Ji Heng reflected calmly: "If I had known this would happen, I would have thought twice before acting."
At this point, Su Er tried his best to think of a solution: "The only advantage now is you."
As long as it was something Ji Heng took out, Feng Peng would not doubt it.
Ji Heng had already considered everything he could think of and directly pointed out the core of the problem: "It's not easy to forge a manuscript written more than 20 years ago."
Memory loss is an unbridgeable gap. All the profound knowledge of the past has been forgotten, and it is impossible to fabricate anything.
Seeing the other players still searching with hope, Soul frowned. If he told them the truth directly, and they realized they'd been tricked for decades, the old man would get angry and probably wipe them all out.
Ji Heng: "The important thing is to find the key. Even if Feng Peng wants to make a move, he has to wait until the transaction is completed."
No one can escape the constraints of the rules.
Hearing that he was going to confront her head-on, Su Er asked her to calm down: "It's okay, I'll handle it."
Ji Heng's eyes moved: "You?"
It's not that he doubted it, the matter was quite tricky. If it wasn't handled properly, he might not be able to rescue the old man the moment he took action, and then Suer's life would be in danger.
"Even if I fail, I'm confident I can get out of this unscathed."
Su Er gently pried Ji Heng's chin: "Look up at a 45-degree angle, keep it."
After saying that, he walked straight towards the old man.
Feng Peng's old face showed a slight fluctuation: "Found it?"
Back then, he was impulsive and eager to get a central position. Times have changed, and now he cares more about the content of the manuscript.
Su Er first glanced at Ji Heng before speaking: "His memory is very fragmented, but he can remember some things."
This is an exaggerated truth; in fact, I only remember a fragment of the quarrel.
Feng Peng believed it and subconsciously looked at Ji Heng. The latter was looking up slightly, his whole body filled with contradictions and sadness.
Suer seized the opportunity and whispered something.
Feng Peng opened his mouth as a few words drifted into his ears, but couldn't utter a single word. Coming to his senses, his eyes widened, his shrunken cheeks trembling with anger, as if he were about to pounce and rip the person in front of him apart. "If you dare say another word of nonsense..."
Su Er stood still, making no attempt to hide. "He's not a joker."
Seeing no objection, he continued, "How could someone hide something so perfectly in five minutes?" He looked around, a hint of sarcasm in his smile, "He can't remember which wall it's on. Look carefully..."
Feng Peng interrupted coldly: "This place was renovated later."
"What a shame. But if you think back, a lot of things are hidden in the details, like who he talked to the most on a daily basis."
Leaving a separate space for Gui to meditate, Su Er retreated back to Ji Heng.
One could sense the ups and downs of his mood from his expression. Ji Heng raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did you say to him?"
Su Erchao whispered, "It said you left a message on the wall."
If you can't find it, you can say it's the wall paint that's fallen off.
"What's the content?"
"iloveyou."
"…"
After being stunned for three seconds, Ji Heng's eyelashes trembled violently.
Feng Peng came to his senses and clenched his fists. "This is nonsense! There's such a huge age gap between them..."
"Aren't you also unmarried?" Soul said loudly, "Fools judge by appearances, but the most sensual part of a human being is the brain!"
Feng Peng's lips trembled.
Soul: "Among all the researchers at that time, whose brain could surpass yours?"
Ji Heng looked at him deeply. This was actually a false proposition. The old man was most proud of his brain, otherwise he would not have issued the previous task.
As expected, Feng Peng snorted coldly: "I am number one, no one dares to claim..."
Before he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Ji Heng. Back then, this man was truly a brilliant talent. His expression darkened, and he changed his tone, "In short, there are only a handful of people in the world who can surpass me."
"So everything is understandable." Su Er sneered: "True love first comes from the spirit. Don't think so dirty. He only loves your brain."
Feng Peng was a complete research geek in his youth, never having been in love, and even in his old age, he had never considered a twilight romance. He could deduce a formula in seconds, but when it came to emotions, he was genuinely taken aback by Suhr's words.
