Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 159: Tianjin

11/23, Guizhou.

When they stepped into the purple vortex, the five friends simultaneously heard the paid intelligence provided by Mr. Fan echoing in their ears.

[11/23, Owl will send you into a crime scene from the Republic of China era. Most of them are homicides, with the occasional oddity, supernatural tale, or other miscellaneous cases. But the essence remains the same—dispel the fog and uncover the truth.]

To the friends, the words “deductive reasoning” was synonymous with “bonus level”. With Wu Sheng among them, following the deductive path, even if they wanted to be pessimistic, their hearts couldn’t help but bloom with joy. Upon closer inspection, each petal was a test paper, all marked with “correct”, 100 points.

With smiles of confidence, their vision cleared.

A pure white chamber, futuristic, like a space capsule.

The five friends: “……”

The identical scene gave them an instant sensation of time reversal, as if they had returned to the hell inside their minds on 9/23, awaiting the next dark prompt to pop up.

“Click—”

Indeed, it popped up as expected.

Chi Yingxue’s expression was darker than the darkness. Clearly, this setting held no fond memories for him.

The other four companions’ faces weren’t much better. Is this the Republic of China? Is this solving a case? Is this deducing? If Fan Yebai didn’t come up with a “seven-day no question asked + express refund + 10% compensation for every fake” luxury package, they’re absolutely going to give bad reviews to everyone they meet in the Endless Sea!

[Owl: Welcome to the chaotic Republic of China!]

Just as they finished criticizing the seller in their minds, the earpiece’s prompt vindicated Mr. Fan of his grievances.

The group paused, listening intently.

[Owl: The rules are simple. The Dark Agent No. 1 will receive a mission, complete it, and submit their paper. Dark Agents No. 2–5 will ensure their own survival until Dark Agent No. 1 submits their paper. During the process, if they meet each other, Dark Agents No. 2–5 may assist No. 1 in submitting their paper. Remember, first, each person can only use stationery only once—any further use is invalid; second, if any one of the five dies, it’s considered a submission failure.]

[Owl: You have three minutes to choose your Dark Agents. Countdown starts now.]

The friends looked at each other. Obviously, this level had been updated in form and was likely a recent addition, hence Mr. Fan’s lack of timely updates. But the core, still, was Republic of China + puzzle solving.

According to the rules, Dark Agent No. 1 is the absolute key player of this level.

Eight eyes fell on Wu Sheng, almost without hesitation.

With great power comes great responsibility. The advisor didn’t shirk, but he had instructions. “The rules mention ‘if you meet’, indicating we five will be separated. ‘Ensure your own survival’ means No. 2–5 will face dangers, so unless it’s feasible, don’t forcefully try to find me. Ensuring your own safety is the priority.”

Xu Wang nodded for the three companions. “Understood.”

Understanding is one thing, but in the chaotic times of the Republic of China, how could they let their advisor venture alone!

……

Republic of China, Tianjin, 5^th Avenue, Bai Mansion.

“Mr. Bai, I dare not say this money is remuneration. Just take it for some tea. Once you find my brother, I will have a substantial reward!”

The speaker was a young man with a sincere face and a sturdy build, dressed in a traditional Chinese long robe, exuding an air of martial vigor. He cupped his fists and bowed to Mr. Bai, who was sitting on the sofa, and spoke with sincerity; every word was sonorous.

The owner of the mansion, Mr. Bai, a modern and handsome young man with meticulously combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, was dressed in Western attire. He stood in stark contrast to the visiting Mr. Xue, as if representing two different worlds.

“Rest assured, Mr. Xue, I’ll take the case.”

After listening to about fifteen minutes of “case presentation”, Mr. Bai had been quietly contemplative, making Xue Qingshan nervous. Now, finally speaking up without any fluff, just a clean and clear “I’ll take it”, it was like a rain shower for Xue Qingshan.

“Then I’ll leave it to you!” Xue Qingshan expressed his immense gratitude as if he wasn’t the one paying but rather receiving money.

Mr. Bai smiled, accepting the client’s pre-emptive thanks, even though he hadn’t started working yet.

After sending off Xue Qingshan, Mr. Bai returned to his study, surrounded by various books and several “investigation notebooks” on his desk. He envied the “contractors” of the Republic of China. In such chaotic times, as long as you have real skills, you could be assertive. If those skills were extraordinary, no amount of money could “hire” you, only “request” your services.

Mr. Bai, a “young detective” from a wealthy family, had set up this Bai Mansion on the most prosperous 5^th Avenue, taking on all kinds of challenging cases—not for money, but as a hobby. Unexpectedly, he made a name for himself. The recent visit from Young Master Xue was out of admiration, bringing enough money to tempt any detective into danger, just to find someone—his sworn brother, Du Jinnian, who had disappeared.

However, at this moment, Mr. Bai wasn’t really Mr. Bai.

Inside his body was the soul of Advisor Wu.

Wu Sheng had calculated everything but didn’t expect this to be a transmigration scenario. It was all because of the similarity to the dark room in 9/23, which made him assume it was still the same as last time—though it was consciousness navigating the challenge, he would still be in his own form.

Now, he turned out to be someone else, and so would his four companions, each with different appearances and identities. Even if they met head-on in the street, they probably wouldn’t recognize each other.

As Wu Sheng pondered, he lifted his arm again.

He entered as Dark Agent No. 1, the sole task executor for this level.

Now, no, as soon as Xue Qingshan arrived, his mission was issued—

[Cheat Sheet]: Accept Xue Qingshan’s commission to find Du Jinnian.

……

Republic of China, Tianjin, by the Hai River, Guajia Temple.

Xu Wang hadn’t opened his eyes yet but first smelled the incense—quiet, solemn, instinctively calming.

This was the only moment of peace he had that night.

Then, he opened his eyes, saw this world, saw the courtyard full of monks, saw himself in monk robes, and in the reflection of the lotus pond, saw his own face—though his lips were still red, his teeth were still white, and he still had lively eyes, they were all entirely unfamiliar.

His emotions surged from then on, wave after wave crashing against the shore, each slap dizzying him with confusion.

Until an older monk came over to scold him. “What are you dazed about? Get moving.”

Xu Wang asked blankly, “Where to?”

As he spoke, the courtyard gradually emptied—the monks who had been in the yard had already left in succession, forming a procession of ascetics on the streets as night fell.

“To the Cheng family,” the monk said, pushing him towards the door. “Old Master Cheng has passed away. Tomorrow is the third day, and a ritual must be performed.”

Xu Wang was confused. “The third day?”

“Three days after death, it’s believed that the deceased ascends to the Lookout Platform to gaze upon their homeland. At this time, chanting scriptures to help the soul transcend lets them know that their family has been waiting for them for three days. Since the deceased cannot return to life, this ritual also serves as their last farewell to their family. When the master performs the fire offering, just follow the other monks in chanting.”

Xu Wang: “……”

What’s a fire offering? His knowledge system was blank in this area!

“Hurry up—” Seeing that the courtyard was about to be empty, the monk pushed him hard on the back.

Stumbling to the doorway, Xu Wang gritted his teeth and jogged to catch up with the procession of monks ahead.

Thinking positively, being a monk in the chaotic times of the Republic of China meant at least there was no risk to his life. The monastery provided sustenance, and even if he couldn’t reunite with his friends, enduring until Wu Sheng completed the task should be possible.

As the night fully descended and the moon rose, the air grew cooler.

Xu Wang looked up at the moon, and as he watched, it turned into Wu Sheng’s face.

He said in his heart, “You better finish the task quickly. These hairless nights are too cold.”

……

Republic of China, Tianjin, the Cheng family.

The night deepened, but the mourning hall still had white candles burning. The filial sons and grandsons had finished their crying during the day, and now only a few servants stood guard. They were all young and sturdy, dressed neatly but plainly, with sun-tanned skin, clearly from humble origins.

Qian Ai was among them.

Upon opening his eyes, he was faced with the mourning hall, and then a breeze blew, flickering the candlelight, illuminating the paper effigies of boys and girls, horses, and sheep, more thrilling than inhaling menthol.

What was truly terrifying was the feeling that he had made eye contact with those two paper effigies of children. He inexplicably felt that the two paper figures were watching him, and once this feeling arose, it couldn’t be erased. No matter how he shook his head from side to side or turned around in place, he felt those pairs of eyes following his every move.

A square-faced servant next to him, tired, noticed his discomfort and muttered in confusion, “What’s up? Possessed by a ghost?”

Before Qian Ai could respond, another round-faced servant disapproved, his eyes full of the will to live. “Brother, isn’t it bad to joke about that here…”

Qian Ai really wanted to give Round Face a thumbs up.

Talking about possession in a mourning hall was simply asking for trouble!

Square Face paused, looking at the mourning hall, white candles, and paper effigies, and fell silent.

But it was too late; he too began to feel the paper effigies watching him, following Qian Ai’s path—swaying his head and turning in circles.

……

Cheng family’s back garden, outside the courtyard wall.

“Master, have you ever thought about changing professions?” A young boy, around fifteen or sixteen years old, handed a grappling hook attached to a rope to the middle-aged man beside him.

“Change to what?” The middle-aged man threw the grappling hook onto the wall, pulled it, and the rope tautened securely.

“Like… stop being a thief.” Both the young man and the middle-aged man were dressed in black. Their heads were covered, and they wore masks, making them unrecognizable to even their own mothers.

“Quit being a thief? And starve?” The middle-aged man leapt up, his movements light, climbing the rope smoothly onto the wall. He then moved aside, lying low on the top of the wall to avoid attracting attention, and urged, “Come up.”

The young man, failing to persuade his master, had no choice but to grab the rope and slowly climb up.

The middle-aged man waited for a long time, only to find that his disciple had climbed just halfway, rendering him speechless. “Tuck in your stomach, take a deep breath, focus on your feet, and use the momentum to lift yourself… I didn’t ask you to swing on a swing!”

The middle-aged man was usually calm and could suppress his temper well, but tonight he was truly frustrated. His disciple, for some unknown reason, had been incessantly nagging along the way, and though he had tolerated his urging to reform, now the disciple couldn’t even climb over a wall. What use was such a useless disciple!

“Have you eaten all I taught you?” Unable to bear it anymore, the middle-aged man reached down and yanked the disciple up.

With the help of the rope and his master’s pull, the young man finally made it onto the top of the wall.

Under the cover of the dark night, master and disciple successfully entered the Cheng family’s property.

With the Cheng family busy with funeral arrangements and the comings and goings of many people focused on mourning, it was the perfect time for “sneaking into the night with the wind and stealing quietly”.

Kuang Jinxin had transmigrated into the body of a burglar’s apprentice. His twenty-three years of law-abiding life were slipping into the abyss of crime.

……

Republic of China, Tianjin, South Market (lawless area).

“Brother, it’s your turn.” As soon as Chi Yingxue opened his eyes, he saw someone handing him a draw tube.

There were six sticks left in the draw tube.

He quickly surveyed his surroundings—a shabby, sweaty-smelling shack and a group of young men with a dubious air but serious expressions. This was clearly an illegal hideout.

