Chapter 1
September.
[Host already bound detected, loading...]
[Congratulations host, welcome to the other world. 】
My body felt heavy, my consciousness was fading, and I could hear strange voices talking in the distance.
"It seems like someone is going to commit suicide!" "He's upstairs, did you see him?" "Don't be upset!"
Pei Zhao suddenly opened his eyes, the only thought in his confused mind was: Do I want to commit suicide? Why?
He couldn't help but look down. He found himself standing on the edge of a high-rise rooftop, with half of his toes exposed and people talking about the topic.
Pei Zhao took a few steps back suddenly: No, he didn’t want to commit suicide. Where is this? Didn’t he just...
Pei Zhao's attention was soon attracted by another object. A thin young man climbed up to the place where he had just stepped.
What day is today? Why does everyone want to commit suicide?
Pei Zhao stepped onto the edge again, grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him down without saying anything, while shouting: "Impulse is the devil, don't let it get out of your mind!"
The arrested boy turned around, held his neck and cursed: "... Can't think straight? Bullshit."
"Aren't you going to commit suicide..." Pei Zhao rubbed his aching neck and frowned, "...otherwise, who would climb so high for no reason?"
"Who said I wanted to commit suicide! And didn't you just stand up there?" The boy's face flushed red, and his brows were frowned, vaguely showing his displeasure, which looked inexplicably out of place on his childish face. After staring at Pei Zhao for a long time, the young man turned away with a cold face and whispered: "Only the officials are allowed to set fires, and the common people are not allowed to light lamps."
"That's me!" Pei Zhao pointed at himself, speechless for a moment. He didn't know how he stood there.
He only remembered that in the last second, he had just stepped into the university campus, and in the next second, an inexplicable electronic sound rang out, and he stood on the rooftop and threatened to commit suicide. But he was sure that he did not do it voluntarily.
"If you have nothing else, leave now." The young man swung his arms and said impatiently, "Looking at your good appearance, I know we are not the same kind of people."
Pei Zhao had a complicated expression: "Young man, listen to me, when you grow up and recall today's conversation, you will definitely regret it."
How many people encounter non-mainstream situations during adolescence, leaving a dark history in their lives.
Pei Zhao simply pulled the boy to sit down and said, "Why don't you tell me why we are not the same people?"
The boy raised his eyelids and looked at him for a moment, his expression serious: "First of all, I am not my parents' biological child. Secondly," the boy was silent for a moment, "you are not from here, right?"
*
Pei Zhao is from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, which is about to start its new school year in September. He is a freshman who repeated a year and was admitted to the Department of Psychology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. And the world he is in now is a completely new and different world.
Amid the young man's deep questioning voice, a broadcasting voice sounded.
[I sense the host's call. How can I help you? 】
Pei Zhaowei responded with silence, then turned to the boy and said, "It's not important. What's important is that maybe I can help you solve the problem."
The young man raised his hand and pointed at the top of Pei Zhao's head, with a complicated expression: "I think your problem is bigger, if I'm not blind yet."
Pei Zhao looked up and saw the three big words "Puppeteer" shining brightly above his head, just like the starry sky.
Pei Zhao laughed bitterly. The sudden "hack" of the system finally made him explode: "My problem seems to be more serious than yours..."
What are you doing!
Is this a dream?
Why would a newly enrolled college student suddenly come to another world to rescue teenagers?
And why is there a job title above the head!
Is this the campus life he has been looking forward to for a long time?
Pei Zhao said weakly: "Do you know what a puppeteer is?"
"I know." The boy nodded, "A puppet master."
Pei Zhao's expression changed from expectation to silence, and he sighed: "Thank you, kind man. I'm tired, how about I take you home first, and I'll give you psychological counseling another day."
"I'm serious!" The young man who had always been indifferent became anxious and rolled up his sleeves and handed them to Pei Zhao.
Under the wide sleeves, there is no human arm. The wood grain is clearly visible under the slender and smooth wooden surface.
The boy is not a human being? Wood... Is he a puppet?
Thinking of the three words "puppet master" above his head, Pei Zhao naturally speculated: "You... are really a puppet?" The light of materialism flashed wildly in his heart, and Pei Zhao couldn't believe it: "You, a puppet, are talking to me?"
The young man silently lifted his sleeves two inches higher, and over the cold wooden structure, his normal human skin and muscles were clearly visible.
Pei Zhao was completely speechless: "Is this some kind of mutant disease?"
The boy loosened his hands, and his sleeves fell down and fluttered in the night wind. The empty sleeves made a rustling sound. The boy pursed his lips and said, "In this world, people who can't get love will become puppets. Only those who are loved can become adults."
After the boy finished speaking, he hugged his knees and curled up into a ball. His thin and small body was not yet fully grown. Pei Zhao seemed to see himself a year ago.
"Young man, how old are you?" Pei Zhao asked.
"18 years old." The boy frowned, "Can you please stop calling me 'boy'? I have a name."
"What's your name?"
"Zhou Yuli, Yu in Yushi, Li in courtesy."
"My name is Pei Zhao, Zhao with the character for fire next to it."
"Which Zhao?"
