Chapter 45
Sudden changes in height may be a cause for panic for adults, but for little cubs who are always being carried around by adults, it is a normal thing.
Li Jue was not panicked. He raised his head and looked back at the person who was holding the baby without permission.
A man.
He looked to be about thirty years old, with a neatly slicked-back hair, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and a gray-silver suit with a dark purple plaid tie. He had a tone that was somewhere between pretentious and elegant.
He might be a bit of a germaphobe, and wasn't sure if there was any mucus or something on the little jellyfish. Even though he was wearing silk gloves, he still only used his thumb and index finger to hold the little guy up, with his arms stretched out, as far away from his body as possible.
Li Jue was very light, so being clamped like this wouldn't be uncomfortable, but it wasn't a comfortable position after all, and she moved awkwardly between the biped's fingers.
The man found that the small jellyfish did not leave any marks on the skin of his hands, so he held it with his entire palm in a reserved manner.
Other pirates came down one after another. They were first surprised to see their companions lying all over the place at the bottom of the stairs, and then they noticed the spoils in the man's hand.
"Mr. Wan, what is this?"
"Oh my god, could this be the legendary crystal ball?"
"I've long felt that we pirates should get a crystal ball!
"Mr. Wan has good taste!"
The "Mr. Wan" they admired, also known as Wan Nian, did not immediately admit or deny it. Instead, he raised the corner of his mouth and turned his wrist, carefully looking at the newly captured little guy in the moonlight above the stairs.
jellyfish.
Obviously, it's a jellyfish.
However, this is the first time I have seen one with bow-shaped tentacles on the back and a pear-blossom-shaped umbrella.
More importantly, it can separate from the water and spontaneously form a membrane to keep itself moist, allowing it to move conveniently.
(I haven't seen Li Jue floating in the air in ten thousand years, otherwise I would be even more surprised.)
It is definitely a rare treasure.
It seems that they did not choose the wrong target.
Such treasures were casually placed in a large barrel in the stairwell. This ship must be hiding more tempting things.
The pirates helped each other to their feet, cursing and swearing.
"Mr. Wan, shall we continue?"
Someone asked.
Wannian nodded.
"How about putting this in a sack?"
In order to transport goods more conveniently, they brought a lot of large sacks when they boarded the ship, and stuffed anything valuable into the sacks and caught them all.
Wannian and the little jellyfish looked at each other for a while: "No, I can do it myself."
"Alright, Mr. Wan," the man called to his companions, "Let's go treasure hunting!"
The pirates scattered in all directions with great excitement.
Soon, only Wannian and Li Jue were left.
The little cub lifted the bow tentacle and said, "Bobo?"
Are you a bad person?
the little jellyfish asked loudly.
Anyway, the two-legged beasts can't understand it.
Wannian heard the slight crackling sound of the bubble bursting and brought him closer with great interest: "Little guy, are you talking to me?"
Li Jue spit out a series of bubbles quickly like a pea shooter to express his hostility.
He still remembered what Xixi said, that these were all bad people.
Don’t be nice to bad guys!
Next, Wannian tried speaking different words to him, noticing that the amount of bubbles the little jellyfish blew out and the tone of the "boo" sound it made were slightly different - and these differences changed with the content of their conversation.
He could understand what he was saying, and Wannian quickly confirmed this. This was a jellyfish with advanced intelligence.
Apart from (one-way) communication, I wonder if it has any other abilities.
Wannian is looking forward to it very much.
He glanced at the large buckets at the corner of the stairs, picked up the jellyfish and started to leave.
The people in the barrel could no longer stay still, and there was a panicked rustling sound.
"...Sir, I'm sorry." A voice, much more childish than expected, asked politely, "Could you please return him to me?"
Wan Nian pretended to have just noticed the child (although he had indeed just discovered it was a child) and asked in surprise, "Why is there another one?"
The little boy came out from behind the barrel.
Wannian saw that the little jellyfish, which was originally listless, immediately became active after seeing the boy, floating in the water ball and almost flew out of his hand several times.
