Chapter 127
Regarding this infinite game, Xie Xubai has sorted out all the clues he has obtained so far and come up with many conjectures.
To verify these conjectures, we need to further unravel the truth behind the game's creation and uncover the very source of all the tragedies.
The player base, having consistently progressed through dungeons, is most familiar with the game mechanics and is most likely to uncover the truth. However, Xie Xubai is currently unable to break through the system's limitations and enter the game space to directly confront them.
At this point, an insider is needed to help bridge the gap.
Xie Xubai's reason for favoring the Magician was simple: the Magician was ranked fifth on the combat power list, allowing him to interact with more top players. Once in the game, the Magician prioritized ensuring the survival of his teammates, demonstrating his loyalty and sense of righteousness.
Throughout the game, you maintained a carefree attitude towards others, but you would still fall silent for a moment when faced with death or a teammate being seriously injured. What were you thinking at that moment?
"When the system shamelessly increases the difficulty of the game, when the names on your friends list turn gray one by one, when your loyal fans disappear after experiencing a dungeon, when the game pushes everyone to the brink of despair—haven't you ever had a moment when you thought of overthrowing it?"
Xie Xubai saw the magician's almost uncontrollable emotion, smiled slightly, and leaned forward, extending his hand to the other man: "Tell me, is there one?"
The magician looked at the palm in front of him and easily realized that if he grasped it, it would be equivalent to forming a secret alliance with Xie Xubai.
He couldn't help but raise his gaze.
Now that the crisis has temporarily subsided, Xie Xubai, relieved of his burden, is completely different from the cold and taciturn person he was when they first met. His eyes are upturned, his thin lips are slightly parted, and his cheek is bathed in a soft halo of light, while his mirror-like pupils clearly reflect his image.
My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to shatter my eardrums. What was this feeling? Admiration? Trust? Surprise? Or...?
The magician slowly extended his hand: "I..."
Before I could even shake their hand, I was jolted by the biting cold.
The magician suddenly lowered his head, staring at the wriggling glasses arm in his hand. He sprang to his feet, his face instantly changing as he forcefully flung his hand away: "Holy crap!"
Xie Xubai's expression changed slightly, and then his face relaxed as his gold-rimmed glasses disappeared.
Immediately following, an irresistible force struck his shoulder, sending him flying backward and quickly distancing himself from the magician before crashing into the sofa. At the same time, a powerful and familiar masculine aura enveloped him.
The magician looked up and was suddenly met with a pair of dark, deep eyes.
A man suddenly appeared behind Xie Xubai, placing his broad hand on the other's shoulder. His tall and upright figure and cold gaze swept over him, as unshakable as an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron.
The magician felt hostility the moment he met the man's gaze, an intense hostility, as if an invisible hand were gripping his throat, and every cell in his body trembled with fear.
Who is this man?
The magician stared at his opponent with a look of dread.
With his near-S-level perception, he didn't even notice the person approaching!
Xie Xubai's gaze swept quickly over the hand on his shoulder. The man's knuckles curled, his muscles tensed, and shallow blue veins bulged out, instantly making him imagine a ferocious beast on the grassland about to pounce on its prey.
Xie Xubai's eyebrows twitched. He had a feeling that the magician might have unintentionally touched the territorial instincts of the man in gold-rimmed glasses, and he was even more worried that the man would retaliate against the magician.
Unexpectedly, the man chuckled lightly and casually put on a polite, business-like smile: "Hello."
The tense atmosphere, bordering on hostility, seemed to ease somewhat with this greeting.
The man then lowered his waist and whispered to Xie Xubai, "The system seems to have noticed your 'disappearance.' My power has not fully recovered, so I can't keep it a secret for you for too long. It's best to keep it brief."
Xie Xubai didn't hide his surprise. He turned his head and met the man's deep eyes. After a moment, he smiled and said, "Yes, thank you. You've worked hard."
He turned to the magician: "This is Yan Shuo, my...closest friend."
It remains to be seen what tricks the system will pull next. Due to the amnesia mechanism and the intercontinental divisions, the player forces are almost a disorganized mess, making it difficult to unite. The magician cannot represent the players as a whole, and they are unlikely to reach any consensus in the short term.
The two quickly finalized a partnership agreement, and that was the end of it.
Xie Xubai kindly reminded everyone: "This exchange meeting has invited many industry experts. Listen to their presentations and debates; you might gain unexpected insights."
