Chapter 63
At first, Jiang Liu suspected she had misheard.
When there was no response, the voice on the other end spoke again. “Who is this? State your business.”
The background noise on the other side was very loud. She could faintly hear the splashing of water and the howling of wind. The human voice was exceptionally faint amidst it all, but it was clear and unique, carrying that distinct coolness characteristic of Yang Caisi.
Jiang Liu was almost certain in an instant that the person on the other end was definitely Yang Caisi herself.
She couldn’t help but chuckle, wiggling her fingers slightly as she curiously observed the ring, unsure of the principle behind it.
Unlike the faint static of a phone call, it was more like the two of them were face-to-face in some special dimension. The voice was right in her ear, almost as if Yang Caisi was really speaking next to her. Jiang Liu could even perceive her slightly uneven breathing.
“It’s me. Are you busy?” Jiang Liu replied, her tone carrying a hint of subtle excitement.
Like someone who had just learned how to use a new and interesting gadget and was eager to share it with a friend, she twirled the ring in amazement. “This thing can actually make calls.”
She didn’t state her name. There was an unspoken understanding between them, an assumption that Yang Caisi would also be able to guess her identity instantly.
Sure enough, there was a moment of hesitation on the other end, as if she hadn’t expected to suddenly receive a call from her.
Then came a completely irrelevant response. “I understand. I’ll handle it when I get back.” The business-like tone made Jiang Liu pause.
“Handle it?” Jiang Liu couldn’t keep up with her train of thought and subconsciously repeated the words. But in the next second, the voice had already disappeared. She called out a few more times, but there was no response.
The room fell silent. Jiang Liu wiggled her fingers a couple of times and finally confirmed that the communication had been cut off.
Yang Caisi must have recognized her voice. Why would she respond like that?
She stroked her chin in thought, recalling the chaotic background noise. An idea suddenly popped into her head.
Jiang Liu bit her lower lip, her gaze drifting toward the window. The initial novelty vanished, and her mood grew heavy once more.
—There were other people with Yang Caisi, and she didn’t want them to know they were communicating.
Jiang Liu couldn’t think of any other possibility.
***
Far away, on the other side.
Yang Caisi cut off the communication. A figure quickly approached her side, asking curiously, “Who was that?”
She nonchalantly twirled the ring on her finger, her expression so calm that no one could find fault with it. “The Inspection Team.”
That person immediately frowned in disgust, clearly detesting those two words. He took a sharp breath and looked Yang Caisi over. “Who on earth did you offend to get punished and sent to my place?”
Yang Caisi shrugged, her gaze passing over her companion to look into the distance. Before her was a vast ocean, with waves constantly crashing against the shore, sending countless splashes of water onto her. Her thin white shirt was instantly soaked, but she paid it no mind.
The salty sea breeze blew her loose hair apart, and the shoulder-length strands danced chaotically in the air. Yang Caisi wore a pair of huge sunglasses that covered most of her face. The corners of her exposed lips curled into a faint smile as she slowly replied, “Who knows.”
Next to her was a delicate-looking girl who appeared to be no more than twenty-five. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but pout. She bent down, picked up a box from the ground, and shoved it into her arms, her tone laced with helplessness. “Alright, then. My apologies for the trouble, but could you please transport these things over?”
The box was filled to the brim with fresh fish, meant as an extra meal for the warehouse manager on the small island in the sea.
She patted Yang Caisi’s shoulder and closed her eyes in relaxation, enjoying the sea breeze. “Seriously, the Logistics Team is pretty interesting every day. Do you want to stay and take a break?”
Yang Caisi moved the box onto a boat by the shore and refused without hesitation. “I still have to go back and lead an instance.”
The girl next to her couldn’t help but curse, thinking to herself that it was this blasted reason again.
She was mainly in charge of managing this sea region. There were dedicated people for fishing and labor; she only needed to occasionally count the goods and go out to sea to deliver them every few days. She considered it much more relaxing than the painstaking effort of leading an instance.
But Yang Caisi was notoriously a workaholic, ranked No. 1 in performance within the System. She worked tirelessly all year round, as if she never knew fatigue.
Once, a Newcomer, overestimating their abilities, went around proclaiming they would surpass her. After only two months of pushing themselves, they collapsed. When they woke up, they refused to continue leading instances and threw themselves into the Logistics Team, never to stand out again. From then on, Yang Caisi gained a new nickname: Desperate Dame.
Of course, as Yang Caisi’s fame grew, no one dared to call her that to her face. They could only secretly gossip about whether the System had some dirt on her, otherwise why would she be so reckless?
She tilted her head and glanced at Yang Caisi a couple of times. Even when exiled to this place to do hard labor, this person still maintained a cool and indifferent demeanor, her hands never stopping their work. As if she couldn’t bear to watch any longer, she pulled her off the boat.
“Forget it, forget it. If I hadn’t been punished and sent here, I don’t know how long it would’ve been before I saw you again. Sit with me and chat for a while.” As she spoke, she took out her phone and made two calls, instructing someone to come and load the goods.
Yang Caisi was speechless at her capriciousness, but she couldn’t win against her assertiveness and had no choice but to sit down on the beach with her.
As the high tide passed, the sea gradually calmed, with occasional ripples disturbing the surface. Yang Caisi listened to the person next to her chattering about interesting stories, but her thoughts gradually drifted away.
