Chapter 65

Chapter 65

"996?!"

996's sudden appearance did little to ease Pei Yan's mind.

When Pei Yan received Shen Ju's message, he was already en route to see Pei Tai.

Xu Yun had only made a fleeting appearance at the board meeting, vanishing completely afterward—neither by Pei Tai's side nor at the company. Where had he gone?

The message from Shen Ju only intensified Pei Yan's unease.

Just then, Pei Yan and Pei Kangnian arrived at Pei Tai's office door, only to find that Pei Tai had slipped away unnoticed!

Pei Yan immediately turned and left.

He first sent a message to Shen Ju, wary that a phone call might startle him.

But his message went unanswered.

Gradually realizing something was amiss, Pei Yan began calling Shen Ju.

Yet, the calls remained unanswered.

Before leaving, he instructed Pei Kangnian to call the police. Meanwhile, he drove toward the location Shen Ju had sent him.

Pei Yan knew that Shen Ju's final location was unlikely to be the one he had shared.

Even if he rushed there now, he would probably be too late.

But he had no other choice—he had to head to that location first.

The more he failed to reach Shen Ju, the more agitated Pei Yan became.

He had a bad feeling, as if something unexpected had happened.

Otherwise, Xu Yun wouldn't have prevented Shen Ju from contacting him.

Then 996 appeared—

"What happened?! How did Shen Ju end up in the river?!"

Pei Yan glanced at the estimated travel time on the navigation system. The new destination 996 had set was still a good twenty minutes away!

"Tell me what's going on, 996!"

The little blue orb spun around frantically, on the verge of tears. It had tried to pull its host and Jian Yi to the surface, but its tiny tendrils couldn't even grip Shen Ju's hair firmly, let alone carry two people. Left with no other option, it had come to find Pei Yan. Thanks to the previously opened channel, it could transform into data and reach Pei Yan quickly.

But seeing the travel time, 996 began to crackle and spark with electricity.

It quickly explained the situation.

At least when it left to get Pei Yan's help, Jian Yi was still struggling in the river with Shen Ju. If no one rescued them in time...

"What do we do? What do we do?!"

Sensing Shen Ju's deteriorating condition, 996 was nearly despairing. "Jian Yi can't use one of his arms at all, and the host has lost consciousness!"

Shen Ju felt despair too.

Though his consciousness was linked with 996, he couldn't communicate with Pei Yan or 996.

Pei Yan fell silent for a moment.

A few seconds later, he suddenly spoke. "Can we restore Jian Yi's left hand now?"

What?

"What?!"

Shen Ju and 996 exclaimed simultaneously.

"If Jian Yi's left hand can be restored, their chances would be better."

No—they would definitely have a better chance.

If only Jian Yi's left hand could be restored right now...

"But we haven't filled the task energy bar yet."

Before Pei Yan could respond, 996 went on nervously, "It's not that there can't be exceptions, but the energy stored in the task bar is precisely measured based on the reward the host originally requested—meaning, it's just enough to restore Jian Yi's left hand and erase others' memories of his disability."

"Both making Jian Yi whole again and altering others' memories of his disability require a significant amount of energy!"

"—Especially blurring others' memories!"

"Even excluding those who are aware of the task's existence, the energy required is still immense. If the energy falls short, restoring Jian Yi's left hand could trigger unforeseen chain reactions. We can't take that risk! Absolutely not!"

This was the first time 996 had shown such strong opposition, indicating the gravity of the situation.

Shen Ju couldn't help but feel disappointed.

But Pei Yan wasn't surprised.

After 996 finished speaking, he abruptly said, "Then let's fill the task energy bar."

"But—"

"There must be another way."

Pei Yan drove on, glancing at 996, his tone resolute.

"You said there are exceptions."

"So, what other methods are there to fill the task energy bar?"

"996, we're running out of time!"

The little orb trembled violently. Sensing Shen Ju's worsening condition, it steeled itself and spoke. "The energy accumulated from the host's tasks is essentially bio-energy. We can't forcefully absorb it—it must be collected naturally. But... if someone is willing to voluntarily offer their own bio-energy, we could fill the task energy bar."