He said sincerely, "The commendation ceremony will follow the exchange meeting. Everyone saw the enthusiasm and contributions that everyone made in helping to deal with the Fu Group back then, and the rewards and compensation given by the hospital afterward will certainly not disappoint everyone."
His gentle words made the magician feel as if he were bathed in a spring breeze, and he felt completely relaxed.
He longed to chat with Xie Xubai a few more times, but a man was watching him intently from the side, turning what was supposed to be a peaceful haven into a trap.
Considering Xie Xubai's network of friends and relatives at the level of Ghost Kings, it can be inferred that the man in front of him who calls himself Yan Shuo is at least a Ghost King, and his level is definitely not low.
Intuition and reason told the magician not to get into a conflict with this man.
He let out a sigh of relief and simply made an excuse to leave early.
Just before leaving, the man suddenly bent down again and pressed his lips to Xie Xubai's cheek in an extremely intimate manner, then lifted his eyelids and glanced at him lightly.
"!" The magician froze outside the door, his pupils dilating rapidly.
Like a bolt from the blue, he was struck dumb. He immediately realized that his secret feelings for Xie Xubai had been easily seen through by an outsider, who even shared the same thoughts as him. He couldn't tell whether he was embarrassed or angry, and a surge of heat rushed straight to the top of his head!
Before he could make a move, the door slammed shut with a loud crack, forcefully pushed open by an invisible force, blocking the magician's last glimpse behind it.
The office fell silent again. Xie Xubai was about to say something when suddenly his vision blurred and he was pinned down on the sofa by a man.
He didn't even see clearly how the person got around from behind to in front of him.
In front of a magician, a man is superior and composed.
Once everyone had completely disappeared from sight and the sounds and noises outside had been blocked out, he instantly changed from his previous composure and bit Xie Xubai's lips almost fiercely, his voice dark and aggressive: "Tell me, which friend would kiss you like this?"
Xie Xubai made only a slight pushing motion before his wrists were clamped and raised above his head, his arms forced wide open, the slender and graceful lines of his collarbone half-hidden beneath his white shirt.
A man who gets angry because he can't get a title is more troublesome than a dog. Xie Xubai's lips were forcibly pried open, and he could only accept the unbridled demands while panting. He finally managed to get a little breathing space, let out a difficult breath, turned his face away, and smiled helplessly: "How should I know?"
The man took this as a half-hearted excuse, and his eyes darkened.
Xie Xubai met his gaze, and after a long while, his eyelashes lifted playfully, and he suddenly smiled leisurely: "After all, you're the only one I've ever been this close to."
Upon hearing this, it was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in the man's mind, filling the sky with a dazzling display of fireworks. The room temperature rose rapidly within minutes, and even the wilted green plants by the bed stretched out their leaves, suddenly becoming much taller!
For the next ten minutes or so, Xie Xubai was unable to utter a single complete sentence.
Even those intermittent sobs were swallowed whole by the man with excited greed.
Unbeknownst to him, the man forcefully grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. Their heavy breathing mingled, and a moist, vibrant color welled up in Xie Xubai's eyes. His other hand, unsure of what to do, could only reach forward tentatively, trembling as it hooked around the back of the other man's neck. His sweaty, soft palm hung down, pressed against the firm back.
His muscles, bulging with blood and hard as cold iron, concealed an astonishing explosive power, leaving Xie Xubai somewhat dazed.
Yan Shuo's clones always speak in a concise and simplistic manner, with a single-threaded way of thinking, and are filled with stubbornness due to their incomplete intelligence.
Just now, when facing the magician, the man's speech, demeanor, and emotional expression were no different from those of a normal person with a deep mind. Xie Xubai even thought that Yan Shuo himself had possessed the glasses.
Was it his imagination, or...?
Xie Xubai closed his eyes, feeling both amused and exasperated.
Given Yan Shuo's autocratic and uncompromising nature, he would probably throw the magician off the building without hesitation, then pin him down and devour him completely. He wouldn't give up so easily.
The moment of passion and infatuation was finally interrupted by a sudden ringing of a cell phone.
Xie Xubai snapped out of his daze, his gaze glazed as he glanced at the coffee table. The screen showed Pei Yuheng's call. His heart skipped a beat, and he snapped back to reality. He frantically pushed away the man's engrossed face, grabbed the phone, and answered, "Hello? It's me."
However, unable to catch his breath, he coughed slightly.
