Chapter 104: Extra 4 – Is My Wife a Little Devil?
Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
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“What are you looking for?” Chu Feng’s voice came from the doorway of the study.
Xie Shiyu’s hand froze as he was pulling open the drawer.
He looked up at Chu Feng, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Ultimately, he didn’t say anything: “Nothing, my dear.”
Xie Shiyu closed the drawer without a trace of emotion and smiled at Chu Feng.
Chu Feng, who knew exactly what was going on, nodded, pretending not to know anything. He returned to the living room to organize their luggage.
Xie Shiyu’s sketchbooks had all been moved by Chu Feng to another place. He still had one last secret to unravel. Although he might be able to ask Xie Shiyu directly, Chu Feng wanted to solve it himself and then lay all the secrets bare in front of Xie Shiyu, like a final showdown.
He was very curious about what Xie Shiyu’s expression would be at that moment.
***
Xie Shiyu left the study and went back to the living room to help Chu Feng with the luggage. They put toiletries in the bathroom, medicines in the storage cabinet, and snacks in the fridge. All the while, Xie Shiyu was secretly observing Chu Feng. His expression was normal, with no sign of anything unusual.
In fact, it was Chu Feng’s current calmness that seemed most unusual.
Xie Shiyu recalled meeting a serial killer when he was seven, the shopkeeper uncle Ji Shiming. That guy had a girlfriend when he was young in M Country.
During one of his crimes, his girlfriend seemed to suspect that her boyfriend was the serial killer reported on the news. She tried to break up with Ji Shiming subtly and distance herself from him. But she was quickly found out.
According to Ji Shiming, the attempts of ordinary people to act “subtly” were full of holes in his eyes, like having “I’m so scared, someone save me!” written all over their faces.
His girlfriend seemed to have discreetly signaled for help from a close senior, but that senior was soon dismembered and killed by Ji Shiming, right in front of his girlfriend.
Since Ji Shiming had had an argument with the senior before the incident, he was investigated as a suspect but ultimately released due to lack of evidence.
The day the court issued the not-guilty verdict, Ji Shiming’s girlfriend committed suicide by jumping off a building.
Ordinary people, who grew up being educated about the rule of law, would instinctively be terrified upon discovering that someone close to them was a monstrous killer. They would subconsciously become cautious, even fearful and respectful, in their speech and actions.
In a close relationship, this unnatural attitude would immediately alert the killer.
While organizing the luggage, Xie Shiyu quietly observed Chu Feng’s hands, noting the movements of his arm muscles and the faint veins on the back of his hand.
Chu Feng’s hands were smooth, with no protruding veins. His arm was as white as snow, moving freely and naturally as he took and placed items. There wasn’t the slightest hint of tension.
“Why do you keep staring at me?” Chu Feng leaned in close, handing two towels and toiletries to Xie Shiyu. “Here, put these in the bathroom.”
Xie Shiyu obediently went to the bathroom to arrange the toiletries. Chu Feng’s attitude was so natural that it seemed as if he really didn’t know anything.
Xie Shiyu thought, those events from back then were done very cleanly. Even if Chu Feng investigated, it should be difficult to find any solid evidence after so many years. Maybe Chu Feng really didn’t know.
Otherwise, if an ordinary person had even a hint of his secret, they wouldn’t behave so calmly.
Unless Chu Feng…
Xie Shiyu felt a flicker of doubt but also a bit of disbelief.
***
After finishing organizing the miscellaneous items, there were mostly just clothes left in the luggage.
“I’ll take these to the bedroom,” Xie Shiyu said, picking up the luggage and heading to the master bedroom.
The living room, kitchen, and bathroom were unlikely places to hide the sketchbooks. He and Chu Feng usually spent the most time in the study and the bedroom.
Xie Shiyu hoped to find them while putting away clothes, guessing that Chu Feng might have moved them to the bedroom when organizing his “belongings.”
The bedroom looked exactly as it did when Xie Shiyu had left, unchanged. Perhaps Chu Feng had intentionally kept it the same.
His things were all preserved in their original places. Xie Shiyu looked around. The familiar white walls had a photo wall, and the other side had a walk-in closet.
Their closet was so large it felt like another small room. Opening the door revealed a central pathway, with various expensive custom suits hanging on both sides. Chu Feng’s were on the right, and his were on the left.
Xie Shiyu touched the sleeve of a suit he used to wear. Even after two years, his clothes were pristine, each piece hanging as if he had never left.
Further back, cheaper T-shirts and casual pants were neatly folded, emitting a fresh scent of laundry detergent and sunlight. Each piece was immaculately clean.
Looking at these untouched clothes, Xie Shiyu’s heart ached. He couldn’t imagine how Chu Feng felt during these two years, cleaning these clothes that would never be worn again, despite knowing he was “dead.”
The photo wall in the bedroom, displaying their past happiness and memories that were now unreachable, must have been a daily reminder of his death.
In the living room, the wall opposite the dining table had a map of the Pacific Ocean, marking the site of the plane crash. Chu Feng would look at it every day while eating.
Xie Shiyu sighed softly. If he hadn’t returned sooner, who knows how much more Chu Feng would have tormented himself. This self-neglect was akin to slow suicide.
***
One by one, the clean clothes were hung back in the closet. Pajamas and T-shirts were folded and placed in the drawers.
Clunk—
Xie Shiyu opened a drawer, remembering that his T-shirts were supposed to go there.
Just as he was about to place the T-shirts inside, he froze.
He saw the topmost shirt in the drawer, with a string of letters written on it: “Maple.”
Maple.
It was the couple’s outfit they had bought together when they were seventeen. Xie Shiyu froze, suddenly recalling some high school memories.
He remembered very clearly that this shirt had once been stained with his blood.
Back then, the stab wound wasn’t deep, and there wasn’t much blood. In his rush to see Chu Feng, he hadn’t even bandaged it and just went directly to him.
Later, the blood had dried on the shoulder, and it took him a long time to wash it out. This was probably the only DNA he had left behind.
