Chapter 240
He slowly raised his head and saw the person in the glass. His gaze lingered on the other person's pale face, and a somewhat amused expression appeared on his face.
"why are you laughing?"
Pei Yuqing's expression infuriated Yuan Ye.
"She's not dead, why are you putting on this act?" Pei Yuqing, dressed in prison clothes, seemed to have no significant difference in expression from usual, except for the clothes he was wearing.
His stubbornness and arrogance remained on his face.
"Did a fake funeral really turn you into this pathetic state?"
Immediately afterwards, Pei Yuqing said:
"Yuanye, when you tried to stop me that day, why didn't you act like this?"
"What are you saying?!"
Yuan Ye stared angrily at Pei Yuqing, his incredulous gaze conveying a desire to drag this madman, Pei Yuqing, directly out from the other side of the glass.
Pei Yuqing, however, acted as if nothing had happened, and the way he tilted his head slightly made people feel particularly uncomfortable.
“You all think she’s dead.”
"But we still haven't found her body."
Why does everyone think she's dead...?
"I won't believe it."
Pei Yuqing remained calm and composed, seemingly still stubborn and headstrong even in prison.
Yuanye said fiercely:
"Pei Yuqing, today is her funeral."
"You Yingning's funeral."
"She died three months ago!"
"Have you forgotten? It was during your kidnapping and escape that you fell into the sea, killing her instantly."
Whether it was this incident or not, it touched a nerve with Pei Yuqing, causing cracks to appear in his facade, and his expression gradually turned cold.
But the wilderness showed no mercy:
"You imprisoned Ningning, causing her to develop bipolar disorder."
"And she died alone in the sea again."
"Pei Yuqing, you are the one who did something wrong!"
"Why don't you die?!"
"Why wasn't it you who died!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Yuan Ye finally slammed his fist into Pei Yuqing's fist.
Unfortunately, the bulletproof glass couldn't harm Pei Yuqing in the slightest.
However, his actions drew the attention of the prison guards:
"Number 0067, end the visit immediately!"
"Visit room number three, end visitation immediately!"
........
But after suppressing the pain for so long, how could Yuanye stop now?
"Pei Yuqing, you've done so many wrong things, aren't you afraid of retribution!"
The term "retribution" originates from the painful complaints of victims.
I don't know what this made Pei Yuqing think of.
His composed facade crumbled completely in that instant, a violent glint appearing in his eyes. Then, Pei Yuqing cursed himself viciously:
"Retribution? Fine, then let me get my retribution if I dare."
"It would be best if You Yingning came to take my life."
"I couldn't be happier."
"At least this way I can still find her, which is good."
When Pei Yuqing got to this point, he suddenly stood up, bent forward and pressed himself against the glass in front of him, and his face showed an absolutely crazy expression.
The loss ultimately plunged him into the abyss of despair.
He couldn't bear to face the news of Yingning's death that everyone brought him.
They haven't even found a body yet...
How could he be dead...?
Even though Pei Yuqing knew in his heart that his actions were absurd, he still clung to the last straw.
Wearing prison clothes, Pei Yuqing spoke his words in a delusional and manic manner:
"I will never believe she is dead until I find Ningning's body!"
"I will definitely..."
"I will definitely find her!"
His handcuffs clanged on the cold table, like the mournful cries of death.
Pei Yuqing's crazy actions still attracted the attention of the prison guards nearby.
A few seconds later, Pei Yuqing was pressed down on the shoulder by the prison guard behind him. After struggling several times without success, he was forcibly pressed onto the table. In this position, no one could see his expression.
All that could be heard was a sob from him:
"......."
"She is not dead."
Even if...
Even if I really die...
"I have done so many wrong things."
"Even if she becomes a ghost, she should come looking for me first."
......
*
*
The weather outside the prison gradually darkened.
Click.
The sound of the massive iron gate's metal lock falling shut separated two cold worlds.
A cold wind swept through, and then the autumn rains arrived suddenly.
The remote suburbs were already deserted, and now they looked even more desolate.
A young reporter carrying a camera lens frantically covered his precious camera while keeping a close eye on the man emerging from the prison not far away.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier.
The man in front of the prison gate stood motionless, like a statue.
