Good stamina meant that both his crying and laughing were long-lasting.
The mother and son laughed silently without stopping for a full three minutes. Zhou Qi’an then continued washing the dishes, and after finishing, he urgently rushed back to his room to start writing the script. Time in the instances passed quickly, and it was almost time to submit another script to the ancient city.
“A never-ending pile of work.”
He, an artist who did advertisement design, was now also responsible for copywriting. With no more time for passionate creation, the scripts Zhou Qi’an submitted were all based on instances he had already completed, with appropriate adaptations. He didn’t slack off in the slightest, thoughtfully writing the ending for the new script:
[The young girl’s back receded further and further into the distance, crossing the streets and roads, through the biting wind and miserable rain. Across the street was, unexpectedly, a university. She stopped and walked onto the campus. At some point, the rain stopped, and the sound of a couple’s laughter drifted over from the roadside. She continued forward, past the crowded cafeteria, past the sound of loud reading… Before her soul completely dissipated, she had walked through the entirety of the life she never had.]
The script’s ending differed from what happened in the instance. There was only a sidewalk across the street from Jinxiang Building, and Jin Zhi had never seen a university with her own eyes. However, in this literary creation, Zhou Qi’an chose to make the ending a bit gentler.
A cool breeze blew in, and Zhou Qi’an coughed a few times as he stopped writing. The bedroom window was open, but that chill had just come from inside his head, causing a slight panic in his heart. Could it be a side effect of the infection? Zhou Qi’an quickly checked his personal panel data, not even sparing his inventory, but fortunately, he found no issues.
Before closing the panel, he suddenly noticed a faint silhouette on the surface of the Universal Door Card. It looked like a strange flower. It wasn’t a cyclamen; its shape was unique, like a bird taking flight, more like a Crane Orchid. He remembered this flower was also called Bird of Paradise. When Zhou Qi’an looked again, the card’s color had returned to normal, as if it had all been an illusion. He examined it carefully many times and confirmed that he must have seen it wrong. After pulling several all-nighters in the instance and just having written Jin Zhi’s story, he hadn’t yet moved on from the emotions, so it was normal to missee things.
“Bird of Paradise…” The university student had mentioned planting some Birds of Paradise at Jin Zhi’s grave, hoping she would be free in her next life. Zhou Qi’an thought for a moment, “I should go pay my respects before the next instance.”
That afternoon, at Wanjing Public Cemetery.
Just as he was thinking of delaying it for a few days, Zhou Qi’an suddenly remembered his boss had only given him a half-day off. After this, it would be all workdays unless he was in an instance. He called the university student, and they went to the cemetery that very afternoon.
“Damn his ancestors…” Zhou Qi’an muttered, holding a bouquet of flowers, ultimately swallowing the curse he had for his almost non-existent time off.
The university student was still pondering the relationship between Shen Zhiyi and Mu Tianbai. How could they possibly be the same person? Driving a luxury car, he picked up Zhou Qi’an from the flower shop and headed to the cemetery. On the way, seeing that Zhou Qi’an was in a bad mood, the university student tried to lighten the atmosphere. “Going at this time, the flowers we planted last time probably haven’t grown yet.”
Zhou Qi’an grunted in agreement.
The university student added, “The price of plots at this cemetery has gone up a lot this month. Luckily, we bought it early.” Doomsday theories were becoming more prevalent online, and choosing a burial plot had recently become a trend. He heard they were even planning to build some kind of “seabed anti-sinking coffins.”
Zhou Qi’an casually asked about the price.
“Well… when I bought it, it was only six hundred thousand, but now they start at eight hundred thousand.” The basic plots at Wanjing Public Cemetery started at one hundred thousand, but the university student had chosen a customized burial area, which was even more expensive.
Zhou Qi’an was suddenly wide awake, his eyelids twitching violently. Has this world gone mad in its final moments?! The plot was several times more expensive than his apartment.
Because he had received an extra tip, the cemetery administrator warmly led them over, mentioning along the way how he diligently wiped the dust from the gravestone there every day. After they arrived, the administrator left with a smile. The stone monument was also professionally customized, with engravings of the moon and sun, symbolizing their complementary brilliance and the cycle of reincarnation.
Zhou Qi’an placed the flowers down and began, “Beautiful sister Jin Zhi, please bless me.” The university student, standing to the side, nearly choked on air.
Zhou Qi’an was still talking, “God, Buddha, the Jade Emperor… I’ve prayed to them all, but it never works. Please give me your blessing.” After praying, he looked at the university student. “You should pray too.”
The university student managed a strained smile. “Won’t that make us seem too materialistic?” They had only just arrived less than a minute ago.