If Chu Feng had noticed such a minor detail, then it was even more unlikely that he knew nothing about Xie Shiyu’s past secrets.
In Xie Shiyu’s mind, it was as if two little figures were fighting. One was shouting, “Little Maple is a pure, innocent white sheet who knows nothing!” The other was sneering, “Your wife is not that simple.”
If Chu Feng had already begun to uncover the secrets from when he was seventeen, then it meant that he had likely solved the earlier secrets as well. The Dream City game itself could provide Chu Feng with many clues.
When Xie Shiyu was Regulator X, he had deeply researched the Dream City game company’s system. This technology could be said to be the core foundation of Dream City, capable of fully reconstructing the information in the human brain.
According to research, humans actually only use less than 10% of their brain in daily life. Many people see images or read textbooks but quickly forget the content.
However, the brain’s potential is immense. As long as the information is seen, it is transmitted through the visual nerves to the brain and stored.
It’s like a USB drive transferring files to a computer. The files are stored, but there are so many files that the computer doesn’t know which folder they are in. The conscious mind cannot easily retrieve this information, leading to the feeling of “forgetting.”
What the Dream City system does is scan all the “folders” in the brain and restore these “files” 100% accurately within Chu Feng’s city.
When Chu Feng came to play at Xie Shiyu’s house as a child, staying in his bedroom, Xie Shiyu never restricted little Chu Feng from going anywhere or touching anything. Chu Feng could freely explore all the things and secrets in his room.
Xie Shiyu didn’t know if Chu Feng still remembered, but he clearly remembered that little Chu Feng had indeed seen his sketchbook and that blue ribbon during their childhood.
***
“Who is this?”
Seven-year-old Chu Feng pointed at a stick figure with an afro in the sketchbook, which seemed to be wearing a skirt and looked a bit scary.
He had come to play at Xie Shiyu’s house and, out of curiosity, after getting Xie Shiyu’s permission, opened the book that was placed next to some toy dinosaurs on the shelf. It was filled with various incomprehensible doodles and markings.
“The lady in 401,” young Xie Shiyu replied.
“Does she really look like this?” Little Chu Feng twirled his fingers in circles around his head, indicating the afro.
“Yeah,” young Xie Shiyu nodded seriously. “I’m a realist.”
Little Chu Feng chuckled, “Do you even know what a realist means?”
“Then let me show you,” young Xie Shiyu leaned coolly against the bedroom door and glanced at the clock in the living room. “She’s probably back from grocery shopping.”
Little Chu Feng eagerly ran over and followed young Xie Shiyu to the balcony.
“Here.”
Young Xie Shiyu squatted by the balcony and said, “Look through the gap.”
Like a little secret agent, Chu Feng peeked through the curtain’s gap and saw a middle-aged woman in a bright red peony dress carrying a vegetable basket toward the residential building.
The woman indeed had messy hair, as if she had failed a short perm. Her hair was frizzy and chaotic.
Little Chu Feng held Xie Shiyu’s sketchbook, carefully comparing it. The messy hair was just like the afro in the drawing, incredibly lifelike!
“Looks alike, right?” young Xie Shiyu said.
Little Chu Feng laughed. To his young self, this was just a funny doodle book.
But Chu Feng had seen it. Xie Shiyu knew that very well.
There was another time, around the age of eight, when Chu Feng came to Xie Shiyu’s house wanting to see the mini comic books that came with the crispy noodles.
Back then, the shop near the school sold crispy noodles for five cents a bag, and each bag came with a very small comic book, about 5 cm in width and length, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and only six or seven pages long.
However, each bag contained a random comic book, numbered 1 to 9. To see the complete story, you had to buy enough crispy noodles. Sometimes, due to bad luck, you’d get several of the same number and still be missing a few to complete the series.
Young Xie Shiyu was quite lucky. He bought a bag every day after school, and within two weeks, he had collected the entire series from 1 to 9, with some bags even containing vouchers for another free bag, so he hadn’t spent much money at all.
Little Chu Feng was missing issues 5 and 7, which left gaps in the story. Hearing that Xie Shiyu had them, Chu Feng wanted to see them when he came to play.
It was a summer day of their childhood. Cicadas were chirping incessantly in the old pagoda tree in the yard. The sunlight in the afternoon streamed through the window.
Young Xie Shiyu was in the kitchen, making iced milk mango pudding for Chu Feng, too busy to fetch the mini comic books. He told Chu Feng:
“They’re in my wardrobe, in the pocket of my last school uniform. Go find them.”
“Okay—”
Little Chu Feng opened Xie Shiyu’s wardrobe.
Unlike the white, European-style walk-in closet at his house, Xie Shiyu’s wardrobe was made of brown wood, with some parts chipped, leaving wood shavings in the corners.
Although old, the entire wardrobe was neatly organized, with mothballs and other insect repellents, giving it a reassuring scent.
Xie Shiyu’s clothes were few and seemed old, but all were clean. Little Chu Feng leaned in close to one of the shirts, sniffing lightly, smelling soap.
Chu Feng casually flipped through a few items but didn’t see the school uniform.
Actually, Xie Shiyu’s school uniform was hanging on the wardrobe hanger at that time, in a fairly obvious place, but it was just blocked by a gray coat in front. Little Chu Feng didn’t see it at first.
He started looking for something with the blue and white colors of the school uniform in the wardrobe.
Soon, he found such colors in the third layer from the bottom of a stack of clothes.
Little Chu Feng happily pulled out the item —
It was indeed a school uniform.
Chu Feng thought he had found it and excitedly reached into the school uniform pocket:
Sure enough, there was something in there!
Little Chu Feng pulled it out —
It was a red scarf.
This red scarf looked a bit old. Xie Shiyu had finally become the last child in his class to join the Young Pioneers in the second grade.
Eight-year-old Chu Feng didn’t think much of the red scarf, assuming Xie Shiyu had just put it in his pocket casually.
The red scarf was slightly unfurled.
