Chapter 44 : Chapter 44
Chapter 44
After finishing the manga, Ji Qing nodded thoughtfully.
He finally had some understanding of Xie Chang’an’s situation now. To be honest, Ji Qing thought, it turns out that the same event, experienced by different people, can lead to completely different realizations…
At the time, Ji Qing didn't think there was anything wrong with Zhou Que's remarks.
This was because he was watching the fight from a higher-dimensional third-person perspective, which made him indifferent to the implied provocation in the words. The manga readers, because they followed Xie Chang’an's perspective, were more able to realize that something was wrong.
Ji Qing murmured, "Power and status are truly incomprehensible things."
Even he, who came from an ordinary family, couldn't realize his own arrogance, let alone Zhou Que. The fact that You Xingluo could be aware of the difficult situation of commoners meant he was very clear-headed.
However, such people often live very painful lives.
Ji Qing called out softly, "System."
The name was like a summoning command, awakening the system. Ji Qing heard the system's boot-up sound in his ear, and then a ball of light shot out at an incredible speed.
The system braked sharply. "Good morning, Host. May I ask what your plans are for today?"
Ji Qing teased, "Are you an artificial idiot?"
The system replied mechanically, "Yes, I am an artificial AI auxiliary system. Is there a problem with this?"
Ji Qing was speechless. "..."
He found that the system hadn't understood his dry joke at all. He could only attribute it to the system still having a very robotic feel. Before getting to the main point, Ji Qing asked casually, "What do you do when you're on standby?"
"Play Tile Match."
Ji Qing looked up, caught off guard. "Wait, say that again?"
"Play Tile Match—" the system shouted without a hint of shame. "I got addicted to Tile Match a few days ago. I haven't slept for three days now, just been crazily playing Tile Match."
"Host—I've successfully reached level 547!!!"
As it said this, the ball of light turned multicolored, like a disco ball. It circled around Ji Qing happily, clearly expecting some words of praise.
Ji Qing slapped a hand to his face. "You don't seem like the systems I know."
"Huh? Am I not?" the system explained cluelessly. "A few days ago, a senior from the Bureau recommended it to me. They told me not to just sleep when I'm on standby, but to play more to help diversify my thinking."
The system added belatedly, "Does the Host prefer the old me?"
The Bureau's database did indeed record such information: some mission-takers preferred their auxiliary systems to be purely artificial intelligences.
Was its host like that too?
"No, I don't really have a preference," Ji Qing shook his head with a cool expression. "But could you please turn off the light effects on your body? It's about to blind me."
The system quickly said, "Okay, Host."
With the system's reply, the light effects on its body gradually weakened. The system finally turned into a completely ordinary, gray, fluffy cloud.
"This is much easier on the eyes," Ji Qing said with a faint smile.
But Ji Qing quickly changed the subject and pointed out in a business-like manner, "Can you transfer the search function of the Popularity Value Shop to this computer? I want to exchange for items myself."
"Okay, installing it for you now," the system replied crisply.
Without asking for a reason, it approached the monitor and remotely controlled the computer to install the shop module. While the module was downloading, the system asked curiously, "Did the Host call me for this?"
"Not just for that," Ji Qing tilted his head. "I have a few more questions… perhaps you could answer them?"
The system also said in a business-like tone, "Okay, please go ahead."
Ji Qing: "Do you know how ability items come into being?"
System: "Ability items are special items that can only appear after a high-tier ability user dies. The conditions for their creation are quite harsh. Usually, the ability user would harbor extremely strong negative emotions before death."
Ji Qing: "Huh? What's the… principle behind that?"
System: "The current belief in the wasteland is that the ability particles carried by the ability user scatter after death, causing them to attach to items they frequently used in life or items closest to the place of death."
Ji Qing: "Ability particles?"
System: "A material concept that still exists in hypothesis."
Ji Qing: "...Alright."
It was as good as saying nothing, but it did help Ji Qing roughly understand the situation. Ji Qing said thoughtfully, "Let's say… I'm just saying, what would happen if the effect of an ability item suddenly strengthened?"
