Chapter 17: …So he wanted me to go against him?
“Xie Zijing, let me out.” Qin Ge walked around the room, shouting loudly, “Xie Zijing! I’m here to help you! Why did you lock me in this small black room?!”
There was no response.
Qin Ge turned to look at the room. It couldn’t possibly be the complete “sea area”; it was too small. He couldn’t find any information related to Xie Zijing’s mental state in this narrow room, whether it was good or bad.
Qin Ge walked around the room again and even picked up the PSV next to the pillow. The protagonist of “Monster Hunter” was dragging a sword in a pit, and the game data showed that it had taken some damage. Qin Ge exited the game and found that the PSV’s battery was still at one-third, and the machine had only one game installed—Monster Hunter. There were no photos, no music, no documents, nothing.
The drawers of the wardrobe and the desk were locked. The bookshelf’s door was tightly closed, with textbooks and study guides on one shelf, manga piled up on another, and miscellaneous human literature on the third shelf. At the bottom were a few Gundam and Evangelion figurines, with a piece of transparent tape wrapped around the left arm of the Eva Unit-01 to hold it in place.
He sat at the desk, his gaze falling on the book in front of him, “The Sentinel and His Six Guides.”
This “sea area” was filled with various real details, and Qin Ge could deduce that Xie Zijing had indeed lived in such a room. But there was no information in the room related to Xie Zijing, except for the back cover of this book—Xie Zijing’s presence was almost nonexistent.
He tried to turn the doorknob once again, but it remained unmoved, as if it were just a harmless and innocent decoration.
When Qin Ge left Xie Zijing’s “sea area,” he still felt dizzy. He went to sit next to Xie Zijing and released his long-haired rabbit, hugging it tightly in his arms.
This allowed him to quickly regain his composure.
Xie Zijing got up and went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, leaning against the door and looking at Qin Ge.
“See?” He said, “My sea area is too weird; you won’t like it.”
Qin Ge didn’t really think it had anything to do with liking or disliking. He kept recalling everything in Xie Zijing’s sea area and suddenly realized that all those unopenable cabinets and drawers were silent refusals.
“…Why don’t you want to open up your sea area to me?” Qin Ge asked curiously. “You let me in, but you won’t let me see.”
“It’s not pleasant to look at.” Xie Zijing sipped his water slowly and glanced at the white rabbit in Qin Ge’s hands. “If you see it all, you’ll feel disappointed and disgusted.”
Qin Ge: “…”
He remembered the cover and back cover of that book.
“I won’t,” Qin Ge said earnestly. “I don’t have any expectations of you, so I can’t be disappointed. As for disgust, it’s even more impossible. I didn’t even find Cai Mingyue’s sea area disgusting.”
Xie Zijing’s gaze finally stayed on Qin Ge’s face, and there was a hint of distrust in his smile.
“Alright.” He said, “When I fix the lock, you’re welcome to come in and play again.”
He sat back down next to Qin Ge, occasionally poking the round buttocks of the rabbit with a finger. Every time he poked, the rabbit would struggle in Qin Ge’s hands, trying to jump towards Xie Zijing.
“…Stop teasing it,” Qin Ge blocked Xie Zijing’s hand. “First, tell me why your sea area is just a small room.”
“I don’t know.” Xie Zijing extended his index and middle fingers and accurately pinched the rabbit’s tail, “It has always been a small room.”
Qin Ge: “That’s impossible.”
Xie Zijing: “Really, you can look up my records from when I joined the Crisis Management Office.”
Qin Ge was stunned for a moment; this completely contradicted the knowledge he had learned about sea areas. The rabbit took advantage of his distraction and darted into Xie Zijing’s arms.
“No one’s sea area can be this small,” Qin Ge said, grabbing the rabbit back from Xie Zijing, “Stop teasing it! You must have studied about the sea area too. Don’t you think your sea area is… too unique?”
“I know,” Xie Zijing took the computer and absentmindedly clicked on “Next Episode,” putting on “Zombie War vs. Iron Blood Warriors 3” for the rabbit, “But I’ve always lived like this, no problem.”
The rabbit struggled incessantly in Qin Ge’s hands, and he reluctantly let it go. It immediately jumped into Xie Zijing’s hands, its little paws grabbing his fingers, and it settled down to watch the zombie movie under his gentle strokes.