Wannian didn't know that Li Jue could fly. If the little thing fell from the height of his arm, it would definitely be badly hurt. Wannian was not going to give up this little toy before finding out what other surprises he had.
The man changed his posture from holding it in his arms to hugging it to ensure the safety of the little jellyfish.
However, Zizi did not appreciate this "care". He just wanted to break free from Wannian's arms and return to Lingxi.
"Bo, boo! Boo boo boo!"
Protest loudly.
Unfortunately, the baby thought he was being loud, but to the bipeds, his voice sounded as soft as a baby bird's.
Ling Xi stared at Li Jue closely, and after confirming that his humming was just anxiety and not discomfort, she repeated the question to Wan Nian again: "Excuse me, sir, could you please give him to me?"
It is not difficult to guess the intimacy between these two little guys, but Wannian is not a kind-hearted person who would return the jade intact to Zhao.
He asked with interest, "Oh? Is this yours?"
"He..." Ling Xi pursed her lips and changed the words on the tip of her tongue, "He is my toy."
As if to agree with his words, the little jellyfish that was jumping around suddenly stopped moving.
Unfortunately, this disguise came too late. Wannian was completely unconvinced: "If it's a toy, it's incredibly realistic. But even if it's a toy, how do you prove it's yours? Is your name on it?"
This is simply shameless.
However, even though they are dressed in suits and look handsome, how can pirates not be considered scoundrels?
Ling Xi couldn't think of a way to prove it for a moment.
Of course, he has a way to force Wannian to do anything, and he can also easily take Li Jue back, but that will either make Wannian temporarily lose consciousness or notice that something is wrong with him. Either way, it will affect the development of the plot later.
To put it mildly, it will delay the meeting between the small system and the Siren King;
To put it in a broader sense, if the central government notices it, they will most likely send an inspection team to eliminate the bug.
Even though Ling Xi was not someone that a mere inspection team could control, making such a big fuss was definitely not the result he wanted.
Wannian looked at the pensive child from behind the lens.
Unlike the former leader Lugo, he was a principled pirate who generally did not attack women and children.
However, this child looks unusual.
Wannian is the little boss of the ocean world, and naturally knows that he is a gear in infinite space.
While Ling Xi was thinking of a countermeasure, Wan Nian was also evaluating him.
This child was not on the list of players he had received in advance, and was more like an NPC.
As an NPC, he seems to have too many thoughts of his own.
Unlike the big boss, the small boss does not have a comprehensive understanding of the overall situation. He only knows the list of players and how to make things difficult for them.
As for how to reveal key clues while being in trouble, you have to play it freely. Like other basic NPCs, you need to immerse yourself in exploring the plot.
Being the leader on a ship or the overlord of a sea area both bring you the joy of being the king of the mountain.
Because the domain is very independent, not only there are no other small bosses to compete for it, but also it will not be suppressed or enslaved by the big boss.
Wan Nian is probably one of the most pleasant mini-bosses in Infinite Space.
He was usually obsessed with being a pirate, eating and drinking with his brothers, and was not very interested in the information exchange between bosses.
Infinite Space Each type of "gear" has its own communication board.
From the system, system assistants, to high-level NPCs, small bosses, and big bosses, there are ways to communicate with each other, but they cannot cross categories; when posting messages, you can also choose to be anonymous or not, which is very smart.
Not long ago, an anonymous message on a communication board dedicated to small bosses caused a sensation.
[Brothers, have you heard? The new Big Boss communication system is very different from the previous one! ]
——You said the same thing when we made the substitution last time.
——But it was soon replaced with a new one, it was so funny.
——No system can survive three rotation periods in the hands of the big boss.
——Uh, in other words, what does the big boss’s system have to do with us little minions?
——That’s not the case. Even though our rank can’t be raised, we are not comparable to NPCs.
——I also heard that this new system seems to be very young.