The players were originally anxiously looking for something, but when they heard the intermittent communication sounds, they couldn't help but look up.
Xu Yangyang walked around Su Er from the side and asked, "Have you found the manuscript?"
Su Er lowered his eyelashes: "I guess so."
There is a hint of melancholy in his tone, as if he is uncomfortable with the implicit and clumsy emotional expression of that era.
"It's all over." Ji Heng said lightly.
Without a trace of emotion, he performed it perfectly. His deep eyes looked at the old man and asked, "Where is the key?"
Under Suer's constant hints, Feng Peng's expression became complicated, and the scenes of the past were re-engraved in his mind.
At that time, he made a big fuss about the position of the Central Committee, but the other party never took out his anger on his superiors to remove him from his position.
...Is this love?
Ji Heng coughed lightly to draw the old man's attention.
Feng Peng's expression changed again and again, and finally he slowly uttered: "You."
The game prompt sounded:
[Before midnight, player Ji Heng agreed to return as the key, and the side quest was completed.]
[Restricted cannibalism mode lifted.]
Ji Heng's prompt tone was different from theirs: [Please decide whether you are willing to return as a key before midnight.]
"How could the key belong to a player?" Xu Yangyang was the first to question it, but she quickly shut up.
No matter what the reason is, the nature of the matter is destined not to change.
For a moment, everyone's eyes on Ji Heng began to look a little different.
In the strange atmosphere, Su Er suddenly said, "I want to go to the reading room again to see if there is a chance of a turnaround."
Ji Heng let him pull him downstairs.
After going down to the third floor, Suhl did not go into the reading room as he had said, but went to the bathroom instead: "They might work together to force you to agree."
As the eggs evolve faster, the pressure to survive increases. A chance encounter, a 50% increase in the chance of survival, is enough to make people give it a try.
"Those three are quite powerful. Even if they reveal all their trump cards, we won't be able to escape unscathed."
Ji Heng was quite calm: "Choosing to agree does not necessarily mean death."
This deal is actually quite good. If, as the old man said, activating the Central Project can save the world, it will be a great help in completing the mission.
Su Er's expression turned cold for a moment: "When I was little, I knew one thing: people will kill themselves."
"…"
Ji Heng was stunned. Was he being taught a lesson?
As soon as this thought came to mind, he was met with a barrage of scolding. Su Erben was good at writing articles, and when he lectured people, he quoted from classics and spoke endlessly. He had no intention of stopping after a long and eloquent scolding. Ji Heng had no choice but to interrupt with a smile: "I was wrong."
Su Er reluctantly stopped and pretended to be magnanimous and forgave him.
Ji Heng admitted his mistake with a smile and handed over the initiative: "How do you want to escape?"
Su Er paced thoughtfully, and when he turned around, his eyes were dim. It was difficult to figure out Ji Heng's true thoughts, but one thing was certain, the other party had not completely given up the idea of returning to his place as the key.
"When we were going downstairs earlier, we heard footsteps following closely behind us."
And it continues all the way to the main hall.
Su Er sneered: "I guess there must be someone guarding the gate by now."
The safest way is to leave the library directly and find a place to hide. Now the door is guarded and they can't get out, and there are no curtains, ropes or other things for them to climb down.
"It won't necessarily lead to a catastrophe," he said, brushing off some white fluff that drifted over. "It depends on the level of evolution of these insect eggs."
"The game specifically unlocks the cannibalism mode so that players won't have it too easy."
Seeing Su Er frowning, Ji Heng shook his head to indicate that there was no need to worry too much: "All they want is for me to agree after weighing the pros and cons."
"Can you?"
Ji Heng smiled and said nothing, and talked about other topics.
Suhr appeared to be listening carefully, but in reality he was not.
Being a key does not mean death. Perhaps even without external pressure, Ji Heng would eventually agree. It is actually he who really wants to burn his boats.
As time passed, the white fluff that previously only floated inside the museum began to circulate to the outside world, and now there are only a handful of people on the streets.
