As darkness and firelight intersected, Jian Qingrong's eyes grew colder as he listened to the heart-wrenching words brought by the mechanical voice.
The Puppet Guild and the president of Wangcai Bank joined forces, and almost all of the people they hired were desperate players in real life. Tianhai City was strictly controlled, and ordinary killers could not get guns and ammunition at all.
After resisting for more than ten minutes, three thunderclaps fell from the sky. Under the full encirclement of the police officers, the killer's front line finally collapsed completely.
One of the assassin leaders seemed to realize something. The lightning strikes were too coincidental. One strike was understandable, but three in a row… He suddenly became extremely agitated and roared at the sky, "You're the one behind this? Why? Aren't you the one who values fairness the most?"
He seemed to want to say something, but the words were blocked in his throat and his face turned red.
Wen Shi watched expressionlessly as the man tried to take out his pass and tear it open so he could return to the virtual world.
However, he failed.
The man didn't give up and still wanted to try.
Seeing this, Wen Shi vaguely guessed the reason why the game failed.
Soon a group of old players will leave the game and be completely separated from the virtual world. It is not ruled out that someone will find out the real identity of the old players and maliciously harm them. If all this is allowed to happen, the virtual world will sooner or later fall into a vicious cycle.
Although the key in the zombie's stomach has not yet been untied, it belongs to Wen Shi's general, so it is not an exaggeration to assume that Wen Shi has collected all the keys.
"So the game prohibits players from maliciously killing people who have collected all the keys..." Wen Shi figured out a taboo rule and said "wow" in his heart.
The mastermind behind this is probably in trouble. All the infighting, including hired killings in the virtual world, will be held accountable by the game, and the nature of this incident is the same.
They only see the evil of the game, which condones players to do whatever they want in the real world, but they forget that maintaining the smooth operation of the system is the first rule of the game, and it has a bottom line.
In the darkness that it has spread, there is always a ray of light. The game sits high on the altar, watching the players fight for survival with a sense of evil humor.
All the surviving killers were handcuffed.
Wen Shi and Jian Qingrong also boarded the police car and were taken to take statements. The van had clearly been heading for them, and the subsequent shooting was also centered around them.
The moment he bent down to get into the car, the little octopus sneaked back into Jian Qingrong's eye sockets without anyone noticing.
A shooting occurred and the police station was brightly lit all night.
People were walking back and forth inside from time to time. Wen Shi was taken to an office desk. He was quite panicked because Jian Qingrong was an illegal resident.
Unexpectedly, the illegal immigrant calmly took out his ID, having already considered these things.
The police officer poured them a glass of water and said, "Don't be nervous. Do you know those people who were just arrested?"
An accident caused the amusement park to close early. A colleague who went to check the surveillance brought back news that there was a line failure in the main control room today. Further investigation revealed that the staff had been bribed and sabotaged.
Wen Shi pursed his lips, his voice trembling: "I'm scared, I don't know."
This is a trick question. It's hard to see the killer's face in that situation. Even shaking your head directly would arouse suspicion.
The police officer observed his expression and then took out a photo for comparison.
Wen Shi looked at them one by one, seemingly reminiscing, and finally pulled out the photo of the player who had just pointed his finger at the sky and cursed. "I think we've played games together a few times before. I wonder if he's a believer in some cult, but his speech is strange."
There are many people playing games in real life, so this kind of words will not be blocked.
The police officer asked a few more questions, left their contact information, and then had someone drive them back.
It's not easy to get a taxi around here, but Wen Shi didn't refuse the kindness.
"Where do you live?" the intern asked, tilting his head.
The one who answered was Jian Qingrong: "Wujie International Hotel."
Wujie International Hotel is very famous in Tianhai City, and the infinity pool on the rooftop makes it almost an alternative tourist attraction.
Wen Shi and Jian Qingrong took the elevator up to the top of the nearly 60-story building, where they could overlook the night view of half of Tianhai City.
Surprisingly, they didn't encounter anyone along the way. The elevator went up to the top floor smoothly. As the elevator door dinged open, Wen Shi's expression relaxed a little. "It's worth remembering. I haven't ridden a normal elevator in a long time."
He was impressed by the elevators in large factories and sanatoriums.
The rooftop swimming pool closes after 10 p.m., but at this moment there were staff waiting there early to lead them in.
Swimming trunks and towels were prepared on the lounge chairs.
Wen Shi asked in a low voice: "Have you brainwashed them too?"
Jian Qingrong shook his head: "We made a deal, this is part of the agreement."
If the Supreme Will wants to permanently restrict the power he uses in this world, it must show some sincerity, and it cannot be dismissed with just an identity card.
Only a small part of the lighting facilities was turned on, and the staff member gave a few precautions and then turned and left.
The temperature was a little low at night. After immersing himself in several copies, Wen Shi felt that his current physical condition was enough to take a bath in the polar regions. He picked up his swimming trunks and prepared to go to the locker room.
After walking a few steps, he turned around and saw Jian Qingrong standing there silently, his fingers bent unnaturally, like a stiff sculpture.
Wen Shi laughed and continued walking towards the locker room.
Before gaining control of the sanatorium, No. 82 had been confined and isolated, and as an adult, Jian Qingrong often drifted between the factory and the sanatorium. The little octopus, lacking a rational brain, was overly enthusiastic, and in fact, Jian Qingrong himself could be described as overly reserved.