The reporter hid in an inconspicuous place for a long time and also noticed the man's strange behavior.
Xiao Wang, a reporter who had only recently joined the company, realized he hadn't gotten any useful footage that day. He steeled himself and barged in. Just as he was about to raise his camera for the interview, he noticed something strange on the other person's face:
"Captain Wilderness..."
What's wrong with you?
Captain Mi Ling, who was usually quiet and reserved on the field and always stood in the spotlight, showed a side of herself that she had never seen on camera before.
His eyes were ashen, and his expression was full of sarcasm.
He seemed to be mocking his own incompetence, and it was hard to imagine that this man had once shone in the league.
Yuan Ye looked up, letting the rain fall on his cheeks.
Suddenly, his eyes stung, and hot tears welled up.
Oh....
Pei Yuqing is indeed a madman.
But I'm not even as good as a madman...
He had no idea that Yingning was the one sponsoring his participation in the competition.
She opened the door to his professional career.
It freed him from a dark and hopeless life.
And I once...
They didn't even consider her future.
If he had actually succeeded in making her withdraw from the competition back then, could anyone guarantee that this "dark history" would not affect her in the future?
The answer is no.
All this time, his self-righteous protection was nothing more than selfishness.
Compared to Pei Yuqing.
How much better is he?
...
Looking at the disheveled Yuanye, Xiao Wang wanted to speak again but only moved his lips.
He didn't know why Yuanye had become so listless.
As for the prison, Xiao Wang immediately guessed who Yuan Ye had just met.
As Xiao Wang was pondering, Yuan Ye seemed to completely ignore him and walked alone into the still pouring rain street.
In his haste, Xiao Wang caught up and finally shouted out the question that had been on his mind:
"Captain Yuanye, I'm sorry to bother you."
"......"
"There have been rumors that the death of player You Yingning is related to the investor behind the club—the head of the Pei family. Do you know anything about this?"
"Or perhaps, is Pei Yuqing's imprisonment related to You Yingning's death?"
Rumors had been circulating online that You Yingning fell into the sea in a vehicle registered under Pei Yuqing's name, and that Pei Yuqing was arrested by the police that same day.
However, Pei's legal team and media personnel reacted quickly and had already suppressed all rumors.
Yuanye ignored him and instead shoved Xiao Wang away roughly.
"Get out of here."
Xiao Wang almost lost his valuable camera, and he couldn't help feeling ashamed and indignant:
"As the captain of the MiLing team, you should know the investors behind it. What is your impression of Pei Yuqing?"
"Is it really true, as rumored online, that contestant You Yingning and the president of Pei's Group have some kind of unspeakable relationship?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ye turned around abruptly, startling reporter Xiao Wang with his sudden action.
"....."
His aura was icy, and he reached out and grabbed the reporter's collar:
Instead of creating sensational news here, you should go and interview real criminals.
"Is this what journalists are here to do?!"
The wilderness looked terrifying, as if it wanted to devour Xiao Wang whole.
"sorry...."
Xiao Wang also realized that he had spoken without thinking.
"I didn't mean to just now."
Yuan Ye clearly didn't intend to get entangled with him any longer. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered what had just happened and slowly stopped.
"Captain Yuanye?" Xiao Wang said blankly.
The man closed his eyes and asked, seemingly out of nowhere:
"Where are you a reporter from?"
"Peak...Entertainment reporter."
The next second, reporter Xiao Wang heard Miling, the captain of the Fairnd King Cup team, say something in a low voice, making Xiao Wang wonder if he had misheard.
He began:
"I will leave the club and the team."
*
*
In the brightly lit alley, noisy, dissolute chatter could be heard from time to time.
"Damn it, what a dead man, so poor." A woman dressed in a flamboyant and revealing manner walked out from the backstage of one of the small pubs.
Her tight dress was clearly not enough to withstand the early winter weather, and she quickly went upstairs to a low-rent room.
After closing the door, Xia Yueyue casually kicked off her high heels and lazily lay down on the bed.
The bed was covered in a mess of clothes, and there were some takeout boxes in the room that smelled faintly of decay.
"drop."
My phone vibrated.
Xia Yueyue picked up her phone and saw that it was a debt collection text message.