The system's tone instantly became serious. "That would prove that its second user has died, and that this user also died with unwillingness, and the particles have similarly attached to this item."
"That sounds difficult," Ji Qing sighed in relief inwardly.
When Ji Qing first saw the leading teacher talk about the red flag, he was worried that the school wanted to use students to achieve a secondary strengthening of the ability item, but it seemed that this possibility was quite slim.
The problem was indeed with the red flag.
It seems the flag's ability is rather strange. Ji Qing thought, But since it's so strange, yet they still chose to display it here, the leading teacher probably wanted to give the students a reminder.
From his perspective—
Barring any accidents, the top three in the individual competition would all be from Class S.
The probability of Class S students encountering ability items was much higher than that of other classes. Because for the next two and a half years, they would be running around in the Danger Zones.
"The school is still pretty good," Ji Qing murmured.
So far, the few teachers Ji Qing had met had all used their own methods to guide the students. This knowledge might seem trivial, but it could play a decisive role at a critical moment.
But Ji Qing also had to warn himself: the knowledge the system possessed was all from the world's searchable database and the manga artist's setting collection.
It couldn't be said to be everything.
Perhaps at this moment, in some corner of the wasteland, an organization was conducting experiments that were not recorded by either.
Let's put this question to rest for now, Ji Qing thought grimly. He had more pressing matters to deal with, concerning the meeting on Sunday.
Ji Qing reached out and moved the mouse, scrolling the page back to the chapter where the emblem appeared.
He once again carefully examined the emblem on the vase: the pattern of the emblem was quite simple, with only two ripples, one large and two small, but its image was strikingly similar to a veiled mother holding the hands of her two children.
Ji Qing asked, "Do you know which organization this emblem belongs to?"
System: "Ah…"
"You don't know?" Ji Qing's heart suddenly tightened.
Several high-risk plans instantly flashed through Ji Qing's mind: for example, showing a photo of the vase to Red Heart and discreetly asking about the situation; or for another example…
But these plans were all completely rejected by Ji Qing in an instant.
He couldn't bet on the mercy of a terrorist organization.
Ji Qing had not received a second communication from any Dawn Society member during this time. If he were truly a leader with real power, why would his terminal be so quiet?
Someone must have taken over the duties of the organization's leader, but that was precisely the problem—Ji Qing didn't know if he had been sidelined or if he had voluntarily relinquished power.
Under such circumstances, it was really not suitable to ask questions proactively.
It was tantamount to telling others that he was up to no good.
Just as Ji Qing was pondering, the system said hesitantly, "I know, but it… shouldn't appear here."
Ji Qing was instantly speechless. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
The Sword of Damocles that had been hanging over his head could finally fall. Ji Qing had just been thinking about how to use the remaining two days to obtain relevant information.
It was now late Thursday night, with two days until the Sunday meeting.
He could have the Substitute Puppet attend classes for him, and he could also use the information provided by the system to find a solution to the problem. But Ji Qing had thought from the beginning that the system should know.
And that was indeed the case.
System: "This is the emblem of the Heaven's Choice Church. The tenet of the Heaven's Choice Church is 'survival of the fittest, the weak are prey to the strong.' Within the Federation, they are a terrorist organization one level below the Dawn Society, but what's harder to judge than the Dawn Society is…"
"Members of the Dawn Society usually appear at the origin of the Black Tide or in the Danger Zones; the Heaven's Choice Church, on the other hand, hides in the rear towns to spread their doctrine, and then engages in extremist activities…"
Ji Qing: "Got it."
He somewhat understood the difference between the two organizations.
If the Dawn Society was the type of terrorist organization that would "suddenly attack and seize valuable items," the Heaven's Choice Church was the type that would "lurk in the rear and brainwash the populace."
The danger level of the Heaven's Choice Church was not as high as the Dawn Society's, but it was more infuriating.
Ji Qing instantly sighed. "I don't know what happened in the original main storyline, but now the church's emblem has appeared in the current manga's main storyline."
System: "This…"
Ji Qing: "What are your thoughts?"