He couldn't follow her to the locker room without permission, and he was too shy to even ask for permission.
Wen Shi narrowed his eyes: "Interesting."
He has a unique sexual fetish, which is above the level of abnormal according to Xie Tangyan's standards, but a part of his brain is very innocent.
On the other side, Jian Qingrong finally prepared himself mentally. It was normal for two men to go to the locker room together, but he had improper thoughts about Wen Shi and approached him directly as if he was taking advantage of him. When Jian Qingrong finally decided to go out of his way, Wen Shi had already come out of the locker room.
"I'm done." "..."
There was a dull joy in the other person's expression that I had never seen before. When Wen Shi arrived, he followed the ladder down to the swimming pool. His slightly pale skin had a hazy beauty under the waves.
Jian Qingrong couldn't take his eyes off it for a moment.
"Actually, I came here a long time ago." Wen Shi suddenly said, "My father brought me here at that time. There was a fireworks show across the street that day, and we could enjoy it from the top floor. At that time, I said that life is like fireworks, brilliant but fleeting."
Jian Qingrong followed up on his question and asked, "And then?"
Wen Shi turned around and put his hands on the shore. The light on the water seemed to be reflected on him alone.
"Then he said angrily, 'Where have you seen fireworks going off for decades?'
What Wen Shi envied and admired most about that person was that he always lived in the present.
Before my thoughts were pulled to a deeper place by memories, the world became brighter.
Wen Shi raised his head and saw that the small lights on the shore lit up one by one. Sunflowers were painted on the lampshades, and the bright orange light dispelled the darkness around the swimming pool.
The small light has limited brightness, but it is just right on this quiet night.
Wen Shi was startled at first, then smiled: "It seems you are very busy during the day today."
They were catching bad guys in the theme park and setting up the hotel.
He stretched out his hand toward the shore: "Swimming?"
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Jian Qingrong's face.
Wen Shi was surprised: "You can't swim?" He thought the Lord of Terror could learn everything without a teacher.
"My eyes will." Jian Qingrong added at the end: "But I won't drown."
He can remain submerged in the pond or continuously float on the surface.
Wen Shi raised his eyebrows: "Go change your clothes, I will teach you."
Jian Qingrong's voice was a little hoarse: "If I can't learn it, will there be a punishment?"
"...Won't."
A few minutes later, when Jian Qingrong appeared again, Wen Shi had already swam a circle. He was in a very leisurely posture. When he heard footsteps, he turned around and pulled the man into the water.
The water in this area was not deep and the distance was very close. Jian Qingrong suddenly felt that the beauty of mermaids, which was praised and feared by the world, was far inferior to the beauty of the person in front of him.
Wen Shi asked him to walk by holding the side of the pool to feel the buoyancy of the water.
"Don't tense your muscles too much."
Jian Qingrong felt like a bastard. Wen Shi taught him very seriously, but he just wanted to break through the resistance of the water and touch the narrow waist of the swimming pool.
Just as he was thinking about it, he felt a tingling sensation in the back of his abdomen.
Jian Qingrong's pupils trembled, and the numbness caused his heart to beat irregularly.
At the same time, Wen Shi's slender fingertips pressed against the side of his spine. He edged closer and closer, and when he was getting closer, he applied a little force with his fingertips: "Jian Qingrong, go to the Golden City and get back what you lost."
When he was called by his full name, there was a hint of restraint between his lips and teeth.
There was a red mark on Jian Qingrong's waist. Wen Shi was facing him and swam back to his original position.
City of Gold?!
Jian Qingrong's expression suddenly changed. He had no idea how Wen Shi had learned this.
He realized that he might have had a close call with death. If he had not arranged this trip, he would definitely be faced with a brutal reckoning the next time they met at the tea party.
Wen Shi hadn't known when he had swum to a position further forward, from where it was easier to appreciate all the little sunflower lights by the pool.
Jian Qingrong's ability allowed him to see the sunflowers reflected in Wen Shi's pupils even from a distance in a limited lighting environment.
After staring for a long time, Jian Qingrong suddenly froze there as if he had lost his mind: "Number 83."
A few words came out of his mouth uncontrollably.
Wen Shi opened her lips slightly and looked back at him from the side.
A chaotic mess of memories piled up in his mind. They were too fragmented, bringing with them sharp pain, and there was no way to piece them together. Jian Qingrong tried to pick up a few fragments to find out what was going on.
In those almost blurred moments, Jian Qingrong vaguely saw staff members in nursing home uniforms carrying a weak child out of the bed next door.
It was very strange. Even though he couldn't see the face clearly, he was sure that it was Wen Shi.
Why was Wen Shi there? Ignoring the pain that felt like his brain was about to be pierced, Jian Qingrong racked his brains to find all the connections.
-"I will come back to find you, for sure."
The moment this sentence appeared, it seemed to become a hub, connecting all the fragments of memory.
Noticing that Jian Qingrong wasn't feeling well, Wen Shi pulled him ashore and handed him a towel. Seeing that he still didn't respond, Wen Shi wiped the water off his hair and asked, "Are you okay?"
Just as he finished speaking, his wrist was suddenly grabbed forcefully.
An imperceptible sound was heard.
"I'll take you running."
"Um?"
Jian Qingrong lowered his head, water droplets continuously dripping down his hair. After a long moment, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "If I could turn back time... to that New Year's Eve, I would take you with me and run away."
Without a moment's hesitation, he ran out of the sanatorium without looking back.