Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 179: Everywhere

Xu Wang pulled his savior into the office, slammed the door shut, and pointed directly outside. “You can see it too?!”

Wu Sheng showed the owl icon on his arm. “I have this too.”

“Me too!” Xu Wang almost wanted to cry and hug him, just like the overwhelming joy of meeting a compatriot in a foreign land.

“Let’s not get too excited.” Wu Sheng patted his shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”

Xu Wang blurted out everything he had experienced, but the timeline of the events was too chaotic, and he found it hard not to get agitated. As a result, his narrative was all over the place and became incoherent. Towards the end, even he couldn’t bear to listen to himself anymore, like turning neatly sorted vegetables into a jumbled rock salad.

The savior listened from beginning to end without saying a word, probably because he didn’t even know where to start asking questions without interrupting him.

“Give me a minute to sort this out.” Xu Wang shook his head, trying to calm himself down. “Let me explain it to you again…”

“Did you miss anything?” Wu Sheng asked.

“Ah, I don’t think so…” Xu Wang felt a bit embarrassed. “I just told it in such a disorganized way, I was worried you…”

“It’s not disorganized. It’s very clear.” Wu Sheng’s eyes were clear. “You’ve lost your memory and experienced two time resets; one where you were killed and one where you were holding the door and yelling for help, but there was no actual danger. Both times happened at 12:04. The number outside the window decreased from 13 to 11, and you have a strange owl icon and the message ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’ on your arm.”

“How did you summarize it like that…” Xu Wang now looked at his savior with eyes full of admiration.

Wu Sheng enjoyed the recognition and admiration in the other’s eyes. Since losing his memory, it was the first time he truly smiled. “Because I’m just like you. I’ve also lost my memory, experienced two time resets, and can see the number outside and the message on my arm. The only difference is, I haven’t died. Both times were like your second time. I just zoned out, and then it reset.”

Going from fighting alone to standing together and having someone so reassuring by his side, Xu Wang’s panic was slowly replaced by a huge question. “Why is this happening? Is this some kind of mutation?”

“It’s not clear yet.” Wu Sheng glanced at his watch. 12:09. “So far, we know 12:04 is a key moment. We’ve successfully passed it. Now let’s see what happens next.”

“Next?” Xu Wang tensed up. “You mean there’s still danger to come?”

“Of course,” Wu Sheng said. “If everything goes smoothly, ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’ wouldn’t make sense as a test question.”

“Test question?” His savior’s thought process was hard to follow.

“Oh, that’s just a metaphor I used.” Wu Sheng opened the owl icon, explaining, “See, there’s a [Roster], [Stationery Box], [Cheat Sheet], and [Report Card]. Among the four items, [Roster] and [Report Card] are blank. [Cheat Sheet] only has ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’, while [Stationery Box] has items with prefixes (Defense), (Offense), and (Illusory). Doesn’t this look like items in a game?”

“It does seem like it…” Xu Wang hadn’t realized there was so much to the owl icon. He had only seen that message and didn’t click anywhere else. Plus, each time, just after four minutes, the secretary’s crazy boyfriend would arrive, leaving him no time to think further.

“I haven’t clicked them to see what effects they have, but with a [Roster], [Stationery Box] and [Report Card], to me, this seems like a test,” Wu Sheng continued. “The [Cheat Sheet] would normally have answers, but placed here, it’s more likely a hint.”

Xu Wang remembered the first few crisp “dings”. Indeed, it very much sounded like a phone’s notification.

Wu Sheng’s expression became serious. “I guess, for some inexplicable reason, we’ve been chosen to take this test, and the question is ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’…”

“During this period, the mysterious force behind this test will set various obstacles for us, and if we fail, time will reset. The number outside the window is the number of times we can fail, meaning, you and I share 13 chances…”

“Once the number reaches zero, no one knows what we’ll face, but if possible, I’d like to win this challenge and throw a perfect score in the face of the test organizers…”

After taking a breath, he looked earnestly into Xu Wang’s eyes. “The most important part now is to find the trigger for the time reset. The first time was your death. What about the second time?”

Xu Wang also looked at him seriously, not speaking, just looking.

Wu Sheng paused, perhaps realizing something. “Did I say too much all at once? Actually, it’s not that complicated…”

“Brother.” Xu Wang grabbed his savior’s hand, holding it tightly with both hands. “Tell me the truth. Are you pranking me? You didn’t actually lose your memory. You know everything…”

Time: 12:17. Suddenly, without warning.

“Knock knock.”

Xu Wang snapped back to reality with the sound of knocking, feeling as if he still had the warmth of his savior’s hand in his palm.

Time: 12:00.

The number outside the window changed to “10”.

Half a minute later, the female secretary placed the coffee down for the fourth time.

A minute and a half later, Wu Sheng barged into the office, out of breath. “Wrong, there are others taking this test!”

……

15^th floor, XX Pet Grooming Center.

“Woof woof! Woof woof—”

“Lin Lin, why does it keep barking…” He didn’t know what was wrong with him, having to rely on the name tag pinned to his chest to remember his and his colleague’s names.

To say “remember” wasn’t quite right; his mind was still blank, just temporarily holding onto the two names he saw.

His name tag read Kuang Jinxin.

The girl helping him calm the dog, named Lin Lin, looked two years younger than him.

The dog being serviced was a golden retriever, which should have been gentle, but it barked fiercely. Lin Lin kept soothing it, yet it remained restless.

“It’s pregnant. The most sensitive time is when it’s about to become a mom.” Lin Lin gently stroked the golden retriever’s head to soothe it.

Kuang Jinxin put down the pet comb. “Alright, that’s enough.”

Lin Lin was startled and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You only combed it twice.”

“Ah?” Kuang Jinxin looked puzzled, tilting his head. “But I felt like I’ve been combing for a long time.”

The Golden Retriever suddenly jumped off the grooming table and ran out.

Just then, an employee passed by, intercepted the dog, and, after much coaxing, managed to carry it back.

Kuang Jinxin looked at the golden retriever, now back on the grooming table, momentarily baffled.

If he remembered correctly, the dog had run out three times already, and each time this particular employee happened to pass by. It was too strange.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Lin Lin took his pet comb and got busy.

Kuang Jinxin looked around the grooming salon. There were walls on all sides with no windows and only a glass door, sealed tightly by the company’s logo.

Probably because it was a bit stuffy inside, Kuang Jinxin thought, hence why he was having these bizarre illusions.

……

16^th floor, XX Brand Design Studio.

Mannequins were everywhere, fabrics of various colors cluttered the place, and designers were bustling about. It seemed even the overhead lights were malfunctioning. A maintenance worker was fixing them on a ladder, creating a bustling scene of work.

A beautiful man sat in a corner; even in an open office area, it was evident that the space around him was relatively larger and more independent.

He wasn’t busy but had turned his chair halfway to look out the window. Though frowning, his posture was relaxed, in stark contrast to the bustling employees.

“Director Chi, this is the theme for the next season. Please take a look.” An employee delivered a plan.

The contemplative man didn’t turn around, still immersed in his own aesthetic system. “Which company’s countdown advertisement is this?”

“Huh?” The employee didn’t understand.

“Too ugly.” The man didn’t wait for an answer from the employee, giving a genuinely felt criticism.

Following the boss’ gaze outside, the employee saw only a blue sky and clouds. There was no advertisement in sight.

Chi Yingxue turned his chair away from the big and ugly red “11”, his gaze falling on the planning document.

This was the third time he had received the same plan.

It must be a dream.

Only in dreams could he have a blank memory, and his employees repeatedly do the same things.

And the tattoo that appeared on his arm.

Both the design and color scheme were far from “beautiful”. Its only merit was that it was unique and somewhat intriguing.

But since it was a dream, there was no need to restrain himself—the barking from downstairs was giving him a headache.

When the planning document was delivered for the second time, he had already asked; there was a pet grooming center downstairs.

“Who opens a pet grooming center in a building…” he muttered as he got up and walked out. Wanting a good sleep and a peaceful dream wasn’t too much to ask for. It was a reasonable request that should be fulfilled.

The employee was left behind, recalling the boss’ expression of “I’m going to find fault”, dared not call out to the departing figure.

The messy office made Chi Yingxue’s walk from his station to the door winding, nearly getting hit by pliers falling from the maintenance worker’s ladder. Luckily, he dodged in time.

He chose to walk down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator to go down just one floor.

On the stairs, he encountered a group of security guards taking a man down. They probably didn’t take the elevator because they were afraid of the negative impact.

He courteously made way, not in a hurry.

Yet, as the man passed by him, he suddenly broke free from the security guards, attempting to strangle him.

Whether the man was desperately seeking help or truly confident he could overpower him, Chi Yingxue didn’t give him a chance. He kicked him down, startling the security guards, fearing the man wouldn’t live to see the police arrive.

He had held back; a real kick would have sent the man tumbling down the stairs.

After this commotion, reaching downstairs, his irritation had somewhat subsided, but the barking became louder and more distinct, reigniting his headache.

Ignoring the receptionist’s attempt to stop him, he barged into the grooming salon, and upon opening the door, he saw two people and a dog.

Kuang Jinxin and Lin Lin were also stunned.

The Golden Retriever suddenly jumped down, clinging to Chi Yingxue’s leg, and wouldn’t leave, wagging its tail and sticking out its tongue. Even its barking sounded cheerful.

Chi Yingxue was puzzled.

Kuang Jinxin smiled, saying, “It likes you.”

Chi Yingxue felt strangely familiar with the voice, but his dream-addled brain wasn’t functioning well. He looked closely at the other person, forgetting why he came, and asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”

His gaze was fixed on Kuang Jinxin’s face, so obviously that Lin Lin didn’t even bother to think twice, bursting into laughter.

Kuang Jinxin was initially puzzled, then, scratching his head, asked uncertainly, “Brother, are you hitting on me?”

Before Chi Yingxue could answer, a wave of dizziness hit them both.

……

Rooftop, 12:00.

“Mr. Qian! You can always earn money back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”

Amidst the clamorous shouting, Qian Ai’s vision gradually cleared. He was standing on the edge of the rooftop, with a seemingly endless abyss behind him, and a man dressed as a security guard stood two meters away, calling out earnestly.

“Mr. Qian! Think about how painful it would be to fall down! Smashed to pieces, you’d turn into a meat pancake—”

Meat pancake? Xianghe… meat pancake?

What a time to think about eating!

He scorned himself in his mind.

But soon, he realized something was wrong; he could remember Xianghe meat pancakes, Sichuan skewers, Northeast stew, Peking duck, and so on, but couldn’t recall who he was or why he was standing there.

“Mr. Qian—”

“Stop wailing!” He couldn’t take it anymore. The rooftop wind was strong, and being howled at like this, he was likely to lose his footing.

“Who am I?” He urgently wanted to know the answer.

