When Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu arrived at the Xixitulan Restaurant at the agreed time, Shen Shiyi was already waiting there.
Seeing the two of them, Shen Shiyi just smiled without much surprise. He stood up to greet them and ordered the waiter to bring the menu.
Xiao Muyu naturally noted his expression but didn’t say much. After sitting down, she quietly watched Shen Shiyi.
After the waiter poured the water, Shen Shiyi spoke first, “I heard you successfully cleared Instance 005. That’s quite rare. Congratulations.”
“Heard? It seems Mr. Shen really has extensive connections, to even hear about this,” Shen Qingqiu, who had always been somewhat hostile towards him, spoke with little courtesy.
Shen Shiyi spread his hands, “I’ve been keeping an eye on you and am very concerned about your progress, so of course, I’m aware. However, I was somewhat surprised that you contacted me as soon as you returned. Has Miss Xiao made up her mind?”
Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu, who had a cold expression but did not interrupt their conversation, understanding the purpose of their meeting.
“Isn’t this what you wanted? The apocalypse, the Nine Links—telling us these things is to show that you can not only find out about past events but also know what’s coming next, right?”
Shen Shiyi nodded, “You’re always so smart, saving me a lot of time. If you agree to work with me, I can offer you even more. This apocalypse and the Nine Links are merely harmless reminders, not much help to you.
“However, Miss Xiao should be mentally prepared. This is just an A-level instance; you barely survived. The difficulty of an S-level instance is unimaginable. While you and Miss Shen are undoubtedly stronger together, your teammates might struggle.”
At this, he frowned slightly. His words seemed like a threat, but his eyes showed genuine concern.
Xiao Muyu found it hard to understand Shen Shiyi. He appeared deliberately, noticing and helping her right after the first instance. His intentions were clear, yet seemingly without malice. His purpose seemed more straightforward than Shen Qingqiu’s.
“I admit what you say is tempting, but I still insist on my view. I need you to clearly tell me your purpose. Since you’re openly seeking cooperation, please be honest about the value of our partnership.”
Xiao Muyu repeated her demand, her eyes locked on Shen Shiyi’s face.
Shen Shiyi’s smile widened, again that seemingly gracious and gentle smile, like a mask. He nodded, “Alright, since you insist, I’ll tell you.”
He looked up outside and lowered his voice, “Have you ever wondered how such a vast Skynet system came to be? In your real world, most people believe everything evolved naturally, explained by science. But this world is clearly unscientific—resurrection, gods and ghosts, it’s all a reversal. Its existence might fit another theory, divine creation.
Even if it’s divine creation, Adam and Eve still resisted. We, living in Skynet, don’t want to be trapped in this Eden forever. And this isn’t Eden. Imagine if your game account had millions of in-game currency, letting you live a high life but never log out. You’d be trapped forever. You understand?”
Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu frowned. Just as Shen Qingqiu was about to speak, Shen Shiyi raised a finger to hush her, “I’ve said a lot. I chose you because, according to my data, you have the best chance of escaping Skynet. That’s my real reason. I can’t say more.”
Xiao Muyu sensed something strange in his words. She signaled Shen Qingqiu and then asked, “So far, no one has successfully cleared the game, right?”
Shen Shiyi’s eyes tightened, his smile frozen. He just stared at Xiao Muyu without confirming or denying, but his silence was an answer.
Xiao Muyu murmured, “Over 52 million people entered the game, and no one cleared it. What meaning does Skynet’s promise have?”
Shen Shi paused, “You should have noticed that as the game progresses, the intervals between instances get longer. Not all failures die in instances. Skynet isn’t much different from real life. Rather than dying in horrifying instances, many choose to stay here…”
He stopped, then looked seriously at her, “If you cooperate with me, you must strive to clear the game, not just survive in this illusion. Without firm confidence, our cooperation is meaningless.”
Xiao Muyu bit her lip, and Shen Qingqiu smiled, “If you won’t stay, why would we? The system promised we could leave after clearing the game. How will you leave?”
“I still think you’re deceiving us, approaching Xiao for another reason, seeking something unspeakable…”
Before she could finish, Shen Qingqiu suddenly clutched her chest in pain, her body bending. Xiao Muyu quickly held her hand.
