Gao Yang knew Qing Ling wasn't joking—she never did.
The current situation was within his expectations. Saving Wang Zikai hadn't just been an act of naivety; he'd had other considerations, though they hadn't been fully formed at the time.
After a day of reflection, he'd pieced it together. Now, it was time for his performance—channeling the ultimate anime technique: Talk no Jutsu!
"Qing Ling, I know you've survived this long because of your caution and decisiveness."
"Flattery won't work," she said coldly.
"Then let me ask you this: Why do you want to survive?"
"Do I need a reason? Do you want to die?"
"Of course not. But everyone dies eventually. Even if you live to 100, it's not enough. Life can't just be about eating, sleeping, and surviving. There has to be something more, right?"
Qing Ling fell silent.
"Think about it. No rush." Gao Yang pressed on. "First, let me give you a reason not to kill Wang Zikai."
"Go on."
"I've only been awakened for a few days, but I already understand how dangerous it is. You've survived not just because you're strong or careful."
"Because I have a second personality," Qing Ling admitted.
"Exactly. Once awakened, we instinctively distrust beasts. Non-Lost Ones can sense that. Over time, we slip up. But you? Your alter ego, despite being cold and man-hating, blends in perfectly with beasts."
"Other awakeners aren't so lucky. Like me. Like Fatty Jun. No matter how well we act, we're always guarded. When we find other awakeners, we instinctively band together—which seems safer, but actually..."
Qing Ling stepped out of the shadows. "More dangerous."
"Right. These beasts aren't stupid. From Fatty Jun's observations, they play humans 24/7. They don't test, lure, or attack unawakened humans. But that doesn't mean they don't watch us."
"Li Weiwei proved that. Before I awakened, we were childhood friends. The moment I changed, she turned on me."
Qing Ling nodded. "If multiple humans associate closely, beasts will suspect they're awakened. At a 1-in-10,000 ratio, it's unnatural."
Gao Yang sighed. "But if we don't unite, we'll never uncover the truth. Even if we survive to 100, we'll still be—" He echoed Huang's words, "Orphans abandoned by gods."
Qing Ling's gaze flickered with thought.
"Back to my question," Gao Yang stepped closer. "Qing Ling, why do you live? Don't you want to know the truth behind this world? Can we escape? Can we win? That's what matters."
Silence.
Gao Yang sensed an opening and pressed harder. "Here's the problem: Awakeners need to unite to grow stronger. But uniting increases our exposure. We'll be wiped out before we gain an advantage."
"Get to the point."
"There is a way to reduce the risk."
"Lost Ones," Qing Ling realized.
"Yes. They're the perfect smokescreen." Gao Yang reasoned, "Beasts can recognize their own kind, but not necessarily which kind. Keeping Wang Zikai close actually protects us."
"Plus, from a social standpoint, Wang Zikai and I are friends. You and I connected over Li Weiwei's death. The three of us together? Plausible. But if you kill him now? Suspicious."
Qing Ling conceded. "Li Weiwei was your childhood friend and my bestie. Wang Zikai's your bro. If both beasts die, and we two humans stay close? Too obvious."
Gao Yang smiled. "Maintaining 'relationships' with beasts is camouflage. Huang probably keeps Old Liu alive for the same reason."
"Fine. You've convinced me."
Gao Yang exhaled. Phew. Talk no Jutsu success.
That night, home was uneventful. His parents scolded him for staying out, oblivious to everything else.
Locked in his room, Gao Yang lay in bed and closed his eyes.
[Beep—]
[System activated]
[71 new Luck Points acquired]
—Wait, isn't it 1 point per hour?
—At most 50 hours since last login.
[Luck talent upgraded to Lv.2]
[Danger level now affects point gain]
[20 minutes of extreme peril = 60x multiplier]
—The Auntie He fight? High risk, high reward!
—Dump it all into Luck.
[Allocated. Luck: 101]
[Bonus stats: +9 VIT, +10 END, +10 AGI, +20 INT, +3 CHA]
—Huh. Feels like a net loss.
—What's INT do?
[Boosts mental-type talents, perception, danger sense]
—Got it.
—Can I unlock the hidden panel now?
[Insufficient Luck]
—How much more?
[Access denied]
—Fine. Grind it is.
[New feature unlocked: Hall of Talents. One free comprehension attempt. Use?]
—Nice! Multi-talents here I come.
—Which matters more: talents or stats?
[Early game: talents. Stats need scaling + synergy]
—Use the attempt.
[Comprehending...]
[Failed]
—Figures.
[Next attempt: 30 Luck Points]
—Should've saved some. Whatever. Tomorrow.
[System exit]
[Beep—]
A light rain fell the next morning.
As Gao Yang walked through crowded streets, watching "office drones" zombie-walk to work, he marveled at their dedication. Guess "corporate livestock" is literal now.
At school, the homeroom teacher summoned him and Qing Ling. "Police are here about Li Weiwei."
Though her death was recent, the teacher's tone held no grief—just impatience.
In the office, Huang smoked alone.
"Last time's mess cleaned up?" Qing Ling asked.
"Covered. No traces." Huang stubbed out his cigarette. "Fatty Jun explained the failure."
"We can try again. Guaranteed success."
Huang exhaled slowly. "My wife and I met in high school. First love. Decades together. I thought I knew her—the human her."
After confirming they were alone, he lowered his voice. "Lately, she'd been acting off. I thought she suspected me. If so, she couldn't be a Lost One."
"I agonized over killing her. Then you two showed up."
He rubbed his face. "Thank god we failed. Otherwise, I'd have regretted it forever."
"Change of plans?" Gao Yang asked.
"Yes." Huang stood. "Turns out, my wife was hiding something—just not what I thought."
His eyes darkened.
"She's pregnant."