it means to collapse one’s persona?”

The class monitor, absorbed in his “script”, was stunned. “Hm?”

Xu Wang sighed and glanced at him. “Next time you make up stories, don’t use your own voice for the dialogue.”

They went to bed at five and woke up at five. Having slept for twelve hours, they simply washed up, feeling refreshed and revived. There was no movement next door. Xu Wang was worried that the other two teammates were still asleep, so he sent a message in the WeChat group first—

Wangwang*: [Are you awake?]

*Different [Wang] (旺) that’s a homophone for his name Xu [Wang] (徐望). This [wang] means to be prosperous, flourish, thriving, ect.

In the four-member group named “Unlucky Kids”, responses appeared instantly—

Love Money: [No.]

Tea Sage Lu Yu’s Little Fan: [Yes.]

Xu Wang was amused and was about to reply when someone was quicker—

Sheng Ge: [Lao Qian, you keep sleeping. We’ll go eat first.]

The response from next door was immediate, but this time it was a voice message. “Who’s sleeping? I’m already dressed! Where are we eating?”

Ten minutes later, the four met in the corridor and headed to a restaurant.

In the evening, Beiyue Temple Village was lively, with children playing under the buildings and smoke rising from the houses. Cars, electric scooters, and donkey carts coexisted peacefully on the road. The setting sun stretched their shadows, creating a busting and comfortable scene.

This time, they ventured a bit further and found a seemingly decent Shaanxi cuisine restaurant. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the pungent aroma of chili oil. Wanting a good chat, they took a private room. No sooner had they sat down, Qian Ai declared, “This meal is on me.” So, when the waiter brought the menu, he naturally took charge of ordering.

With swift efficiency, they finished ordering, and the waiter left, leaving the four alone. Qian Ai leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Ah, it’s evening again. Happy times are always so fleeting.”

He was energetic while ordering, but now his voice carried a hint of resignation and fatigue.

“Are we going to keep up this night-and-day reversal?” Kuang Jinxin asked, propping his head with one hand.

“Probably.” Xu Wang sighed almost inaudibly, reaching for the teapot to pour hot water for his teammates.

Kuang Jinxin quickly intervened. “Wait.” He then pulled out a small bag of individually packed tea leaves from his pocket, distributed some into each cup, and only then took the teapot from Xu Wang to fill the cups with water.

The steam rose gently from the top of the cup, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance.

“Green tea.” Kuang Jinxin chuckled. “Refreshes the mind and relieves fatigue.”

There’s a saying that if you want to compliment someone for being resourceful, you’d say you could always get meat when following them. But when it comes to Kuang Jinxin, “meat” should be replaced with “tea”.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were used to it, but Qian Ai was surprised to see it for the first time, exclaiming, “You carry tea leaves with you?”

Kuang Jinxin scratched his head a bit shyly. “My family grows tea, and I studied this in university.”

“There’s a major for this?”

“Yes, Tea Science.”

“I’ve learned something new. It’s never too late to learn…”

Qian Ai nodded and then ran out of words. For such an unknown field, he really didn’t know what to say.

After pondering for two seconds, he kindly asked towards the half-open door of the private room, “Waiter? Is the food ready?”

It seemed like Qian Ai was more comfortable in the catering field.

His shout probably reached the kitchen directly, as the waiter soon began serving dishes, and eventually, the whole round table was filled with dishes.

Xu Wang looked at the table full of dishes, then at Qian Ai. “Did you order all these?”

“No worries.” Qian Ai patted his chest. “I said it’s my treat. I definitely won’t dine and dash!”

Xu Wang sighed inwardly. “That’s not the point. The question is, can we finish all these?”

Twenty minutes later, Xu Wang regretted his naive question.

“Alright, biangbiang noodles are done. What’s next? I’ll follow your lead!”

“Water basin mutton? Paomo stir-fry? Egg tofu sandwich?”

“Ah, thanks to ‘Lao Shan in Hainan’ for the rocket*. I’ll be eating the water basin mutton then, haha—”

*One of the gifts that users can give a live streamer during broadcast that can be exchanged for cash. 

“Slurp—slurp—”

“This soup is so aromatic and rich, but not greasy, and doesn’t have a hint of mutton smell…”

It was a world of two halves around one round table.

The phone was propped up by a selfie stick. The camera was facing half of the table, showing Qian Ai and half of the dishes. The other half of the table, not captured by the camera, had Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and the rest of the dishes. The dishes for Qian Ai alone equated to the portion for the three of them.

But this wasn’t about pushing oneself for the live stream. It was evident that Qian Ai was genuinely enjoying the food, as every smile line on his face was brimming with love and satisfaction for the food.

After finishing the water basin mutton, perhaps due to some fans leaving the live room, Qian Ai suddenly said earnestly to the phone, “For those who like Shaanxi cuisine, please watch and cherish it. I probably won’t be able to eat this tomorrow…”

“What will I eat tomorrow?” Qian Ai read from the scrolling questions on his phone screen, sighing sadly. “I only know tonight. The rest is up to fate…”

‘Live streaming is really a magical thing,’ Xu Wang thought. Not just the audience in the live room, but even he, sitting behind the phone, was tempted to interact with Qian Ai and send him flowers and stars.

As he watched, Xu Wang suddenly felt envious. For this trip to Northern Shaanxi, he had quit his job and might not be able to work until he completely left the “Owl” behind. But this didn’t affect Qian Ai, who could continue working as usual. How nice.

One way to cure melancholy was to find like-minded companions who were also feeling a sense of loss.

In this private room, that naturally meant Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin. One had just started a business, working on an extremely important project, and the other was interning in college, supposed to be accumulating professional experience. But then the “Owl” appeared, and all projects and internships were…

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The sudden rapid tapping sound broke Xu Wang’s thoughts. Turning his head, Wu Sheng had somehow produced a laptop and was typing at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

Xu Wang sneaked a peek and saw a messaging app open with a bunch of codes he couldn’t understand on the screen.

Probably not to disturb Qian Ai’s live stream, Wu Sheng was communicating by typing in the messaging app—

[This isn’t right. This is different from what was initially expected. I’ve said many times, solve the problem when you find it. Trying to skirt around the issue will always lead to a degraded user experience…]

Xu Wang only saw this much before the screen was completely switched back to code, with Wu Sheng continuing his “rush work”, likely addressing the “avoiding issue leads to a degraded user experience” problem mentioned in the messaging app.

Xu Wang wasn’t too happy because now the only one left in the same boat was Kuang Jinxin.

Turning his head, he saw that kid was playing on his phone.

Xu Wang moved closer, about to say something, when he saw the other person writing an answer on Zhihu. The question was about how to differentiate good from bad Pu’er tea.

Kuang Jinxin’s answer wasn’t finished yet, but from the current length, it already resembled a mini thesis.

Good. The only one not focusing on what he should be was himself.

Xu Wang looked out the window. His low spirit was cleared away, and a fiery passion ignited in his heart, burning with the zeal of life!

Student Xu’s zeal lasted until midnight. After the Owl’s call, he was the first to jump into the purple circle, valiant and spirited, as if ready to fight a life-and-death battle.

However, as they handed in their papers, they became idle here. The perilous terminal of yesterday, once entered again today, was just bustling with activity.

Passengers passing by, smiling ground staff, various eateries, and brand stores—everything was just as it was last night.

But the alerts that rang were no longer urging them to the counter for boarding, but the awaited 3/23 new coordinates—three people looked uniformly at Wu Sheng.

After a moment of contemplation, he looked up. “Shandong.”

