IRAJAS Chapter 38

After watching the first game, Lu Shi kept telling Lin Lan, “This lader is amazing, and he’s still a newcomer…”

The mid-laner in the ENG team is Zi Mo, with the ID lader.

He was the only mid-lane player in the country who could compete with Lin Lan back in the day. Unfortunately, it’s four years back, and he hasn’t reached the peak level yet.

“I heard that this is only his second year since his debut, and he has already been to the World Championship. Although he only reached the semi-finals, he has become the ceiling for many players.”

Zi Mo’s skill level is currently among the country’s top players. However, the mid-lane position in the country has always been lacking, making it difficult to compete with foreign players even if he stands out.

With this level to play in the World Championship, it’s probably a matter of conceding gracefully.

Lin Lan doesn’t think he’s that impressive. Even during Zi Mo’s peak period, he lost to Lin Lan more often, so he couldn’t agree with Lu Shi’s words.

Lu Shi turned to Jiang Jin and chattered away. Jiang Jin earnestly replied, “Not bad, right? Although he’s impressive, I still think Lin Lan’s reaction speed is a bit faster.”

He finished speaking and then looked at Lin Lan with eager eyes, “Have you ever measured your reaction speed? Is it nearly 500? I measured mine, and it’s only 300, just barely reaching the passing level.”

Lin Lan hasn’t actually measured it. During his peak period in the original world, his reaction speed reached 600. Logically, being younger now, it should be even faster, right?

Lu Shi, upon hearing about reaction speed, quickly joined the conversation, “How did you guys measure it? I want to try it too.”

This touched on Jiang Jin’s area of expertise. He adjusted his glasses and rattled off a bunch of technical jargon that Lu Shi couldn’t comprehend, leaving him wide-eyed.

After three rounds of games on stage, ENG won with a score of 2:1. The strengths of both teams were similar, with the main difference being the mid-lane.

“I heard that IB is having difficulty finding a mid-laner, almost resorting to looking abroad.”

“Don’t they already have two foreign players on the team? Can’t they get more?”

“Yeah, that’s why they want to find a Chinese player. It’s even harder to find one with Chinese nationality.”

Lin Lan smiled without saying a word.

Having spent several years at IB, he had always been aware of the contractual issues with IB. Signing a special agreement would bind a player to the team for life, making it extremely difficult to break free. That’s why many players in the community were reluctant to sign contracts with IB, unless they were truly desperate, like Lin Lan was back then.

After the game, it was time to go back.

Everyone was a bit tired. They started sleeping as soon as they got on the bus.

Lin Lan still preferred sitting at the back, leaning against the corner, wrapped in his jacket, letting the wind from outside blow over him.

Jiang Jin also had this habit. He and Lin Lan occupied one corner each, maintaining the distance typical of those with social anxiety.

Xiao Shengjing sat at the very front, farthest from Lin Lan. Looking back, all he could see was a small part of Lin Lan’s head peeking out from under the team jersey, swaying as if it could fall off at any moment.

Afraid Lin Lan might fall asleep like that, he thought about closing the window for him. However, considering Lin Lan’s dislike for being too close, he cleared his throat and hinted to Lu Shi sitting behind him, “Did we forget to close the windows at the back? It’s a bit cold.”

“Captain, are you cold?” Lu Shi quickly pulled out his blanket from his bag, “If you don’t mind, you can use this.”

Xiao Shengjing looked at the blanket in Lu Shi’s hands and couldn’t hide his disdain, “Can’t you just go to the back and close the windows?”

Only then did Lu Shi realize, “Oh, so that’s what the Captain meant.”

He ran to the back to close the windows, accidentally waking Lin Lan in the process.

Lin Lan emerged from his jacket, looking as tired as a dog, tightly furrowing his brows. Lu Shi, still clueless, bombarded him with questions.

Xiao Shengjing cleared his throat again, “Lu Shi, can you be quiet?”

Lu Shi quickly shut his mouth and returned to his seat, “Sorry, Captain, did I disturb you?”

With the quietness restored, Lin Lan tucked back into his jacket and sank into a deep sleep by the window.

Xiao Shengjing stared fixedly at the window, where Lin Lan’s reflection could be seen. It was said that such a sleeping posture was a form of self-defense due to a lack of security in the outside world.

Lin Lan, does he still lack a sense of security?

Back at the base, everyone gradually returned to their rooms to rest. Lin Lan, who was about to open the door, was suddenly stopped by Xiao Shengjing.

“What’s wrong, Captain?”