“Mr. Qian!”

“Ding—”

“Qian Ai—the Ai from mugwort*.”

*The [Ai] (艾) from mugwort (草头艾).

“Who am I?”

“The boss of a trading company. We work on the tenth floor!”

“Ding—”

“Can you turn off your damn phone first!”

“That’s not my phone ringing…” The security guard was almost in tears, having gone to great lengths to persuade this suicidal boss to come down, accommodating even his feigned ignorance. What more could he do!

He wished this Mr. Qian really had amnesia; at least he wouldn’t be attempting suicide!

“Mr. Qian, think about your family, your wife, your children. Where there’s life, there’s hope…”

“Wife? Children?” Qian Ai was utterly confused. “Do I have any?”

“……” The security guard had blurted that out without thinking, not knowing the specifics of his family affairs.

The air suddenly went quiet, and a distressed voice came through the security guard’s walkie-talkie. “Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”

Qian Ai sighed, deciding to come down from such a dangerous place. Whether the security guard was telling the truth or not, he currently had no desire to die. Even if he were truly bankrupt, he’d just have to pick himself back up.

Just as the security guard was about to report his situation via the walkie-talkie, he caught a glimpse of Qian Ai lifting one leg.

He held his breath and lunged forward with all his might!

Qian Ai’s eyes widened in panic as he watched the security guard lunge at him. The moment the guard grabbed his leg, he suddenly felt dizzy…

“Mr. Qian! Money can be earned back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”

Qian Ai stood on the edge, his body swaying slightly, feeling an eerie sense of unreality.

Has he heard this before?

“Mr. Qian! Think about how painful it would be to fall down! Smashed to pieces, you’d turn into a meat pancake—”

He had heard this before…

“Mr. Qian, think about your family, your wife, your children. Where there’s life, there’s hope…”

Something was definitely wrong. Either he was going mad, or the security guard was.

Behind the security guard was the door downstairs, its glass reflecting a hint of red.

He looked back as if compelled, and there in mid-air was a blood-red “12”.

“Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”

The voice from the walkie-talkie brought Qian Ai’s attention back.

Fragments of memories flashed through his mind: the walkie-talkie, the third floor, the security guard, lunging… lunging?

Overwhelmed by the flood of memories, Qian Ai was so shocked that he nearly lost his balance, the sudden gust of wind making him sway even more.

“Mr. Qian!” The security guard, horrified, lunged forward again!

“…Again?!”

This time, the dizziness didn’t come as expected when his legs were grabbed. Qian Ai was momentarily stunned but then leaned backward and fell from the rooftop.

The security guard had lunged too forcefully, grabbing the legs but knocking the person over, unable to tighten his grip in time, and the person was already gone.

In fact, even if he had tightened his grip, the strength of holding onto the legs wouldn’t have been enough to save a grown man.

Dizziness, disorientation, 12:00.

“Mr. Qian! Money can be earned back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”

“Shut up! Be quiet! Don’t move!” Qian Ai, with a surge of energy, quickly came down from the edge, ran to the center of the rooftop, and only then, gasping for breath, felt grounded.

Outside the building, the blood-colored “12” turned into “11.”

“Mr. Qian, have you come to your senses?!” The security guard was nearly ecstatic with joy, his voice changing pitch.

“Nonsense!” Qian Ai wiped his forehead, not caring if there was any sweat. “Or else you’d have lunged again!”

“Huh?” The security guard looked innocently puzzled.

Qian Ai wanted to beat him with a stick.

The wind on the rooftop helped Mr. Qian cool down a bit. “Your walkie-talkie should be ringing about now.”

The security guard didn’t quite understand. After a few seconds, the walkie-talkie indeed rang. “Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”

The security guard gave him an incredulous look before responding to the call. “Okay, coming now.”

As he reached the door and saw Qian Ai hadn’t moved, he asked, “Mr. Qian, let’s go down together?”

Qian Ai shook his head. “Go on with your work.”

The concern returned to the security guard’s eyes.

Qian Ai rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to get some air and smoke a cigarette. If I wanted to die, I would have jumped just now.”

The security guard thought about it, and with the walkie-talkie urging him on, he gave a couple of words of caution and then left.

Qian Ai squatted seriously on the rooftop, smoking two cigarettes, and then—came up with nothing.

The situation was too bizarre, completely unscientific, and even more perplexing.

He took out his phone to check the time: 12:15.

He sighed, got up, and went back inside the building. The person had said he worked on the tenth floor. Maybe going back to the company, he could remember something.

From the 22^nd floor to the top, he waited in front of the elevator doors for a while before the elevator arrived.

At 12:17, the elevator doors slowly opened on the tenth floor.

As Qian Ai stepped out, he just saw the words “Trading Company” and felt a pain in the back of his head, his vision instantly going dark.

In the last moment before losing consciousness, Qian Ai instinctively guessed—it was a brick.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 178: Reset

Fear. Confusion.

Xu Wang stiffened in his chair, unsure if the problem was with him or the secretary.

“Director… I’ll be leaving now…” The secretary tried to maintain a smile, but her hurried steps betrayed her panic.

The door closed.

Xu Wang sat silently, listening to the echo of the door shutting fade away. He didn’t know what to do or think, as if staying still would somehow clear the chaotic illusions from his mind.

Noise from outside suggested an argument. It sounded loud enough to penetrate the door.

“I’ve told you, Director Xu isn’t here!” It was the voice of the young female secretary from before.

“Not here? Fine, I’ll wait here then. I want to see how long he can hide!” Came an angry, hoarse male voice.

Xu Wang frowned. Had he offended someone? Even if there were grievances, bringing them to the company and making a young woman fend for him seemed too unseemly.

“You keep this up, and I’m calling security!” The female secretary continued to dutifully block.

Xu Wang stood up, opening the door without hesitation. Both people outside paused, as did the dozens of “resting at their desks but actually sneakily glancing this way” onlooking colleagues.

Xu Wang paused too, not expecting such a large office area and such a broad audience.

“Don’t trouble the young lady,” he declared loudly enough for the entire floor to hear. “Talk to me if you have something to say.”

The troublemaker was a young man wearing a baseball cap with his hands in his pockets and the brim pulled down low, obscuring his face.

“Alright, since you’re man enough, let’s talk.”

The baseball cap’s corner curled up as he stepped forward, his hand moving from his pocket with the speed of lightning, stabbing towards Xu Wang’s stomach.

Xu Wang didn’t see what he was holding, only hearing a faint “puff”.

Looking down, the baseball cap pulled out the object, then “puff, puff” stabbed him two more times.

Now Xu Wang saw clearly that it was a fruit knife.

The delayed pain swept over him like a tsunami, with screams erupting around…

“Knock knock.”

Xu Wang shook his head, only returning to his senses at the second knock.

“Come in.” His voice was somewhat hoarse as he spoke.

The young female secretary entered, smiling as she placed the fragrant coffee on his desk. “Director Xu, your coffee.”

Xu Wang was bemused. “Didn’t you just bring me a cup? What, forgot about it?”

The female secretary froze, looking at him blankly.

Xu Wang suddenly felt a chill, looking up at the clock, which showed noon. Frantically rolling up his sleeve, he saw the owl icon again.

[Cheat Sheet]: Survive past 4:44 p.m.

He still didn’t understand why his arm had such a thing, but now this eerie item strangely comforted him.

He hadn’t gone mad. He had indeed seen the time, drunk the coffee, heard the argument, and been stabbed three times.

Turning the chair slowly, the blood-red Arabic numeral outside turned into “12”.

The secretary left.

Xu Wang looked at the clock’s second hand: one circle, two circles…

“I’ve told you, Director Xu isn’t here!”

“Not here? Fine, I’ll wait here then. I want to see how long he can hide!”

12:04.

Xu Wang stood up abruptly, opening the door. “I’m here. Let’s talk.”

“Alright, since you’re man enough, let’s talk.” The baseball cap guy smirked and approached, his hand swiftly moving.

Xu Wang wouldn’t let himself be stabbed a fourth time! Dodging just in time, the baseball cap guy missed and stumbled into the office.

Xu Wang closed the door from outside, holding it shut while shouting to the office. “What are you looking at? Call the police—”

Suddenly feeling dizzy, Xu Wang analyzed calmly, even as he lost consciousness. He had heard that yelling too long could lead to oxygen deprivation, but he had only shouted once…

“Knock knock.”

Xu Wang sat lifelessly, watching the door knock open, feeling despondent.

The clock still showed 12:00.

The blood-red number outside had changed to “11”.

People don’t come back to life, but it seemed he could.

The question was: he clearly hadn’t been stabbed to death just now, so why was he back here?

With each return, the number decreased accordingly, and if it reached “0”… Xu Wang didn’t dare think further.

Regardless, he at least understood the meaning of “Survive past 4:44 p.m.” because, for two consecutive times, he couldn’t even survive past 12:04!

If the brain were a 1TB hard drive, Xu Wang now only had 1MB of information stored, from the first “knock knock” to this moment, the rest was blank.

But this 1MB was too intense, making him feel that questions like “Who am I?” and “Where is my past?” could be postponed. For now, focusing on “surviving” was enough. If he could survive, then he could discuss the past and future.

“Come in.”

“Director Xu, your coffee.”

“Have I wronged anyone?”

“Hm?”

“A young boy, who usually likes to wear a baseball cap, about 180 cm tall…” Xu Wang tried his best to describe. Since the secretary dared to block, she must know something.

The female secretary’s face turned red and then pale, not out of shyness but shame. “Director, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Answer my question.” It was already 12:02, and Xu Wang couldn’t hide his agitation.

Anyone forced onto the track, unknowingly racing with death, would be agitated.

“It’s not about you. He… He insists that my breakup with him is because of you…” The female secretary lowered her head, her voice getting softer.

“He was your boyfriend?” Xu Wang thought the man was his enemy.

“Ex-boyfriend.” The secretary corrected even at this moment.

Xu Wang massaged his forehead, feeling uncertain due to his memory loss. “So, do we have any relationship?”

“Ah?” The female secretary was stunned. “How could that be?”

“……” What kind of reaction is that?

Even though Xu Wang also hoped they were clear of each other, the secretary’s “shocked” face was still hurtful.

He’s a handsome, middle-level company manager, unmarried and childless. Why is it impossible?

Wait, the marriage and romance part seem blank in his memory too…

“Bang—”

The door was kicked open. The baseball cap guy saw them inside, and his eyes filled with rage. “I’m going to fight you—”

12:04.

The female secretary didn’t leave, and the baseball cap guy changed his lines.

Xu Wang’s mind was uncontrollably filled with these thoughts, but his body acted honestly, dodging the baseball cap’s extended arm. The intruder, blocked by the desk, became furious. He suddenly leaped over it!

Xu Wang’s breath hitched, circling the desk to run outside.

The baseball cap chased closely, tackling him from behind.