Xu Wang held his forehead. His first thought was that they had to buy plane tickets. “Isn’t the travel cost too high?”

Qian Ai was stunned for a second, then nodded. “Got it. Next stop, eat multigrain pancakes.”

Kuang Jinxin was calm about where to go; since coming in, he had mainly been looking around, until now.

“Xiao Kuang, what are you looking at?” Xu Wang asked.

“I always feel like someone is watching us.” Kuang Jinxin frowned.

His words immediately put the other three on alert. The relaxation post-submission almost made them forget this level was open. It was very likely that no matter whether they submitted their papers or not, as long as they were in the level, there would be others.

They had learned their lesson about being exposed.

Thinking this, the four hurriedly entered a cafe, choosing a corner spot that allowed them to overlook the terminal through a hollow fence, yet was secluded enough.

As soon as they sat down, the waiter came over to ask what they’d like to drink. They symbolically ordered three cups of coffee and one tea, only to find that the waiter, very politely taking their order, never returned.

“I knew it was all for show.” Qian Ai couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Xu Wang had anticipated this. “If we could eat and drink anything we wanted upon entering, who would bother going through the challenges?”

“Right,” Kuang Jinxin agreed. “If you could come in every night, eat and take away, there’d be no need to work. You’d be set for life.”

“Forget the coffee.” Wu Sheng redirected the conversation, lowering his voice. “Did you all receive your rewards?”

Kuang Jinxin nodded, showing his [Stationery Box]: [(Defense) Candy House¹], [(Offense) Hit Me If You Dare²].

¹This is referring to the story of Hansel and Gretel (though in Chinese it’s called Candy House).
²This is referring to a meme. I believe it comes from the movie Hail the Judge. There’s a scene in there where some guy is basically saying, “Common, hit me (if you dare)” …to which they actually did. You can see the scene here (it’s in Chinese though). 

“Hmm..” Wu Sheng looked at the two icons and pondered for a while. “Why don’t you introduce them yourself?”

Kuang Jinxin scratched his head in distress. “For defense, it should be similar to [A Clever Rabbit Has Three Burrows]. Maybe it can create a hiding place?”

Qian Ai raised his hand. “I’m more curious about the offense one.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng nodded in agreement.

With his teammates’ expectant eyes on him, Kuang Jinxin really wanted to give a perfect reading comprehension answer, but this question was too hard. The phrase “Hit Me If You Dare” was brimming with provocation, making it hard to decipher.

“Xu Ge, Wu Ge.” Kuang Jinxin decided to turn the question around. “What did you guys get?”

This was a very wise decision.

Because Xu Wang, who had been eagerly awaiting Kuang Jinxin’s reading comprehension, instantly deflated, listlessly showing his own arm.

Three teammates peered at it: [(Defense) I Urge You to Have One More Drink¹], [(Offense) Chang’e Flying to the Moon²].

¹This is referencing a line in the poem “The Song of Weicheng” by Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei. The full line is: “I urge you to have another drink, there will be no old friends when you leave Yangguan in the west.” 
²This is referring to the story of Chang’e, the moon goddess. Basically, the story goes, she was the wife of Hou Yi, who was rewarded an immortality elixir for shooting down nine suns. Not wanting immortality without his beloved wife, he gave her the elixir. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, she consumed it, which made her weightless. She flew upwards past the heavens to the moon, where she currently resides. Today, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated based on this legend.

Kuang Jinxin’s [Candy House] was at least imaginable, but Xu Wang’s…

“Let’s not talk about the defense for now. It’s definitely some kind of protective mechanism. No matter how strange, it can’t be too outlandish.” Qian Ai leaned in, intently looking at the antiquely designed icon of the beauty flying to the moon. “What the hell is this [Chang’e Flying to the Moon]?”

“Since it’s an offense…” Wu Sheng tried to relate to past experience. “It’s probably similar to [Beyond the Nine Heavens], sending the opponent straight to the moon.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Xu Wang: “Isn’t that a bit too romantic…”

Wu Sheng: “A place with no oxygen, no food, no life, and no liquid water—sending someone can only be said to be brutal. Where’s the romance?”

Xu Wang: “Let’s check out your rewards then.”

With the topic forcibly shifted, Wu Sheng, oblivious, naturally showed his own Stationery Box: [(Defense) Cloak of Invisibility], [(Offensive) Deep Gaze of Death].

“A cloak!” Kuang Jinxin was the first to excitedly respond, then, realizing it might not be appropriate, quickly covered his mouth, but still, strong envy seeped through his fingers. “[Cloak of Invisibility], that’s so cool…”

Xu Wang was also a bit envious, but not because the [Cloak of Invisibility] was cool; rather, it was rare to encounter a stationery that could be understood just by reading the name.

But on the other hand…

“I urgently need one of you guys to explain,” he said, but his eyes were clearly fixed on Wu Sheng. “How does this [Deep Gaze of Death] work as a weapon?”

Wu Sheng didn’t speak and just gave him a “deeply affectionate” look.

One second.

Two seconds.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds…

“……” Using all his willpower, Xu Wang managed not to look away.

This is a fucking weapon of mass destruction!

Compared to Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin, and Wu Sheng, who all had at least one perplexing stationery, Qian Ai was much more relaxed. His two rewards were [(Defense) Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring*], [(Offense) Invincible Hot Wheels]. [Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring], as the name suggests, is about racing, while the [Invincible Hot Wheels] is naturally a weapon.

*This is referring to a mysterious drag racer who (apparently) managed to drive around Beijing’s 2^nd Ring Road in just 13 minutes. The 2^nd Ring Road is about 20.3 miles… so to drive around it in 13 minutes, he would have to be going about 94 miles/hour.

If understanding rewards was a test, then Qian Ai was answering an open-book exam.

“Coincidence, mere coincidence.” Classmate Qian didn’t forget to humble himself a bit to balance his teammates’ moods.

“With this comparison, the first challenge was really straightforward.” Kuang Jinxin suddenly sighed. “Use sleighs to escape, use the Fishnado to deal with bears, and Xu Ge got skate shoes at the ice waterfall. What tools to use at each stage was crystal clear.”

“It’s to familiarize us with the process,” Wu Sheng said. “Without these hints, we wouldn’t even know what to do, and the program would fail as countless users would crowd at the entrance without truly accessing the internal application.”

Kuang Jinxin blinked at Xu Wang.

Xu Wang patted his shoulder. “If this is a game, the first level is a warm-up stage, specially designed for us to get used to the rules so we can better engage in the game later.”

Kuang Jinxin apologetically glanced at Wu Sheng, then faced Xu Wang, sincerely saying, “Xu Ge, I like your explanation.”

Wu Sheng, feeling dejected, turned his head to look outside the café. His gaze suddenly fixed in a certain direction, his eyes narrowing slightly, flashing with alertness.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Wang whispered. Sensing something amiss, he leaned in and looked out the grille with him.

“Counter 9,” Wu Sheng said. “There’s a team there checking in.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 26: Night Talk

If someone had told him four days ago that he could share a room with Wu Sheng—not the school’s bunk beds—without any other beds or roommates around, just the two of them, lone men together, staring into each other’s faces, Xu Wang could have imagined a hundred dramatic and explosive scenarios, each with its unique thunderous roars and flames.

Now, this dreamy scene had actually become a reality.

Exhausted to the point of not wanting to move even a finger, Xu Wang was looking forward to diving into bed and sleeping soundly.

Drive*?

*Referring to driving a car, which is a euphemism for sex. 

That’s for when one is alert. Driving while fatigued isn’t recommended!

