Chapter 201: Genius Kindergarten (Part 14)

Chapter 201: Genius Kindergarten (Part 14)

After school in the afternoon, Liu Feiyao and the other two were praised by the teacher and had red flowers affixed to their faces.

As for the others... just when Teacher Liu was about to announce which five children would be criticized today, her gaze slid over Jie Fangcheng's face.

If there was any child who had been particularly disobedient today, who else could it be but Jie Fangcheng?

But would Teacher Liu dare to say it?

Not only did she not dare, but she also hesitated to even call out the names of the other students. She hurriedly concluded, mumbling that everyone had been good children today.

The students happily headed home after school, and Zhou Yian breathed a sigh of relief, having dodged a bullet.

He certainly didn't think his actions were problematic. After all, it's an open-ended game, and as the online forums say, one should be cautious of both NPCs and players. Isn't betrayal and scheming amongst players to be expected? So what was his own case in comparison?

Zhou Yian felt he had merely made the most rational choice, not that he had set out to undermine others for no reason.

Surely, the others would understand the necessity of his actions?

As it turned out, when he tried to forge a bond with the other players, all four coldly ignored him.

Of course, Jie Fangcheng's indifference stemmed purely from his habit of napping before and after class. After school, he exchanged a few words with Zhan Xiaoming before leaving with him.

It seemed Jie Fangcheng had no interest in interacting with any player other than Zhan Xiaoming. Zhou Yian found no opportunity to ingratiate himself.

Liu Feiyao had already heard about Zhou Yian's actions and met his approach with a very composed tone.

"Indeed, treachery among players is a common occurrence."

She said no more. Zhou Yian, clever as he was, quickly grasped the situation.

What good would it do to seek alliances now? No one would truly trust him anymore.

Perhaps they might even offer false clues to deliberately sabotage him.

Zhou Yian hesitated for a moment, then drew some confidence from his own abilities.

It didn't matter. In terms of capability, these players were merely dead weight.

Let them ignore him; the day might yet come when they would have to rely on him.

So Zhou Yian chose not to say anything more.

Meanwhile, at the school gate, Zhang Siqian arrived as promised to pick someone up.

He had not come on his youthfully vibrant bicycle but had walked all the way to the school entrance.

The three of them walked together, turning two street corners to arrive at a commercial building nearby. After taking the elevator to the twelfth floor, they found themselves facing a room with a sign reading "Siqian Studio."

Isn't this guy a high school student? How does he already have a studio?

Impressive. Is this what a clever person looks like?

Zhan Xiaoming took the initiative: "Jie, are you here to discuss business? Should I wait outside?"

"No need," Zhang Siqian said as he opened the studio. The space was fairly large, comprising a reception area, a workspace, and an independent lounge—four or five rooms in total.

Zhan Xiaoming headed into the lounge to play on the computer, while Jie Fangcheng and Zhang Siqian entered the reception area in a more formal manner.

Once in the reception area, Zhang Siqian hospitably poured him a glass of milk.

"Thank you," Jie Fangcheng said politely, taking the glass but not drinking from it.

He's not a real child, after all; even Manager Jie could have had a Coke at the very least.

Not drinking himself, Zhang Siqian said nothing and poured a glass of water for himself, sitting down across from Jie Fangcheng.

Both men were straightforward, and Zhang Siqian quickly asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Ah!" Jie Fangcheng was remarkably candid. "As you know, I'm a player, currently navigating through this scenario. The objective is to be a child approved by my parents. But now you've taken my parents away. How should I clear this scenario?"

“……”

Zhang Siqian looked at him intently, surprised that Jie Fangcheng would be so forthright in asking such a question.

After all, Zhang had betrayed him once before. Was Jie not afraid he might do it again?

"What's the matter?" Jie Fangcheng was puzzled.

This kid is smart; could it be he doesn't know what to do either?

Zhang Siqian inquired, "I may have an idea, but why would you think I'd help you?"

"Hmm?" For a moment, Jie Fangcheng looked puzzled, scratching his head. "Uh... Do you have any conditions? Let's hear them."

Zhang Siqian remained silent, scrutinizing Jie Fangcheng's face as if assessing its features.

Oddly enough, he had an eidetic memory and never forgot faces he had encountered in his life.

