Chapter 172 - System vs. System (22): Two prisoners, pleasantries, trust each other
Translator: kiribold
editor: yoantlers
Chi Xiaochi was awakened by the light.
When he opened his eyes again, a bright moon leaped straight into his eyes.
And the height of the moon was actually lower than the eaves.
…This was the top of a high building with a hollow dome at the roof, and four empty walls supported by four pillars. The pattern was similar to the mountain pavilion.
Chi Xiaochi got up and walked to the pavilion’s edge to take a look. He became dizzy and immediately reached out to hold the pillar to balance himself.
This place was more than a thousand feet from the ground and as steep as a cliff on all sides.
If Chi Xiaochi remembered correctly, the name of this place was Ming Yue House, which was where Jingxu Peak put prisoners.
He touched his side, finding that the sword in the stone had indeed been taken away.
Chi Xiaochi: …Oh.
He returned to the center of the pavilion and sat cross-legged with discipline.
Duan Shujue’s spiritual power hadn’t yet reached the level of being able to walk against the wind, and there was no sword by his side that could be harnessed. Jumping down was equivalent to a free fall. As for whether the meat paste from the fall would be S-shaped or B-shaped, he didn’t need to know.
The wind was quiet, pa.s.sing through the hall. Chi Xiaochi felt like a salted fish waiting to be dried in the wind.
At this time, his right hand moved.
Duan Shujue wrote, “Shifu disappeared.”
Chi Xiaochi closed his eyes and said, “Mn, he’s gone too.”
Duan Shujue was silent, with some conjectures in his mind, but he didn’t know whether to say it or not.
Chi Xiaochi asked, “Have you been awake all this time?”
Duan Shujue nodded and wrote, “I heard some talk, they said…”
Chi Xiaochi’s eyes were still closed, and his expression was calm. “They said that I was in cahoots with the viper to make a secret deal and conspire against my Shifu? The evidence was the personal testimony of the disciples, as well as the physical evidence of snake molt and scales in the Yuguang Pool?”
Duan Shujue didn’t dare conceal it and told the story of pa.s.sing his mermaid core.
Although Chi Xiaochi couldn’t see his face, just by reading between the lines, he knew Duan Shujue had a guilty conscience.
Chi Xiaochi didn’t mind, and he just hummed after learning about it. “The situation was such that if you didn’t give him the mermaid core, you and he would both have died. Besides, if someone has any doubts in their mind, even you and Ye Jiming brushing shirt corners would offend public morals, wolves in cahoots.”
Duan Shujue wrote stroke by stroke, “It was my lack of thought. Before leaving Yuguang Pool, I should have thought about removing all traces of Ye-xiong.”
Chi Xiaochi said lightly, “It’s okay, I thought of it.”
Duan Shujue: “?”
Chi Xiaochi said, “Those snake molts and scales are something that I specially left for Yan Jinhua.”
Duan Shujue: “…?”
Chi Xiaochi said, “Ah, when I was doing this, you were probably tired from practicing the sword; you were sleeping, and you didn’t see it.”
Duan Shujue was not Ji Zuoshan. Chi Xiaochi couldn’t talk to Duan Shujue all the time, so some information was inevitably miscommunicated.
In the previous life, Duan Shujue only used his intelligence on swordsmanship. In this new life, his heart became clearer, and he had been intentionally acc.u.mulating experience. Without Chi Xiaochi’s explanation, he guessed Chi Xiaochi’s plan roughly.
He didn’t point it out but wrote gently, “…Mr. Chi, thank you very much. Apologies for bothering you so much.”
Chi Xiaochi wanted to say no formalities but realized that 061 wasn’t here. No one would help him round up the joke, so he naturally changed into the same indifferent facade he had before he met 061. “Don’t be polite. You’re my mission.”
Duan Shujue asked, “Then Shifu disappearing, it’s also…”
Chi Xiaochi shook his head.
Wen Yujing suddenly disappeared in the formation, which was indeed beyond Chi Xiaochi’s expectations.
Initially, he had dug a pit for Yan Jinhua and prepared a whole set of shovels to bury himself alive as a gift bag, waiting for Yan Jinhua to fall in it.
Yan Jinhua fell for the scheme, happily holding those snake molts and scales, and went to Chi Yunzi to offer the treasures.
Chi Xiaochi had deduced in private that once Yan Jinhua publicly prosecuted him, that would be his death.
If the plan went well, he could let this b.a.s.t.a.r.d stay in this world for the rest of his life.
