Chapter 273: The Return 12

Chapter 273: The Return 12

"You can be proud."

Living in the world for only twenty years, half of which was spent dormant in the earth waiting to sprout, and then using less than a decade to astonish the world.

He was like a meteor streaking across the dark sky; perhaps today's young people no longer know who he is, but that scene will forever remain in the eyes of those who once gazed at the heavens.

Because they had seen his figure, they would always believe in the existence of light.

When the law could not guarantee justice, when principles and dignity were trampled by power, there was always a shadow guarding the last line of defense.

Even if he died.

Yes, even if his body perished, there were still countless seekers of light.

From the first world, step by step to this point, yet cursed to rise up in resistance.

But even in his most frenzied moments, he never broke the constraints he imposed on himself. He did not kill anyone not on the blacklist, not even the police chasing him or the ordinary people providing clues. Even when cornered, he never struck out.

Chasing other fugitives was risky, but not with him. He would rather jump from a hundred-story building without any safety measures than point a gun at the police chasing him.

This was what made him a legend. No imitator could reach his heights, see the scenery he had seen, so followers and admirers continued to exist.

Qin Yu felt that he could not only be proud but also give the middle finger to fate, mercilessly mocking its stubbornness and foolishness:

Fate, what can you do to me?

"Hey, this guy is now a Chief Superintendent? Qin, look, this is the international police officer who handled my case back then. Despite his upright appearance, he was the one who let me off the easiest." Ji Xinghai saw an old acquaintance.

The young officer who used to chase him had now become such a big shot. Recalling his clumsy ways back then, he thought the officer might not have been able to handle the political environment and would have switched departments, but he had persisted all this time.

Qin Yu glanced over and suddenly noticed that although this man did not resemble him, he shared a similar aura with his human form—upright and fearless, with clear eyes.

His lips tightened. But then he remembered that Ji Xinghai had expressed no interest in his human form and preferred black-haired East Asians over blondes with blue eyes.

"Is he friends with Xinghai?"

"Not really, we've clashed indirectly. I used his hands to drag down several corrupt officials, and he once provided me with information. But it was all through intermediaries; every time I saw him, I was in disguise, and he didn't recognize me. However, this kid is quick-witted, has a good memory, and is very observant. I wouldn't want to loiter around him for nothing."

In that life, Ji Xinghai was too busy evading capture and playing cat and mouse. Any spare time he had was spent reviewing and improving his strategies, so he never thought about anything else.

Qin Yu, who never believed anyone could surpass him, dismissed the matter after Ji Xinghai spoke. Compared to that, choosing a delicious afternoon tea was more important—he loved the tech era where he could shop and order via his phone.

When the chocolate dirty tea arrived, Ji Xinghai had just used his increasingly rusty IT skills to find the current 'Black Dawn' website.

The website was still active and had new posts today.

"Even without my bug, everyone is still finding their own ways to uphold justice," Ji Xinghai sighed, having already understood their current situation. "Actually, they are doing better than I did."

'Ji Xinghai' was gone, but there were still public-spirited lawyers, helpful police officers, and other professionals, even some fugitive criminals, like hackers who often roamed government intranets.

They provided free legal aid to victims, helped recover deleted surveillance footage, and analyzed whether other evidence existed. They achieved far more than 'Ji Xinghai.'

Back then, he used illegal violence to break through, acting as long as the facts were true, even without evidence. Although he was always right in the end, others couldn't act like that; they couldn't read minds or use his endless methods.

Being passionate but not cautious could lead to aiding the wicked.

So for ordinary people, the best approach was to strive for rights within the bounds of the law, fighting for the greatest benefit for themselves and others. If the law lagged behind reality, they should work to improve it.

"Alright," he thought, speaking to the world in his mind, "It's proven that ordinary people indeed have their own world, and non-scientific abilities are best left out. You're right, but I'm not wrong; it's just a difference in perspective. Let's agree to disagree."

Perhaps because he had found his own planet and was fully accepted, this gave him enough security to view his past experiences objectively and rationally.

Well... not entirely rationally, as he still secretly compared this world to Blue Star civilization and concluded that his home was better.

But overall, having experienced several worlds and finally returned home as he wished, he no longer dwelled on past events.

They emerged from the internet cafe booth, sipping dirty tea, the chewy brown pearls mingling with the rich milk tea in their mouths.