His eyelids growing heavier, Xu Wang mustered the energy to head to the bathroom. Halfway there, he remembered to call out to Wu Sheng, “You don’t need the toilet urgently, right? I’ll just wash my face first.”

He didn’t look back. It was more of an announcement than a question.

Hearing no response from Wu Sheng behind him, Xu Wang took it as consent and went into the bathroom, hastily washed his face with cold water, brushed his teeth, and finished within a few minutes. Coming out, he found Wu Sheng squatting in a corner, inspecting a half-person-tall hiking bag.

“Isn’t that Xiao Kuang’s bag?” Xu Wang curiously approached.

When they had returned to the room, they were still shocked by the “auntie’s memory loss” and hadn’t noticed anything new in the corner. The issue of Kuang Jinxin’s missing backpack had long been forgotten.

“Yeah, it’s Xiao Kuang’s,” Wu Sheng confirmed. “It must have been stopped at the last moment, just like your fruit knife.”

He opened the backpack, not to rummage through but just to look.

Xu Wang stood behind him, also peering in, noticing that the surface was filled with daily necessities and occasionally glimpsing bits of snack wrappers deep inside.

Clearly, this was a “camping” type of bag, consistent with what Kuang Jinxin had said, and it didn’t contain any dangerous items.

So, such a harmless bag was also stopped…

“Is it really because it’s too big?” Other than its impressive size, Xu Wang couldn’t find any other faults with the bag.

“Maybe,” Wu Sheng mused, still squatting there, thoughtfully.

Xu Wang knew this meant Wu Sheng was starting to enter new information into his database, preparing for future similar queries or updating the answers when the truth was revealed.

Wu Sheng’s mind was like an empire of hackers—at least, that was what Xu Wang thought in high school.

Unable to match Wu Sheng’s brainpower, Xu Wang could only resort to talking; otherwise, it’d be too awkward just standing there. “You and Xiao Kuang really need to balance out.”

After completing his input, Wu Sheng turned back with a puzzled look.

“You two are just two extremes.” Xu Wang gestured towards Wu Sheng’s slim dual-shoulder laptop bag. “His bag can hold an entire world, while yours seems to be full with just a laptop.”

Wu Sheng stood up, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said in a slightly raised tone, “Are, you, sure?”

Xu Wang involuntarily stepped back, his mind suddenly flashing with numerous domineering CEO lines from idol dramas—great, you’ve caught my attention.

His heartbeat skipped, then pounded erratically. Xu Wang tried to maintain a natural expression as he watched Wu Sheng stride over, pick up the laptop bag, then turn back and place it on the table, unzipping it and taking out the items one by one—

Laptop.

External hard drive.

USB drives.

Memory cards.

Power bank.

Kindle.

Earphones.

A box full of identical-looking data cables.

A small pack of clothes and daily necessities that seemed to be stuffed in as shock absorbers for the electronic devices…

Finally, after the display, Wu Sheng slowly raised his eyes with a proud smile at the corners of his mouth, nonchalantly shaking his head at Xu Wang. “Never underestimate a programmer’s laptop bag.”

Xu Wang: “……”

His flustered heart felt foolish!

Wu Sheng, satisfied with his equipment, touched this and looked at that, casually flipping out a box not much bigger than his palm from a pile of mysterious items.

Xu Wang craned his neck to see, finding it to be a small, transparent plastic box with a conspicuous red cross.

“You even brought a medical kit?” Xu Wang was truly surprised. “When did you start living so delicately?”

“It’s called being prepared for anything. The first level was a bear—who knows what we’ll encounter in the second level. I never think my life is too long.”

“Alright, you’re thorough; you’re the best.”

“Still, it’s overkill. After all, with my agility, it’s hard to get injured and even harder to use it.”

“……”

He had blindly praised, so why did he still not dodge the show-off strike?!

“Forget it. Let’s give it to someone who needs it more.” Wu Sheng sighed, walking over and stuffing the medical kit into Xu Wang’s hands, feigning reluctance.

Xu Wang’s mouth twitched, feeling the “gift” was more like a curse. “I, don’t, need, it.”

Wu Sheng tilted his head, innocently asking, “How’s your back after that bear pounce?”

“……” Xu Wang was defeated.

Five minutes later.

Xu Wang took off his shirt and lay on the bed. His mind was in chaos, unable to sort out how things had progressed to this point. If he remembered correctly, it all started with Wu Sheng finding Kuang Jinxin’s hiking bag, so how did it end up with Wu Sheng changing his bandages?

“The wound isn’t too deep,” Wu Sheng commented as he removed the old bandage, inspecting it for a couple of seconds.

Xu Wang rolled his eyes, swearing he couldn’t detect a hint of concern. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

As he waited for Wu Sheng to retort, a sudden chill from the iodine on his wound made Xu Wang gasp. “Brother, are you applying iodine or seeking revenge!”

“Only if you stand the greatest hardships can you hope to rise in society*.”

*Idiom referring to those who have endured innumerable hardships will gain fame and wealth and become a person respected and loved by others. 

“Is that even applicable here?!”

“Now I know why there are fewer and fewer people willing to help others.” Wu Sheng, undeterred, diligently dabbed the iodine around the wound perimeter, meanwhile lamenting the deterioration of the world. “It’s not that there are no good people; it’s just that it’s hard to do good deeds.”

In his soft sigh, there wasn’t only the bitterness of kindness unappreciated but also the frustration of being misunderstood, coupled with a bit of the nobility of repaying evil with good. It was a fully-dimensional, comprehensive occupation of the moral high ground, exerting moral supremacy over his opponent.

Beggars can’t be choosers*. Xu Wang was using Wu Sheng’s bandages, iodine, and labor. He kept his mouth shut under the weight of his conscience.

*One who eats from others has a short mouth; one who takes from others has soft hands. It’s a proverb that means if you accept someone’s generosity or favors, you might feel less obliged to be able to speak out or act freely against them.

As the conversation—or rather, the bickering—came to a halt, the room quietened down, so quiet that it felt like you could hear time ticking away with each of Wu Sheng’s not-so-gentle movements.

“Not really gentle” was Xu Wang’s subjective view. In reality, apart from the initial cold shock of the iodine, he hadn’t felt any discomfort afterward. On the contrary, it was quite cooling and comfortable.

Unable to turn around and see Wu Sheng’s movements and expression, he could only rest his chin on his crossed hands, obediently being a “patient”.

Unfortunately, this patient had a guilty conscience, unable to endure the prolonged silence and peace, always feeling that if he didn’t say something, some ghost might appear. And if, by chance, the person behind him caught it, then he’d never be able to lift his head in front of him again.

“You think…” Xu Wang shuffled uncomfortably, breaking the silence.

But as soon as he spoke two words, he was sharply told, “Don’t move.”

His shoulder was still under Wu Sheng’s care, so Xu Wang didn’t dare to move recklessly, lying still and looking forward. But his mouth still pursued freedom. “What do you think the next level will be?”

“We don’t need to worry about that.” Wu Sheng carefully placed a new bandage on Xu Wang’s wound. “Tomorrow, no, tonight we’ll get the coordinates again.”

“The reward will come too, right?” Xu Wang, resting on his hands, dreamt of the future. “I wonder what stationery we’ll get this time.”

He was genuinely looking forward to it, which Wu Sheng could tell. But precisely because he could tell, he felt the other person’s focus was amusing. “What’s the point? Will it decrease the difficulty of the levels? It’s just a drop in the bucket.”

“……” Xu Wang’s budding desire to have a “nice chat” was squashed with a single comment.

