Chapter 227: The Balance at Both Ends 08
“You should know that the people from the two worlds are adversaries,” Kui Xin reminded. “There are cases where players have been discovered by their families from the Second World. If you frequent the forum, you should have seen those cases—players who were discovered by their families usually don’t end well.”
Xi Liang rubbed his face and said quietly, “But when we players reach the Second World, are we really just substitutes? I think maybe it’s… fusion? The me from the parallel world gives me a sense of familiarity, as if I really lived there…”
Kui Xin was truly surprised. She also speculated that the relationship between people from the First and Second Worlds was not just a simple substitution, but rather a fusion. The reason for this conclusion was her own mental entity, which had completely inherited the mental coordinates left by the Angel.
But what was Xi Liang’s basis for making the same judgment?
Kui Xin felt puzzled and asked.
“Ah? There’s no basis, it’s just a feeling…” Xi Liang pressed his chest. “I think the personalities of people from the two worlds will affect each other? Because of that kind of emotion, that kind of feeling towards family, I can definitely relate to it.”
“Is that all?” Kui Xin frowned and asked. “Is your memory okay?”
She had previously speculated that if the mental entities from the two worlds fused, the memories of players in the Second World might gradually resurface.
“No…” Xi Liang hesitated. “But I often dream at night, dreaming of things from my childhood in the Second World. The memories in the dreams are quite vague, and I don’t really dare to verify them with my parents.”
Kui Xin pondered, “This could be a precursor to memory fusion. The fusion occurs gradually and will have a process. Perhaps one day in the future, you’ll regain all your memories.”
Xi Liang was taken aback. “Really?”
“Everything is conjecture, so of course it’s uncertain. If your memories do regain, it could validate some of my theories,” Kui Xin said.
“Then if I regain my memories, I will inform you in good time, Senior Sister,” Xi Liang responded earnestly.
Kui Xin then asked, “What do you think of the Federation government and the underground organization in the Second World?”
“Although I can’t let go of my parents in the Second World, that doesn’t mean I will develop feelings for it. I’ve learned enough about the bloody deeds of the Federation government from the forum, and I won’t have unrealistic expectations for that world,” Xi Liang said. “It’s just that because of my parents’ existence, sometimes I feel conflicted and troubled.”
That’s quite normal. Not everyone can be a hundred percent rational. Xi Liang’s mind was clear enough; he hadn’t been blinded by the reunion with family nor relaxed his vigilance towards the environment around him.
“Do you have any plans for the future?” Kui Xin asked.
“My plan in the First World is to go through school and work step by step. As for the Second World…” Xi Liang paused. “To be honest, I’m afraid to think about it. I’m all alone, and the adversaries are so powerful. But if there’s a chance in the future… I want to obtain true freedom, to not be monitored.”
Kui Xin stopped walking, and when Xi Liang saw her halt, he turned around and looked at her blankly.
“I’ve asked you so many questions, so do you have any questions you want to ask me?” Kui Xin raised her eyelids. “As an exchange for your answers, I can answer some of your questions.”
Xi Liang opened his mouth but suddenly closed it upon seeing the dark gaze of Kui Xin.
From his various interactions with the two worlds, Xi Liang understood that Kui Xin was not someone who would play tricks or hide secrets; she would answer normal questions. When he asked for her advice on university, she answered, added him as a friend, and agreed without hiding her identity.
Now that Kui Xin had pointed out the “exchange of questions”… it seemed like she was hinting? She wanted him to ask something, not trivial questions, but was giving him an opportunity to inquire!
Xi Liang felt as if a light had been shone on him, instantly reaching the truth.
His heartbeat quickened, and his palms were sweaty as he nervously asked, “Senior Sister, since you can fake your death to escape the monitoring of the Investigation Bureau, then can I… too?”
Kui Xin was satisfied with Xi Liang’s keen intuition and ability to grasp the main point. She said, “Yes, you can.”
“What should I do?” Xi Liang asked seriously and earnestly.
“Faking your death is not something you can achieve alone; you need someone to help,” Kui Xin replied.
Xi Liang realized that Senior Sister escaped back then because she had the help of others!
“So how can I get help?” he clenched his fists tightly.
“There are conditions,” Kui Xin said. “First, you can’t be a useless person who only enjoys and doesn’t contribute; you must be valuable and show your value. Secondly, you need to distinguish what’s more important—your fake death to escape or your parents in the Second World. If you don’t have the resolve to sacrifice, then just remain content being an ordinary person beside your parents as a ‘pretender.'”
Xi Liang stared blankly for quite a while, suddenly feeling that Kui Xin’s words sounded oddly familiar… After Black Snake stirred up a huge commotion in the Second World, someone analyzed this in the player forum.
The Shadowless Organization needed useful people, not useless ones… Xi Liang remembered that comment vividly.
His finger twitched, as if struck by lightning, and he suddenly understood the cause and effect, grasping Kui Xin’s implicit message.
Kui Xin’s faked death had been secretly aided by the Shadowless Organization! If he was valuable and determined, he could also gain the assistance of the Shadowless Organization!