"Especially... especially if the person is related to the task. Their bio-energy would be more potent and effective."

"But..."

"But voluntary sacrifice always comes at a cost, doesn't it?"

Pei Yan completed the thought.

With a sharp "screech—", Pei Yan abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road.

He looked at 996 and said, "I'm willing to offer my bio-energy."

No! Absolutely not!

Shen Ju rejected the idea without a second thought.

"No, you can't!" 996 also spoke up, "That's bio-energy! I don’t know how much you’d need to sacrifice to fill the last bit of the task energy bar, but even 1% could be a significant burden for you. And right now, the progress is at 96.8%—there’s still 3.2% left!"

"Do you realize that the bio-energy required for the remaining portion could kill you?!"

The interaction between the main characters can generate massive bio-energy because of their roles as the "protagonist couple," which gives them that effect. But Pei Yan...

"3.2% is better than I expected."

Pei Yan shut his eyes. "I’m actually a very selfish person. If possible, I wouldn’t do this. But if something really happens to Shen Ju... if he really gets hurt, I can’t imagine my future without him by my side. He’s different—he has so many people who love him, so many who can accompany him in the future... So, 996, help me."

No, no!

I need you too!

Shen Ju didn’t know if he was crying, but he shouted, his voice ragged, wanting to tell Pei Yan that he needed him too! He wanted him in his future too!

But the next second, darkness engulfed Shen Ju’s vision again.

............

Jian Yi, holding Shen Ju as they struggled in the river, had never felt so powerless.

He had never hated his disability so much.

Even with his injured arm wrapped around Shen Ju, it was no use.

He couldn’t hold onto Shen Ju and almost let the river sweep him away—

And it wasn’t just Shen Ju he couldn’t hold onto.

Even Jian Yi himself was gradually running out of strength.

Regret it? Yeah, a bit.

He really wanted to grab that kid and give him a good beating.

Driving the car into the river had been too impulsive.

Yet he had followed along and done it anyway.

Jian Yi only regretted getting Shen Ju into this mess again.

He couldn’t save Shen Ju.

His younger brother hadn’t even had the chance to fully experience the love of his family...

As his consciousness faded, Jian Yi sensed something unusual.

Something seemed to be happening to a part of his body...

A few seconds later, Jian Yi jolted awake, his eyes snapping open.

He immediately looked at his left hand—

Yes, his left hand.

His left hand!

Whether from the shock of the sight or the sudden surge of strength in his new left hand, Jian Yi found a renewed burst of energy—

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed Shen Ju again and struggled toward the riverbank.

It was during those few seconds of struggle that Tang Yuexin finally arrived with help.

"Hurry! Over there! Please, help save them—"

By the time they reached the car, the location was already remote. Tang Yuexin had searched for a long time, risking her life to flag down a few passing vehicles.

Fortunately, the rescuers knew how to swim.

They didn't waste a moment, jumping into the river and rescuing Jian Yi and Shen Ju.

"Luckily, this guy never gave up, or they would’ve been swept away."

Seeing the two rescued, Tang Yuexin hurried over—

"How are you?! Jian Yi, Shen Ju, how are you?! What’s wrong with Shen Ju?!"

Jian Yi didn’t have time to explain. Once onshore, he laid Shen Ju flat on the ground, placed his hands over Shen Ju’s chest, and began CPR.

"Shen Ju! Wake up!"

"Shen Ju!"

"Shen Jiujiu!"

The onlookers grew anxious too. "Try mouth-to-mouth! We’re calling for an ambulance—"

Before they finished, Shen Ju suddenly coughed, choking on water.

As if remembering something urgent, he frantically tried to wake up, coughing up water and trying to sit up.

The man about to call the ambulance stared, stunned—how did he wake up so fast?!

Jian Yi was also taken aback.

But Shen Ju waking up was a good thing. He sighed in relief and held Shen Ju down. "What are you doing? Where are you trying to go?!"