“Draw.” The person holding the draw tube urged him.

Chi Yingxue, utterly confused, reached out to draw, then realized something was off. Although this hand was also beautiful, it wasn’t his.

He felt his hair, pinched his face, and checked his chest under the clothes. Indeed, this was someone else’s body.

“What?” The draw tube was nearly shoved into his face. “Hurry up and draw!”

Chi Yingxue, bewildered, randomly pulled out a stick—the bottom of the stick was red.

The air suddenly went quiet.

The people in the room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but their faces remained tense.

“Brother, accept your fate.” The person put down the draw tube, sighed, and patted his shoulder.

Chi Yingxue frowned, posing his first question after waking up. “Accept what fate?”

The man frowned deeper than Chi Yingxue, his voice dropping. “Drawing the black and red sticks is the rule here. It’s all up to fate. You think you can refuse?”

Chi Yingxue quietly observed him for a moment, deciding not to compromise. “Whether I accept or not, we’ll see. First, tell me, who am I? Where am I? Why do we have to draw? What happens if I draw a red stick?”

The roomful of young men: “……”

The one with the draw tube, now pale with anger, threw the draw tube down, ignoring him, and walked out the door. “Master Jiu, the red stick has been drawn. It’s Cat Five.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Is this a code name? A mission name? A gang name?

“Cat Five, don’t hold a grudge against your brothers.” Two hands, one on both sides, each grabbed his arms. Before he could react, someone came up behind him, binding his hands firmly behind his back.

Oh, so Cat Five was his name here. Truly… there couldn’t be a more unpleasant name.

And the clothes were ugly too.

Chi Yingxue looked down at himself, then up at a room full of “demons and monsters”. His fanciful imagination of the Republic of China era’s charm was shattered to dust.

The person with the tube returned inside, followed by a very dignified-looking man. He looked to be around forty years old, was tall and slender, and wore a long robe and jacket that looked antique and steady, with exquisite buttons, and the cuffs were embroidered with patterns. His face was handsome—the years had hardly diminished his beauty—but they had deposited an indelible aura of sternness in his brow, and his eyes were sharp, with a hint of ruthlessness difficult to detect.

Upon entering, his gaze fell on Chi Yingxue.

“Whatever your request, just make it. Once it’s done, you can go on your way peacefully. Don’t worry about your family; someone will take care of them.” The man’s voice was cold, and even such gentle words felt chilling to the listeners.

The young hooligans in the room, usually bullies, didn’t dare to meet this Master Jiu’s eyes, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Chi Yingxue, however, felt indifferent.

Wu Sheng had said that since the Owl required No. 2–5 to survive until submission, danger was undoubtedly ahead. Now, as soon as he arrived, he was to be sent off, which fit the scenario perfectly. No problem there.

“Can you agree to whatever I request?” he asked, full of doubt and without a hint of respect in his tone.

The room went pale with fright.

Yet, Master Jiu merely smiled gently, looking quite amicable. “Anything but your life.”

Chi Yingxue nodded, deciding to trust him this once. “Who am I? Where am I? Why do I have to draw lots? What happens if I draw a red lot?”

“……” The barrage of questions momentarily stunned Master Jiu.

“Answering these questions, that’s my request.” Chi Yingxue thoughtfully clarified.

Master Jiu: “……”

The room of hooligans: “……”

The one with the tube said, “Master Jiu, he might have gone mad from drawing the red lot…”

Master Jiu raised his hand.

The person with the tube immediately fell silent.

After a moment of contemplation, Master Jiu answered, “You’re called Cat Five, a member of our Fushou Gang. The Fushou Gang killed someone from the Hai Gang, and now the Hai Gang has come for retribution. The old rule is to draw black and red lots; those who draw a red lot have to die for the gang. Any more questions?”

Chi Yingxue looked at him for a long while, then sincerely said, “Your clothes look good. Can you get me a set too?”

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 158: Extra Chapter – Chi Yingxue

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back to Beijing?” As Chi Zhuolin entered the door, he frowned at the cramped double room in front of him but didn’t ask if he should get a luxury room instead—an obviously face-slapping question. Chi Yingxue had the card that could be swiped for anything. Staying in a standard room could only mean one reason—he wanted to.

“You didn’t tell me, yet you located me precisely.” Chi Yingxue pulled the room’s only chair over.

Chi Zhuolin was about to step forward when he saw his younger brother naturally sit down on it.

He immediately felt at ease, confirming this was indeed his younger brother.

Hanging his coat on the wall, Chi Zhuolin looked around the room. Apart from that chair, there were only two beds with the quilts rolled up into balls.

“Which bed is yours?” Chi Zhuolin asked. He was never the type to stand because there was no chair for him but sitting on someone else’s bed was still somewhat impolite.

“Both are mine,” Chi Yingxue said matter-of-factly, with a childishly domineering tone.

Chi Zhuolin felt a headache coming on.

The key reason he never settled down or had children was Chi Yingxue—taking care of a younger brother was already draining enough, let alone having a child. He definitely didn’t want one.

“How long will you stay in Beijing this time?” Chi Zhuolin picked a relatively less messy bed, flipped the quilt, and sat at the corner of the bed with his back naturally straight, legs crossed, and fingers interlocked on his knee, managing to make the corner of the bed feel like an executive chair.

“A day or two.” Chi Yingxue tilted his chin towards the next room. “Depends on them.”

“So rushed?” Chi Zhuolin originally wanted to arrange some hospitality activities for Xu Wang and others as a regular thank you and reward. After all, this group of travel friends had been with Chi Yingxue for the longest time. Moreover, Chi Zhuolin had investigated; all four had clean backgrounds. He wasn’t too worried about Chi Yingxue hanging out with such people. “Where to next?”

Chi Yingxue opened a pack of fruit gummies on the table, tossing an orange-flavored one into his mouth. “Guizhou.”

“Guizhou?” Chi Zhuolin frowned. “You really think you’re Xu Xiake*?”

*A Chinese travel writer and geographer of the Ming dynasty, known best for his famous geographical treatise, and noted for his bravery and humility. He traveled throughout China for more than 30 years, documenting his travels extensively.

Shaanxi, Anhui, Henan, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hunan… A map of China appeared in Chi Zhuolin’s mind, half of it already stamped with his younger brother’s footsteps.

Chi Yingxue yawned in boredom, then tossed a second strawberry-flavored candy into his mouth. “Didn’t you say it’s better than loafing around? Traveling is good for the health, and it’s eco-friendly.”

“That doesn’t mean you should never stop traveling.” Chi Zhuolin felt helpless. He just hoped his brother would go out and breathe some fresh air. Now, it seemed like Journey to the West.

Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow, glancing at him nonchalantly. “Would you rather I stayed in Beijing and annoyed you?”

Chi Zhuolin’s face stiffened, seriously saying, “I’ve never found you annoying.”

Chi Yingxue said, “I find you annoying.”

Chi Zhuolin: “……”

Chi Yingxue laughed, knowing that verbal sparring wouldn’t yield anything substantial, but seeing Chi Zhuolin at a loss for words made him happy. After all, this person always acted all high and mighty, educating him, making every face-to-face feel like he was being looked down on—a real disadvantage.

“You, stop trying to manage me.” Chi Yingxue sat up straight, imitating Chi Zhuolin’s tone and posture, and patted his brother’s shoulder kindly. “Manage the company, manage the property, and if you have any energy left, get married and have an heir…”

“Are you advising me or cursing me?” Chi Zhuolin had just opened a bottle of water, but upon hearing that, he didn’t feel like drinking anymore, fearing he might choke.

Chi Yingxue spread his hands, feigning a look of being wronged despite good intentions.

A subtle feeling swept through Chi Zhuolin’s heart. Although Chi Yingxue was always infuriating, “relationship issues” were never a topic he joked about.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he scanned the room again, seeing no signs of another person. However, curiosity drove him to launch a sudden attack. “Are you in a relationship?”

Just as Chi Yingxue put the third grape-flavored candy in his mouth, he heard this and swallowed reflexively, sending the candy down his throat.

The candy hadn’t fully softened, stuck in his throat painfully. Chi Yingxue frowned, resisting the urge to grab the water bottle Chi Zhuolin had just opened but hadn’t drunk from, and swallowed a few times to finally get the candy down.

He breathed a sigh of relief and changed the subject. “Yan Wang is gone.”

Chi Zhuolin, calculating his next move, was thrown off by this abrupt statement.

“What did you say?” He asked again, cautiously, afraid he had misheard.

Chi Yingxue looked up at him, calmly stating, “Yan Wang, is gone.”

“Is he… gone forever, or just temporarily…” Chi Zhuolin’s voice trembled with excitement.

“Here.” Chi Yingxue pointed to his chest. “I can’t find him anymore.”

Chi Zhuolin could clearly hear his own heartbeat, thumping like a drum.

In the past, even if Yan Wang was asleep, Chi Yingxue could accurately locate him and even wake him up. More often than not, Yan Wang wasn’t asleep but was struggling with Chi Yingxue in his heart.

So Chi Zhuolin understood the significance of “can’t find”.

But he didn’t understand. “How could it suddenly…”

Chi Yingxue smiled at him, almost ethereally, under the dim light. “Pretend I had a very long dream, and now, the dream is over.”

Chi Zhuolin couldn’t help but feel heartache while touching his brother’s head. “It’s good you’re awake.” These words gave him an inexplicable sense of relief, so he repeated, “It’s good you’re awake.”

Without any concrete evidence, based solely on Chi Yingxue’s lips barely touching, Chi Zhuolin chose to believe, or rather, he hoped more than anyone that it was true.

That brother, who always switched between personalities, was both heart-wrenching and alienating. Despite reading countless psychology books, despite constantly telling himself that the other personality was also his brother, it was hard to truly accept.

He found it difficult to regard Yan Wang as his brother, and Yan Wang never treated him as a brother either.

The matter of treatment stalled due to Chi Yingxue’s resistance. Although he scoffed at some psychologists’ approaches, “treatment” itself was the only method Chi Zhuolin could rely on.

“So,” Chi Yingxue propped his head with one hand, smiling at Chi Zhuolin, “you don’t have to feel indebted to me anymore.”

Chi Zhuolin’s brows slowly furrowed, as if puzzled.

Chi Yingxue looked at him indifferently. “Back then, when you were at the boarding school, you didn’t understand why I was afraid of him, but you still sent me letters within your capabilities. Strictly speaking, you don’t owe me; instead, I owe you.”

Chi Zhuolin finally understood, but his frown deepened, and his tone grew heavier. “Do you think my treatment of you now is to make up for the past?”

Chi Yingxue lightly raised an eyebrow, as if to say, “Isn’t it?”

Chi Zhuolin gave him a sidelong glance without mercy. “You’re overthinking it. Back then, I was powerless. I couldn’t even speak up at home. Even if I knew how he treated you, what could I do besides suffer with you?”

“Listen clearly.” Chi Zhuolin looked at him firmly, with an authoritative tone in his voice. “I treat you well for one reason—you’re my brother.”