Xu Wang braced for impact, clenching his teeth, but before the pain came, a breeze passed overhead.

Xu Wang felt lighter, then heard a “thud. The baseball cup guy who was pressing on him was kicked away.

“Pin him down!” A magnetic and pleasant voice commanded the sweep kick.

The baseball cap guy was pinned down by a group of security guards.

Xu Wang scrambled up, facing a one-in-a-million face.

One-in-a-million handsome, one-in-a-million intelligent.

He didn’t know him, and while handsomeness is visible, how do you see intelligence? Xu Wang couldn’t explain, but he just knew.

“Are you alright?” his savior asked.

“I’m fine.”

After Xu Wang answered, he felt it was too curt, hesitating whether to add a “thank you” or directly ask “who are you”, but the savior leaned in again, speaking in a voice so low only the two of them could hear—

“Can you see the blood-red number outside the window?”

……

Noon.

He snapped back to reality amidst the continuous “tap tap tap” of the keyboard, only to find that he was the one typing.

The screen, filled with meaningless gibberish, proved he had zoned out.

This was an incredibly spacious and luxurious office. The boss’ desk was made of solid wood, the sofa was leather, and the marble floor was shiny enough that he could see his own reflection. Hanging on the walls were strange decorations.

His gaze returned to the computer screen full of codes, critically assessing—decorating an IT office like this is insane.

But this was his office.

How odd.

His brain felt formatted, currently blank. There was nothing on the desk to prove his identity, but he only panicked for a moment before checking his pockets.

Sure enough, his wallet was there, containing his ID, driver’s license, and several identical business cards.

XX Technology Company, General Manager.

Wu Sheng.

He calmly accepted his identity, feeling it was as it should be.

But he couldn’t be calm about his amnesia; this was a serious issue that could affect normal life, and he had to get to the bottom of it.

The quickest way to clarify his current situation was to ask someone nearby.

Just as Wu Sheng was about to stand up and look for someone who could help in the office outside, a “ding” sound made him sit back down.

He accurately pinpointed the sound source, rolling up his shirt sleeve in disbelief.

An APP icon had appeared on his arm—quite a novelty.

Clicking in, he first checked new messages—

[Cheat Sheet]: Survive past 4:44 p.m.

On his watch, the hour, minute, and second hands were perfectly aligned at 12:00.

Wu Sheng slightly tilted his head, furrowing his brows in thought.

Survive past 4:44 p.m.…

A warning? A premonition? Or some kind of prank?

No, that’s not right. Technology hasn’t advanced to the point where something like this could be implanted in his arm without notice. Also, his amnesia was strange. Could it be related to this thing on his arm?

“Thud.”

A collision sound came from the floor-to-ceiling window behind him.

Turning around, he saw a window cleaner standing in a gondola, cleaning the exterior glass. The wind was strong, causing the gondola to sway and occasionally bump into the glass.

Behind the window cleaner, a giant blood-red “13” hung in mid-air.

Wu Sheng stared at the “13”, feeling oddly at ease—the world wasn’t normal, so the abnormalities appearing on him were to be expected.

“Thud.”

The gondola bumped the glass again, looking even more unstable. The worker inside had to stop his work and use a walkie-talkie, probably asking the control desk to bring the gondola back down.

The gondola quickly began its descent.

Wu Sheng, feeling somewhat concerned, instinctively stood in front of the window, watching the gondola lower.

Finally, the gondola landed safely on the ground.

Wu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly felt dizzy, struggling to stand.

“Tap tap tap…”

As his vision cleared, Wu Sheng stared at the familiar gibberish on the screen, stunned.

His first action was to check his watch, the second was to open the owl icon, and the third was to look outside the window.

Only the time had reset.

The message in the owl icon remained, and the unread “1” had disappeared.

The blood-red number had changed from 13 to 12.

“Why…” Wu Sheng murmured as he looked at the message in [Cheat Sheet] with confusion in his eyes.

Survive past 4:44 p.m.

He didn’t know who sent this message, but logically, if everything was going smoothly, who would specifically remind him of this? Since “survive” is emphasized, correspondingly, there’s a big possibility of “not surviving”, meaning there might be some “not surviving” danger between now and 4:44.

But he hadn’t encountered any danger, yet the time had reset.

Is time-resetting inevitable? No, if that were the case, even gods couldn’t live past 4:44.

What if the time reset is conditional? Something he’s unaware of happened, so time reset… Wu Sheng got excited by his own guess, like someone groping in the dark seeing a glimmer of light.

Assuming this “reset condition” truly exists, he just needs to find and prevent this condition from happening, allowing time to continue forward to 4:44!

What happens after 4:44, he can’t imagine, but right now, “Survive past 4:44 p.m.” is like an intriguing puzzle, fatally attractive to him.

“Thud.”

The gondola bumped the glass again.

Wu Sheng no longer worried; he knew it would land safely.

Standing up, he headed out. The office outside was a long corridor, with transparent office areas on both sides, mostly empty, likely because most employees had gone for lunch. A few were either resting at their desks or reclining in chairs, catching a quick nap.

Wu Sheng glanced at his watch, 12:02.

Two male employees approached, one carrying their bought lunch, the other engrossed in his phone, chuckling.

“What’s so funny that you’re laughing like that?” Wu Sheng greeted them, making a joke.

He wasn’t the type to make jokes, at least not now, but everyone he met could carry crucial information, and he didn’t want to miss out.

“Wu-Mr. Wu!” The two employees immediately stood at attention.

“Hm?” A simple upward inflection indicated he was still waiting for an answer.

The employees, probably finding themselves tongue-tied, just lifted the phone for their boss to see.

It was a WeChat group named “XX Building” the screen was spamming in a flurry of text—

[OMG, drama!]

[Who got played haha]

[Don’t just live text. We need pictures for proof!]

[Just come to the third floor and see for yourself.]

[[Photo]]

[The door hasn’t been knocked yet. Now it’s just the female lead and the second male lead. The first male lead is hiding and hasn’t shown his face.]

[Quite cowardly.]

[OMG, the door opened, hey!]

[They started fighting hahahaha]

XX Building—isn’t that the company address on his business card?

The building’s group?

Third floor? Drama?

Wu Sheng had just caught a few keywords and hadn’t had time to think deeply when the familiar sense of déjà vu hit him a second time.

“Tap tap tap…”

His fingers stopped. Wu Sheng glanced at the “11” outside the window and quickly stood up without a moment’s delay.

Rather than speculating on whether those messages have anything to do with his current situation, it’s better to investigate on site.

The hallway was quiet. Those two male employees hadn’t come back yet.

Wu Sheng made his way to the elevator, finding himself on the 7^th floor. The elevator was descending, currently on the 15^th floor. He quickly pressed the down button.

The elevator stopped on the 7th floor. Wu Sheng entered and decisively pressed “3”.

Without interruption, the elevator reached the 3^rd floor directly.

As the doors opened, Wu Sheng quickly stepped out, turned around upon exiting the elevator, and saw the “XX Financial Company” logo. It seems this building follows the rule of “one floor, one company”, with his tech company on the 7^th floor and only this one on the 3^rd.

From a distance, he could hear a man’s hoarse yelling.

The receptionist peeked into the office area to watch the drama, not noticing Wu Sheng’s entrance until he had already strode into the office area.

Just as Wu Sheng entered, the door that attracted all the office gossip was kicked open by the man wearing a baseball cap.

The man charged in aggressively, and Wu Sheng tensed up, instinctively running towards the office.

Just as he reached the office doorway, someone was escaping out. It was a rather handsome man, with distinct eyebrows and eyes. His facial features were attractive both individually and as a whole.

But just as Wu Sheng started to appreciate him, he hadn’t seen enough before the man was tackled from behind by the one with the baseball cap.

A flash of cold light.

The man in the cap was actually holding a knife.

Without thinking, Wu Sheng kicked the man away.

“Hold him down!”

The security guards arrived belatedly, just in time for the last part—pinning the man down.

“Are you alright?” Wu Sheng asked, but his eyes were already scanning up and down, automatically searching for any sign of trouble.

“I’m fine.” The man’s voice was a bit hoarse but still composed.

Wu Sheng’s “scanning gaze” paused on a section of the man’s exposed arm.

The same owl head.

He felt a surge of joy, unclear if it was because he had finally found a clue or because the clue was on this man.

“Can you see the blood-red number outside the window?” When Wu Sheng asked, he lowered his voice, unable to suppress his racing heartbeat.

---

The author has something to say:

If this were an exam, Advisor Wu would have already completed the multiple-choice questions, leaving only the fill-in-the-blank, calculation questions, and the final essay question. Captain Xu just finished writing his name and student number ╮(╯_╰)╭

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 177: Thirteen

The world transformed. The kitchen turned into a street, but the people remained the same.

The rope used to tie Qin Rui was found in the kitchen by Qian Ai, so naturally it was still within the Owl. So upon regaining his freedom, Qin Rui didn’t hesitate to throw a punch.

Caught off guard, Qian Ai, feeling the pain, forgot they were back in reality and instinctively switched to combat mode, retaliating with a kick to the other’s stomach.

Thus began their exchange of punches and kicks, from standing to lying down, from exchanging blows to grappling in a hug, until a stern reprimand came from afar. “What are you two doing—”

The two were entangled on the ground, one gripping the other’s arm and the other strangling the neck. The battle was reaching its peak with kicking and kneeing when they heard someone question them. They turned around to glare at the meddler, ready to breathe fire, but shut their mouths upon seeing who it was.

Under the streetlight stood an imposing traffic police officer capable of quelling any malevolent spirits.

He was checking for drunk driving at the nearby intersection and hadn’t caught any drunkards yet, but he spotted the two brawlers first and immediately became alert—what law-abiding citizens brawl in the middle of the street at night?

Qian Ai, putting on a brave face, tried to conjure a forced smile, reluctantly letting go and patting Qin Rui’s back affectionately. “This-this is my brother. He was dumped by his girlfriend and was about to commit suicide. I tried stopping him, so he got angry with me..”

Qin Rui punched him in the jaw mercilessly. “Who the hell is your brother?!”

The traffic officer frowned, his gaze sharpening.

Qian Ai glared, cursing him silently for being an idiot.

Pushing Qian Ai away, Qin Rui stood up and dusted himself off openly. “From the day you stole my girlfriend, you ceased being my brother.”

When Qian Ai hazily returned to the hotel, Xu Wang and the others had just come back, meeting up in the hotel lobby.

Seeing Qian Ai’s multicolored face, Xu Wang asked, “Were you beaten up unilaterally?”

“How could that be?” Qian Ai immediately denied. “At most, I just lost by one punch.”

“That’s still losing.”

“……” How could he have known Qin Rui was a werewolf, even fiercer than his mother! Recalling the last punch he couldn’t return and the disapproving look from the traffic officer, Qian Ai felt depressed.