Without the Cupid system, Xia Yueyue reverted to her previous chubby appearance.
The huge difference was unacceptable to her, and after repeatedly failing to summon the Cupid system, she chose to undergo plastic surgery to change her appearance.
Despite her parents' repeated attempts to stop her, they were still unable to stop Xia Yueyue.
The cost of a series of cosmetic surgeries gradually led Xia Yueyue into illegal high-interest loans such as "cosmetic surgery loans".
She thought that by changing her appearance, she could once again make money through the same methods as before, but plastic surgery was like a bottomless pit.
The compounding interest from loan sharks pushed her to the point where she had no way to recover.
Unable to repay the high-interest loan, Xia Yueyue had no choice but to abandon her parents and take on a "quick money" job.
........
"Xia Yueyue, we know where you live. This is the last time. If you don't pay back the money, don't blame us for being ruthless." The message didn't frighten Xia Yueyue.
Instead, she turned on her phone's camera, examined her own face, and said in a rather dissatisfied tone:
"Your eyes aren't big enough."
"His face looks so stiff."
...
As she spoke, she became increasingly emotional:
"......Oh shit."
"When will I be able to change back to my old face?!"
Xia Yueyue then remembered the vanished system:
"This system actually dared to turn me into this grotesque state."
"And that You Yingning..."
At this point, Xia Yueyue seemed to feel a little better: "But You Yingning deserved it, since we still haven't found her body."
The reversed day and night lifestyle had long since eroded Xia Yueyue's body. She skillfully lit a cigarette, and just as she was about to rest, she heard a loud knocking on the door outside.
Who is it?
"I'm off work today."
But the person outside didn't give up; instead, they knocked even harder.
Xia Yueyue cursed, got up and opened the door. Just as she was about to lash out, she was knocked to the ground by several people who barged in.
"Who are you?!" Xia Yueyue exclaimed, sensing that the group had come with ill intentions.
One of the men, who had a scar on his face, looked at Xia Yueyue on the ground, pulled out a folding dagger from his waist, and gestured as if to cut her neck.
He kicked her directly:
"Xia Yueyue, right?"
"You've owed our boss money for a long time," the scarred man said with a sinister smile.
Xia Yueyue understood their purpose at this moment, and she knelt down to the side with practiced ease:
"Brother, give me some more time, I'll pay you back in a few days!"
“Look at my face. With that, I can pay back the money right away.”
The scarred man glanced at the overly surgically enhanced face and did not accept Xia Yueyue's suggestion:
"With that old woman's face, you still want to keep owing money?"
He simply waved his hand, completely ignoring Xia Yueyue's wailing, and uttered a sarcastic remark that was cryptic:
"No money?"
"Then you'll have to pay for it yourself."
*
*
Ten years later, in the capital city.
Brilliant fireworks lit up the sky, while a semi-transparent sphere slowly rose in the center of the venue.
"Welcome, players, to the fifth Fairy-One event!"
The host, Liang, was already a familiar face to many players, and many in the audience gradually became excited upon hearing his voice.
Fairnd is a globally popular game, and its professional league has developed to an unprecedented level over the past decade, repeatedly creating peak popularity.
In the last two years, there have even been reports that the World Gaming League organization will consider including Fairnd in the list of global competitive games.
By this time, Fairnd was no longer just a globally popular online game, but also a competitive sport symbolizing the spirit of champions.
The host, Liang, has more wrinkles around his eyes. His years of work in the league have transformed him from a host who took over in the first season into a senior figure in the eyes of his juniors.
He picked up the microphone, his abilities undiminished:
"Here, you will see top professional players showcase their gaming skills in treacherous maps..."
"On this stage, ten of everyone's favorite professional teams will compete for the Fairyone King Cup!"
"Does anyone have a guess about who will win?"
At this moment, countless shouts erupted from the audience.
"Destroy my bones! Aaaaaah!"
"Bone-Extinguishing Squad!"
"The Bone Destroyer Team will definitely defend their championship title!"
"The Fallen God is the most powerful!!"
"Captain Po Xin, you must do your best!"
"Plummeting into the depths, the King's Cup will surely belong to you!!"
"NC team!!"
"Qingling Team!"
......