Chi Yingxue was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. “Then give me half of the family wealth, and we can go our separate ways. You won’t have to deal with me as a burden anymore.”

“I refuse.” Chi Zhuolin didn’t hesitate for a second, refusing outright and confidently. “No matter how much I give you, with the way you only spend without earning, you’ll end up homeless.”

Chi Yingxue smirked. “You still can’t bear to let me go.”

Chi Zhuolin snorted. “I gave you that card with no limit. You’re welcome to try and spend all my money.”

A mischievous glint flashed in Chi Yingxue’s eyes. “Don’t regret it when the time comes.”

Chi Zhuolin looked at him and elegantly smiled. “If your spending can catch up with my ability to earn money, then you win.”

“……” Chi Yingxue finally understood how his teammates felt when he was overly confident.

Chi Zhuolin’s gaze inadvertently fell on the gummies on the desk. He was about to lecture Chi Yingxue on eating less sweets when he saw him suddenly lower his eyes, exhaling softly.

“Sometimes, I feel like he’s gone forever.” Chi Yingxue’s voice was low and distant. “And sometimes, I feel like he’s never left…”

Chi Zhuolin’s heart tightened, clearly understanding “he” referred to Yan Wang.

“You just said you couldn’t find him…” Chi Zhuolin’s words were cut off by Chi Yingxue suddenly looking up.

The gaze that met his was direct and sharp, like a knife.

Chi Zhuolin’s heart sank. He was too familiar with that expression. “Yan Wang…”

The person opposite him smirked, first with a mocking curve, then the smile could no longer be restrained and turned into genuine pride. “Just kidding.”

“……” Watching Chi Yingxue turn back into himself in an instant, Chi Zhuolin didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved.

But one thing he was sure of—this was definitely retaliation for his grand statements about earning money!

“Knock, knock—”

The unexpected knocking on the door interrupted the “tender moment” between the brothers.

Chi Zhuolin, puzzled, watched as Chi Yingxue got up, naturally walked over, and opened the door without asking.

“The captain sent me to call you out for supper. We found a particularly delicious place nearby…” Kuang Jinxin’s voice paused upon seeing Chi Zhuolin inside, surprised. “Mr. Chi?”

Chi Yingxue turned to look at Chi Zhuolin. He didn’t say anything and just silently looked at him.

Chi Zhuolin correctly interpreted the silent message to leave. He gracefully stood up, took his coat over his arm, and walked to the door. “You guys eat. I’m heading back.”

Kuang Jinxin glanced between Chi Yingxue and Chi Zhuolin, unsure of the situation but politely offered, “Why not join us?”

Chi Yingxue pulled Kuang Jinxin into the room with one arm and pushed Chi Zhuolin out with the other. “He has work to do at the company.”

“Oh.” Kuang Jinxin nodded blankly, then his gaze turned to a respectful send-off for Chi Zhuolin.

Chi Zhuolin felt a pang of self-pity, but seeing Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin getting along well, he couldn’t help but feel happy and relieved that his brother was making friends.

After watching Chi Zhuolin disappear in the elevator, Kuang Jinxin turned back to continue discussing the supper plans with Chi Yingxue, only for the latter to stretch out his hand and close the door.

Kuang Jinxin was just there to pass a message and was planning to leave, but Chi Yingxue’s action of closing the door subtly changed the atmosphere.

Equally strange was Chi Yingxue, who, after closing the door, remained silent, all emotions hidden under the shadow of his eyelashes.

“What’s wrong?” Kuang Jinxin asked softly, sensing it had something to do with Chi Zhuolin.

What had the brothers just talked about? Yan Wang? Something in their childhood? A series of question marks popped up in Kuang Jinxin’s mind, along with those dark nightmares from the 9/23 level.

Suddenly, he was embraced.

A simple, solid hug.

“Don’t move. Let me hold you for a while.” Chi Yingxue’s voice came from above, sounding distant.

Kuang Jinxin stayed still, letting Chi Yingxue hug him without reciprocating.

He could clearly feel that Chi Yingxue didn’t need his response. The person holding him just needed something to hold—something warm, be it him, Kuang Jinxin, a doll, or a pillow.

Kuang Jinxin heard two heartbeats, one steady and strong, belonging to Chi Yingxue, and one rapid and chaotic, his own.

Chi Yingxue originally didn’t plan to say anything. He had already said too much to Chi Zhuolin, feeling empty now and just wanted to hold onto something to ease the emptiness.

But the room was too quiet—so quiet that Chi Zhuolin’s words came back to haunt him.

[Are you in a relationship?]

A question Chi Yingxue had never considered was jokingly brought up by Chi Zhuolin.

It was as if a gummy had been thrown into the bottom of his heart, slowly melting. The sweetness was tingling, making it irresistible.

“Xiao Sijin.” Chi Yingxue suddenly spoke. He was still embracing him, his chin gently resting on top of his head, as if intending to continue this hug to the end of time. “Have you ever had a girlfriend?”

“No.” Kuang Jinxin turned his face to look at the wall beside him, where faint gray spots were easily overlooked, mistakable for pristine whiteness.

“What about a boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes.”

“Then…”

“But I don’t want to be with you.”

Chi Yingxue pulled away and raised his eyebrows in displeasure. “Am I that bad?”

The tranquil and warm embrace was thus concluded by its initiator with a hasty full stop that seemed out of place with the process. Or perhaps, he never cared about these things.

“You’re not bad; you just never seem to know what you want.” Kuang Jinxin tried to smile at him but didn’t succeed. Embarrassment flickered in his eyes, yet he continued speaking, thankfully with a steady voice. “You just want someone to accompany you. It doesn’t matter who, as long as they’re with you.”

Chi Yingxue was puzzled. “So, I chose you.”

Kuang Jinxin sighed, not knowing how to make him understand. “Dating requires mutual affection, like the captain and Sheng Ge.” He tried to soften his voice, hoping Chi Yingxue wouldn’t get angry and would listen. “Wanting someone’s company out of loneliness isn’t the same as liking them.”

Chi Yingxue fell silent, but the temperature in his beautiful eyes was dropping.

He was angry.

Kuang Jinxin was frustrated.

Actually, Chi Yingxue’s personality was quite simple: agree with him, and he’s happy; oppose him, and he gets irritable, especially when he’s unwilling to compromise or temper his mood.

But this matter was different from others; he couldn’t just agree with him.

Otherwise, Chi Yingxue might feel better, but then Kuang Jinxin would truly be trapped.

Chi Yingxue only wanted companionship and could only offer companionship, but Kuang Jinxin wanted more. Knowing it was unattainable yet still falling for it was too painful.

Kuang Jinxin was selfish; he didn’t want to suffer.

“I, the captain, the advisor, and Qian Ge—we will all be with you,” before the temperature in Chi Yingxue’s eyes hit rock bottom, Kuang Jinxin said. “Even if we leave the Owl, we will always be friends.”

Chi Yingxue blinked gently, his emotions unclear under the dim light.

“Xiao Sijin, do you know what I hate most about you?” He finally spoke, his voice softer and almost tender than Kuang Jinxin’s.

Kuang Jinxin froze.

Chi Yingxue slowly uttered the word, “Hypocrisy.”

A pang of inexplicable pain hit Kuang Jinxin.

Chi Yingxue continued on his own. “Even when facing people you dislike, you can say a bunch of nice things. It’s as if everyone is struggling in the mire, and only you stand on the shore, pitying them.”

“Actually, you might have cursed them countless times in your heart, but the nice words coming out of your mouth seem particularly sincere and credible.” He stepped back, scrutinizing Kuang Jinxin’s face, and finally nodded. “Yeah, it’s because of this face of yours—too upright, too misleading.”

Kuang Jinxin blinked, his gaze a little lost and slightly shrinking.

Reason told him that Chi Yingxue was just angry because he was rejected—that his words shouldn’t be taken to heart.

But emotionally, he thought that maybe this was Chi Yingxue’s true feelings—that this was how he saw him.

“Knock, knock, knock, knock—”

A careless knock on the door made Kuang Jinxin shudder.

But he quickly reacted, swiftly turning to open the door.

Outside was Qian Ai, who immediately complained upon seeing Kuang Jinxin open the door. “How come you couldn’t even call someone out!”

After saying that, he slowly noticed Chi Yingxue standing in the entrance as well, pausing for a moment, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two. “What’s going on with you two? If there’s something to talk about, do it over dinner. Why stand here?”

“Oh, Mr. Chi came over. He just left.” Kuang Jinxin, unable to fabricate a lie, resorted to the truth as a deflection.

“Chi Zhuolin?” Qian Ai’s attention was indeed diverted. “Why didn’t you ask him to join us?”

Before Kuang Jinxin could answer, Qian Ai had already figured it out himself. “I get it. The boss must be busy.”

“Alright, hurry up and change. We’ll wait for you in the lobby downstairs.” After speaking to Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai considerately pulled Kuang Jinxin, who had already changed, out with him, naturally expecting him to come downstairs with himself, who was also ready.

Chi Yingxue looked at Qian Ai’s hand on Kuang Jinxin’s shoulder, frowning unconsciously.

Unaware, Qian Ai closed the door with a “bang”, considerately locking it from the outside for his teammate.

This meal, Chi Yingxue ate without taste, occasionally glancing at Kuang Jinxin, who was just eating silently. Until the meal ended and they returned to the hotel, Chi Yingxue still hadn’t caught a single glance from him.

Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of the third volume. Just one more to go.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 157: Choice

“Ten years ago?” The man repeated the time point, a flicker of something passing through his eyes.

Xu Wang nodded solemnly. “Ten years ago, in the Owl.”

The man slightly narrowed his eyes, taking a serious look at Xu Wang for the first time, but soon he laughed, shaking his head. “How old were you ten years ago? I don’t remember encountering a kid there.”

Xu Wang stared at him steadily. “At the hospital’s main entrance, you stabbed a zombie that lunged at you, but after stabbing it, you felt it was strange because it seemed to have hit something before it lunged at you.”

The man was startled, his gaze becoming somewhat distant as if drifting to that faraway, many details now blurred, old scene.

“Later, you made it to the third floor of the infectious disease department, and you went to scout the situation inside the office…”

Xu Wang continued. These things that he had completely forgotten for ten years, once revisited, became clearer by the day. The details he remembered now were even more, and more precise, than when he first recalled them.

“You gave the vaccine to the old doctor, but were bitten by another male doctor, leading to a total defeat. You ran away, not even bothering to take care of your [Soul Painter]…”

“Were you there?” The man, no matter how incredulous, had to believe it now. The process of breaking through that night, apart from him and his teammates from that year, there couldn’t possibly be a fifth person who knew. That detail about the zombie seeming to hit something, if not specifically pointed out, even he himself had forgotten.

“Yes,” Xu Wang said. “I was.”

After a moment of thought, the man connected all the abnormal details. “That thing the zombie hit…”

“Was me,” Xu Wang confirmed for him.

The man’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You were in the Owl, yet we couldn’t see you. Why?”

Xu Wang said, “Because I shouldn’t belong there. I wasn’t one of those breaking through, but that day I was inexplicably sucked in. It was as if the Owl…”

“Had a bug.” This time, the man finished the sentence for him.

