Chapter 73, Chapter Twenty: The Fantasy Building

“You didn’t tell me that the full name would be displayed.” Gong Baidie picked up the tablet, on which was the “Mid-February Performance Ranking” published by OA.

Yanzi felt a pang of guilt, but immediately puffed out her chest and retorted defiantly: "You didn't ask me!"

The black gloves pressed against the last line of names. Swallow glanced at them, her confidence growing stronger. "Even a lord must abide by the rules. You haven't submitted a single painting. If it weren't for the powerful feathers I gave you, allowing you to collect a large amount of negative energy to resist the rules, you would have become a walking corpse, a madman long ago."

Gong Baidie smiled knowingly, "A walking corpse, a madman... ha."

The swallow shook its feathers.

He was clearly smiling and quite friendly towards it, but compared to that silly dog ​​that seemed ready to tear it apart at any moment, Yanzi was inexplicably afraid.

Recalling Gong Baidie's actions since creating the ghost stories, it couldn't help but remind her: [I know you're quite good at collecting energy, but you're consuming far too much!]

[The dreams and attempts to erase Wen Ting's memories every night are too energy-consuming. Even if you hate her and want to scare her, her recent dreams have hardly produced any negative emotions. What's the point of doing this?]

There was one more thing Yanzi didn't dare say: That dream was almost turning into Wen Ting's training ground.

Thanks to those dreams, she transformed from a girl who would faint at the sight of Yun Heli's death into a ruthless person who could kiss the Queen and then shoot her in the head.

Aside from enhancing her killing skills and courage, I really don't know what other use those dreams have.

Gong Baidie ignored it.

Yanzi said sarcastically, clearly displeased, "[Fine, I won't say anything about Wen Ting's matter, but what about the others? If you're worried about people dying too quickly, you could reduce the number of corpse monsters, or make them weaker. Why give the others so much energy?!]"

How much energy do those bubble walls and whale attacks take?!

Fighting against yourself, how can there be such internal strife?

Gong Baidie said calmly, "They deserve it."

The swallow glanced at him, its eyes full of disdain.

What's worthwhile? It's like a parent who failed in their own life and now hopes their child will succeed, placing all their hopes on others.

If it were that silly dog, the swallow would have already started cawing and laughing at him, but in front of Gong Baidie, it felt inexplicably short of breath.

After all, this guy is really not normal; he can cry, laugh, shout, and curse all by himself anytime, anywhere.

Like a madman.

[I'll say it one more time: With so many people around, gathering power is easy, but if you abuse it like this, don't blame me when you really need it.] Unable to reason with him, the swallow flapped its wings and vanished into thin air. [You'd better watch yourself.]

Gong Baidie ignored Yanzi's words completely, focusing only on Wen Ting hiding under the table.

He stood directly in front of her, his legs only an inch away from the tip of her nose.

If she hadn't covered her mouth and nose tightly, her terrified breath would have sprayed onto his legs.

From the moment she discovered that her name had been exposed, Gong Baidie knew that there was no need for her to pretend anymore.

So he disappeared as he pleased, observing the assessment day from the nearest location.

Are you afraid? Are you lonely? Are you desperate?

He looked at the grotesque corpse across from his workstation, its ugly body separated from Wen Ting by a thin tabletop.

"That's great." Gong Baidie's gaze fell on the table. Unlike him back then, she still had this place where she could hide and make a living.

After today, she will probably discover—or perhaps she has already discovered his true colors.

Gong Baidie didn't really care about being exposed.

He appeared before her as Gong Baidie, only because he was worried that her useless life skills would cause her to starve to death.

He hated her long hair and long dress, and repeatedly suggested that she seek help from the director.

He wanted to observe her comfortably, keeping her hanging on, like people enjoy playing games in a soft bed with the air conditioning on and a drink in hand.

However, she keenly sensed the malice and was unwilling to get close to Gong Feibai.

He had had enough of this body, so it wouldn't hurt for her to discover his true nature sooner rather than later.

Gong Baidie was extremely curious about how Wen Ting would react when she realized that he was the monster who created the ghost stories.

In the game, this should be considered a minor climax in the plot, and he couldn't miss her reaction.

Gong Baidie bent down and carefully admired Wen Ting under the table.

She covered her mouth and nose, her pupils trembling with fear, her face flushed from the adrenaline rush.

She was terrified, filled with fear and panic, trembling and helpless.

Is this what he wanted to see?

Is that so...?

Isn't that right?

He saw Wen Ting lying in bed that night, gazing at him tenderly; he saw her talking about their new home; he saw that cold, dark well.

She pressed down on the crank handle, breaking down yet gently coaxing him, "Once you come out, there will be two of you, so you won't be afraid."

Ah... Hahaha, hahahaha!

This is exactly what he wants! This is what he's always dreamed of!

He enjoys seeing Wen Ting in all her different forms, like the various save files that players keep to see her different reactions.

He loved them and her with all his heart, but just to enjoy his different reactions, they went back in time, overturned their hard-won happiness, and jokingly chose one option after another to destroy him.