She didn’t know what tricks Qiao Ke had used, but the bug that occurred in the photo studio was not approved. Instead, the Inspection Team found fault with her, pinning the blame of dereliction of duty on her and punishing her by sending her here as a laborer.
She glanced at the phone hanging from her chest in a waterproof bag. It had been silent all day.
Yang Caisi knew Jiang Liu’s personality. After she came to her senses, she would definitely look for her. That’s why she had contacted Gao Yuan in advance to help cover for her and had also arranged the next step—to have Gao Yuan take her place in leading Jiang Liu’s next instance.
But after sending that message, there was no reply from Gao Yuan. Even using the special communication in the ring couldn’t get through. He had always been reliable and rarely made mistakes in such situations.
And—recalling Jiang Liu’s seemingly overly excited voice just now, a complex look appeared in Yang Caisi’s eyes.
The ring was only for internal personnel communication. Any unusual activity would be noticed. Even if she could avoid being monitored through certain channels, she didn’t dare to act rashly in front of others.
If people found out that a player could use the ring for two-way communication, it would probably stir up a storm.
But if it was Jiang Liu…
A curve unconsciously formed at the corners of Yang Caisi’s lips. She savored the two excited sentences she had just heard, and her originally anxious mood was instantly calmed.
If it was her, she would definitely be able to sense the nuance in her words and understand her situation.
Just wait a little longer, Yang Caisi said to herself.
***
Jiang Liu tried several more times to communicate with people using the ring, including contacting Gao Yuan, Qiao Ke, and others, but the ring remained unresponsive.
If she couldn’t guarantee that she had absolutely felt the ring vibrate, she would have almost thought that the previous success was a hallucination born from her own obsession.
As afternoon approached, the five of them set out from the hotel to the meeting point. Before that, Zhao Ziming had already figured out the rules of the Points Arena.
The Normal Points Field required a bet of twenty to eighty points as an entry ticket. If the mission was successful, the points would be doubled according to the corresponding level. If one was lucky enough to clear it with a grade below B, the points would not be refunded.
Accumulating five hundred points would unlock the advanced field, where the rules were more complex, but the corresponding rewards were more generous, and more props could be exchanged.
After some discussion, the four of them unanimously agreed that entering the Points Arena was more worthwhile. Even the usually timid Xu Meng seemed to have grown up at this moment, her small face determined for a rare change. “She’s still waiting for me up ahead. I can’t fall behind.”
Gao Yuan had mentioned that it was impossible to check a player’s records, but he had also provided Zhao Ziming with Jiang Liu’s group’s clearance information. This was enough to show that the rules were only superficial constraints; as long as one found a way, they could always find the person they were looking for.
At the thought of being able to reunite, even in such a difficult situation, Xu Meng found a pillar of support in her heart. Her eyes, which used to only show fear and astonishment, now held a glimmer of light.
Jiang Liu knew that this was a seed of hope rooted in her heart. As long as the seed of hope existed, she could face any desperate situation with composure.
Only Zhu Yan scratched his head in embarrassment. He was still one grade short of being able to enter, so he was destined not to go with them this time. He could only pump his fist vigorously to cheer them on, and himself. “Everyone has to come out safely.”
Zhang Xiaochen, for some unknown reason, was unusually sentimental for once. He patted Zhu Yan’s thin shoulder forcefully. “You be careful on your own. Stay alive.”
Zhu Yan nodded vigorously, exchanged a smile with everyone, and then walked down a completely different path.
Watching his retreating back, Zhang Xiaochen’s expression was momentarily moved. He was about to express some more sentimental thoughts when he realized the other three had already started walking, leaving him behind.
He was stunned for a moment, then quickly jogged to catch up. “Hey, wait for me!”
Zhao Ziming made a face at him, which made Xu Meng unable to hold back her laughter, covering her mouth to giggle.
The sound of playful banter behind her eased Jiang Liu’s mood considerably. Just as a smile touched her lips, she noticed a scrutinizing gaze from the crowd land on her.
Following the gaze, she saw it was Chen Ping, whom she had met once before.
Behind him were two or three people, with Jiang He mixed in among them, looking down at his phone.
Jiang Liu clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes slightly. Across the bustling crowd, she made a shooting gesture, a smile still on her lips.
Chen Ping’s face changed instantly. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Jiang Liu had already withdrawn her gaze and disappeared into the crowd in the blink of an eye.
“How much are you betting?” The girl in charge of registration asked Jiang Liu, leaning lazily in her chair and yawning.
Jiang Liu replied, “Eighty.”
The person in charge couldn’t help but give her a second look, probably stunned by her appearance. She sat up straight and hesitated before reminding her, “You have over a hundred points in total. Is this your first time in the Points Arena? We recommend betting twenty for the first time.”
“It’s fine.” Jiang Liu smiled at her and decisively brought her ring close. Seeing her name appear on the screen, she took half a step back to wait.
Seeing this, the girl had no choice but to say no more. As she was typing, she accidentally knocked a pen off the desk. It rolled a couple of times and came to a stop right at Jiang Liu’s feet.
Looking at the busy girl, Jiang Liu bent down to help pick it up, but she froze for a moment as she held it.
The subtle movement went unnoticed. She passed the pen to the person in charge without a change in expression and saw the young girl give her a sweet smile and a wink. “Go on in.”
Jiang Liu gave her another look and entered the field with composure, but her heart was already captivated by another matter—
Hidden in the cap of the pen was a folded piece of paper, now resting securely in her palm.