“What’s this?” Casually noticing a small card in Xu Wang’s hand, Qian Ai recognized it wasn’t the kind usually distributed by their advisor. The advisor’s cards were densely packed like exam cheat sheets, but this one was simple and elegant, with plenty of white space.

“Fu Wenqing’s business card.” Xu Wang handed the card over naturally, satisfying his teammate’s curiosity.

Qian Ai, looking at the clearly printed name, contact number, WeChat, and email on the card, was bewildered. “Where did this come from?”

Xu Wang shrugged. “Fu Wenqing gave it.”

Qian Ai looked around at all his teammates, trying to piece together the scene he missed. “So after they came out, instead of settling scores with you, they even gave their business card?”

Wu Sheng nodded. “He offered it proactively, very friendly.”

Kuang Jinxin added, “He said that in the future, no matter which level we plan to challenge, we can send him a message after deciding on the date to give them a heads-up. They can wait a couple of days to avoid another mutually damaging situation.”

Qian Ai frowned. “What future? We’ll definitely pass all thirteen levels in one go and leave the Owl for good!”

Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow unexpectedly. “I said the same thing, although not as wordily.”

Qian Ai: “……”

The elevator reached the ground floor, and its doors slowly opened.

Xu Wang was the first to enter.

Objectively, he admired Fu Wenqing. In fact, they might indeed fail to pass all thirteen levels and encounter any team again in future attempts. At the moment of defeat, Fu Wenqing thought not of revenge but of the most beneficial choice for his own team, requiring tremendous self-control and calmness.

As all friends entered, Xu Wang pressed the top floor button, clearing his mind of past events.

What mattered most to them now was the path ahead.

That night, the small team stayed in the hotel without leaving, planning to recover from two days of intense battles by sleeping well in the Owl and the hotel.

They kept resting until 04:58 in the morning, when they were abruptly awakened by a “ding—”

The friends, startled, either bolted upright, flipped over, or rolled around, each in their own way “getting up” quickly to check.

It was the [Leaderboard] that had opened—

Top 1 – Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai, Wu Sheng, Xu Wang (12/23)

Seeing the first line was enough.

“First. We’re first, haha!” Qian Ai’s only previous first place was in the high school javelin throw. Now, scoring his second first place in life, he was so excited he didn’t know what to do, hugging the nearest Kuang Jinxin and giving him a noogie.

Kuang Jinxin was happy too, laughing foolishly until Chi Yingxue pulled him back.

Finding his arms empty, Qian Ai quickly understood his favoritism, hurriedly hugging both Xiao Kuang and Xiao Xue together, this time full of passionate enthusiasm and mighty strength.

Kuang Jinxin glanced at Chi Yingxue’s expression, laughing harder than if they had topped the leaderboard.

Xu Wang opened the stationery box. Wow, truly fitting rewards for first place. Each of them got 15 stationeries—5 defense, 5 offense, and 5 illusory. If they were to grind in the Endless Sea, who knows how many days it would take, especially for rare items not even guaranteed by endless grinding.

Before he could examine each stationery in detail, five treasure chests fell from mid-air.

Qian Ai immediately let go of his teammates to open the chests.

As frequent visitors to the top five of the leaderboard recently, they were very familiar with the contents of the chests, especially Qian Ai, who considered it a significant source of income.

The five chests opened, and each teammate’s loot was distinct—

Xu Wang: One hundred thousand yuan.

Wu Sheng: One hundred thousand yuan.

Kuang Jinxin: One hundred and fifty thousand yuan.

Chi Yingxue: One hundred and twenty thousand yuan.

Qian Ai: Eighty thousand yuan + [(Illusory) Help].

Qian Ai: “……”

Why does every time it involves discounting his cash and pairing it with a stationery? Is this stationery inlaid with gold?!

……

Meanwhile, at the airport, 2/23.

Long Legs: “Who’s this first-place team? They’re always on the leaderboard these days.”

Handsome: “Is the leaderboard first place something we should be concerned about? Have you been drifting off lately?”

Stick Figure: “Money…”

Fair Face: “Running low?”

Stick Figure: “I mean this Qian Ai; could he be that Lao Qian?”

Handsome: “Which Lao Qian?”

Stick Figure: “The one on the Red Eye Flight in this level who could turn words into reality with a roar. I remember his teammates calling him Lao Qian…”

Fair Face: “You’ve brought back some very unpleasant memories.”

Long Legs: “Now that you mention it, we encountered them too on 7/23. I have a strong impression of that ‘Sheng Ge’.”

Handsome: “Which Sheng Ge?”

Long Legs: “The one who did the story relay with me about Optimistic Classmate B and High School Detective C…”

Handsome, Stick Figure, Fair Face: “…”

Why are the memories related to this team so indescribably strange?

……

At the same time, in the castle banquet hall, 6/23.

Light Blue: “Yo, they really made it to first.”

Wine Red: “Captain, your prophecy came true.”

Elegant Gray: “I’ve always said they’re exceptionally strong. It’s a pity…”

Deep Purple: “A pity what?”

Elegant Gray: “A pity they’re wasted in the Owl. That storytelling session of theirs was wasted on breaking levels. The story he told was full of twists and so touching, it had me hooked!”

Bright Orange: “Captain, can you temporarily put aside your literary dreams and focus on the level…”

……

At the same time, in an outdoor café, 8/23.

Li Xia: “They made it to first.”

Han Buting: “With their recent efficiency, it’s normal.”

Li Zijin: “How did they manage to coordinate with Chi Yingxue so well? It’s miraculous.”

Qi Shan: “One man’s poison, another’s honey. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…”

Li Zijin: “Qi Shan, if you keep giving me that nauseating look, I’ll… I’ll take back the signed keyboard I gave you!”

Qi Shan: “Shit, where’s my blindfold? Where’s my blindfold!”

Xu Yange: “……”

At the same time, at another table in the outdoor café, 8/23.

Wei Menghan: “Impressive, I knew they’d eventually top the list.”

Zou Jun: “Captain, at this stage, should we consider when our neighbors, Lao Han and his team, plan to challenge the level?”

Wei Menghan: “They’re observing us too.”

Feng Rang: “Then let’s all sit down and talk. This guesswork from afar is too inefficient.”

Wei Menghan: “There’s too much history. It’s hard to start.”

Zhu Mo: “It doesn’t have to be so complicated. On the field, we’re opponents; off the field, we can still be friends.”

Zou Jun: “Then why didn’t you give Han Buting your WeChat when he asked?”

Zhu Mo: “His reason was to learn dancing from me.”

Zou Jun: “…Call the police.”

……

At the same time, 10/23, outside the Aeroplane Chess battlefield.

Wang Duanran: “Tsk, they actually made it to first.”

Gu Nian: “Look on the bright side, losing to the top of the leaderboard isn’t shameful.”

Wang Duanran: “True. I just hope they smoothly get through the thirteenth level. The sooner we leave this damned place, the better.”

Jiang Dachuan: “How exactly do you roll a 6 and 10? I’m begging for the secret here!”

Chen Guan: “…”

Kong Lizhe: “Dachuan, why not change your approach? Like, cultivate more bad luck and directly keep one of the opponents stuck at the starting point? As long as you can tie with one person, we’re confident we can beat the other four in steps!”

Jiang Dachuan: “……”

…

At the same time, in the Endless Sea.

Qin Rui: “Captain, how much longer do we drift in the Endless Sea?”

Fu Wenqing: “Until our hearts are strong enough.”

Wu Yanchao: “What counts as strong enough?”

Fu Wenqing: “Strong enough to face Aeroplane Chess without breaking down.”

Zhao Muchen: “But our next level is 9/23, the mind hell.”

Helan Shan: “Level 10 is Aeroplane Chess.”

Fu Wenqing: “I think it’s more prudent to start preparing early.”

Wu Yanchao, Zhao Muchen, He Lanshan, Qin Rui: “…Makes sense.”

……

At 5 a.m., Xu Wang’s team popped out of the Owl, immediately receiving a video call from Captain Yue.

“Wow, you guys are on fire!” Captain Yue was proud. “I opened WeChat, and several groups are all asking about your team!”

“……” Xu Wang was more curious about how many WeChat groups Captain Yue was in.

Yue Shuai: “How about it? Go all out to conquer the thirteenth level!”

Xu Wang knew he came specifically to congratulate and cheer them on, but it really wasn’t as simple as going all out. “We’re planning to rest for a week, then head to Xinjiang.”

13/23 was in Xinjiang. This was the only piece of information about the thirteenth level they got from Mr. Fan.

“Right.” Yue Shuai thought for a moment and nodded. “Weaving baskets is all about closing the knots*. Rest well, prepare well.”

*Metaphor referring to seeing something through all the way, ensuring that the ending is successful.

Xu Wang actually had a lot to say, but with so many thoughts swirling in his mind, he didn’t know how to express them. In the end, he just nodded solemnly, with a hint of gratitude. “Mm.”

A week later, the five friends arrived in Xinjiang. They rested for another two days and then drove to the city where the coordinates were located.

They were cautious, not only because this was the last level but also because no one knew exactly what this level was.

Whether it was Mr. Fan, teams that bought information from him and successfully left the Owl, or teams that failed 13/23 and were sent back to previous levels, all without exception, lacked memories of 13/23—those who passed remembered the Wish Room, remembered the choices afterward, but not how they submitted their papers; those who retreated remembered “failure to submit” but had no impression of how they failed.

At midnight, the distant sound of the Owl came.

……

“Hoot—hoot—”

Waking up to a strange cry, he looked around bewilderedly. He saw himself in a messy office with lots of documents on his desk and a laptop screen lit up with dense spreadsheets.

“Knock knock.”

There was a knock on the office door.

His brain still foggy, he mechanically said, “Come in.”

A young woman in professional attire, demure and proper, with dimples making her smile sweet, entered. “Director Xu, your coffee.”

“……” He looked at the hot coffee placed before him, and soon his gaze drifted to a box of business cards beside it.

XX Financial Company

Xu Wang, Sales Director.

His name was Xu Wang, and he was the sales director of this financial company. The fact should be clear, but why did he have no memory of it?

A financial company? That’s just another name for empty promises.

The woman must be a secretary or clerk.

He’s a sales director? That meant he was doing well for himself, but he really didn’t like convincing people to buy financial products, especially those not backed by banks…

See, he remembers all societal norms and still has judgment and discernment, but why has he forgotten himself?

Forgotten who he is, forgotten the past, as if he appeared out of nowhere—the path he walked on turned into a blank.

“Ding—”

A strange sound rang out.

The phone on the desk remained black, signifying it wasn’t the source of the sound.

“Ding—”

As if realizing one sound wasn’t enough for him to pinpoint the source, it rang again.

This time Xu Wang listened more carefully. The source seemed to be… on him?