He didn’t oppose being pragmatic, but being pragmatic doesn’t mean every conversation has to be doused in cold water. That hell of a place doesn’t pay wages or provide insurance, and the rewards are the only thing to look forward to. Isn’t even daydreaming allowed anymore? Is living not allowed?

“Hey, later go next door and switch with Xiao Kuang.”

“Huh?”

“Talking to you shortens my life.”

“……”

From where Wu Sheng was, he could only see the back of Xu Wang’s head, but even just that was enough for Wu Sheng to sense the imminent crisis of “the sports rep and the class monitor can’t talk, so the class committee is facing dissolution”.

After a silent ten seconds or so.

The disheartened sports rep heard the class monitor behind him ask in a sincere, curious, and amiable tone. “What do you think the stationery will be?”

The sports rep’s mood brightened.

Sports rep: “Definitely something even weirder and more interesting!”

“Haa…” The class monitor let out a long sigh full of survival instinct. “I think so too.”

Xu Wang was satisfied. Good, the class committee can cooperate for another five hundred years.

Finishing with the last piece of tape, Wu Sheng patted Xu Wang’s lower back. “Done.”

Xu Wang, tickled by the pat, let out a cry. Regretting it immediately, he braced for comments like “Are you made of tofu?” or “You’re overacting.” But after waiting a while with no response, he turned his head to find Wu Sheng already at the bathroom door.

As if sensing something, Wu Sheng, who already had one foot in the bathroom, stopped and turned back to look at Xu Wang.

Their eyes met, and the air froze.

Xu Wang, who was using his small hands as a pillow, felt blessed at the moment. “Thank you.”

Wu Sheng’s eyes softened, and he waved his hand lightly. “No need to be too moved.”

If he weren’t so tired that lifting a finger was hard, Xu Wang would have definitely thrown a slipper at him.

Wu Sheng took a shower and came out almost twenty minutes later. He thought Xu Wang would have already drifted off to the ninth heaven, but when he approached the bed, he found his bunkmate wide awake, staring at the ceiling in deep thought, as if it held the ultimate secrets of life.

“What are you thinking about?” Wu Sheng climbed into his own bed, shaking out his blanket while curiously asking.

“Why hasn’t it disappeared?” Xu Wang said, unsure if he was answering or just talking to himself.

“What disappeared?” Wu Sheng listened but didn’t understand.

Xu Wang simply turned over to lie on his side, staring intently at his bunkmate with an attitude ready for a long night’s discussion. “The stationery. Why hasn’t it disappeared?”

“Is it about [Cao Chong Weighing the Elephant]?” Wu Sheng guessed naturally in that direction. “The reason it might not be usable is probably due to not meeting the conditions, like not enough scores, wrong level, or some other restrictions.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Xu Wang shook his head. “I mean, my head also hurts, but when I entered the ‘Owl’, my [Stationery Box] wasn’t emptied, and none of the stationery disappeared.”

“Did you call the police?”

“No, when Auntie Ling came over, I had the thought of opening the door, hoping she’d discover everything and then help us call the police. Just thinking about it made my head hurt.”

“But you still didn’t open the door, right?” Wu Sheng also lay on his side, facing Xu Wang across the bed. “Thinking and doing are still different.”

“But there was also deliberate intention. This is no different in essence from the others’ calling the police, and I was also warned by the headache.”

“They persisted in calling the police even after the headaches. You didn’t persist in opening the door, did you?”

“Er, no.”

“That’s the essential difference,” Wu Sheng said. “In programming, a command issued is issued, not issued is not issued. The program doesn’t execute a certain command because you ‘want to issue’ it.”

Xu Wang glared at him. “That’s a programmer’s way of thinking.”

Wu Sheng yawned. “How do you know the world inside the ‘Owl’ isn’t a large program?”

“Program?” Xu Wang repeated dully.

“It’s just a metaphor,” Wu Sheng said. “Every world has its operating logic. Here we rely on natural laws and social norms. The ‘Owl’ has its own logic too. It’s just that we haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Crazy. Having to break through levels, explore rules, match wits and courage with ‘colleagues’, and now I need to study its logic too…” Xu Wang sighed deeply, too exhausted to be angry. “I never win the lottery, and yet I’m always accurate in these unlucky situations.”

He expected Wu Sheng to agree, but the other bed was quiet for a while.

Xu Wang looked over curiously and found Wu Sheng’s expression calm, not showing any sign of discontent or anger.

“Don’t you think it’s unlucky?” Xu Wang asked seriously.

Wu Sheng pondered for a moment, then answered seriously, “It’s okay.”

Xu Wang doubted his ears. “It’s okay?”

“Although life is severely disrupted, sleep completely reversed, and work struggle forcibly interrupted, but…” Wu Sheng quietly watched him for a while, then suddenly smiled. “It’s okay.”

Xu Wang watched the smile on Wu Sheng’s face incredulously, taking almost a minute to digest and finally believing that the man was serious.

It reminded him of a test in high school when Wu Sheng complained that the test paper was too easy—a glance before the test would score full marks, not reflecting the real level of learning, making the test process extremely boring and unenjoyable.

Although Xu Wang didn’t understand the term “the fun in learning”, it was clear that the teacher took the words to heart. To give these “top students,” who were unaware of their limits, a lesson in humility, the difficulty of the second test jumped from bronze to king level. For the final big question, Xu Wang couldn’t even understand the question, and Wu Sheng also didn’t solve it within the exam time. In the end, they both handed in their papers without scoring any points for this question.

Later, when the teacher was reviewing the paper, before explaining the answer to the last question, he first gave a lesson in humility, saying that even if you’re good at studying, you need to be modest, prudent, and not too ambitious. But before he finished, Wu Sheng raised his hand, claiming he had solved the question and was “invited” by the teacher, albeit reluctantly, to write three solutions on the board, the last of which was specially marked as not using “formulas learned”, just for reference.

To this day, Xu Wang still believes it was the teacher’s moral fortitude that he didn’t reprimand Wu Sheng with a ruler.

“What are you thinking about now?” Wu Sheng watched as Xu Wang got lost in thought while talking to him, feeling complicated.

Xu Wang brought his thoughts back and sighed at Wu Sheng. In a rare moment, he said earnestly, “I’m thinking, why do you like solving difficult problems and tackling challenges so much? Isn’t it nice to live easily? Ever heard of ‘contentment brings happiness’?”

“I’ve never really understood that phrase.” Wu Sheng sincerely asked, “What’s there to enjoy when you’re satisfied? Isn’t it better to always have a direction to strive in, to always have the joy of climbing?”

“…Forget it. I don’t understand your high-IQ world.” Xu Wang gave up the discussion, turned over, and lay facing away from Wu Sheng, so as not to get more upset by looking at him.

“You don’t need to understand.” Came the understanding voice from the next bed. “Just admire me.”

Xu Wang: “Good night!”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 25: After Submission

Under the night sky, Hongshan was vast and desolate. The Zhenbeitai, enduring over four hundred years of wind and frost, no longer bustled with daytime tourists and stood quietly atop the mountain in the biting wind, like a general surveying the land he guarded.

Suddenly, a purple light appeared mid-air, gradually enlarging until it became a manhole-cover-sized purple vortex. Then, four living people fell out from it, pitter-pattering onto the Zhenbeitai.

The thud of landing mixed with cries of “Ouch” abruptly broke the tranquility of the mountaintop.

If one were to look down from above Zhenbeitai at this moment, they would see four figures in the shape of a ‘大*’, all facing upwards, either panting heavily or taking deep breaths, all exuding a mix of relief and exhaustion from a narrow escape.

*Means big, but the character looks like a person sprawled out.