Zhou Qi’an waved his hand. “We can catch up when we’re down below… Let’s hurry up now. I still have to go pray for peace at my dad’s, my grandpa’s, my grandma’s, and my other grandparents’ graves.” As long as you don’t do anything shameful while you’re alive, there’s no shame in asking for blessings after you’re dead.
Bewildered by the long list of relatives, the university student nodded dazedly. They spent the entire afternoon visiting all the necessary graves.
Since he was already out, Zhou Qi’an decided to get everything done at once. He had the university student go back first while he made a call to Ying Yu. An hour later, Zhou Qi’an was picked up by a car sent by Ying Yu and taken to the Zangwu Laboratory.
“As long as I don’t have a car, I can always ride in someone else’s.”
The driver’s mouth twitched. He actually managed to make it sound somewhat melancholic. As long as he knew how to drive, he’d be driving for others his whole life. Pah. He shook his head violently. What kind of logic was that? It was just his boss asking him to pick someone up in his spare time.
Zhou Qi’an seemed to see what he was thinking. “It’s not your own gas you’re burning, is it?”
“…” Don’t say another word!
There were very few cars on the road, and as they neared the laboratory, there wasn’t another vehicle in sight. The fog surrounding the research institute had grown much thicker. In the past, they had to actively intercept large amounts of it every month, but now, the fog frequently blanketed the area. In the past week alone, nearly forty new anchor points had opened up globally.
Zhou Qi’an had a theory for a long time: the blood, flesh, and resentment of dead players might nourish the instances. From this perspective, if the game itself didn’t have parameter requirements for players, it would be thrilled to have more and more people enter. The new world would eventually become an old one in the cycle of reincarnation, and at that time, it would be another new game.
“If the number of humans going to the new world is too small, it won’t be enough to support the next cycle.” The Whaler’s Association wanted to cap the numbers on both sides, which itself violated the game’s taboos. Perhaps he could use this point.
“We’re here.” The driver’s words interrupted Zhou Qi’an’s muttering, his tone carrying a faint trace of surprise for some reason.
Zhou Qi’an looked up and was also surprised. Not far ahead, a figure with an outstanding presence was standing there. The man wore glasses even in the fog, his professional uniform ironed without a single wrinkle, and his face showed no trace of fatigue from just returning from an instance. In contrast, Zhou Qi’an had yawned nearly ten times on the way over.
Ying Yu had actually come out to greet him personally. Zhou Qi’an narrowed his eyes. The man should have had a pile of things to deal with after just getting back.
“Follow me.” Ying Yu was never one for small talk. After Zhou Qi’an got out of the car, he led him directly into the laboratory. All the stairways, walls, and even ceilings along the way were made of a special metal. Zhou Qi’an couldn’t remember how many white-glowing doors they passed through, and Ying Yu had entered passwords and scanned his face more than a dozen times. He had a feeling that he was heading towards the core of the laboratory.
After another password entry, the blinding white light disappeared. The final laboratory they arrived at was filled with strange items displayed like specimens. However, the moment he entered, Zhou Qi’an was captivated by a single object. He walked over quickly.
“Is this… a version 2.0 Skull Ring?” No, his gaze fell on the label below, which read version 3.0. Zhou Qi’an’s surprise stemmed mainly from the fact that the ring was placed in a glass case, and there was no fog inside the case, meaning it was in the real world. But the Skull Ring, as an instance item, was able to manifest.
Ying Yu said, “The materials brought back from Fengshui Village were very useful, especially the altar…” Remembering the scene of bringing back the altar, he paused. “We successfully supplemented some missing elements. The 3.0 version of the Skull Ring can manifest in the real world for over three days.” With further development, there would be good news soon. Besides testing materials, the Skull Ring could also detect yin energy and make a preliminary judgment on a player’s evolution level. These functions wouldn’t disrupt the game’s data balance but would indirectly enhance the strength of ordinary people, increasing their chances of being selected as players.
The reason Ying Yu had brought Zhou Qi’an here was simple. Zhou Qi’an had contributed a lot to the material collection and deserved to witness the results.
The reason Zhou Qi’an had actively sought out Ying Yu today was also simple—to lodge a complaint.
His fingertip brushed over the label outside the glass case, and he suddenly said, “A thousand people have a thousand faces. Not everyone wants to be a player, but they should at least have the right to choose. This should be the laboratory’s original intention.”
Ying Yu heard the hidden meaning in his words.
Zhou Qi’an turned his head. “What if… someone doesn’t want the laboratory to continue developing?”
Ying Yu looked at him, gesturing for him to continue.
