Chapter 109 – Web of Desire
He Ruge’s dream of riding the largest cat and watching the most beautiful starry sky finally came true. Under the serene sky, Xi Guican transformed into his human form, and they kissed.
While the stars above shone brilliantly, the fires on the ground consumed the lives of the Zerg. As all of Qiong Qi’s power was reclaimed, the light-brain rings of Xi Guican and He Ruge simultaneously emitted the game’s “di-di-di” notification sound.
[Energy collection complete. “Your Exclusive Lover” 2.0 is officially starting!]
[Dear players, we had a joyful gaming experience together in “Your Exclusive Lover” 1.0. We hope you will have an even better experience in the upcoming game journey! Let’s have fun toppling bosses together~]
[Touch the following special characters to trigger game events:]
[Shang Chaoqi (Sin City)]
[Wu Chengdeng (Web of Desire)]
[Xiang Zhongzheng (Judgment Day)]
[Other characters to be unlocked…]
[Current mode: Team mode!]
[Brothers fight together; fathers and sons go to war!]
[With a united heart, even gold can be cut!]
He Ruge and Xi Guican exchanged glances.
“It seems our earlier suspicions were correct,” He Ruge said.
“Let’s hurry back to Whale Fall City, return everyone’s souls to their bodies, and then consider which game storyline to unlock first. Oh, and don’t forget Admiral Hang.”
Reluctantly interrupted from his kiss, Xi Guican nodded with a somber expression. He used his spiritual power to awaken the unconscious Hang Shikuang. Upon waking, Hang Shikuang saw the place designated for torture instruments by Taotie.
He looked around somewhat dazedly. Without Taotie’s possession, the black-haired officer’s eyes were firm and righteous.
Despite feeling quite panicked inside, he spoke methodically, “Admiral Xi, where are we? Why are you, Mr. He, and I here? What is the situation on the star war front?”
He Ruge looked at Hang Shikuang with mixed emotions. His biggest thought was how much demeanor affected appearance. The same face, yet there was a world of difference between a criminal and an officer.
And… should he tell this innocent admiral that premature balding isn’t such a big deal?
He had just taken a quick look at the live broadcast room. One of the most popular comments was about a tech expert revealing Xi Guican’s beast form having bald patches. Many of Xi Guican’s fans stubbornly insisted it was just an illusion caused by darkness, only to be repeatedly proven wrong by the tech expert’s data.
Eventually, the tone of the conversation became:
Fan: Not bald, not bald, not bald! You haters are just slandering our admiral! Not bald! My god can blow you haters away with a single hair! (crying) You’re the bald ones!
Tech expert: Yes, I am indeed bald, and so is Xi Guican. This is a bald person’s intuition about another.
Hater: Hahaha, bald tiger.
Tech expert and fans: Get lost!
He Ruge looked at the oblivious Xi Guican with a father’s worry in his eyes. Actually, Xi Guican’s baldness was not very noticeable now, so many fans still firmly believed it was just a matter of lighting and angles.
These adorable fans, having experienced the recent widespread defamation of Xi Guican, now refused to believe anything the haters said.
Unknowingly and coincidentally, Xi Guican had performed a series of actions that both tortured and solidified his fan base. Today’s fans continued to fight on the front lines to defend Admiral Xi’s reputation.
Baldness, in fact, isn’t such a big deal.
He Ruge looked indulgently at Xi Guican and Hang Shikuang.
Unaware of his balding, Hang Shikuang awaited Xi Guican’s response. Under Xi Guican’s cold and detached gaze, Hang Shikuang suddenly felt a chill on his head.
The admiral’s deadly stare was indeed becoming more intense, like a cold pool’s icy aura from killing countless insects. Hang Shikuang innocently thought.
“You were manipulated to kidnap He Ruge and imprison him on Star 17. The queen has been killed by me,” Xi Guican said, scrutinizing Hang Shikuang for a long time, marveling at how he remained composed despite his balding.
In Hang Shikuang’s shocked gaze, Xi Guican showed him the mysterious live broadcast website and the star war live recordings.
On the way to Whale Fall City, Hang Shikuang watched most of the live broadcast and believed Xi Guican. His expression turned grim, and he spoke at length with Xi Guican.
“Admiral Xi, thank you this time…”
At the end of their conversation, he said, “I have to face a military tribunal. I didn’t expect to be made the scapegoat this time.”
“Mr. He, I apologize for the harm I’ve caused you,” Hang Shikuang said to He Ruge before leaving.
Watching Hang Shikuang’s departing figure, He Ruge couldn’t help but call out, “Admiral Hang, maybe you should leave wearing your military hat.”
Hang Shikuang: “???”
He touched his balding head, his eyes showing even more poignant grief.
“Will Hang Shikuang be alright?” He Ruge asked.
Hang Shikuang was innocent.
If something really happened to him, he would become the fall guy.
“He won’t die. Whether he can keep his position as an admiral is another question,” Xi Guican said softly, his eyes half-closed.
“Hang Shikuang said the military knew about Taotie’s existence long ago. They called Taotie the monster hidden in the military. The hawks seem to have long assumed that Taotie’s base was within the military. But Wu Chengdeng, Shang Chaoqi, and Xiang Zhongzheng are all doves.”