Xiao Shengjing glanced around, “Don’t investigate that case. I’m afraid you might be in danger.”

Lin Lan nodded. Just as he was about to open the door, he was stopped again. Xiao Shengjing still seemed uneasy, “And about Xie Zilu, the situation is not confirmed yet. If you investigate him, it might alert him. Hold off on it for now.”

“Understood.”

Lin Lan verbally agreed, but in reality, the next day, he went to the hospital.

He didn’t tell Xiao Shengjing the whole truth, so he still had suspicions. But for Lin Lan, who knew the complete truth, Xie Zilu was already the confirmed culprit.

Now, his task was to gather evidence and hand it over to the police, allowing the lingering obsession of the original host to finally find peace.

Dr. Wu Ming’s consultations required appointments. Lin Lan scheduled one for the afternoon. He took a day off, bought a voice recorder, and arrived at the hospital with a hat and a mask.

He had seen this place in the memories of the original host. The narrow corridor led to the end and the innermost room was Dr. Wu Ming’s consultation room.

Lin Lan gently knocked on the door, “Dr. Wu, hello.”

Dr. Wu Ming was busy writing a case and didn’t recognize him, “Who are you?”

“I’m Lin Lan, who made an appointment with you this morning. Do you remember me?” Lin Lan said as he took off his mask. His transformation was so significant that Dr. Wu Ming didn’t immediately recognize him. He quickly gestured for him to sit down, “Lin Lan, right?” He pulled out his case file, looking professional, “Your recent condition seems fine. Have you been taking the medication I prescribed for you?”

Lin Lan nodded, “Yes, and by the way, doctor, I’ve finished the last prescription. Do I need to get more?”

“No need. I’ll prescribe something else for you.” He stood up, “Wait for me a moment.”

He entered the inner room and took quite some time before coming out with a small medicine bottle, “I’ll prescribe something else for you. Go downstairs to pick it up later.” He scribbled some unfamiliar words on the prescription, occasionally glancing up through reflective glasses at Lin Lan. The gaze seemed probing, with a touch of eerie curiosity.

“Do you have any other sensations recently?”

Lin Lan carefully examined the yellow medicine bottle in his hand and suddenly felt a bit dizzy.

Through the bottle, he glimpsed a memory of the original host. At that time, Dr. Wu Ming also brought out this bottle of medicine from the inner room, and it wasn’t recorded on the prescription list.

“Mr. Lin? Lin Lan?”

Dr. Wu Ming’s voice brought Lin Lan back to reality. He breathed lightly, his face a bit pale, “Lately, I feel like I’ve forgotten a lot of things.”

Dr. Wu Ming’s eyes were hidden behind his glasses, and he smiled kindly, “These are normal side effects, indicating that Mr. Lin is improving. I hope Mr. Lin can actively cooperate with the treatment in the future, and not evade it anymore. I believe your condition will be cured soon…”

“Alright,” Lin Lan stood up, “Thank you, doctor. I have training in the afternoon, so I’ll head back.”

“Sure, feel free to call if you have any questions.”

Lin Lan didn’t leave immediately after putting on his backpack. Instead, he turned to the bathroom, took out sunglasses and a hat from his backpack, reversed his jacket, and sat outside Dr. Wu Ming’s consultation room. He observed Dr. Wu Ming’s every move through the glass window on the opposite side. Dr. Wu Ming seemed to be on a phone call. Lin Lan tentatively sent a message to Xie Zilu, “Are you there?” There was no reply from the other side.

After Dr. Wu Ming finished the call, Xie Zilu replied with a teasing tone: “What’s up? Missing me?”

Lin Lan didn’t respond; he switched his phone to silent.

Dr. Wu Ming hastily packed up the cases on the table, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and left. He looked around surreptitiously, even wrapping a scarf around his mouth and nose on this hot day before heading downstairs to hail a cab.

Lin Lan followed him to the building where Xie Zilu lived, capturing the discreet entrance on camera.

They went upstairs at 3 o’clock, and the conversation lasted for a full two hours. At 5 o’clock, the two of them came down together.

Lin Lan quickly turned to the side, using promotional materials on the stand to shield his face, while glancing slightly at Xie Zilu.

Xie Zilu was dressed in a light blue suit, wearing sunglasses, looking quite fashionable. Dr. Wu Ming followed him with a smile, like a loyal follower.

They got into the car together, heading towards the hospital.

Lin Lan documented the entire process. As long as it could be proven that Xie Zilu authorized Dr. Wu Ming to do this, it would firmly establish his guilt.