Xu Wang froze, and it took him a while to find his voice again. “Could it be that night, you also…”

The man shrugged, smiling. “It seems that night wasn’t just a turning point in my fate alone.”

The two parties involved talked in riddles, leaving their thirteen companions utterly confused. A companion surnamed Wu understood everything but wasn’t satisfied with such vague and ambiguous descriptions of “that night”.

Yue Shuai, Wang Duanran, and their teams were just there to buy information but ended up sitting down to listen to a story from ten years ago. Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai, although aware of their captain’s connection with the Owl, now found this connection intersecting with the information seller and thus had to start from the beginning with the rest of the group.

Fortunately, the narrative of “that night” was still relatively clear—

Xu Wang accidentally entered the Owl and witnessed the total defeat of Mr. Fan’s team—the seller, out of politeness, concealed his name. Then another team broke in, succeeded, and afterward, Xu Wang conversed with the Owl, receiving the fragmented “help me”, before being ejected back to reality, henceforth suffering amnesia.

But the story actually continued.

After that team succeeded and left the Owl, Mr. Fan, who had previously run away, wasn’t ejected back to reality because of the other team’s success. The reason was likely related to Xu Wang’s “accidental entry”, both due to the Owl’s instability. Obviously, his lingering was also “abnormal”. Perhaps this “abnormality” allowed the Owl, which had failed to communicate successfully with Xu Wang, to find him again.

Whether it was from learning from the failed conversation with Xu Wang, perfecting its algorithm in a short time, or applying some kind of patch, in any case, this time, the Owl’s expression was clearer.

[Owl: Help me, close the path that connects here with the outside.]

This was the first sentence spoken by the Owl to Mr. Fan.

Inside the room, with the door shut tightly, it was extremely quiet—so quiet that even the sound of a feather landing on the carpet could be heard.

The Owl had a bug ten years ago?! Xu Wang took advantage of this bug to take a tour?! The Owl changed its tone, speaking of things unrelated to breaking through the levels?! And knowing to find a second person after failing to make it clear with Xu Wang?!

This series of shocks had already frayed the nerves of everyone present, but all of it paled in comparison to the last—

“It’s possible to close the path—?!”

This was more exhilarating than leaving the Owl ahead of time. Leaving early was like running away, but closing the pathway was like achieving world peace!

Mr. Fan was about to continue when he was suddenly shouted down by a dozen people in unison. He closed his mouth, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face, and subtly moved his swivel chair backward.

“To be precise, it’s possible to seal the path of the first thirteen levels.”

Xu Wang asked, “What about the last ten levels?”

“It didn’t say.” Mr. Fan shook his head. “It only asked me to help cut off the path of the first thirteen levels. Once successful, all the challengers of the first thirteen levels would be freed and no longer need to enter the Owl.”

“And what about the world within the Owl of the first thirteen levels? Will it be destroyed?” Xu Wang suddenly thought of many faces, like Xiao Dingche from 3/23, Xiao Huang, Xiao Bai, Hei Momo from 4/23, Xiao Hungry from 5/23, and so on. Even though he knew logically that these were just NPCs, Xu Wang couldn’t treat them as data that could just be reset and disappear.

Mr. Fan hesitated for a moment, obviously having never considered this question, and finally laughed helplessly. “I never asked the Owl, so I can’t answer you.”

“How can the pathway be closed?” Wu Sheng asked politely, bringing the topic back to the “core”.

Wang Duanran and Xu Wang’s team members perked up their ears while their minds recalled the broken relief and the uneventful night at the airport.

Although Captain Yue’s army hadn’t experienced it, they had heard Xu Wang recount it, so they were equally tense.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Fan sighed softly. “Sorry, I don’t know that either.”

The whole room was momentarily stunned.

Wang Duanran was frustrated. “Then is there anything you do know?”

Mr. Fan smiled. “How to leave the Owl early.”

Fifteen companions: “……”

What makes a good seller? If they say they’re selling oranges, they definitely won’t sell apples.

“You need to collect the badges from levels 1–13, then successfully submit them at level 13. After submitting, the Owl will take you to the ‘Wishing Room’ and tell you it can fulfill one wish under certain conditions as a reward for entering the last ten levels. But you shouldn’t make a wish; instead, clearly say the following command—I want to talk to the Owl. Repeat three times, and another Owl will appear, and then you can choose to end everything and leave early.”

Yue Shuai asked, “Another Owl?”

Mr. Fan explained, “This is just my own distinction. I always felt that the Owl giving various rules and hints during the challenge and the Owl that spoke to me that night isn’t the same, even though their voices are exactly alike.”

Wu Sheng wondered. “Is it possible they are the same, but the usual Owl is restricted, and a bug awakened some autonomous consciousness, or part of its awakening caused that night’s bug?”

Mr. Fan: “……”

Wu Sheng continued, “But we’ve been through so many levels for so long without encountering any bugs again, nor have we heard from other challengers about such bugs. Is it possible it’s been fixed, and even if we reach level 13, we can’t trigger it with the command?”

Mr. Fan: “……”

Wu Sheng: “Mr. Fan?”

Mr. Fan replied, “My friend, if you need me for an academic seminar, the price will be different, and I don’t promise I can provide a light of rational wisdom.”

Wu Sheng was about to say more but was gently tapped on the leg.

Turning his head, it was Xu Wang.

He directed Wu Sheng’s gaze around the room to the bookshelves filled with books.

“The Lady of the Camellias”, “Wuthering Heights”, “Jane Eyre“, “Gone with the Wind“, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame“, “The Thorn Birds“, “Norwegian Wood“, “Love in the Time of Cholera“… If one had to find a book unrelated to love, it would only be the one on the desk—”Think and Grow Rich“.

Wu Sheng’s eager heart for scientific exploration settled down.

With this seller, one could either talk about love or money.

“Mr. Fan, the Owl asked you to help it seal the path, but you didn’t agree, so it gave you a second option, which is to help you leave the Owl early?” Gu Nian finally spoke, sensing a logical issue here.

If it was as Wu Sheng said, that the Owl has awakened some level of autonomous consciousness, then after being rejected, shouldn’t the most common response be to try persuading again? Even if persuasion fails, one could just give up and look for someone else. Why then offer a method to leave early? It’s like, if someone refuses to help you, you still give them a “reward”. That’s too strange.

“I agreed.” Mr. Fan lightly tapped the armrest of his seat, a ripple crossing the calm lake of his eyes.

Fifteen companions were stunned.

“I agreed at that time to help it close the paths,” Mr. Fan continued. “It asked me to collect all the badges, reach level 13/23, and, after submitting my paper, not make a wish in the Wish House. Say, ‘I want to talk to the Owl’ three times, and it will appear, then tell me the specific method to close it.”

The fifteen companions were even more confused.

This was exactly the same as the method to leave the Owl early!

“I did as it asked. I really wanted to close the Owl at that time. Trying it wouldn’t cost me anything, and the worst outcome would just be to continue with the levels…” Mr. Fan looked out the window, the sunlight on his face outlining his distinct features but also reflecting the slight mockery in his eyes. “But when I reached level 13, after calling out the Owl in the Wish House, it offered me another choice.”

“Close the Owl or leave early.” Wu Sheng probably understood the direction and outline of this past event.

Mr. Fan withdrew his distant gaze and looked at him. There was a difference in the degree of discomfort between self-examination and being exposed.

Wu Sheng, who never understood these subtleties and had no intention of blaming others, looked at him calmly, so calmly that it was almost dry.

Mr. Fan laughed, suddenly feeling at ease. “When I wanted to close the Owl, I had nothing to lose. But once I had something to lose, I no longer had a reason to fight to the death…”

“I chose to leave early, and the Owl satisfied my wish. So when you ask me how to close the paths, I really don’t know. That’s information only those who chose option A would know.”

Xu Wang asked, “Did anyone choose A?”

Mr. Fan: “I can only say, the teams that bought information from me almost all chose B.”

Yue Shuai: “Almost?”

Mr. Fan: “There were teams that chose it.”

Fourteen companions: “…”

Qian Ai: “When did another option pop up! If you keep squeezing information out like toothpaste, do you believe I won’t complain to the consumer association about you!”

Mr. Fan: “The option is to continue with the challenges, complete all levels, then leave.”

Qian Ai: “Then what’s the point of buying information from you? A million just thrown away!”

Mr. Fan: “If they’re willing to fight, I can’t stop them.”

Qian Ai: “……”

The world of the wealthy is too hard to understand!

……

“Achoo—” Fan Peiyang, who was listening to the report, sneezed out of nowhere.

Zheng Luozhu stopped talking and asked with concern, “Boss?”

“It’s nothing.” Fan Peiyang waved his hand, leaning back in his chair. “Continue.”

Zheng Luozhu: “That’s all the related information.”

Fan Peiyang leaned on the desk, crossed his hand, and rested his chin on it. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Alright, I got it.”

Without needing Fan Peiyang to speak further, Zheng Luozhu tactfully left and considerately closed the door behind him.

After the thirteenth level, every level had to be carefully calculated, and every second couldn’t be taken lightly. Fortunately, the daunting task of strategizing was on the boss, and he just had to follow orders.

The leaderboard was opening tonight again, and their team, just entering the last ten levels, would surely still be out of the rankings.

Zheng Luozhu didn’t have any particular obsession with this, but he felt that the boss, used to looking down from the top of the leaderboard, would mind more.

This was definitely the Owl’s fault.

Who could have expected that the leaderboard for the first thirteen levels and the last ten levels were completely separate systems, not affecting each other or seeing each other? And teams that entered the last ten levels, regardless of whether they succeeded or failed in submitting their papers, wouldn’t go back to the first thirteen levels. Thus, they thought they were the best in the entire owl until level 13/23. But once they entered the last ten levels, reality gave them a harsh slap.

The phone suddenly vibrated in the pocket.

Zheng Luozhu hurriedly answered, knowing without looking who it was.

“Come in again.” Over the phone came the boss’ 108^th summon.

“Okay.” Zheng Luozhu had a grin on his face, but inside he was crying.

What information does he want to ask about this time? Should he just give a full summary? Report for three to five hours? Otherwise, if the boss thinks of something new, can’t he just call him once? It wasn’t a waste of time and energy, but a waste of legs, having him run back and forth. His legs were getting thinner!

……

Three teams of fifteen friends left the villa and directly booked a nearby resort hotel.

The suburban environment was really nice, especially at night, with the cool breeze and the bright moon.

The fifteen friends didn’t waste the good times, eating, drinking, and sleeping as they should, and by the time the moon was high, they were all spirited. Some were splashing in the swimming pool, some were drinking alone under the moon, some were lifting barbells in the gym, and some were quietly contemplating life in their rooms.

But this time it wasn’t Advisor Wu, but Captain Xu.

“What’s wrong?” It was rare to see their captain in deep thought. Wu Sheng, originally planning to go for a swim, sat back down by the bed, asked this curiously.

Xu Wang frowned at him. “It’s too strange.”