——Oh my god, has the Central Intelligence Agency finally become so cruel as to employ child labor?
——To be honest, child laborers should at least be of child age. The newcomer doesn’t even reach the level of a “child”, he’s still a cub.
——How do you know?
——To be honest, I have seen it myself...
— I'm calling! Someone knows the difference! Tell me what's different!
——Well, he’s really small, has a good personality, and looks cute. Our boss likes him very much.
——Who is your boss? No, a boss likes the system? You're kidding.
——I can’t say that.
——Is there anyone who can check the records to find out which sub-world the newly appointed communication post system goes to first?
——Instead of worrying about where the previous one was, why not guess the next one?
——That’s right, if it is really so special, wouldn’t it be bloody wherever it goes?
At that time, the pirate ship had just robbed a cruise ship and was celebrating with the fine wine and food prepared on the other ship. Wannian just glanced at the message and didn't take it to heart at all.
Just like what one reply said, the communication system of the big boss has nothing to do with a small boss like him. Whether he is good or bad, pampered or teased, it has nothing to do with him.
A young, unique little system that everyone wants to see.
A little cub that belongs neither to the player nor to the NPC.
When Wannian recalled this incident, the look in his eyes when he looked at Ling Xi was different.
He pushed up his glasses and said, "Little boy, uncle wants to ask you something."
Ling Xi looked at him.
Not long ago, Li Ren asked himself the same question in the same tone.
He couldn't help but wonder if his acting skills were too poor, as others always noticed something unusual about him. It seemed he needed more practice to play the role of a bystander NPC more naturally.
The boy sighed in his heart: "Uncle, just ask."
Wannian touched his chin and said, "Um, you are the new communication system, right?"
In order to prevent accidental injuries, the identity of the system will not be kept secret. Some special systems will have their own marks so that NPCs and bosses can recognize them at a glance.
Ayaki: "?"
He never expected that Wannian would have such a misunderstanding, and quickly denied it: "No, I'm not."
Wannian said nothing, looked at him meaningfully, and nodded: "I understand."
Ayaki: "???"
You know what it is!
"Okay, let's not talk about this for now. I still have things to do. It's just the process. Those who understand will understand." Wannian still didn't return the little jellyfish and poked its bubble. "This little guy is your pet, right? The central control has been relaxed now, even the system can keep pets... Don't worry, I won't hurt him. But I have something to ask you later, you follow me first, okay?"
Ayaka looked up at the man.
His understanding of Wan Nian was too limited, and he was not sure whether this person's promise was valid.
However, as long as it is related to the baby, he will not show mercy when it is absolutely necessary and extraordinary measures must be taken.
He no longer doubted whether he was a system or not. He pretended to be one for the time being according to his guess and waited to see what this person was trying to do.
If this man really intended to harm Li Jue, Ling Xi thought, he would find out.
"Okay." The boy nodded. "Please remember what you said."
If any other child spoke to Wannian like this, he wouldn't be angry, but he wouldn't take it to heart either.
But if this child is really a system, then the weight of every word will be different.
Panicked screams and cries for help suddenly rang out from the originally silent cabin. Ling Xi's eyebrows jumped, knowing that the pirates' accomplices had found the crew members or players.
Wannian muttered to himself, "Not bad for efficiency... or are they just terrible at hide-and-seek?"
He glanced back at the child silently following him, and caught a fleeting flash of panic on that fair little face, so quick it seemed almost hallucinatory. "Why, you're not feeling any sympathy for these NPCs and players anymore, are you?—By the way, what's your name?"
Some systems like to immerse themselves in the dungeon plot after work and play the role of anyone in it, so as to avoid the boredom of the life of going back and forth between the sub-world, "factory" and "tower"; the same may be true for the small systems in the communication post.
"No." The boy quickly denied, "My name is... Xiaoxi."
Wannian frowned and thought for a moment, feeling that the name he had seen on the communication board that day seemed to consist of three characters, the first two of which were reduplicated.
What is it?
But that's not the point.
