Lin Sanjiu glanced at the item in the forr guard's hand.
Next to the seashell-like rotating number screen, the forr guard subconsciously rubbed the keys with his thumb. The keys had arrows pointing in different directions, and each one seed to catch his gaze in turn. Seeing that Lin Sanjiu hesitated to accept it, he raised his head and said, "Huh? You don't want it?"
Gong Daoyi had given her four or five Special Items at once, saving her from danger, but compared to the challenges waiting for her in the future, they might not be enough, let alone worth it. Lin Sanjiu stared at the unfamiliar item, which resembled a small seashell, and for a mont, she could only hear her own repeated question—what awaited her in the future?
If she declined this item, would it lessen the severity of the impending negative event?
"Did he say anything else?" Lin Sanjiu deliberately avoided ntioning Ya Jiang's na, preferring not to bring it up unnecessarily. After all, Puppeteer didn't know that the unconscious scraps nearby was called Ya Jiang.
"Let think." The forr guard hesitated when he saw her reluctance, as if he intended to return the item to his pocket as soon as she declined it. "Um... It's strange that he didn't give it to you directly... Oh, he did leave sothing else, as if he was preparing to leave at that ti."
"What did he say?" Lin Sanjiu asked impatiently, aware that Puppeteer, lying on the nearby hospital bed, had already cast a glance at their hushed conversation corner.
"'I've given what I should. Whether she uses it or gives it to soone else, or it ends up in soone else's hands, is beyond my concern,'" the forr guard mumbled. "I think it was sothing like that."
Whether she accepted it or not, Gong Daoyi was indifferent? Did she even have a choice?
He must have calculated it. Lin Sanjiu clenched her teeth and extended her hand to accept the Special Item. As the forr guard turned away, it transford into a card in her palm. With just a glance, she couldn't help but be surprised, almost throwing it into the card inventory. It wasn't a Special Item at all; it was just a long letter addressed to her.
[Custom-made for Lin Sanjiu]
I understand that you may not want to accept my help, so I've taken the liberty of offering it anyway. For that, I hope you can forgive .
My adoptive mother used to grow a Dieffenbachia in a pot. When she first brought it ho, it had only a few small leaves. I can't recall how old I was back then, but I do rember checking on it every few days. Sotis, the sunlight was hot and restless, casting slanted rays, while other tis, the sky was overcast, and the light resembled thick fog. Requiring minimal care, it thrived on that windowsill, under ever-changing seasons and alternating light and clouds, gradually growing new leaves. The layers of color on those new leaves were genuinely beautiful, akin to the work of an Impressionist artist, never failing to impress . Perhaps it thrived because it was nurtured by a kind person, making it just as wonderful.
I forgot about it as I grew up. However, in recent years, it ca back to —the vitality and vibrancy of those red-tinged leaves left a lasting impression on my younger self. My adoptive mother used to buy fresh flowers from the market in the mornings, but I never cared for them. To , they were just future wilted blooms... Eventually, she stopped buying them. You remind of that Dieffenbachia, and I find that quite appealing.
After parting ways in the Garden of Eden, I gradually learned tidbits about you (we do share a mutual acquaintance). I can't say if my decision was impulsive, but I didn't want to wait any longer. I've waited long enough. I believe you can et my expectations and provide the outco I desire. If the future proves wrong, then I'll have to accept that I've made a mistake, at long last.
Rather than being specifically written for her, this passage seed more like Gong Daoyi's internal musings, muttered softly with his eyes closed. Even after reading every word, Lin Sanjiu remained perplexed about the crucial "expectations" and "outco." Only the final sentence lingered in her thoughts.
"Don't worry, I cannot take away what you possess."
Finally, there was an introduction about the item. Gong Daoyi ntioned that it was specially customized for her, and it appeared he wasn't lying. As Lin Sanjiu read a few lines, her heart sank. The likelihood of her stubbornly refusing to use the item seed extrely slim, almost non-existent. But given the current situation, it might not make a difference whether she used it or not, did it?
"Hey," Bohemia called out to her in a hushed tone, snapping Lin Sanjiu back to reality. She realized that Puppeteer was still waiting. It was impossible for him to take the initiative and ask, "What are you looking at?" Consequently, in just a brief minute or two, the atmosphere in the patient room had grown as heavy as an impending storm. Lin Sanjiu pondered for a mont, then approached and extended the card.
"I won't hide it from you," she said, and noticing Puppeteer's reluctance to move, she leaned the card forward. "Gong Daoyi left this behind."