“The Whaler’s Association incited Ah Ling to write our three names on the sculpture.” It was easy to understand why they targeted him and the university student; the two often entered instances together, and the university student’s healing skills had been exposed to some players. It was normal for the Whaler’s Association to make a move after learning this information. But Ying Yu was different. Few people knew about the connection between them, so there was no reason for the Whaler’s Association to suddenly target him. There was only one explanation.
“Before you disappeared, I met a player who called himself Liu Ye.” Zhou Qi’an briefly explained what happened in the Ghost Market, downplaying the parts related to himself. When he mentioned the word “Goalkeeper,” the gaze behind Ying Yu’s glasses grew sharp. “I guess you tried to find the Whaler’s Association’s trail in the real world but came up with nothing, right?”
Ying Yu didn’t deny it. He never jumped to conclusions about things that hadn’t been fully confirmed, like the Goalkeeper theory. However, his intuition told him that what Zhou Qi’an said was true.
Zhou Qi’an smiled. “Everything I’ve said can be verified later, but there’s one thing that doesn’t need verification.”
“…This traitor from the laboratory’s past gave your birthdate and the core of the Zangwu Project to the Whaler’s Association as an admission ticket.” The laboratory’s philosophy was completely opposite to the Whaler’s Association’s. One wanted to cap the number of players clearing instances, while the other was constantly expanding the base. Ying Yu’s existence was surely a thorn in their side. “They will definitely have more plans to deal with the laboratory next.”
Ying Yu processed the information quickly. After a brief deduction, he nodded slightly. “The situation you’ve described could indeed happen.”
Zhou Qi’an crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow. “Not could, but will. Anyway, they’re responsible for all the bad things. Now we’re going to go after them.” A cocky expression was dimly reflected on the glass case.
Ying Yu couldn’t help but chuckle. He probably never expected this side of the other man.
When you’re in the right, you should be unforgiving. Zhou Qi’an maintained a rare roguish demeanor, but his tone gradually grew serious. “Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Didn’t we agree to team up last month? For the next instance, I have a way to get to the one they’re in.” Shen Zhiyi never did anything he wasn’t sure about. If he said he could locate the Whaler’s Association, there would be no mistakes.
Zhou Qi’an also planned to bring the university student and his boss. As for his mom, he wasn’t prepared to risk a meeting between his mother and his boss for the time being. He was now temporarily forming a team that would let him walk all over everyone and leave others for dead! The Crab Team!
Ying Yu reminded him, “If it’s a multi-person team-up item, you can bring more people.”
Zhou Qi’an shook his head. Any players who got close to him in an instance would surely be “specially cared for” by the Whaler’s Association. If they didn’t have top-tier survival skills, they would be walking to their deaths. Bringing the university student was unavoidable, as his healing was a great help when using the holy artifact. Besides, leaving him alone in the real world might lead to him being forcibly pulled into an instance again.
Ying Yu didn’t say more, only stating, “I’m free anytime after tomorrow.”
After settling the main business, Zhou Qi’an took out his heavy backpack, which contained his earnings from the Cyclamen instance. He dumped everything onto a nearby empty round table.
Clatter.
The table collapsed.
Zhou Qi’an was silent for a moment. “Corruption, I see.” Otherwise, how could the table be so shoddily made?
“…”
Zhou Qi’an hadn’t handed over the materials right after leaving the instance but had saved them for now with other intentions. “For this time’s payment, I want to exchange it for items like the [Health-Preserving Bag] that can suppress appetite. It would be best if I could get two.” Even if the laboratory couldn’t produce them, they could acquire them from the major associations. This was a good deal for everyone. It wasn’t a life-saving item and was much less valuable than the death-substitute item and the novice protection period he had given them last time.
Ying Yu had no reason to refuse and nodded. “Okay.”
With all his goals for the trip accomplished, Zhou Qi’an waved his hand. “I’ll be heading back then. I have to work tomorrow.”
Watching his departing figure, Ying Yu felt it was a pity this man wasn’t in scientific research; otherwise, he would have definitely tried to poach him from his company. Zhou Qi’an managed the balance perfectly. First, he took the initiative to enter an instance to rescue him. Now, he provided a large number of materials in exchange for only appetite-suppressing items. He also provided information about the Whaler’s Association. Needing a team was one thing, but his full disclosure would allow the laboratory to eliminate a dangerous source in advance. In every transaction, Zhou Qi’an would put the laboratory in a superior position. If Ying Yu guessed correctly, he was waiting for the Skull Ring to be fully developed. At that time, he would ask the laboratory to bring along his company’s employees or acquaintances on their instance runs, increasing their survival chances.
Suddenly, Ying Yu seemed to think of something and shook his head with an amused smile. “He probably also wants to use this to make his own boss work for free.”
