Chapter 185 : Chapter 185
Chapter 185
The Dream Game City shattered as if it had been crushed by a machine, leaving the ground covered in debris and rubble. When the wind blew, the powdered gravel moved with it, as if a sandstorm had kicked up.
The wind and sand were too strong, so the four of them shielded their eyes with their hands to prevent them from getting irritated.
When the wind stopped and they lowered their hands, the area in front of them was empty. The once huge Dream Game City had completely disappeared, not even a speck of dust remained. If it weren't for the dull ache of their injuries, they might have thought that everything that had happened in the Dream Game City was an illusion.
【Wow, this special ability is environmentally friendly. It builds and dismantles itself, leaving no trace behind when it's gone. (Doge emoji)】
【I thought it would at least leave some ruins, but it turned directly into sand. If Gong Ting accidentally walked a little too far, and the Dream Game City turned into sand and blew away in front of everyone, with the worldview that ordinary people don't know about special abilities, I feel like it would make the news, haha.】
【Passerby (holding up phone to record): A curse! It must be a curse from Loulan!】
Zhou Chenhao looked shocked. "It just disappeared like that? Nothing left at all!"
"What else?" Ling Feng said, looking down at his phone. "This is the manifestation of a special ability. It becomes invalid when the owner leaves its range."
The next panel showed a phone screen with the SAIDB's internal software interface. Red text indicated that three [level 8] special ability users had been dispatched as reinforcements, and it was asking about the casualties of Team 272507. There was also a real-time map showing where the reinforcements were.
Ling Feng sighed lightly and began to reply.
At the same time, Zhou Chenhao raised his hand to his neck and said with a dazed expression, "Elemental special abilities aren't like this, are they? All the elemental products that are generated are left behind. Otherwise, they wouldn't ask water special ability users to water vegetables."
Ling Feng looked up at him. "How did you pass your theory class?"
Zhou Chenhao stiffly turned his head to the side. "I copied Xiaoxi's answers on the multiple-choice questions."
【Hahaha, I really love watching the protagonist group bicker. It's so cute!】
【I can answer Brother Hao's question. He himself said it was elemental and generated (emphasis on generated). Ling Feng said it was the manifestation of a special ability. They're two completely different things. (Pushing glasses) Brother Hao can copy my answers!】
【Raises hand! I want to report Brother Haozi for cheating on the exam! (Doge emoji)】
【One sentence made me ship Chenxi, hahaha. If Brother Hao could copy the answers, Xiao Xi must have cooperated. (Cupping face)】
【I strongly request that Bai old scoundrel release Brother Hao's exam segment as an extra! (Megaphone)】
【+1 to the person above! I want to see it too! It would be hilarious if we could see a bunch of people cheating there, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their own special skills (.)】
【They trained for a month. Besides the daily training courses, the theory classes were known to require memorizing the special ability user management regulations, common knowledge about special ability users, and the mutated species encyclopedia. Mmm... with Brother Hao's brain, it seems normal that he can't memorize all that?】
【Hahaha, damn it, I'm going to call the police on you for Brother Hao! Brother Hao isn't that stupid!! He probably just found it too much to memorize and didn't want to.】
【So the friend in front still admits that Brother Hao is stupid, just not that stupid (.)】
【As expected, in hot-blooded manga, the reinforcements are always late. They've never arrived on time. It was like this last time, and it's like this again. Author, please change your trope. (Wiping sweat speechlessly)】
【Dear in front, this really has nothing to do with the author's tropes. I have to speak up for the author. (Covering face, laughing and crying) As everyone knows, the plot of the simulated world is run by a set program, and the author can't change it. Last time, it was because the level 6 special ability users were blocked by an air wall. This time, the fact that three level 8 special ability users came at once shows how much importance the higher-ups are placing on this. But looking at the map, the three of them are coming from three different directions and are all from out of town. This speed is already considered fast for people coming from out of town.】
【If it weren't for Bai Xuechao, the protagonist group would have been dead by the time the people from out of town arrived...】
【But calling in people of other levels from nearby would just be sending them to their deaths.】
【(Raises hand) I have a bold guess. Did Bai Guzi write a debuff setting like "reinforcement speed reduced by 50%," hahaha.】
【Of all the things I've seen, the debuff in front is the most ridiculous. (Laughing and crying)】
The scene changed. While the two of them were talking, Xia Xiaoxi slowly walked over to Ji Chuanze.
The manga showed a full-body shot of Ji Chuanze. He was sitting on the ground, both of his knees a bloody mess with bones faintly visible. He was covering both of his eyes with one hand.
"What's wrong?" Xia Xiaoxi asked, leaning over him.