If Puppeteer willingly reached out to take it, that would raise suspicion. But Bohemia was cleverer than an otter when she wanted to be. She didn't give Puppeteer the opportunity to turn soone into a puppet to hand him the card. Instead, she swiftly stepped forward, took the card, and passed it to him with both hands, saying, "Take a look."
"You might not understand why he said that both of us will need to use this item," Lin Sanjiu said, feeling uneasy under the shadow of the impending future. She circled around. "This is a hospital pocket dinsion in the Lava world. To leave, we still need to do one last thing."
She tried her best to explain everything in detail, and regarding sensitive information, she either softened the details or avoided ntioning them altogether. Occasionally, she had Magus, who had collaborated with her and was still lingering in Puppeteer's mind, corroborate so points. Thinking back, she felt that she may have spoken too soon when she said, "I won't hide it from you."
Throughout the conversation, Puppeteer's reactions remained composed.
Even upon hearing that his head had disappeared, he only arched an eyebrow slightly, as if compared to his ultimate goal, everything else—the pocket dinsion, the dangerous situation, being saved or not—were re mundane events he had to endure.
"Now that you know the next steps," Lin Sanjiu concluded, "why are you still sitting there?"
Upon completing her explanation, Puppeteer rose from the hospital bed. As he approached the door, he suddenly turned his head, a glint of cold light flashing in his numbed and expressionless half of the face. "Since he eagerly wants you to use that disgusting thing," he sneered, "don't return his kindness."
Lin Sanjiu, holding the card, let out a sigh, nodded to Bohemia, and exited the patient room. Even the forr guard followed behind; although he feared Puppeteer, it appeared that he had also recognized that Puppeteer had no interest in him whatsoever. Puppeteer's eyes showed no regard for him as a minor character. In such a situation, how could he miss this last opportunity to benefit a little?
With Puppeteer by their side, the atmosphere in the hospital underwent a complete transformation.
They didn't encounter many posthumans along the way, and the ones they did et were like rabbits catching the scent of a wolf, quickly vanishing without a trace. The few who didn't escape in ti appeared honest, polite, and sincere, as if they were willing to imdiately kneel and provide directions to the paynt counter if they knew its location, or as if they were prepared to offer a kidney as compensation if they didn't. Considering their combat prowess, Hei Zeji should have received similar treatnt, but the difference was glaring. As Lin Sanjiu compared the two, she couldn't help but feel that Hei Zeji had been cheated out of much-deserved respect too many tis.
When they reached the paynt counter, Puppeteer snorted derisively. "What was so challenging about this pocket dinsion?"
Even Lin Sanjiu felt a bit irritated hearing that.
"The three of us will each take turns drawing lots," she said, banging the counter to rouse the drowsy NPC. After glancing at the forr guard, she added, "If there are any points left, we'll add one more for him."
The NPC leisurely produced a large, round plastic disc, seemingly worth no more than fifteen yuan before the doomsday.
In total, they drew lots four tis, and the results were a mixed bag. Bohemia's discharge mission wasn't too difficult; she simply had to complete "Four transactions of any type with any other player," which would be easy for their group. The forr guard's result was even better. Surprisingly, on his final draw, he obtained "Clean a patient room."
Lin Sanjiu glanced at her and Puppeteer's results, a bitter taste lingering in her mouth. She wasn't sure if Gong Daoyi had foreseen this or if he had manipulated sothing to influence the outcos. All she knew was that if she didn't use that special item, she and Puppeteer would be trapped in the pocket dinsion forever. Their tasks were "Devour 2,980 posthumans using lava" and "Undergo 37 major surgeries," respectively.
"Hey, it seems like I misread the position of the pointer just now," she said as she retrieved the Special Item, and the NPC's expression suddenly shifted. The item's power seed to impact not the pocket dinsion itself but the outcos of the pocket dinsion—specifically, their lottery results. The NPC lowered his head and examined it several tis, growing increasingly uncertain with each look. "The pointer's position differs from what I initially thought... Let's try it again."
Another attempt would increase their good luck tenfold. Gong Daoyi's gift to her, even though it had a validity period of just three days, was remarkably generous in its effectiveness. On the second draw, both Lin Sanjiu and Puppeteer obtained favorable tasks. Her mission was "Find a new player and remind them of the precautions in the hospital," while Puppeteer's was even simpler: "Take a bite of a roasted potato."
"I have one!" She produced a plump, round potato from her ever-expanding card inventory, montarily forgetting the shadow cast by Gong Daoyi, and grinned at Puppeteer. "Do you want sothing to go with it? Spring onions? Sour cream? What about salt? Oh, actually, I don't have sour cream."
Reviews
All reviews (0)