Qian Ai: “Why do I feel like I’ve been thrown out…”

Xu Wang: “Just be glad you made it out alive. What, you expected to be carried home in a sedan chair?”

Kuang Jinxin: “It’s only 4:20…”

Qian Ai: “Four twenty? I feel like it’s been forty days…”

Wu Sheng: “Let’s rest for two minutes and then quickly get going. The wind is fierce at the top of the mountain.”

However, after two minutes, the sense of accomplishment from “passing the test” started to emerge amidst the exhaustion, belatedly bringing a hint of excitement.

“This time we made it out alive. I definitely owe you big time.” The flashback of the battle scene made Qian Ai sit up suddenly, looking down at Wu Sheng seriously. “If you hadn’t grabbed the doorframe when the tail exploded, all of us would have flown out!”

“It was alright.” Wu Sheng stood up, dusting off the dirt from his clothes, trying to be modest. “In that situation, finding something stable to hold onto is instinct. I was just a bit quicker in reaction and movement.”

Xu Wang, lying there, glanced at Wu Sheng, seeing his lips and brows about to fly up with pride. He wanted to almost warn Qian Ai, “Stop praising him, or he might think he can fly to the moon.”

Perhaps feeling the same way, Qian Ai didn’t continue with the praises but changed the subject. “But I was really shocked when you were ‘carrying the three of us’. How have you trained these past years? Why is your physical fitness so good?”

Wu Sheng was less pleased to hear that. “When have I ever been unfit?”

“In high school,” Qian Ai recalled. “Do you remember once, when Xu Wang and that tough guy from Class 7 were fighting in the corridor? We were afraid of getting caught by the teacher, so none of us dared to help, except you went to help Xu Wang. Then that Class 7 guy pushed you, and you fainted.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

“I remember even if you don’t,” Xu Wang chimed in, getting up energetically to continue the story. “Then the teacher came, and instead of dealing with us, she rushed you to the infirmary first. After all, the top student is precious.”

“Right, right.” Qian Ai nodded vigorously. “And later didn’t that Class 7 guy, fearing punishment, collude with you, claiming you guys weren’t fighting but just playing around?”

“Pfft,” Xu Wang scoffed. “I didn’t even want to deal with him from the start. A punishment is a punishment; as long as it wasn’t easy for that guy, anything was fine,” he said, glancing at Wu Sheng. “Who knew that after waking up, this guy would insist we were just playing.”

“He was helping you.” Qian Ai couldn’t stand it and spoke up for justice. “If he hadn’t said that, you both would have gotten a major demerit.”

“Why do you always say he was helping me?” Xu Wang couldn’t hold back any longer. “Just now you said he stepped in to help me; he was breaking up the fight—a neutral party.”

“Both of you wait a minute.” Wu Sheng couldn’t bear it any longer and had to interrupt to defend his youth. He first looked at Xu Wang. “First, I did step in to help you. Even Lao Qian can see it. Are you that obtuse? Otherwise, why do you think you got off with just a verbal warning?” He then glanced at Qian Ai. “Second, you two haven’t really thought I actually fainted all these years, have you?”

Xu Wang, still tangled in whether it was breaking up the fight or taking sides, received new information, and his brain almost couldn’t keep up. “Huh?”

Qian Ai was also taken aback. “You didn’t really faint?”

“Of course, I pretended to faint,” Wu Sheng stated as if it were obvious. “If I hadn’t ‘fainted’, wouldn’t it have become a three-person fight? If I said I was breaking it, would that guy admit it? So I had to faint. Once I fainted, that guy got scared. As long as he chickens out, everything else is easy to handle…”

“I get it!” Kuang Jinxin suddenly sat up. In the first level, they encountered Xu Wang, and while Xu Wang only saw Wu Sheng without noticing him and Sun Jiang beside him, the two had reminisced about high school when Xu Wang was kicked into the goal by three burly men and Wu Sheng called the teacher over. Wu Sheng had then said, “This is called using your brain!”

Qian Ai: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng felt gratified. He found a kindred spirit in Kuang Jinxin amidst high mountains and flowing water.

After chatting for a while, the little excitement from their submission gradually dissipated, and tiredness crept back in. The four of them, sneaking out of the scenic area under the cover of night, called a taxi with their phones, and within fifteen minutes, they were back at the hotel.

Standing outside the hotel, they suddenly remembered a grave issue—when they entered the “Owl” at midnight, they were communicating with the proprietress through the door. After they were all swept away, how would the auntie outside the door react? Leave filled with doubts? Rush into the room to find no one? Or simply call the police?

No matter the scenario, they needed to provide a reasonable explanation.

Now, through the glass door, they saw the auntie dozing off at the front desk.

“What do we do?” Qian Ai scratched his head a little worriedly.

“Go in.” Xu Wang made a decisive decision. “What will be, will be. Let’s play it by ear.”

With that, he was the first to walk in, followed closely by Wu Sheng. Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai exchanged glances and followed suit, steeling themselves.

As if sensing their arrival, the auntie happened to wake up and open her eyes at that moment. She was about to yawn, but as she opened her mouth, she saw the four of them entering. So, the yawn stopped, and her eyes and mouth opened wide.

The four stood still, not moving forward or backward, just quietly watching the auntie, adopting a strategy of no action until the enemy moves.

“You guys…” The auntie finally spoke, but her tone was not accusatory; she was just purely puzzled and surprised. “When did you go out? I’ve been here all the time. How come I didn’t see you?”

The four were baffled by this unexpected question. They looked at each other, and finally, Xu Wang said, “Uh, we went out earlier for a late-night snack. You might have been asleep and didn’t notice.”

“Oh.” The auntie accepted the explanation without any problems and even kindly reminded them, “It’s very cold at night. Kids should wear more.”

Her attitude was natural, and after speaking, she yawned and put her hand on the counter, ready to continue her nap.

Even the most oblivious person could sense something was off. Xu Wang, throwing caution to the wind, directly asked, “Auntie, you came to our room earlier…”

He stopped halfway, partly cautious not to reveal too much, and partly because he genuinely didn’t know how to continue. It’s not like he could say, “You came to our room, and then we disappeared. How do you feel about that?”

The auntie, waiting for the continuation, finally responded to the first part. “What? When did I come to your room?”

The air suddenly went quiet.

Xu Wang, suppressing his disbelief, pressed further, “Around midnight last night…”

“Kid, what are you talking about?” The auntie laughed as if they were children making up stories. “I’ve been here all night. When did I go upstairs?”

The air went utterly silent.

They looked at the auntie, and the auntie looked back at them, equally baffled.

In the long silence, the four finally realized one thing—the auntie had lost her memory.

This disjointed conversation ended with the auntie’s bafflement and the four’s heart-thumping realization.

They were shocked by the absurdity of the “memory loss” and even more so by the power of the “Owl”. But after calming down, they thought, if the “Owl” can pull real people into its world, where even injuries sustained there can be brought back to reality, what’s so impossible about altering someone’s memory?

Still, it was terrifying.

This terrifying power blurred the lines between the “Owl” and “reality”, making those who used to clearly separate night and day, relegating the “Owl” completely out of their lives as if it were just a dream or a test, feel a chill in their hearts.

Back in the room, the four sat in silence, either on chairs or on the bed, speechless for a long time.

“Actually, looking at it from another angle, it’s a good thing. This way, we won’t be considered lunatics, and we don’t have to lie to cover up a strange disappearance.” Kuang Jinxin was the first to speak. He patted his face, and his eyes regained their vitality and optimism. “Let’s sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Xu Wang sighed.

They wouldn’t be considered lunatics, but they had also completely lost the chance to seek help.