Especially this child before him, who had a face so striking that it was almost unsettling—unsettlingly beautiful, to be exact.

His eyes were dark, as dark as obsidian, contrasting sharply with his almost unsettlingly pale skin. His red lips and defined facial features created an exotic look that first appeared sharp, then overwhelmingly handsome.

With such memorable features, one didn't need Zhang Siqian's eidetic memory to remember him after a single encounter.

But what was strange was that this face seemed both foreign and familiar.

It was as if another face, similar and memorable, flickered in his mind.

Could it be altered memories?

Zhang Siqian had noticed that, after certain unusual events occurred in his world, people around him tended to rationalize these phenomena.

Their memories would change accordingly, much like the sudden appearance of this genius kindergarten.

Some of Zhang Siqian's own memories were false, but his cognitive control seemed to be inherently different from that of ordinary people. He could easily identify the inconsistencies in his memories and correct them immediately.

Did he recognize the man in front of him or not?

"Do you know me?" Zhang Siqian asked.

Jie Fangcheng shook his head: "I've never seen you before."

"Is that so?"

"What's the matter?" Jie Fangcheng had a keen understanding of intelligent people and felt that Zhang Siqian seemed to have seen through something.

He then saw the man before him give him a half-smile, half-smirk: "Do I resemble someone you know? It seems you're always looking through me, as if to see someone else."

Aha! Busted!

Indeed, although it was unintentional, Jie Fangcheng happened to know the most intelligent person in his circle: Zhen Daoan.

Meeting another intelligent person, especially one with the last name 'Zhang'— a name Zhen Daoan often used as a pseudonym—was uncanny.

Not only did Zhang Siqian share the last name 'Zhang,' but his entire demeanor was familiar. His lofty air, his actual ruthlessness hidden behind casual conversations, each word veiling numerous implications—everything was strikingly similar.

Were it not for the fact that Zhen Daoan had disintegrated into ashes finer than those in a crematory furnace, leaving no chance for reincarnation, Jie Fangcheng might have believed this man to be Zhen Daoan reincarnated.

Jie Fangcheng candidly nodded: "You do remind me of a friend."

Zhang Siqian nodded: "Is that so?"

Uncertain whether the man believed him, Jie Fangcheng observed Zhang Siqian pour himself some water and casually ask, "You must be really close with your friend, even thinking of him in this game."

"We are quite close."

"What's his name?"

"Zhen Daoan."

Crash.

Zhang Siqian's glass fell and shattered on the floor. Puzzled, Jie Fangcheng glanced at the broken glass and asked, "What happened?"

Turning to pick up a broom from the corner, Zhang Siqian began sweeping up the glass fragments, calmly responding, "Nothing. I just had a little slip of the hand."

He heard Jie Fangcheng utter an "Oh," but then the next sentence made Zhang Siqian look up instantly.

"You're acting a bit strangely," said Jie Fangcheng. "Your murderous intent intensified the moment I mentioned Zhen Daoan's name."

In reality, Zhang Siqian had been emanating this killer aura not long after meeting him.

Even when he had gone to the kindergarten gate to pick him up, he seemed casual but was highly vigilant.

Jie Fangcheng found this understandable and even familiar.

But now, after pointing out the intensified murderous aura, he felt even more perplexed: "Hey, why did your murderous intent increase again?"

Unperturbed, Zhang Siqian completed his task, wrapping the shattered glass carefully before discarding it in the trash bin.

Once done, he calmly took a new glass, filled it with water, and returned to sit opposite Jie Fangcheng.

The other man's composure caught Jie Fangcheng somewhat by surprise.

"This young man is truly cut out for great things," Jie Fangcheng thought. Unflustered even after being called out, and maintaining decorum despite knowing he's a "player" with mysterious abilities.

"My apologies," the other said, poised and graceful.

Jie Fangcheng circled back to the previous topic, "So, why did you react when I mentioned the name 'Zhen Daoan'?"

Zhang Siqian across from him smiled and said, "It was nothing. I misheard."

Jie Fangcheng spoke up, "I forgot to tell you; I can also sense if someone is lying."

"…" Zhang Siqian adjusted his glasses. "I've come across that name."

"Come across?" Jie Fangcheng was taken aback.