“So why did trouble arise? Why did Gao Tianyue say there was a defect in your sea area?” Qin Ge asked.
“There were some accidents,” Xie Zijing replied gently while stroking the rabbit’s fur.
Qin Ge was getting frustrated with his evasive way of speaking. “What kind of accidents?”
However, Xie Zijing fell silent, his fingers forming claws as he continued to stroke the fur.
Qin Ge: “…”
“Zombie War vs. Iron Blood Warriors 3” had a very fast-paced rhythm, and within the first five minutes, the male and female leads had rolled in the sheets several times and had multiple children. Xie Zijing was watching it while gently stroking the rabbit’s ears, and then the long-haired hot water bottle in his hand suddenly disappeared, and a hazy white mist spread out from his palm.
Xie Zijing: “Wait a minute; I haven’t had enough yet.”
Qin Ge: “Can we discuss your ‘sea area’ first?”
“Someone intruded into my sea area.” Xie Zijing finally spoke after a moment of silence, “There are new recruits in the Western Division, and one of them is a guide I really dislike. Without my consent, he entered my sea area and interrogated me.”
Although Xie Zijing immediately used riot to expel the intruder, he saw Xie Zijing’s sea area and reported it to the office, claiming that such a sea area was abnormal.
Xie Zijing: “The office has been interrogating me all along. But there are some things I really can’t remember. Many of my memories are jumbled.”
Unexpectedly, Qin Ge also had a scene of memory loss: “…This proves that your sea area is still problematic!”
“But it hasn’t had much impact on my life. I think I can ignore it,” Xie Zijing said. “When I joined the Crisis Management Office, I was patrolled by a psychological adjuster, and he said it was okay. The Western Division suspected me because of that guide’s words, but I refused anyone to patrol my sea area, so I was eventually suspended.”
Xie Zijing’s suspension report sent to the Crisis Management Office alarmed Gao Tianyue. Gao Tianyue flew to the Western Division personally to have a long talk with Xie Zijing, telling him that the Crisis Management Office had a very talented psychological adjuster who could help him resolve all the issues in his “sea area.” That’s how Xie Zijing was persuaded by Gao Tianyue to come over.
Qin Ge quickly went over what Xie Zijing had said: “Wait… Who conducted the sea area examination for you when you joined the Crisis Management Office?”
“My college teacher,” Xie Zijing answered. “Lu Qinglai.”
Lu Qinglai, one of the five nationally recognized psychological adjusters, was a teacher at the New Hope Academy of Advanced Management and the chief examiner when Qin Ge took his psychological adjuster exam. He had given Qin Ge high scores on multiple practical tests and had given Qin Ge extremely high praise.
Qin Ge had a deep impression of Lu Qinglai and knew that he had more seniority than himself. If even Lu Qinglai believed there was no problem, then Xie Zijing’s sea area should be normal. But why did he lose some memories from his youth? It didn’t make sense.
The room felt too strange, and Qin Ge couldn’t convince himself to accept the conclusion that “it’s normal.”
“Why are you living so carelessly…” Qin Ge muttered.
Xie Zijing said, “Qin Ge, besides my teacher, you are the second guide to enter my ‘sea area.'”
Qin Ge asked, “So?”
Xie Zijing replied, “This is the proof of love between me and you.”
Qin Ge rubbed his temples and said, “Alright, enough of that. I’ll take another look tomorrow.”
Xie Zijing refused: “No, I don’t like it when others walk around in my ‘sea area.'”
“Aren’t you here to solve the ‘sea area’ problem?” Qin Ge was getting a bit frustrated but quickly regained his composure and said calmly, “Okay, you go to sleep; no need to rush.”
Xie Zijing: “Sure, let’s nap together.”
Qin Ge showed his fist and shook it at him. Xie Zijing quickly grabbed his fist, kissed it, and swiftly dodged before Qin Ge could retaliate.
When Qin Ge’s parents were alive, they were subordinates of Qin Shuangshuang. After adopting Qin Ge, she would take him to the cemetery to pay respects to Qin Ge’s parents every year.
The cemetery was now bustling with activity for its annual festival. Smoke wafted through the air, and people were everywhere. Qin Ge cleared the loose soil in front of the tomb, arranged the flowers, and paid his respects with folded palms.
He often came to the cemetery in his leisure time, and now his face didn’t show too much grief. It had been more than ten years since their passing.