By a strange coincidence, Chu Feng didn’t immediately stuff the red scarf back into the pocket. Instead, he gently pulled one corner of it, opening it up —
Inside the red scarf was a blue ribbon.
***
“Did you find it—”
Xie Shiyu’s voice came from the kitchen.
Xie Shiyu, carrying the finished mango milk ice, walked towards the bedroom —
As soon as he entered, he saw his ultimate secret: the blue ribbon and the red scarf, exposed as if a corpse had been laid bare.
…It had been discovered so easily!
His hand trembled, nearly dropping the bowl of mango milk ice to the floor.
Little Chu Feng blinked his innocent, bright black eyes, looking at Xie Shiyu without any clue:
“Sorry, I messed up your clothes. I’ll fold them back later. I couldn’t find that Little Master comic book.”
Xie Shiyu steadied himself, switching to hold the bowl with both hands, his expression calm and composed:
“It’s okay.”
He walked over to the desk, put down the mango ice, then moved to the wardrobe, calmly took down the gray coat, revealing the school uniform behind it.
Xie Shiyu reached into the pocket and pulled out a small book, handing it to Chu Feng:
“Here, take it.”
Little Chu Feng was very happy, turning to place the red scarf and blue ribbon aside, forgetting about them.
But the things he had seen would forever leave traces, quietly stored in a corner of Chu Feng’s brain, waiting to reunite with him in a game twenty years later.
***
Unable to find the sketchbook, Xie Shiyu stood in the bedroom where he had spent days and nights with Chu Feng, pondering a profound question:
[Does Chu Feng truly not know, or is he pretending not to know?]
To him, Chu Feng had always lived in a bright and beautiful world. He lived in the prettiest duplex, his parents were respectable government officials and professors, his grandparents were directors of a top hospital, and his paternal grandparents were city government officials.
From childhood to adulthood, Chu Feng’s life had been smooth and shiny.
In contrast, Xie Shiyu’s father was a drug addict, his mother a thief, his childhood filled with endless domestic violence. Their building housed unsavory neighbors: a drug dealer next door, a smuggler and a cat-killing murderer in the adjacent building, and a psychopathic serial killer in the nearby store. Even the pedophile on the first floor seemed unremarkable.
They lived in completely different worlds. If one day, the ever-sunny Chu Feng learned all of Xie Shiyu’s secrets, his first thought would likely be fear, then figuring out how to escape from him.
Just like Ji Shiming’s girlfriend.
But the current situation seemed odd.
Xie Shiyu felt like he was standing at a crossroads.
If Chu Feng was a normal person raised in the sunlight, his reaction should be like Ji Shiming’s ex-girlfriend’s: unable to contain the fear inside, behaving unnaturally in every move.
But in reality, Chu Feng showed none of this. He talked to him naturally, was affectionate, and engaged in various activities without any reluctance.
Based on these observations, it would mean that Chu Feng knew nothing about his secrets, hence no fear.
However, this contradicted another reality.
Xie Shiyu clearly remembered Chu Feng had seen the blue ribbon and his sketchbook. So when searching for seven-year-old Xie Shiyu in the Dream City building, Chu Feng should have noticed something.
Moreover, Chu Feng had accurately deciphered the characters of the 24-year-old Doctor drug and alcohol and the 13-year-old top fighter Little Xie in the Dream City. This couldn’t all be coincidence.
Given Chu Feng’s intelligence, it was hard to believe he knew nothing.
Thus, based on basic logic, the initial assumption must be overturned:
Despite growing up in a glamorous family and seemingly always living in the sunlight, Chu Feng was not an ordinary person.
He might even be a ruthless character who could perfectly disguise himself in front of Xie Shiyu.
A surge of excitement coursed through Xie Shiyu’s veins.
When he hesitated to marry Chu Feng at twenty, it was because he always thought Chu Feng was an ordinary person under the sunlight.
— Afraid of darkness and blood, only wanting a peaceful, normal life.
If they did marry and spent many years together, and one day, Chu Feng, a normal person, suddenly found out his husband of many years was actually a devil, he would undoubtedly want to divorce and flee.
Xie Shiyu couldn’t imagine what madness he would descend into then.
So, he had been extremely cautious before marriage, warning Chu Feng repeatedly.
Unfortunately, they quarreled at the civil affairs bureau.
After getting the marriage certificate, Xie Shiyu vowed to himself that he would pretend to be an ordinary, healthy, positive person living in the sunlight, a gentle and loving husband who had never done anything bloody.
— Until the day Chu Feng suspected him or showed obvious fear. Only then might he truly let go.
Living such a happy life but possibly being forced to let go, Xie Shiyu shuddered at the thought.
But now, he suddenly realized reality seemed to be unfolding in an unexpected direction.
The missing sketchbook, the decoded clues in Dream City, all hinted that:
Chu Feng might not be the normal person he had imagined.
Even knowing all his secrets, Chu Feng wouldn’t be afraid.
He wouldn’t want to leave him, or go to the police.
He could still sleep beside him, doing the most intimate things, pretending nothing was wrong.
[Chu Feng doesn’t care about his dark secrets, maybe even appreciates his achievements.]
A thrilling excitement washed over Xie Shiyu, leaving him trembling and exhilarated.
Perhaps fate was so kind to him, letting him meet Chu Feng at such a young age. They were truly meant for each other.
***
“Xie Shiyu, are you done tidying up—”
Chu Feng’s footsteps sounded outside the bedroom.
Chu Feng stood at the door, looking around the neatly cleaned room. Xie Shiyu came out of the walk-in closet, smiling:
“It’s all done.”
Xie Shiyu glanced at the bed, “Should we change this to a new one?”
New bedding, new atmosphere. There was only one pillow on Chu Feng’s bed, and Xie Shiyu wanted to rearrange everything, including washing the duvet cover and pillowcase.
He had casually mentioned it, not expecting Chu Feng’s strong reaction:
“Don’t touch the bed! I…I’ll do it myself later.”
