Chapter 96 Great secret
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Lin Yan lit another cigarette. In front of him were numerous extinguished cigarette butts. The smoke surrounded him as he wore a seemingly emotionless expression on his young face, but there was a hint of sadness and vulnerability in his eyes.
Lin Zhaohe and Lin Yan had met before, but when he entered the room and saw him, the person in front of him felt somewhat unfamiliar. He hesitated for a moment before calling out his name, “Lin Yan.”
Lin Yan looked over.
They had agreed to meet at a secluded cafe, where the atmosphere was heavily influenced by anime. Most of the people inside were fans of the genre.
Lin Zhaohe carefully avoided a pink rhinoceros and noticed a beautiful peacock sitting across from it. The peacock’s large tail feathers spread out on the ground, accidentally getting stepped on by Lin Zhaohe. He quickly apologized to the owner of the feathers.
Luckily, the peacock was gracious and elegantly nodded at Lin Zhaohe, indicating that everything was fine.
Walking up to Lin Yan, Lin Zhaohe said, “Don’t smoke. It’s impolite to smoke in public places.”
Lin Yan felt a bit puzzled and said, “I’ve killed so many people, and you’re worried about my lack of manners when smoking?” Even so, he still put out the cigarette in his hand and asked, “You already knew?”
Lin Zhaohe asked, “What’s the connection between Zhuang Lao and the God Creation Plan?”
Lin Yan: “Isn’t it obvious? He seems like an opposition member, but he’s actually an undercover agent infiltrating the opposition.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Do you have any evidence?”
Lin Yan: “You know how formidable Zhuang Lao is, right? He led you all to destroy so many servers without causing any trouble for the game’s operation. Now, within half a month, the whole world is playing this game, and even you are thoroughly enjoying it. Haven’t you felt that something is amiss?”
Lin Zhaohe frowned. Indeed, Zhuang Lao had seemed invincible before, but they faced setbacks in this matter. They searched for many server locations, but they all turned out to be backups without posing any difficulties for the game’s operation.
Lin Zhaohe said, “Perhaps this matter was never meant to be easy.”
“That’s one way to explain it,” Lin Yan said, “but you can also choose to give it a try.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Try what?”
Lin Yan: “Try to see if Zhuang Lao will try to stop you if you actually manage to shut down the servers.”
Lin Zhaohe remained silent and turned to the waiter to order an iced Americano.
Lin Yan wasn’t in a rush either. He quietly watched Lin Zhaohe. He seemed a bit restless, as if he wanted to smoke. He even took out his lighter but managed to resist the temptation. “Time is running out, so think it over quickly.”
Lin Zhaohe: “What do you mean?”
Lin Yan explained, “Once the game fuses with the real world, it will be a complete disaster. I’ve obtained the real address of the main server now. If you promise not to tell Zhuang Lao, we can cooperate. It’s also an opportunity for you to find out if Zhuang Lao is truly as I suspect, a lackey of the proponents.”
Lin Zhaohe hesitated slightly. He felt like Lin Yan’s words were a trap. He didn’t want to create a crisis of trust with Zhuang Lao.
“You’re afraid,” Lin Yan observed the change in Lin Zhaohe’s expression and couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t have that much confidence in Zhuang Lao either.”
Lin Zhaohe: “I have a question.”
Lin Yan: “What is it?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Do you know the relationship between that divinity and Zhuang Lao?”
Lin Yan: “Of course I do. He is the puppeteer behind the divinity… What’s with that expression on your face? Is there something more between them?”
This statement actually relieved Lin Zhaohe, as it seemed that Lin Yan was unaware that the author of the mission descriptions in the game was none other than Lin Zhaohe himself.
However, if Lin Yan were to find out, perhaps his attitude toward Lin Zhaohe would be different. He might even consider Lin Zhaohe as a member of the proponents, refusing to sit down and have a slow conversation with him.