Gong Baidie leaned closer to look at Wen Ting, her bulging eyes pressed against her forehead, examining her closely.

The year she left, he cried, grieved, and also tried to understand.

He told himself that she had her own unspeakable difficulties. Although selling him for 30,000 yuan seemed like an insult, perhaps she really needed the money urgently to save her life.

But after days of humiliation, Gong Baidie finally realized—

He was not born as Wen Ting's husband or child.

Every vicious option and every tragic ending was written by her own hand.

It wasn't the player who caused his misfortune, but her.

It was she who created those tragic endings for people to desecrate him.

He was always just a pastime, never cherished by creators, so when the market value dropped slightly, she would naturally sell him while he was still worth a price.

Haha, hahahaha... Gong Baidie grinned, revealing her teeth, her eyeballs almost touching Wen Ting's skin.

He didn't care whether she discovered his identity or not; it would be interesting whether she did or not. All her reactions were extremely amusing.

Those increasingly dull and boring dreams were extinguishing his passion, almost making him forget why he created this ghost story in the first place.

Her pain and her despair are what he has been longing to see!

It would be fair if she had to experience hell just like him.

Unfortunately, Wen Ting's fear did not last long.

Although she has no memory of the dream, her emotional threshold has been strengthened by the dream.

Wen Ting quickly recovered, much to Gong Baidie's disappointment.

He stood behind Wen Ting, watching her draw meaningless symbols on paper.

She watched as the man named Max sent her a message again after many days.

Living inside Wen Ting's phone, Gong Baidie knows all the information she receives.

That man has ulterior motives.

He was heartbroken, suppressing the bitterness in his heart—hahaha, that's not the old routine anymore!

Her recent sweet talk made him dizzy and he almost forgave her.

Let him see what she will choose when a powerful man shows her affections after she has proposed to him in person.

Wen Ting took her phone and walked out of the company gate, teleporting to the lounge.

Midnight has passed, the assessment day is finally over, 17 people died, 2 corpses remain; 11 people had their work badges removed, and 7 people gained skills.

She had gathered a lot of information today and habitually wanted to record it in her notes, but glancing at the empty bottom right corner of the screen, she exited the app.

She put down her phone, sat on the bed, closed her eyes to rest, and sorted out her thoughts in her mind.

Gong Baidie still hadn't appeared, and the scent of sunshine on the blanket had faded a bit; it seemed he hadn't washed or changed it today.

"White butterfly..." Wen Ting murmured to herself, leaning against the headboard.

He said he was her skill, but the skill could only be activated by removing her work badge.

She was almost certain he had lied to her.

Wen Ting went through the whole process from the beginning:

The ghost story begins when Gong Feibai joins the company.

Director Xu's transfer order was abrupt. No matter how talented or powerful a young man in his early twenties is, it is impossible for him to become the art director of Green Forest right away.

He is the crux of the problem.

Wen Ting chewed on the three words "Gong Feibai".

Gong Feibai and Gong Baidie are completely different. They look different, speak differently, and their personalities contradict Gong Baidie's in many ways.

That suit was unconventional, and cutting off one's hair was even more unfilial.

He also erased the butterfly pattern that was the signature of the White Butterfly.

Bai Die is not white; he exudes defiance towards her from head to toe.

What grudge did he have against her?

There are three most likely possibilities:

First, he awakened to self-awareness, but was trapped in the game, and like a child struggling in poverty, he resented his parents for giving birth to him.

Second, she left Wanluo at its peak, after which "Desktop Lovers" went downhill until it shut down. Gong Baidie regarded her as the turning point and believed that all of this was caused by her betrayal.

Both possibilities are possible, but since he didn't kill her after leaving the house, and instead pretended to be gentle with her, Wen Ting leans towards the third possibility:

Once a game character leaves the virtual world, he needs a vessel to contain himself or to gain greater power.

The rules in this ghost story are quite intriguing.

Why is it easier for younger and wealthier people to remove their employee badges?

On the surface, the younger and wealthier a person is, the less they care about this employee badge and the more easily they can discard it.

Ke Wenting guessed that this was Gong Baidie's way of selecting the best container.

He looked down on her body, which was riddled with chronic diseases, so he used her as a medium to start a competition with 100 participants, hoping to select a young, wealthy, healthy body with superpowers.

...Then he's really picked the wrong place. Being wealthy is one thing, but in a giant internet company like Green Forest, a healthy body is absolutely one in a hundred.

No wonder it's a hundred people.

Wen Ting was amused by her own ridiculous joke.

There is another possibility: the vessel or power that Gong Baidie needs does not rely on possession, but on sacrifice.

Wen Ting's upturned lips straightened.

Perhaps he needs to sacrifice a hundred people to achieve his goal.

This is the worst possible outcome.

Wen Ting slowly opened her eyes.

She has to survive.

She came from a remote rural village to the capital and has worked her way up to where she is now. No matter what, she is determined to survive.

...