The unusual stutter in Chu Feng’s voice made Xie Shiyu sense something peculiar.
His suspicious gaze fell on the bulging bedspread.
“Is there a secret in there that I can’t know?” Xie Shiyu joked, quickly reaching out to lift the bedspread —
“Wait!” Chu Feng tried to stop him, but it was too late —
Xie Shiyu had already opened the bedspread, clearly seeing what was inside:
It was a life-sized body pillow, a big black cat plush.
Xie Shiyu immediately thought of the big black cat plush in Chu Feng’s WeChat profile picture when he was Regulator X. It was a gift he had given Chu Feng for their sixth wedding anniversary.
The big black cat plush was wearing one of his old shirts.
“Do you sleep with this every night?”
Xie Shiyu turned to ask Chu Feng, his brownish eyes twinkling with amusement, shining like amber stones in the sunlight. Chu Feng, feeling deeply embarrassed that Xie Shiyu had seen him hugging a stuffed cat wearing Xie’s shirt every night, lowered his head.
Though his face remained expressionless as usual, his small ears were burning red, hot against his tousled hair. Before Xie Shiyu could react, Chu Feng quickly walked over and picked up the life-sized black cat pillow, hastily explaining:
“I only put your old shirt on the stuffed cat to keep it clean.”
Xie Shiyu laughed and wrapped an arm around Chu Feng’s waist. “Alright, alright, I get it. It’s to keep it clean, not because you miss me.”
Chu Feng turned his face away, and Xie Shiyu took the opportunity to pull him down onto their familiar king-sized bed.
“Sweetheart, I can’t hold back anymore. How about we go again?”
“Aren’t you…! You already… in the morning… and now you want to again?”
Chu Feng clutched the large black cat pillow, feeling shy, avoiding Xie Shiyu’s gaze and burying his face into the stuffed toy.
Xie Shiyu pulled the large black cat, still wearing his shirt, out of Chu Feng’s arms and tossed it to the ground. “I’m back now, so from now on, you can only hug me, not it.”
Chu Feng exclaimed, “Are you jealous of a stuffed cat?!”
“Yes, that’s how petty I am.” Xie Shiyu kissed the side of Chu Feng’s neck. “So I need to make up for it. Darling, turn over…”
The warm, cozy bed emitted soft, rustling sounds.
The black cat plush laid on the ground, staring with its large, round eyes at the rolling covers.
On their sixth wedding anniversary, Xie Shiyu had given it to Chu Feng. At that time, Chu Feng couldn’t put it down and hugged it to sleep, which annoyed Xie Shiyu, who then locked the large black cat plush in the storage room. He didn’t expect it to reappear two years later, finding its way back into their bed.
Chu Feng was pressed into the familiar bed, feeling the familiar warmth. He turned his head and saw the stuffed cat on the ground looking at him. Even though he knew it was just a toy, Chu Feng still felt a bit uneasy, as if he was being watched. He lightly pushed Xie Shiyu away:
“Pick it up, don’t leave it on the floor.”
—It looks so pitiful.
Xie Shiyu stretched out his arm and slapped the stuffed black cat further away. The black cat pillow rolled over once and laid there face down.
Xie Shiyu said, “There, now it can’t see anything. Let’s continue.”
Chu Feng said, “…”
Chu Feng tapped Xie Shiyu’s shoulder but didn’t really refuse him. Returning to their familiar home, this felt different from their play in the M Country hospital room.
He had previously dressed the black cat pillow in Xie Shiyu’s shirt and hugged it to sleep, pretending it was Xie Shiyu. But the stuffed cat was always just a lump of cotton, never able to respond or embrace him back.
Now, holding Xie Shiyu, he felt a real, warm response. Xie Shiyu, over 1.9 meters tall, could completely envelop him in his arms, providing him with an immense sense of security.
The soft, silky quilt, with two familiar figures snuggled together inside.
Chu Feng melted into Xie Shiyu’s warm embrace, looking up at the white wall where there used to be photos of them growing up together. Those photos he had once tortured himself with, crying over them late at night, had been carefully taken down by Xie Shiyu and placed back into an album.
They had a beautiful past, and now they had an even warmer future.
Chu Feng could hear Xie Shiyu’s breathing, gentle and entwined with his own.
In this deeply tender moment, suddenly, there was a beep—
Chu Feng heard the sound of some electronic device starting up.
Soon, the four white walls revealed four partially bitten apple logos:
The high-definition, full electronic screens turned on!
Their bedroom walls were all equipped with high-definition smart screens, like giant wall-mounted iPads. Chu Feng was startled, then quickly heard some sounds:
Xie Shiyu’s voice, and the rumbling of a subway.
In the next moment, Chu Feng heard his own voice.
He looked up to see on the screen a long, furry, stuffed cat tail!
This tail was in Xie Shiyu’s hand, being played with, and the Chu Feng on the screen was making sounds with a sobbing tone.
“Turn it off… turn it off!”
Chu Feng felt extremely ashamed. The four smart screens clearly displayed their play with the stuffed cat on the subway in Dream City. The four high-definition screens, showing four different angles, combined with their overlapping voices, were utterly embarrassing.
Chu Feng wished he could open a fourth-dimensional pocket in the bed and disappear into it.
His ears turned red, even spreading to his cheeks, overwhelmed by shyness.
Though he had played similar scenarios with Principal Xie in the meeting room in Dream City before, those were virtual characters. Chu Feng sometimes comforted himself that they were virtual, so it didn’t matter.
But the Xie Shiyu in front of him was real!
Chu Feng gave Xie Shiyu’s shoulder a hard punch:
“Turn it off! Turn it off now!”
“Isn’t this more exciting?” Xie Shiyu mischievously guided him, “Isn’t the stuffed cat cute?”
Chu Feng refused to look. He curled up under Xie Shiyu.
Not looking didn’t help; the sounds were even clearer.
The 4D surround sound vividly described their various play scenes in Dream City. When Xie Shiyu was unable to move freely in his hospital bed, he indulged with Chu Feng in the game.