Screams and cheers surged like a tidal wave, making host Liang feel as if he had returned to the moment when he first stood on the league stage.
He paused for a moment, then said, "Then let's welcome the teams that have qualified for the Fairnd tournament."
"The Bone Extinction Team".
The cheers didn't gradually subside for a long time.
“The Fallen God Team!” Host Liang announced another name.
Another wave of powerful cheers erupted from the fans.
"NC Team!"
......
"Qingling Team!"
Although the number of fans was significantly lower than the previous teams the moment the team's name was announced, the endless shouts still echoed in my ears.
"Go Yuan Qing!"
"Tang Hong!"
"Red Moon Spirit!! I'm your fan!!"
......
There were even a few jokes mixed in:
"Captain Tang Hong, when did you get together with Xiao Qingqing?!"
Hahahaha.
......
Compared to the previous teams, the atmosphere among the fans of the Qingling team was clearly more lively. This may be due to the fact that the priest of the Qingling team, Yuan Qing, is a 5G internet user.
His presence is frequently seen in the comment sections of other professional players' Weibo posts.
Therefore, Yuan Qing has a good public image.
At this moment, a young player in the audience asked in confusion, "Qingling's priest, why are there fans from other teams cheering for him?"
He heard the fans of the Extinction Bone team cheering for the Spirit-Clearing Team from the seats behind him.
"Are you a new player?" A bespectacled man sitting next to this person suddenly spoke up.
"yes."
The young man who had just raised the question nodded. He had only been involved with Fairnd for two or three years, and this was his first time attending an offline competition.
"Isn't Qingling only established a few years ago? I don't remember it having any particularly good results," the young man asked.
The bespectacled man answered the question:
"Although the Qingling Team is still a new team, its predecessor was the Miling Team from back then."
Mi Ling Team?
The young man felt the name sounded familiar, and he dug up some online news about the name from the depths of his memory.
"Is it the team that won the first Fairnd King Cup?"
"I remember the report saying that the team was only established for a year before it disbanded."
The man with glasses was clearly older than the young man, and he also spoke regretfully:
"After all, all the players have left the team, and both the club and the team have withdrawn from the competition."
"The competition back then was more exciting than ever before."
“Even during the peak of Tu Ning and A Rao’s career, they did not win the championship.”
The young man immediately took out his phone, preparing to search for reports about the first Fairyone ten years ago. He then asked:
"Defeat the Ferocious Slaughterer?"
"The captain of the Mi Ling team must be very strong, right?"
As the top guild in Fairnd, the Extinction Bone Guild is not only because its players rank first on the top 100 list, but also because its club team has won the Fairyone King Cup every year in recent years.
The Bone Destroyer Team is undoubtedly the "dominant team" in the league.
The name Tu Ning struck fear into the hearts of other competitors during the competition.
In recent years, he has almost always won the MVP award, and there have even been entertainment reports that called Tu Ning a "god-like player".
I wonder how many players became fans of the Extinction Team because of Tu Ning.
So when the young man heard what the bespectacled man said, he immediately showed an expression of disbelief.
The bespectacled man shook his head:
"The captain of the MiLing team is an assassin, and he did perform exceptionally well in that competition."
"After he left the club, his account—Migenye—was auctioned off for a record-breaking 3.88 million."
"There aren't many accounts now that can reach his level back then."
"You mean, back then, it was someone else from the Mi Ling team who defeated Tu Ning?" the young man asked curiously.
The bespectacled man sighed softly:
"After all, that competition made all the players remember one name."
"You Yingning".
The young man happened to see this name on the webpage at that moment. He clicked on it and saw that the report was about the detailed attack of the swordsman class she was playing.
It even included a game video.
He clicked on it.
Two minutes later, the young man looked up, his face filled with shock:
"Is that a swordsman?!"
"This guy's skills are just too amazing."
"Their reaction and attack were simply... simply..."
The bespectacled man gave a wry smile and said, "They're hardly at the level of players they should have been ten years ago, are they?"
Why shouldn't it have happened ten years ago?
Even in the current league, you can't find a single swordsman who can land critical hits at his level, right?!
Let alone swordsmen....
Assassins, knights...
All offensive professions are unavailable.