“Ding—”

With the third sound, Xu Wang finally rolled up his sleeve.

There was a strange owl’s head with a small “1” in the top right corner.

Compelled, he reached out to touch it, and the icon actually opened.

[Cheat Sheet]: Survive past 4:44 p.m.

What is… this?

Xu Wang felt his breathing tightened. He lifted his head to see the clock on the wall—the hour and minute hands perfectly aligned. It was exactly noon.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the sun shone brightly.

On the laptop screen, a bizarre red glow was reflected.

Xu Wang turned back. Outside the window was a giant, blood-red number “13”. It hung in the air like some company’s boring advertising gimmick, but it neither inflated nor fluttered with the wind—more like it was written in mid-air by a blood-soaked hand, intensely eerie.

“Director?” The young woman seemed frightened, her smile fading as she cautiously called out.

Xu Wang turned back. “What exactly is this?”

The young woman’s voice trembles slightly. “What-what?”

Xu Wang paused, suddenly realizing that the fear in the girl’s eyes wasn’t directed at the window but at him.

This was too unjust.

He hastily raises his arm, showing the owl icon to her, anxiously clarifying, “I don’t know how this thing got on my arm.” Pointing outside, he said, “And that ’13’—it’s my first time seeing it!”

The girl’s face turns completely pale, horrified. “Director, there’s nothing on your arm… and outside the window… there’s nothing either…”

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 176: Best Actor

“Xu Wang?” A flash of panic crossed Wu Sheng’s eyes, barely noticeable but not escaping Fu Wenqing’s observation. His call also made the rest of the teammates look around.

Kuang Jinxin incredulously called out as well, “Captain?”

Qian Ai swallowed hard. “Don’t scare us, okay…”

Chi Yingxue remained silent, but his beautiful eyebrows were already furrowed.

Fu Wenqing assessed the situation, which was too sudden for him to make an immediate judgment.

Was the person really gone? Or was it a trap?—he exchanged glances with his teammates as if asking.

He Lanshan shook his head slightly—not sure. 

Wu Yanchao rolled his eyes—definitely a trap. They used their stationery, their person is gone, isn’t it obvious!

Qin Rui looked conflicted—but their reactions seemed genuinely emotional…

Zhao Muchen’s lips were tightly pressed—perhaps he even deceived his teammates. What exactly he plans, only he knows.

The woman opened her red lips and softly began to sing. Her voice rose in the post-storm living room. The ancient language of a different race carried a bewitching magic.

But what was more lethal were her eyes—beautiful like glass—like dew on the tips of grass, like an intoxicating whiff in the night.

No one could look away, as if their souls were being sucked into those enchanting eyes.

The same stiffness as yesterday began to spread among everyone.

Kuang Jinxin seized the last chance to click on a defense stationery.

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) A Single Leaf Blocks the Eyes] on you~~]

Only the woman could hear this prompt. A narrow green leaf, carried by the night wind, placed itself over the woman’s eyes. The woman reached to grab it, but the leaf clung tightly to her eyes, its veins glowing faintly as if alive.

The curse-like stiffness disappeared.

Kuang Jinxin exhaled deeply, turned his head, and looked admiringly. “Sheng Ge, you were right. It was the eyes.”

During the daytime strategy deployment, he was somewhat unsure whether his [A Single Leaf Blocks the Eyes] could interrupt this ghost’s “Stiffness Enchantment”—the name was given by the captain, saying it sounded cooler and more respectful to the ghost. At that time, the advisor didn’t explain much and just said that even if it failed, he had a backup plan.

Now, Kuang Jinxin felt foolish for doubting the advisor’s deduction.

Wu Sheng patted Qian Ai, who was still looking around worriedly.

Qian Ai turned back, his worry evident. “Xu Wang…”

“We’ll look for him later,” Wu Sheng said firmly, his brows furrowed but his tone steady. “First, capture the ghost.”

Qian Ai glanced at the woman, indeed. [A Single Leaf Blocks the Eyes] was about to give way.

Focusing, he proceeded to activate as planned—[(Offense) Threads of a Ghost’s Despair].

The woman finally tore the leaf apart, not having time to tidy her increasingly disheveled hair, when a bundle of glowing ribbons gently floated down, wrapping her from head to toe.

The woman’s pupils darkened. The strange words that spilled out of her mouth once more no longer held their previous grace but had a hurried and hoarse tone, as if she was cursing.

A black shadow rose behind her, taking on a human shape, and then hurled itself at the ribbons on the woman.

The ribbons emitted a holy light. Upon collision, the shadow emitted a burning black smoke accompanied by a distant, wailing scream as if it came from hell.

“Most of us would be reluctant to use this stationery on ordinary ghosts, so just be content.” Qian Ai stood tall and proud, his heart stirring.

There was no need for physical confrontation, no self-harm; the user experience was tear jerkingly good. What kind of divine stationery was this?!

The woman was completely immobilized by [Ghost’s Despair].

Wu Sheng glanced at Chi Yingxue.

Chi Yingxue didn’t look at him; he was already dashing out as planned.

His speed was extreme; in a blink, he was in front of the woman, and with not a moment’s hesitation or pause, he thrust the cross towards her heart.

The earth shook.

Chi Yingxue staggered, causing the cross to miss its mark and piercing the woman’s shoulder instead.

He quickly withdrew the cross for a second strike, but a large slab of stone fell from nowhere, hitting his back. Unable to withstand it, he kneeled on one knee.

It was Qin Rui, who had approached unnoticed, who took over and stabbed the cross into the woman’s heart.

Only then did Chi Yingxue hear the belated prompt—

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Earthquake] on you~~]

The previously saved [(Defense) Iron Slab] came in handy as Qian Ai pulled the advisor and Kuang Jinxin closer while anxiously shouting, “Xiao Xue!”

Wu Sheng looked towards Fu Wenqing’s team. The tumultuous ground and falling debris made the view fragmented.

Wu Sheng: “I thought you’d wait until we caught the ghost before acting.”

Fu Wenqing, feigning seriousness, shook his head. “That would be unscrupulous.”

Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “So confident?”

Fu Wenqing scoffed. “Hiding someone isn’t a trump card. If I were you, I’d prefer a fair fight. At least there’s a chance to win.”

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Returning to the Fields*] on you~~]

*Demobilized and return to the fields (解甲归田) Idiom referring to taking off one’s military uniform (retire) and returning home to farm.

Only Qian Ai could hear this prompt, and he immediately felt the connection to [Stingy] and [Iron Slab] disappear, or more precisely, the stationery themselves vanished.

…This illusory stationery could remove the stationery he was using!

Realizing this, Qian Ai abruptly looked up. In the corner where the four ghosts stood quietly, indeed, there was one more person from the opposing team!

The cross was raised and then plunged.

In just a moment, he watched as the ownership of their team’s ghost shifted to their peers.

Overwhelmed, he quickly raised his hand to use an offense stationery, but before his fingertips could touch the icon, his body froze.

He struggled to glance sideways at Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin beside him. Like him, his companions were immobilized.

And under the slab, so was Chi Yingxue.

Soon, all four friends heard the notification—

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Dumbstruck*] on you~~]

*Dumb as a wooden chicken/piece of wood (呆若木鸡) Idiom referring a person in a daze due to fear or surprise.

“Bang—”

In the midst of the earthquake, a pickup truck broke through the wall. Through the windshield, one could see the infuriating face of [Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring]. The truck was bigger, higher, and sturdier than yesterday’s SUV.

“Thump—”

A deer charged into the breach following the pickup. Though unharmed, the truck trembled heavily.

However, Fu Wenqing remained composed and even sighed with a bit of “you’ve disappointed me”. “We’ve upgraded our vehicle, yet you’re still stuck in the same place?”

The deer shook its head, ignoring Fu Wenqing’s words. It backed up a few steps and charged at the truck again with force.

An elevator, with its doors open, fell from the sky without warning, landing on the rear of the pickup.

The deer, unable to stop in time, rushed into the elevator and disappeared.

“[(Offense) Thousand-Mile Elevator],” the user of the stationery, Wu Yanchao, kindly explained. “Your deer demon is probably thousands of miles away now.”

The five agilely boarded the rear half of the truck.

The four ghosts in the corner, along with the woman in the living room, like spirits, floated onto the truck.

As the earthquake subsided, the truck sped away.

……

Under the moonlight, the pickup truck raced through the wind.

“Why didn’t we just send them back home since we had them immobilized?” Wu Yanchao was still bothered by not having completely subdued the enemy.

Fu Wenqing’s expression was grave. “If we can strike quickly and escape, let’s not get entangled with them.”

Zhao Muchen nodded. “Yeah, I always feel like they have something up their sleeve.”

“Anyone who’s made it this far is no easy opponent.” He Lanshan reflected on the recent fierce battle, still somewhat exhilarated. He rarely gets excited, but when he does, he needs a couple of puffs to calm down, or it affects his judgment and action.

After blowing a couple of smoke rings, he passed the half-pack to Qin Rui.

Qin Rui pushed it back.

He Lanshan was surprised. “You don’t smoke?”

Qin Rui scratched his grape-purple dyed hair and looked around with a hint of unease. “Don’t you think it went too smoothly?”

“This was smooth?” Wu Yanchao almost rolled his eyes. “When have we ever thrown stationery like it’s buy one get ten free?”

“I agree with Qin Rui,” Zhao Muchen said calmly. “That missing captain of theirs is too suspicious.”

Fu Wenqing was silent for a while until all four pairs of eyes turned to him.

“I have two guesses.” Fu Wenqing shared his thoughts. “One, he’s hiding in that house, ready to strike at a crucial moment; two, he’s already at the church waiting in ambush, so even if we capture all five ghosts, they still have hope for a turnaround.”

Zhao Muchen: “Now the first one’s out.”

Fu Wenqing looked towards the end of the road, where the church was faintly visible. “Mm.”

The truck stopped in front of the church. Under the moonlight, the church was quiet and solemn. The priest stood at the entrance, as if he had been waiting there for a long time.

“My children, you have finally arrived.” His kind voice couldn’t hide his excitement, which was filled with a heavy sense of expectation.

The exorcism ceremony was set up in the church’s hall, with five human-shaped grooves dug into the ground, forming a circle around a central pool of holy water.

“Once the five evil spirits lie in the grooves, the holy water will wash away their sins…”

The priest droned on while Fu Wenqing’s team listened with more interest in the missing “enemy captain” than in the procedures, fearing a missed detail might let the enemy slip through and ruin everything.

But now, standing before the exorcism formation, there was still no sign of any movement.

The priest stopped and gazed at the exorcism formation as if offering a final prayer.

Finally, he turned around and walked to the five neatly lined-up ghosts. “Go…”

The five ghosts stood firm, unmoving.

The priest quietly observed them and, after a moment, turned to Fu Wenqing’s team. “One is missing.”

