Chapter 225
Lin Xuyi and Feng Xing were A and D respectively, the two Omegas were B and C, and E and F were Chi Yanxun and Shen Shuyu.
Shen Shuyu lowered his wrist. “Let’s go. You guys head to your classrooms first.”
Feng Xing looked at the team split with a heavy sense of impending doom. Shen Shuyu patted his shoulder. “It’s fine. Stay positive. It’s all fake.”
“Ding! One minute has passed. Students, please return to your classrooms immediately.”
The loudspeaker rang out again. No matter how unwilling they were, the group headed for the stairs. They passed the music room, the art studio, and the sports equipment room one by one.
After watching Feng Xing and the Omega enter their classroom, Shen Shuyu turned to Chi Yanxun, who hadn’t spoken for a while. “Let’s go.”
Chi Yanxun asked, “Are you nervous?”
Shen Shuyu replied, “I’m alright.”
As soon as he spoke, Chi Yanxun pulled two candies from his pocket and handed one to Shen Shuyu. “To help you relax.”
Shen Shuyu looked at the candy. Just as he accepted it, he saw Chi Yanxun tear open his own wrapper. Shuyu pursed his lips slightly and slowly tore open his own wrapper as well.
Chi Yanxun smiled at him. “Let’s go in. The broadcast started.”
Shen Shuyu was closest to the door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. Suddenly, he felt a wave of dizziness. Behind him, Chi Yanxun supported his waist and asked considerately, “What’s wrong?”
But due to his movement, the two of them fully entered the dim art studio.
Shen Shuyu shook his head. “Nothing.”
He moved away from Chi Yanxun, looked around, and sat down at a desk by the dim light.
It was so dark.
Shen Shuyu felt something was unnatural here. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a beep.
[Luck System: Shen Shuyu, long time no see.]
A mechanical voice rang out inside his head.
Shen Shuyu looked around in confusion. Whoâs speaking?
[Luck System: I am in your mind.]
Shen Shuyu sat up straight. [Who are you?]
The voice in his head laughed. [Luck System: I am the Luck System. Shen Shuyu, we haven’t seen each other in only five yearsâhow could you have forgotten me?]
Shen Shuyu said, [I don’t know what you’re talking about. Get out now!]
Luck wasn’t in a hurry. It explained: [Luck System: You know. You’ve simply forgotten, that’s all.]
Forgotten?
Shen Shuyu raised an eyebrow. [I don’t have amnesia. You monster, you better leave quickly, or I’ll have my brother and my sister-in-law deal with you.]
[Luck System: Shen Shuyu, you are still as cute as ever.] The Luck Systemâs electronic voice sounded exceptionally grating when it laughed. It didn’t get angry and continued, [Luck System: Five years ago, I brought you to this world, but for certain reasons, we lost contact. This is a novel world. If no one reminds you, you will forget some of your previous memories.]
[Why should I believe you?] Shen Shuyu said. [What kind of thing are you? Novel world? I don’t know how you got here, but please beat it.]
Shen Shuyu cursed Luck out viciously. Luck flickered a couple of times and said, [Luck System: You can choose not to believe me, but think back carefully. Do you have any memories other than these last five years?]
Luck continued, [Luck System: I can leave, of course, but I have to tell you one thing. The original owner of the body you are occupying was the world’s Secondary Center. You were brain-dead from a high fever in the orphanage back then. I saved you and secretly brought you into this novel world so you could have such great resources. Unfortunately, after I left, all of that ceased to exist.]
Shen Shuyu’s brow furrowed. [What do you mean?]
The Luck System said, [Luck System: My meaning is simple. You don’t belong here. Although your body does, your soul doesn’t. A novel world is different from your world; it requires the operation of a Primary Center and a Secondary Center. Without my help, you will sooner or later be detected by the Master Mind of this world. Do you think you’ll have a chance to survive then?]
Shen Shuyu remained silent.
The Luck System continued persuasively, [Luck System: I know this is hard for you to accept. I can give you time to consider, but there isn’t much time left. You can think backâafter you had that high fever five years ago, did you remember anything from before?]
Seeing that Shen Shuyu wasn’t speaking, the Luck System knew it had achieved its goal for today. It said, [Luck System: I’ll give you one day to consider. I’ll come find you at this time tomorrow.]
Shen Shuyu wanted to ask more, but the Luck System vanished without a trace.
“Shuyu, Shuyu.”