The system's tone was heavy. "Well… the seniors at the Bureau told me not to trust the script completely. It seems that has been verified. The road ahead will be more difficult, Host."
Ji Qing chuckled lightly. "I expected as much."
He had known this result from the very beginning when he first intervened.
Now, it was just a matter of being reminded once again.
The man and the system then chatted about some daily matters. Ji Qing found that the system's emotions had become richer. Perhaps one day in the future, it would be able to understand Ji Qing's dry jokes.
It's a good change, though, Ji Qing thought.
He was in need of someone to chat with about random daily topics. The system was the only one who knew about the manga, and also the only one who knew he was a transmigrator.
It would be the best person to chat with.
So Ji Qing decided to encourage the system to try puzzle games like Tetris and sliding puzzles, and also to play Fight the Landlord with the seniors at the Bureau.
The system's eyes lit up, and it disappeared with a whoosh.
Ji Qing smiled helplessly.
He felt that the system was in a childlike state of being "curious about everything." It was a strangely familiar feeling, perhaps because he had experienced it before.
Ji Qing’s expression quickly returned to calm.
He picked up the mouse and clicked on the installed Popularity Value Shop module to look for saber repair tools. On the dazzling product display page, he saw a suitable item:
【Product: Repair Toolbox, 600 Popularity Value/use】
【Description: A toolbox that can repair any light item. I heard you just need to put the item inside. Note: Do not put living things inside, it will be scrapped~】
"600 popularity value… sigh," Ji Qing muttered, feeling the pinch. "Out with the old, in with the new. It's also a lesson for myself."
But before that, Ji Qing's gaze couldn't help but glance at a few complementary products. Ji Qing commented with a cold tone, "The Bureau is quite good at business."
"Forget it, I'll just buy them all."
【Product: Repair Reinforcement Pack, 50 Popularity Value/use】
【Description: A small tool to assist the Repair Toolbox. It can moderately increase the durability of the repaired item and slightly improve other attributes.】
【Product: Attribute Detection Pack, 50 Popularity Value/use】
【Description: A small tool to assist the Repair Toolbox. It can detect the attributes of an item.】
After getting all this done, Ji Qing finally had time to check the forums. The current manga plot was unexpected, so Ji Qing wasn't worried about the forum's feedback at all.
He was just going to give it a quick scan and be done.
【HOT】【Exciting! I felt there was something wrong with the orphanage in the first volume. At that time, the old thief deliberately used a red herring to make us suspect the orphanage was an accomplice in the disappearance case. I thought it was strange back then.】
【The second wasteland organization has appeared. I feel like the old thief is eager to advance the wasteland storyline, although he only mentions it at the end of each incident.】
【HOT】【Pinned】【Speculation on the setting of ability items and possible future plots.】
【I'm a bit confused about the current main storyline of the manga. Can any big shot explain to me what the main storyline is? I originally thought the prominent families were the villains, but now it doesn't seem like it…】
…
"The only pinned post is about ability items?" Ji Qing murmured to himself.
This was within Ji Qing's expectations, but he didn't plan to click on it. After all, the information speculated on the forum was definitely not as reliable as what he had learned from the system.