Fu Wenqing was taken aback. “Impossible.”

The priest slowly shook his head. “One is missing.”

Fu Wenqing turned to his teammates and met four equally bewildered faces.

Could there be a sixth ghost? But there are clearly only five grooves on the ground!

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Love Each Other as Family] on you~~]

The sudden prompt was like a hammer blow, shattering the precarious “stability” Fu Wenqing’s team had been balancing on.

The five “popped” together, arm in arm, huddled into a group, like soccer players celebrating a goal. The only difference was that players would separate and continue the game, while Fu Wenqing and his four teammates remained stuck together.

No, Fu Wenqing struggled to push away He Lanshan’s chin, lifting his head. One, two, three, four… not five—only four fucking people were huddled together!

“Captain, just hold on for five more seconds—no, four seconds—” “Qin Rui”, who had approached the priest, flashed a coquettish smile at “his teammates”, magically producing crosses from his arms, and “puff, puff, puff, puff,” stabbed them into the hearts of the doll, ghost figure, Nail Guy, and Gloomy Youth.

The beautiful woman wasn’t stabbed a second time—in the black plastic house, she was the one “Qin Rui” had stabbed in the heart.

“Father, it’s your turn,” “Qin Rui” urged.

The priest cooperated, looking at the five ghosts in the same line. “Go.”

This time, the ghosts moved, obediently heading towards their grooves.

“Qin Rui” watched the backs of the five ghosts calmly, inwardly frantic, wishing he could kick them to hurry and lie down faster.

Even the slowest among them realized the truth from the chill of that coquettish smile—this fucker wasn’t their teammate at all!

Fu Wenqing was furious, but breaking free from the defense stationery was useless now. The only way was to send the “source of disaster” back home. The crosses were all placed by him; as long as he was sent back, everything could be restarted.

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Love Each Other as Family] on you~~]

The repeated prompt sound completely locked Fu Wenqing’s team into a “dead knot”, making even using their chins to activate stationery impossible, let alone counterattack.

The only thing left to move was their mouths.

Wu Yanchao: “How many fucking [Love Each Other as Family] do you guys have?!”

Wu Sheng, Chi Yingxue, and Kuang Jinxin walked into the hall.

They stepped through the night breeze and starlight, gracefully making their entrance as if walking up a stairway.

“This is about team spirit.” Wu Sheng kindly offered an explanation. “Perhaps inspired by our harmonious atmosphere, we keep getting such stationery at a high rate. It bothers us too…”

All five ghosts lay in their grooves, and the holy water pool gently stirred. The water flowed towards the ghosts.

Chi Yingxue exhaled softly, releasing the stationery.

“Qin Rui” reverted from grape-purple hair back to Captain Xu.

“I’m exhausted!” Acting was physically demanding. Xu Wang was sweaty but still considerately advised He Lanshan, “Don’t smoke too much. It’s bad for your health.”

“……” He Lanshan didn’t seem interested in smoking anymore; he looked like he wanted to eat someone.

With the situation resolved, Fu Wenqing finally calmed down. His expression was grave, and his voice became menacing. “Where is Qin Rui?”

Xu Wang: “A very safe place. Don’t worry, no one was hurt.”

Fu Wenqing: “What stationery?”

Eager to let their opponent die knowing the reason has always been Classmate Wangwang’s principle. “[(Illusory) Who Am I]. It belongs to our Xiao Xue’s.”

Fu Wenqing: “This stationery allows you to become anyone?”

Xu Wang: “Correct.”

Fu Wenqing: “When did it start?”

Xu Wang: “During [Raging Storm].”

Fu Wenqing: “And after that, you’ve been acting with us the whole time? Including rushing to stab that woman?”

Xu Wang: “Stabbing that woman didn’t matter, but I had to find an excuse to get close to Xiao Xue to grab his cross. You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to carry four crosses, and the truck’s bouncing almost blew my cover…”

Fu Wenqing didn’t want to hear another word from him—not a single one!

His gaze coldly fell on the remaining three. “Did you all know?”

Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue nodded together.

“Have you all been cooperating with his act?!” Fu Wenqing was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his tone steady and deep.

Zhao Muchen, Wu Yanchao, and He Lanshan were near breaking point.

What “Captain?”, what “Don’t scare us, okay…”, what “Where’s the captain?”, what “We’ll look for him later. First, catch the ghost…” Is this trying to complete the level or performing a drama?!

“It’s not exactly cooperation.” Wu Sheng felt Fu Wenqing’s summary wasn’t accurate. “Each of us has a different acting style, so it’s more about improvisation, adapting in real combat…”

Fu Wenqing’s team collectively shouted, “Shut up!”

……

The house was entirely stripped of all its black plastic. Even the kitchen was bathed in the gentle moonlight.

Qian Ai squatted in front of the tightly bound Qin Rui and was even gentler than the moonlight. “No need to admire me. I’m just a newbie. When it comes to acting, it still belongs to our captain, especially the last level. That was our captain’s most splendid moment—the Oscar of the Republic era; the Little Golden Man in troubled times!”

Qin Rui: “……”

Qian Ai scratched his head. He wasn’t used to playing the villain, lacking in experience, so he turned to rummage through the fridge. “Hey, do you want to eat sandwiches?”

Qin Rui: “Fuck off.”

Qian Ai: “Bacon?”

Qin Rui: “Fuck off.”

Qian Ai: “Chocolate?”

Qin Rui: “Fuck off.”

Qian Ai: “Beer?”

Qin Rui: “I’ll take a sip.”

Qian Ai: “Cereal?”

Qin Rui: “……”

Qian Ai belatedly turned around. “Eh? What did you just say?”

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 12/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

---

The author has something to say:

Qin Rui’s experience tells us not to dye our hair too eye-catching colors; it makes you a target for drama kings (╰_╯).

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 175: Meeting Again

00:001, Beijing Time.

The house where the Electric Ghost resided remained as before, with furniture and appliances scattered everywhere, and the deer head on the wall was gone without a trace. The save point seamlessly connected last night with tonight. The only difference was the absence of the save-point NPC.

The first thing Xu Wang’s team did was cut the power, and the second was to check the badge manual—

12/23: Elf

In the dark kitchen, the five friends looked at the updated badge hint, at a loss for words.

Qian Ai: “There’s an elf among the five ghosts?”

Xu Wang: “Doll, Electric, Vampire, Nail Guy, Gloomy Youth—which one seems likely to you?”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “Could it be that there are ghosts in houses not marked on the map?”

Wu Sheng: “Regardless, let’s capture this one first.”

A minute later, in the living room.

Wu Sheng: “Xiao Xue, cut the power!”

[(Illusory) Nowhere to Hide]. The room was filled with light particles.

[(Offense) Bolt from the Blue]. Light particles coalesce into a ghostly form.

[(Defense) Super Insulator]. Qian Ai steps up.

“Whoosh—”

With Qian Ai’s self-made sound effect, a cross-shaped whirlwind launches, hitting the ghost form directly in the heart.

The key moments of the entire battle were virtually the same as the previous day, but the process was significantly shortened, even saving the two pieces of defense stationery used the day before, [Iron Slab] and [Invisible Iron Barrel Formation].

They got on the [Pumpkin Carriage] and rushed back to the black plastic house where they had failed the day before. At this point, only ten minutes had passed since they entered the Owl.

“We’re quick, but they won’t be slow either.” Wu Sheng sat atop the giant pumpkin, glancing at the doll and the ghost figure. “Lao Qian, they’re your responsibility now.”

Qian Ai, already on standby, immediately acted upon hearing the instructions, clicking a stationery.

Light enveloped the two ghosts and quickly vanished.

Qian Ai felt reassured, turning to Wu Sheng and patting his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep them safe. As long as I’m here, the ghosts stay; if I lose the ghost, all my money is gone!”

Wu Sheng: “…”

Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin: “…”

Xu Wang: “Uh, you don’t have to swear such a vicious oath…”

The streets of the town were just as lively as the day before, with jack-o-lanterns decorating each house’s yard, and residents that were dressed up in pairs or groups could be seen occasionally.

As they approached the house, the surroundings became silent, with open fields and quiet forests casting a deep gloom.

To avoid leaving traces of the [Pumpkin Carriage] in the grass, the five of them got off the road, and Kuang Jinxin retracted the carriage. They then stepped onto the grass, moving silently, and when they were about seven or eight meters from the door, they stopped and quietly hid in the shadows of the trees.

This was an excellent hiding spot, providing a view in all directions. The five friends lay in wait for their opponents to arrive—taking out their peers first before entering the house to capture the ghost wasn’t necessarily the most efficient strategy, but it was certainly the safest.

The air was silent, and the house, made of “black glass”, stood quietly under the night sky, as if asleep.

After waiting for about ten minutes without any sign of their peers, Xu Wang, out of boredom, focused on the courtyard in front of the house.

This house’s courtyard didn’t have any jack-o-lanterns. At first glance, it appeared pitch-black. Only after staring for a while could one make out some flowers, plants, and… ornaments?

Xu Wang’s eyes widened as he looked more closely into the yard, spotting several small, dark shapes among the flowers and plants.

“Huh?” Wu Sheng noticed him peering around and became curious.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Wang turned to his advisor. “Do you think the elf could refer to… garden gnomes?”

“Garden?” Wu Sheng paused.

“Yes.” Xu Wang became more convinced. “Like those decorative garden gnomes people put in their yards!”

Wu Sheng had indeed seen such yard decorations in the United States, where it’s believed that little gnomes can protect gardens, so many people like to place gnomes or elf figurines in their yards. However, he hadn’t connected this with the badge hint…

“A flash!” Kuang Jinxin suddenly grabbed Xu Wang’s arm. His voice was low but excited. “Captain, I saw a flash.”

All five sets of eyes turned in that direction.

Under the moonlight, in a dark courtyard, a spark of light flashed.

The five friends exchanged glances with no one speaking, but their actions were unified—they crouched low and rushed towards the courtyard at high speed!

It was a gnome figurine, not even knee-high, with a plump face and a playful nightcap.

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 12/23 Ghost Badge!]

As the prompt notification sounded, the badge was stored in the hidden item slot, and a clear “ding—” echoed through their arms.

In the quiet night, this sound was somewhat piercing, making everyone involuntarily tense up.

As if foreboding something, the five friends, about to hide back in the shadows, found themselves lifted off the ground uncontrollably before they could move.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Big Windmill] on you~~]

Big… Windmill?

Before the five friends could grasp the absurdity of the item’s name, their lifted bodies began spinning chaotically with the wind, like an out-of-control windmill.

Losing the ability to fight was one thing, but the dizziness and nausea were another. This was more vicious than the most insane 360° ride at an amusement park!

“You’re sneak attacking us again—” Xu Wang accused through gritted teeth while spinning rapidly, completely forgetting his team had just been hiding in the shadows.

