Chapter 60
Consciousness felt like it was sinking to the deepest, darkest seabed, enveloped in thick silt, constantly plummeting. There was no light, no sound, only an endless, dull, slicing weariness and emptiness.
Is he dead?
I guess so.
So this is what death is like. It's not too painful, it's just... kind of meaningless. You can't feel anything, even the feeling of "meaningless" feels so light and ethereal.
I don't know how much time has passed; it might be a moment, or it might be eternity.
[Zi—Mission…failed…]
Intermittent electronic sounds, like a faulty old radio, suddenly emerged from this absolute silence.
Mission failed?
Oh, right. There's also that stupid system, and that stupid mission to match Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu up.
[Core error in the worldline...uncorrected...the derivative sub-world 'The Storm of a Rich Family: Young Master Qi's Runaway Sweetheart', number 7749...the plotline has completely deviated...the degree of logical breakdown exceeds the threshold...]
[Host Soul Binding Agreement... According to clause... *buzzing*... In the event of mission failure and irreversible physical damage to the host's consciousness... emergency retrieval procedure initiated...]
[Recycling in progress... 1%... 15%...]
Consciousness seemed to be pulled upwards from the chaotic depths of the sea by a brute force! It wasn't a gentle pull, but a brutal, almost tearing-out dredging!
[...89%...100%. Recovery complete.]
[Removing residual data from the current small world...removing the emotion module cache...buzzing...warning...severe emotion module cache buildup...forced removal may cause...]
[...enforcement.]
"ah--!!!"
A silent scream reverberated in some empty space. It wasn't a sound from the throat, but a wailing from consciousness itself. Something had been forcibly torn from the soul, leaving a bloody, gruesome residue. Was it the cool warmth of Qi Jin's palms when he held her face in the study? Was it the shattered light in her glance back before she jumped? Was it the gradually cooling touch of the safety amulet against her chest? Or was it the vivid sound of Lin Xiaoyu's furious howls?
I don't know. Everything was churned into a chaotic, sharp pain, and then mercilessly scooped away by that shovel called "System," and thrown into some unseen recycling bin.
The pain gradually subsided, leaving only a vaster and more complete nothingness.
[Emotional module stripping complete (some remnants could not be removed and have been isolated). The host's consciousness is undergoing repair... utilizing backup energy... repair progress is slow and is estimated to take 72 real-time hours.]
[Due to mission failure and anomalies in the world line, the host will be granted... a 'rest period'. Duration: 5 days in standard real-world time.]
[After the rest period, the host will be re-entered into this derivative world to continue the core mission: ensuring that the world's protagonist, Qi Jin, and Lin Xiaoyu achieve a happy ending.]
[Note: Due to the destruction of the original Shi Ye's body and the collapse of the original world line's logic, the next deployment will use a 'new identity'. The original Shi Ye's consciousness (local version) will attempt to return and take over subsequent developments under the self-correcting force of the world line after the logic of its body's natural death is established (this process is unrelated to this system).]
[Soon entering low-power hibernation/repair mode... Have a good rest.]
Happy my ass.
This was Shi Ye's last vague thought before he completely lost consciousness.
Then came a dreamless, cold sleep.
---
(At the same time, in Derivative Small World No. 7749, at the explosion site)
Lin Xiaoyu's crying had turned into intermittent, exhausted sobs. She slumped on the ground next to the stretcher, her eyes swollen shut, staring blankly at Shi Ye's pale and quiet face, as if she couldn't understand how the simple word "death" could be applied to this sister who had been complaining about TV dramas and trying on dresses with her just yesterday.
Qi Jin was no longer in the same place.
She left with the arriving Qi family members, her back view resolute, leaving behind the chilling words, "None of you will escape," which still resonated in the air. The scene was handed over to professional forensic and criminal investigation personnel, the police cordon was extended further, the onlookers were dispersed, and only firefighters and police personnel were left to conduct the final cleanup and investigation.
The "Shi Ye" on the stretcher was gently covered with a white cloth, ready to be transported to the funeral home for necessary procedures and follow-up arrangements.