"When Tu Ning was hailed as a god-level player, it was because, according to the competition data, he had almost reached an absolute winning rate."
"But he said something at the time."
“If anyone were still alive, he wouldn’t deserve that title.”
The young man couldn't help but sigh as he listened to the bespectacled man's words.
What a pity, such a talented player.
Why did you withdraw from the competition...?
Why are you no longer participating in competitions...?
"Because he died." The bespectacled man's voice came over, and at that moment the young man realized that he had accidentally voiced his question.
"Oh, I see."
"What a pity," the young man couldn't help but sigh.
The bespectacled man stared at the stage in the venue and did not say anything more.
At that moment, no one noticed a small standee pendant on his backpack, depicting a long-haired woman in a black team uniform.
In the fox's upturned eyes, there was an unwavering determination.
At the very bottom is a line of small print:
Squid Fan Club.
Song pushed his glasses up a bit, and as he looked up, he saw the sphere in the air above the venue reach its highest point, and Liang, the host, also spoke:
"All participating teams are ready and have all members present."
"So, what's next..."
"I hereby declare the 5th Fairyone Sports League officially open!!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a translucent spherical object burst into bloom in the air like fireworks.
Behind countless virtual fragments, a dozen screens of varying sizes appeared in the center of the venue, showcasing highlights from each Fairyone event over the past decade.
The peak 1v4 scene of Tu Ning...
Ara swept through the three, killing the idiot captain...
The "double-tap screen" featuring Wu Xin and Nicole.
......
As all the images fell, the last thing that appeared was a burly swordsman standing in the center of the arena, raising the Rift Hell Demon Sword and plunging it fiercely into the ground.
Behind the swordsman, there seemed to be a blood-red skirt of spider lilies.
Then the figure holding the sword gradually shattered, and a golden royal cup engraved with intricate patterns appeared out of thin air. The swordsman uttered an ancient and solemn voice:
"The King's Cup has descended once again."
"Gentlemen, are you ready?"
......
No matches were scheduled for the first day of the Fairyone League. When Tu Ning and A Rao left the field, they leisurely followed at the very back of the Extinction Bone Team.
Both of them were well past the age of professional players, and after retiring, they directly took on coaching positions at the club.
"This year's opening ceremony was quite impressive." A-Rao stroked his chin, his eyes still resolute.
"However, we'll see the final professional role eventually."
"I still miss those days," Arao said with a smile.
Tu Ning, standing to the side, merely had a slightly dimmed gaze, seemingly lost in thought.
“Yuan Qing and Tang Hong have really carried the team. I thought they wouldn’t come back to play professionally at their age,” A Rao said again.
After all, Yuan Qing and his teammates are now considered "veterans" in the league.
"They still have a lot of drive."
"I heard that the investor behind their club is surnamed You." A Rao squinted his eyes.
"It should be a Yu."
Tu Ning had been in contact with the league's top management for a long time and naturally knew many inside stories: "The investor behind the Qingling team is You Yingning's father."
"Over the years, the swordsman character has appeared in every opening ceremony. Why do you think that is?"
Arao is no longer a child:
He always missed his daughter.
Tu Ning nodded:
"Her father not only established a foundation to select new professional talents, but also reached a new strategic alliance with Fairnd's top management."
"Although I don't know why, Mi Genye's account ended up in her father's hands back then."
"But the foundation he established with that money has indeed helped many newcomers."
Therefore, Yu's development in the field of fairnd is far ahead of others.
At this point, Arao thought of a name from the past:
"So it has been ten years."
"That guy should be released from prison by now, right?"
*
Inside a car at the prison gate.
"Mr. Pei, it's almost time," the driver reminded Pei Ling, who was looking at documents in the back.
Pei Ling put away the contract and looked out the window at the prison gate.
Meanwhile, inside the prison, two guards brought over a sealed bag containing clothing and addressed the thin man before them:
"0067, this is your stuff."
The man didn't say anything, but went straight to change into the clothes he had worn when he went to prison.
He followed quietly behind the prison guard, his slightly pale skin making him look somewhat sickly, and for some reason, his brown suit didn't fit him properly.
His eyes and brows were indifferent, with a hint of obsession.
"elder brother."