“A few days ago, Gao Tianyue called me and praised you very enthusiastically,” Qin Shuangshuang said to him as they descended the hill. “He briefly told me about this case with Dean Cai.”
Qin Ge recalled Gao Tianyue’s changing attitudes that day and wondered, “What did he praise me for?”
“He said you’ve changed, started to oppose his arrangements, and have your own ideas.”
Qin Ge: “…So he wanted me to go against him? He should have told me earlier; I could have opposed him more directly.”
“You used to be too obedient,” Qin Shuangshuang laughed. “Gao Tianyue often asked me, ‘Doesn’t Qin Ge have any temper?’ Having your own principles and convictions is a good thing, and I’m very happy that you can express them.”
As Qin Ge drove Qin Shuangshuang back home, she told him that Jiang Leyang would be staying in Shanghai for a while after their conversation. She suggested that he could take the car back home and use it for transportation in the meantime.
Both of them were very kind to him, but after more than ten years of living under their roof, Qin Ge couldn’t help but be well-behaved.
He talked to Qin Shuangshuang about the adjustment department. When she heard the names of a few people in the department, Qin Shuangshuang’s attitude changed, and she repeatedly asked, “Tang Cuo and Bai Xiaoyuan?”
“Do you know them?”
“I’ve heard their names,” Qin Shuangshuang replied dismissively, but Qin Ge sensed her surprise at the mention of Bai and Tang being in the Adjustment Department as well.
Qin Ge had a hearty meal at Qin Shuangshuang’s place. When he learned that a colleague was staying with them, Jiang Leyang told him to bring back a bunch of vegetables and fruits. Xie Zijing had spent the day carefully selecting several highly-rated zombie movies at home, waiting for Qin Ge and the rabbit to return.
There were too many dishes, and even when they went to work, Qin Ge and Xie Zijing each had to carry a heavy lunchbox. During the commute, Xie Zijing showed a lot of interest in Qin Ge’s car and kept suggesting that he should let him drive it. Qin Ge pretended not to hear.
“When can I visit your sea area again?”
Xie Zijing: “When will you let me drive on the main road?”
Qin Ge: “Wait until you get your driver’s license.”
Xie Zijing: “Alright, wait until I get my driver’s license; you can visit my sea area then.”
Qin Ge wished he could just dump him by the roadside.
Xie Zijing got out of the car at the Crisis Management Office’s communication room entrance, and Qin Ge drove the car to the parking lot.
As he was leaving the parking lot, he received a call from Yan Hong.
Before he could even greet him with enthusiasm, Yan Hong asked on the other end, “Do you know that Dean Cai has passed away?”
Qin Ge suddenly froze in place. “What?!”
“I just arrived at the hospital, and my colleagues told me.” Yan Hong lowered his voice, “After you conducted a patrol of her sea area that day, her emotions were never quite right. She was originally scheduled for heart bypass surgery the next day, but her blood pressure was unstable, and the surgery was delayed.”
Last night, Cai Mingyue learned about the events from back then through a slip of the tongue from Cai Yi. It was only then that she found out that the matter had been reported to the Special Management Committee via the Crisis Management Office. After the Special Management Committee found and talked to Cai Yi, they didn’t choose to downplay the situation but quickly issued an investigation permit.
Cai Mingyue subsequently developed tachycardia, and her blood pressure sharply rose, eventually leading to her falling into a deep coma. She was declared dead early this morning.
Qin Ge was left speechless for a long time. He hadn’t expected this to be the outcome.
“Are you planning to investigate the other people in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department who were involved?” Yan Hong asked.
Qin Ge: “I don’t know; the Criminal Investigation Department is handling this now.”
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a surge of unfamiliar spiritual energy within the Crisis Management Office’s compound. This energy carried hints of anger and killing intent.
Almost simultaneously, another powerful spiritual energy burst forth, raging and furious, like a fierce gale.
—It was Xie Zijing’s Barbary Lion!
Qin Ge immediately hung up the phone and sprinted in the direction of the communication room.
Before he could reach the entrance of the Crisis Management Office’s main building, everything in front of him suddenly went dark.
A massive lizard, over ten meters tall, clung to the Crisis Management Office building, head down and tail up, and abruptly swung its mucus-covered long tongue towards the ground where Xie Zijing and the just-landed Babary Lion were.