Fu Wenqing, leading his team, approached leisurely. “Rule one of the battlefield. Never show your back to the enemy.”

“Xiao Rui.” He signaled with a glance.

Qin Rui, understanding the cue, immediately went towards the courtyard fence, holding two crosses tightly in his hands.

At the fence, the doll and the ghost figure stood obediently.

Qin Rui approached, wasting no time, and raised the crosses towards the doll’s heart, just like the day before.

However, the crosses didn’t penetrate as smoothly as they had yesterday. The moment the tip touched the doll’s clothes, it was repelled by a burst of pale golden light.

Qin Rui was startled. It was a defense stationery.

“I’ve already equipped [Stingy]!” Qian Ai, dizzy from spinning, couldn’t see clearly who was at the fence, but it didn’t affect his pride. “Thinking of taking something from me? You should have inquired how poor I am!”

Qin Rui: “……”

His declaration was so righteous that it seemed logical at first, but upon closer thought… something was off.

The four, still standing in place, were unexpectedly covered by a shadow. Looking up, a giant thermos appeared out of nowhere, four times the size of a regular one but with a one-to-one appearance, made of thin, cheap-looking plastic that seemed very fragile.

The four scattered instantly.

The thermos fell to the ground with a crash.

“Bang—”

Both the inner container and the shell shattered, spraying fragments and hot water everywhere.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Explosive Thermos Bottle] on you~~]

The four instinctively fell to the ground, covering their heads and faces.

The [Big Windmill] stopped abruptly due to the user’s distraction.

Xu Wang’s team, nearly vomited from spinning, finally landed. Struggling, Xu Wang managed to drop four more thermoses, three for Fu Wenqing’s side and one for Qin Rui, forcing the five to dodge passively.

Xu Wang didn’t expect to completely defeat them with this but wanted to make a statement: “The world doesn’t revolve around you!”

Chi Yingxue grabbed his shoulder.

Kuang Jinxin supported his arm.

Qian Ai tugged at his clothes. “Don’t, don’t say that word…”

Xu Wang looked at his teammates’ pale faces and got it. “Mm, won’t say it.”

For the entire night, “spin” was a banned word.

Fu Wenqing’s team, protected by some unknown defense stationery, remained unaffected by the thermos bottles. Wu Sheng, observing the barely visible Nail Guy and Gloomy Youth from the shadows, was determined. “Xu Wang, Xiao Xue, stick to the original plan. We’ll hold them off, while you grab the ghosts.”

Xu Wang: “Understood.”

Chi Yingxue: “Mm.”

The two dashed towards the trees, while Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai positioned themselves in front of the approaching Fu Wenqing and his four teammates.

Contrary to Wu Sheng’s expectations, Fu Wenqing didn’t rush them or send anyone to stop Xu Wang and Chi Yingxue, as if he was certain they wouldn’t succeed in capturing the ghosts.

Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

Fu Wenqing smiled. “It’s cold outside. Let’s go inside.”

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Housewarming Wishes*] on you~~]

*Congratulations on moving to a new home (乔迁之喜) It’s a saying used to send warm wishes to someone who has just moved.

In an instant, Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai, as well as Xu Wang and Chi Yingxue, who were only a few steps away from the ghostly shadows under the trees, were all teleported inside the black plastic house!

Inside, it was pitch black and silent as death.

“Click—”

A rock flew from outside, smashing the black plastic-covered glass.

Wu Sheng, looking at the moonlight through the hole, suddenly realized. “They want to use the female ghost.”

Using the female ghost to eliminate them was efficient and effortless. Why not?

Xu Wang: “What do we do now?”

Wu Sheng: “What do you think?”

Captain Xu Wang smiled. “Of course, it’s happier when we’re all together.”

“Xiao Xue.” Taking advantage of the less demonic aura in the wind, Xu Wang said solemnly, “Get out as fast as you can and make them kind.”

Chi Yingxue enjoyed this part.

He dashed to the door, kicked it open with a “bang”, and clicked a stationery.

Fu Wenqing’s team, stationed not too far from the door and expecting the opponents to rush out, had laid invisible stationery in ambush. However, when the door was kicked open, the kicker didn’t move and instead just stood inside the doorway, lightly lifting his eyelids to scan over them.

Fu Wenqing sensed something was wrong, but it was already too late.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) I Urge You to Be Kind] on you~~]

“……” They got tricked by the same stationery item twice!

The experience of being tricked yesterday wasn’t too harsh, and the item didn’t cause them much harm beyond their “dignity”, so they didn’t pay much attention to it during their strategy planning. But today, when they fell for it again and the five of them uncontrollably moved towards the house, Fu Wenqing realized he had been careless.

This item wasn’t just about “apologizing”; it required apologizing directly to the user.

After using the item, Chi Yingxue went back inside, and the five of them had no choice but to follow.

Inside, the vampire hadn’t arrived yet, but there was already a faint scent of roses.

With only a sliver of moonlight, the living room remained dark.

The Nail Guy and Gloomy Youth silently moved to the wall, standing in line with their other two teammates.

Both teams, unable to see each other, could only hear the teeth-gritting “sorry”, echoing back and forth.

“Sorry!”

“I was wrong!”

“I shouldn’t have attacked you!”

“I was too unkind!”

Wu Sheng turned on a flashlight, dispelling the darkness in the living room.

Xu Wang immediately activated [(Offense) Meteor Shower], targeting Fu Wenqing’s team, who were still bowing continuously, hoping to send the opponents home in one fell swoop.

Under the [I Urge You to Be Kind] state, the opponents couldn’t attack.

The sky filled with incendiary rocks soon fell, but just above the heads of the five peers, they hit an invisible wall, shattering prematurely. The sparks followed the transparent curvature, sprinkling onto the ground.

The opponents had equipped their team with defense stationery before entering the house.

Xu Wang frowned but wasn’t too surprised; if it were that easy to be swept away, Fu Wenqing and his team wouldn’t have made it through twelve levels.

He looked back at Kuang Jinxin.

Kuang Jinxin nodded.

The next moment, more and denser “Burning Meteorites” appeared above Fu Wenqing and his team, simultaneously, countless arrows appeared in front of them.

That was Kuang Jinxin’s [(Offense) A Thousand Arrows Released].

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Chi Yingxue retreated to the wall, away from the battlefield.

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin focused, with thermoses and arrows attacking from above and in front, towards the transparent defense stationery surrounding Fu Wenqing and his team!

The sounds of impact and explosion, one after another, shook the house.

Both sides could feel the defense stationery gradually weakening under the assault.

Now it was a race to see whether the defense stationery would collapse first or the apology would end. If the effect of Chi Yingxue’s illusory stationery ended first, Fu Wenqing and his team could counterattack.

As both sides were at a standoff, a rich scent of roses blew in through the window.

Then, a violent wind arose, blowing out all the black plastic-covered glass, allowing moonlight to pour in, filling the room with silvery frost.

A beautiful woman made her entrance.

“Crackle—”

Another volley of meteorites shattered.

The defense stationery vanished, but so did the effect of Chi Yingxue’s illusory stationery.

Both sides turned to look at the woman gracefully landing. Xu Wang took a deep breath and gently pointed.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Raging Storm*] on you~~]

*(风起云涌) Idiom describing a rapid development of things with great momentum.

Fu Wenqing frowned, not expecting the opponents to still focus on attacking them at this time. Didn’t they fear the ghost taking advantage?

The violent wind, carrying thick clouds, roared in, instantly plunging the entire house into a chaotic sea of clouds. The visibility was blurred, and the sounds were muffled. Although the stationery was used on them, it affected everyone.

“Boom!”

“Clang—”

“Ugh…”

“Crack!”

“Clang—”

In the midst of the wind and thick clouds, various noises were intermittently heard, too muddled for Fu Wenqing to discern what they were. He wanted to warn his teammates to be careful, but he feared revealing their positions.

Finally, the clouds dispersed, and clarity returned to the room.

In the bright moonlight, the woman still stood where she had landed. Her hair was disheveled, and her expression wasn’t very pleasant, but apparently, her lethality remained undiminished.

Fu Wenqing immediately checked on his teammates; He Lanshan, Qin Rui, Wu Yanchao, and Zhao Muchen were all unharmed.

Wu Sheng also immediately checked on his friends; Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai were all there.

Xu Wang was missing.

The four ghosts in the corner silently watched the living room, as if the turmoil inside had nothing to do with them.

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 174: Good Morning

“Can we talk now?” Fu Wenqing approached Xu Wang, still clear-eyed and composed. If it weren’t for the big tear in his clothes, one might doubt he had just escaped the “Deer Demon Massacre”.

“Are you sure you want to talk?” Xu Wang’s gaze went past him, landing on a group under the streetlight, radiating anger and in a sorry state. He didn’t think these adversaries were in the mood for a chat.

“Anger and impulsiveness won’t solve anything. If there’s a win-win solution to a problem, why resort to mutual destruction?” Fu Wenqing didn’t turn around, making it clear he was the one calling the shots on this matter.

After pondering for a few seconds, Xu Wang understood. “You’ve saved your progress.”

Fu Wenqing replied, “So have you.”

It was worth discussing because they would meet again tomorrow.

But the Owl couldn’t save progress consecutively, so Xu Wang couldn’t see any room for negotiation. “Tomorrow, whether it’s you or us, there’s only one option for us to ‘submit our papers’.”

“No.” Fu Wenqing offered a second option. “You can also drop out.”

He said it so calmly, not as a provocation or a show of force, just like a casual chat, making it hard for Xu Wang to get angry. It felt like they were on different wavelengths. “Why should we drop out?”

“We wouldn’t ask you to step back for nothing,” Fu Wenqing continued. “In exchange, I can give you information more critical than just handing in a single assignment.”

“Oh?” This piqued Xu Wang’s interest, who asked for more details, “About what?”

Fu Wenqing pondered and didn’t answer.

Xu Wang frowned. “If you want to talk, you need to show some sincerity. You can keep the information to yourself for now, but at least let us know what it can bring us and whether it’s worth retreating three levels for it.”

“You have a point.” Fu Wenqing nodded in acknowledgment and revealed his trump card. “A way to leave the Owl for good, that is, to leave completely and forever.” Under the streetlight, his eyes were calm yet confident. “Is it worth three levels?”

Xu Wang fell silent, turning back after a long while with mixed feelings.

The friends behind him had similarly complicated expressions on their faces.

“It’s pretty worth it…” Xu Wang turned his gaze back to Fu Wenqing, feeling rather helpless, “but we’ve also paid.”

Fu Wenqing was taken aback by the unexpected answer that finally caused a ripple in his otherwise tranquil demeanor. “A million?”

Xu Wang expressed genuine regret. “We should have met earlier.” Even though the information was bought in a group purchase, it still cost them about three hundred thousand. Trading three levels for three hundred thousand wasn’t out of the question!