Wannian stopped and transferred the little jellyfish from his left hand to his right hand. With his free hand, he made a gesture of "invitation": "You lead the way."
Ling Xi looked at the little guy in his hand, and saw a sense of urgency belonging to Li Jue from the mental link.
Indeed, the baby likes to be hugged, but the man holding him now is still classified as a "bad guy", which makes the baby feel uneasy; and the safest place is with Ling Xi.
Ling Xi pursed her lips and bargained with Wan Nian: "I can lead the way for you. But, can I hold him later? He...is not in a good state when he is scared."
This statement is ambiguous, and the listener can make his own associations as to what it is trying to imply.
Wannian thought for a moment and decided that it wouldn't look very cool to be carrying a jellyfish when he entered the prisoner detention center, so he agreed. "Alright. What's the name of this little thing?"
Ling Xi blinked and didn't make up another name: "Zizi."
"Baby..."
Ten thousand years of whispering.
He always felt that he had heard this name somewhere, but it was not entirely true.
But I didn't remember it.
*
Perhaps one of the requirements for being a pirate was having a sufficient stockpile of twine.
Yuan Yingying was thinking aimlessly as her hands were roughly tied behind her back and she was forced to squat down.
There were about twenty or thirty crew members and players in total, and the pirates quickly found them all.
Just like the previous evacuation meeting, everyone rushed into the kitchen.
Lu Ying on the left was quietly analyzing the current situation.
Li Ren on her right was trembling non-stop. Yuan Yingying was a little worried that he might actually wet his pants.
She distracted herself and looked at the person who was speaking.
Before being drawn into the infinite space, Yuan Yingying, who was still in college, was using her summer vacation to intern at a company.
The young leader in charge of her department is just like this man, well-mannered and elegant in conversation, and is the admiration of many interns.
Mr. Wan really looks too much like that young leader. For a moment, she even wondered if that young leader had also been captured by the Central Government; although now Yuan Yingying felt nauseous when she saw this face again.
"Please don't panic," Mr. Wan said, maintaining a proper, speech-like smile (which he was). "I want to apologize first for my colleagues treating you so rudely."
How can someone call an accomplice a colleague?
So what are we hostages? Temporary workers or partners?
And apologized for them.
Everyone knows that it was you who gave the order.
Yuan Yingying couldn't stop complaining in her heart.
Mr. Wan glanced around at everyone, seeing the expected expressions of fear or anger on their faces. He continued with considerable satisfaction, "Please don't think so filthy of us. We're just trying to get what we need. Well, to put it simply, you want to stay alive and get home safely, right? Well, what we want isn't much, just a few things we need. Oh, and that includes people. It's hard to be alone on a sea voyage, so helping each other out is only natural, right?"
After these words were spoken, even the usually calm Lu Ying couldn't help but widen his eyes.
How can you say such things in a high-sounding manner - how shameless!
Li Ren's teeth chattered as he opened his mouth: "He, he, they want...what?"
Yuan Yingying frowned and whispered, "They committed rape, robbery, murder, arson, and all sorts of evil."
Things you want to take, food and money;
It is easier to understand why they want to capture people. They want to take them back to their own ships and make them slaves; a comprehensive approach.
Wan Nian was still making noises when a few pirates with guns and knives wandered around the house.
If anyone is found to be trying to escape, he will immediately hit the head mercilessly with the butt of the gun or the back of the knife, and warn them, "Next time, this side won't be facing you."
Every time a hostage cried out in pain, Wannian's smile became more sincere, and it seemed that he really liked this job.
Ling Xi held Li Jue and watched silently at the end of the crowd.
In the eyes of others, the boy who was not tied up was simply too young and could not escape even if he was allowed to run.
He sat on the ground without saying a word, and the little jellyfish also stayed quietly in his arms.
"Xixi."
Li Jue called him again with his mental power.
The unique link channel between two people allows for unrestricted communication at any time and any place.
"Um?"