No one noticed that the moment the white sheet was slowly covered that pale face, the lifeless body trembled its eyelashes very faintly, almost imperceptibly.
As if a consciousness that had been dormant for a long time was struggling with great difficulty on the edge of the abyss, drawn by some distant command or instinct, trying to pry open a crack in its eye.
But eventually, the tremor subsided.
Everything was covered by a white cloth.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, in an unusually quiet psychological clinic.
Dr. Chen had just finished his last appointment of the morning and was organizing patient records. He habitually picked up the folder for the next patient—Shi Ye. The appointment was tomorrow afternoon.
He looked at the name "Shi Ye" in the folder, and the record of her recently improved treatment progress, his brow furrowed slightly, and he sighed softly. As a doctor, he vaguely knew that the Shi family had been in turmoil recently, but he didn't know the specific details. He thought about how to better guide the girl, whose heart was barren but who was beginning to try to reach for warmth, when they met tomorrow.
He closed the folder and put it back in its place.
The sunlight outside the window was lovely, casting neat patches of light on the solid wood floor through the blinds.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Except when he put the folder back, his fingertips seemed to feel an extremely subtle, unusual brittleness in the paper, as if it had been gently vibrated by some invisible force.
He looked down at his fingers, then at the stack of unmoving documents, shook his head, and concluded it was probably just his imagination.
He got up to make himself a cup of coffee.
Just as he turned to leave his desk, the ink on the most recent medical appointment date recorded next to Shi Ye's name at the top of the folder seemed to... blur slightly, before quickly returning to its original state.
It was so fast, like a joke played by light and shadow.
---
(The fifth day of the "rest period" mentioned by the system, in some undefined space)
Shi Ye woke up.
It wasn't the kind of waking up naturally, but rather like an alarm clock with a set time, snapping open and pulling my consciousness out of a blank void, forcibly pressing me into a state of "awakeness".
She "opened" her eyes, if this pure white void, where nothing exists, can be considered to have eyes. She couldn't feel her body, couldn't feel her limbs, only a floating, light sense of "presence."
[Rest period ended.] System 007's voice sounded, steady, cold, and a standard electronic tone, revealing no trace of the previous malfunction or alarms, as if the explosion, the piercing warnings, and the excruciating pain of the forced separation were all things of the last century. [The host's basic consciousness repair is complete. Residual emotional modules have been isolated and will not affect subsequent task execution logic.]
Shi Ye wanted to speak, but found she had no mouth. She wanted to sneer, but found she had no face. She could only "think" with her mind: Oh.
[A new round of missions is about to be deployed. Target world: Derivative Minor World 7749 (a variant of "The Rich and Powerful: Young Master Qi's Runaway Sweetheart"). Core mission remains unchanged: Ensure the world's protagonists, Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu, achieve a happy ending.]
[Due to the failure of the previous task causing the original identity node's logic to collapse, a backup access solution will be used this time: new identity implantation.]
[Identity generation in progress... Based on the principle of minimizing residual data fluctuations and correction resistance in the current world line... matching is being filtered...]
Matching complete.
[New identity: Su Xiao.]
Age: 23 years old.
[Background: Recent graduate of an overseas art academy, majoring in art history and curating. Simple family background (parents are professors at ordinary universities), no complicated social connections. Due to outstanding academic performance, received an internship as a curatorial assistant at the emerging art institution 'Tracing the Light Space' in China, and will soon be returning home.]
[Related Entry Point: Suguang Space is evaluating potential collaborative projects with the cultural foundation under the Qi Group. Lin Xiaoyu's design work has already come to the attention of the organization's new talent support program.]
[Identity implantation preparation... 3... 2... 1...]
A slight, dizzying sensation, like data transmission, washed over me.
Shi Ye felt some unfamiliar fragments of memories, not belonging to her, being "stuffed" into her consciousness: art class, curatorial plans, flight information, her parents' gentle admonitions... The outline of "Su Xiao's" ordinary life was quickly sketched out.