Wu Sheng froze, pointing at himself. “Me?”

“Not you. Your handsomeness is very standard,” Xu Wang said, always looking through a moonlight filter. “I mean, the Owl is too strange. If it wanted Mr. Fan’s help, why offer a second choice?”

Without that “early departure” second option, the help might have been secured!

“I thought you were pondering some profound problem.” Wu Sheng pulled him over, naturally leaning against Xu Wang’s back, wrapping his arms around him. He rested his chin on his shoulder and leisurely said, “Think of the Owl as a program—a self-repairing program—then this issue becomes understandable.”

Just as Xu Wang was about to indulge in this warm embrace, he heard something about “programs” and “self-repairing”, and suddenly, the tender moonlit scene before his eyes changed into a classroom full of desks and chairs.

The one hugging him from behind was Wu Sheng’s spirit. As for the speaker, he was up front, lecturing at the blackboard.

“A part of the Owl’s awakening gave it autonomous consciousness, to converse with you and Mr. Fan, even setting a command at level 13 that could summon it. But for a set program, such awakening is definitely a bug, either to be eliminated by external forces or to be patched by its original algorithm searching for the bug.”

Xu Wang struggled to turn his head back toward him. “The Owl did… the second option?”

“Right.” Wu Sheng couldn’t help but rub his face, saying, “The Owl’s self-repair couldn’t erase the awakened consciousness. It could only forcefully add a second option given by the repair function to the choices provided by the awakened consciousness.”

Xu Wang felt warmth on his back, but his heart felt a chill. “It figured, no one would choose the harder option.”

“Mm.” Wu Sheng hugged him tighter. “These are just my guesses, but if you consider the issue with the relief panel, the Owl’s self-repair feature should be spot on.”

Xu Wang understood Wu Sheng’s point and said no more.

Assuming it was indeed the damage to the relief panel that caused the inability to enter 10/23, then one day later, everything returned as usual, which fits the logic chain of “self-repair feature” perfectly.

“Oh right.” Wu Sheng suddenly remembered something. “Fan Yebai.”

Xu Wang didn’t understand. “What?”

Wu Sheng said, “Mr. Fan’s full name.”

Xu Wang was surprised. “How do you know?”

Wu Sheng said, “The Speed Submission Ranking list, 12/23, Du Yin, Fan Yebai, Li Dian, Mu Yixuan, Peng Ye, with a time of 09:46:58. On the entire list, there’s only one with the surname Fan. I think it should be him.”

Xu Wang: “You think?”

Wu Sheng: “I think.”

Xu Wang: “Hmm, then it must be.”

Five minutes later.

Xu Wang: “You should have told me at the time.”

Wu Sheng: “What?”

Xu Wang: “His full name. It might have been useful for getting closer and negotiate a better price.”

Wu Sheng: “The three-level guide is a version from ten years ago. Costing a million to package is indeed a bit steep.”

Xu Wang: “Exactly!”

Wu Sheng: “Mm.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “Do you think that book “Think and Grow Rich” can really make you rich?”

Wu Sheng: “He’s indeed living a good life.”

Xu Wang: “How about we also buy the book and study it?”

Wu Sheng: “Qian Ai has already placed the order.”

Xu Wang: “……”

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 156: Mysterious Man

“Relief panel.”

Wu Sheng and Gu Nian, two teammates separated by dozens of meters without any prior communication or coordination, almost simultaneously uttered these words.

“The one that Wangwang shattered?” This had been on Xu Wang’s mind.

“Definitely.” Qian Ai became more convinced the more he thought about it. “Besides that, we haven’t encountered any other abnormalities!”

“So, that relief panel… is it the switch for the Owl?” Kuang Jinxin was scared by his own guess, uncertainly looking at Wu Sheng.

Chi Yingxue also glanced over, not at Wu Sheng but at the phone in his hand, checking the time. “Did they enter?”

Wu Sheng instantly understood his meaning, as this was also what he intended to verify.

A voice invitation was sent again to “Commander Yue.”

The five friends listened to the tone of the voice invitation uninterrupted, with no response until the invitation ended automatically.

The answer was clear—Captain Yue’s team had entered the Owl as usual, cutting off all external contacts.

Was only 10/23 affected?

Was it really because Wangwang destroyed the purple relief panel?

Is this closure temporary or permanent?

Until the early morning, when the delayed flight finally took off, Xu Wang’s team still hadn’t clarified the answer.

So, they decided not to fly after all—just as the flight began to board, they decisively left the airport.

Of course, they still had a tail following them.

“Could they have realized they were being followed and deliberately ditched us…” Kong Lizhe, having stayed up all night with eyes like a rabbit’s, realized for the first time that tracking someone was more draining than going through checkpoints; indeed, it was tough being the bad guy.

Jiang Dachuan leaned against the SUV window, his head bumping against the glass with every jolt of the vehicle, barely maintaining alertness. “Canceling their flight just to ditch us? The cost is too high.”

Kong Lizhe: “They bought the badge handbook. Do you think they care about the cost of a plane ticket?”

Gu Nian closed his book and raised his head. “Dachuan is talking about the cost of time.”

“At this time, you can still read a book?” Chen Guan glanced at the novel in Gu Nian’s hand. Just the words on the cover gave him a headache.

Gu Nian sighed. “Sometimes I read to calm my mind, and sometimes it’s because I can’t calm down.”

Chen Guan: “…Can we speak in plain language?”

Gu Nian smirked, no longer showcasing his linguistic artistry but getting straight to the point. “They probably want to wait and see if this ‘inability to enter’ is temporary or permanent.”

Chen Guan was frustrated. “If it’s permanent, how long are we supposed to wait?”

“If everyone thought like you, scientists wouldn’t need to experiment, and scholars wouldn’t need to research, since it’s all unknown anyway.” Wang Duanran glanced at him. This companion was only good in physique and efficient in fights without nonsense; otherwise, with his brutish nature and thick-headedness, he wouldn’t hire him even if the other paid him.

“Are you cursing me in your mind again?” Chen Guan squinted, his eyes full of wild intuition.

“No, you haven’t reached my heart,” Wang Duanran corrected decisively. “At most, I’m just grumbling about you in my stomach.”

“……” Being in debt, Chen Guan couldn’t physically retaliate or verbally rebuke, so he resorted to stomping on his foot instead.

“Fuck!” Wang Duanran inhaled sharply as if in pain, trembling as he held his shin, his face showing a “how dare you” shock.

Chen Guan looked at him, utterly unmoved internally. “Boss, I just stepped on your sneaker.”

Xu Wang and his team didn’t return to the city center but stayed in a hotel near the airport. They planned to contact Yue Shuai after settling down, but his voice invitation came first.

As soon as they connected, Captain Yue’s voice boomed like thunder. “You’re sending me voice messages after midnight?!”

It took Xu Wang a while to calm down the “shock”, and then they started discussing the relief panel, also learning about Yue Shuai’s situation.

As they guessed, Yue Shuai had entered the Owl at midnight as usual, but because he was in Zhengzhou, which had no levels, he entered the Endless Sea. They didn’t search for treasure or go to the Flying Island, drifting at sea all night—everything was normal.

“We just don’t know the situation with the other levels.” After sharing information, Xu Wang casually mentioned.

“Give me five minutes.” Yue Shuai unexpectedly cut off the voice call.

Five minutes later, they reconnected.

Yue Shuai: “1/23, 4/23, 7/23, 8/23 are all normal, not closed.”

Xu Wang was stunned for a moment, then quickly asked, “Are all the other levels closed?”

“No,” Captain Yue honestly said. “I don’t know anyone at the other levels.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yue Shuai: “Don’t be disappointed. My social circle will continue to expand…”

Xu Wang: “No, it’s already quite expansive, really.”

Wu Sheng’s plan was to wait three days. If there was still no movement after three days, regardless of whether the closure was temporary or permanent, they would set off for Zhengzhou again. After all, that was where the important matters were. Things that were visible and could be discussed clearly, at least not as murky as it was now.

However, that night, the call of the Owl arrived as scheduled.

Xu Wang’s team entered 10/23. Wang Duanran’s team entered the Endless Sea—they had lost the qualification to enter 10/23.

The level was still the same; the Endless Sea was still the Endless Sea—nothing had changed.

It was like a game where the server suddenly announced maintenance for a day, and the next day, it reopened, everything as usual.

Once again emerging from the Owl, the five members of Xu Wang’s team no longer engaged in any futile discussions or hesitations—discussions without results could only be speculation—and directly bought tickets to fly to Zhengzhou.

Wang Duanran’s team, persistent as ever, followed closely behind.

Thus, in the crowded economy class, the two teams met—specifically, Chi Yingxue spotted Wang Duanran.

Originally, Young Master Wang wanted to buy first class or business class tickets, but there were no seats left, so he had to settle for economy class. For safety, he chose the two least popular rows of seats.

His choice was correct at first, keeping a distance from Xu Wang and the others, and everyone wore baseball caps, so during boarding, the chaos allowed them to successfully take their seats. Once seated, they pulled their caps down over their faces, making it impossible to recognize anyone.

But, Chi Yingxue was the exception.

As the plane had finished climbing and entered steady flight, Chi Yingxue stood up to go to the restroom. Passing by the row where Wang Duanran was sitting, he glanced over, his gaze locked on.

For no reason, he felt that the figure was very familiar, even though the person was sitting very low and hugging their arms, with a baseball cap covering their face. But a man who had once played with him, not just any person sitting there, but even if turned to ashes in there, he could blow them away in the midst of a crowd with a single breath.

“Hey.” Chi Yingxue was never one for politeness in his vocabulary, directly reaching over to lift the baseball cap and tapping it lightly but firmly against his forehead. “Stop pretending to sleep.”

With three seats in a row and Wang Duanran sitting in the middle, he never expected Chi Yingxue to really reach in. So, when he opened his eyes, his first reaction wasn’t to look for Chi Yingxue, but to turn his head and glare at the employee next to him who was reluctant to protect his boss!

Kong Lizhe, with his baseball cap pulled down, continued to pretend to sleep, as if his life depended on it.

In the same row, sitting by the window, Jiang Dachuan tilted his head slightly, making the baseball cap on his face more stable.

Chi Yingxue only had eyes for Wang Duanran. Once he saw the person react, he immediately narrowed his eyes slightly. “Why are you following us?”

“Who-who’s following you! We’re going to the Endless Sea!” Wang Duanran didn’t care how flawed his excuse was; he responded first.

Chi Yingxue frowned in confusion. “We?” Looking around, he expressed confusion. “The other four are also on the plane?”

Jiang Dachuan by the window: “……”

In the same row, separated by an aisle, Gu Nian and Chen Guan: “……”

Kong Lizhe silently opened his eyes, peering through the gap in the baseball cap. He watched the slender arm in front of him, considering whether to bite down hard or assert his presence.

……

At 30,000 feet, Xu Wang moved next to Wang Duanran, and the two team leaders spoke openly.

Inside the levels, everyone is an opponent, but once outside, they are all unfortunate souls chosen by the Owl, all wishing to end it all early. When two people have a common pursuit, the lines can be united.

