Villain Rescue System (XIV)

"The system has a shielding function. Only the travelers and other systems can hear what they are saying."

"And yet I can communicate with them without any hindrance."

"My essence is a mass of data, and my system is also a mass of data. What a coincidence."

"From the time I woke up 031 to now, I still can't find where it is hiding."

"Ah, I see."

"Because I am System 031, which possesses all the information about Shang Li. I am a new consciousness module that was born from it unintentionally, like a second personality."

Shang Li crossed his fingers and rested his chin on them.

He said helplessly, "I have guessed all this, but so what."

"My memory is Shang Li, my personality is Shang Li, and my self-awareness is Shang Li."

"Even Cui Lan, who was least likely to admit his mistake, gradually began to trust my truthfulness."

There are only a few anchor points to verify whether a person is real, and he happens to meet all of them.

Before arriving at the seafloor rift, Shang Li thought, with so much evidence, it was impossible for him not to worry about his identity as an outsider.

But after falling into the cave, Cui Lan's various actions made him suddenly realize that there was no need to worry about who he was.

The "Shang Li" with the purest identity had already died at the age of ten. The one who remained in this world for more than twenty years was a data ghost who had been "living" for his family and replacing countless bodies.

I used to be afraid that I was not a real "Shangli" but an outsider. The core of the fear was that the love that had enveloped me for a long time in my memory would disappear.

so……

"As long as I have Cui Lan's love, it doesn't matter if I'm Shang Li or not."

Anyway, for tricks like "The Real and False Monkey King", the one who has the identity decision-making power is never the one being imitated.

When several identical people appear, most of them cannot escape the fate of having someone become the "referee" to determine who is the real one.

Now, Cui Lan is the referee.

He thinks I am "Shang Li", and I am the real "Shang Li".

At this point, Shang Li's previously depressed mood obviously became cheerful, "Come to think of it, I also want to thank you for taking away my power in the rift. During this time, my relationship with my wife has improved significantly."

Long Aotian raised his hand lazily, "You're welcome. It's just a small gesture."

"After listening to your love-brained talk, I feel a little relieved now."

He raised his glass to the handsome man with red eyes in a grand manner.

Shang Li picked up the coffee in front of him and clinked his cup lightly with Long Aotian's.

The two successfully reached a cooperative relationship at this moment.

"After all, what you want me to do cannot avoid fighting against the main system no matter what."

"If I really am a love brain system that can become a friend, it will make your plan more convenient than an ordinary psychic."

He took a sip of the cool brown liquid.

The tip of his tongue touched the bitter taste spreading in his mouth. Shang Li narrowed his eyes and secretly resisted the urge to frown. He said in a steady tone: "The prelude is over, it's time to get down to business."

"Right, time traveler."

Long Aotian had no idea that his secrets had been exposed.

He shrugged and said, "Alas, there was a small loophole when I was organizing the language and I forgot to fill it in."

“But I think the story of a righteous college student who travels to a different world with superpowers and becomes a god decides to betray the evil system to protect the world is pretty good.”

He drank the beer in his glass and wiped his mouth with his bare hands. "Like you said, as long as we can achieve the goal of destroying the main system, we will stand on the side of saving the world."

"It doesn't matter whether my true identity is a time traveler or not."

Long Aotian chuckled, "Anyway, I am just a phantom left in the past, and my consciousness has long been integrated into the hub."

"There is a real college student on the land, living a peaceful life."

——

On the other side, after Cui Lan touched the sun in the sea, the energy particles gathered in the light ball burst out instantly and wrapped him up.

The glaring light made him squint his silver eyes uncomfortably.

Cui Lan stood there, waiting for changes.

Soon, the pure white world slowly began to show other colors, just like the frost-covered glass being gradually wiped away, revealing the scene behind it bit by bit.

"What is this?"

Cui Lan opened his eyes and stared at the familiar wall of his hometown and a young boy with a schoolbag on his back in front of the door.

The boy was almost as tall as his temples and was wearing a simple blue and white school uniform.

His face, which should have been full of smiles, was now filled with gloom, his pupils were dark and lifeless, and he didn't even notice that someone suddenly appeared next to him.

Cui Lan could recognize that this was Shang Li when he was about fourteen years old.

Strange, why are his eyes black?

Where was I at that time? How did I let him become like this?

He tried to stop the young merchant and ask him a question, but the young man just walked straight through him and went home.

“…”

It seems to be an illusion, Cui Lan thought.

He followed the boy silently into the yard.

Cui Lan's gaze passed through the open door and fell on the three black and white portraits on the wooden table in the middle of the living room.

One man, two women.

They are Shang Li’s father, mother and grandmother.

Cui Lan recalled that Shang Li once said that he only had three blood relatives.

His father was a live-in son-in-law, so he took his mother's surname, Shang.

