Chapter 15

Chapter 15

His forest cabin was deep in the woods. Guan Jizhong furrowed his brows. He had clearly locked him inside before leaving—how could he be here again?

If the kid called Fresh Cabbage had simply picked the lock, Guan Jizhong wouldn't have been so surprised.

But the kid had followed him!

From his cabin to town was such a long way—without guidance, without transportation, and having to cross through deep woods full of wild animals—how on earth did this child manage to track him down!??

Guan Jizhong found it unbelievable. He stared at him, his sight filled with the figure of the black-haired youth, covered in injuries, his skin and clothes looking as if they had been cut countless times.

"...How exactly did you get here?" Guan Jizhong's mind raced. "Don't tell me—you were clinging to the underside of my car??"

His van had been modified. To adapt to life in the forest, he had raised the chassis quite high. I suppose a person could hide under there...

Only the underside of the car could explain how the other had appeared almost simultaneously with him and why he was covered in scratches.

The other must have been hiding under the car from the start, let go just before the city checkpoint inspection, and then scrambled and stumbled his way here.

But that was way too dangerous! Guan Jizhong felt this was like something out of a movie or horror film. What normal person hides under a car! Even if they were going to hide, they'd choose the roof, right???

"Kid, how could you come here by hanging under the car?"

"I didn't cling to your car. Don't worry, I know table manners—I don't grab what I'm not eating." Bai Fuling casually dropped a lame joke.

Guan Jizhong: "..."

"Alright," Bai Fuling changed his tune, "the real reason—actually, I'm not Fresh Cabbage, I'm Slippery Loach."

Guan Jizhong: "............"

Guan Jizhong held his cigarette between his fingers, silent.

Sigh. Bai Fuling looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle. He shouldn't joke with NPCs—no one understands his humor!

He returned to a serious answer: "I rode a wolf... oh no, I rode a big dog here."

"I don't care how you got here." Guan Jizhong decided to give up trying to figure this out. His voice was hoarse as he stubbed out his cigarette, took a small step forward, his tall frame blocking Bai Fuling's path. "Since you've appeared before me again—just stay put."

He couldn't let the other leave, not even to send him to a hospital. This was the critical moment waiting for the target to appear. If this kid tipped off the target or brought some other trouble, then everything would be ruined. Guan Jizhong thought with a calm, even somewhat cold, detachment.

He pulled open the van door and pushed Bai Fuling inside, his manner brooking no argument.

Bai Fuling didn't resist. He let the tall male NPC push him into the van, landing in a heap on the seat, and tilted his head. "And then?"

*Hurry up and continue the plot!*

"I'll let you go when this is over—when everything is finished." Guan Jizhong said in a low voice. He pulled a small first-aid kit from the van's cabinet and tossed it to the kid on the seat. "Alright, patch yourself up."

He wasn't a particularly kind person, but he wasn't a vicious criminal either. Although he wouldn't send Bai Fuling to a hospital, he wouldn't just stand by and watch. At the very least, he'd give something for the kid to deal with his injuries.

Oh, medical supplies! Bai Fuling happily accepted it and stowed it in his backpack—he had eaten all his fruit during the previous battle, so his backpack had space again.

Guan Jizhong didn't pay attention to Bai Fuling's actions. He slammed the van door with a bang and refocused his attention on the alley entrance.

Guan Jizhong's gaze remained fixed on the dark alleyway, but his thoughts couldn't help drifting slightly.

He recalled the scene from earlier when the Black-haired Youth had charged straight at him.

...Why did this kid, after finally getting away, insist on coming back?

Although he didn't know how the other had managed to track him, judging by the extent of the injuries, it must have cost him dearly. To be injured like that and still pursue him showed considerable determination.

But why?

As he pondered this, a soft, eerie voice suddenly sounded by his ear: "Uncle, don't you have anything else to say?"

Jolted from his thoughts, Guan Jizhong turned his head to look—

The van window had somehow been opened. The Black-haired Youth leaned out from the window, his bloodied hands gripping the window frame, the Angel Halo still firmly perched on his head. The sight was straight out of a horror movie.

"You—?!" Guan Jizhong was horrified, then his expression darkened as he pushed the person back inside. "Get back in!"

He'd barely pushed Bai Fuling down when, two seconds later, Bai Fuling popped his head out from another window. "Wait, Uncle, aren't you going to continue?"

*Why isn't there any new plot or new quest yet!*

Even though his reputation points weren't high enough to directly persuade the NPC for a quest, after so much interactive plot, there should be something by now, right?

Logically, anything you can interact with should lead somewhere. Bai Fuling's eyes sparkled as he looked eagerly at the tall male NPC.

Guan Jizhong remained silent, continuing to reach out and push Bai Fuling back inside each time he popped his head out from a different spot.

His van had manual roll-down windows; anyone inside could open them, and there was no way to lock them from the outside.

He would push Bai Fuling back from one side, and before long, the other would emerge from another window—Guan Jizhong had never realized so clearly that his modified van had so many windows!

No matter what, he couldn't let the other keep showing himself like this, or else Liao Zhiqiu would definitely notice the situation from afar when the time came.

So, Guan Jizhong took a deep breath and continued reaching out, his broad palm pushing the person back inside.