"Yes," Zhang Siqian said, tapping his temple, "in my memory."

"…What?" This time it was Jie Fangcheng's turn to be shocked.

"This is a new game, not the previous one called 'Do Not Answer.' Zhen Daoan is clearly not from this world, so how could Zhang Siqian possibly have heard of him?"

"It must be a coincidence—a person with the same name," Zhang Siqian casually explained.

A coincidence?

Jie Fangcheng furrowed his brows, feeling something was off.

Zhang Siqian, as intelligent as Zhen Daoan and visibly affected by the name Zhen Daoan...

"Are you—" A possibility echoed in Jie Fangcheng's mind, causing his heartbeat to almost stop as he feared to touch upon that answer, "are you… Zhen Daoan?"

"No," the other responded without hesitation.

And Jie Fangcheng realized, this time, the man across from him wasn't lying.

He's not…

Of course.

Jie Fangcheng felt a bit regretful, but thought the answer made sense.

"I can't go around suspecting that any intelligent person named Zhang is Zhen Daoan; that wouldn't be fair."

Zhang Siqian took a sip of water, his eyes looking at him through the lenses of his glasses.

"Are you so close to this 'Zhen Daoan' that you place an extraordinary amount of trust in me, just because I remind you of him?"

Jie Fangcheng was quite forthright, "It's not really about him; it's more that I'm fairly strong myself."

"…" At a loss for words, even Zhang Siqian wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

Jie Fangcheng spoke before he had finished being honest: "Just like earlier, I didn't react to your murderous intent because you can't kill me."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Actions speak louder than a thousand words.

Ever since entering this replica, Jie Fangcheng had hesitated to use his ghostly energy, sensing that this small world was not very strong. Using his ghostly energy recklessly could lead to severe consequences.

At this moment, he casually formed a hand seal, pointing outward.

Rumbling—

Out of nowhere, the sky, which had been clear, filled with thunder and lightning. It was as if the Heavenly Dao of this small world was expressing its anger and panic in protest.

To put it bluntly, the Heavenly Dao of this small world was nowhere near as powerful as Jie Fangcheng. He could extinguish it right there and then, becoming the lord of all creation in this world without any issue.

"I'm not boasting, but my strength is beyond what you can imagine," Jie Fangcheng calmly met the eyes of the person before him. "You're smart. I knew someone... his name is Zhang Daoan. He's also smart. What I learned most from him is that it's better to be straightforward with intelligent people like you. Evasiveness leads to misunderstandings and arouses suspicion."

"I won’t lie to you because I'm well aware that I don't have a mind as sharp as yours. I know lies would be easily seen through."

Jie Fangcheng looked at him earnestly. "I'm willing to tell you everything I know and can say. I need your help right now, and I believe, being as clever as you are, you can see that I am not the invader you think I am. This small world holds no value for me; I didn't come for it and have no intention of causing harm to your world. So, can we talk openly now?"

Zhang Siqan looked inexplicably at the man before him. Finally, he set down the glass in his hand.

It was indeed strange. The other's attitude was sincere and open, yet Zhang Siqan didn’t find this behavior odd. On the contrary, it somehow felt natural coming from him.

Was it because Jie Fangcheng, this "player," was so powerful that he didn't need to resort to any schemes or tricks?

It seemed not. It was more like this was simply his nature. He might not be adept at analysis or gathering intelligence, but he was astute and fearlessly honest.

Zhang Siqan slightly flexed his fingers. He knew that he should logically analyze whether the other's words were deceitful, or mere false promises. Such analysis was not difficult for Zhang Siqan.

But in that moment, for the first time, before delving into the other’s intentions, requests, or terms—before any complex considerations—he agreed.

"Fine."

After saying "fine," Zhang Siqan paused, seemingly surprised that he had agreed so easily.

Yet, in the next second, he nodded again, reaffirming his response.

"Fine."

At that moment, Jie Fangcheng sensed that the other’s murderous intent had vanished.

The smarter the person, the easier they are to persuade. As long as one is entirely honest, the other will quickly realize that their “partner” is genuinely worth collaborating with.

This was also something Jie Fangcheng had observed in Zhang Daoan.

Jie Fangcheng was indeed a good collaborator; if he promised to answer all questions he could, he would be completely forthright.