Shen Shiyi noticed her distress and cautiously asked, “Is Miss Shen alright?”
Shen Qingqiu gritted her teeth and shook her head, “It’s nothing. Mr. Shen is indeed extraordinary.”
Shen Shiyi said nothing, just looked at them with a hint of pity in his eyes, soon masked by calmness.
He sighed, “Have you decided? Will you cooperate?”
“Your offer lacks clarity. If I agree, you provide information. Aren’t you afraid we won’t help you after clearing the game? Besides, why would our clearing the game allow you to leave?”
Xiao Muyu’s sharpness left Shen Shiyi helpless.
“You really are formidable. I’ve already told you, you just didn’t realize. I’ve said all I can. I’ll give you time to consider.”
He glanced at Shen Qingqiu, then the menu, “You probably have no appetite now. Better go back and rest. She doesn’t look well.”
Xiao Muyu had no mind for anything else. Shen Qingqiu was not just pale but sweating profusely. Despite the valuable information in Shen Shiyi’s words, she prioritized Shen Qingqiu’s rest.
She nodded to Shen Shiyi and helped Shen Qingqiu leave.
Shen Shiyi sighed softly, reaching out to a virtual screen like a map with a flashing green marker. He frowned and zoomed in. A light-colored shield area surrounded him, blocking any intruders.
“Still not enough. I need to be more cautious with my words.”
Xiao Muyu called a car, deeply troubled. Shen Qingqiu’s pain was deliberate, but this reaction was more than just a monitoring punishment. She suspected the system had set special conditions for Shen Qingqiu, punishing her for certain topics.
She could only hold Shen Qingqiu, who was sweating in pain, with no way to alleviate it. Noting Xiao Muyu’s low spirits, Shen Qingqiu weakly opened her eyes and squeezed her hand, “Don’t worry, it’s just a punishment. It’ll pass soon.”
Xiao Muyu looked at her with both anger and concern, wiping her sweat, “Don’t speak.”
Seeing Shen Qingqiu pressing on her chest, Xiao Muyu covered her hand, eyes red. If she could figure out Skynet, she’d tear it apart.
By the time they reached their community, Shen Qingqiu seemed better, able to walk on her own.
Back home, Xiao Muyu helped her lie down, wiped her sweat, “Don’t lie to me. Does it still hurt?”
Shen Qingqiu, pale but smiling, softly said, “It just hurt a lot earlier. It’s much better now.”
Seeing her trying to comfort her despite her own pain, Xiao Muyu felt both helpless and angry.
“Are you hungry? Rest, I’ll make food.”
Feeling useless, Xiao Muyu could only offer this comfort.
Shen Qingqiu shook her head, “I’m not hungry, just a bit sore.”
Xiao Muyu felt at a loss, “I know, but I can’t do anything. I’m sorry.”
Shen Qingqiu frowned, “You can do a lot. Distract me, so it doesn’t hurt as much.”
Xiao Muyu paused, “How?”
Shen Qingqiu smiled like a fox, “Come closer, I’ll tell you.”
Xiao Muyu, sensing something off but willing to do anything for her pain, obediently leaned closer.
Shen Qingqiu’s face was full of smiles as she wrapped her arms around Xiao Muyu’s neck and whispered, “Captain Xiao, I’ve taught you this far. Your clever brain should be able to figure it out, right?”
Xiao Muyu’s breathing tightened slightly and then quickened. Her face was still pale, but the allure in her gentle beauty was hard to resist.
She didn’t move, just murmured softly, “I’m a bit unable to think right now. Could the deputy captain give me more instructions?”
Feeling Xiao Muyu’s somewhat rapid breathing, Shen Qingqiu’s own breath gradually synced with hers.
Their breaths intertwined, causing Shen Qingqiu’s heart, which was still aching, to beat heavily and break free of its constraints. “I want you to kiss me, understand?”
Xiao Muyu let out a low chuckle, pressed her forehead against Shen Qingqiu’s, and said, “As you command.”
Xiao Muyu kissed her with tenderness, full of affection, with gentle licks and lingering love, making Shen Qingqiu genuinely forget about the tormenting pain.