On the giant screen by the roadside, the coronation of the royal heir was being broadcast. These aged, powerful figures wore custom-made silk and brocade, adorned with jewels worth several houses. Below the screen, the weary and busy crowd moved like ants, none of them looking up, as if the upper and lower worlds were separate.

Ji Xinghai accurately tossed the empty milk tea cup into the trash bin without glancing up.

What did this world have to do with him? They were merely intersecting lines that would drift further apart.

The empty milk tea cup hit the bin with a thud, and the world shattered, revealing new scenes in the cracks. In mere seconds, a new world appeared before them.

Before Qin Yu could discern the new world, he caught the scent of his kind, so strong it seemed to fill the entire universe.

He examined closely: "Is this... a strange world?"

On the surface, this world looked similar to the previous one, with bustling streets and heads-down crowds, but he immediately noticed that many were not human.

Evil auras emanated from these human shells, like spiders tightly watching their prey. Those targeted either remained oblivious, laughing with friends, or trembled while trying to appear calm.

Some rules restrained these drooling monsters, but there were flaws and loopholes. Qin Yu spotted a terrified individual in the crowd, seemingly just discovering the world's secrets, nearly scared to death.

He wondered how this person had 'awakened.'

"This world is a strange farm," Ji Xinghai followed Qin Yu's gaze to the pale-faced boy. "In this world, if you don't study hard, you'll be eaten by the strange."

"Hmm?" Qin Yu turned his head. "Is it that kind of study?"

"Yes, but not entirely," Ji Xinghai smiled mysteriously.

"In this world, competitions are popular. Besides regular academic contests, there are sports, arts, extreme challenges, and more.

"The standard requires moderate learning and comprehension abilities, self-control, and a well-rounded development in morals, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor. So mastering academic knowledge alone isn't enough; one must also have special skills and life skills."

"In general, continuous learning ensures you won’t be eliminated, but once eliminated, you will be considered edible by default."

In many places, parents and teachers often tell children: if you don't study and improve, you will be abandoned by the times. But those are just metaphors; here, it is not.

This world was long ago claimed by another species, turning it into a planetary-scale farm.

Children are raised in ignorance until the age of three, at which point they must start entering the competition track—learning to read, do math, practice art, sports, and games...

But they don’t know why they need to learn these things until they turn eighteen and participate in the final assessment. To ensure they are not ‘defective products’ and face elimination, they must at least meet the passing line in all subjects and master at least two specialties.

However, this is not the final assessment. Once they reach adulthood, they undergo an annual evaluation, and any slackening can lead to their elimination.

Those who are eliminated have their souls devoured and then become hosts for new anomalies.

Fortunately, the system is not based on elimination, and the evaluation criteria are fixed, unaffected by power or environment. Therefore, the world has not become so competitive as to be unbearable.

As long as there are no significant intellectual or physical defects and one continues to learn, most people can live to the age when they start to become senile.

At least, under the jiuZhou examination education system, most students can pass the basic skills and common knowledge tests, though some may fail in the ‘specialties’ category. As for those with a happy education... well, it’s hard to say. However, children receiving elite education mostly pass, with some needing to pay attention to ‘moral education.’

This life continues until the age of sixty. After sixty, because their souls have aged, the anomalies no longer want to eat them, allowing them to enjoy their twilight years.

Roughly one-third of the population can enjoy their old age.

"Have we done quite a bit in this world, StarSea?" Qin Yu instinctively used a soothing tone, knowing that in a world where not studying means death, children would certainly feel a lot of pressure.

"..." Ji Xinghai paused for two seconds, "You sound like my mother."

"…I guess you wouldn’t obediently follow their rules."

"Why would you think that?" Ji Xinghai looked righteous, "I am the most rule-abiding person."

But Ji Xinghai doesn’t keep secrets from close friends for long, so after a few steps, he turned back and revealed the truth: "Soon after I arrived, I discovered that the anomalies in this world must live in a 'high-pressure' environment. If they feel relaxed and happy, the change in 'pressure' makes their brains explode. So I…

"Tied them up, forced them to listen to the sounds of streams, rain, temple bells, watch hoof trimming, blackhead cleaning, ear digging, and taught them to mold soap flakes.

"I’m such a good person."