"Brother—"

Shen Ju’s voice was thick with tears.

"Brother Pei... Brother Pei, I need to find Brother Pei—"

As he spoke, Shen Ju grabbed Jian Yi’s left hand. He saw that Jian Yi’s left hand was restored, but he couldn’t bring himself to smile. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for Jian Yi’s recovery—it was just that all he could think about was Pei Yan. He couldn’t spare any emotion for anyone else or process anything else. All he wanted was to get to Pei Yan’s side right away.

"I need to find Pei Yan, I need to find him..."

"996 isn’t responding to me, 996 has gone silent too, waa—"

Shen Ju wiped his tears, desperately calling out to 996 in his mind but getting no response. He turned and stumbled back the way they had come.

The others were completely caught off guard—

They never expected someone who had just woken up from nearly drowning to have the strength to take off running.

So, in that moment, no one thought to go after him.

Tang Yuexin and Jian Yi were pretty much wiped out, while the rescuers were mostly stunned. Wait, they had a car, didn’t they?!

If the kid needed to go somewhere, they could just give him a ride!

By the time they finally caught up to Shen Ju, they remembered they could call to check first.

Jian Yi grabbed Shen Ju's arm and asked if he knew Pei Yan’s phone number—that would be the quickest way to confirm if Pei Yan was alright.

If Pei Yan was fine, the call would most likely go through.

"Just try to stay calm, try calling first!"

Jian Yi asked again, "Do you know Pei Yan’s phone number?!"

"I know it..."

Shen Ju, trembling, took someone's phone, entered Pei Yan’s number, and called him.

But deep down, he wasn't very hopeful.

Because when his consciousness was attached to 996 and everything went dark in the final moment, he had clearly seen 996 make a move...

Jian Yi’s left hand had recovered.

Tang Yuexin didn't sense anything wrong.

It meant it had worked.

And it also meant Pei Yan—

"Ding ling ling."

A phone started ringing nearby.

Shen Ju stood frozen.

Jian Yi, standing opposite Shen Ju, looked behind him and let out a visible sigh of relief. Then he turned back, smiled at Shen Ju, and said, "Shen Jiujiu, you can relax now."

Boom, boom, boom.

Shen Ju’s heart was racing so fast he could almost hear it in his ears.

He could also hear the phone ringing behind him, getting louder and closer.

Jian Yi took the phone from Shen Ju’s hand, put a hand on his shoulder, and turned him around—

Pei Yan must have raced over. After getting out of the car, he ran straight there, still catching his breath.

Before he even reached Shen Ju, he asked urgently, "Are you okay—"

Shen Ju burst out crying and ran toward Pei Yan.

"Brother Pei!"

He threw himself into Pei Yan’s arms, clutching his clothes tightly, sobbing and scolding him, "Lots of people love me! And there will be many more with me in the future! But you’re different! You’re different, okay?! Pei Yan—how could you... If something happened to you, what would I do? I like you so much, so much..."

"I want you to love me too, I want you by my side, now and in the future. You’re different, don't you get it—"

Pei Yan was taken aback at first, but then immediately held Shen Ju even tighter in his arms.

Though he didn’t know how Shen Ju had learned about his earlier conversation with 996, he understood that Shen Ju was scared out of his mind.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry."

Pei Yan whispered softly, "I’m okay, see?"

"Don’t cry, baby..."

But Shen Ju continued to cry his heart out in Pei Yan’s arms, crying until he had no strength left. Pei Yan then helped him into the car.

Seeing the situation, Jian Yi had already ushered Tang Yuexin and the rescuers away, thinking Pei Yan wouldn’t want to be disturbed at a time like this.

Besides, even if Pei Yan remembered them, Jian Yi didn’t want to stick around.

Using the number Shen Ju had dialed earlier, Jian Yi borrowed the phone again and sent a message saying that the rescuers would take them to the hospital first. He told Shen Ju not to worry about them and to focus on handling what he needed to. Though Jian Yi still didn’t know exactly what had happened or why Shen Ju had been so panicked after waking up, he was sure something big had occurred. So, he decided to give Shen Ju some space.

