Chapter 54: Recording
【Blue Arc: You know someone from the White Crow Brigade?】
Hearing the message notification, Ji Minghuan reached for the remote on the tatami mat.
As he turned on the TV with the remote, he extended his Binding Restraint from his fingertip. The black strap, like a little snake, gripped his phone in its mouth, typed, and replied to Gu Qiye’s message.
【Black Cocoon: No, I don’t know them, but I do know the dirt on quite a few of them. If you need my help, I might consider sharing that intel with you.】
Ji Minghuan tugged at his collar and used the Binding Restraint to drag the upright fan from the corner of the room. He pressed the power switch, and the blades slowly began to spin, blowing across his flushed cheek.
He popped a piece of gum into his mouth and looked up at the TV screen.
The kids’ animation channel was playing Black Cat Detective, with gunfire popping nonstop. He watched attentively for a while, then switched over to the Lijing News Channel with the remote.
At this moment, the host was beaming as she reported the news that “Blue Arc apprehended international thieves ‘Da Zhonghou’ and ‘Flying Ant’ at the same time.”
In the footage shown, Gu Qiye—dressed in a blue combat suit and wearing a metal helmet—was being interviewed by reporters.
He took the mic, responded perfunctorily with a few symbolic lines, waved to the camera, then turned into a flash of deep blue lightning and dashed away. Amid the roar, the camera flickered into black-and-white snow for two or three seconds before returning to normal. This was a breaking event from earlier that morning, and the station’s reporter clearly hadn’t had time to prepare a script in advance, so everything she was saying was on the fly.
Her words were filled with admiration, nearly to the point of worship.
She even made a point of using phrases designed to stir a sense of national pride in listeners: emphasizing that this criminal couple had stolen valuable artifacts from museums around the world, earning a notorious reputation internationally. That Blue Arc could represent China and throw them behind bars was, in a sense, bringing honor to the nation. With any luck, the police would recover each missing artifact during the interrogation process.
“Ding.” A new message came from Gu Qiye.
【Blue Arc: I hope you’re not just playing games.】
Ji Minghuan slouched at the edge of the bed, eyes closed, letting the fan blow on him. He didn’t even bother looking at the message, using the sensory feedback of the Binding Restraint to read it instead.
Then had it type a reply.
【Black Cocoon: You’re heading to Tokyo soon to work security at the auction, right?】
【Blue Arc: I seriously wonder if you planted a bug in my stomach. Next time I’ll need a full-body scan.】
【Black Cocoon: I know more than just your business. No need to stress about it. Oh right, I’ll be heading to Japan too. Contact me if necessary.】
【Blue Arc: You’re going to Japan too?】
【Black Cocoon: Of course, and I’m not the only one…】
While chewing his gum, Ji Minghuan thought, “Haha, my entire crew is going to Tokyo, if I don’t go I’d be like an orphan. Oh… I am an orphan.”
“But… the current problem is how the hell do I get this trench coat and mask through airport security?”
Thinking that, he glanced at the tailcoat on the floor. “Forget it. Too risky to bring it. I’ll just wrap myself in the Binding Restraint when I arrive—count that as the grand debut of ‘Black Cocoon 2.0.’”
【Blue Arc: We’ll talk later, I need to report to the Association first.】
Ji Minghuan blocked his number, then pulled up the Character Panel to allocate the Attribute Points he’d just earned from the Main Quest.
【Attribute change for Game Character No. 1 “Black Cocoon” - Speed: B → B+】
【Current attributes for “Black Cocoon”: Strength: B; Speed: B+; Mental: C】
He then opened the Skill Tree Panel to check Black Cocoon’s skill development progress.
【Branch 1 (Stealth): Binding Restraint Sensory (Learned) → Binding Restraint Verity (Learned) → Binding Restraint Camouflage (Learned) → Binding Restraint Trap (Pending) → Unknown →...】
【Branch 2 (Fury): Binding Restraint Extension (Pending) → Unknown →...】
【Branch 3 (Malice): Binding Restraint Detection (Learned) → Binding Restraint Suppression (Learned) → Esper Theft (Learned) → Capacity Boost (Pending) → Unknown →...】
“Still haven’t learned a single skill from Branch 2—kinda sad.”
Without thinking, Ji Minghuan long-pressed the icon for Binding Restraint Extension.
The skill text brightened from dim to vivid, then erupted in a hellish glow.
【1 Skill Point consumed. Successfully learned Branch “Fury” skill—Binding Restraint Extension. (Extends max range of your Binding Restraint from 8 meters to 15 meters)】
【Next skill in Branch “Fury,” “Binding Restraint Blade,” is now available for learning.】
“Honestly, this skill doesn’t give me much of a boost. Eight meters is already plenty. But leaving that branch unused felt kinda stupid.”
As he thought this, Ji Minghuan bent down, pulled out a cardboard box from under the wardrobe, and opened it to take out a ballpoint pen.
Back when Ji Minghuan—wearing his Black Cocoon mask—met Gu Qiye alone in a secluded path near Lijing Plaza, he had this exact pen in hand, along with a newspaper from five years ago.
At that time, Ji Minghuan doodled all over the newspaper with the ballpoint pen, using it to divert Gu Qiye’s attention. Gu Qiye focused entirely on the newspaper’s content and didn’t notice anything unusual about the pen.
In reality, it wasn’t an ordinary pen—it was a voice recorder.
Expressionless, Ji Minghuan picked up the recording pen and casually pressed its button.
With a few “beep beep…” sounds, a recorded conversation slowly played in the room.
“Mr. Gu Qiye, you were only thirteen when it happened, right… Ever since that day, you’ve harbored resentment toward those Reality-altering Espers who abuse power in the name of justice… You want to gain enough prestige within the Reality-altering Esper Association, get recommended by the upper echelon for your unmatched performance, and enter the UN organization Rainbow Wing to find the Esper who crushed your mother like an ant.”
“You… how do you know who I am?”
The recording cut off there. In his final line, Blue Arc’s tone still held disbelief. That sentence, in essence, confirmed that he was Gu Qiye.
And of course, Ji Minghuan kept this recording for a reason.
He turned the volume to minimum and played it on repeat, thinking.
“If I try to negotiate with my old man without leverage, either my No.1 character gets insta-killed, or he rips off my mask and realizes I’m his beloved son—which would really screw up my future plans.”
“So… I have to play the ‘Gu Qiye identity’ card right at the start. The problem is, how do I get my old man to quietly listen to the contents of this recorder?”
“There’s only one answer: I have to find him when he’s not wearing the mask. The authorities still don’t know that ‘Ghost Bell’ is Gu Zhuo’an, so if he’s not in his combat suit and mask, there’s no way he’d act recklessly in public.”
With that in mind, Ji Minghuan quietly put the recording pen back into the box and sealed it up.
“When he’s in Lijing, his movements are hard to track. But once we’re all in Japan—foreign country, unfamiliar turf—his actions will be a lot more restricted. That’ll give me a better shot at finding the right moment to negotiate.”
“Oh right,” he suddenly scratched his head, “almost forgot to text the old man.”
Ji Minghuan used the Binding Restraint to pick up the phone on the bed and sent a message to Gu Zhuo’an on WeChat.
【Gu Wenyu: Big bro said the 9 p.m. flight tonight—to Japan.】
【Gu Zhuo’an: Got it, I’m out buying groceries, be home soon.】
“So he wasn’t out causing chaos in his combat suit—just buying groceries…” Ji Minghuan shifted his gaze.
“Speaking of which, how the hell is the old man going to get his Ghost Bell uniform through security? This old b*stard really ought to teach me a few crime tricks when he’s got time.”