Ji Qing casually clicked on the first hot post:
【Topic: Exciting! I felt there was something wrong with the orphanage in the first volume. At that time, the old thief deliberately used a red herring to make us suspect the orphanage was an accomplice in the disappearance case. I thought it was strange back then.】
【1L Original Poster: If there's nothing wrong with the orphanage, would it give us that kind of feeling?】
【2L: A little bit.】
【3L: I originally thought it was a Christian church, but it didn't look like a statue of the Virgin Mary. But the matron and other women wore nun's habits, so I thought it might be the old thief's private setting.】
【4L: I thought the biggest problem at the time was that the orphanage had an old site, and then there were nuns patrolling at night at the old site. Although Chang’an and Lingxue didn't find anything at the time, that was really strange.】
【5L: The weirdest thing was clearly the shadow. When the nun passed by the protagonist's hiding spot, the old thief drew her shadow to look like a monster. Although the end of the first volume said it was a patrolling nun who deliberately disguised herself because she was scared, it was still very scary…】
【6L: Damn, suddenly scared.】
【7L: This time when he goes back, he'll probably meet a real monster (just kidding).】
【8L: Goodbye, family members of the orphanage.】
【9L: Don't jump to conclusions so early.】
【10L: It's still not certain.】
【11L: The orphanage was destroyed by a fire in its early years. Most of the children and adults in the orphanage did not escape the fire at that time. Do you still remember this? To be honest—since Chang’an has been fine for so many years, it means that the current orphanage and the cult may not be the same group of people.】
【12L: But the orphanage is still maintaining the old rules.】
【13L: Some rules may just be maintained, and even the enforcers may not understand why they are maintained. Didn't the first nun Chang’an asked say that she didn't know why she had to patrol at night…】
【14L: That makes a lot of sense.】
【15L Original Poster: Then it seems they have to go back to the orphanage. If it was just built on the old site of a cult, then they have to remind the people in the orphanage to move out as soon as possible.】
【16L: Where can they move to?】
【17L: Are you trying to attract the people from this cult?】
【18L Original Poster: Forgot about that (awkward).】
【19L: Since it used to be an old site, acting rashly might attract unnecessary attention. The specific situation can only be known after Chang’an goes back, but… I think this is a bit unlikely.】
【20L: What's unlikely?】
【21L: Because the team competition is next. If he takes leave during the team competition, he might not get a promotion spot. The school doesn't care why you want to go home, and with Chang’an's personality, he will definitely want to go back and see for himself.】
【22L: Why not make it public?】
【23L Original Poster: I know this. Since the other party is a cult, if it is rashly made public, it will definitely affect the future operation of the orphanage. The discrimination in the wasteland is so severe, Chang’an definitely doesn't want the people he knows to be discriminated against.】
【24L: In other words, we have to finish the team competition first, and then go back during the winter vacation?】
【25L: That's right.】
【26L: That's how it is.】
【27L: Ahhhh, for the first time, I hate school so much.】
…
"Hmm…" Ji Qing looked on thoughtfully.
He hadn't paid close attention to the plot of the first volume at the time, just gave it a cursory glance. He didn't expect the orphanage to have so many suspicious points, but it was hard to say for sure.
Let Xie Chang’an worry about it himself.
Ji Qing definitely wouldn't follow him to the orphanage to explore, and he had no reason to appear there.
Ji Qing then clicked on the second post:
【Topic: The second wasteland organization has appeared. I feel like the old thief is eager to advance the wasteland storyline, although he only mentions it at the end of each incident.】
【1L Original Poster: I don't understand what the old thief is thinking. I feel like he's just trying to keep us in suspense now. Li Yuan is a character from the wasteland line, and the orphanage is also a plot from the wasteland line, but the manga is currently drawing the academy…】
【2L Original Poster: Why is he so eager to advance the wasteland line?】
【3L Original Poster: The academy line still has the team competition and promotion plots to draw, but the old thief has already brought out the characters and foreshadowing of the wasteland line early.】
【4L: Worried the readers will leave (just kidding).】
【5L: Worried the readers who came for the wasteland will leave (just kidding).】
【6L: Actually… if they get promoted to Class S, there shouldn't be any more academy matters. I think the main role of the academy line is to introduce the companions to everyone.】
【7L: I think it's quite normal? Mainly because Li Yuan came for the World Book, he must have a relationship with the protagonist. And the orphanage side story had foreshadowing in the first volume, it's just that it won't be drawn immediately.】
【8L: Are you going to have an incident during the individual competition? Isn't it nice to finish the individual competition in one go, and then have something new happen?】
【9L: Don't interrupt my viewing experience (angry).】
【10L: Don't keep me in suspense and do things unrelated to the competition (angry).】
【11L Original Poster: That feeling is indeed not good.】
【12L: Let me answer your question head-on—first of all, the school is a wasteland school, and the school itself is part of the wasteland. You can't ask the school to be completely closed off and separate from the wasteland. The school bears the function of 'storing confiscated ability items.' The two wasteland organizations that have appeared so far are both related to the school through ability items. Li Yuan came for the ability item stored by the school, and the cult had an ability item confiscated by the school. Their connection is very close, so it can't be said to be a sudden insertion.】
【13L: Amazing, big shot.】
【14L: Instantly connected the appearance of the two organizations.】
【15L: Looking at it this way, the development is indeed reasonable. It is precisely because the school is storing ability items that it led to the appearance of Li Yuan and the dark secret of the orphanage.】
【16L: This angle is great.】
【17L Original Poster: Thank you, big shot, my confusion is finally resolved. It turns out I had separated the school and the wasteland too much. I understand now, thank you for the explanation.】
…
The content of this post was quite unexpected.