Kui Xin was extending an invitation to him on behalf of the Shadowless Organization!
Xi Liang had always known that this Senior Sister was not an ordinary person with extraordinary methods; after all, she was someone who could navigate the Investigation Bureau without exposing her identity, ultimately succeeding in faking her death and escaping. He never forgot that she was an unparalleled powerhouse who could crush someone’s skull with a single punch; he vividly remembered how she had resolved a robber in two seconds back in the alley!
Such a person being a member of the Shadowless Organization seemed reasonable to him.
“Do you have a personal account on the Black Snake forum?” Kui Xin asked.
“No, I’m still observing the situation,” Xi Liang said quietly. “I rarely speak on the forum, and even if I do, I’ll obscure the information I reveal.”
“That’s good; it’s wise to remain vigilant,” Kui Xin said. “Think it over carefully, and once you’re certain, go to the forum and private message Black Snake.”
Xi Liang took a deep breath, realizing that the path laid out before him was fraught with thorns. Though it was full of danger and perilous, it was still a path!
He knew what value he possessed and understood how his extraordinary ability, “Analysis Reconstruction,” could be of immense use in the Second World. That’s why he was exceedingly cautious and didn’t dare to reveal even a morsel.
At the same time, he was also aware that his identity as a player remained a potential threat; if his parents found out, they might harbor suspicion. If his identity was exposed and the Federation came looking for him, he couldn’t guarantee his parents’ safety… Moreover, he was unwilling to live under surveillance; this wasn’t a long-term solution. No one wants to live like a turtle, shrunk away.
“Thank you, Senior Sister,” Xi Liang sincerely expressed his gratitude. “I will consider this carefully.”
“Mm, you know your limits, so I won’t elaborate further,” Kui Xin said. “I have a personal matter to ask; if I want the school authorities to approve my leave of absence…”
Xi Liang immediately understood Kui Xin’s plan: “Just get a medical record. We’ve had students in our department who broke their legs and took a semester off, as well as those with depression who went home for a break; the school approved them. It’s just that getting a medical record isn’t easy; it needs to be issued by a legitimate hospital.”
Skin injuries are indeed hard to fake, but leaving school due to mental illness… Kui Xin genuinely had mental issues; she had mild PTSD and would unconsciously exhibit aggressive tendencies when brandishing a weapon. When her mind was relaxed, her behavior was under control, but under stress, she would reflexively pull out her gun and fire.
Kui Xin knew that going through a mental evaluation was complicated, and she was prepared to use extraordinary means.
“Are you planning to stay on campus?” Xi Liang cautiously asked. “Honestly, I’m always worried that if I die in the Second World, returning might lead to me suddenly dying in the dorm and startling my roommates.”
“I’ve moved out,” Kui Xin casually stated, glancing at the darkening sky. “We’ve discussed most of what needed to be said. Now it’s up to you to decide. Goodbye.”
Xi Liang calmly nodded. “Alright. Goodbye, Senior Sister!”
Kui Xin turned to leave, and Xi Liang watched her back, exhaling a heavy sigh.
Compared to her, he felt utterly immature. Clearly, she was younger than him, yet her maturity in speech made him feel like a subordinate in front of a superior—he couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
Just thinking about it, Xi Liang could imagine the significant risks involved in Kui Xin’s faked death plan; even a minor mistake could lead to failure and loss of life. But she succeeded, left Hei Hai City, and escaped from the Investigation Bureau.
“If there’s a chance…” Xi Liang told himself, “I hope it comes…”
…
Early the next day, Kui Xin woke up in her rented room.
This place in the university community had become her base in the provincial capital. She might not stay long if she took a leave of absence, but just in case, she needed to keep the apartment.
She got up, washed up, changed her clothes, and put on her glasses before heading out to take the subway. She was going to visit a friend.
Her friend was named Yu Hansue, currently hospitalized in a dermatology hospital in the provincial capital. When Yu Hansue had just returned, Kui Xin had contacted her relatives by phone and found out about her hospitalization.
As Kui Xin stepped out of the school gate, she looked up at the blue sky and saw a plane flying overhead.
The airport was a thirty-minute drive from the school; it was the largest international airport in the province. If Remover 777 were to come to Tonglin City looking for her, there was a high chance they’d arrive at the airport in the provincial capital. Kui Xin had been keeping an eye on the list of incoming travelers at the airport for several days.
She left her house, took the subway, and arrived at the hospital. After asking the front desk nurse, she found the ward accurately.
The moment Kui Xin pushed the door open, she smelled a strong medicinal odor.
Yu Hansue was half-reclining on the bed, her body covered in bandages. Her expression was quite indifferent, but when she saw Kui Xin enter, a spark of life flickered across her scarred face.
“You came, Xin Xin,” Yu Hansue said with a smiling face.
Kui Xin’s body stiffened, and surprise appeared in her eyes.
Because a description of extraordinary abilities flashed across Yu Hansue’s body, consisting of only four brief words—“Wheel of Time.”