A negotiation that seemed promising crumbled in less than three minutes. Fu Wenqing quickly collected his emotions, so quickly that Xu Wang thought he might naturally lack deep feelings.

“See you tomorrow.” With these simple words, the man led his team out of the alley.

“I thought they were going to bury us with money,” Qian Ai murmured as he watched their figures disappear around the corner, feeling a sense of unfulfilled wishes.

Xu Wang knew another tough battle awaited them tomorrow. But for now, the priority was to rest and heal.

……

This time, President Chi got the “tourist destination” information early from his brother and arranged the hotel rooms in advance: two presidential suites, one with two bedrooms and the other with three bedrooms.

Nobody likes to be a third wheel, so naturally, the two-bedroom suite went to Xu Wang and Wu Sheng.

“Our save point is in the house of the Electric Ghost. We’ll take it down first thing tomorrow,” Wu Sheng sat on the couch, letting Xu Wang handle his injured arm, his mind never resting. “We need to find a way to lock down the ownership of the two ghosts, or we’ll be easy targets later on.”

“How do we lock it down? We don’t have any ‘anti-theft stationery’ right now,” Xu Wang said as he carefully disinfected the wound with iodine-soaked cotton balls.

“I have an idea…” Wu Sheng’s gaze landed on the smooth neck exposed by the other’s bowed head. His throat suddenly tightened, and his thoughts momentarily halted.

Unaware, Xu Wang changed the cotton ball and continued cleaning. “What’s the idea?”

“Cough,” Wu Sheng cleared his throat, trying to mask the awkwardness in his voice. “I’m not sure yet. I need to think more.”

Xu Wang didn’t press further. Usually, when Wu Sheng said he “had an idea”, it was almost a done deal. His “need to think more” was just to make it foolproof.

“The other side will also secure their two ghosts tomorrow,” Wu Sheng said, “no matter where their save point is.”

Xu Wang tossed the cotton ball away, took a clean bandage, and cut a length of it to match the wound. “That’s for sure. It’s clear no matter how you paint it.”

Wu Sheng watched him soak the bandage strip in iodine, saturating it. “So, the situation tomorrow might be the same as today. Each of us with our two ghosts, meeting in that house.”

Xu Wang gently placed the bandage strip over the wound and asked, “Does it hurt?”. After receiving a negative reply, he continued, “The goal is to intercept them before entering the house, deal with them first, then the female ghost.”

The dry new bandage was wrapped around the arm, and Wu Sheng, feeling pain with each beat of his heart, actually found it comforting and peaceful. “Yeah, I think so too.”

“Done.” Xu Wang finished tying the bandage, feeling quite satisfied with his work.

Wu Sheng lifted his arm, appreciatively inspected it for a while, and nodded. “You’ve improved over the past ten years.”

Xu Wang paused, then realized what he was referring to and laughed without amusement. “Are you complimenting me?”

“Of course,” Wu Sheng seriously reminisced, gesturing as he remembered. “Back then, I fell, and if I’m not mistaken, only scraped my elbow, right? Then you wrapped it as if I’d broken my entire arm…”

“That’s because you insisted I do it!” Xu Wang protested against the misrepresentation. “I told you to go to the infirmary, but you absolutely refused.”

Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “And say what? That we were just walking on the playground, you suddenly decided to jump on my back for a piggyback ride, and then I fell because I couldn’t hold you?”

Xu Wang despaired. “Couldn’t you just say you tripped while walking?”

“That wouldn’t do,” Wu Sheng asserted righteously. “The class monitor can’t lie.”

Xu Wang gritted his teeth, not understanding the foolishness back then, but now he did. “You were just tormenting me, seeking revenge.”

Wu Sheng rested his bandaged arm on the sofa back and suddenly leaned in close to Xu Wang.

Xu Wang jumped. “What, what are you doing?”

“Did you like me back then?” The flood of memories surged, hitting the rock named “realization of love” in Advisor Wu’s mind.

Xu Wang stretched out his hand to touch the head that was getting closer and mercilessly pushed it away. “You’re overthinking it.”

Wu Sheng dodged the half-hearted resistance, pressed forward, and trapped Xu Wang between the sofa back and his arm, firmly kissing him.

Xu Wang didn’t dodge, calmly accepting the kiss.

After the kiss, Wu Sheng didn’t move away but kissed his eyes, nose, chin…

He kissed gently and meticulously down to Xu Wang’s chest, through the thin shirt, nibbling and sucking joyfully.

Xu Wang, tickled and trembling, couldn’t bear it any longer and laughed. “Are you a dog or something…”

“Fortunately…” Wu Sheng stopped, his head resting on Xu Wang’s chest, his words muffled.

Xu Wang didn’t hear clearly. He vaguely heard something like, “Fortunately… after ten years…” but that seemed illogical. To waste ten years, what’s there to be fortunate about, if not deep regrets?

Wu Sheng said no more, contentedly holding the person that belonged to him, listening to each other’s heartbeats, gradually syncing up.

If ten years ago, he and Xu Wang had expressed their feelings for each other, could they have stayed together until now? Two kids, unclear about the future, would their hearts and feelings remain unchanged after all the bumps and bruises along the way to adulthood?

Fortunately, it was ten years later.

Fortunately, when he was capable of protecting a relationship, he found the person he loved the most.

Fortunately, that person still loved him.

These “fortunately” might have used up all his luck for a lifetime, but it was worth it.

……

In the other presidential suite, Qian Ai had fallen asleep, dreaming of the splendid Tang Dynasty Chang’an, enjoying a Qing Dynasty Manchu Han Imperial Feast, with court officials seated on both sides, occasionally giving his live stream double taps of 666*.

*Term meaning smooth now takes on the meaning of good luck or job well done. In a gaming context, it can mean smooth killing (impressive skills).

Next door, in a state of dreamy bliss, Chi Yingxue obediently lay on the bed, having taken off his shirt to reveal his entire back.

Kuang Jinxin was applying burn ointment on him, eliciting complaints of itchiness when lightly applied and cries of pain when too heavily applied, proving to be quite the difficult patient.

However, Kuang Jinxin wasn’t angry about the fussiness; what upset him was that, despite the severity of the injuries, the team captain didn’t allow them to use their healing stationery!

The dim light in the Owl, coupled with Chi Yingxue’s cool response, led him to believe the injuries were minor. But once the clothes came off, his entire back was a swath of red.

Having applied almost a whole tube of burn ointment, Kuang Jinxin’s irritation hadn’t subsided, and he couldn’t bring himself to scold Chi Yingxue, especially since the injuries were sustained while saving him. So, all he could do was grumble under his breath.

Chi Yingxue initially ignored him, but eventually got tired of hearing it and came up with an excuse. “Healing stationeries are rare. We shouldn’t waste them carelessly.”

Kuang Jinxin, used to talking to himself, didn’t expect a response. It took him a few seconds to retort with a glare at the back of Chi Yingxue’s head, “Right, frugality is a virtue.”

Sarcasm wasn’t Kuang Jinxin’s strong suit, but the occasional jest proved effective.

Chi Yingxue turned to look at him, causing his back to move.

Kuang Jinxin frowned. “Don’t move.”

Chi Yingxue stopped but continued to watch him.

Kuang Jinxin paused his actions, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

[How do you want others to treat you so that you feel comfortable?]

[Be honest, I suppose. Say what’s on your mind…]

With a slight twist of his mouth, Chi Yingxue sulkily replied, “I wanted you to remember my favor, and it’d be better if you felt sorry for me.”

“Lie down.” Kuang Jinxin pressed the disobedient head back down and continued applying the ointment. “Even if you healed immediately after getting hurt, I’d still remember you saved me. And even if the injuries weren’t for my sake, I’d still feel sorry.”

The cool sensation on his back made Chi Yingxue involuntarily relax, and his eyelids grew heavy. “Why…”

Kuang Jinxin, hearing the sleepiness in his voice, softened his tone. “We’re friends.”

Chi Yingxue laid his head on the pillow, seemingly asleep, and made no more movements.

Kuang Jinxin moved gently, finishing the last bit of ointment application, then quietly turned to get off the bed.

Without warning, Chi Yingxue extended an arm, pulling him back.

Unprepared, Kuang Jinxin lost his balance and fell onto the bed. By the time he realized what was happening, Chi Yingxue was already on top of him, his head forcefully burrowing into his neck, rubbing aggressively with a hint of impatience.

Kuang Jinxin’s breath hitched, wanting to push him away but afraid of touching the freshly medicated back, resorting to pushing at the shoulders instead. But Chi Yingxue stubbornly applied all his weight, leaving no room for movement.

The wound Kuang Jinxin received from the female ghost was hurt by this friction. Yet, aside from the pain, there was a peculiar, unusual feeling.

After a standoff, Chi Yingxue seemed to have satisfied his need, calming down.

“I don’t want to be just friends.”

Kuang Jinxin heard this declaration that wasn’t coquettishly stated but more like an announcement.

Chi Yingxue slightly propped himself up. The room was brightly lit, clearly showing the panic in Kuang Jinxin’s eyes.

The more Chi Yingxue looked, the more he liked what he saw, pressing down once again.

Kuang Jinxin turned his head away.

Chi Yingxue’s lips landed on his face—not a kiss, but a bite—with enough force to hurt but not break the skin, earnestly biting him.

Kuang Jinxin blinked in confusion, momentarily forgetting the pain.

Chi Yingxue lay down relaxed, snuggling back into his neck. His slightly raised tone revealed his joyful mood. “Just as I thought.”

Kuang Jinxin asked dully, “What?”

“You taste like oranges,” the person buried in his neck murmured proudly.

Chi Yingxue fell asleep.

Listening to the steady breathing beside his ear, Kuang Jinxin’s heart raced.

He had never met someone who could so easily make him happy, sad, want to get closer, yet fear the closeness. These emotions weren’t under his control but were held in the hands of the other.

Yet, this person was as unpredictable as the wind.

Kuang Jinxin could imagine the future for the captain and the advisor, with the captain finding another job, the advisor perhaps restarting a company, and then living together, growing old together. He could also picture Qian Ai’s future—maybe continuing as a streamer or finding a new job, then settling down with someone suitable.

But he couldn’t picture Chi Yingxue’s future.

Of course, Chi Yingxue didn’t need anyone else to plan his future. With the freedom to live as he pleased, that was enough.

The wind can’t be caught, and Kuang Jinxin didn’t intend to try.

His fear was that he couldn’t even keep up.

Quietly slipping out of bed, Kuang Jinxin covered Chi Yingxue’s back with a blanket and turned up the air conditioning a few degrees.

Dawn was breaking outside, sunlight sneaking through the curtain gaps, casting a bright sliver inside.

Kuang Jinxin turned off all the lights, and before leaving, after much hesitation, he still stole a kiss on Chi Yingxue’s hair.

Good morning.

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