Pei Ling stood at the prison gate, and after ten years, she came to his side once again.
Pei Yuqing merely glanced at him and uttered two words:
"Let's go."
Ten years is enough time for two people to become strangers.
Along the way, apart from Assistant Li mentioning some company-related matters, no one else spoke.
Only after arriving at a detached house in the suburbs did Pei Ling slowly speak after instructing the driver to stop:
"This is the house I bought in advance; you can stay here temporarily."
"About the company..."
Pei Ling frowned, unsure how to begin.
Unexpectedly, Pei Yuqing, who had been silent all along, spoke up at this moment:
"I will not go back to the company."
Pei Ling sighed after hearing his answer:
“Last year, a subsidiary was established in Australia.”
“If you don’t want to stay in China, you can go directly to the subsidiary,” he said softly, explaining his arrangements.
Since Pei Yuqing went to prison, several major shareholders have wanted to remove the Pei family from their positions, which led to several years of internal strife within the company.
Meanwhile, the "rebellion" within the core technology department led Fairnd's top management to completely abandon their cooperation with the Pei family.
Overnight, Pei's stock price plummeted.
Pei Ling has endured everything over the past ten years alone, and only he knows the bitterness he has suffered.
As for the Pei family now, many people probably cannot accept the release of their former leader from prison.
"knew."
He replied to Pei Ling coldly.
Looking at his brother whom he hadn't seen for so many years, Pei Ling's eyes were extremely dark, as if all his emotions were hidden in the unfathomable abyss of his heart.
There was no sense of relief, nor was there the same stubbornness as before.
Pei Ling didn't know what she was thinking either. Even though ten years had passed, those events and memories still trapped everyone within them.
The door slammed shut with a heavy thud as Pei Yuqing turned away without a word.
Pei Lingcai finally came to his senses.
That's fine too...
Even as Pei Yuqing's relative, he could never utter such a high-sounding statement as "everything is in the past."
After all, the evil of death is something that no one can shake.
so....
They didn't get a chance to start over.
*
*
The house was deserted and empty, dark and gloomy.
Pei Yuqing did not turn on the light, but sat quietly on the sofa, his back stiff, still maintaining the habits he had in prison.
The aloofness in his eyes had long since vanished.
After a long while, as if he remembered something, he got up and left, taking a car to a place not far from here.
After the taxi had traveled for some time, Pei and Qing both stared blankly out the window, making no other move.
The driver was momentarily curious about this taciturn passenger and his destination:
"You live here?"
"I heard this used to be the famous Pei family manor."
The people in the back seat remained silent.
The driver started talking:
"I just don't know why such a nice house has become so desolate."
The taxi stopped in front of the main gate of the Pei Family Manor. The driver took the money and kindly reminded the driver:
"brother."
"It's not easy to flag down a car here. If you need anything, come out in a bit."
"I can wait for you here for a while."
The only response the driver received was the man turning and stepping into the manor.
"He really is a strange person."
........
Pei Family Manor.
Compared to the desolation of ten years ago, the manor now feels more like it's filled with a deathly stillness.
For decades, this building has silently allowed countless vines to erode it, as if only in this way could it conceal one past it would never want to recall.
Squeak.
Dust rose.
The heavy atmosphere in the air meant that no one had set foot here for the past ten years.
Pei Yuqing walked step by step towards the room on the second floor, the room where another person's figure once existed.
The room was still furnished the same as before, except that there were some cobwebs in the corners.
The wooden floor in the room, which had never been cleaned over the years, made a soft squelching sound underfoot, leaving a trail of footprints in the dust with each step Pei Yuqing took.
Pei Yuqing walked to the bedside. The faint traces on the pillow might still hint at the presence of another person.
He lowered his eyes and curled up on the bed in a humble posture.
He was surrounded by countless swirling dust particles, and his nasal cavity was filled with a suffocating sensation. He couldn't escape this itchy and painful feeling.
"Ningning."
His voice had long since become more weathered.
Why haven't you shown up yet?
"A ten-year game of hide-and-seek?"
His self-deprecating laugh was actually tinged with bitterness.
Pei Ling said, "I'll let you go."
"Everyone says you're dead."
"I am the only murderer."
"Over the past ten years, I have also come to believe it."
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