The virtual game projected onto the real screen, experiencing the same passionate reality in their bedroom. Chu Feng’s mind started to blur; just when he thought he had gotten used to their marital life, Xie Shiyu always found new ways to stimulate him.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Chu Feng was exhausted. He saw himself on the screen, wearing the stuffed cat tail, lying on the subway seat, while the tireless Xie Shiyu held him, gently stroking his cat ears.
“Tired?”
In reality, Xie Shiyu didn’t seem satisfied at all. He touched Chu Feng’s forehead and kissed it gently:
“Shall we take a break?”
“No… no more…”
Chu Feng gasped weakly. He used to be able to barely keep up with Xie Shiyu’s pace, but since Xie Shiyu returned, he found his real-life stamina completely lacking, even more so than the recovering Xie Shiyu.
In the virtual game, Chu Feng could last four or five rounds. In reality, with just one round from Xie Shiyu, he was completely exhausted.
Xie Shiyu gently touched Chu Feng’s waist: “Have you lost weight again?”
He could feel Chu Feng was much thinner than when he left two years ago. Holding him, his ribs were prominent, causing him distress:
“From now on, I’ll cook for you. I’ll fatten you up.”
Chu Feng softly murmured an assent. He didn’t have the strength to respond further. Xie Shiyu, too, restrained his abundant energy, simply hugging Chu Feng’s waist, cuddling him to sleep.
They returned to their home, spending a warm night together as a couple.
***
The next morning, they still had many adult responsibilities to handle.
At 7:40, Chu Feng led Xie Shiyu to the underground garage:
“Our garage has moved to A1. Remember not to go to the wrong one next time.”
“Oh.” Xie Shiyu glanced around their garage, examining it like a child inspecting their toy cabinet: Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini in blue, black, white…
“They’re all old models,” Xie Shiyu remarked. “Let’s buy a new car sometime.”
“You have so many cars that you can’t even finish driving them all,” Chu Feng casually picked the black Lamborghini that Xie Shiyu used to favor:
“Get in the car.”
Xie Shiyu expertly sat in the driver’s seat. He hadn’t driven in two years, and gripping the Lamborghini’s steering wheel again felt great. Following his memory, he reached out and pressed the second button on the left side of the steering wheel—
With a sizzling sound, the entire car roof opened, the top part of the car frame retracted, and the fully enclosed Lamborghini transformed into a semi-convertible sports car within three seconds.
Xie Shiyu recalled the times he took Chu Feng on seaside vacations, driving the semi-convertible sports car with the salty sea breeze blowing past their ears, bringing back that exhilarating feeling.
“Darling, where do you want to go for a drive today?” Xie Shiyu asked eagerly, in high spirits.
Chu Feng sat in the passenger seat, replying nonchalantly,
“To the police station.”
Xie Shiyu froze momentarily.
He thought Chu Feng wanted to go for a drive and see the new sights of H City with him today.
Or maybe they would never have the chance to enjoy the scenery together again.
Out of the corner of his eye, Xie Shiyu noticed that Chu Feng had brought a black leather bag, which seemed full.
—What was inside? Evidence to give to the police?
So that’s why he couldn’t find his sketchbook.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and Xie Shiyu forced a casual laugh:
“…Honey, why are we going… to the police station?”
Chu Feng looked at Xie Shiyu’s nervous expression, feeling amused but maintaining a serious face:
“What do you think?”
Xie Shiyu’s heart sank. The truth could no longer be hidden; they had reached this point.
Chu Feng was going to leave him…
Realizing this, his boiling blood seemed to freeze, his organs and heart felt as if they were locked in an ice cellar.
Despite the summer heat and the air conditioning in the car, Xie Shiyu’s palms felt cold.
In the silence, only the sound of their light breathing filled the air.
Suddenly, a breeze came from the side, and Xie Shiyu felt a coolness on his cheek—
Chu Feng leaned over from the passenger seat, cupped Xie Shiyu’s face, and gave him a hard kiss.
Xie Shiyu was stunned by the kiss.
“We’re going to the police station to reinstate your identity.”
Chu Feng opened his black briefcase with a flourish, showing Xie Shiyu the household register, marriage certificate, and identity card inside…
“According to all your documents, you’re currently deceased.” Chu Feng took out his own household register, complaining softly, “All my marital status records have been updated to ‘widowed’… Mm!”
From the driver’s seat, Xie Shiyu suddenly leaned over, pressing Chu Feng down with one hand, while the other hand pulled the lever next to the passenger seat, causing the seat to recline flat with a swish, and they both fell back—
“Xie Shiyu, what on earth are you doing…!” Chu Feng was quickly silenced by a fierce kiss, like a little prey being pinned down, unable to move.
Xie Shiyu held him tightly, as if to make sure he wouldn’t run away. His arms, like iron clamps, held Chu Feng firmly beneath him as he kissed him repeatedly, marking him like a little prey.
“Th… that’s enough now…” Chu Feng, struggling to breathe, gently pushed Xie Shiyu. Xie Shiyu released his lips and started kissing his slender neck, burying his head in Chu Feng’s nape.
“Don’t… leave marks.” Chu Feng gently wrapped his arms around Xie Shiyu, letting him go crazy: “If you have to leave marks… do it lower.”
Xie Shiyu chuckled softly, reaching to unbutton Chu Feng’s tightly fastened shirt:
“Dear, are you encouraging me to unbutton it?”
Chu Feng slapped Xie Shiyu’s hand away and pushed him back into the driver’s seat:
“Start the car, it’s already 7:50. The police station opens at eight.”
Xie Shiyu returned to his seat with a smile: “A bit late doesn’t matter, why don’t we just…”
“Don’t even think about it. I just had this car serviced a couple of days ago, and you want to mess it up already?”
Chu Feng straightened his collar:
“Going early means we won’t have to wait in line. It’s 7:52 now, and there might be traffic during rush hour. By the time we get there, it’ll be almost nine. If we’re unlucky and have to wait in line, they’ll just tell us to come back in the afternoon.”