After taking the photos and returning to the base, Lin Lan’s phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Dr. Wu Ming: “Hello, Mr. Lin, I suddenly remembered that you haven’t done the examination yet. Do you have time to come to the hospital for one now?”

Lin Lan squinted slightly, “Now? I have training in the afternoon.”

“Can Mr. Lin take a leave to come to the hospital? This examination is very important; it must be done, and it won’t take too much time.” His voice sounded urgent.

“What kind of examination is it?”

Dr. Wu Ming hesitated and replied, “It’s a follow-up examination. Mr. Lin mentioned some aftereffects after taking the medicine earlier. This follow-up can help alleviate them.”

Alleviate? Alleviate what? Lin Lan was sure they would thoroughly examine him. If Xie Zilu, who was quite petty, found out he had returned, who knows what kind of retaliation he might face.

As Lin Lan walked upstairs, he made up an excuse, “Sorry, I can’t. We have a competition coming up, and the coach won’t allow me to leave. Training will last until at least 10 pm, and I don’t think the hospital will be doing examinations at that time, right? It’s okay; I don’t feel too bad. Taking some medicine should help.”

Dr. Wu Ming was sweating profusely on the other end of the line. He kept wiping his forehead and had to consider Xie Zilu’s expression. “It won’t work, Mr. Lin. This examination is essential. You’re my patient, and I have to take responsibility for your health. Um, how about… wait until your training is over, and you come at 10 pm?”

“Well, I’m sorry for making Dr. Wu work overtime.”

“It’s okay. Let’s settle for that then.”

Dr. Wu Ming hung up the phone and looked at Xie Zilu with difficulty, “Uh, um, Mr. Xie, how about you go back first?”

Xie Zilu’s expression wasn’t great, but he didn’t explode. His hands were in his pockets, pacing back and forth, occasionally fiddling with the stress toy on the table. Just standing there gave off an invisible pressure. “I happen to have nothing to do today. I’ll wait here for him.”

Dr. Wu Ming started wiping his sweat again.

There was always a calm before the storm.

When Lin Lan finished the call and returned to his room, he was caught by Xiao Shengjing. His first words were, “Did you go to the hospital?”

Lin Lan nodded honestly, “Yes.”

Xiao Shengjing furrowed his brows, expressing concern, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. He prescribed some medication for me.” Lin Lan took out the yellow medicine bottle, “It’s this.”

Xiao Shengjing took it from him, took a photo, and searched online. Surprisingly, it was a type of medicine not found domestically, and information about it online was vague.

“Don’t take this medicine, or any other medicine for that matter.”

“Yeah, I know.”

After giving him a warning, Xiao Shengjing was still concerned. He held the bottle in his hand, “Should I dispose of it for you?”

“No, no, don’t throw it away.” Lin Lan carefully took it back, “There are Dr. Wu Ming’s fingerprints on it. I need to keep it as evidence.”

Seeing him collect the evidence so cautiously, Xiao Shengjing seemed to realize what he intended to do, “Are you planning to report them?”

“Even if I can’t report them, they should pay some price. I want to expose their wrongdoing and not let them act recklessly.”

“Are you not afraid of Xie Zilu?”

Lin Lan shook his head, “I’m not afraid anymore. What do I have to fear?”

But Xiao Shengjing was genuinely concerned for him. He hesitated for a while, not knowing how to bring up the topic. When he saw the clues and thoughts Lin Lan had recorded on the table about the matter, he asked, “Did you write this?”

Afraid that Xiao Shengjing might pick up on something, Lin Lan quickly tucked away his handwritten notes, “Just jotting down random thoughts.”

“Lin Lan, have you thought this through?” Xiao Shengjing, seeing his handwritten notes, seemed to understand his determination. “If you need anything, you can call me anytime. I might be able to help.”

Lin Lan paused in his organizing, looking up at Xiao Shengjing in disbelief, “Captain, aren’t you afraid of offending Xie Zilu?”

Xiao Shengjing smiled, reaching out to pat his head, “He should be quite wary of me. If you can’t handle it, you can bring me in.”

Lin Lan was curious, “How would you be used? Pretend to be my boyfriend?”

The previously serious atmosphere was instantly shattered. Xiao Shengjing coughed twice, recovering his serious expression, “Can you be more serious? You’ve been to the hospital now, you’ve sorted things out. Isn’t it time to focus on your training?”