As pedestrians hurried home, they would often stock up on goods at the roadside shops. The owners took the opportunity to raise their prices, happily keeping their shops profitable. That was until an office worker entered, and soon after, the owner, as if possessed, closed the door.
Successful parasitic eggs will harm people through sexual intercourse. Sur almost fell victim to it in the rental house, let alone ordinary people.
Soon, the door to the canteen opened. The owner lay slumped over the table, his eyes wide open, a squid streaking through his brainstem. The office worker adjusted his tie and looked around for his next target. With few pedestrians and no residential buildings nearby, he set his sights on the library.
Su Er turned slightly to avoid being seen. Then, for some reason, he changed his mind and stood in front of the window.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and the office worker's goal immediately became firm, and he walked directly towards the library.
Ji Heng: "Lure him to deal with the players?"
Su Er nodded: "The more chaotic the better."
At least it won't give other players a chance to get involved.
At the same time, the remaining three people gathered in the hall.
Jia Kanhua was actually still a little hesitant, wondering if it would be a bad idea to just fall out like this.
Zhu Yu was very determined and emphasized again: "I must leave this instance alive."
She was originally a top student in medical school, and had gradually figured out how to make the eggs parasitize inside her body. As long as she could bring them into the real world, she would be able to deal a heavy blow to the game.
Seeing through the cruelty in Zhu Yu's eyes, Xu Yangyang was surprisingly honest: "I just follow the crowd."
He will first cooperate to put pressure on Ji Heng, but if the situation reverses, he will be the first to turn against him.
Just as Jia Kanhua was about to speak, she suddenly raised her head warily: "Someone is coming."
As he spoke, he began to check if the door was locked.
The office workers' sarcastic glances pierced the glass, and insect eggs oozed from their pores, clinging to the window at a rapid speed. The relatively strong glass looked as if covered with small snowflakes, which at first glance seemed quite beautiful.
Xu Yangyang was close by and heard the subtle sound of "kazkaz". His expression changed and he said, "Run!"
Seconds after the words fell, the glass was completely shattered.
The office worker came in slowly, his eyes lingering over the three running people, and finally fixed on the relatively weaker Jia Kanhua.
Su Er naturally heard the movement below: "Let's go to the fourth floor."
Ji Heng: "Feng Peng is there."
Soul: "He has mixed feelings about you, so he won't make things too difficult for you."
"…"
Frankly speaking, Ji Heng never understood why the old man believed such a clumsy lie.
"When Feng Peng was alive, he considered you his mortal enemy. He knew you were better than him but refused to admit it. It was his lifelong wish to defeat you once."
The word "like" is enough to put Ji Heng at a disadvantage emotionally, and Feng Peng's narcissism towards his brain will inevitably increase accordingly.
Su Er was confident: "It doesn't matter whether it's true or not. He will be more inclined to the answer that gives him an advantage."
Ji Heng's eyes were deep: "You understand a lot?"
Su Er's throat moved, and he smiled awkwardly, "It's just some theoretical knowledge."
On the fourth floor, Feng Peng saw the complicated expressions on the two men's faces and quickly adopted a tough attitude: "I will not suppress the insect eggs for you."
Su Er himself had no such expectations; he simply came to show his face, to prevent the old man from regaining his composure over time. Once this emotion fermented once more, it would be the perfect time to inquire about the details of the Central Plan.
There were plenty of places to hide in the library, and neither of them wanted to stay in a corner, as it would put them in a passive position if they were discovered. The only open area nearby was the lounge area, so they temporarily hid behind the sofa. Ji Heng mouthed the word "wait."
As for what they were waiting for, they both knew it well... When a target was attacked, it was the perfect point to escape.
This long wait lasted for about an hour, and the excessive silence made Sur realize once again that this group of players was not simple.
The bell rang for eleven times, and the sky outside was pitch black.
The insect eggs became more and more rampant. Previously, those floating alone could be easily crushed to death, but now at most they would be made dizzy, and they would stagger and quickly regain their vitality.