Pei Yuheng, who was all smiles on the other end of the phone, instantly became alert, frowning and asking with concern, "Why is your voice hoarse? Did you catch a cold?"
Xie Xubai quickly mumbled, "Cough, I have a slight cold. I probably caught a chill yesterday when the temperature dropped."
In a moment of desperation, he lunged forward, bracing himself on the coffee table with one hand. His arm trembled slightly due to dizziness from lack of oxygen.
The man observed from behind, then reached out and hooked his unsteady body.
In a dizzying turn, the two switched positions, with the man now sitting back on the sofa, and Xie Xubai unexpectedly pressing down on him.
The rustling of the fabric made a slight noise, which the old father heard and found even more strange: "Why are there other people with you... Oh right, are they the two friends you're supposed to be entertaining? Why didn't you invite them down for the tea break?"
Ever since he learned that Xie Xubai intended to rebuild law enforcement agencies, Pei Yuheng had been thinking about introducing all his connections to Xie Xubai.
In addition to medical experts, this exchange meeting also invited many influential figures from various industries by leveraging his reputation.
After all, a dean of more than twenty years has not been a job for nothing, and even the supernatural cannot escape the calamity of illness.
Entertainment headlines, social issues, innovative technologies, real estate economics... almost every big shot who has appeared on TV or been featured in newspapers has visited the VIP ward of the First Hospital.
Enforcement rules are difficult to implement because they are not limited to one place or a specific group. They are comprehensive and fair, existing alongside the people of the vast land. Their implementation will inevitably shake all the rules of this land.
The dangers that will be faced here are no less than those faced when dealing with the Fu Group.
If Xie Xubai hesitated even slightly, Pei Yuheng would do everything in his power to stop him.
But Xie Xubai did not. He was resolute and refused to turn back even after hitting a wall. So Pei Yuheng compromised and suggested that he help Xie Xubai make connections with these important figures.
Even if it doesn't expand influence overnight, it can also clear up many obstacles.
Xie Xubai understood the implications, and keeping his father's wishes in mind, he smiled gently and said, "I'm almost done here, soon we'll—"
The man rubbed against his neck like a fierce dog, and without warning, he took his earlobe into his mouth. Xie Xubai's voice froze, and his fingertips holding the phone trembled.
He roughly pressed down on the insatiable beast, suppressing his trembling, and said calmly, "Let's go down together."
After saying that, he gritted his teeth once again and pushed the man's head away. He was wrong; the word "give up" simply didn't exist in this man's dictionary!
Pei Yuheng remained silent for two seconds, probably finding it strange but unable to figure out the reason. He didn't investigate further and simply urged him on.
After hanging up the phone, Xie Xubai belatedly felt his lips burning hot. When he touched them, he realized they were swollen and red from being kissed, and his eyebrows twitched wildly.
Seeing the man trying to squeeze in again, he quickly leaned back and backed away, saying, "Stop fooling around, we still have to go downstairs to entertain guests later."
The man glanced into Xie Xubai's watery eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he finally calmed down completely.
But he wasn't entirely still. While Xie Xubai went to wash his face to cool down, the man followed closely behind, his eyes like those of a wolf, lingering on Xie Xubai's handsome and slender body.
The night they returned to the modern timeline was the same. Xie Xubai heard Pei Yuheng's hurried footsteps coming from behind the door, and the next second he covered his mouth and pushed him away.
At the time, Yan Shuo was only dissatisfied with being forced to stop eating, but later, Xie Xubai only claimed to be a good friend to the outside world and refused to let his family discover their intimate contact, which made the man feel increasingly strange, even... panicked.
He wasn’t sure if he was panicked; it was an emotion he had never experienced before.
Monsters follow primal desires and impulses, rarely being ambiguous or vague, and always eager to assert their clear and unshakeable sovereignty.
Humans are different. They have many thoughts and many things to avoid. Doing something may not be out of their own free will, but rather out of desperation or when they have no other choice.
For example, indulging his requests for kisses is just compensation for his more than 20 years of waiting, which is why she is unwilling to commit to a relationship.
The man's expression was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see clearly.
After a while, he leaned closer to Xie Xubai and whispered, "If you want to understand this game, you might as well go directly to [me]."
Xie Xubai paused. He had indeed had such a thought, but...
He looked at the man with mixed feelings, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions, some of which were hard to put into words.