But on this night of hard-fought battles, it was better not to discuss such heavy topics.

“Agreed.” He patted his legs, standing up from the bed and loudly seconding Kuang Jinxin. “Sleep!”

“I’m not going back to my room.” Qian Ai immediately raised his hand. “I’m feeling very insecure right now. I want to sleep with you three!”

“Lao Qian.” Wu Sheng seriously corrected him. “Just because we three share a room doesn’t mean we sleep together.”

Qian Ai paused, then retorted. “It’s the same thing. Why nitpick?”

“No, no, no.” Wu Sheng shook his head firmly. “There’s a big difference…”

“Can you talk about something useful!” Xu Wang couldn’t take it anymore and threw out a practical suggestion. “Then let’s push the three beds together and sleep all four of us.”

“Don’t push them together. The gaps between the beds are uncomfortable to sleep on.” Kuang Jinxin volunteered. “Qian Ge, I’ll go to your room and accompany you.”

“Alright.” Xu Wang thought this was a good idea, patting Qian Ai’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, Xiao Kuang will protect you.”

Qian Ai looked at Xu Wang’s serious face, then at Kuang Jinxin’s sincere one, and finally at Wu Sheng, who seemed oblivious to the outside world, feeling his martial prowess was being insulted, but…

“That works.”

After sending off Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin, the room was left with just Xu Wang and Wu Sheng.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 24: Landing

“Don’t—” Yuan Jiuyi’s voice trembled and changed pitch as he instinctively lunged to where the gourd was falling. However, he could only watch helplessly as the glass shattered and blood splattered.

He knelt there, staring woodenly at the vivid red on the ground. After a long while, he slowly raised his head, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.

In his eyes, Xu Wang saw despair, followed by madness. But even after waiting and waiting, Yuan Jiuyi simply looked at him, making no move.

The four stood while Yuan Jiuyi knelt. Logically, they should have had the upper hand in both the situation and momentum, but Xu Wang still felt uneasy under Yuan Jiuyi’s gaze.

As they locked eyes, suddenly, a kick flew in from behind, solidly hitting Yuan Jiuyi on the shoulder. Caught off guard, he was knocked down.

“It’s not a matchmaking session. Why keep staring endlessly?” Wu Sheng said irritably, not withdrawing his leg but instead stepping directly onto Yuan Jiuyi, pinning him down with his weight and looking up to ask the passengers, “Who has a rope?”

Throughout the fight, the passengers had all been tightly buckling their seat belts, fearing even a slight deviation from their seats might involve them in the fray. But now, as it seemed the good had triumphed over evil, a passenger sitting in the rear half of the economy class, whom Xu Wang hadn’t talked to, timidly raised a hand.

“Bring it here—” Wu Sheng said succinctly.

The passenger was very cooperative, rummaging through his carry-on luggage to find whatever might be helpful—ropes, whips, candles.

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

How many “colorful lives” are hidden on this plane?!

Wu Sheng took only the rope, and his companions, coming to their senses, stepped forward to help. In no time, they tied Yuan Jiuyi up like a rice dumpling. Whether by habit from battle or some fateful coincidence, the spot where Yuan Jiuyi ended up was exactly where they had earlier trapped Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face. The battleground remained, but the opponents had changed.

After all the tumult, Yuan Jiuyi’s head hung completely, losing the last bit of madness.

Qian Ai wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. “This should be good, right?”

Wu Sheng said, “I don’t know.”

“Don’t know?” Qian Ai’s heart, not yet fully relaxed, tightened again. “Don’t scare me.”

Xu Wang looked at him, puzzled.

“If it were that easy,” Wu Sheng looked at Xu Wang, pointing to his ear, “why isn’t there a voice congratulating us for our submission?”

“……”

Xu Wang couldn’t answer that question. Even he, immersed in the satisfaction of thwarting the villain’s hopes, had forgotten about this detail.

As they were lost in confusion, a flash of lightning suddenly streaked past the plane window, illuminating the cabin intensely for a moment. The light was so blinding that the passengers instinctively shielded their eyes, but the plane began to shake violently!

Kuang Jinxin and Xu Wang failed to stand firm and fell to the ground. Wu Sheng steadied himself on the bathroom door frame, and Qian Ai, relying on his weight, swayed a few times but remained standing.

Yuan Jiuyi, already tied up like a dumpling on the floor, was less affected by the plane’s shaking, merely sliding a little left or right.

The four had thought it was just ordinary turbulence and would soon pass, but the shaking didn’t stop and even intensified!

Qian Ai suddenly slapped his forehead. “Damn, it’s not the pilots messing around, is it?!”

The two pilots, once restricted by the [Words Like Pearls and Jade] were now free to act, and their intentions were anyone’s guess!

“Xiao Kuang, Lao Qian, watch Yuan Jiuyi.” Xu Wang, positioning himself as the “leader”, naturally delegated tasks. “Wu Sheng and I will go check the cockpit.”

“I’ll go,” Qian Ai volunteered. “I’m familiar with them.”

Xu Wang helplessly patted his teammate on the shoulder. “Familiarity built entirely on hatred isn’t ‘familiar’; it’s an ‘old grudge’.”

As a particularly violent bout of turbulence nearly tossed them, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng agilely entered the service area’s “burrow” and quickly made their way to the cockpit. Climbing out, they saw the captain and co-pilot anxiously operating the controls, not looking like culprits but rather like they were struggling to resolve a crisis.

“The bomb threat has been neutralized,” Xu Wang declared as he approached the captain, seeking to establish his contribution before inquiring, “What’s the situation now?”

“Really?” The co-pilot looked at him with surprise. This was a rare piece of good news on this flight.

“Watch the front!” The captain sternly reminded, then quickly glanced back at Xu Wang and Wu Sheng. Though strangers, perhaps the merit declaration worked, and he gave them an answer, “The plane has entered a thunderstorm.”

“What do we do?” Xu Wang, unfamiliar with flying, understood that “thunderstorm” sounds ominous. No wonder the outside had been filled with thunder and lightning.

The captain looked ahead. “Nothing much. Just fly through.”

Xu Wang cleared his throat, trying to make his question sound unquestionable and respectful. “Are you sure about that?”

The captain turned back to look at him again, his voice steady and deep. “I am a professional.”

If Qian Ai were standing here, seeing the captain’s serious face, he would have complained, “Now you start to act tough.”

But Xu Wang hadn’t seen the captain talk much before and mistook his usual demeanor for stern professionalism. He immediately closed his mouth, expressing through his actions respect and trust in the captain’s expertise.

Returning to the rear of the plane, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin immediately asked, “What’s going on?”

Wu Sheng replied, “The plane has entered a thunderstorm area. The turbulence will last for a long time.”

Qian Ai’s complexion changed. “Isn’t it on autopilot? Can’t the radar detect the thunderstorm area?”

Kuang Jinxin also asked shakily, “Will… Will there be danger?”

“I can’t answer your questions. I don’t know how to fly either, but the captain…” Wu Sheng looked towards Xu Wang.

Xu Wang understood and nodded, continuing, “Right, the captain said he is a professional.”

“Boom—”

“Click—”

“Bang—”

Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and luggage compartments popped open.

All four exchanged looks, palms sweating—the situation was indeed not looking good!

“Divine punishment,” Yuan Jiuyi suddenly muttered softly from the ground.

The thunderstorm seemed to pause for a moment.

No, it paused in the ears of the four, as if the world suddenly quieted down, leaving only Yuan Jiuyi’s hoarse and unpleasant voice, creating extreme discomfort.