“Oh.”
Obediently listening to his wife’s words, Xie Shiyu started the engine and drove out of the underground garage:
“Wouldn’t it be easier to pull some strings instead of waiting in line? I happen to know someone…”
“Who do you know now?” Chu Feng glanced at him. “Would you dare to call them?”
Xie Shiyu: “…”
Calling them would be like seeing a ghost. At least he had to wait until he was fully reinstated before reactivating his old connections.
Chu Feng said quietly, “Go stand in line properly. Stop thinking about pulling strings, follow the rules and laws.”
Xie Shiyu couldn’t shake the feeling that Chu Feng had a deeper meaning when he said “follow the rules and laws.” Not daring to ask, he silently gripped the steering wheel and drove to the police station.
***
“Number 0358, please proceed to window 4—Number 0358—”
Chu Feng led Xie Shiyu over.
“You’re here to reinstate your ID, right? Who’s the person involved? Have a seat and tell us the situation.”
In just a few sentences, Xie Shiyu explained how he had survived a plane crash over the Pacific, was miraculously rescued, underwent several major surgeries at a world-class medical clinic, and finally returned home in good health, now needing to restore his identity.
Clerk: “…”
She looked up at Chu Feng and asked softly, “Are you his guardian?”
Chu Feng: “…”
She was treating Xie Shiyu as if he were a delusional psychiatric patient.
Chu Feng handed over the briefcase. “What he said is true. All the documents are inside. I’m his partner.”
Inside were Xie Shiyu’s old ID card, household register, marriage certificate, company documents, foreign documents as Xerxes, Chinese temporary residence permit, plane tickets, and medical records from the United States…
The clerk flipped through the documents, quickly realizing this was a major issue. She immediately reported the situation to her superior…
Soon, a specialized team arrived and took Xie Shiyu away, confirming he was the sole survivor of the aviation accident two years ago and making a detailed statement.
Clerk: “Thank you for your cooperation. We’ve understood the situation and will prepare a formal press conference. Until then, we hope that if the media approaches you…”
Xie Shiyu: “I know, I won’t reveal too much to them.”
Chu Feng: “What about his documents…”
Clerk: “We’ll expedite the processing, but it will still take at least seven working days. That aviation accident was big news back then. We won’t proactively disclose your identity, but given your large company…”
Xie Shiyu: “It’s okay, I’ll make the announcement first. I’ll have to show up eventually.”
Clerk: “We also hope you’ll cooperate with the media and try not to disclose too many details.”
Xie Shiyu nodded. The aviation accident had been major news, and his return as the sole survivor was bound to make headlines again. Saying too much could lead to some media embellishing the story and creating conspiracy theories, which would be troublesome for him.
****
The phone rang just as they were getting back into the car after spending most of the day at the police station.
“Hello, Chief Chu! Just a reminder, there’s a board meeting at 3 PM. Please don’t forget.”
Chu Feng: “Okay, got it.”
Chu Feng hung up and patted Xie Shiyu.
Chu Feng: “There’s a board meeting this afternoon. It’s a good opportunity for you to show your face.”
Xie Shiyu turned and helped fasten Chu Feng’s seatbelt.
Xie Shiyu: “Do you think those board members will be scared out of their wits when they see me?”
Chu Feng laughed. “Absolutely.”
Xie Shiyu leaned in closer and asked softly, “While I was gone, did any of them bully you?”
Chu Feng fell silent for a moment. In such a large company, internal competition was natural. When Xie Shiyu “died,” he left behind a huge fortune and shares for Chu Feng. Chu Feng, nearly losing his mind, was in no state to manage the money. Immersed in grief, he almost became catatonic. Some board members saw this as an opportunity to seize Chu Feng’s shares and take over Xie Shiyu’s company, aiming for the top spot.
After Chu Feng recovered from a severe breakdown, he quickly took charge, holding a video conference the next day to assert his authority with a strong and ambitious demeanor, hiding any signs of sorrow. Rumors spread that Chu Feng had long wished for his husband’s death to inherit his wealth and climb the corporate ladder.
Now, talking about those old issues seemed pointless. Chu Feng calmly said, “No one bullied me. They were all quite obedient. Let’s go.”
Xie Shiyu looked at his wife for a moment, believing that Chu Feng, with his capabilities, could handle them. But he knew that Chu Feng’s mental state must have been fragile back then, nothing like he was making it seem now. Back then, Vice President Wang and Vice President Li were always restless, likely the ones who took advantage of Chu Feng’s absence to cause trouble.
The engine roared to life, and the Lamborghini’s tires screeched on the asphalt.
Listening to the rushing wind outside the window, Xie Shiyu drove towards the company he had founded.
***
At the Board Meeting
Various Employees: “Chief Chu,” “Good morning, Chief Chu,” “Chief Chu…”
Chu Feng nodded in acknowledgment as they greeted him. Their curious eyes fell on the person beside Chu Feng—a tall man with a model-like demeanor, walking with a confident stride and wearing large sunglasses that obscured his face.
Probably a bodyguard. But bodyguards usually stand behind their employer, not walk beside them. And Chief Chu seemed quite familiar with him, the two chatting while waiting for the elevator, the man leaning close to Chu Feng, indicating a close relationship.
Employee 1: “Could he be a high-ranking executive brought in from outside?”
Employee 2: “No idea which department he’s in charge of…”
***
Board Member: “Chief Chu, you’re here early?”
Chu Feng sat at the head of the conference table and nodded.
Within two minutes, all the board members had arrived. They first discussed the company’s quarterly performance and then moved on to future development plans.
Chu Feng: “I have a proposal.”
He produced a document, and his secretary quickly distributed copies to each board member.
Chu Feng: “This is a plan for the next three years. Please take a look.”
***
The board members reviewed the document, frowning.
Board Member 1: “Chief Chu, this seems unrealistic.”
The plan proposed establishing a gaming division to enter the holographic gaming market, boldly predicting that within three years, their company would surpass the leading company, Dream City, and become the market leader.
