Part 3
“System, it’s so dark today.”
【Mn.】
Since it was already spring, it should normally be gray at 5:00 AM, but today’s weather looked like it was still winter.
Buzz—Wen Rong received a message from the Meteorological Bureau.
The Meteorological Bureau warned that a sudden cold front had arrived. Not only Floriman Academy but the entire surrounding area had begun to experience torrential rain, expected to last for a week.
Wen Rong opened the Blue Book and saw hot searches about floods and water disasters. In some places, the first floors were even submerged, and electricity and networks were completely cut off.
“System, it’s a bit strange. I checked the weather forecast before; it didn’t say there would be heavy rain during this period.”
He paused. “And Floriman Academy’s location is excellent. How could there be extreme weather?”
【Host, don’t worry.】
“During the last earthquake, extreme weather also appeared uncharacteristically.”
【Rest assured, Floriman Academy is not on an earthquake plate.】
“Could there be other problems?”
【Let me check for the Host.】
Just a few seconds later: 【Found it. The Meteorological Bureau says a portion of clouds strangely accumulated in the surroundings and only arrived over Floriman Academy last night. I think it’s because Lin Jinghang used too many points to exchange for good weather before, so many rain clouds that should have arrived were piled up together. Lin Jinghang was in a coma last night and definitely didn’t use points to exchange for anything today, so these clouds drifted over according to common sense.】
Wen Rong was shocked: “So it’s not created out of thin air?”
After asking, Wen Rong felt he was a bit silly.
He had always thought that when Lin Jinghang exchanged for good weather, he created a good day out of nothing. Now, thinking about it carefully, the logic behind that should be that all the clouds were blown away by the wind, letting the sunlight fall.
【The System belongs to computer science. Under normal circumstances, it satisfies the Host’s requests in a scientific way.】
“When will the rain stop?”
【It might rain for about a week.】
“A week is too long. Calculating based on the current rainfall, many places might be flooded.”
【…】
The System was silent. This was a problem it couldn’t solve.
“I can’t go back to the orphanage either.”
【Mn.】
After speaking, a connection suddenly clicked in Wen Rong’s mind. “When the System exchanged for sunny days, such extreme weather occurred. Then when President Zhou died, why wasn’t there a chain reaction?”
【Because according to the plot, he would have passed away around that node anyway. Lin Jinghang altering the plot didn’t have a significant impact.】
Wen Rong’s face suddenly turned pale, speechless.
【Host?】
“I’m fine.”
He opened the window, letting the wind blow the rain in.
After a long time, he sighed.
Lin Jinghang didn’t return for a week. The week of continuous heavy rain affected road usage, and most classes at Floriman Academy were suspended.
Shi Ye was surprisingly quiet these few days. Next door, the sound of the door opening was always heard very early, and then again very late. The only contact was a pair of rain boots sent over one morning.
Senior Leon was the same.
Wen Rong thought Senior Leon would say there was nothing to do on a rainy day, so they could “go further.”
At dinner time, Wen Rong sat on the edge of the bed and put on his rain boots. Just as he was about to go out to eat, he received a call from Senior Leon asking him to go to Room 408.
When Wen Rong knocked on the door of 408, Shi Ye stood in front of him, taking his umbrella and looking for slippers nearby.
Zzzzz—
The sound of an electric drill came from the room.
This scene—same setting, same people—gave an inexplicable feeling of time flying, of “things remaining but people changing.”
Half a year ago, on the night of course selection, it was also pitch black. Shi Ye came to open the door, and Senior Leon was inside.
Him back then…
The him of half a year ago felt strange even to himself.
“Are you wet? Change out of them and dry them?” Shi Ye circled him, asking while looking.
“No.”
“There are rain spots on your back. Take it off, I’ll dry it for you.”
Wen Rong: “Ah?”
“Just convenient. You’ll have to take off your clothes to try on the watch later anyway.”
Wen Rong took off his jacket and handed it to Shi Ye, asking, “What watch?”
“Aren’t you going to the Outer District? It’s messy there. Leon and I modified a military agent watch for you.”
Wen Rong was stunned. Military, agent, modified—every word sounded impressive.
Such a serious and solemn attitude made Wen Rong nervous. “Is the Outer District chaotic to that extent?”
“Just in case.”
After their brief exchange, the drill sound inside the room stopped. Senior Leon walked out carrying a human-shaped model, half his head popping out from behind the white model head. “You’re here?”
“Mn.”
“Come try the thing I made for you.”
Senior Leon indeed took a mechanical-like watch and put it on his hand, asking him to press the back of his hand down and aim at the human model.
Bang—
With a soft sound, Wen Rong’s arm was heavily jolted, and the center of the human model caved in. Wen Rong leaned in to look and found a piece of metal resembling a small battery stuck to it.
He was just about to reach out to touch it when Senior Leon stopped him. “Don’t touch, that thing carries electricity.”
“This looks like…” Wen Rong hesitated.
Like the weapon of an anime character he had seen on a classmate’s pencil case in his past life.
“For self-defense. If you encounter danger, aim this end at the opponent and press the button next to it for adjusting the time. The range is ten meters; you gauge the distance yourself.”
“It felt like it flicked me just now.”