To be honest, he could clearly separate the little tentacle and Yan Shuo into two separate individuals, but he couldn't completely separate the gold-rimmed glasses from Yan Shuo. Whether it was their inherent domineering nature or their uncompromising style of doing things, they were originally from the same source, so how could there be any difference?
Xie Xubai had once sent a golden figure to comfort Pei Yuheng, so he knew that the main body could sense the actions of the spiritual clone and changes in the outside world.
Perhaps Yan Shuo has countless clones, his consciousness scattered like a torrential downpour, and he won't notice their slight movements for the time being. But what if the other party does notice? And who is the relationship he's confirmed...?
Xie Xubai pondered for a long time, his brain almost shutting down. Cold water droplets dripped down his cheeks onto the back of his hands. He suddenly came back to his senses and heard noisy voices coming from downstairs, like waves pressing heavily on his heart.
He carries the weight of countless reincarnations and the hopes of countless people on his shoulders. Behind this endless game, what dangerous undercurrents are surging? Unknown enemies lurk in the shadows, ready to reveal their ferocious claws at any moment.
Xie Xubai sighed deeply: "We'll see."
The man sensed the evasiveness in Xie Xubai's words, his lips tightened into a sharp line, and the corners of his lips turned down slightly.
I'm very upset, it's strange, it's...uncomfortable.
But we can't rush it.
It took more than 20 years of waiting to finally gain the young man's acceptance and indulgence, and even He learned to be patient and tolerant.
Saying too much would easily expose the truth. Xie Xubai was unwilling, so he could only stop there.
There is one more crucial thing.
The man suppressed his agonizing negative emotions and was eager to try: "I've calculated it precisely. Without you becoming a god and changing your physique, I can divide myself into dozens of parts, distributing my power individually to simulate the physical strength and toughness of a normal human being. That way, your body will be able to withstand it."
There's an underlying message behind that sentence: Why don't we give it a try tonight?
Xie Xubai: "…………"
His ears turned bright red instantly, and he turned and hurriedly left the office, his hands and feet moving in unison.
As the academic exchange meeting drew to a close, an awards ceremony recounting the hospital's glorious history from over twenty years ago began, accompanied by the host's passionate narration.
Xie Xubai, having tidied his appearance, entered the venue amidst the attention of the crowd.
He went up on stage at Pei Yuheng's invitation, took the microphone, and simply stood there with a gentle and appropriate smile on his lips, facing the crowd below—a firm, calm, and gentle yet sharp aura, as well as some more captivating qualities, permeated from this seemingly slender body.
Stunning and unforgettable.
Xie Xubai was still wearing gold-rimmed glasses. As he spoke, "Hello everyone, I am Xie Xubai, the vice dean of this academy. Welcome to the event..." The players, who were completely unaware of what was going on, all looked up in shock.
Holy crap?! What did they just hear?!
The commendation ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner. All medical staff and guests applauded passionately during the final summary speech, pushing the atmosphere to a climax like a tsunami, which slowly echoed in the sky above the First Hospital.
.
The introduction of bonus levels and the generous rewards for participants revitalized the player base that had been dormant and passive due to the launch of the All-Out War.
The identity of "Xie Xubai" has been revealed once again, and everything has been listed out, making the story even more dramatic and eye-opening than opening a blind box.
The viewers in front of the live stream were in an uproar, and the discussion thread with the topic "Xie Xubai" once again stirred up a huge wave of enthusiasm in the player forum, flooding the page.
The parties involved then began to establish law enforcement agencies, but two other top priorities remained unresolved.
Pei Yuheng, who was handling official business, looked up upon hearing the voice: "You want to buy a house?"
Xie Xubai, holding the documents in his hand, smiled and said, "The original rental house is too small, and the little ones can't move around much. I plan to buy a detached villa with a garden. The meeting is scheduled for next Monday. In the morning, we'll go to transfer Jiang Shaoxia's household registration, in the afternoon we'll go see the house, and in the evening we'll all go for a stroll at the newly opened night market in Hongyin Ancient Town in Xicheng."
Pei Yuheng hummed in agreement, then casually checked his personal assets. He opened the contact page for purchasing real estate and building construction teams on his computer, and sent a text message to his assistant, instructing him to immediately find a plot of land, measured in units of 100 square meters, with a spacious location and good feng shui.
Unexpectedly, Xie Xubai blinked and extended an invitation the next second: "Dad, do you have time off that day? Do you want to come with us?"
Author's Note:
It was fixed.
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