Shen Shuyu opened his eyes. He looked up slightly to see Chi Yanxun calling his name. He gave an “Mn.” “What is it?”
Chi Yanxun asked, “Why were you slumped over the desk? Are you feeling unwell?”
Shen Shuyu sat up slightly. He asked, “No… did you hear any sounds just now?”
Chi Yanxun shook his head. “I was looking for clues. When I turned around, you were lying down. I thought you were feeling sick.”
Shen Shuyu said, “I’m fine.”
He added, “Maybe I just got spooked. Let’s keep looking for clues.”
Shen Shuyu stood up and walked to the side to look at other paintings with a normal expression. Chi Yanxun retracted the feigned concern from his face.
He called out to the Luck System in his mind: [Did you finish?]
The Luck System said: [Luck System: I talked to him. He didn’t agree yet; he probably needs to think about it. But I told him I’d come find him tomorrow. Don’t worry.]
Chi Yanxun said: [You better handle this well.]
He was still clutching a candy wrapper in his hand. The candy he gave Shen Shuyu had been laced with a small amount of sedativeânot much, but enough to make him unconscious for a few minutes. That was his purpose for coming today.
The Luck System said that the fastest way to reclaim the position of Secondary Center was to make Shen Shuyu give it up voluntarily. But giving it up voluntarily was easier said than done; everyone wanted to be a center.
However, Luck said it had a way, though it refused to tell Chi Yanxun exactly what that way was.
The Luck System said: [Luck System: Rest assured. The failure with Wen Jiafei last time was purely an accident. My energy is low; I’m going into hibernation.]
With that, it went offline.
Chi Yanxunâs gaze fell on Shen Shuyu with a complex look. He didn’t believe the Luck Systemâs words; he suspected it wanted to reach a cooperative relationship directly with Shen Shuyu and then kick him out of the game.
His hand tightened around the candy wrapper. But he wasn’t afraid.
After all, “accidents” happened every day in this world.
If Shen Shuyu went out and lost his life in an accident, then he would be the only Secondary Center left in this world.
Chi Yanxun casually stuffed the wrapper into his pocket, hiding the murderous intent in his eyes.
The group emerged from the escape room more than an hour later. Feng Xing and the other two Omegas had been thoroughly spooked, though the debriefing was quite fun.
After lingering in the shop for a bit, Shen Shuyu and Feng Xing were the first to leave. Once they were in the car, Feng Xing immediately asked, “What were you and Chi Yanxun doing in the art studio? I felt like your spirits were low afterward.”
Shen Shuyu said, “Nothing, just got a bit scared.”
Feng Xing thought of the ghost face in the equipment room and nodded. “Yeah, I was scared too.”
Shen Shuyu let out a yawn. “Call me when we arrive. I’m going to nap for a bit to recover.”
Feng Xing said, “…So I’m just the driver then.”
But Shen Shuyu had already closed his eyes and looked as if he had really fallen asleep. Feng Xing puffed out his cheeks but ultimately drove in silence.
They arrived smoothly at the Shen residence. Feng Xing politely declined the invitation to stay for dinner; he was in a hurry to get home and play games. He had just synced up with Lin Xuyi; they were playing the same game, and Lin Xuyi could help him clear a dungeon he had been stuck on.
Dinner wasn’t as important as clearing a dungeon!
Shen Shuyu went upstairs and locked his door. Lying on the bed, his eyes were clear and sharp. [Xiao 1.]
Three seconds later, the System appeared.
[Xiao 1: Master.]
The System was unusually solemn.
Shen Shuyu said, [Show me the scene from when I was unconscious.]
When he received that candy, he had already received a prompt from the System that it contained a sedative powder unique to the Chi family, which might cause brief unconsciousness.
But Shen Shuyu had accepted the candy anyway. He wanted to see what Chi Yanxun was really up to. Before passing out, he had instructed the System to temporarily leave his mind and monitor Chi Yanxun’s movements. He told it that if anything seemed wrong, it should immediately call Feng Xing from the next room.
Shen Shuyu closed his eyes and reviewed the scene through the Systemâs eyes. After he fell unconscious, Chi Yanxun had stood beside him, staring at him intently, as motionless as a statue.
Then, the System changed the scene.
After he had woken up, while he was searching for clues with his back turned to Chi Yanxun, Chi Yanxun had been staring at him with an expression that was both cold and slightly crazed.
He was thick with murderous intent.
Recommended Reads