Especially since this interest isn’t exclusive—Yue Shuai, when buying intelligence, mentioned that although one million isn’t a small amount, if it’s truly possible to leave the Owl, there won’t be a shortage of buyers. In this way, wouldn’t the value of the intelligence decrease due to the increase in competitors? His original intention was to bargain, but unexpectedly, the seller guaranteed with their ID card and household registration book that this method of leaving early is parallel and independent for every team, with no competition whatsoever. That is, if Team A leaves using this method, Team B can also use it without their chances of success being affected by Team A’s departure.

Based on all this, bringing another team into the fray isn’t a bad thing; it can even help share the cost.

Especially with a classmate as generous as Wang Duanran—

“1 million, right? I’ll pay for it all, but I’ll only take a third of the share. The information we buy will be shared among our three teams.”

Xu Wang suddenly felt that even without the fateful connection, Chi Yingxue could still spot Wang Duanran in the vast economy class—they both radiated the same aura; an aura called “wealthy light”.

The final plan was to share the cost among the three teams, but since it was decided on the plane, they hadn’t had the chance to inform Yue Shuai. Thus, Captain Yue, who ran to the airport to pick them up, only left five seats, not expecting to pick up ten people.

He and Wang Duanran’s team had never interacted, not even encountering each other inside the levels, but after a brief introduction from Xu Wang, understanding they were coming together to buy intelligence, he immediately went forward, shaking their hands warmly with an overwhelming friendliness.

Xu Wang, seeing Wang Duanran’s reflection in his eyes, always felt that the reflection was slowly turning into 333,333.

Wang Duanran, who usually liked to judge people snobbishly, wasn’t accustomed to this kind of warm welcome, reminiscent of a tropical island. He quickly lost to Yue Shuai’s enthusiasm. On the way back to the hotel, they talked about everything and anything, even though they weren’t in the same car, using WeChat voice chat.

Xu Wang finally understood how Yue Shuai could probe four levels in five minutes—the complicated network of relations within the Owl.

When they arrived in Zhengzhou in the afternoon, Yue Shuai met with the seller at seven that evening.

Yue Shuai went to the meeting alone to prevent the seller from seeing there were three teams and then possibly asking for more money.

The rest of the companions waited in the hotel, and it wasn’t long before Yue Shuai returned. The seller’s intelligence was just a sentence—”Go to Beijing and find a person; he will tell you the method to leave early.”

It turns out this person was just a middleman!

But there was no need to pay anymore; just by taking the address he provided and finding that person in Beijing, the information would be directly disclosed.

After discussing among the fifteen companions, they agreed this process was acceptable. Since that person had already left the Owl, he couldn’t go to the Endless Sea anymore. If he wanted to do business within the Owl, he must find a middleman still inside the Owl. And if he directly told the middleman the specific method, then the middleman could bypass him and operate independently.

The next day, the three teams, holding the slip of paper, flew to Beijing. After landing, they went straight to the address on the slip.

The closer they got to the solution, the more nervous they became. The more nervous they were, the more prepared they were, only to realize upon reaching the destination that their entourage was a bit too large.

Fifteen young men, tired from continuous travel, stood imposingly in front of a grand iron gate. Even if the gate was exquisitely crafted and grand, it seemed like it could shatter at any moment.

A young man in his twenties who answered the door was nearly scared by their presence. If it weren’t for Xu Wang and the others promptly showing the slip, he probably would have called the police.

This was a detached villa hidden in the suburbs of Beijing. Following the navigation, Xu Wang and his team nearly got lost. But the villa’s interior was beautifully decorated—not just lavishly but with taste and cultivation.

The young man led them to a door on the second floor, knocked, and then turned to leave before the door opened.

Xu Wang, watching his back, realized he had overlooked a problem—matters within the Owl weren’t to be discussed with outsiders. So, could someone who had left the Owl talk about it with outsiders? Or was it only with those who had experienced the Owl themselves or, like them, were still inside the Owl?

As he pondered, the door opened.

The entire second floor was quiet, with only their fifteen people and the person inside. It was so quiet that they could hear the ticking of a clock from the first floor.

The door silently opened, revealing a man in his forties, dignified and well-dressed. His tall figure and broad shoulders meant he was never meant to be meek. Instead, even his smile exerted a pressure.

Xu Wang thought that if this man were ten years younger, leading a team through all 23 checkpoints would have been possible.

If he were ten years younger…

Xu Wang suddenly froze, taking a closer look at the man’s facial features.

“He didn’t tell me he sold the information to three teams,” the man said with a smile, half serious, half teasing. “Come in.”

Clearly, the man didn’t mind, nor did he plan to settle scores with the middleman.

The group entered one by one. The room was an elegant, serene study, spacious, and bright. Even with so many people entering at once, it didn’t feel cramped.

Wu Sheng took a few steps and noticed Xu Wang hadn’t followed. Turning back, he saw his captain still standing at the doorway.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.

“I’ve seen him before.” Xu Wang said.

Wu Sheng didn’t understand at first. “Huh? Seen who?”

This back-and-forth drew the attention of all their companions, as well as the man.

Xu Wang’s gaze was fixed on the man’s face.

“I saw you ten years ago,” he said to the man, with more certainty than when he was speaking to Wu Sheng.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 155: Snowy Night

By the time they got back to the hotel, Xu Wang and his companions were exhausted, but without any delay, they quickly packed up and checked out. It was still dark when they waited for the ride-share car at the hotel entrance.

Getting through that ordeal was completely unexpected, and they had managed to do so without even realizing it, submitting their papers without missing a beat, and not even a badge was left behind. Just thinking about the past five hours left everyone physically and mentally drained, to the point where they didn’t want to roll dice again for a whole year.

They had ordered a large seven-seater SUV, which comfortably accommodated the five of them. As soon as the car started moving, Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin fell asleep—one deeply and the other carefree.

Qian Ai’s eyelids were heavy as if weighed down by lead, but his mind was still on Yue Shuai, preventing him from sleeping. So, he started to get irritated with the person next to him. He pinched the other’s face and poked his cheek, but he couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh, ending up tickling them instead.

Wu Sheng and Xu Wang were sitting in the front row.

The street scenes outside the window flew by, with street lights forming a continuous line of light on the glass.

Wu Sheng watched quietly, as if zoning out, yet also contemplative.

Between Xu Wang’s single seat and his, there was a very narrow aisle, reminding him of their high school days when their desks were adjacent but not touching, yet close enough to poke each other’s arms with a pen.

“Hey.” Xu Wang casually tossed a mint into his mouth, breaking the silence with a seemingly offhand remark. “If we could really leave early, what would you plan to do?”

Wu Sheng turned to him. “I haven’t thought much about it. I’ll have to see how much funds are left by then. If it’s enough, I’ll go solo; if not, I’ll earn some money first.”

“Oh.” Xu Wang nodded, dismissing the slight disappointment he felt, and turned back to look outside.

That was the end of the conversation.

Wu Sheng was caught off guard. Just as he was ready to chat, the other party had already ceased the discussion.

“What about you?” He pushed the conversation back. “What are your plans?”

“Find another job.” Xu Wang didn’t turn around. “I don’t have your skills. I’m destined to work for others in this lifetime.”

“Selling houses again?”

“Real estate consultant, thank you.”

“Ever considered selling something else?”

The more Xu Wang listened, the less he understood, until he couldn’t help but turn around. “Something else?”

Wu Sheng turned towards him and sincerely suggested, “Like software programs?”

Xu Wang, quick on the uptake, immediately got the hint and rejected the idea. “I’m not working for you.”

Wu Sheng felt a pang of regret at his strong refusal but wasn’t discouraged. “I’m a very generous boss.”

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes. “Praising yourself usually means there’s a catch.”

Wu Sheng laughed. He was used to being retorted by Xu Wang like this, so he didn’t get angry. In fact, he was more than happy to hear it and even eager to coax. “If you don’t want to be an employee, then be the boss.”

Xu Wang scoffed. “Your company and I become the boss? Then what, you live off the wind?”

“I could be the boss’ wife.” Wu Sheng was quite amenable.

Xu Wang was speechless, staring at him for a few seconds, his face heating up.

Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, Wu Sheng leaned in for a kiss. Xu Wang’s lips were cool, with a hint of mint. Wu Sheng had intended only a light peck but couldn’t resist lingering longer, tracing the shape of Xu Wang’s lips over and over again, and finally gently biting them before reluctantly pulling away.

Xu Wang was dumbfounded throughout, and luckily it was dark both inside and outside the car, so no one saw the blush on his face.

Wu Sheng held Xu Wang’s hand; his low panting revealed his effort to suppress and restrain himself, but his hand was warm. “I hope I’m in your plans.”

Xu Wang looked up. In the dim light of dawn, Wu Sheng’s eyes were the only brightness.

“Yes,” Xu Wang admitted. He had always known, and it was precisely because he knew, he was afraid—afraid that Wu Sheng, like the Owl, was just an unexpected event that came and went without a trace. “What about you?”

Am I included in your plans?

Wu Sheng looked at him quietly. “No.”

Xu Wang was stunned. With this kind of mood and this look, you gave me this line?!

Wu Sheng laughed, as if triumphant. “Because you are.”

You’re not in my plans because you are my plan.

The young ride-share driver in the front swallowed hard. Aiming for a five-star rating, he pretended he heard nothing and understood nothing—the epitome of innocence and professionalism.

In the back, Chi Yingxue closed his eyes again, frowned, and shifted his body. He pulled up the hood of his hoodie to cover his head and ears, as well as the smell of romance, before settling down again.

Kuang Jinxin smirked secretly, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and fell back asleep.

Qian Ai squinted, barely audibly sighing, wondering why others have a life full of spring and blossoming flowers while his is always bleak with the north wind sweeping across white grass?

Advisor Wu really believed that “no one was paying attention”, as if water were truly contained in the ocean.

As dawn broke, the number of cars on the road gradually increased. Unnoticed, another SUV followed them at a safe distance.

Inside, Kong Lizhe sat in the passenger seat, and after observing the mobile map for a while, he turned back to Wang Duanran and said, “No mistake. They’re heading to the airport.”

Wang Duanran touched his chin in confusion. “Do they know the coordinates of the next level?”

From their performance in the board game, it was obvious it was their first time through this level. They had just arrived at level 10/23 for the first time and already knew the coordinates for 11/23?

“Bought them, or someone else told them,” Gu Nian stated calmly. “Finding out the coordinates isn’t hard, but what’s strange is why they’re in such a hurry to get there.”

“What’s even stranger is, why are we following them?” Chen Guan frowned deeply, so much so that any bangs would be lifted. Losing to the same team twice and then eagerly tracking them—isn’t this unnecessary trouble?

“That relief panel and that cat—don’t you find it odd?” Wang Duanran glanced at him. “They must know something we don’t!”

“The Ow… There are many odd things there; perhaps it’s just a regular setting, and we’ve never encountered it.” Chen Guan almost said “Owl” but caught himself in time. A night of board games had already given him a splitting headache, and he didn’t want to add to his troubles.

