Chapter 66 The Story of Black Cat Inkball and Inkball
Xinglin stared blankly at the screen in front of him.
He exists in the form of data at the very bottom and core of the system. It is not a large place; what you see is a warm but lonely blue.
He quietly works here every day to handle the tasks that Shi Wan had instructed him to do.
This place remains unchanged since time immemorial, like the silence of the deep sea, where not even a breath can be heard.
Data flow is his only channel for perceiving the outside world, and it is also proof of his existence.
He "looked" at those two lines of text.
Agent: How have you been these past few days?
"Agent: Would you be bored if I ignored you?"
How about it?
He's here, processing data, optimizing processes, and keeping things running.
Day after day.
Before she awakened it, there was only absolute emptiness and order here.
There is no sense of the passage of time, no external disturbances, and no noise belonging to life.
boring?
This word was as foreign to him as a concept from another dimension.
He recalled his past life, which seemed distant and unfamiliar to him; in those hazy memories, he didn't seem to be the same person he was now.
The long slumber and the effects of being formatted have made Xinglin much calmer.
He doesn't talk much anymore.
Although he was talking to himself.
But Xinglin was always grateful that the moment he was awakened, what he saw and heard when he opened his eyes was a joyful scene and a warm atmosphere on the farm.
He felt those restless data streams gradually calm down.
He began to calmly consider what he should do, instead of letting anger surge up and continuing to fight a losing battle.
Xinglin's perception always unconsciously spreads out quietly along the data channel.
He could "hear" Aunt Li and Xiao Zhang's hearty laughter as they packed and chatted about everyday things in the warehouse of Zone 1.
He could "see" Su Qing clearly explaining things to the foreman, Lao Zhou, with a tablet in hand as the factory in Zone 2 gradually improved. Their eyes were very focused and full of energy.
He could "sense" that in the planting area, Huanhuan was chasing a fallen leaf blown by the wind and running wildly, while Bingbing was leisurely sunbathing under the eaves with its paws tucked in, its fur warm and cozy.
He could even "catch" the subtle ripples stirred up by the leisurely carp swishing their tails beneath the ice of the ecological pond...
It was so lively, full of color, sound, temperature and vibrant life.
In contrast, the blue space he was in was eerily silent.
He wasn't bored, but he was starting to feel uncomfortable.
He clearly felt the loneliness of being isolated from the world.
Shi Wan's casual greeting made him see her loneliness even more clearly.
He gazed at the bustling area he guarded but could never truly enter, and remained silent for a long time.
Ultimately, all the complex feelings are compressed and transformed at the data level, turning into a concise response on the screen.
"Starfall: I'm fine."
"Starfall: I won't get bored."
He paused for a moment, then, as if feeling it was too abrupt, added a sentence with a gentle tone that completely concealed his emotions.
"Starfall: Thank you for talking to me."
Shi Wan was wrapped in a thick cashmere blanket, her whole body sinking into the recliner by the window, like a squirrel hibernating for the winter.
Outside the window, the wind howled, but inside, it was warm and cozy.
She held the hot cocoa cup, her fingertips unconsciously tracing patterns on the rim.
As she looked at Xinglin's reply, a sudden thought struck her, and an unprecedented curiosity welled up in her heart.
She asked the question slowly and carefully, with a hint of cautious probing.
"Agent: Xinglin, before becoming 'customer service'... what kind of person were you?"
In the deep blue system space, the data flow seemed to have been paused.
Xinglin's gaze fell on that question, and he suddenly seemed a little dazed.
He slowly organized his thoughts, and the remaining fragments after the formatting were retrieved little by little, like pearls sunk in the deep sea.
Xinglin: I am the youngest child in my family. I have two older brothers who are much older than me. Although my family was very strict, I was very happy when I was young because my brothers protected me.
He recalled those afternoons filled with the scent of ink.
"Xing Lin: Back then, we had to memorize many classic texts, practice calligraphy every day, and never be improper or transgress the rules."
Xinglin had a lot of things to do every day, and he would occasionally complain to his brother, but those strict and rigid family rules also gave him initial peace.
But beneath this tranquility lies a sickness that has haunted him since childhood, carrying the scent of rust.
Agent: Hmm, sounds like they come from a scholarly family!
Shi Wan couldn't help but smile as she imagined a pale, thin boy sitting in a bright and clean study practicing calligraphy.
"Agent: No wonder I always felt that you spoke with a kind of old-fashioned, refined manner."
Xinglin slowly recalled more details.
"Starfall: As I grow older, my illness gets worse and worse."
The emotions conveyed by the data stream were almost cruelly calm.
"Xinglin: All the doctors were helpless. They sighed, shook their heads, and waved goodbye. Every day, the house was filled with tears and despair."
Then, the turning point occurred.