After the kiss, Xiao Muyu slightly loosened her grip, her cheeks flushed but she didn’t shy away.
“As expected, it’s very effective.” Shen Qingqiu touched her lips, gently biting them. Her lips, which had lost their color, were now rosy, looking much better than before and once again exuding a captivating charm.
Xiao Muyu pursed her lips, momentarily at a loss for words. Shen Qingqiu, not making things difficult for her, said lightly, “It seems our guess was correct. This room acts like a bug the system can’t detect. As long as we’re here, the system won’t notice what I’m saying and can’t judge if I’m violating any rules. That’s why nothing happened when I spoke so much yesterday, but today I got punished as soon as I mentioned it.”
“Mm.” Xiao Muyu became serious when discussing business. Recalling Tong Lin’s words, she hesitated, “It seems like a coincidence that we ended up in this room with a bug, but it’s not a coincidence that someone deliberately sent Tong Lin to harass the residents here.
And most of the people didn’t notice Tong Lin after she did so, which means her harassment wasn’t necessarily meaningful. What does this imply?”
“If it wasn’t for some idle purpose, then the person who left Tong Lin behind must have known who she wanted to alert,” Shen Qingqiu quickly understood Xiao Muyu’s point.
“And we did notice her, so it’s a bold guess that she wanted to alert us. After all, besides you, I can’t think of anyone else who would capture a ghost.” Xiao Muyu said seriously, making Shen Qingqiu laugh.
“I was just trying to prepare a betrothal gift for you.”
“No one but you would think of using a ghost as a betrothal gift,” Xiao Muyu retorted, “Maybe she knew you like to use ghosts as gifts.”
This was said as a joke, but Xiao Muyu thought of something more important.
“Qingqiu, have you considered that if someone else had discovered the ghost, would they be as concerned about the system bug?” Xiao Muyu realized she had grasped a key point and asked urgently.
Shen Qingqiu lowered her eyes in thought, “First, to think of a bug, one must suspect that the Skynet is a program system. This is already incredibly difficult for players struggling to survive.
Second, even if they thought of this, they wouldn’t know the significance of the bug. Why would an ordinary player need to avoid the monitoring of a normal system?”
The two reached a consensus, saying in unison, “So this bug was left for us.”
After saying that, Shen Qingqiu quickly corrected herself, “It should be left for you. There’s no way she knew I would be with you.”
Xiao Muyu didn’t mind this minor issue and continued, “So there are not only people targeting me but also people helping me here. She must know everything I’ve been through. But I just entered the game, so how would she know I would come?”
Xiao Muyu was puzzled, rubbing her face vigorously.
“Don’t worry. Since she left something like this, she will definitely appear again in the future.”
Shen Qingqiu was worried Xiao Muyu was too anxious. Besides, after solving this matter, there were other questions they needed to clarify.
“Muyu, do you think Shen Shiyi’s words are trustworthy? My speech is restricted by the system, so how can he speak so freely?” Shen Qingqiu was most troubled by this point.
“He can reveal dungeon information, which means the system allows it.” Xiao Muyu’s eyes darkened, “If what he says is true, then I have a bold hypothesis. As you said, players, natives, and even NPCs are essentially the same kind of people.
Some players remain players, some have become NPCs, and some eventually become the eternal natives of the Skynet world, gradually losing themselves.”
Shen Qingqiu’s face changed dramatically, murmuring, “So, if we clear the game, Shen Shiyi really has a chance to clear it with us.”
This realization made them both feel a chill, but everything was just their subjective conjecture. Perhaps Shen Shiyi was misleading them. After all, the system allowed his words, which indirectly meant he was in cahoots with the system. How could he reveal so much forbidden information?
Author’s note: The amount of information is quite large, but it’s all just speculation between the two characters. The dungeon will be skipped, and we’ll go straight to 007. I’ve already made it to the long-term tracking list, it’s stressful.
Comments are asking when it will be finished (For more novels, radio dramas, and yuri resources, join the group. Novel group 7122 73 271), I’ll tell you with hands on hips, don’t even think about it. (dog head)