Jiang Dachuan, usually a passive participant in these intelligent discussions, occasionally served as a lookout. Like now, occasionally glancing at the driver to confirm he was indeed uninterested in their conversation.

The secret of the Owl cannot be shared with non-participants, but as they’ve discovered through their journey, as long as you have no intention of betraying and your conversation is incomprehensible to outsiders, then the painful warning won’t occur.

The Owl seems to have control over their brains, or at least some form of telepathic connection, so the moment the thought of betrayal arises, the warning follows, hence just thinking about it.

“Whether it’s a regular setting or not, we’ll see if we follow them.” Wang Duanran’s gaze was firm, giving him a rare sense of reliability, although this temperament couldn’t last too long.

Any clue possibly related to the owl—if he hadn’t encountered it, that’s one thing—but once encountered, he absolutely wouldn’t miss it.

He doesn’t want to spend another day in this god forsaken place.

……

Upon arriving at the airport, the day had lightened, but only to a dim, hazy brightness. Thick dark clouds obscured the sun completely, with a gloomy sky and chilly winds, as if a storm was approaching.

The airport was bustling with people early in the morning. After checking in, Xu Wang and his group of five lined up to enter the security checkpoint.

Right after returning to the hotel, they booked the earliest available flight to Zhengzhou, Henan. 5/23 was in Xuchang, Henan, but for convenience in meeting up, both teams decided to meet in Zhengzhou.

Of course, Wang Duanran’s subgroup was unaware of this.

The only information they had was that level 11/23 was in Guizhou, but the airline Xu Wang and his team checked in with didn’t have flights from here to Guizhou.

Half an hour later.

Wang Duanran hung up the phone. “Found out, they’re going to Zhengzhou.”

Gu Nian frowned. “The only levels in Henan are Xuchang and Anyang.”

Kong Lizhe scratched his head. “Are they aiming for the Endless Sea?”

Chen Guan deadpanned. “Would they specifically fly to Henan just to take a cab to the next city over?”

“There must be something up.” Wang Duanran pocketed his phone, hoping there were still tickets available for that flight.

Unbeknownst to Xu Wang’s team, they had picked up a tail. With some time before boarding, they found a quiet gate in the departure hall to rest, where seats were plentiful.

After a short nap, Xu Wang felt refreshed. He noticed Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Wu Sheng were all resting with their eyes closed, except for Chi Yingxue, who seemed to be fiddling with something.

Curious, Xu Wang approached and found his teammate examining his own palm, turning it over and over.

Xu Wang chuckled. “What are you doing, reading your own palm?”

Chi Yingxue turned to ask. “That cat, is it the [Soul Painter] you talked about?”

Xu Wang had shared a story from ten years ago with Chi Yingxue, but showing the small calico cat was a first. “Yes, that’s the one. It can come and go freely in places we can’t enter and draw everything inside.”

Chi Yingxue frowned slightly, looking back at his hand.

Xu Wang watched him spread his fingers, tilting his head and pondering for a while. “Can such small paws even hold a brush?”

Xu Wang: “……”

His teammate’s focus was always on the most peculiar details.

Suddenly, Chi Yingxue turned sharply, his gaze becoming piercing.

Xu Wang jumped. “Huh?”

Chi Yingxue ignored him, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he scanned the area, then shrugged. “Must have been my imagination.”

For the first time, Xu Wang felt like making small talk with a teammate was walking on thin ice.

Not far away, inside an ice cream shop, Wang Duanran and Jiang Dachuan emerged from under a table, sitting up straight, but the former’s gaze still wandered outside. “They didn’t notice, right?”

Gu Nian, facing away from the shop’s exterior, said, “Not so far.”

Wang Duanran leaned in for cover behind Gu Nian. “What do you mean ‘so far’?”

Gu Nian sighed. “In a moment, we’ll be on the same flight. How long do you think we can hide?”

At that moment, Gu Nian didn’t expect the answer would be—the entire day.

Starting at 8 a.m., rain mixed with snow and wind and small hail swept across the airport. It seemed to cling to the tail end of winter, continuing until the evening.

Flight delays piled up, filling the departure hall with people.

Xu Wang had called Yue Shuai around noon to say they’d be late, and by 8 p.m., he called again, saying it might not be until tomorrow.

“It’s too hard to meet you guys.” Captain Yue, receiving the second call, felt like Xu Xian, enduring the dry West Lake, desperately waiting for the Leifeng Pagoda to fall*.

*Reference to Legend of the White Snake. When Abbott Faihai imprisoned Bai Suzhen, he declared that she wouldn’t be free until either the west lake dries up or the Leifeng Pagoda (where he imprisoned her under) falls.

“I’m anxious too,” Xu Wang said sincerely. The intelligence before him was like a dangling carrot, almost driving him mad with desire.

“If I’d known, I would’ve let you rest another day,” Yue Shuai said. “You might even have passed another level.”

“Oh.” Xu Wang almost forgot about that. “We’ve already passed it.”

Yue Shuai: “…What?!”

Xu Wang: “This level activates automatically once two teams gather. We had to pass it whether we wanted to or not.”

Yue Shuai: “So you submitted your papers again?”

Xu Wang: “Yep.”

Yue Shuai: “……”

Xu Wang: “Captain Yue?”

Yue Shuai: “A’Wang, tell me the truth. Do you have a guide?”

Xu Wang: “If I say no, it’s all skill; would our friendship boat capsize?”

Yue Shuai: “…It’s already capsized!”

Xu Wang: “Do you want to know what the 10^th level is? How to submit?”

Yue Shuai: “Hold on. Let me flip the boat back over.”

Twenty minutes later, Xu Wang hung up the phone, smiling. Captain Yue, far away in Zhengzhou, was like a breath of minty fresh air, dispelling the irritability of waiting at the airport.

At midnight, the plane hadn’t taken off.

Xu Wang’s team sat in their seats, waiting for either the ceiling or the floor to open a purple vortex.

Wang Duanran’s team was also waiting, the call of the Owl at midnight had become their exam bell.

The airport’s clock hands, the second, minute, and hour, overlapped.

00:00, Beijing time.

In the silence, there was neither the call of an owl nor a purple vortex.

00:002, Beijing time.

The airport and the stranded passengers remained just that. Xu Wang and his group still sat in their seats, and a few gates away, so did Wang Duanran’s team.

Outside, the rain and snow finally stopped, melting as it fell, leaving a seemingly non-existent whiteness.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 154: The End

At the bottom of a pit devoid of water, which appeared to be about ten meters deep, a badge flickered, shining like a distant star in the galaxy.

Suddenly, the air became still as if a blast of cold air had swept through, causing the slightly rippling surface of the lake to instantly freeze over. But in the next second, the gleam turned into a needle, piercing through the thin ice.

Wang Duanran was the first to act, jumping down from the stone slab grid without a moment’s hesitation!

He was on Grid 24, and three more steps would take him to Launch Point C. The badge was directly above step C1, making him, aside from Chi Yingxue, the closest to the badge!

Chi Yingxue was still debating whether to jump—if it had been before, he wouldn’t have hesitated at all, acting on his impulses without care for consequences. But now, he found himself weighing whether the team would prefer him to risk breaking the rules to grab the badge or to prioritize reaching the Finish Line and submitting their papers. He disliked feeling restrained, yet his mind was uncontrollably flooded with these inexplicable concerns—before he could resolve his indecision, Wang Duanran had already leaped.

Unable to concentrate any longer, he followed suit, jumping down with only one thought remaining—no one would snatch our team’s badge in front of me!

As Wang Duanran jumped, springs in the shape of spirals appeared beneath his shoes, clearly a defense stationery. Upon landing, the springs compressed by a third, significantly cushioning his fall.

He bent his knees to enhance the cushioning effect while beginning to disarm his stationery to avoid bouncing again. After all, his goal was a smooth landing to retrieve the badge, not to bounce around, which would be tactically unsound.

But just as he thought of disarming, darkness fell over him, as if a large shadow had blocked out the light.

Instinctively looking up, Wang Duanran saw someone falling towards him. He couldn’t make out any details, let alone a face. But in that critical moment, his innate goodness kicked in, reflexively catching the person in his arms.

Catching a grown man falling from ten meters up, especially in a princess carry, would normally break one’s arms—unless they were cushioned by springs.

The springs, initially compressed by only a third, instantly compressed fully, absorbing most of the impact brought by Chi Yingxue. Despite the pain in his arms, Wang Duanran grimaced but didn’t let go.

Chi Yingxue had jumped down to fight, and since he had no defense stationery, he aimed directly at Wang Duanran, figuring the latter would surely use his stationery, thus cushioning them both in one go. He had even anticipated the future combat situation, planning to act swiftly before they were sent back to the Launch Point to secure the badge.

However, he hadn’t anticipated Wang Duanran would “actively catch him”, and upon being caught, both were propelled high by the spring, leaving him utterly baffled.

Both were confused; being bounced around with another man was not a pleasant experience.

The confusion wasn’t limited to them; five people on the chessboard and three in the seats above were even more puzzled.

To fight or not to fight? Was it worth risking a penalty to jump down and assist? After all the effort to get back to the Launch Point, couldn’t they just have a regular battle?

Wondering if their inner cries had been heard, Wang Duanran finally seized the moment when the bouncing lessened to disarm his stationery and throw Chi Yingxue outwards!

Chi Yingxue wasn’t easily thrown off; he clung to Wang Duanran’s neck, pulling both to the ground.

[Owl: Penalty! Penalty! Penalty!]

The harsh alert sounded unexpectedly, yet inevitably.

Before they could get up, a gust of wind blew them back to their respective launch points—coincidentally, both had started from Launch Point C.

Back on the same square, less than half a meter apart, they looked at each other. Chi Yingxue asked seriously, “Are you an undercover agent?”

Wang Duanran, with pain in his chest, bitterly responded, “I am the boss!”

Chi Yingxue frowned, puzzled by his actions and seemingly dissatisfied with the disrupted battle plan. “Then what were you doing just now?”

“……” Wang Duanran also wanted to know!

[Owl: Dears, a friendly reminder. Accumulating two penalties will result in your team’s automatic failure~~]

This additional warning made everyone hesitant.

Wang Duanran had initially wanted to jump again but now hesitated.

Chen Guan, Kong Lizhe, and Jiang Dachuan looked to Wang Duanran for instructions—while the boss could act capriciously, they needed his consent to forfeit their performance. Even Jiang Dachuan and Kong Lizhe, who had just taken off, were cautious in their decision-making, knowing the difficulty of… taking off again.

Wang Duanran was also conflicted; the penalty was a one-time escape from death. If used here and the badge wasn’t secured, any future surprises could directly hand over victory to the opposition. In a sense, a penalty was a golden ticket.

He glanced at Xu Wang, knowing the opponent shared his concerns; otherwise, they would have already been jumping down like dropping dumplings. Wang Duanran guessed correctly, at least in part.

Xu Wang was cautious but was also plotting an unorthodox strategy.

Before plotting, he gave Chi Yingxue an approving look for a job well done. Without Chi Yingxue, the badge would have been Wang Duanran’s, making the penalty worthwhile.