Ji Chuanze slowly lowered his hand.
Following this were a few panels from his perspective.
In the first panel, what he saw was still blurry, but it was much better than the color blocks from before. In the second panel, his vision became a little clearer. Although it was still blurry, he could already make out the general shape of things. In the third panel, his gaze moved up and landed on the face of Xia Xiaoxi, who was leaning over him. Xia Xiaoxi was looking at him with a puzzled expression.
The next panel was a close-up of Ji Chuanze's expression. He was staring at Xia Xiaoxi, his eyebrows slightly raised.
This expression was a bit subtle.
The panel after that was again from Ji Chuanze's perspective. This panel only showed a pair of slightly blurry, green, puppy-dog eyes, indicating that Ji Chuanze was looking at her eyes.
Ji Chuanze suddenly asked, "What's your surname?"
"Huh?" Xia Xiaoxi's expression was a little dazed. It seemed she had never encountered a situation where someone only asked for her surname, but she still answered, "My surname is Xia. My name is Xia Xiaoxi."
Ji Chuanze just said, "Oh."
He thought to himself: So her surname isn't Su. I thought she was a relative.
【Ahhh, isn't the surname Su Xiao Xi's brother?!】
【Little dog Ji and Su Zhao are both from the same bodyguard company. It's perfectly normal for them to have contact or be familiar with each other. (Touching chin)】
【So little Ji thought my daughter's puppy-dog eyes looked familiar, so he asked for her surname?】
【In the Marine amusement park arc, wifey also mentioned Su Zhao after seeing Xiao Xi's puppy-dog eyes.】
【But it's not like only these two siblings have puppy-dog eyes, right? How did he suddenly connect it to the female lead?】
【In real life, people usually use makeup to create downturned eyes. It's rare to be born with them. And in the simulated world, Bai old scoundrel can totally write something like "people with downturned eyes are extremely rare," which would make downturned eyes a very special feature. I suggest you play a few rounds of the simulated world and you'll understand.】
【Ji Chuanze doesn't know that Su Zhao's biological sister doesn't have the surname Su. (Covering face, laughing and crying)】
【There's nothing to be done about it. Su Zhao and my daughter don't look very much alike. Only their eye shape is exactly the same downturned puppy-dog eyes. If it weren't for this feature, no one would have connected them.】
【So they just missed each other like that? (Covering mouth and crying)】
【They'll have to miss each other for now. Maybe they'll confirm it later, but I really can't imagine what will happen after they find out.】
【The shipping point for the Waltz CP is here! The sister left behind after a friend's death. Their fate was destined long ago!】
【Alright, alright, the sister in front knows how to ship.】
Bai Xuechao, who was reading this part of the plot, paused for a moment before turning the page.
His original plan was to shake off Ji Chuanze at A Port, not only because he didn't want Ji Chuanze to see him meet Zhou Chenhao, but also because of a hidden reason: Xia Xiaoxi.
Ji Chuanze had met Su Zhao and had a deep impression of him.
After all, who would forget the person who defeated them?
He didn't want to give Ji Chuanze the chance to recognize that Xia Xiaoxi was related to Su Zhao by blood, because that would mean Jiang Yunyi would guess that he was still looking after Xia Xiaoxi.
But the situation was urgent at the time, and there was simply no time for him to shake off Ji Chuanze. Fortunately, Ji Chuanze had never seen Xia Xiaoxi before and didn't know that Su Zhao had a biological sister. Otherwise, he would have found a way to shake off Ji Chuanze no matter what.
In the manga, Xia Xiaoxi couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Ji Chuanze propped himself up with both hands, trying to stand up, but his knees couldn't support his weight now. He could only move towards the street lamp.
"Where are you trying to go?" Xia Xiaoxi subconsciously supported his arm, trying to help him stand up, even though she herself was standing unsteadily.
The two of them supported each other. One couldn't walk steadily, and the other couldn't walk at all. Just as Xia Xiaoxi was about to lose her grip on Ji Chuanze and fall, Zhou Chenhao and Ling Feng supported them from either side.
Zhou Chenhao supported Ji Chuanze's other arm and looked at Xia Xiaoxi with a smile. "Are you two cosplaying as roly-poly toys?"
