Chapter 111: Future, Revolution, Roster |
Dusk was rapidly fading, the sky's backdrop transitioning between a dark blue and a hazy yellow.
The afterglow of the setting sun draped over the streets of Tokyo. Where the lights began to wane, two silhouettes leaned back against a vending machine, their heads lowered in total silence.
Li Qingping slowly raised his head, gazing at the distant sky with a hint of bewilderment in his eyes.
"That thing just now... what exactly was it?" Gu Wenyu asked. He had calmed down, but his voice still trembled slightly when he spoke.
"Do you really have to ask?" Li Qingping said softly.
"Are you crazy? I saw the whole thing. If I do not get a clear answer from you, how am I supposed to sleep tonight?" Gu Wenyu retorted.
"That person just now should be... Black Cocoon," Li Qingping stated expressionlessly.
Gu Wenyu nodded. "Oh, that makes sense... I was so startled just now that I did not react. Actually, while running, I finally saw clearly that the black mud figure was just a pile of restraining bands bunched together."
He shrugged. "I was wondering why he looked so familiar. My little sister absolutely adores him and praises him to me every single day."
"I do not know."
"You really do not know?"
"Gu Wenyu... stop asking. It is very dangerous for you."
Li Qingping shifted his tone, sounding almost like a completely different person from his usual self.
"Dangerous?" Gu Wenyu paused in surprise. "Are you really a Transgressor or something?"
Li Qingping shook his head. "I am not."
"Then what exactly are you?" Gu Wenyu asked suspiciously. "I refuse to believe that big fluttering moth would target an ordinary person."
Li Qingping looked up at the sky. Nearby, a child released the string of a kite. The kite soared past neon signs, weaving through power lines and tall buildings, unsteadily rising into the twilight sky like a solitary martyr.
"Gu Wenyu, actually I am an Anecdote..."
At that moment, the mobile phone in Li Qingping's pocket suddenly rang, interrupting his words.
'Anecdote?' Ji Minghuan muttered, narrowing his eyes. 'Could the timing of this phone call be any worse?'
Li Qingping took out his mobile phone, glanced at the name on the screen, and fell silent for a moment. He took a deep breath and smiled. "I think I will tell you next time."
Ji Minghuan blanked for a second, then controlled Gu Wenyu's body to ask, "When is next time?"
Li Qingping pondered. "Did I not tell you by the seaside just now that there is something I want to do?"
"What is it?"
"I will tell you next time," Li Qingping chuckled. "Oh, right, there is one thing I have not mentioned yet... after this summer vacation ends, I might be transferring schools."
"Transferring schools?" Ji Minghuan frowned. "So suddenly? Is this how rich kids live? Is it because your parents are changing jobs?"
"Yeah, I have to go to a very distant place. We might not be able to see each other for a long, long time," Li Qingping murmured.
"Then do not wait until next time. Tell me right now, what exactly did you want to say?"
Li Qingping stayed quiet for a bit. "I... I honestly do not know what will happen next. I told you before, I do not understand how much of a price I will have to pay for what I want to do, but..." He paused. "I feel that this is the right thing, so I want to do it. I have been running away for a long, long time, but now I want to face it."
Ji Minghuan's mind raced with thoughts running wild.
'What exactly are you trying to do, best friend... Are you planning to start a revolution and overthrow the royal family of Whalegarden?'
'Did my casual motivational speech just send him marching to his doom like a moth flying into a flame?'
The more Ji Minghuan thought about it, the more horrified he became. 'Why is my best friend acting like a complete riddler today?' he thought. 'The most terrifying part is that he is speaking in riddles while simultaneously setting up massive death flags for himself.'
Then another idea came to him. 'Forget it... As long as I create a character related to Anecdote Envoys later, I will be able to figure out what this guy Li Qingping is actually plotting.'
If necessary... he really could just reveal his identity to Li Qingping right here.
However, Ji Minghuan firmly believed that if he exposed his identity, the people around him would never cooperate with him fairly and efficiently. Even if they verbally agreed, their actual actions would revolve around protecting him at all costs. They would stop him from getting involved in anything dangerous, let alone grant him the trust of a true partner.
From Ji Minghuan's perspective, this was clearly not good news.
In order to escape the clutches of the Salvation Society, Ji Minghuan was entirely willing to sacrifice the "Gu Wenyu" avatar. To him, it was merely a game character.