"What is this game?"

"It's called 'Three Thousand Worlds.' Players enter instances to complete missions and gain rewards, like items and skills. Let me show you an example."

As he spoke, Jie Fangcheng brought out an item named "Mr. Rabbit" that he had previously received from Zhan Xiaoming. Upon activation, what looked like a one-eyed, horrifying rabbit figure in a suit expanded from palm-size with a 'poof,' engulfed by a puff of colorful smoke. In the blink of an eye, it grew nearly a meter tall, almost at eye level with Jie Fangcheng.

"Go and bag up the trash," Jie Fangcheng commanded, "I'll take it out for you when I leave."

Mr. Rabbit stood bewildered for a moment, seemingly encountering such a request for the first time in its existence. Eventually, it turned its plush head and hopped toward the trash can.

Jie Fangcheng said, "See? Useful, isn't it?"

Observing the axe attached to Mr. Rabbit's lower back, Zhang Siqian understood that the original purpose of this item likely wasn't for handling garbage.

However, he nodded in agreement with Jie Fangcheng, "Useful."

Mr. Rabbit is an offensive item with a short duration of approximately ten minutes, but it has a cooldown time of twenty-four hours.

Having no immediate need for its offensive capabilities, Jie Fangcheng summoned it back after it had clumsily gathered the garbage bags.

Mr. Rabbit shrank back to its original palm-size in his hand.

"May I have a look?" Zhang Siqian inquired.

Without hesitation, Jie Fangcheng handed the plush figure over. "Sure."

Upon taking it, Zhang Siqian "saw" the item's attributes.

It was a bizarre sensation. No screen appeared before him, yet he could "see" the text describing the item's properties.

After inspecting it, Zhang Siqian returned the item. "Can NPCs like me from this minor universe use these items as well?"

"Yes."

Zhang Siqian smiled, "Then this game is indeed quite devious."

Jie Fangcheng agreed, "Absolutely."

"You also seem to despise the game you're in. Why? Aren't you a player?"

Jie Fangcheng rapidly recounted what he had learned from Zhan Xiaoming about the basic premises of the game—the hunting grounds, the collapse of minor worlds, and so on. He spoke about everything he knew, also briefly mentioning his own prior universe.

"My world is likely one of those that's collapsing. If I had a choice, I wouldn't enter this wretched game. But a friend of mine was killed by a player in this game, and I promised to avenge him, even if it takes me to the ends of the Earth."

"Which friend?"

"Zhen Daoan."

Zhang Siqian lowered his head and adjusted his glasses.

He resumed discussing the "official settings" of the game.

"So, the collapsing small worlds eventually vanish, and the game forms channels to take resources out of these small worlds. Even people can leave these worlds to become players in the game? It seems like the game’s creator had good intentions?"

This was what Jie Fangcheng couldn’t understand either. "So they say. But if that’s the case, why set up these instances? I asked Zhan Xiaoming, and the game’s player ecology is poor; everyone is mistrustful. They even call these small worlds ‘hunting grounds.'"

Hunting grounds.

The name alone was malicious enough, turning people and resources in these small worlds into prey.

Under these circumstances, Jie Fangcheng found it hard to believe such a patently contrived "official narrative."

"There's definitely an issue," Zhang Siqun said after a moment's reflection. "I have a hypothesis, but it may not be accurate."

"Why did this game introduce both 'dungeon' and 'hunting' modes?" Zhang Siqun wet his finger and wrote on the table. "If players are simply after the game's resources, the 'items' I've seen so far suggest they could easily acquire any resources from my world. No technology from my world can fend off this alien power, so why insist on clearing dungeons?"

"To train players' skills? But as you've mentioned, 'Three Thousand Worlds' has simulated dungeons. In an era with abundant resources, a larger population brings more benefits. There's no need to reduce the population if resources are plentiful. To train players, they could be sent to virtual dungeons and summoned to hunting grounds when needed. So why force them to partake in dungeons?"

"So, dungeons might not be designed to benefit players, but to unlock the doors to smaller worlds."

Jie Fangcheng hesitated, then had a moment of realization. "That makes sense."

Zhang Siqun paused with his finger, inadvertently elaborating more in the encouraging atmosphere.