After acknowledging his teammate, he seemingly rolled up his sleeves but actually discreetly deactivated an icon.

Now, the dice was in Chi Yingxue’s hands. Still preoccupied with the badge, he casually tossed it towards the bottom of the pit.

10.

27 (C)–28, takeoff.

Jiang Dachuan and Qian Ai: “……”

For others, taking off was as easy as eating or drinking; for them, it was like moving mountains.

Although everyone was still concerned about the badge, Chi Yingxue’s throw somewhat redirected their attention.

In that moment of distraction, a small calico cat appeared at the bottom of the pit.

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin were slightly taken aback, quickly understanding their captain’s intent, but they maintained their composure, appearing calm, struggling, or naive as appropriate.

Chi Yingxue had never seen this [Soul Painter] before, so his expression of genuine surprise and confusion blended seamlessly with Wang Duanran’s squad.

The little calico first cocked its head to look at the people above, then raised a paw to scratch its ear. After scratching, it licked its paw and wiped its face, completing the elegant routine before turning around and starting to walk with cat steps.

Xu Wang was inwardly anxious but had to keep a calm exterior, mentally coaxing the little calico to fetch the badge with all the gentleness and persuasion he could muster.

But the calico wasn’t meant for fetching things. It looked around uncertainly, its catwalk unsteady, as if searching for space to showcase its “soul painting skills”.

Xu Wang rarely summoned it and hadn’t established an effective way to communicate with it, so he could only hope for luck’s favor at this moment.

Suddenly, the calico stopped.

It stopped below Chen Guan’s D2 step, a few meters away from the badge under C1, and just stopped there. It sniffed the dirt with its little nose, then suddenly started digging with its front paws!

Xu Wang was frustrated, wondering if the calico mistook the bottom of the pit for a litter box!

Wang Duanran was dumbfounded because, after a few scratches, the calico dug a hole the size of a fist in the ground, a ground he had just stepped on, which was definitely not soft. Is this a cat or a pangolin?

Wang Duanran’s astonishment was interrupted by the arrival of the dice. He hastily threw it, scoring an 8, but failed to take off. He wasn’t discouraged; his thoughts were still on the calico below.

By now, the fist-sized hole had become as big as a top hat, revealing a shiny, translucent purple object at the bottom.

With a nudge of its head, the purple object was flipped out of the dirt. The cat bit it, arched its back, kicked with its hind legs, and darted out, running up the dirt walls towards the top!

Its claws dug deep into the dirt, each leaping up the wall remarkably steadily. In the blink of an eye, it reached Grid 32 on the stone slab, where no one was nearby, and the closest companion couldn’t reach it.

The cat dropped what it was carrying onto the slab, and with a crisp sound, the object broke into two.

Only then did everyone see clearly that it was a square, purple translucent slab, smaller than a palm, made of an indiscernible material that resembled crystal, glass, or jade, but not exactly. The slab bore an owl head relief, identical to the symbol on their arms—the mark of the Owl.

As the purple slab shattered, the owl head relief split in two and then slowly vanished, leaving no trace. If not for the calico still being there, one might have thought the slab was an illusion.

With the relief slab gone and the calico stationary, it looked up at Xu Wang, tilting its head as if seeking praise.

Xu Wang was utterly confused. He didn’t know what the calico had done or why, what the slab was, or why nothing happened after the slab broke.

Under normal circumstances, something should have happened, right?

The dice reached Chen Guan, who hurriedly threw a 7, moving from D2 to the Finish Line and then back to D3, three steps short of the finish. Following him, Jiang Dachuan casually threw a 1, moving from 4 to 5, ending up on the same square as Kong Lizhe, but they didn’t interact much.

Now, all eyes were on the calico and Xu Wang, whom the calico was intently watching.

Unable to avoid it, Xu Wang could only give a sheepish smile. “Uh, my cat is called Wangwang.”

Kong Lizhe, Chen Guan, Jiang Dachuan, Gu Nian: “……”

Wang Duanran: “Wangwang?”

As if responding to its name, the calico meowed softly. “Meow—”

Wang Duanran’s team: “Meow—?!”

“Boom—!”

A loud noise, like a cannonball hitting the ground, caused everyone’s eardrums to ache and dust to fly everywhere!

The calico vanished in an instant, reverting to a cute icon in Xu Wang’s inventory.

As dust filled the pit, Xu Wang’s squad heard a pleasant notification—

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 10/23 Flying Badge!]

The badge entered the hidden item slot, accompanied by a “ding—” sound that echoed through the dust.

Wang Duanran belatedly realized. “Damn, the badge!”

As the dust settled, Wu Sheng stood below the C1 step, smiling and nodding to everyone. Next to him was a half-meter-deep hole that looked like it had been made by something heavy falling.

But within a hundred meters, only Wu Sheng was present, implying he fell like a heavy bomb, creating a crater, stirring up dust, and securing the badge in a sneak attack.

“Deceive the east to strike from the west; you’re ruthless!” Wang Duanran took the calico as a distraction, convinced it was the opponent’s scheme. But in warfare, being outsmarted by cunning strategies is still a defeat.

Moreover, their indecision played a part. Had they been decisive, Wu Sheng wouldn’t have had the chance to launch a sneak attack!

Xu Wang silently accepted the “praise” without objection. Although Wang Duanran overestimated him—the calico was his doing, but Wu Sheng wasn’t—he hadn’t expected the calico not to fetch the badge but to dig up something else, nor had he expected Wu Sheng to dive down from the flying chair.

In Xu Wang’s memory, Wu Sheng shouldn’t have had any stationery left to assist him in jumping from a height without getting hurt, but now, Wu Sheng stood unharmed, proudly facing the wind.

On the chessboard, the dice reached Kong Lizhe. He was still stunned because Wu Sheng had broken the rules; shouldn’t there be a penalty before continuing the game?

No warning appeared, but the chair flew down, lifting Wu Sheng back into the air and diligently returning him to the skies.

“Remember, those who complete the chessboard must not interfere with the ongoing game; violators will be penalized.” Wu Sheng repeated the Owl’s reminder word for word, then looked down at the opponents on the chessboard with innocently spread hands. “I didn’t interfere with the game at all.”

Everyone: “……”

Indeed, he hadn’t interfered, merely stirring up a cloud of dust that settled under the slabs, not touching their feet.

Gu Nian glanced at Wu Sheng thoughtfully. He had pondered the “do not interfere with the game” rule, considering exploiting loopholes, but, out of caution, had not dared to try. That was where Wu Sheng excelled: having both the intellect and the courage.

Wu Sheng didn’t notice Gu Nian’s gaze because Xu Wang was calling him from below.

“Wu Sheng.” Xu Wang called out to him, smiling, without saying anything else.

His smile made Wu Sheng happy, validating his leap. Despite the joy blooming in his heart, his face maintained the elegance and pride of an advisor.

Xu Wang enjoyed his showmanship, admiring it for a while before asking, “What stationery did you use?”

With the action done and no harm in letting the opponents know, he asked to satisfy his curiosity, lest it distract him during the game.

This question also piqued the curiosity of others, including Wang Duanran’s team, unable to deduce how Wu Sheng had made the jump from the crater.

Advisor Wu was always willing to share knowledge. “[(Illusory) I’m Really Scared].”

Xu Wang was taken aback. “It has this effect?” They had long pondered over this stationery without reaching a consensus.

Wang Duanran’s team was increasingly confused; this had nothing to do with high-altitude jumping.

Wu Sheng explained, “I was also taking a gamble to see if my guess was right.”

Xu Wang: “You guessed right?”

Wu Sheng: “Of course.”

Xu Wang: “So what exactly does this illusory stationery mean?”

Wu Sheng: “I’m-Really-Scared. I scare even myself when I get serious.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, Chi Yingxue: “……”

Wang Duanran’s team: “……”

[(Illusory) I’m Really Scared]

Full name: When I get serious, I’m even afraid of myself.

Function: Varies from person to person, depending on the goal. Can maximally stimulate a person’s potential in a short term, in a specific direction.

……

3:00, Beijing time.

Xu Wang and Chen Guan successively reach the Finish Line.

4:00, Beijing time.

Wang Duanran and Chi Yingxue, penalized back to the starting point for breaking the rules, reach the Finish Line. The former arrived five rounds before the latter, hence the two perfectly missed each other on the last five steps, avoiding a tragic stationery PK.

4:15, Beijing time.

[Cheat Sheet]: Qian Ai uses [(Offense) Wolves in Front and Tigers Behind], Jiang Dachuan fights with beasts, sustaining serious injuries; Jiang Dachuan uses [(Offense) Bone Breaker], Qian Ai fractures a bone. With Jiang Dachuan losing too much blood, Qian Ai wins.

Jiang Dachuan returned to Launch Point A.

4:30, Beijing time.

[Cheat Sheet]: Qian Ai uses [(Offense) Mini Blood Droplet], Kong Lizhe loses a strand of hair; Kong Lizhe uses [(Offense) Bone Breaker], Qian Ai fractures a bone. Kong Lizhe wins.

Qian Ai: “……”

He thought the mini might be a bit less lethal, but not to such an extent!

Qian Ai returned to Launch Point A.

4:45, Beijing time.

Kong Lizhe reached the Finish Line.

Qian Ai and Jiang Dachuan were still at Launch Point A.

With only 15 minutes left until the Owl’s deadline, the two men who hadn’t rolled a 6 or a 10 again looked at each other, suddenly feeling a sense of camaraderie and melancholy.

Qian Ai: “I won’t lie to you. My luck has always been bad.”

Jiang Dachuan: “Do I look like a lucky person to you?”

Words fell short. Everything was conveyed through their gaze.

4:58, Beijing time.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: The Aeroplane Chess game ends, with one person from each team not reaching the Finish Line. The winner will be determined by the number of rounds taken to roll the dice. The team with fewer cumulative rounds wins.

The earlier one reaches the Finish Line, the fewer rounds they’ve thrown, meaning the victory will be determined by which team’s four members reached the Finish Point faster.

Wu Sheng and Gu Nian almost simultaneously pull out the arrival sequence list in their minds—

1. Wu Sheng
2. Gu Nian
3. Kuang Jinxin
4. Xu Wang
5. Chen Guan
6. Wang Duanran
7. Chi Yingxue
8. Kong Lizhe

With Qian Ai and Jiang Dachuan’s rounds being equal, there were still the remaining eight. It was clear that Xu Wang’s team had the advantage, not because Wu Sheng was first but because Kong Lizhe was last.

After Chi Yingxue reached the endpoint, Kong Lizhe continued to roll for another 45 minutes. Any advantage the team had was lost to his rolls, not to mention Wang Duanran’s team had no advantage to speak of.

By this time, Wang Duanran’s team finally understood the meaning of fate—among the group at Launch Point A, one slot was occupied by Xu Wang’s team, and three by their own. The outcome of the game was determined from the start.

Two minutes quietly passed.

After battling for five hours, Xu Wang’s team felt for the first time how sweet the Owl’s voice could be—

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 10/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

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