As soon as training was mentioned, Lin Lan fell apart. Holding onto his handwritten notes, he tearfully pulled at Xiao Shengjing’s sleeve, “Captain, playing AD is so tiring. I regret it. Can I go back to playing support?”

Now, on the internet, Lin Lan is hailed as a once-in-a-century genius. Who could have thought he would look like this in private?

Xiao Shengjing pinched his face forcefully. This matter was not up for discussion, “No, come down and train properly.”

Lin Lan continued to cry, “I took a leave, do I still have to train…”

“You took sick leave. Since you’re not sick, of course, you have to train.”

Lin Lan cried even more, “But it’s so tiring…”

Especially with Jiang Jin, that training maniac. As soon as he arrived at DT, it was as if he were a spinning top that couldn’t be stopped.

Xiao Shengjing pulled his sleeve out of Lin Lan’s grip, looking at his despondent appearance. He then took Lin Lan’s wrist and gently rubbed it, “Is it that unbearable? Didn’t I tell you I have a membership downstairs? I asked you to go use it, didn’t I?”

“I forgot.” Lin Lan felt that the rubbing was quite comfortable. He leaned on the table, tilting his head to look at Xiao Shengjing, “Captain, aren’t you a germaphobe?”

Xiao Shengjing paused, then continued to pinch, “Germophobia is just an excuse.”

“Hmm?” Lin Lan caught a whiff of some gossip, “Why?”

“I’m used to living alone. I’m not very accustomed to the team’s lifestyle, so I use the excuse of being a germaphobe to avoid contact with them.”

Lin Lan knew he didn’t have it. With the same genes, there’s no way the silly dog didn’t have it while the captain did, right?

He sighed, “The captain doesn’t like team life. Back then, you were willing to stay at the run-down DT. It’s evident that you did your best for DT.”

Xiao Shengjing smiled and didn’t say anything.

After rubbing his wrist and putting it back, he gracefully stood up, “Alright, don’t distract me. Go down and train.”

Lin Lan had a brief emo moment, then returned to the training room. When he was playing support before, he didn’t realize it, but now, playing AD made him aware of how tough it was.

Clicking movements up to four times per second, more than five times that of the support role. Especially with higher expectations of himself, even in regular ranked games, he gave his all. This put more strain on his wrists, and considering the original owner’s weakened physique, the strength in his wrists wasn’t as it used to be. Lin Lan had to find time for grip exercises. After a day, there was only one word to describe it: exhausting.

“Exhausting, isn’t that three¹ words?” Lu Shi looked confused.

“Is this important?” Lin Lan rolled his eyes. “The key point is the word ‘death.'”

As soon as this word came out, Lu Shi and Feifei simultaneously pounced on him, covering his mouth, and looking at him anxiously. “Lin Lan, you can’t have this idea again. What if you die? What about the competition, what about DT, what about us? And Xiao Jin, you brought him here, what about him?”

Jiang Jin looked at them in confusion, “Lin Lan is just making a joke.”

Lu Shi pulled him to the side, shaking his head vigorously, “Brother, you just arrived, and you don’t understand. Lin Lan never jokes. When he says he’ll die, he means it.”

So they explained to Jiang Jin how Lin Lan had attempted suicide and how he had been revived.

Jiang Jin was greatly shocked, “Did he really eat that?”

“He ate it. I accompanied him to the hospital for stomach pumping. The doctor said if we were any later, he might have died.”

Looking at Lin Lan with a different expression when they returned, Jiang Jin seemed to have something to say but hesitated.

Lin Lan moved his neck, “It feels sore.”

Jiang Jin quickly rubbed his hands for him, “Feeling better now?”

Lin Lan looked at the cup, “Why is there no water?”

Jiang Jin hurriedly fetched water for him, “I got you warm water to avoid it being too cold. Drink it slowly.”

After finishing, Lin Lan massaged his wrists, “I’m exhausted.”

Jiang Jin immediately took off the headphones from his head, “How about we end the training here? You can go back and rest early.”

Lin Lan, looking at Jiang Jin who usually wants to play games all night, had question marks all over his mind, “But it’s only ten o’clock now.”

“Lin Lan,” Jiang Jin suddenly squatted by his feet, gently soothing his hand as if consoling him, “I understand that feeling. Sometimes, I also have the impulse to jump down when I stand by the window. But it’s just an impulse, and after calming down, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Lin Lan, you must be okay, don’t dwell on negative thoughts.”

He struck a proposal-like pose, said a bunch of emotional words, and then emphasized that Lin Lan must not have negative thoughts.