When Wen Ting woke up, she opened her eyes and saw a familiar figure under the bed.

Gong Baidie is back.

He knelt by the bed, preparing food, water, and clothes for Wen Ting as always.

The man's features were respectful and gentle, but when he noticed Wen Ting had woken up, his beautiful eyes were filled with guilt and self-reproach.

This expression felt familiar to Wen Ting.

It seems that every colleague who betrayed her and was caught did so in the same way.

Wen Ting was used to this posture, but she never thought that one day she would see it on the face of her own artwork.

She's too arrogant.

After a brief exchange of glances, the man's thin lips parted slightly, and before he could utter an apology, Wen Ting rushed towards him and hugged him tightly.

"White Butterfly, White Butterfly! You've finally appeared!" She haphazardly stroked his head and neck, stepped back slightly, and anxiously looked him over. "Are you alright? Will you disappear again?"

Gong Baidie looked into Wen Ting's eyes.

"I don't know either. Yesterday at nine o'clock, the game started interfering..." He was even more panicked and anxious than she was, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to apologize, "Bai Die is useless, unable to protect my wife, please punish me!"

"Why!" Wen Ting interrupted his apology, urgently pulling him up. "Why did you disappear? Was it because your body was unstable?"

"Perhaps so..."

"How can I help you?" Wen Ting held his shoulders, her eyes flickering slightly. "Hmm, you need a body that exists in the real world?"

Gong Baidie raised an eyebrow.

He hadn't expected Wen Ting to react this way. She must have already noticed something was amiss.

"What does the wife mean?"

"Do you have a body you like?" Wen Ting asked softly. "DD is the most suitable for you right now. He's a loner with simple interpersonal relationships, so it won't be a problem for you to move in. The only problem is that he's a bit weak. If you don't like him, I can pick a few more for you from the rest."

A hint of surprise crept into Gong Baidie's mind. "Does my mistress know what she's saying?"

"I know! I know!" Wen Ting shook her head excitedly, "But it's something I have to do. I can't bear to see you disappear from my sight again. Bai Die, I can't live without you."

What kind of scheme is she plotting?

He uttered a confused sound: "...Me?"

"You still want to hide it from me?" she asked, looking up at him. "Bai Die, Director Gong. It's you, isn't it?"

Those gentle eyes were shining, but Gong Baidie didn't understand what the light in her eyes was for. She should be afraid and angry.

“Actually, before… I was always worried that you were a monster from a ghost story in disguise, but I saw the director’s name yesterday,” Wen Ting explained. “That name was too obvious. Plus, you’ve mentioned him to me several times. Bai Die, you are him, aren’t you?”

Gong Baidie remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "My wife is wise."

“Let me guess another one,” Wen Ting said, “this ghost story is your doing.”

Gong Baidie's smile widened.

He felt sorry for Wen Ting.

Now that she knew he possessed extraordinary strength, she should have been more careful with him. Why did she so easily break the ice?

Could it be that she still thinks he is the submissive, wife-obsessed Gong Baidie?

Could it be that she sees him as someone to rely on, thinking that he will protect her?

Hahaha, Wen Ting, when did you become so reckless and foolish!

He really needs to teach her a lesson.

Wisps of black smoke emerged from his clothes and hair. Gong Baidie's figure and facial features twisted and changed. In just half a knee, he transformed directly into the appearance of Gong Feibai in front of Wen Ting.

A handsome young man appeared in the room, still gentle and refined, but now he was no longer submissive and had become arrogant.

He clapped his hands for her, "A name and a few words are all it takes to know everything, my wife, you truly understand my heart."

Now that the conversation is out in the open, he can get down to business.

The butterfly-shaped markings under his skin were burning and painful, and his throat was unusually dry, making him want to drink a lot.

How can a performance review every two weeks be enough?

He still wanted to give her a few days of peace, but she foolishly walked right into the line of fire, recklessly tearing off that skin. From this day forward, he would make her live in hell every moment.

"Ugh..."

The cool, soft touch stopped Gong Baidie from bursting into maniacal laughter.

He was so shocked that he took half a step back, only to have Wen Ting grab his suit jacket again.

She kissed him, the warm moisture spreading from under her eyes to his face, flowing over the burning, scalding butterfly pattern, extinguishing and wetting the faintly reddened lines.

"It really is you... Bai Die, it really is you?" She pressed close to him, her voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry, I heard the game was shutting down... I thought I'd never see you again."

The ten fingers gripping his suit tightly squeezed the ironed fabric, creating wrinkles.

"This isn't a dream, is it?" she murmured, sobbing. "White Butterfly...why didn't you come to see me sooner..."

"White Butterfly, I really miss you so much..."

Gong Baidie heard the noise of blood pounding against her heart.

A flicker of fear appeared in his eyes. He saw the long-suppressed hatred, like icicles under the scorching sun, cracking and threatening to break under this salty kiss.

She actually said to him, "I'm sorry."

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The author's note: Gradually, the character has degenerated into someone who coldly washes underwear.