“My memories are jumbled, containing some content that doesn’t belong to the present,” Lin Yan said. “Sometimes I can’t even distinguish, but my hostility towards Zhuang Lao remains throughout. I trust my instincts. He is definitely not a good person and may even be the mastermind behind world destruction. So, Lin Zhaohe, are you willing to take a gamble?”
Lin Zhaohe remained silent for a moment before making a decision. “I’m willing to give it a try.”
Lin Yan smiled and handed a note to Lin Zhaohe. It contained coordinates and a time. Lin Zhaohe checked and found that the place was not too far from their current location.
Lin Yan said, “That place is very dangerous, and I can’t handle it alone. I hope you can come and help me.” He paused, revealing a meaningful smile. “It’s also an opportunity to test your love.”
Lin Zhaohe shrugged. “Love is the least testable thing in the world.”
Lin Yan: “So, will you come?”
Lin Zhaohe: “I will.”
Lin Yan nodded, got up, and left, leaving Lin Zhaohe sitting alone in his chair, lost in thought. He checked the time on the note. It was three days later. Then he memorized the coordinates and tore the note into pieces.
Perhaps due to some personal matters, Lin Zhaohe had been absent-minded for the past few days. The game was expanding at an astonishing rate. Even older people who were previously disdainful of it had taken a turn to explore. Even the old man sitting on the roadside, basking in the sun, wore reading glasses while studying this thing.
Zhuang Lao was also busy, but Lin Zhaohe didn’t know what he was busy with.
When the agreed time came, Lin Zhaohe made an excuse and sneaked away from home by car. The place was over 300 kilometers away from his residence. Without a highway, it would take at least four to five hours to get there, assuming there were no accidents.
Before leaving, Lin Zhaohe asked Yun Yuzi for weapons and equipment.
Yun Yuzi thought he was going on a mission and found it strange, saying that the company had no business lately. She asked what he was going to do.
Lin Zhaohe glanced at Yun Yuzi and said, “To catch a traitor.”
Yun Yuzi: “……”
Lin Zhaohe: “Don’t disclose my whereabouts!”
The calm expression on Yun Yuzi’s face couldn’t hold back. It was unclear what kind of images she was thinking of. She hesitated to speak several times but ended up patting Lin Zhaohe’s shoulder and said, “Hey, don’t trust men too much, Xiao He.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Sis, have you ever thought that I am also a man?”
Yun Yuzi: “… Well, then don’t trust yourself too much either.”
Lin Zhaohe had no words to say. Anyway, he couldn’t let Zhuang Lao know about meeting Lin Yan, so he had to come up with a random excuse to fool him.
Several hours later, Lin Zhaohe arrived at the destination Lin Yan mentioned.
This was the city center of Lingcheng. Although Lin Zhaohe had never been here, he had seen it online. Before the integration, it used to be bustling, but now it showed signs of decay. Despite the low level of integration, the commercial sector had been severely affected. There were hardly any open shops in sight, and few pedestrians could be seen on the streets.
As Lin Zhaohe approached the vicinity of the destination, he quickly noticed something unusual. People were patrolling around a building called “Building X,” and although they appeared ordinary, they were equipped with weapons and vigilantly observing their surroundings. Lin Zhaohe contacted Lin Yan and asked where he was. Lin Yan replied, “Look behind you, on the second floor of that building.”
Lin Zhaohe turned his head and saw half of Lin Yan’s face peeking out from behind the curtain.
“Come over,” Lin Yan beckoned to him.
Lin Zhaohe followed the side path and soon found the room where Lin Yan was. As soon as he entered, he was stunned.
In the small room, there were various types of heavy weapons on display. Among them, there were a few weapons whose designs seemed off to Lin Zhaohe. After studying them for a moment, his pupils dilated in shock. “Where did you get these weapons?” If he wasn’t mistaken, these seemed to be quantum weapons fused from the 2D world, capable of wiping out an entire city with a single projectile. Such things had immense power and were strictly controlled by the government upon integration. He didn’t expect Lin Yan to get his hands on them.