But it was different in the eyes of the big brother, the little sister, the old man, and even his best friend. They would risk their own lives to save Gu Wenyu.
This created a severe disconnect, entirely contradicting Ji Minghuan's mindset. To him, Gu Wenyu was a tool; to those around him, Gu Wenyu was an incredibly important person...
But things were different with "Black Cocoon". They could cooperate normally with Black Cocoon without worrying about his well-being. It would not matter if they had to abandon Black Cocoon when necessary, because to them, Black Cocoon was simply a collaborator from start to finish.
A collaborator who could be discarded at any moment.
And this was exactly the ideal working relationship Ji Minghuan wanted. To maintain the initiative in his actions, he had to conceal his true identity from those around him.
The moment his identity was exposed, it would be akin to shackling himself and his allies, severely limiting their operational freedom. Whether for Ji Minghuan himself or the others, that was absolutely terrible news.
Actually, the little test just now was for Ji Minghuan to properly categorize Li Qingping. He now understood that Li Qingping, much like Gu Zhuo'an, was someone who responded well to persuasion but would fiercely resist coercion. If he wanted to collaborate with them, he could not use the same approach he used with Gu Qiye. Though, of course... only Gu Qiye would go to such incredible lengths to compromise for the sake of the people around him.
"Wenyu, I want to go save someone," Li Qingping suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
"Save someone?"
Ji Minghuan turned to look at him. The faint glow of the vending machine illuminated Li Qingping's tranquil expression.
Li Qingping spoke haltingly. "Yes... He is still a child. He is a very kind person. Because of his albinism, he rarely goes out and stays at home most of the time. He keeps a lot of small animals. Even when facing people whose status is far beneath his, he still treats them with respect... But the people around him are all very wicked... especially his two older brothers."
Albinism?
Ji Minghuan paused, then raised an eyebrow and asked,
"What is that person's name?"
"I cannot tell you," Li Qingping shook his head. "This is all I can share."
After a long silence, Ji Minghuan slowly lifted his head.
He did not look directly at Li Qingping. Instead, he simply raised his hand and clapped his friend firmly on the shoulder twice. The guy's shoulder was as hard as iron.
He said, "I cannot make head or tail of what craziness you are planning... But no matter what you decide to do, be smart about it. When it is time to retreat, retreat. Do not stubbornly fight to the bitter end like an idiot."
As he said this, Ji Minghuan suddenly remembered their middle school days. Whenever someone was bullied at school, Li Qingping was always the very first to step forward. This guy simply had an overflowing sense of justice, and heaven only knew what kind of foolish stunt he was preparing to pull.
On the other hand, Li Qingping never cared about what others thought of him; he only cared about doing what was right.
Li Qingping nodded gently. "I know. I am leaving Japan in a couple of days. I will be very busy these next two days... Even if you ask to hang out, I won't have the time."
"That is fine. Just find me when you are free."
"Yeah... I still have things to do today, so I must get going," Li Qingping considered for a moment, then looked up at Gu Wenyu. "Just forget about what happened earlier. That Black Cocoon was targeting me; he should not bother you."
"Alright, go on then."
Li Qingping stayed silent for a moment before lifting his somewhat distant face and offering a faint smile. "Gu Wenyu, you are my best friend."
During rush hour, the train carriage was filled with the unpleasant stench of sweat and mothballs. Most of the Japanese salarymen looked exhausted, either hunching their backs and resting their heads against the walls, or drooping their heads to nap, their bodies swaying slightly with the motion of the train.
Ji Minghuan tilted his head against the train window, staring blankly at the city bathed in the afterglow. The glass reflected a sliver of blood-red setting sun, which was just about to sink below the horizon.
'Li Qingping had been hiding in the human world all this time to escape something dangerous... This must be connected to his reluctance to return to Whalegarden.'
He recalled Li Qingping's words. Albinism, a child, older brothers, and people around them wanting to kill the child... It sounded remarkably like a royal power struggle.
'Two older brothers?'
'So, the person Li Qingping wants to save is the Third Prince, and his two older brothers are the First Prince and the Second Prince. He wants to rescue the Third Prince from those two?'
'If I look at it that way, it really is a massive danger. It sounds like the royal family is the highest authority in Whalegarden. Moreover, Li Qingping will be going up against two princes.'
'If things go wrong... Li Qingping might end up fighting an entire nation, right?'
Thinking of this, Ji Minghuan shrugged and pulled his head away from the gently vibrating window.