【I noticed that Ling Feng is always by Xiao Xi's side. First, he ran with Xiao Xi, and now he's supporting Xiao Xi. I'm shipping this, hehehe. (Shy)】
【You managed to find candy for the Xiafeng CP just like that! (Clapping)】
【Brother Hao's mouth should really be considered for stuffing. The person can't stand steady and is probably annoyed, and he comes up with "cosplaying as roly-poly toys." (Laughing and crying)】
【Good heavens, this part is just a big CP free-for-all! Waltz, Xiafeng, and the doggy CP!】
【Are you listing dishes in front, hahaha! And what the hell is the doggy CP? I'm going to die laughing in the bullet comments section! (Dying of laughter)】
【Cold knowledge: all four people in this panel have a CP with Bai Xuechao.】
Ling Feng could see who was the one in need. He directly asked Ji Chuanze, "What do you want to do?"
"Get in the car." Ji Chuanze wasn't polite either and turned his face towards the car that he had driven over.
Ling Feng said, "I'll help you over."
After he finished speaking, he said to Zhou Chenhao, "Let's switch positions. I'll help him over, and you support Xia Xiaoxi."
"No need to be so troublesome. I'll do it." After Zhou Chenhao finished speaking, he directly picked up Ji Chuanze and asked casually, "Which car are you getting into?"
Ji Chuanze held the Tang Hengdao in one hand and pointed to the car with the other.
【I really feel like the two little dogs are shippable. Look at Ling Feng, he has a very clear sense of boundaries. He said he would help little dog Ji over, but Brother Hao is different. He directly picked him up, hehehe.】
【Ji Chuanze is just leaving like that? Ahh, he hasn't even recognized Xiao Xi yet! (Sighing)】
【I'm so worried about the wifey who was abducted, wuwu.】
In the manga, Ji Chuanze was put into the driver's seat by Zhou Chenhao.
After the car door was closed, Zhou Chenhao suddenly reached out and knocked on the car window, signaling Ji Chuanze to roll down the window.
Ji Chuanze rolled down the window slightly, his expression cold. "Still need something?"
Zhou Chenhao's fingers were on the gap of the rolled-down window. He leaned over and brought his mouth to the gap, asking with a puzzled expression, "Can you drive like this?"
"None of your business." Ji Chuanze directly rolled up the window.
Zhou Chenhao's fingers were almost caught. He pulled his hand back with a "swoosh," his eyes wide with surprise, and watched as Ji Chuanze started the car. Then, with his right hand, he used the Tang Hengdao to press the accelerator, and with his left hand, he held the steering wheel. He didn't need his legs, and just like that, he drove the car away.
The next panel showed Zhou Chenhao standing by the roadside with a dazed expression, watching the car drive away.
At this moment, the manga gave a close-up of Ling Feng's expression. The distant car was reflected in his ocean-blue eyes, but his expression made people feel that he had something on his mind.
【Suddenly giving Ling Feng a close-up of his expression must have a purpose. (Touching chin)】
【I feel like the CP vibes between Brother Hao and Little Ji are still rising. Directly rolling up the window is killing me. Their CP should be called "None of Your Business."】
【Hahaha, "None of your business"! (Sorry, I have a bit of an accent.)】
The readers who were reading the manga didn't know the meaning of Ling Feng's expression, but Bai Xuechao could guess.
Theoretically, Ji Chuanze should have stayed behind to cooperate with the SAIDB's investigation. It was one thing for Zhou Chenhao and Xia Xiaoxi not to realize this, but it was impossible for Ling Feng to forget it. Yet, Ling Feng didn't ask Ji Chuanze to stay, but let him drive away.
It should be known that Ji Chuanze's mobility was limited in that state. Although the protagonist group couldn't beat him, it would have been no problem to stall him until the level 8 special ability users arrived as reinforcements.
Ling Feng clearly had a way to keep Ji Chuanze but didn't, which meant he deliberately let Ji Chuanze go.
The reason was simple. Their investigation would inevitably involve the Apocalypse Society. Especially since Ji Chuanze and Xia Xiaoxi were people who had been controlled by Yuan Lan, they would definitely be subjected to strict investigation and control.
Xia Xiaoxi was a member of the SAIDB, after all, so nothing would happen to her. But Ji Chuanze was just an underground special ability user, which was a bit more troublesome. He might be locked up for a very long time.
It was unclear what selfish motive Ling Feng had, but he went easy on Ji Chuanze.
Bai Xuechao continued to read the manga.
He saw that after Ji Chuanze drove the car away, he parked it on a quiet, deserted roadside. The warm yellow light of the street lamps enveloped the car.
Ji Chuanze took out his phone, his face serious, and dialed a number.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang." Ji Chuanze gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand. Below the dialogue box, the small words "hoarse" were written. He said, "Bai Xuechao was taken away by the boss of the Apocalypse Society."
The next panel was a close-up of Ji Chuanze's fingers. His fingertips were pressed so hard into the steering wheel that they caused it to deform noticeably.