These days, all the tricks Yan Jinhua jumped up and down for were basically under his control.
But he didn’t count on Yan Jinhua having the ability to make Wen Yujing directly disappear.
However, from another perspective, it made a lot of sense.
If, if his thoughts weren’t wrong…
Wen Yujing had a cat body with blue eyes and pure white fur.
Boss was a black panther with blue eyes and pure black fur.
Both were felines with complementary body colors and similar habits.
Chi Xiaochi vaguely remembered that Gu Xinzhi once said that he saw a man in Ding Qiuyun’s tent in the previous world.
061 also admitted that person was himself.
If he could transform in different worlds, then the people he met before and thought were arranged by the Lord G.o.d…
Gan Yu and Gan Tang, who accompanied him through the whole process in the horror world. Blue, who he could find anywhere he went in the mecha world. And Dong Feihong in the figure skating world…
And Dong Feihong and Gan Tang had exactly the same craftsmanship as Lou-ge.
He remembered that Liu-laoshi said that he was reformatted more than two years before they met, which happened to be when he mistakenly thought that Lou-ge had resurrected but was “deceived.”
Initially, all kinds of information were intertwined in one place, but it wasn’t that he had never thought of it. He didn’t dare to think too deep, lest it gave him hope, acc.u.mulating into nothing in the end.
The clues acc.u.mulated and became a tangled mess that couldn’t be cut.
Now, he seemed to have found the messy thread, and the whole game was unraveled with a single stroke.
Chi Xiaochi couldn’t help thinking, how could he have such good luck?
Did he deserve such good luck?
Duan Shujue waited for Chi Xiaochi to respond for a long time, so he quietly harnessed his internal energy to warn his body.
He wrote on the ground, “Mr. Chi, are you cold? Your body keeps shivering.”
Chi Xiaochi let out a breath. “It’s okay. Nothing is wrong…those snake scales and molts were specially prepared by me.”
Duan Shujue was confused by his mindless words. “Mr. Chi, I know, you just said it.”
Chi Xiaochi put one hand on his forehead. “…Wait a minute, I’ll make some adjustments.”
Duan Shujue stopped talking and waited quietly.
After clearing the distracting thoughts, Chi Xiaochi started to think again.
You could say that Wen Yujing’s unexplained disappearance had disrupted his whole original plan.
It was uncertain whether his disappearance was Yan Jinhua’s deliberate manipulation or another reason.
…but from another viewpoint, it might be another opportunity.
Chi Xiaochi asked, “What happened after I fell into a coma? What else do you know?”
Duan Shujue wrote, “The disciples are still searching for Shifu in the hollow mountain. They said that even First Shibo has gone. If they can’t find him, in a few days, they’ll have to conduct a public trial on us.”
Before Wen Yujing disappeared, he was with Duan Shujue, and any disciple who went to the hollow mountain to hunt down the evil Jiao could testify to this.
Before Duan Shujue fell into a coma, he was caught very close to a demon, holding Wen Yujing’s blood-stained white robes in his hand.
Although the demon hit him and fled, many people on the scene could smell the snake’s essence on him. When Ren Tingfeng returned, Chi Yunzi only needed to take out the snake scales that Yan Jinhua had given to him for comparison. It wasn’t difficult to make a judgment, and there was no mistake that this snake was the same.
As a result, Duan Shujue couldn’t say where Wen Yujing went, so he had to carry this black pot from the heavens.
And in response to this matter, Ye Jiming might not be able to sit still.
Now that the situation in the mountain wasn’t determined yet, there was a high probability that he would seek information outside. If the results of the public trial came out, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t go up the mountain to steal away the prisoner.
Duan Shujue also had the same concern. “Mr. Chi, let’s try to escape.”
Chi Xiaochi: “You don’t want your reputation?”
Duan Shujue: “I’m afraid Ye-xiong will get anxious and come up to the mountain to find me.”
Chi Xiaochi: “He’s not a brainless person. If he rashly comes up the mountain to steal you away before everything is settled, isn’t it self-inviting to ruin your reputation? Even if he wants to steal the prisoner away, it must be after the results.”
For Duan Shujue, it might not make much of a difference, or it might be even better to be a pair of exiled mandarin ducks with Ye Jiming wandering the world.
He died in his previous life in the public opinion of Jingxu Peak. His feelings for Jingxu Peak might not be deep, while a merman living amongst people would always have an awkward ident.i.ty and would inevitably be subjected to criticism.