Board Member 2: “Who came up with this plan? It’s quite fantastical.”
Board Member 3: “And it’s too vague. There’s no detailed proposal…”
The board members criticized the plan harshly.
Chu Feng remained silent, listening quietly. He took a sip from the water cup on the table, cleared his throat, and said, “Since there are significant disagreements about this plan, let’s have the person who wrote it explain it.”
The board members sensed something was off, realizing this might not be as simple as it seemed…
Bang—
The conference room door opened, and a tall man walked in.
The room fell silent, as if deathly quiet.
Board Members: “Chief Xie… Chief Xie?!”
The board members were shocked. Seeing their expressions, Xie Shiyu smiled warmly.
Chu Feng: “Let me introduce you all to Xie Shiyu. You should recognize him.”
Board Members: “What’s… what’s going on?”
Xie Shiyu gave a vague explanation, saying he was lucky to survive and had spent the past two years recovering. He had just returned to the country a few days ago.
The secretary, still in shock, managed to fulfill her duties, quickly bringing a chair identical to Chief Chu’s and placing it next to him.
Secretary: “Chief Xie, please… have a seat.”
Xie Shiyu walked briskly to his seat, and after sitting down, he naturally picked up Chu Feng’s water cup and took a sip:
Xie Shiyu: “Let’s continue the meeting. It seemed like some of you had objections to my proposal?”
The board members, still in shock over Xie Shiyu’s “resurrection,” suddenly snapped back to reality upon hearing this and quickly responded:
Board Member 1: “No, no, no, Chief Xie, you misunderstood us. We were just… discussing it.”
Board Member 2: “Yes, yes, just a discussion.”
Xie Shiyu smiled. “Alright then, let’s have a discussion.”
He glanced around the room at each board member. Strangely, Vice President Wang, Vice President Li, and a few other directors he had disliked were all gone. Their seats were now occupied by new faces, who stared at him in shock, as if they’d seen a ghost.
Chu Feng: “Let’s all go back and review the proposal. We’ll reconvene in three days. Meeting adjourned.”
***
Xie Shiyu: “Chu Feng—”
After the meeting, Xie Shiyu clung to Chu Feng and followed him into his private office.
Chu Feng: “What now? Your office is across the hall, don’t crowd me here.”
In the past, whenever Xie Shiyu sneaked into his private office, it meant he wanted to shirk work. Chu Feng had to be on guard.
As soon as the office door closed, Xie Shiyu rested his head against Chu Feng’s neck.
Xie Shiyu: “I noticed that several board seats have changed hands since the meeting.”
Chu Feng tapped Xie Shiyu’s head. “Haven’t you heard of ‘new leaders, new aides’? It’s normal to see changes. Go get back to work, or I’ll dock your pay.”
Xie Shiyu hugged Chu Feng tighter, laughing like a fox. When he was in charge, he hadn’t had the chance to deal with Vice President Wang, Vice President Li, and others he found disagreeable. He intended to deal with them upon his return, only to find that Chu Feng had already cleared out the trash.
Xie Shiyu: “You’re amazing, honey. Can I kiss you?”
Chu Feng: “No.”
Despite his words, Chu Feng allowed Xie Shiyu to kiss him. Vice President Li and Vice President Wang had been the ones who had pressured him to sell his shares during his illness. Clearing them out was essential for him to control such a large company for two years.
Chu Feng: “You have a press conference to attend next.”
Chu Feng pushed Xie Shiyu. “Go back to your office and organize your materials. Those reporters won’t be easy to deal with.”
Appearing in public would undoubtedly cause a huge stir. Not only had there been a survivor from the missing flight, but he was also the president of a multinational company who had spent two years with amnesia and disabilities, becoming the renowned top regulator in the holographic game Dream City. It was practically legendary.
Chu Feng was more curious about the start of this legend, like how Xie Shiyu was rescued. Despite international search efforts and his own explorations of the Pacific, Chu Feng had logically concluded that Xie Shiyu’s survival was unlikely.
Chu Feng had tentatively asked Xie Shiyu about who rescued him after the crash, which hospital treated him, and how he got involved with Dream City.
Xie Shiyu: “Sorry, dear, I don’t remember very well.”
Given his condition, it was understandable that he couldn’t remember clearly. But Chu Feng suspected that Xie Shiyu actually remembered everything but didn’t want to recount the traumatic experience and make him sad.
***
There were many things Xie Shiyu hadn’t told him. As light filtered through the blinds, Chu Feng opened his safe after Xie Shiyu returned to his office.
Inside was Xie Shiyu’s doodle notebook. No one knew that the safe of a multinational corporation’s president held not precious business secrets but strange, childish doodles. To Chu Feng, these were the most valuable secrets.
He had carefully studied all the doodle books. The wine glass had been deciphered: Dr. Xie at 24. The knife had been deciphered: 13-year-old Xie dismembering his father. The remaining doodles included a car and two fluffy little birds.
Dream City’s hint was: Operate at night.
Nighttime might relate to the car, but what about the fluffy little birds? Was it part of the same event or another secret? The birds weren’t drawn in the same book as the car.
If the car referred to 17-year-old Xie’s secret, then the fluffy birds… were they another event? Chu Feng wasn’t sure. The cute yellow birds didn’t seem to relate to any bloody incidents. If it were another event, it might not be a violent one. Based on Dream City’s combat ranking, NO.1 was 13-year-old Xie who caused a stir in the criminal police world with his dismemberment case. NO.2 was still unclear. NO.3 was Dr. Xie who killed four scumbags at a bar. NO.4 was seven-year-old Shiyu who only maneuvered around various criminals without personally acting.
So, if the fluffy birds hid a secret, it might not be a case but a small secret, like five-year-old Shiyu’s water gun incident.
***
As for NO.2, it was probably a murder case. In terms of numbers, Dr. Xie had killed more people than 13-year-old Xie, but the ranking system calculated based on severity. The dismemberment case was more blatant and bold than the disguised accidental drug overdose murders.