Another twenty minutes passed, and with the insects swarming around him, Su Er was afraid to use his props, fearing the noise. His arm was red and swollen. He blew gently on the wound, and the cool feeling just eased the discomfort a little when he heard the sound of running downstairs. He straightened up slightly and found that it was Xu Yangyang who was being chased.
Xu Yangyang was also confused. He had previously determined from the office worker's eyes that the other party's main target was Jia Kanhua, but later it became himself for no reason.
"I underestimated Jia Kanhua." While fleeing madly, he secretly hated himself for looking down on others so easily.
Suer and Ji Heng looked at each other, and quickly moved downstairs. Once they reached the second floor, they began to rush out.
Zhu Yu and Jia Kanhua had the same idea, and the four of them arrived at the gate almost at the same time.
Outside the door, a fashionable girl was standing under a telephone pole, surrounded by white fluff, grinning at them.
Jia Kanhua cursed, "How can there still be people who sit back and wait for something to happen?"
Su Er made a quick decision: "Join forces!"
No one hid their abilities. His fighting skills were average, so he could only smash props. Ji Heng and Zhu Yu were responsible for close combat. Jia Kanhua seemed to be wandering around, with a silver thread faintly wrapped around his hand in the moonlight, hindering the girl's movements.
After the fight, no one spoke for several minutes.
Zhu Yu recovered and immediately looked at the tower clock. There were only ten minutes left until midnight. She glanced at Su Er and said, "It's not us who are forcing Ji Heng to make a decision...it's you."
Su Er's eyes darkened.
He knew, of course, that Ji Heng was determined to fight tooth and nail. His cooperation now was simply a matter of self-care. From this afternoon until now, he had given Ji Heng time to accept reality. He must have already made up his mind.
The other party wanted them to see with their own eyes that the world was already in danger. If they did not increase their chances of survival, they would be too exhausted to deal with the parasites and would have no time to complete the mission.
"The note." Su Er clutched the corner of his clothes. "Don't forget the prop given by the Blue Lotus Sage. He said that it can be used at a critical moment. Just say 'Flower Blooms' three times in your mind."
Ji Heng laughed: "It's just an ordinary piece of paper."
Su Er insisted: "Try it first. If you fail, I will respect your choice."
Ji Heng did as he wished. After silently repeating the words three times, he opened his palm. It was still a blank note. He smiled helplessly and said, "Did I say…"
[Player Ji Heng failed to make a choice within the time limit, and the side quest "Key to the Center" timed out and failed.]
Everyone received the same notification, stunned, feeling like they were nailed to the ground, their muscles tense and motionless. After a moment, Zhu Yu barely managed to control his stunned expression, his voice slightly hoarse as he screamed, "Impossible! There are still five minutes until midnight."
The next second, his mind seemed to go blank. He twisted his neck stiffly and looked at Soul: "It was you. You also lost the tablet on purpose... You started to plot from that moment on!"
But she couldn't figure out how Sur managed to speed up the time on the tower clock, as the outer wall was dozens of meters high!
Ji Heng was also startled, rarely concealing his surprise. Suddenly, he thought of something and glanced towards Su Er's pocket...
Tower clock.
The little clay figurine sat on the pointer, having just used all his strength to push it in the opposite direction one tick, and was now panting with exhaustion.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment. In the suffocating silence, a figure appeared without anyone noticing.
Princess Camellia suddenly appeared in front of Su Er, her eyes blank as she murmured, "You lied to me..."
Didn't you say you would never lose faith in human civilization?
What about saving the world?
The wind lifted the strands of hair on Su Er's forehead. His distinct black and white eyes were captivating with their deep light. "There's no way back..."
As he spoke, his eyes swept over everyone one by one, including Ji Heng, and finally he slowly said: "I forgot to mention before, I actually like to do things like burn my boats."
Who would have thought that beneath such a handsome and gentle face, there would be a character that is so decisive and ruthless.
Zhu Yu and others had complaints but were helpless, except Ji Heng, who at this moment could not even take his eyes off the figure, and his heart began to beat wildly at an unprecedented frequency.