Shi Ye: “Like the recoil of a gun, there will be some rebound sensation. If you hold your wrist tight then, it can mitigate it a bit.”
This was truly too professional.
Wen Rong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at first, but then thought that since Senior and Shi Ye hadn’t contacted him these past few days, perhaps they were busy modifying this self-defense watch.
They cared about him very, very much.
So he straightened his attitude and thanked them both.
Leon waved his hand. “Senior should have gone with you, but some results came out from the research base this time, requiring Senior to be on-site.”
Shi Ye hinted darkly, “The watch idea was mine.”
Wen Rong smiled at him. “I thought it was you too. You always know about these cool gadgets.”
Leon: “Replacing bullets with small batteries was my idea. Remember that little electric gadget? I specially fused it into the watch.”
Wen Rong smiled at the Senior. “Senior is also very amazing.”
“Mn. Although you gave Shi Ye an ‘amazing,’ you also gave Senior an ‘amazing’ in passing, but Senior is very happy.”
Now, Wen Rong really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
What could he do? After all, they were the ones competing first!
The departure time was set for the third day after the rain stopped.
Zhou Xie prepared the car for him—one driver, two bodyguards—and told him that once past the cordon line between the Inner and Outer Districts, it was only a two-hour drive to reach the orphanage, where police would meet him.
Wen Rong thanked Zhou Xie for the arrangement and got into the car carrying his luggage bag.
Zhou Xie knocked on the car window. Wen Rong rolled it down. Zhou Xie stood outside and made a ‘call me’ gesture. “Keep in touch at all times.”
“Okay.”
“Stay safe.”
“Okay.”
Wen Rong said goodbye to Zhou Xie, closed the window, and turned back to meet the eyes of the two bodyguards opposite.
More accurately, one of them.
Both bodyguards wore masks, but this one was burlier than the one next to him, his head almost touching the car roof, staring straight at him.
Wen Rong hesitated for a moment. He saw the look change from vigilant to resentful, and found a trace of familiarity in those sharp brows.
!
He asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for the Federal University Tennis League? As the Dorm Head, isn’t it a bit irresponsible not to participate in the competition?”
That gaze finally softened. “You forgave Zhou Xie, fine, but why use such a nice tone with him?”
Wen Rong: “…”
Shi Ye quickly turned his face away and took off his mask. “Hot as hell.”
Then, to ease the awkwardness, he patted the bodyguard next to him. “Thanks, bro. No need to wear the mask anymore.”
Only then did the neighbor slowly take off his mask, looking gloomy, as if forced into this.
Wen Rong sighed. “What about your competition?”
“It’s not like they can’t win the championship without me. If something happens to you in the Outer District, I might never see you again.”
“Fine.”
Wen Rong compromised.
As a transmigrator, he actually didn’t understand this world. Since Senior Leon, Zhou Xie, and Shi Ye were convinced he would be in trouble going to the Outer District, he defaulted to accepting that he would encounter danger too.
“Your expression isn’t great. Are you angry?” Shi Ye moved to sit on Wen Rong’s side.
“I’m not angry. I just don’t quite understand. If you wanted to come with me, just say so directly. Why disguise yourself as a bodyguard?”
“I only decided 10 minutes ago too. Look at these clothes, not my size at all.” Shi Ye held out a sleeve that was a section too short for Wen Rong to see.
“Oh! Zhou Xie arranged two bodyguards for me, and you swapped one out.”
“Mn-hm.”
“You might as well have just gotten in the car. Then we could have had two bodyguards.”
“I came just to be your bodyguard. Don’t look down on me, I count as…” He paused, kicking the bodyguard opposite with the tip of his toe. “Bro, qualified to be a bodyguard, right?”
The aloof bodyguard brother gave a “Mn.”
Shi Ye continued, “See, I got approval from a professional. I’m the two-time Military Tai Chi Boxing champion, the closed-door disciple of the current Director of Military Affairs, at sixteen I beat…”
While Wen Rong nodded randomly with “Mn-hm,” he took out his phone and told Zhou Xie about Shi Ye.
Zhou Xie quickly replied with a string of ellipses.
Then he added: [My people found that woman. All the content in the photos is true. If you need to investigate anything, let Shi Ye go. There is a military base in the Outer District; they won’t let anything happen to Shi Ye.]
The four words “content is true” imprinted themselves on his brain; the subsequent words were automatically ignored.
Wen Rong’s heart plummeted with a heavy thud.
He didn’t even have the energy to humor Shi Ye anymore, turning his head to look out the window.
It seemed the Outer District really was a dangerous place.
The bulletproof car drove outward against the traffic flow. The road grew more desolate until a web of electric wires wrapped in fine iron mesh appeared in the distance.
It was evident it had been patched many times. Most of the wire was full of rust. Near the corners, there were patches filled with brand new wire, like renovated “dog holes.”
And beyond the electric net, it was even more desolate.
On the way here, he had thought the trees were desolate, but now it seemed the Outer District was the true wasteland.
Near the ground by the wire, there seemed to be something black.
Wen Rong opened the window, wanting to see clearly what it was. A foul smell poured into his nose first.
Garbage mixed with sweat was carried over by the wind, and he finally saw clearly what was on the other side—through the gaps in the wire, pairs of hollow eyes were revealed.
That patch of black was a group of people.
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