He didn’t need to enter passwords on the way out. Zhou Qi’an smilingly called his boss. As soon as the call connected, the voice on the other end was colder than usual. “I give you half a day off, and where did you go running wild?”
Zhou Qi’an was baffled.
“Your step count has increased quite a bit again.”
Zhou Qi’an’s mouth twitched. Are you a reincarnated security camera? Staring at your employee’s step count all day. Cursing inwardly, he adopted the sycophantic tone of the cemetery administrator from earlier. “…I’m just a junior employee, after all. It’s not appropriate for me to be dealing with a big leader all the time, so I went to build a bridge for you.”
“For the next instance, we’ll go in with the big leader to deal with an association that wants to harm them. That association is called the Whalers.”
“Once we have that connection, our company’s employees can piggyback on the official teams for future instances. Isn’t that more useful than employee training?”
“What do you think?”
A few sentences were all it took to make his boss’s mood sunny again.
“It is very necessary to have a good relationship with the leadership. I will definitely join this instance. Little Zhou, you’ve done well…”
“Not at all, you’ve taught me well.”
“Then I’ll approve another half-day off for you.”
After a round of commercial flattery, Zhou Qi’an, who was nearing the exit, ended the call with a blank expression. The driver was waiting near the reception room and happened to overhear part of the conversation, his expression becoming quite colorful.
Back in the car, Zhou Qi’an propped his head on his hand, watching the scenery flash by outside the window, and repeated what he said on the way there. “As long as I don’t have a car, I can always ride in someone else’s.”
The driver: “…”
Zhou Qi’an suddenly asked, “Why aren’t you talking to me?”
The driver remained coolly silent.
Zhou Qi’an: “If you casually get some information out of me and report it to Ying Yu from time to time, wouldn’t you be able to get more face time with the leader?”
The driver nearly slammed on the brakes. You’re a genius!
Using his afternoon, the old office slicker finished his running around and even got another half-day off. Zhou’s mother wasn’t home; he didn’t need to guess to know she had gone downstairs to play mahjong with Auntie Wang.
“I need to let some colleagues at the company know about my contributions. In the future, when they become capable, they can help out my neighbors.” A multi-level outsourcing to protect his mother’s mahjong partners and gossip buddies.
That evening, after showering, Zhou Qi’an sat on the sofa waiting for his hair to dry. Fragmented images flashed through his mind from time to time. From the looks of it, fully recovering his memories was definitely not a good thing and would bring great harm to his body.
“Ghost Market manager, Mr. Si…” Zhou Qi’an silently recited these names. They all seemed to be dedicated to making him remember everything. He feared that recovering his memories would be accompanied by other dangers.
After the shower, his eyes were still misty. When the cool wind from the window blew in, it felt as if a layer of frost had formed on them. Zhou Qi’an suddenly let out a sneer. The team to fight the Whaler’s Association was already formed. Besides that, he had an absolute trump card. It wasn’t the Universal Door Card, the Death Curse Bone, or the holy artifact… but a trump card that the Whaler’s Association had no idea they would personally deliver to him. Staring at the fish tank opposite him for a long time, a cold smile appeared on Zhou Qi’an’s lips. It was a good time for fishing again.
The lingering headache from the instance continued. After resting for a while, Zhou Qi’an managed to get up and deal with the listening devices that Zhao Sanxun and the others had previously installed. With a snap, the bug was crushed. Go to hell with your master. He clapped his palms over the trash can and sank back into the sofa.
The house was quiet now with no one else around. Occasionally, the night wind would pass by, making his damp hair sway slightly. Hugging an exceptionally soft white cushion, Zhou Qi’an rested his head sideways on it, puffing his cheeks to blow away the strands of hair that fell in front of his eyes.
“Dry naturally, quickly.” With his hair volume and length, blow-drying was a huge project he had no desire to undertake. “If only there was someone who could blow-dry my hair for free.”
With this fantasy he considered unrealistic, Zhou Qi’an rested in a half-asleep state. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but just as he was about to fall into a deep sleep, a distinct vibration came from beside him. Familiarity breeds contempt; he no longer felt anything when woken up like this. Zhou Qi’an merely frowned. When his phone rang, it was either work or some game-related nonsense. Having just spoken to his boss, he could rule out the former.
He reached out with his eyes closed, fumbling around, and unlocked the phone by feel. “Hello.”
Han Li’s voice came through. “Something’s happened.”
“Oh.”
Han Li was taken aback. How could he not sound the slightest bit surprised? Zhou Qi’an would only be surprised if nothing happened. He nuzzled the cushion and let out a lazy yawn. “Go on, what is it?”
Han Li, on the other end, seemed to recover. It seemed difficult to explain in detail, and her thousand words turned into three: “Check the forums.”