Unfortunately, Shang's mother died during childbirth, so Shang's grandmother cared very much about her only son who survived his mother's life.

Later, Shang's father went far away to work and never came back. The only thing he knew about her was that he sent money every month to Shang's grandmother who was raising the child alone.

Cui Lan remembered that until she was picked up, there were only two people living in the house, an old man and a child.

Grandma Shang had always cherished her grandson very dearly. When she saw this poor, lonely and helpless child, she naturally had a liking for him and eventually chose to adopt him.

"It's better than going to an orphanage."

Grandma Shang, who was already over 80 years old at the time, said, "The kid sends me thousands of yuan every month anyway, so it's just a matter of buying an extra pair of chopsticks. We won't have to worry about not being able to afford it."

"But I am old and may not be able to take good care of you."

Cui Lan, who looked about seven years old, nodded obediently when he heard that. Suddenly, he felt Xiao Shang Li beside him pulling at his hand.

He turned his head and saw the child frowning and whispering, "It's okay, I'll take care of you."

Cui Lan: “…”

It's not certain who will take care of whom.

Seven years later, when Shang Li was fourteen years old, his father passed away unexpectedly while at work.

When the tragic news came, Grandma Shang knew that the pillar of the family was gone. She suffered a heart attack that night and passed away as well.

Suddenly, only two people were left in the old house.

Cui Lan sighed, followed the young man into his and Shang Li's room.

...No, not him.

Cui Lan looked around and confirmed that there was no trace of his life in the house.

Could this be some kind of "if Cui Lan doesn't exist" if line?

Because he did not exist, Shang Li did not experience that death, and his eyes naturally did not turn red.

He looked at the lifeless figure sitting in front of the worn-out desk and thought:

I have never seen business in this state.

Even when he heard the news of his father's death, Shang Li had never acted so... like he was broken.

He tried to get closer, but the scene in front of him suddenly changed into another one.

Cui Lan saw the gloomy fifteen-year-old Shang Li being entangled by the crying little Jiang Mingyu on the roadside, and had no choice but to pick her up and take her home.

Apart from taking the kids to and from school and sharing a meal with Jiang Mingyu so that he wouldn't die, the boy almost pretended that he didn't exist.

I remember that Lili seemed to dote on Xiao Jiang quite a bit, Cui Lan sighed.

The two guys always liked to hide what they were doing with him, and when he found out, they would stand in a row with their heads down, waiting to be scolded.

Before I could finish my thoughts, the scene began to change rapidly.

Cui Lan saw Shang Li taking Jiang Mingyu away from their hometown and living in the urban area of ​​Yan City, joining an underground supernatural organization, and using information virus supernatural powers to commit many evil deeds on the Internet with an expressionless face.

Seeing him at the end of his rope, he boarded Lu Yao's cruise ship and pushed a young man into the sea.

Watching him get defeated and ending his life as a "villain" in an inglorious way.

"So, what do you want to tell me?"

It was as if an immersive holographic movie had just ended. The scene was covered by rapidly solidifying white frost, and the view returned to endless pure white.

Cui Lan raised his head and asked the sky in a low voice.

“This is the original trajectory of the world.”

"But your existence has caused countless deviations from what should have happened in this world."

A lazy and casual voice suddenly came from all directions, "The good news is that this reboot of yours won't cause the world to collapse."

"The bad news is that the main system has already discovered your sudden change."

Long Aotian, whose consciousness had merged into the center, said, "After the restart, there are many more time travelers than before. It's all thanks to you. Are you surprised?"

“…”

Cui Lan was silent for a moment, then showed a puzzled expression, "What do you mean by restart?"

"Oh, I thought you knew this already."

Long Aotian's tone turned surprised, "Didn't the prophet tell you?"

Cui Lan: “…”

"Then, as a variable, do I need to die as an apology?"

He turned around indifferently and got back to the topic.

From the few words this guy said, Cui Lan almost figured out what was going on.

"No, even if you die a hundred or eighty times, it won't change the status quo."

Long Aotian said: "It's not about redemption, I just need your cooperation."

"oh."

Cui Lan responded, "Since you are familiar with the prophet, you can just let him convey the message."

"Well, Lao Lu and I are indeed acquaintances."

“But the relationship is not good.”

Long Aotian said with some embarrassment: "To some extent, I am the culprit who caused him to become a charlatan who speaks incomprehensibly and seems to be sick."

"In short, the man with red eyes has agreed to cooperate."

He coughed lightly. "I don't think you will refuse."

"Shang Li?" Cui Lan raised his eyebrows when he heard that.

"Have you confirmed his identity now?" Long Aotian did not give a direct answer, but asked back with interest.

“…”

Cui Lan paused for a moment, then sneered.

"Old people should stop gossiping about other people's love lives."