Lin Lan: “Emmm…”

Forget it, too lazy to explain, better get some rest.

He returned to his room and received a call from Wu Ming, “Mr. Lin, has your training ended? When will you come to the hospital?”

“Not yet. I’ll call you after it’s over.” Lin Lan hung up after saying this and tossed the phone aside. He took a comfortable shower and, despite the continuous ringing of the phone outside, pretended not to hear. After washing, he blow-dried his hair and leisurely answered the phone.

“Hello, Dr. Wu? I might not make it. The team suddenly requested an additional match, so let’s cancel today’s appointment.”

“Didn’t we agree on this? Why are you suddenly not coming? You, you…”

He rambled on for a while, suddenly falling silent.

There was an eerie quietness on the other end as if Wu Ming didn’t dare to breathe. After a long silence, a low laughter from Xie Zilu came through the phone, “Lin Lan, having fun?”

Lin Lan gripped the phone, remaining silent.

Xie Zilu picked up the phone and strolled to the window, “Look at how beautiful the lights outside are, Lin Lan. It’s just like your eyes the first time I saw you. Since then, I haven’t seen eyes as beautiful as yours.”

“Lin Lan,” he whispered his name like a lover’s secret, as if they were already intimately familiar, “I often dream about you. It’s strange; I’ve only seen you twice, yet I find myself going crazy wanting to see you again. Unfortunately, you haven’t appeared since then.”

Xie Zilu seemed lost in memories, gazing at the ring on his hand. The consultation room was pitch black, and the outside lights cast an eerie glow on his face. He murmured softly, “That pathetic guy is completely different from you. Even if he goes to great lengths to act, he doesn’t resemble you at all. Why am I still willing to keep him, willingly deceived by him? Because I long to see you once more, Lin Lan. Just thinking that it’s you on the other end of the phone makes my blood boil. I’ve been waiting from five o’clock until now, and I don’t feel like I’ve wasted any time. No matter how long you want to play, I’ll accompany you.”

He suddenly laughed, a calm yet crazed laughter. The night outside cast its darkness on his ring, giving it a dazzling glare. “Hehe, you might not believe it, but I had almost given up. I never expected fate to bring you back. You can’t imagine how happy I am.”

“Lin Lan, welcome back. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

The call ended with a “beep” sound, and all of Xie Zilu’s words were recorded.

Lin Lan listened to the recording repeatedly and confirmed his suspicions. Xie Zilu knew from start to finish that they were two different personalities or personas.

He is definitely the mastermind behind the scenes.

Lin Lan organized the evidence he had collected, turning it into a manuscript. Unconsciously, it was already one in the morning when he heard an eerie knocking at the door.

Being cautious, he peeked through the peephole and saw that it was Xiao Shengjing outside before he felt relieved enough to open the door.

Xiao Shengjing came in and immediately hugged him tightly. Without saying anything, he just wanted to hold him quietly. “Lin Lan, I missed you.”

Lin Lan was squeezed to the point of breathlessness. He pushed him away with force. “Why did you come? Didn’t I tell you that time travel is harmful to the body? Come find me only if you have something important.”

“Isn’t missing you considered something important?” Xiao Shengjing followed him again, looking at the dense notes on his desk. “Do you have any leads?”

“Yes.” Lin Lan told him about all the evidence he had found these days. “Xie Zilu confessed today on his own, but he didn’t directly admit it; he just hinted at it.”

Xiao Shengjing looked at the photos he had taken, furrowing his brows. He didn’t know what to say, so he sat down and grabbed Lin Lan’s hand. “Lin Lan, don’t investigate this matter any further.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid something will happen to you.” Xiao Shengjing looked at him with concern. “Have you ever thought about why Xie Zilu did this? Why did he remove the main personality and leave you behind?”

Lin Lan looked at him calmly. “Because I offended him.”

“You know you offended him. Xie Zilu was a madman in school. I don’t find it surprising at all that he would do something like this—removing the main personality, leaving you behind, and then seeking revenge. It completely fits his style. If he finds out that his treatment plan is successful, how do you think he will deal with you?”

Lin Lan shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Xiao Shengjing didn’t know how to talk to him. He said, “Listen to me, stop investigating. I’ll figure out how to eliminate the obsession left by the main personality. I’ve got some clues recently. Wait for me; I’ll bring you back soon…”

“Xiao Shengjing,” Lin Lan withdrew his hand, telling him, “Investigating the cause of the main personality’s death is not just for myself, but also for the deceased. Do you understand what I mean?”