He jotted down a few numbers on the table.

"Some bizarre things have been happening around me too. For instance, a local newspaper reported that a supermarket planned to demolish and rebuild. It's strange; the supermarket has moderate foot traffic, average revenue, and the building isn't particularly old. There's no logical need for demolition. I made many guesses—ownership changes, policy shifts, and so on—but none made sense. I even asked the supermarket owner, who insisted that the store's poor revenue was due to its unremarkable building, which is even less likely."

"Considering that the owner only has this one store and is over 40 with dependents, it's a time when he should be cautious financially. Even if he impulsively decided to go ahead, wouldn't his family object?"

Jie Fangcheng nodded. "That is odd, indeed."

Zhang Siqun glanced at him, and Jie Fangcheng felt as though Zhang was in a strangely good mood.

This kid... is a bit odd.

"What happened to the owner in the end?"

Zhang Siqan paused briefly, then gave a succinct account, "He committed suicide. The financial chain broke, and the supermarket construction halted due to a lack of funds. He had no choice but to sell it off cheaply to cover debts. However, a year after his death... this place was demolished."

Jie Fangcheng frowned, "If these lives are indeed being manipulated by the game, then this game is unacceptable."

After hearing his words, Zhang Siqun's finger trailed over the numbers he had written.

"These people who've died under mysterious circumstances might have had happier, more accomplished lives. Now they're wrongfully dead, and we who are still alive might be the next victims at any moment."

"So I believe it's not that the game chooses collapsing small worlds, but rather that it uses dungeons to exert successive shocks on this world, creating conditions for its collapse. Only after the world collapses does it become a hunting ground."

Zhang Siqun had never shared these thoughts with anyone else. He knew how outlandish they sounded and understood that not only would no one believe him, but people might even think he was mad.

The worst-case scenario wouldn't be him being locked away as an anomaly; it would be becoming a target for elimination due to these statements, exposed to the scrutiny of the 'players.'

From this perspective, if the Jie Fangcheng before him is one of those "players," then Zhang Siqian has effectively exposed himself to danger.

However, the man before him seemed particularly agreeable after hearing his analysis: "Exactly! The creator of this game can't be up to any good. This 'infinite game' is inherently wicked. Whoever made it must be twisted!"

His blunt summation was extremely on point, so much so that even without any spiritual power, Zhang Siqian could feel a surge of killing intent emanating from Jie Fangcheng.

There's no doubt that if the creator of this game were standing before Jie Fangcheng now, he would be minced to pieces.

But still...

"Aren't you putting a bit too much trust in me?" Zhang Siqian asked.

He scrutinized Jie Fangcheng: "You believe me just like that?"

"Huh?" Jie Fangcheng seemed puzzled for a moment. "But what you said does make sense."

Zhang Siqian looked down and gave a slight smile.

Jie Fangcheng wasn't sure what the smile was for, but he found conversing with this person rather intriguing. At that moment, he remembered his original purpose.

"Oh, right. Do you have any ideas on how I can clear this instance given my current situation? I can't stay in your world forever. I need to get back to the player's lobby, find the creator, and take him down. So where have Zhan Xiaoming's parents gone now?"

"I don't know."

"Huh?" This time it was Jie Fangcheng's turn to be stunned.

Zhang Siqian was nonchalant: "I genuinely don't know where they are. I only reminded them that you and Zhan Xiaoming are minors without identification."

Minors without identification can't buy long-distance bus tickets.

Jie Fangcheng was taken aback: "Why did you help them like that?"

"I'm not exactly helping them. I just want to know one thing."

"What?"

"Given that this is an instance, what's the range of the instance?" Zhang Siqian inquired, "You're playing your little instance games here; it's unlikely that the NPCs within your instance could travel to the ends of the earth, operating freely in our minor world, right?"

Jie Fangcheng paused, his mind immediately going to the instance boundaries in "Do Not Respond."

Do such instance boundaries exist in this game too?

"Why are you testing this?"

"If there are no boundaries to the instance, then we, the residents of this minor world, indeed have no way to resist. The items and skills that 'players' possess far exceed what our current technology can match. I can't accurately discern who is a player, who is an NPC, and who is an ordinary resident. But if there are boundaries, I could distinguish them—"

Zhang Siqian continued: "Let's say, one day, another instance descends upon this world. Once we've defined the boundaries, we evacuate all normal residents outside of them, leaving only the players and instance-generated NPCs within the limits... At that point, these people confined to a specific area would be like fish in a barrel, wouldn't they?"