“What did you say?” Xu Wang also deliberately softened his voice. In front of such a person, one must never be hasty; a moment’s impulse meant defeat.

“Divine punishment.” Yuan Jiuyi smiled faintly. “You broke the gourd, not only ruining the sacrifice and my cultivation but also the spiritual path of those 893 people. Such a great sin naturally warrants divine retribution.”

He was calm, giving the illusion that the crazed believer from before was just a phantom.

But a closer look revealed that the madness hadn’t gone from his face but had retreated into the depths of his eyes, taking root and deeply embedded.

“Spiritual path…” Xu Wang wanted to laugh but couldn’t. Although he knew it was futile to discuss morality with a lunatic, such bandit logic was still infuriating. “Ask those 893 people if they agree…”

“No.” Xu Wang suddenly shook his head, moving closer to Yuan Jiuyi and hurling words at him. “You can’t ask them anymore. They’ve already reincarnated and are living new lives. The only one going to hell is you.”

Yuan Jiuyi suddenly grinned with a creepy and penetrating smile. “I’ve left three surprises on this flight, and you’ve only found one. Such a pity. Going to hell? Let’s all go together then…”

Xu Wang was stunned.

He hoped Yuan Jiuyi was just babbling in his death throes, but a chill ran down his spine.

Yuan Jiuyi’s smile faded as he tilted his head slightly, mouthing something slowly and silently.

Xu Wang didn’t catch it, but Wu Sheng, standing beside him, saw and understood clearly.

Yuan Jiu Yi was counting down—five, four, three, two, one.

Wu Sheng, almost at the moment of reading the lip language, forcefully hugged Xu Wang, instinctively protecting him with his body!

And just a half-second after he hugged Xu Wang, the rear metal wall of the plane suddenly exploded!

The flying debris didn’t reach them but was sucked out by the immense force of the explosion—creating a huge hole in the tail of the plane!

The cabin’s air pressure went out of control instantly. The differential pressure between inside and outside made the four, who had nothing to hold onto, suddenly lift off the ground!

Cabin depressurization!

The thought flashed through Wu Sheng’s mind as he instinctively stretched out a hand, gripping the bathroom door frame at the last moment before his body completely lifted off, finally stopping the backward momentum!

Xu Wang was dazed at the moment Wu Sheng hugged him, but as soon as the explosion happened, his first action was to tighten his grip around Wu Sheng’s waist!

This move saved him and the remaining two companions—when Wu Sheng, holding onto the door frame with one hand, realized Xu Wang had already actively embraced him, he released his other hand to grab the frame. What was a single-handed grip became a two-handed grip, increasing the force and stability. As flying Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai simultaneously grabbed their partner, Wu Sheng had changed from a “one supporting one” to a “one supporting three”, and didn’t let go!

Realizing what was happening, passengers began screaming in succession. They dared not move, as standing up meant being pulled out through the hole by the strong airflow. So they could only grip their seat belts, anxiously watching the four men!

The situation was Wu Sheng gripping the bathroom door frame, Xu Wang firmly hugging his waist, Kuang Jinxin pulling on Xu Wang’s legs, and Qian Ai holding onto Kuang Jinxin’s feet! The four companions were like a flag made of four patches of cloth, blown parallel to the ground, on the verge of flying away at any moment!

Yuan Jiuyi!

Xu Wang suddenly thought of him and looked around, only to find the tied-up villain already sucked onto the hole, barely stuck there with his head and feet against the edges due to the immense suction pressure!

However, this was ultimately a futile effort.

The four companions watched helplessly as his body slowly bent under the external force and eventually, unable to resist the pull, flew out of the cabin!

But just as he was sucked out, the pain on his face from resisting the pull vanished, replaced by a smirk.

He just looked at Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin as he flew out of the cabin.

If this signified death, then all four clearly saw; in the last moment before his end, he was smiling.

As the continuous depressurization caused oxygen masks to fall, the flight attendant, unable to unbuckle her seat belt, could only loudly remind the passengers, “Don’t panic, everyone. Please put on your oxygen masks—”

Wu Sheng’s hand was already beginning to numb, and he knew that if this continued, they would inevitably be pulled out into the sky.

At the critical moment, he caught sight of the “hole” on the ground!

Taking a deep breath, Wu Sheng tensed his entire body, concentrating all his strength into his hands. Then, slowly, he released one hand while relying on the remaining hand to support the pulling force of his companions behind him. The released hand reached for the edge of the hole.

His fingers were almost touching the edge of the hole.

Closer.

Even closer.

Finally, a third of Wu Sheng’s palm passed over the edge; he gripped hard, securing hold of the hole. The other hand followed suit, and thus the entire body’s center of gravity shifted from the door frame to the ground!

He exerted force backward with both arms, pushing his upper body forward, and finally, his whole body squeezed into the “Clever Burrow”!

Instantly, the feeling of “decompression” disappeared. Inside the burrow, everything was normal. Wu Sheng landed on the ground, pulling in his teammates, who were attached to the rope.

“Fuck, I thought I was really done for this time!” Qian Ai, still in shock, lay on the ground, not daring to move in fear of taking flight again.

Wu Sheng was relatively more composed. Though exhausted, he was the first to sit up and look at the still prostrated Xu Wang. “How are you? Are you alright?”

Xu Wang was face down, not moving, only showing Wu Sheng the back of his head.

Wu Sheng was starting to worry and was about to reach out to touch him when Xu Wang suddenly turned his head, a face full of perplexed and unresolved dilemmas. “Why was he smiling?”

Wu Sheng, who had almost lost his life, was still thinking about the villain. “That villager, after poisoning the entire village and dying himself, resurrected three days later, completely free of all ailments, and attained immortality. So, his own death is the final step of sacrifice or ascension.”

“I know, so I understand he wasn’t afraid of dying…” Xu Wang finally sat up, his face still clouded with confusion. “But the sacrifice was already disrupted by us. Whether dead or alive, he couldn’t possibly ascend.” He looked questioningly at Wu Sheng, asking, “Why then, at the very end, was he still smiling?”

Wu Sheng fell silent, understanding the real crux of Xu Wang’s confusion.

Yuan Jiuyi wanted to ascend, failed, and wanted to take them with him in death, also failed, so the last expression should be one of unwillingness, not calm and pleasure.

Unless… he still had a way to ensure their demise.

“Three surprises.” Both gave the answer in unison.

The password bomb was the first. The recent explosion was the second. So what was the third?

“Hey, hey, hey?!”

The plane suddenly tilted severely, and amidst Qian Ai’s confusion, all four were slammed into the burrow’s wall due to the tilting direction. Before they could react, the plane began to descend! Not a normal descent, but a rapid drop like a free-falling elevator!

It took them a great effort to crawl to the cockpit.

“What now—” Qian Ai felt he was going mad. Had he known it would be like this, he would have opted out from the start!

“The recent explosion caused one engine to flame out,” the captain said without turning back, still as steady as ever.

“Wasn’t the explosion at the tail?” Kuang Jinxin didn’t understand. “Aren’t the engines under the wings? How could the explosion affect it from that far?”

“There were two points of explosion,” the co-pilot replied. His voice wasn’t as steady as the captain’s. Large beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead. “One at the tail and one at the wing.”

The companions were stunned, looking at each other. Was this the legendary third surprise? But the tail and wing exploded simultaneously. Logically, surprises should come one after the other. Who reveals two at the same time?

Yuan Jiuyi was already gone. No one could provide a definite answer. All Xu Wang could hope for now was a safe landing. “Captain, one engine flamed out… It’s alright, isn’t it?”

Qian Ai interjected, “Is this the legendary third surprise?”