But it made a big difference to Chi Xiaochi.
Duan Shujue might not want it, but Chi Xiaochi must give it.
He had to get through this challenging time to give Duan Shujue more options in the future.
After the idea of escaping from prison was dismissed, Duan Shujue asked humbly for advice, “Then, does Mr. Chi have an idea?”
Chi Xiaochi said simply, “Wait.”
Duan Shujue: “Wait until the public trial is over?”
Chi Xiaochi: “No, wait for Wen Yujing to return.”
Duan Shujue: “But Shifu’s whereabouts are unknown…”
Chi Xiaochi: “He’ll come back.”
Chi Xiaochi was so sure because he remembered what 061 had once said to him.
“I believe in you. Even without me, you can thoroughly cook him into submission.”
This implied that he might have expected this result.
But he seemed to indulge it, even contributing to this result. Including taking Yan Jinhua to the Mountain of Time and Rain, frequently using his spiritual power in front of Yan Jinhua, and even violently beating Yan Jinhua a few days ago…
Since he trusted him to handle everything, then it was only fitting that he should return the same trust to him.
That being said, 061 wouldn’t really leave him alone.
Because he was an expert at worrying.
Chi Xiaochi laid down fully clothed, and his heart became strangely quiet.
Of course, he wouldn’t bet all his treasures on 061.
Even if 061 wasn’t Wen Yujing, even if he couldn’t return, he still had a way to use the traps he had set up earlier to defend himself. Even if he couldn’t completely clear the suspicion, he could drag Yan Jinhua down into the muddled water.
However, he harbored a secret desire in his heart.
He once wanted to be neighbors with Lou-ge for a lifetime, and Lou-ge had promised him that.
He had also naively thought that Lou-ge had been resurrected and would meet him in that restaurant.
…If it’s really you, please don’t miss our appointment this time.
061 was sent to the prison cell wearing an electric shock collar.
He entered the cage obediently and calmly communicated with the two investigators who followed him. “Your employees, using their abilities to see the future, operated in violation of the rules. They stole the original protagonist’s luck value, used it for their own purposes, killed the original protagonist, and then withdrew, leaving behind a crumbling world, which completely deviated from your original purpose of continuously collecting the world’s luck value and maintaining the system’s operation. I think a system with a long-term operation plan shouldn’t tolerate such bad behavior.”
“Okay, okay. These have been well argued in your reporting materials.” The male investigator said gently, “However, you still need to wait here for a moment.”
“Your request is that two systems do not exist in the same dimension at the same time.” 061 was equally gentle and una.s.suming. “Recall your system as soon as possible and I’ll be able to return.”
The female investigator’s tone was much better than before. “This is a big matter that may lead us to terminate our contract with the host, so we need to consider and investigate it properly.”
061 said politely, “Then please hurry up, alright? I don’t want to stay here for too long.”
The male investigator: “We can only say to try our best. It is also part of our job to ensure that our employees are not stigmatized.”
“Within a day.”
“I’m afraid that’s a bit…” The female investigator said, “Based on your charges, we’ll need to investigate records from much earlier. And if Host 199 is only a first-time offender, we’ll only issue a warning. This process will take about a day or so. By the time the report is written and approved by the higher-ups, it’ll take two days at least or as much as one working week.”
“To be implicated.” 061 didn’t intend to force it. “Excuse me, what is the ratio between the time here and the time flow rate in the mission world?”
The male investigator thought for a while, “About 1:2.”
In other words, one day here was two days outside.
After doing some calculations, he bowed respectfully to the two investigators in the prison, “Thank you. Please be as quick as you can. By the way, can you pour me a gla.s.s of water before you leave?”
The two investigators looked at each other.
…Why did it seem like this was his home turf?
After the water was poured, the two investigators left, and 061 picked a random place in the cell to sit down.
Since he revealed his intentions, the two investigators were much nicer. His ankle shackles had been removed, but the electronic handcuffs were still there, and the electric shock collar on his neck hadn’t been removed.
He splashed half of the gla.s.s of water on the ground, made a temporary mirror, and carefully examined the water’s surface.
This collar was specially made for systems; the voltage wasn’t small and could be controlled from a long distance. It was an integrated design. Unless it was unlocked by the controller, removing it by force would result in a powerful electric shock, which could stun, but wasn’t fatal.
061 leaned against the wall, checking the few things he had on him, one by one.
A sticky note reminding himself to go to 023 to download a movie for Chi Xiaochi, a handkerchief, a peace knot, and nothing else.
