INSIDER Chapter 150

Objective: Find the exit.

Clue: The place you are most likely to overlook is where the exit is most likely to appear.

Hint: Sound perception is the basic requirement for your sense of security.

This task, discovered by 7 and his companion, fits the “City of Lost Perception” world view.

The search process was much quicker than Lu Chu had anticipated. This way, they didn’t have to worry about running out of time on their wristbands and needing to complete another task to replenish it.

After a brief discussion, everyone returned to their “rooms” and selected their tasks.

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Lu Chu stepped through the door to start his task. After a bout of dizziness, he opened his eyes.

He looked at the town he found himself in, his thoughts swirling.

Everything before him, he had lived through but never seen with his own eyes. Yet at this moment, looking at the not-so-tall buildings, the orderly streets, and the friendly pedestrians, even though he had been blind while living in this town, he could still feel a sense of familiarity from the colors he had never seen before.

The streets, the shops along the roadside, the intersecting junctions—Lu Chu used to walk through them every week when he was blind.

“Hey, Lu Chu, over here!”

As Lu Chu was lost in his memories, Yuan Kejie’s voice rang out in his ear.

Following the sound, Lu Chu saw Yuan Kejie and Luo Qi standing across the street not far to his right. Luo Qi looked impatient, while Yuan Kejie was excitedly waving her arm, gesturing for Lu Chu to join them.

Lu Chu smiled, waited for the green light, and then crossed the street to meet them.

Yuan Kejie asked, “Lu Xiao Chu, have you seen anyone else?!”

Lu Chu shook his head, “Not yet, maybe they’ll come later.”

“Okay, once everyone’s here, we’ll set off!” Yuan Kejie said, clenching her fist with excitement.

Luo Qi looked at her disdainfully, “Why are you so excited?”

Yuan Kejie patted Luo Qi’s shoulder, “Kiki, it’s invigorating! We’re about to go back, aren’t you excited, overjoyed, and ecstatic?!”

Luo Qi was certainly happy, but she still sneered at Yuan Kejie’s over-enthusiasm.

After a short wait, Qian Zhen and Song Gui arrived, leaving only 7 and Sun Haoran.

Song Gui looked around the town, greeting the passersby as if he knew them.

Yuan Kejie asked him curiously, “Do you know them?”

Song Gui shrugged, “Of course not, but since this is my second time doing the ‘City of Lost Perception’ task, these people are like old friends.”

Luo Qi responded, “I don’t think they want to be your ‘old friends’.”

As Song Gui and Luo Qi bickered, 7 and Sun Haoran appeared not far away.

From a distance, Lu Chu watched 7’s handsome face, feeling a bit uneasy for some reason.

With all seven together, they could now find the in-game characters and return to Lu Chu’s birthplace.

When Lu Chu lived in this town, he was blind, but thanks to his parents’ guidance, he knew the streets very well and could navigate them alone. Thus, even though he didn’t know what the hospital looked like, he could find it once he determined his location and followed the streets.

When Song Gui learned about Lu Chu’s ability, he was amazed, “Lu Xiao Chu, your parents must have been foresighted.”

Speaking of his parents, Lu Chu was lost in thought.

In each game, there would only be one version of each character. Since there wasn’t another “Lu Chu” in this world, his parents should also disappear.

As Lu Chu pondered this, 7 silently took his hand.

Feeling the warmth and weight from his hand, Lu Chu suddenly remembered when he first met 7. A few days later, they encountered the “City of Lost Perception” task. At that time, 7 had protected him, letting him stay indoors for seven days. Then, just like now, they held hands as they escaped from the terrifying town dominated by lost perception.

Round and round, they had returned to the original place.

This time, they would still escape together and leave this game.

Song Gui looked at the people on the street and smiled, “We’re about to have a better life, aren’t we?”

Yuan Kejie slapped his shoulder, “Exactly right.”

“Okay,” Lu Chu said, “I’ll first confirm our location, then we can find the First Hospital.”

Yuan Kejie clapped her hands, “Let’s go!”

Lu Chu looked around the streets, identified the shops, and then stood by a familiar roadside, closing his eyes to recall the feeling of walking in the dark.

Seeing him close his eyes, the others kept quiet, afraid of distracting him. However, for Lu Chu, their conversations didn’t affect him much. He smiled, opened his eyes, and said to the others, “No need to be so silent.”

Yuan Kejie made a zipper motion over her mouth, indicating she wouldn’t talk or disturb him.

Lu Chu sighed, closed his eyes, and walked forward guided by his memory.

7 stood beside him, clearing any obstacles from his path.

Lu Chu led them across a street and around a corner.

Seeing Lu Chu navigate the streets so expertly with his eyes closed, even pointing out nearby shops, Yuan Kejie was amazed, while Sun Haoran had a subtle smile on his lips.

People on the street saw this group walking together, the boy in front with his eyes closed, and thought they were a bunch of university students out for fun. They smiled and made way for them.

“Woof—woof woof—”

Just as Lu Chu was fully focused on walking, a familiar bark sounded in his ear.

Startled, Lu Chu opened his eyes and saw a golden retriever not far away.

The dog appeared to be a stray, with dirt-streaked fur. It didn’t seem like a tamed retriever, its dark eyes wary and alert like a hunter’s.

Lu Chu looked at 7.

7 nodded. This dog, from its breed, size, and bark, was identical to Lu Chu’s dog, “Carrot.”

But in this world, Carrot hadn’t been tamed and wasn’t a gentle guide dog.

Initially, Lu Chu felt a bit unsettled, but he soon calmed down.

The same golden retriever in the same world, but not the one that had been his companion for years.

As Lu Chu thought this, the wary dog sniffed the air and slowly approached him.

The others readied themselves for a fight, but Lu Chu waved them off and let the dog come closer.

The dog sniffed Lu Chu, whimpered in a familiar way, and then circled him, wagging its tail. This endearing behavior was just like how Carrot used to act.

The shopkeeper from a nearby store saw the whole scene. Fanning himself, he smiled warmly, “This dog appeared on the street suddenly a few days ago, covered in mud. Many people tried to feed it, but it ignored them. It’s fierce, finds its own food, and scared everyone away. But now, seeing it so gentle with you, I think you two are meant to be.”

Suddenly appearing on the street?

Lu Chu looked into the dog’s innocent eyes.

It might really be Radish.