Xu Wang stood up anxiously, pacing around. “The password bomb was the first surprise. The recent explosion is the second. What’s the third? Another bomb? Where? The second was the tail bomb…”

The captain turned and gave him a “deep, deep” look.

Xu Wang immediately understood and nodded. “Got it. You’re the professional.”

“Calling, calling.” The co-pilot picked up the radio to contact the ground. “This is flight XXXX, above XX airport, with tail damage and one engine out. Requesting priority landing.”

Kuang Jinxin raised his hand. “Why is it a priority landing and not an emergency forced landing?”

“Because we’ve already arrived ahead of schedule.” Wu Sheng pulled out the boarding pass, which clearly marked the departure, landing times, and airports, which was indeed consistent with what the co-pilot was communicating.

“Priority landing granted. Priority landing granted…” the response from the radio sounded like magpies singing to the companions’ ears.

Soon, the plane began its descent. Both the captain and co-pilot became even more serious, while the four’s ears distinctly felt the discomfort caused by the continuous decrease in altitude.

The sky outside the window had dawned a whitish hue, not yet fully bright, so the ground was still dotted with lights.

As the plane’s altitude lowered, the scenery on the ground became clearer. Long and dense lights dotted the ground, like a bright ribbon stretching far. It was the highway. Around were irregular lights scattered here and there, signifying an urban area.

“Deploy the main landing gear,” the captain commanded.

The co-pilot immediately proceeded with the corresponding operation.

The four, although unfamiliar with flying, knew that takeoff and landing were the most critical and accident-prone moments, so they tensed up involuntarily. No one spoke, not even daring to breathe heavily, for fear of disturbing the pilots’ operations.

But what’s meant to come will always come—

“The main landing gear won’t deploy!” The co-pilot wished to remain calm, but his anxiety and panic were hard to hide.

The two previous crises hadn’t flustered the captain, but this statement made him turn pale.

After several unsuccessful attempts to open the main landing gear, the captain made a decisive decision. “Fuel is running low; we have no choice but to perform a belly landing.”

The co-pilot’s expression was akin to witnessing the end of the world. “One engine has already flamed out. We can’t precisely control the plane. Under these circumstances, a belly landing will certainly result in heavy casualties!”

“Better some survivors than none!” The captain finally snapped back at the co-pilot and then grabbed the radio to contact ground control directly. “Flight XXXX’s main landing gear won’t deploy. Preparing for a belly landing.”

He said “preparing”, not “requesting”, and didn’t even wait for a response from the ground before throwing down the radio and fully focusing on flying the plane!

This was the third surprise.

Xu Wang didn’t know how Yuan Jiuyi tampered with the landing gear but knew that he had never experienced such a heart-pounding moment in his life as on this plane. He unconsciously gripped the back of the captain’s chair, not sure if he was encouraging the captain or comforting himself. “I know you’re a professional…”

After a long silence, the captain sighed. “Pray for good luck.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Xu Wang: “Don’t change your lines at a time like this—”

The altitude of the plane was fifty meters.

Thirty meters.

Twenty meters.

Ten meters…

The four companions gripped whatever they could, awaiting the verdict of fate.

Finally, the plane landed.

The impact was intense at the moment of touching down, but the screeching friction, white smoke, or even fire they had imagined didn’t occur. The air brakes on the wings deployed normally, and after sliding on the runway for a while, the plane came to a steady stop.

Xu Wang was ecstatic, uncontrollably patting the captain’s shoulder. “I knew you could do it!”

The captain finally took a long breath and muttered to himself in confusion. “The landing gear suddenly started working again. How strange.”

The companions didn’t care about the strangeness; they were just relieved that this red-eye flight had landed smoothly. Whatever came their way on the ground, they weren’t afraid anymore, as long as it wasn’t back into the sky!

Returning to the cabin, the flight attendants had already opened the emergency doors, and passengers were sliding down the inflatable slide one by one in an orderly manner. With the body of the plane damaged and the engine out, it was imperative to evacuate the passengers as quickly as possible.

The four mingled with the passengers and also experienced the slide. Outside the plane, ambulances and fire trucks were on standby, and engineers rushed under the plane for various checks to prevent secondary accidents.

Just as Wu Sheng stood up from the slide, he heard familiar, loud wailing and turned to see. Indeed, it was Shen Yisi. He was about to approach when another young woman, faster than her, rushed forward and hugged the child, tenderly consoling, “Don’t cry. Mommy’s here.”

Family members can directly come here?

The thought had just arisen when Wu Sheng dismissed it. Having experienced so many bizarre events, it seemed unnecessary to fit this situation into regular norms.

Moreover, the young woman and Shen Yisi’s features were almost identical, so clearly, they were related.

As expected, Shen Yisi dove into the young woman’s arms, crying even harder. “Mom, mom… Grandma, grandma is gone…”

Xu Wang, who was wondering what Wu Sheng was looking at, came over and caught this line, instantly regretting and wishing for time to rewind.

The young woman, unaware of everything that had happened on the plane, could only comfort her son as best she could. Through her words, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng finally understood the story of Shen Yisi—the grandson wanted to travel abroad but his parents were too busy, so his grandmother, who had always been in good health, took him. However, the elderly lady suffered a sudden, severe illness abroad and passed away, leaving Shen Yisi alone on the return flight with only a box of ashes in the cargo.

But now, the urn was missing.

The engineer, who had just crawled under the plane, suddenly came out again, holding a bundle of blankets in his hand. Another engineer standing by perplexedly asked, “What’s that?”

“Probably a cabin blanket.” The maintenance engineer was also confused. “But it seems to be wrapping something… Strange, how did it get stuffed into the landing gear compartment…”

While muttering to himself, the engineer laid it on the ground and started unwrapping the blanket layer by layer, curious to see what was inside.

His wish was quickly fulfilled, as the item wasn’t wrapped very tightly. In just a few moments, the contents revealed themselves.

And then… both engineers froze in the cool morning breeze.

A lacquered wooden urn.

The body of the box was carved with exquisite designs, with scenic mountains and rivers on the right, eternal greenery on the left, and a black-and-white photo of an old lady in the center. The old woman was smiling, her gaze seemingly meeting everyone who looked at her—kind, friendly, and warm.

“Grandma!” Shen Yisi, who had been tired from crying, looked up from his mother’s arms and noticed the situation, immediately calling out happily!

The young woman followed her son’s gaze and stood still, astonished.

Of course, she wasn’t afraid of her mother, but she couldn’t understand why the urn that was checked in the cabin ended up here.

Wu Sheng and Xu Wang understood though.

The elderly lady was fussy, afraid of the cold, and needed to be wrapped in a blanket to be snug and stable in the drafty landing gear compartment, and thus, she saved her own grandson and, incidentally, the entire plane.

What if Kuang Jinxin hadn’t given the child a blanket when he went to the tail of the plane?

Perhaps the fate of the plane would have been entirely different.

It turned out that among all the villains, sins, and evil thoughts lurking in this ordeal, the most critical task line was merely a small blanket of kinship and that little bit of goodness in the bottom of people’s hearts.

At the same time, a long-missed voice resounded in the ears of the four—

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 2/23 test and handing in your papers! successful See you tomorrow~~]

Kinky Thoughts:

Just a bit of note. The theme revolves around school (roster, stationery box, cheat sheet, report card), so the terms translated are related to that theme.

When you see something like “stationery”, it refers to items/props (common in unlimited flow novels). Likewise, when the Owl congratulates them on passing the test (handing in their papers/submission), it’s like the system telling them they passed the “instance”.

Just keep that in mind.

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