“Very good, you didn’t bring Zhuang Lao with you,” Lin Yan was pleased with Lin Zhaohe’s behavior. He was actually a bit worried that Lin Zhaohe was love-struck. If he had brought Zhuang Lao along, Lin Yan would have decided to fire a shot directly, sending both of them to the afterlife.
Faced with Lin Zhaohe’s questioning, Lin Yan remained calm. “Don’t worry, it’s a last resort.”
Lin Zhaohe refused to accept it. He argued that using the last resort was not an option because it would destroy most of the city, and there were still many people inside.
“That’s why you better pray for a smooth operation,” Lin Yan replied, displaying a ruthless attitude that was completely different from the saintly image in Lin Zhaohe’s memories. He continued, “Otherwise, no one can stop me.”
Lin Zhaohe thought the person in front of him had gone mad. He furrowed his brow and didn’t attempt to persuade Lin Yan any further. Instead, he asked about his plan.
Lin Yan said, “The map is here. The server is located in the innermost room. It’s impossible for us to break in from the outside, so I’ve decided to find another way.”
“What way?”
“We’ll dig our way through from underground.”
“How do we dig?”
Lin Yan pointed to a peculiar machine in the room and explained that it could dig at a fast speed. It would take about half an hour to dig through. However, there was a problem: it would generate significant noise during the digging process. Lin Zhaohe’s help was needed.
Frowning, Lin Zhaohe asked how he could assist.
Lin Yan said, “Aren’t you a magical girl? Transform and attract attention from others.”
Lin Zhaohe’s expression twisted as he protested, saying he was still a magical girl and not some strange creature, so how could he attract attention in that way?
Lin Yan said, “In the middle of the night, if a magical girl suddenly appears, everyone will surely take a look, right?”
Lin Zhaohe: “……”
Lin Yan: “Do you think what I said makes sense?”
Lin Zhaohe: “What nonsense are you talking about? Did you bring me here just to exploit my looks? No, not looks, but my sense of shame.”
Perhaps his expression became too fierce, but Lin Yan suddenly remembered that this person in front of him wasn’t easy to bully. Last time, he narrowly escaped being split in half by an ax. He quickly took a step back and said that Lin Zhaohe didn’t have to transform, but he needed to attract the attention of the guards and give him some time to dig.
Lin Zhaohe’s face remained expressionless, while his thoughts revolved around whether anyone would recognize him as Yellow Banana Girl if the world were to end.
Lin Yan: “Are you thinking about something dangerous?”
Lin Zhaohe smiled faintly and replied, “Oh, no, I’m just thinking about how to help you.”
Lin Yan: “?” Sometimes, he felt that Lin Zhaohe resembled the antagonist more than himself.
Lin Zhaohe turned and walked out without looking back. Lin Yan whispered, “Where are you going?”
“Focus on yourself and don’t worry about what I’m going to do!”
Lin Yan: “……” This person’s mental state seemed dangerously unstable.
Lin Zhaohe left the place, his mind filled with countless ideas, each one being rejected. To attract the guards’ attention, he needed to create a significant disturbance. Lin Zhaohe looked towards an abandoned building nearby, patted his backpack, and turned to go upstairs.
He sent a message to Lin Yan through the communicator, instructing him to be ready in thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, they could start digging.
Thirty minutes later, Lin Yan, who was waiting in the room, heard a deafening noise—as if the sky was collapsing and the ground was caving in. It seemed like something had crashed to the ground, causing the earth to tremble.
Lin Yan looked outside in astonishment and saw a cloud of dust filling the air. A large building within his field of vision had collapsed, instantly capturing the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
Lin Yan silently raised his thumb towards the void, feeling that Lin Zhaohe was somewhat wasted on not participating in the plan to destroy the Earth.
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