After being pushed back three times in a row, Bai Fuling retreated into the van, thought for a few seconds, and suddenly understood: Oh, this must be the mini-game segment in an RPG! It seems like a whack-a-mole game, but with the player as the mole!

Haha, this design is quite creative. Players love setting new mini-game records.

Bai Fuling rubbed his hands together eagerly. Believing he had grasped the game's secret, he enthusiastically controlled his pixel character to push open different windows and pop his head out.

"Uncle, I'm over here."

"Uncle, I'm over here~"

"Uncle, I'm over here!"

He would pop his head out for half a second, quickly retract it before the tall male NPC could reach out to push him back, and then suddenly emerge from another window.

After several rounds, the tall man finally stopped reaching out to push him back. He clenched his fist. "...What exactly are you trying to do?!"

The NPC is asking questions. Bai Fuling thought. So, did I win the whack-a-mole mini-game? It must finally be time to receive the quest!

Bai Fuling gripped the window frame, poked his head out, and flashed a smile. "Uncle, did you say thank you earlier?"

Guan Jizhong: "?"

Bai Fuling continued, "You still haven't answered me. What help do you need?"

Guan Jizhong's expression at this moment was incredibly vivid. Apart from the incident with his sister, he had never experienced such an indescribable sense of despair—and now he was experiencing it again.

Guan Jizhong: "...Can you just stay quiet, kid? Don't move around, don't shout, don't do strange things. Just... stay here. Can you do that?"

Bai Fuling tilted his head. Seeing no task pop-up, he replied, "No, Uncle. Life is about staying active."

Guan Jizhong: You moved all the way from the deep woods to this town! How is that not enough?!

*...What on earth did I kidnap??*

"Aren't you from Liao Zhiqiu's side?" Guan Jizhong said. "You'd help me?"

"We're not close." Bai Fuling thought for a few seconds. "You know what they say, 'no fight, no friendship'? We fought, but we're not friends yet. Probably needs a few more rounds."

Guan Jizhong: ...What kind of logic is that??

But from Bai Fuling's utterly indifferent attitude, he sensed that this guy really didn't seem very familiar with the target, Liao Zhiqiu.

Even so, the fewer surprises, the better.

Guan Jizhong refused: "Forget it, kid. I don't need your help."

As soon as Guan Jizhong finished speaking, he saw the black-haired youth in the van in front of him stare forward, his expression changing.

Guan Jizhong instinctively followed his gaze.

With that glance, he finally saw the target, Liao Zhiqiu.

He's here! Guan Jizhong could no longer spare any thought for Bai Fuling. All his attention shifted over, his boiling blood cooling down.

He slid one hand into his pocket, gripping the prepared drugged handkerchief and spray inside.

Guan Jizhong's remaining eye locked onto the dark-circled student emerging from the alley like an eagle, his aura reined in as he slowly began walking over.

Inside the van, Bai Fuling was also staring at Liao Zhiqiu, his expression equally excited. The reason was simple: the task bar had finally updated!!

The moment he caught sight of Liao Zhiqiu, the task bar beside him, which had been marked only with [Sweet Dream], dinged, and then a new task icon with a floating [new] appeared—hence his immediate change in expression.

"[Cat's Secret]: The family cat stopped meowing one day. Grandpa forbade anyone from mentioning it again. But Liao Zhiqiu still remembers that day. Grandpa has been trying to stop him ever since.

Puzzle Progress: 0%

Time Limit: None

Task Reward: You'll know when it's done."

Finally! A new task! Bai Fuling felt like laughing out loud. Even though the task reward was still vague, he didn't mind.

It'll come when it comes; game tasks always have rewards. He'd just focus on the task first.

This task was different from the last one about finding the culprit; it had an added 'Puzzle Progress' marker. Bai Fuling thought. Seems like it needs to be explored bit by bit.

The task description already revealed the key character Liao Zhiqiu. Next, he should go find Liao Zhiqiu!

Bai Fuling didn't stay in the van any longer. He crawled out of the window like Sadako, leaving a bloody handprint with each push.

Bystanding NPCs let out sharp screams at the ghost-like emergence of Bai Fuling.

This shriek made Liao Zhiqiu instinctively look over and caused Guan Jizhong's heart to skip a beat.

Guan Jizhong glanced slightly to the side and saw the familiar black-haired youth catching up again, all smiles. He felt a throbbing pain in his temples.

...Since when do hostages stick to their kidnappers? Why is he so determined to help me? What does he even want to help with?

Guan Jizhong was getting a headache from this clinginess. He opened his mouth, but before he could utter any words of persuasion or threat, Bai Fuling had already brushed past him.

The black-haired youth wearing the angel halo rushed over, heading straight for Liao Zhiqiu across the street. He grabbed Liao Zhiqiu's arm.

"Hi," Bai Fuling said enthusiastically. "Do you need any help?"

Guan Jizhong: ?

Guan Jizhong: Wait, wasn't he just asking me a minute ago?

So he's not clinging to me specifically, he's clinging to everyone!!

Author's Note:

Guan Jizhong: If you're not part of the solution, don't meddle; if you're not helping, don't cling.

Bai Fuling: Players have no allegiance; whoever gives the task gets listened to.