A hint of surprise colored Ji Qing’s emerald eyes. He had originally thought it was just the readers' complaints about the plot, but he didn't expect that some readers could already figure out the relationship between the three.
He had figured it out quite clearly.
After all, if the Third Ability Academy wasn't storing the World Book, Ji Qing wouldn't have come to school.
Ji Qing then clicked on the third post:
【Topic: I'm a bit confused about the current main storyline of the manga. Can any big shot explain to me what the main storyline is? I originally thought the prominent families were the villains, but now it doesn't seem like it…】
【1L Original Poster: This is the first time I've seen this type of manga. Other popular manga are about finding sisters and fathers, but Chang’an is the only one working hard to go to school and get into Class S. Just when I thought school was the main storyline, the old thief eagerly talked about other organizations in the wasteland. I don't get it…】
【2L: OP, you've read too few manga.】
【3L: A behemoth like a prominent family certainly won't be the boss.】
【4L: The main storyline is actually the academy, telling the story of Xie Chang’an's three years in high school. It's just that the high school Xie Chang’an is in is an ability high school, and the class he's in later needs to face the wasteland often.】
【5L Original Poster: So the main storyline is?】
【6L: The main storyline is Xie Chang’an's growth.】
【7L: Why does the protagonist have to have a clear long-term goal? Isn't the current plot good?】
【8L: If you want to read that kind of grand narrative manga, just find another manga. This one, for now, it's not certain whether it will rise to grand themes like the fate of humanity. But from the fact that the old thief has specifically drawn the situation of the wasteland, the protagonist will definitely participate in the battle between humans and Aberrants later on, it's just not apparent in the early stage of the manga.】
【9L Original Poster: It feels like it will be a very long manga.】
【10L: What are you afraid of? As long as the old thief can update steadily, I can keep reading. Kuman's pillar has a shonen manga that has been serialized for more than ten years. What's one more old thief?】
【11L: Just from the world view, it's worth looking forward to. Yuexia is already eager to draw the stories of the various forces in the wasteland. From the moment he gave his favorite black hair and red eyes to Li Yuan, I knew he was very satisfied with his story.】
【12L Original Poster: I see.】
【13L Original Poster: The micro-narrative is Xie Chang’an's three years of high school experience, and the macro-narrative is the confrontation between humans and Aberrants in the wasteland, the self-struggle of the Infected, and the class struggle of humanity itself? Is that it?】
【14L: Something like that.】
【15L: It's just that it hasn't risen to a grand narrative yet.】
【16L: What it will be drawn like remains to be seen. Since he has portrayed the class stratification for so long, I hope the old thief can give a better ending in the end.】
【17L: It feels a bit unlikely. I think since the old thief specifically wrote that the descendants of the prominent families are good, it means that the final enemy the protagonist faces will definitely not be the prominent families.】
【18L: Class can be reformed from within. It's too early to say this now. The final boss may not be the prominent families, but it can't be said that it definitely isn't.】
【19L: You have to have some patience.】
…
"It seems to be the same problem as the last post," Ji Qing said to himself.
Both were wondering what kind of manga the old thief wanted to draw, but the problem was that there was no answer. They were probably readers of the old thief's previous short manga.
It was indeed difficult to see the main storyline in the early stages of a long-running shonen manga. Even Ji Qing himself didn't know how the plot would develop. He could only take it one step at a time.
In the end, Ji Qing said helplessly, "Alright, it seems I have to rely on myself."