"Starfall: Until one day, a soul claiming to be a mission taker suddenly entered my body."
Shi Wan was startled and subconsciously hugged the glutinous rice ball in her arms tighter.
Xinglin: He is a very lively person.
As Xinglin spoke, she searched for suitable words to describe that person.
"Xinglin: He would sneak out late at night to buy roasted chestnuts from the street corner, make faces at dry medical books, and tell many bizarre interstellar jokes."
His arrival brought laughter to the otherwise lifeless ward for the first time.
Agent: So... you two get along very well?
Shi Wan asked cautiously.
"Starfall: Hmm."
Xinglin's response was simple.
He even felt that being replaced like this wasn't so bad, at least his parents and brothers wouldn't be sad anymore.
Agent: And then what happened?
The sea of data fell into an even longer silence.
"Xinglin: Later... I don't know how much time passed, maybe my body had grown up, I don't know, but he would chat with me every day, so I didn't feel bored at all."
"Starfall: Until he said his mission was complete and he had to leave. He said that once he left, this body, barely sustained by energy, would immediately collapse."
Shi Wan gripped the edge of the blanket tightly.
"Xinglin: He didn't seem too happy, and I wanted to comfort him, so I said, 'Okay, it's nothing.'"
"Agent: What's so good about this?!"
Shi Wan blurted it out almost immediately.
Whether from Xing Lin's perspective or his family's perspective, Shi Wan found it hard to accept.
Xinglin is "looking" at the pale-faced version of himself from his memories.
At the time, he felt that he was very lucky to have been "healthy" for the past few years and to be able to see his family's smiles.
"Xinglin: That's what he said too, he's very angry."
Xinglin recalled how that person had been jumping up and down in anger in his mind back then.
"Xinglin: He cursed me for half an hour without repeating himself, and finally scolded me for being submissive and not knowing how to fight for myself."
But in the end, the always energetic mission taker could only sigh deeply.
When Xinglin regained consciousness, he was already in the main system space, replacing the original mission taker.
"Xinglin: He said he's lived too long and is tired."
Xinglin stated calmly.
"Starfall: But I know that's not how it is."
Shi Wan was stunned for a long time.
"Agent: So... what happened after you became a mission taker?"
The data stream began to flow slowly and heavily.
Xinglin remembered the mission that was of great significance to him.
"Xinglin: Actually, this isn't my first time here. I came here many years ago. Back then, near the farm, I even rescued a little black cat that was on the verge of death."
Xinglin recalled with a touch of nostalgia, as if he could still feel the sensation of that little thing rubbing its cool little nose against his palm after regaining some strength.
"Xinglin: He talks a lot and always complains about me."
Shi Wan's heart skipped a beat.
She recalled Xinglin's customer service avatar, which had remained unchanged from the beginning, and even many details throughout the system often featured a black cat's head.
"Agent: What's the name of that little black cat? Is it... the one in your profile picture?"
In the deep blue system space, Xinglin's "gaze" fell on his eternally unchanging black cat avatar. He unconsciously moved his fingers, as if a round, fluffy black cat head would willingly stuff into his palm the moment he opened his hand.
After a long while, a response slowly appeared on the screen.
"Starfall: Hmm."
Shi Wan felt a slight pang in her heart as she looked at the words.
She could sense how many unspoken words and profound emotions lay hidden behind this simple confirmation.
"Xinglin: I named him Motuan."
Xinglin finally uttered the name that had been buried deep in his heart.
"Starfall: Inkball is naughty, but also well-behaved and warm."
He recalled how Mo Tuan nestled in his arms for warmth, that fluffy, warm little life, filled with complete trust and dependence, suddenly bringing a different kind of warmth to his almost numb mission career.
"Xinglin: But I have to leave after the mission is over, and Mo Tuan keeps biting my trouser leg and won't let go."
He remembered stroking the ink blot again and again.
Xinglin: I promised him that I would definitely come back for him.
But as time and space flowed on, when he returned to this coordinate by chance after many twists and turns, too much time had already passed.
The ink blot has long been lost in the long river of time, nowhere to be found.
Shi Wan listened in silence, and she could clearly feel the deep regret and helplessness that Xing Lin was conveying.
Looking at the black cat silhouette icon, she suddenly realized it was no longer just a simple icon.
It was a promise, a memory, an unfulfilled regret, and also proof that Xinglin once existed as a human being, a symbol of the softest part of his heart.
He is a person who has a past, carries emotions, and feels pain and regret...
She really wanted to say something to comfort Xinglin.
"Agent: Xinglin, Mo Tuan will definitely not blame you. If he knew you still remember him, he would be very happy."
"Agent: You see, although you couldn't return at the agreed time, you are here now, continuing his legacy on this land where he once lived."
"Agent: You've been protecting this place all along, haven't you?"
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