Jie Fangcheng was at a loss for words.

This kid... he's really not just a little smart.

This guy is a native resident, his memory has been tampered with, yet not only did he deduce that outsiders have invaded his world, but he also came up with a viable countermeasure.

"Your idea is good, but how do you plan to convince everyone to evacuate the boundary zone you're talking about?" Jie Fangcheng was a bit curious.

This boundary isn't the size of a kindergarten. Given Jie Fangcheng's movements over the last couple of days, the majority of this city probably isn't within that "boundary."

Zhang Siqian is just a high school student; he can't very well take to the streets and exhort everyone to flee, can he?

The next second, Zhang Siqian in front of him casually said, "Just as you have confidence in your combat abilities, I have a reasonable degree of faith in my political acumen."

Oh my God...

Jie Fangcheng stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Are you sure you're not Zhang Dao'an?"

Zhang Siqian looked up at him: "Why do you ask?"

Why?

Because Professor Zhang's specialty is leading revolutions and seizing power!

This kid—quick-witted and exuding a particular aura—now displays a political philosophy very much in the style of Zhang Dao'an. In Jie Fangcheng's view, Professor Zhang's political philosophy is: If the world doesn't heed me, I might just overthrow it.

It's really no wonder that Jie Fangcheng associates him with Professor Zhang again. After all, Zhang Siqian's "Zhang Dao'an" buff is stacked to the max. Even Zhang Dao'an himself couldn't cultivate a student so strikingly similar.

"You... have great potential."

This kid will undoubtedly accomplish significant things in his world.

In this moment, Jie Fangcheng even felt a tinge of regret.

If he could bring Zhang Siqian into the player's lobby, chances are that by tomorrow, the first district would bear the name "Zhang."

Zhang Siqian glanced at the hand resting on his shoulder and chuckled, "You really—"

He stopped mid-sentence and just shook his head.

"Never mind. Weren't you asking how to clear the instance since you've lost track of Zhan Xiaoming's 'parents'?"

"Yes."

"Well, if they're entirely gone, then clearing the instance should be straightforward."

"What?"

Zhang Siqian glanced at the clock hanging on the wall: "Time's about up."

As if to affirm his words, his phone suddenly rang.

Zhang Siqian picks up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Good day, is this Mr. Zhang Siqian? It appears that you've left some luggage at the train station. Do you have time to pick it up?"

The station staff find it rather peculiar. This luggage was discovered on a train whose final stop is City D. It was left on the seat, the zipper still open, as if forgotten by a careless passenger.

Upon inspection, the conductor found no other items that could identify the owner, except for a takeaway receipt with a phone number on it. So, they made this call.

The bag is rather large but contains little, just some food.

Zhang Siqian quickly replies, "I apologize; those are some leftovers I forgot to take. Could you please dispose of them for me?"

"Leftovers? The bag is in good condition; you don't want it either? Alright, according to regulations, we'll store these items temporarily for three days. If you still don't want them by then, we'll dispose of them for you."

After hanging up, Zhang Siqian explains, "Last night, I bought them train tickets using their IDs. I told them that without their parents, they'd starve to death, so they might as well go to another province for a few days. They took a change of clothes, their IDs, and some food I'd ordered for them. However, the call from the train station was addressed to me and mentioned 'my luggage,' indicating that not only did they vanish upon hitting the boundary of the instance, but all their identifying information disappeared as well. Therefore, the station staff only found my contact information and assumed it was my luggage."

This also explains why Zhang Siqian could never find any information about previous instances and could only rely on inconsistencies in his own memory.

When NPCs and players leave the small world, all residual information is erased, as if they were never there.

Jie Fangcheng is starting to find it hard to follow his logic.

"So... how does this relate to us clearing the instance?" After all, the parents are gone. Where can they go for approval? It doesn't seem like there is an underworld here.

"Now that they're gone, you don't have parents," Zhang Siqian states. "The only requirement for the instance is 'parental approval,' so why not... simply choose new parents?"