There was no entanglement with a wealthy family, no depression, no shadow of her mother's murder, and no five-year-long unrequited love or being unrequitedly loved.
Clean and innocent, a standard "tool" background character used to advance the plot.
[Identity implantation complete. Memory overlay stable.]
[Warning: The new identity has extremely low initial connection to key figures Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu, and the host's emotional module has been isolated. The host is requested to actively seek opportunities to create connections and advance the mission objectives.]
[Mission Time Limit: Recalculated... Due to world line disturbances, the base time limit has been adjusted to 60 days. Extensions can be requested based on progress.]
[Final Goal: Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu's mutual affection level reaches 90 or higher, and a stable romantic relationship is established.]
[Does the host have any further questions?]
Question? Shi Ye (or rather, the consciousness that was about to become Su Xiao) thought for a moment.
have.
She asked telepathically: Where is the original Shi Ye? Didn't that body explode? Also, how is Qi Jin now? What about Lin Xiaoyu?
[The original 'Shi Ye' body has been confirmed physically destroyed. According to the world line's self-correction logic, after its 'death' is confirmed, the original owner's consciousness (the native version) will attempt to return and mend some of the logical cracks caused by the host's intervention, driven by the world's underlying logic. This process is an internal affair of this small world and is unrelated to the system's tasks; the host is advised not to pay attention to it.]
[The current status of key figures Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu is mission-related intelligence. Based on permissions, a basic summary can be provided: Qi Jin has launched a full-scale counterattack against Qin Ming and his affiliated forces, employing both commercial and legal means, and his actions are drastic. Lin Xiaoyu is emotionally devastated by the death of her friend 'Shi Ye' and has temporarily suspended her studies, but her design career has not completely stalled due to her previous efforts and the Qi family's covert support.]
So, Qi Jin is driven mad by revenge. Lin Xiaoyu is heartbroken. The world keeps turning.
As for herself, she wants to change her face and her life, and go back to continue bringing them together.
That's a fucking brilliant piece of dark humor.
[If there are no further questions, the deployment will begin shortly. We wish you a successful mission.]
The moment the system's voice fell, the pure white space began to distort and stretch, turning into a blurry band of light.
Shi Ye (Su Xiao) felt as if she was being rapidly sucked into a tunnel.
In her last remaining consciousness, she inexplicably remembered that she used to wear a moon necklace and a safety amulet around her neck. Now, it was empty.
Oh, no. It wasn't her. It was that person named Shi Ye who had it.
She is now Su Xiao.
A hapless curatorial assistant who is going back to China to intern at an art institution and, incidentally, tries to bring together two women who seem to have just experienced a life-or-death separation.
It's a miracle this task will even work.
This was the last clear rant before consciousness completely sank into darkness.
Then came the real, personal sound of the plane's engines, belonging to "Su Xiao," and the gentle announcement from the flight attendant:
"Ladies and gentlemen, our plane is about to land at City A International Airport..."
---
(At the same moment, outside a VIP ward of a top-tier hospital in City A)
Qi Jin stood by the window at the end of the corridor, her profile as taut as a cold, hard plaster statue. Her right shoulder was wrapped in bandages, securely fastened, but her face was frighteningly pale, her eyes held deep, unyielding shadows, and an almost inhuman calm.
Her assistant stood half a step behind her, whispering a report on the latest freezing status of Qin Ming's several secret accounts, as well as the news that two related companies had been raided in the early hours of the morning.
Qi Jin listened, his gaze falling on the garden below the window. Several patients were taking a walk in the bright sunshine.
Her left hand remained tucked into the pocket of her hospital gown, clutching something tightly.
Inside the pocket, the hard metal and the smooth jade's sharp edges pressed deeply against my palm, leaving a clear, visibly painful mark.
It's as if only in this way can we confirm that some things are not just an illusion that can be burned away by a big fire.
At the other end of the corridor, there were soft footsteps.
Qi Jin did not turn around.
She knew who had come.
What needs to be dealt with will eventually need to be dealt with.
We will get back every penny we owe.
No matter the cost.
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