A faint, inscrutable smile appeared on his face.
“This is going to be interesting.”
The phrase “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” doesn’t apply to Xi Guican, because he despises both the Doves, the Hawks, and Taotie equally.
After losing their souls, all the members of Land Class 1 turned into vegetative states. Therefore, the destination was changed from Blue Whale Orphanage to the central hospital of Whale Fall City.
Just before they reached the hospital, He Ruge suddenly said, “Guican, I have a surprise for you later.”
Xi Guican’s blue eyes lit up with anticipation, and a secret boyish excitement welled up within him. However, when He Ruge let go of his hand and ran into the hospital room towards the sleeping cubs, Xi Guican realized that the surprise might not be what he had imagined.
Returning the souls to their bodies was a simple process. He Ruge just had to place his hand on the foreheads of the cubs, and like dew drops falling from willow leaves, their souls returned to their bodies.
One by one, Little Teacher Shui and the cubs woke up.
When He Ruge stood by the last hospital bed, he suddenly waved to Xi Guican, who was standing at the door. With bright, sparkling black eyes, He Ruge slightly turned, revealing a small bundle of white fur lying on the bed.
Xi Guican’s steps halted less than half a meter from the bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to take the final step.
The long rabbit ears twitched, and the little rabbit opened its red eyes. First, it looked at He Ruge and sweetly called him “Jiao.”
Then, it turned its head and froze upon seeing Xi Guican. It sniffed the air, recognizing the familiar scent, but the tall man in the black military uniform standing before him was vastly different from the little white tiger in his memories.
“…Number 20?” the soft voice called out.
Number 20.
A name that seemed to belong to another lifetime.
A name that carried countless humiliations and resentments.
Yet at this moment, when the number was called out in a childlike voice, the first memories that surfaced for Xi Guican were of his time with the little rabbit, the starry sky when the golden python died, the departing shadow of the crow, and the repentant gaze of the Medicine-seeking mouse.
Everything seemed to be far away, as if a lone white tiger stood in the distance, its shadow cast on the ground by the light. It seemed to be standing alone in a desolate yet free expanse.
As the light continued to fall, shadows of mice, crows, snakes, and rabbits appeared on the ground. The little white tiger lowered its head, following the shadows on the ground slowly.
They walked for a long time until they reached a huge iron pillar. The little white tiger looked up and saw a world enclosed by a giant iron cage—
He had been in a cage all along.
The little white tiger turned its head, its blue eyes quietly looking at Xi Guican, then turned away and, without a backward glance, walked away with the group of shadows.
Suddenly, something inside Xi Guican felt empty, yet it became brighter, like a house cleared of old furniture and heavy dust, suddenly becoming spacious and clear.
The prolonged silence made Ruanruan uneasy, afraid he had mistaken the person. Just as Ruanruan was about to cast a pleading look at He Ruge, Xi Guican’s tightly pressed lips slowly parted, and the stern man before him spoke, “…Ruanruan.”
This was the first time Xi Guican called Number 19 by his name. He used to always call him Number 19, coldly and detachedly, rejecting warmth from the core.
However, at this moment, he introduced himself, “I am Xi Guican, and he is He Ruge.”
Ruanruan, who was naturally sociable, tilted his head and quickly accepted the new names, “Ruge~ Guican~”
He Ruge picked up Ruanruan and smiled at Xi Guican, “How is it? Surprised?”
Xi Guican removed his gloves and touched Ruanruan’s rabbit ears, saying in a low voice, “Very surprised. I didn’t expect this.”
He hadn’t expected the game to have such power, which made Xi Guican start looking forward to what “Your Exclusive Lover” 2.0 would be like.
The game mentioned that touching special characters could trigger game events, and three special characters had already been listed. But what kind of interaction counted as “touching”?
He Ruge didn’t notice Xi Guican’s thoughtful expression because he was already surrounded by countless fluffy creatures. He Ruge not only had to deal with the cubs but also had to placate Shui Xirui.
While He Ruge chatted and laughed with everyone in Land Class 1, Xi Guican retreated to a corner. Not good at joining such lively conversations, he opened his light-brain and tried to contact the special characters.
The easiest target was Wu Chengdeng. Xi Guican sent a brief message.
Xi Guican: “.”
Wu Chengdeng: “?”
The game notification sounded, and Xi Guican opened it to see the following text:
[Ding——Congratulations to player Xi Guican for successfully triggering the game event ‘Wu Chengdeng (Web of Desire)’]
The star war live stream had sparked a live-streaming craze, with the aesthetics of violence spreading wildly. Many drifters from Star 17 were drawn into underground fighting arenas. Meanwhile, the violence-fueled sex industry became even more rampant.
Sensational and eye-catching live broadcasts emerged one after another. Under the indulgence of monsters, they trampled on federal laws and social ethics. Ultimately, these utterly base and inhumane live streams were shielded and hidden, creating, selling, and exhibiting humanity’s darkest evils, feeding the monsters’ growing appetites.
The Star Network eventually became a web of desire, ensnaring countless monsters wearing human skins.
Mini Theater:
Tech Expert & Hang Shikuang: Fellow bald people in a harsh world.
Xi Guican: Get lost, I’m not bald.
