After dinner, the sky was already void of the sunset, but the electric trains on the elevated tracks were still roaring by at high speeds.
The Gu Yima Residential Area was very far from the downtown, and as night fell, there were no colorful neon lights, just the dim glow from the bulbs in the small shops along the street.
Ji Minghuan had his left hand in his pocket, playing with his phone as he walked forward.
The sounds of people on the street were gentle, children laughing and chasing each other as they dashed past him; an old man seated in a rocking chair outside a convenience store fanned himself, and occasionally, a dog's bark echoed from deep within the alleys.
In such an environment, even maintaining the "Restraint Sensing" wouldn't be much of a burden to his hearing.
Hearing Su Zimai's footsteps come to a stop in the park, Ji Minghuan retracted the restraint belt into his sleeve.
His eyes were lowered, focused on playing the Snake game that came with his phone.
Just at that moment, a text message popped up on his phone screen. He clicked on it, pulling up a small window, continuing his game while occasionally glancing at the text in the window.
[Gu Qiye: Aren't you worried I'll trace your message back to you?]
"Is there a need? You'd only trace it back to your own address anyway."
Ji Minghuan thought mockingly to himself as he typed in the chat box on his phone.
[Black Cocoon: Could you not start with a sentence that kills any desire for communication? Where's that eloquence you had when you were flirting with Green Wing at the square? Listening to your conversation, one might almost suspect you two have some kind of relationship interest.]
[Gu Qiye: You know well that I needed to stall for time then.]
[Black Cocoon: Getting back to the point, I suggest you don't try tracing me.]
[Gu Qiye: Why?]
[Black Cocoon: Well, that's because I still have control over your identity, know your intentions, every little thought you have; maybe I'm the one who knows you best in this world... Of course, you might be wary of me. After all, I know your identity, and if I were to reveal who you are to the outside world, it would impact your family. With so many enemies you have, no one can tell if they'd do something to your family.]
[Black Cocoon: Besides... wouldn't it be bad if the Association found out you contacted me privately?]
[Gu Qiye: Truly despicable.]
[Black Cocoon: I never intended for it to be this confrontational.]
[Gu Qiye: Then let me give you a piece of advice as well, it's best not to let me find out who you are.]
[Black Cocoon: That's a good piece of advice, I also think you wouldn't want to know who I am.]
After sending the message, Ji Minghuan lifted his eyes from the phone screen, already quite near the park where Su Zimai was. An electric bike carrying a couple sped past him.
[Gu Qiye: But you're right, my old man does seem a bit odd.]
[Black Cocoon: I never deceive my collaborators.]
[Gu Qiye: How much do you know about him?]
[Black Cocoon: Perhaps more than you think, but I need to emphasize a point to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings: I know many people, just like I know you, and you're not the exception.]
[Gu Qiye: What is he hiding from me?]
[Black Cocoon: Perhaps when our collaboration deepens, I'll consider telling you. Revealing a mystery too soon would strip the plot of tension.]
[Gu Qiye: One last question.]
[Black Cocoon: Ask.]
[Gu Qiye: Are you... my old man?]
At this moment, Ji Minghuan diverted his attention from the Snake game to look at the message Gu Qiye sent in the small window. Seemingly having forgotten about the game, the green snake crashed head-on into the wall, and the "Game Over" popup appeared.
Ji Minghuan fell silent, thinking: "I regard you as a good brother, but you see me as your dad?"
After a moment, he regained his composure, lifted a finger, and symbolically tapped out a few ellipses before hitting send.
[Black Cocoon: ...not impossible.]
[Gu Qiye: Did I guess right?]
[Black Cocoon: Uh, though I'm not sure if there's some misunderstanding between us, let's hear why you think so.]
[Gu Qiye: The timing of your appearance coincided with when he returned to Li Jing. Right after you appeared, he came back home the next day, and just after he walked away from me, you sent me a message.]
[Black Cocoon: Please, can you imagine your dad dressed like a flashy moth flitting about outside?]
[Gu Qiye: Okay, I was joking.]
[Black Cocoon: Seems you lack a sense of humor.]
[Gu Qiye: My younger siblings say the same, but once I put on my combat suit, I'm rated as the most talkative Mutant. I'm really curious which assessment is true.]
[Black Cocoon: Mr. Blue Arc, is it possible that being talkative and lacking a sense of humor don't really conflict?]
[Gu Qiye: So what do you need from me?]
[Black Cocoon: That's confidential. I just want you to know that if I wanted to be your enemy, I would've done so long ago. Just revealing your identity would make your siblings your greatest weakness to you, but I haven't done that.]
[Gu Qiye: That's indeed true. Although I don't trust you, from a perspective of mutual benefits, I can temporarily cooperate with you.]
[Black Cocoon: It's a wise decision. I won't disappoint you.]
At the same time, in another corner of the Gu Yima District, inside a residential building.
[Let's leave it at that. I'm in a bad mood right now. Don't let me see your messages for a while.]
Gu Qiye had just finished editing this text in the chat box and clicked send when a "Message failed to send, you have been blocked by the recipient" exclamation mark popped up before his eyes.
He raised an eyebrow, only then realizing he hadn't even sent the message yet when Black Cocoon had already blocked him.
As if... the other side had anticipated he would say that.
"Heh..." Gu Qiye shook his head and laughed.
Whether out of helplessness or anger, he took a deep breath, then put his phone back in his pocket, donned an apron, and began clearing the dishes and leftovers on the dining table.
Meanwhile, near Gu Yima Park.
After one-sidedly blocking Gu Qiye, Ji Minghuan focused on playing Snake on his phone.
If not for the jaw-dropping text message he had just received, he would've cleared the game long ago, instead of crashing halfway through and having to block Gu Qiye to let off steam.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
Yawning, with tears of drowsiness in his eyes, he gazed at the red and black panel hovering in mid-air.
[Main Quest 1 (Second Stage) Completed: Establish a collaborative relationship with the Mutant "Blue Arc" and thereby expand your connections within the Mutants Association.]
[Rewards Received: 1 Split Point, 1 Skill Point, 1 Attribute Point.]
[Main Quest 1 Updated: Complete the first collaboration with the Mutant "Blue Arc" to deepen the other's trust.]
Ji Minghuan stared at the rewards on the panel, closed the Snake game running on his phone, and put it back into his school uniform jacket pocket.
He softly murmured to himself, "So... I have gathered 3 Split Points already."
Thinking this, he brought up his personal interface.
[Current Attribute Points: 2]
[Current Skill Points: 2]
[Current Split Points: 3]
[Tip: You have gathered 3 Split Points. Open the "Create Game Character" option to enter the character creation phase and create your second game character in the Real World.]