Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Unfazed by Wu Yang's intense reaction, Liu Jiang remained expressionless, pen and paper in hand, and spoke formally: "Wu Yang, please cooperate with our work at the State Secrets Bureau."

Wu Yang gasped quietly: "Does asking about someone's sexual orientation help with your work?"

Liu Jiang smiled faintly: "The devil's in the details."

Who said sexual orientation wasn't important?

There were clear examples at the State Secrets Bureau: whenever they sent good-looking agents to communicate with Writer Ghost, they always managed to extract more information.

Liu Jiang couldn't go into specifics with Wu Yang, but seeing the serious expression on the other's face, Wu Yang scratched his head in frustration before earnestly continuing: "I don't know about that either. The kid never dated anyone."

Before Liu Jiang could ask another question, Wu Yang took the initiative: "Captain Liu, you mentioned earlier that while reviewing the files, you found someone recorded who strongly resembles the kid. How is he now? Is he still alive and well?"

Wu Yang possessed a character marked by a strong sense of justice and compassion for the vulnerable.

On his very first day of university, he encountered Su Ximu, the youngest dorm member, who arrived with just a small suitcase.

After they all became acquainted, Wu Yang learned that the kid seemed to have no family. Aside from student loans, he had to constantly pick up odd jobs to support himself.

Wu Yang couldn't bear to see this. Instantly, his paternal instincts for the kid became overwhelming.

Now that the kid had been mysteriously missing from the dorm for over a month, Wu Yang was the most concerned, even more so than their dorm supervisor.

Seeing that the buzz-cut, burly man across from him seemed disinclined to answer his question directly, Wu Yang abruptly leaned forward and pointed to his lips: "Captain Liu, look at my lips! I've got two huge cold sores!"

It was clear how stressed he had been lately.

Unfortunately, Wu Yang's display didn't sway the person in front of him.

Having asked enough questions, Liu Jiang sighed and stood up: "Rules are rules. I can't tell you anything beyond what's allowed. If the day comes when the rules permit it, you won't need me to explain—you'll understand."

Wu Yang: ?

What kind of riddle is that!

Liu Jiang collected his notes, then added softly: "Over the years, I've encountered many relatives with much stronger emotions than yours. Sigh…"

With that, he stopped talking to Wu Yang, gestured for him to leave, and exited the interrogation room.

Leaving Wu Yang shouting behind him: "Captain Liu! Captain Liu! Explain it clearly! Why are you sighing?"

Damn it!

After leaving the interrogation room, Liu Jiang headed straight for the director’s office, knocked, and entered.

Director Zhao Yanhan had just finished a phone call and motioned for Liu Jiang to sit.

Once seated, Liu Jiang pushed his notebook over and gave a quick rundown of his findings for the day.

After listening, Zhao Yanhan nodded without showing much surprise.

Like Liu Jiang, he speculated that the entity in the files might have been attracted to Su's face and simply used it.

Such occurrences were relatively rare in instances but not unheard of.

"Alright, Old Liu, you've done well. To be cautious, we shouldn't overlook any possibility as long as there's a way to investigate." After saying this, Zhao Yanhan remembered something: "Rao Fei hasn't returned from the instance yet. When he comes back, have him make time to communicate and confirm with Wu Yang."

Rao Fei had entered this instance with Director Lin, accompanied by Wang Xingxing and two experts from the headquarters.

Nearly all members of the C City State Secrets Bureau were keeping tabs on this instance.

Hearing Director Zhao mention the instance, Liu Jiang couldn't help but ask: "Has there been any news from Rao Fei lately? How's their progress?"

At this, Zhao Yanhan's expression grew serious.

"The [Ghost 101] instance is about to conclude. Lin Lan's condition isn't optimistic."

Hearing the words "not optimistic," Liu Jiang frowned involuntarily as well.

***

A small sneeze didn't distract Su Ximu for very long.

After witnessing his third brother injure his own arm, Su Ximu felt that his third brother had likely developed a bad habit like self-harm over the years.

Even though his third brother kept saying it didn't hurt and quickly healed the wound after entering the room, Su Ximu wasn't convinced.

How could it not hurt?

Entities can feel pain too.

Otherwise, why did so many neighbors scream so loud in his eldest brother's study that day?

Regarding his third brother's self-harm, Su Ximu tried to discuss and analyze it with his eldest and second brothers.

He thought it had a lot to do with the fact that his third brother was very young when he became an entity. It probably fell under adolescent psychology.

That was just a thought though; in such a short time, Su Ximu hadn't found an opportunity to actually discuss it with his eldest and second brothers.

At that moment, the three entities and one human sat together in the living room.

The Su family's living room was large, and the sofa was spacious.

But they all naturally sat closer together.

After the initial emotional rollercoaster, Su Ximu turned left to see his eldest and third brothers, then turned right to see his second brother sitting next to him.

His second brother was peeling an orange, while his third brother's mouth opened and closed as if he had something to say. His eldest brother hadn't worn glasses since waking up and wasn't working on documents as he used to.

Since their grandmother's passing, Su Ximu had rarely experienced such a sense of warmth and stability.

Su Juzi finished peeling the orange, placed it on the coffee table lined with a napkin, and started peeling another.

Su Xuanxiao did the same.