Ling Xi looked down and saw the tentacles of the little jellyfish swaying gently in the bubble, and its body was also like a pear blossom falling on the lake.
"Sleepy..."
The baby's baby voice was vague.
"Then go to sleep. I'm here."
“Hmm…”
After a while, Li Jue called him again.
This time she said, "I miss my brother."
I don't know whether it's Finks or Qianxing.
Ling Xi comforted him, "We'll be able to see him soon."
The pirates have already boarded the ship, so how far can the sirens be?
You will be able to see Qian Xing within a few days.
Maybe Finks will come to Sea World to visit the cubs in the future.
"So, where's Dad?"
Li Jue was so sleepy that he couldn't speak clearly when he asked this question.
"Xixi, when can I see my daddy?"
Ling Xi gently stroked the edge of the water film: "After you meet every boss, you can meet Daddy."
"How many are there in each one?"
"A lot, huh?"
"That'll take a long time..."
"Not necessarily." This was a new inspiration that Ling Xi had after seeing Ten Thousand Years. "Perhaps if we only need to defeat the most important bosses, we can gather the fragments and summon the gods."
Since NPCs are divided into ordinary and key ones, why can't there be big bosses?
If they want to resonate with the Lord God through the boss's "core", it means that they must have had frequent and profound contact with Him.
Who are the people who have been with the Lord God since the beginning of His creation?
——Are those bosses the ones Li Jue needs to find?
But who were those original people?
The little ones took advantage of the fact that they could whisper without being discovered during the mental link, so they hid behind the adults and talked about this and that without restraint.
Even though he didn't even have to speak, his distraction was still obvious.
But Wannian didn't like people staring blankly while he was talking.
"Xiao Xi." He smiled slightly, "What are you thinking about?"
There was only one child on the ship, including the crew, players and pirates. It is really hard to forget him.
Even though everyone's movements were not very convenient, when they heard the word "Xiao Xi", they all turned their heads to look in the direction of Wannian's gaze.
For the sake of species continuation, the human instinct to protect their young is ingrained in their genes; the same is true for NPCs designed to be human.
Even if they were not members of the original crew, but players who knew the inside story, they would not want the child to be harmed - as everyone knows, those who are targeted by the boss first will not have a good ending.
A few pirates didn't notice that Ling Xi came with Wan Nian and asked in surprise, "Hey, you have children on your boat? Did you catch them from somewhere?"
The companions laughed.
The captain rubbed his head against his shoulder, trying to wipe away the sweat dripping down his forehead. He said in a trembling voice, "This... this is my son. I beg you to let him go. He's still young and can't help you much..."
"That's not necessarily true." The pirate laughed. "Maybe someone likes little boys?"
But this time no one agreed with him and they all distanced themselves from him:
"Do you have this fetish? I don't."
"Neither have I."
"I'm not a good person, but I'm not a pervert either."
"Oh, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person."
The last sentence was returned, and the man's voice broke in anxiety: "I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense! I, I, I was just making an analogy!"
The leader raised his hand and pressed down, and the brothers immediately shut up.
"Don't worry, Captain, we won't do anything to your son." Mr. Wan still maintained that smile that looked charming at first glance but gave you goosebumps after a while. "We're just bad guys, not demons."
*
At this moment, in the Deep Sea Palace.
"Listen, listen, what kind of talk is that! What do you mean by 'not the devil'? Why, can we devils do such disgusting things?"
The boy on the other end of the video call was so angry that he was jumping up and down.
He looked like he was just reaching adulthood, with bright and arrogant features.
There are special heart-shaped pupils in the dark eyes, which are pure and yet have an indescribable charm.
The slender arrow-shaped tail swung back and forth irritably behind it, and it was obvious how bad its owner's mood was.
That is a symbol unique to the devil clan.
This beautiful face suddenly enlarged in front of the Siren King's screen.
"Qian Xing, Qian Xing, will you take care of him?" the young man approached. "You'll have to pay the price for saying something like that that slanders other races."
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