Chapter 756: Wait — Another "Audience Call"? |
"When?"
"After last night, before tonight.
She answered the previous call. This last one — nothing.
I suspect something went wrong after the special trial, but I'm certain she isn't dead. That particular special trial happened to be a Prosperity trial — I personally gave her the evaluation and rewards!"
Big Cat's voice was thick with barely suppressed fury. Tao Yi meant too much to her. The sudden disappearance had turned the Prosperity Agent into a powder keg.
Right now, she probably just wanted to tear something apart — she simply hadn't found the right place to do it yet.
Judging by her tone, she was also aware of the mass disappearances. So this call wasn't to discuss strategy — it was to ask for intel.
With Big Cat's strength, rescuing Tao Yi probably wouldn't require backup. But figuring out where to even look for Tao Yi... even three Big Cats might not crack that puzzle.
"..."
'Did Fate smile on me, or on Big Cat?'
Today's three phone calls — had even one come in a different order, Cheng Shi probably wouldn't have been able to piece any of this together. Yet here he was, somehow one of the best-informed people about this entire incident. After a moment's thought, he said:
"Don't panic yet. I think I know what happened to Tao Yi, but—"
"Where is she?!
Cheng Shi, give me a location. You know I'm not joking."
"..." 'I literally just said don't panic.'
Cheng Shi rubbed his head, gathered everything he knew, and laid it all out for Big Cat — every deduction, every guess — clearly and without omission. He explained what was entangled in this affair, what it would mean if this experiment was truly being replicated in reality, and every danger involved.
Hong Lin listened in silence all the way through. When he finished, she said a single low word: "Thank you."
Cheng Shi shook his head with a bitter smile:
"I know what you're planning to do next. But hold steady — this isn't something one or two people can solve. We need thorough investigation to understand the risks before we can move with any assurance.
Everything I've told you comes from first-hand, privileged sources. Even so, we have to prepare for the possibility that it's all still some kind of bait.
Hong Lin, Tao Yi's life matters — but so does yours. Don't let anger cloud your judgment."
"..." Hong Lin was quiet for a long time. Finally, she exhaled heavily. "I can afford to wait. But I'm afraid Tao Yi can't...
So, Cheng Shi — will you help me?"
Cheng Shi frowned and thought for a moment.
"I have an idea.
Use your channels to spread the news about 0221 as widely as possible. Important: don't mention anything about Zangier. Even if some people figure it out on their own, that's fine — our job is just to push the information out and attract those who are curious about 0221 or have a stake in investigating this.
One or two people, no matter how efficient, can never work faster than a crowd.
And remember — keep it vague. Don't give too many details. Make them believe this is something you accidentally let slip, not some conspiracy.
As for who 'they' are — I'm sure you already have a list in mind.
Meanwhile, I'll be spreading disinformation across every channel, exaggerating 0221's experiment to ridiculous proportions. When the skeptical average players cross-reference with the peak players who received real intel, someone is bound to notice the pattern.
Those people will be the key to cracking open 0221's experiment site.
We don't need to control their actions. We just need to keep our ears to the ground and follow developments.
Hong Lin, no matter how urgent it feels, investigation needs time to mature.
And Time will eventually give us the answer."
"Thank you... Cheng Shi..."
"Don't thank me. Thank Fate. The Destined Ones won't fall before the final act — this is nothing but a minor setback."
Cheng Shi was smiling, but in truth he felt anything but confident. All he could do was use this strategy to pressure 0221, hoping the man would reveal a flaw under the scrutiny. But this wasn't the real key to solving the problem.
To find out where this experiment was being conducted and what was happening inside, he'd need those top-tier intelligence contacts he knew to work even harder.
Yet this position of having to simply wait wasn't one Cheng Shi enjoyed.
'Think... who else could help?'
Big Cat soon hung up and they went their separate ways.
The chat channels were already ablaze over the mass disappearances. Add one scheming liar fanning the flames, and before long, channels for warriors and assassins were overflowing with inflammatory declarations like "Punish Truth!" and "Assassinate 0221!"
The mage channel, true to form, was the most level-headed. Though many veteran mages didn't have the highest scores, their analytical prowess was genuinely impressive. Some even guessed 0221's intentions outright, noting that so many disappearances likely meant people were being used to replicate a large-scale, multi-person experiment. A spirited discussion ensued, and various past experiments from the Tower of Logic — some described in detail, others in broad strokes — flooded the chat. Among them was the Stars Dagger.
Several participants even knew the experiment in remarkable detail, summarizing its key points in just a couple of lines buried in the torrent of messages.
Cheng Shi marveled at the hidden experts out there while frantically absorbing knowledge from the chat logs. But most of it remained surface-level speculation and discussion — real intelligence never showed up in chat channels.
Still, it was enough. At the very least, it had seeded suspicion in a huge number of players. 0221 was going to have a rough time in the near future.
Nothing noteworthy came from the other channels. The Deceit channel was, predictably, a circus of ever-escalating tall tales. In the mouths of those liars, 0221 had practically become Truth incarnate — and if someone hadn't jumped in to "clarify" that he was Truth Himself, this Truth Chosen might have gone down in history as the Faith Game's first mortal to achieve godhood.
Just as Cheng Shi sat brooding with furrowed brows, a sudden "call notification" shattered his train of thought.
But this time it wasn't the buzz and ring of a telephone. It was a summons from... the starry sky!
A brilliant phantom star plummeted before Cheng Shi's eyes and, as the Clown stood slack-jawed, burst into a swirling yellow mist.
The mist churned and rose, and moments later, a staircase materialized before him.
Cheng Shi's pupils contracted sharply — because the staircase's design was unmistakably the Chaos Steps that had once led to the Temple of Chaos!
'Wait — another audience?'
Cheng Shi was bewildered. Just as he was weighing whether to enter, a familiar voice called from the far end of the staircase.
It was Kataro.
"My lord, someone wishes to seek an audience. Would you... like to receive them?"
"?"
'Is that even my call to make?'
Cheng Shi's expression stalled — then broke into a grin.
'Receive them! Why wouldn't I?'
'All hail Chaos — your lowly Envoy Ultraman is clocking in for another shift.'
With that thought, the Clown curled his lips into a smile and stepped onto the staircase without a moment's hesitation.
...
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