As the initial turbulence settled into an easy silence, he was the first to speak: "Xiao Xi, before, you couldn't remember, and we had no way to ask. Now… can you tell us about your experiences over the years?"

Su Ximu looked up and realized his eldest brother's question was just what he wanted to ask. He also wanted to know what his eldest, second, and third brothers had done over the years and what kind of people or entities they had encountered.

"Then, eldest brother, how about we trade stories?" the young man's voice was clear and pleasant: "I'll go first, then eldest brother, second brother, and third brother can share."

Su Xuanxiao replied: "Alright… that works. But we won't be sleeping tonight. Xiao Xi, are you tired?"

Picking up a peeled orange segment and popping it into his mouth, the sweet and sour taste giving him a boost, Su Ximu smiled at his second brother and answered his eldest brother: "Not tired!"

He could manage without sleep for tonight.

Given how things went today, even if everyone reluctantly went back to their bedrooms to rest, they probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep anyway.

In that case, it would be better to...

The 817th Su Family Pillow Talk, after many years, was held once again!

***

That night, Su Ximu tucked himself under a small blanket, lay on the living room sofa, and had a long talk with his eldest, second, and third brothers.

He mentioned that he had suffered from such a high fever that it ended up damaging his brain, which is why some of his memories were unclear. Otherwise, he would still be trying to find out where the world of the dead was and how the living could go there again.

As for other matters, there wasn't much to say.

Because he spent most of his childhood at home, aside from his cousins, he didn't have that many friends his own age or close in age.

Speaking of friends, he didn't forget to mention the roommates he met after growing up. He was very lucky—they were all good people who treated him well. Among them, he was closest to his roommate Wu Yang.

At this point, Su Ximu remembered something else: "Wu Yang and the rest will definitely worry if they find out I'm missing. I wonder if there's any way to let them know I'm okay now."

Hearing this, Su Jianglou, who had been listening intently, a flicker of guilt again crossed his eyes.

After that, he immediately spoke up: "I know an entity who's quite familiar with that side. I'll send her a message tomorrow."

So there really was a way to get in touch with the real world.

Hearing this, Su Ximu felt relieved.

He wasn't the type to be a burden to others, so this matter had been on his mind for a long time.

Having talked about his roommates, Su Ximu's story wrapped up. He looked wide-eyed at his brothers, clearly signaling that it was now their turn to share.

Su Xuanxiao, the first to meet his younger brother's gaze, had an unusually calm and gentle expression.

In a deep, magnetic voice, he began sharing his experiences over the years.

Trapped in the gray mist, leading his two younger brothers out of it, learning about the entity world, and then attempting to start a business.

Naturally, there were countless hardships and dangers during the entrepreneurial phase.

First, working illegally in a clandestine factory, then taking over a human-skin factory.

Using his replication ability, he engaged in a price war with other human-skin factories in the area, dumping low-priced skins on the market to dominate it.

When competitors in the same region realized they couldn't compete, they tried to ambush him but ended up defeated. Thus, he took over the second factory.

Then the third...

Step by step, steadily and methodically, he eventually built his own business empire.

Listening to his eldest brother's account, Su Ximu blinked, completely mesmerized.

He couldn't help but raise his hand like a good student and ask, "Eldest Brother, is this how all entities in this world do business?"

What about sealing deals with official stamps and killing rivals' cash cows?

It seemed like his brothers' approach was more about wiping out competitors completely, as quickly as possible.

Su Xuanxiao nodded calmly. "Pretty much."

Seeing this, Su Ximu couldn't help but shift his gaze to his third brother, who was sitting close to their eldest brother.

Su Jianglou said, "Xiao Xi, you know I run over forty tourist villages."

Su Ximu nodded, feeling he understood what his third brother meant. Finally, he looked at his second brother, whom he considered the best-tempered.

Su Juzi smiled wordlessly.

Su Ximu nodded again, feeling he understood once more.

After looking around, he sat up, still bundled in his blanket, and couldn't help but ponder before asking, "In that case, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, what line of work do you think would suit me in the future?"

Recalling his childhood experiences and how he could even walk through walls back then, Su Ximu wasn't sure whether he counted as human or an entity now.

If he was considered an entity, how could a weak one like him—without even his own territory or rules—face such a cutthroat entrepreneurial and workplace environment in the entity world?

"Future."

Hearing this word and seeing the young man seriously thinking, Su Jianglou felt his emotions had been all over the place throughout the day, his heart bubbling like a boiling spring.

Yes, the future.

From today onward, nothing would ever tear apart their family again.

Their time apart was behind them.

They still had plenty of future ahead of them.

Just as he was thinking this, Su Xuanxiao, Su Juzi, and Su Jianglou suddenly heard Xiao Xi exclaim again.

Su Ximu had just remembered: "My job!"

If it weren't for the topic of future work, he wouldn't have recalled that he currently had a job!

But, but how many days had passed since the production team went on hiatus?

Three days? Ten days? A month? Or a year?

Was it too late for him to go back now? Would the assistant director have already fired him?

He still hadn't collected his paycheck!

Eight hundred yuan!

A full eight hundred yuan!

Author's Note:

Little Mu, who forgot the program team had been bankrolled by his eldest brother: Eight hundred yuan! *Gasps, presses above his lip* Passed out.jpg