'If I get the chance, I should try to make my next game avatar someone connected to Whalegarden... I want to see exactly what Li Qingping is planning. The tone he used made it sound like he was absolutely determined to go get himself killed.'
'This guy is an idiot. All brawn and no brains. If I do not go bail him out, he is definitely doomed.'
The train carriage bumped and rattled. Ji Minghuan withdrew his gaze from the twilight city and lowered his eyes.
He thought back to the conversation he had that afternoon in the confinement room with Kong Youling and Filio.
Filio had said that if he ever got the chance, he wanted to walk through the city openly like a normal person and see this vast world.
He also said, "After meeting you two, I suddenly do not want to huddle here like a monster anymore. I want to make more friends and meet more people."
Thinking of this, Ji Minghuan glanced up at the brightly lit streets. He felt that Filio's wish was most likely impossible to fulfill.
When the day came for him to lead an assault on the Salvation Society, Filio would either have to side with the Tutor, or side with him...
But that poor child had been brainwashed by the Tutor for so long that he was already beyond saving. In his eyes, the notion that 'the Tutor is the greatest person in the world' was deeply rooted.
Perhaps even... his father, White Wolf, would be unable to make him realize the truth.
If necessary, Ji Minghuan might have to personally send that little werewolf to hell. However, Filio would certainly not be the only one he killed. The Experimental Facility definitely had many similar children locked up.
He remembered Kong Youling's face. He had actually wondered before: if he ever truly wanted to destroy the world, would it be because she was gone?
If one day he truly went mad and lost control, just as the prophecy foretold, what would happen to the innocent people he knew? Gu Qiye, Su Zimai, Li Qingping... would they all be destroyed along with everything else?
Yes, the Tutor always claimed he was a supreme Restricted-tier Superpowered Individual, making it sound like the entire world had to bow to his whims. But in reality, he had no grand ambitions. He just wanted... to protect the handful of people around him.
Ji Minghuan leaned against the train window to rest for a while. The sky gradually darkened, and the night descended like a dark curtain over his face.
Meanwhile, in an underground bar in Roppongi.
Gu Zhuo'an walked past a crowd of bodyguards in black suits and stepped inside. Under the watchful eyes of the Yakuza around him, he made his way to the bar and looked up at the proprietress in a red dress—Amemiya Chihiro.
"The person you asked me to look into last time," Amemiya Chihiro said, chewing on her pipe without even raising her head.
"He is just a victim," Gu Zhuo'an replied.
Amemiya Chihiro teased lightly, "I know. That person called 'Black Cocoon' is certainly bold, daring to attack Yakuza members and even openly sneaking in here to provoke our Mr. Ghost Bell."
"Give me a roster," Gu Zhuo'an said softly as he took a seat at the bar, remaining silent for a brief moment.
"A roster?"
"The roster of the White Raven Brigade. It would be best if you could tell me... what abilities they possess and what they look like."
Amemiya Chihiro paused in surprise, then revealed a beautiful, girlish smile. "Have you changed your mind?"
"Cut the nonsense."
Amemiya Chihiro said, "Of course I can get you what you asked for, but even on our end, our understanding of the White Raven Brigade is not comprehensive. Currently, we only know the abilities and ranks of five of their members."
"That is enough," Gu Zhuo'an paused. "But I will not join the bodyguard team. I have said it before... I do not want any involvement with the Japanese Yakuza. I will act alone."
"You are such a walking contradiction," Amemiya Chihiro laughed. "Since you do not want to be involved with the Yakuza, are you purely just doing me a favor?"
"No..." Gu Zhuo'an said. "At this auction, I have my own matters to attend to."
The face of Gu Qiye flashed through his mind.
"Your own matters?" Amemiya Chihiro bit on her pipe, completely unable to make head or tail of it. "But regardless, I am very happy that you are willing to come... Even if you just show your face, I can claim credit with the higher-ups."
The corners of her lips curled up. "I will send you the known roster of the White Raven Brigade tonight."
Gu Zhuo'an nodded.
"Also, Blue Arc has joined the bodyguard team this time," Amemiya Chihiro paused. "But this time, you two will be on the same front. Both of your goals are to drive away the White Raven Brigade."
She hesitated, leaving her sentence unfinished. "So, when the time comes, you two probably will not..."
Gu Zhuo'an did not answer. Instead, he silently stood up from the bar and briskly walked away under Amemiya Chihiro's watchful gaze.