And that was indeed the right thing to do.

Because after confirming that Pei Yan was okay, Shen Ju asked him in detail and learned that, at the last moment, 996 had chosen to use up all its energy to replenish the mission energy bar.

"What about 996—"

Pei Yan shook his head. "I’m not sure. After replenishing the mission energy bar, the whole ball went dark. But just before it disappeared, a glowing white sphere took it away."

Shen Ju clenched his fists, about to cry again.

It was 996 who had saved them in the end.

Pei Yan took Shen Ju’s hand and held it carefully in his own. He wanted to say something, but at that moment, no words seemed enough.

Because he didn’t know what had become of 996 either.

"Baby, I..."

Pei Yan bit his lip. "I’m sorry."

Shen Ju shook his head, his voice trembling. "No, it's me who should be sorry. I was impulsive. I wasn’t serious enough about the mission. If I had gathered the energy sooner, if I had taken my role more seriously, if... if I had tried harder, 996 wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault—"

"Host, you’ve already worked very hard."

Shen Ju froze. "996?!"

Pei Yan also paused and looked at Shen Ju.

"It’s 996."

He had heard 996’s voice too.

"It’s me."

996 sounded a bit embarrassed: "So the host cares about me this much, heh."

"But I probably can't keep serving you."

Shen Ju tensed up: "Why—"

"Ah? Because the mission is already completed."

Pei Yan said helplessly: "He was worried something had happened to you."

"Oh, oh, it was a close call. But it turned out for the best!"

996's voice sounded proud: "I did exhaust my energy earlier and almost was scrapped, but at the critical moment, Senior 007 saved me!"

"Also, I submitted a report earlier, boldly pointing out some of the Management Bureau's regulations that are outdated and violate human rights. The Management Bureau wants me to prepare a more detailed report, so they made an exception and restored my energy. If it gets approved, I'll be at the same level as Senior 007!"

Actually, the Management Bureau already knows that there were many bugs in the mission with the host, but even so, the mission progress reached 96.8%. With just a little more time, they would have succeeded.

Additionally, since the unreasonable issues it raised involved human rights, the Management Bureau took it very seriously, which is why it overlooked the bugs and the unauthorized use of energy to replenish the mission's energy supply.

But there's no need to mention these details to the host.

In any case, everything is over now.

"Host, sorry I can't appear before you right now, and our bond is about to end. But once I finish the report, I’ll come back to see you!"

"You need to study hard for your college entrance exams, okay?"

Shen Ju wiped his tears: "996, why mention exams at such an emotional moment?"

"Haha."

"I'll miss you, 996. Thank you."

Shen Ju whispered: "Really, thank you."

Pei Yan also spoke up: "Thank you."

"Ah, no need to thank me."

996's voice bubbled with excitement: "I’m also very happy to have met you! And after going through all this, I’m a mature system now! I thank you too!"

"Alright, let’s not keep thanking each other then."

Shen Ju said: "I look forward to the day we meet again, 996."

"Yeah!"

"Host, goodbye."

"Goodbye, 996."

After 996 said "goodbye" to him, Shen Ju felt as if something had left his body.

He knew that 996 had left.

His mission was also over.

It was all over.

"No, you still have me."

Pei Yan held Shen Ju's hand and kissed him on the lips: "Baby, I will always be by your side."

Shen Ju sniffed: "You have to mean it."

"Of course."

Pei Yan whispered: "I love you so much, I'd never leave you."

"But before..."

Pei Yan shook his head: "But the premise is that you will also always stay by my side."

Shen Ju met Pei Yan's gaze: "I will, I will always be by your side."

"Brother Pei, you're not alone. Someone loves you, someone will stay by your side."

"Is it you?"

Shen Ju smiled at Pei Yan: "It’s me."

Pei Yan pulled Shen Ju close: "Then we both have to keep our promises."

"Of course."

-----------------------

Author's Note: The main story ends here [hug]

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