He put his things away, looked around, and saw another system in the next cell.
He was wearing the same work clothes as the systems here but wearing the same collar as himself. He was downcast, holding a pair of homemade cards in his hand and playing Go Fish by himself.
061 greeted politely across the railing, “h.e.l.lo.”
The system next door looked up in disinterest.
061 asked, “Do you play cards?”
The system’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Do you?”
061: “I’m not bad.”
The system happily sat down with the cards in hand. “Open, open, open!”
061 played “Hoe The Earth” with him, losing two games and winning one.
The other party was obviously a master here, smiling and saying, “You’re not bad. I play cards well. My colleagues are afraid of losing, so they won’t play with me.”
061 said, “You play better.”
The other party accepted the compliment happily and asked, “Let’s play another way. You choose this time.”
061 chose “Chameleon,” and won two games and lost one.
This back-and-forth game made the system more excited.
He laughed and said, “Let’s play again.”
061 said, “Sure.”
After six games had pa.s.sed, the distance between the two of them had been inadvertently narrowed a lot.
While shuffling the cards, the system chatted with him. “I heard you talking to the investigator; are you a foreign system?”
061 answered truthfully, “Yes.”
The other party smacked his lips. “That’s bad. You might be locked up here for a long time. Our second boss hates foreign systems. Unless your report is an urgent doc.u.ment, it’ll definitely be postponed.”
061 seemed resigned to his fate and said warmly, “Deal the cards…what did you come in for?”
The other party seemed defiant. “Gathering people to gamble, and never changing after repeated teachings.”
061: “Is that so?”
The other party had met a good poker friend, so his self-absorbed temperament was swept away, and he couldn’t speak enough. “We are very strict with the systems here. I suspect that the old boy 277 harmed me.”
061 clicked the cards in his hand. “You have a grudge, huh?”
“He just can’t stand me.” The other party was indignant. “Once I was confined, he stole all the clients I brought.”
061: “Hmm?” He said, a little empathetic, “That’s too much. I’ve been reported before.”
The other party instantly cited 061 as a confidant. “Really?”
“Yes, by a host.”
The other party smirked. “It’s a relationship issue, right?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Love begets hatred, isn’t it like that in TV dramas?” The other party spoke eloquently, “Last time, 277 ran into one. He was so scared that he ran back into the system s.p.a.ce and didn’t dare to go back. He was also afraid that the other party would be anxious to report him. I laughed at him during the handover, but I didn’t expect him to be so vindictive, so much that he would dare to report me.”
061: “The handover? Is it a duty handover?”
The other party waved his hand. “No, it’s the handover point that leads to various worlds and goes to the host’s side.”
061 put down a card, “Well, is that the place where I was escorted in?”
The other party said, “Yeah. We’re at a handover point.”
061 threw down his card. “Win.”
His opponent looked at the cards and snorted. ”You’re deliberately talking to interfere with my thinking, you’re too bad.”
061 smiled lightly. “Okay, that’s enough talk.”
Unfortunately, the other party was restless and couldn’t keep silent. After less than a moment of silence, they started chattering again.
“Gee, you played really well. If you go back early, I’d be sad.”
061 said, “That depends on your boss.”
The other party smiled. “Our boss is very lazy. He comes back to work depending on his mood. There’s an eighty percent chance of him traveling abroad right now.”
061: “Is that so? Our boss is always in the office.”
The other party: “That’s really dedicated.”
“Then who will handle my report?”
“The reports here are all in the security system, which is directly accepted by our second boss. In your case, it should be a certain threat and harm to the host. Our boss has explained that unless there are special circ.u.mstances, we don’t need to care about external systems.”
“Security system? We have it there too, but the security level seems to be too low, and it was invaded some time ago.”
“Our second boss who manages the security system is very powerful.” The other party was beaming. “He’s very good at playing cards, but he’s too busy with work to have time to play with me. He can play mahjong, Pai Gow, anything. Hey, by the way, do you know how to play mahjong?”
061 didn’t bat an eye. “No. Just watched others play.”
The other party said generously, “It’s okay, I’ll teach you.”
061: “There are no mahjong tiles here?”
The other party pointed to his head, “It’s alright, I’ll create a room and add your ID. We’ll play for two.”
061 looked a little hesitant. “Is that okay? I don’t have internet access right now.”
“Oh yo.” The other party slapped his head. “I forgot! I’ll tell you the internet code.”