"Reach out your hand, and I'll write it to you."
In the quiet and deep night, two figures sat side by side on the rooftop terrace. With the light from the "puppet master" above their heads, they carefully wrote the word "炤" on their palms.
"Pei Zhao." Zhou Yuli read, "I remember it. Pei Zhao, how old are you?"
"Eighteen." Pei Zhao said, looking at Zhou Yuli's figure, "Your eighteen and my eighteen seem different."
"…It's because of idolization!" Zhou Yuli said angrily.
"Okay, okay." Pei Zhao nodded repeatedly, "So you don't want to commit suicide now, right?"
Zhou Yuli sighed, "Not for now. But," pointing to the top of Pei Zhao's head, "Do you really not want to find out what this thing is?"
"We must do it." Pei Zhao narrowed his eyes and thought for a while, then tentatively called out, "System?"
[I sense the host's call. How can I help you? 】
"Set an alarm for me for 7 a.m. tomorrow morning... No," Pei Zhao shook his head to get rid of the Siri vision and reorganized his words, "Can you tell me what's going on?"
[Good host.] 】
[Congratulations on coming to——Let the whole world be filled with love. Without love, it will become a beautiful puppet——Perfect World for short]
What a good abbreviation.
Pei Zhao thought for a full minute before he understood where this abbreviation came from.
[I am your exclusive service system, Xiaorui.] 】
...rui from siri?
[Congratulations on becoming the chosen one. Take the puppet here and you can leave. 】
"What are the conditions for taking me away?" Pei Zhao did not complain about the key point, but was much more cautious. "Understanding the rules is the first priority in solving the problem."
[Those who are taken away must be willing to be completely transformed into an idol. 】
"Completely puppetized?" Pei Zhao frowned.
Zhou Yuli on the side seemed to be thinking about something.
Pei Zhao was confused. "Explain what voluntary complete dollization means..."
One hand grabbed Pei Zhao's arm.
Pei Zhao turned his head with a puzzled look on his face, and saw Zhou Yuli's serious expression.
"Don't ask. I'd like to be completely idolized."
-
Pei Zhao followed Zhou Yuli through the narrow stairwell and came to the door of a resident's house.
"Is this your home?" Pei Zhao asked.
"Yeah." Zhou Yuli silently took out a key from the floor mat, blew off the dust, and inserted it into the keyhole.
The old iron door clanked, pulling Pei Zhao's thoughts away.
A few minutes ago, Zhou Yuli told him that he was willing to become a complete puppet.
Pei Zhao then realized that the system was not just talking to him. More explanations were given to him by Zhou Yuli.
"Not everyone can hear that voice. At least before, I could not hear the voice when I saw the puppeteer above my head talking to himself as if he was talking to someone." Zhou Yuli said, "Maybe it was because I was still very happy at that time."
"Then it's completely puppeted, what's going on?" Pei Zhao was puzzled, "Aren't you already puppeted?"
Zhou Yuli was silent for a moment, then said, "Becoming an idol and being completely an idol are two different things. Do you know the difference between someone who shouts about suicide every day and someone who actually commits suicide?"
"Of course. The former is struggling in pain because he cares, while the latter just wants to be free and let go of everything."
"It's the same with being an idyllic person. Being an idyllic person is just the exhaustion of losing love, but fundamentally, they have a purpose and a desire for love, and being completely an idyllic person means letting go of everything and just wanting to be free. This is not something that can be done voluntarily just by saying it."
"If it is completely puppeted, will it become a puppet?" Pei Zhao asked.
"You will lose consciousness and feelings, and it may be the same as being dead."
"Then I am a murderer!" Pei Zhao protested, "I can't possibly persuade someone to commit suicide."
"Then change your thinking. Instead of killing people, save them." Zhou Yuli looked at the parapet with a hint of meaning, and lowered his voice a bit, "What's more..."
Pei Zhao looked at him.
Not long ago, the "boy" next to me was about to climb over the parapet and jump down, but because I held him, he is still standing here safely.
"I think, maybe, if I am taken away by you, even if I become a puppet, it is better than dying directly."
…
A clanging sound brought Pei Zhao back to his senses.
The door Zhou Yuli opened was half a body length in front of him. Due to his shrunk height, Pei Zhao was much shorter. Therefore, Pei Zhao looked over his shoulder and clearly saw his shaking hands.
"Don't be afraid." Pei Zhao pinched the back of his neck, which was hard.
Pei Zhao remembered that not long ago, Zhou Yuli could still rub his neck and cry out in pain, but now it was completely hard.
The degree of being an idol is equal to the degree of being unloved.
Pei Zhao was puzzled.
It turns out that love can disappear at such a fast speed.
Zhou Yuli still opened the door.
Completely different from what Pei Zhao had imagined, the layout of the house was very cozy. On the wall opposite the door, a brand new huge photo frame caught the eye.
A couple with happy expressions held the child in their hands, and the child's face was filled with an innocent smile.
And in the corner of the photo frame, a yellowed edge was visible.
Pei Zhao was very familiar with it; it was the material used for school award certificates, and it had covered an entire wall in his room.
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