Thus, NO.2 either had more victims than Dr. Xie or was more daring in its execution, though not as attention-grabbing as the dismemberment case.
Chu Feng thought about the doodle of a car in the notebook. If the secret at 17 years old was about staging a murder as a car accident…
Typically, a car can carry up to five people. Five is indeed more than four. If that’s the case, it would make sense for the power ranking to surpass Dr. Xie.
But who are these five people? Why stage a car accident?
Chu Feng had no clue. Unlike other secrets, there were no key clues left in Dream City about Xie Shiyu’s 17-year-old secret, like the blue ribbon.
The current clues were the blood stains on Maple’s black T-shirt, which Chu Feng extracted DNA from. But this only indicated a case involving bloodshed. Another clue was the action trajectory “[17 years old – operation at night]” in Dream City.
The character Little Xie followed a fixed trajectory every night. Chu Feng asked the Dream City system to extract the trajectory and save it as an image, which he compared with the satellite map of the city where he and Xie Shiyu had grown up.
He did find several overlapping areas. But even knowing the locations of overlap wouldn’t allow him to truly see what happened over a decade ago. Chu Feng decided to visit his hometown, the high school where he and Xie Shiyu had studied together, to see if he could make any discoveries.
***
While President Chu Feng was busy deciphering his husband’s secrets, Xie Shiyu went to the headquarters of Dream City China Tower and submitted his resignation letter.
Since Xie Shiyu had regained his identity, there was no need to work for others anymore. He wanted to go back and inherit his multinational company.
In a few days, he would need to hold a reception to publicly announce his identity, which might cause a media frenzy. He anticipated being very busy.
Chief Executive Officer: “Are you sure you won’t reconsider, X? If the salary isn’t enough, we can negotiate…”
The chief executive officer was sweating due to the fact that their top regulator, X, was resigning.
Chief Executive Officer: “You know, our Dream City game is quite competitive in the current market. If you stay, there’s great potential.”
The chief executive officer was desperately trying to persuade him. He didn’t even realize that this employee’s resignation was to take over a multinational corporation. He was still thinking about using the most primitive method, a raise, to retain him.
Xie Shiyu shrugged, unmoved by the futile attempt to increase his salary.
The chief executive officer sensed X’s determination to leave.
When even a substantial raise couldn’t keep an employee, it was likely they couldn’t be retained. When you had enough money, more money only increased the number, not happiness.
X had delved deeply into the workings of their game during his tenure at Dream City, creating many core strategies and developing items. With an accumulation of experience bordering on fanaticism, now was the perfect time for him to venture out on his own.
However, after considering it, the chief executive officer realized that starting a business would be quite challenging, given the current economic situation. It would be impossible to threaten Dream City’s overwhelming market dominance in the short term.
Starting a business wasn’t just about developing strategies; it also required recruiting and funding. These were things an employee like X didn’t possess.
The chief executive officer tentatively asked, “Do you have any friends in the gaming industry? If so, they could take over your position. You don’t need to worry about compensation…”
He wasn’t really suggesting that X’s friend should take over the position of top regulator. He was just delicately exploring whether X still wanted to continue his career in the gaming industry.
Xie Shiyu shook his head lightly. He didn’t have any gaming friends, but he did have a multinational corporation where he could set up a holographic gaming department.
This sector was currently quite profitable, and he could follow up on it appropriately. After all, the money Dream City could make from his research for two years was nothing compared to what he could earn himself.
“The regulator’s job is too busy, and my body has just recovered. I want to go home and rest for a bit.” Xie Shiyu pretended to be in a weak position, without any aggression.
The chief executive officer expressed understanding. X didn’t have any gaming friends, and he didn’t have the energy to work 996 in the gaming industry. He wanted to go home and retire.
In this case, there was no commercial threat at all.
The chief executive officer felt relieved. After all, X was different from other healthy employees. He was indeed disabled, and he had just undergone surgery. He might really not be in good health and wanted to go back to recuperate.
He wished X good health in a distant and indifferent manner. After X left, he casually threw the resignation letter into the waste paper basket and didn’t bother about it anymore.
***
Xie Shiyu walked out of Dream City Company’s headquarters.
He glanced back at the tall building. Dream City was a huge commercial behemoth in the holographic gaming world, but that was all it was.
Although the game was called Dream City, it was quite cold, constantly squeezing players’ dreams and using every means to force players to spend money, extracting wealth.
Chu Feng was sad because of his loss and played this game. The current system was a kinship system, which was okay, but the previous system was an anti-human system. Even though it detected “mutant mosquitoes,” it intentionally didn’t alert Chu Feng.
Initially, it didn’t even inform Chu Feng of the “[character mortality rate].”
Xie Shiyu thought, when Chu Feng played the game for the first time during the first generation of the city, he probably had no idea that the character Little Xie had a 10% mortality rate. The anti-human system just watched from a distance and didn’t warn Chu Feng.
The 27-year-old character Little Xie fulfilled his duty of protection, continuously taking out those characters that posed a direct danger. Until the end, when there was no other choice, the entire city committed suicide, and Chu Feng finally woke up.
After careful consideration, Chu Feng started the second generation of the city, determined to save all the characters of Little Xie.
If the system had reminded Chu Feng at the beginning of the game, Chu Feng might have been vigilant, not so addicted, and the tragedy of the citywide suicide might not have happened.
Xie Shiyu knew how much of a psychological impact that incident had on Chu Feng. But if they didn’t commit suicide, he would have really died inside.
Xie Shiyu didn’t feel comfortable letting Chu Feng continue playing the games made by this company. Clearly, he was a big spender, spending five or six million on microtransactions, yet the system treated Chu Feng like this.
As the founder of a multinational corporation, Xie Shiyu understood the principles of business operation very well, especially how greed worked.
If a big spender like him could be completely controlled by the system to take care of his favorite character, always keep him entangled, wouldn’t the company be able to extract tens of millions or even hundreds of millions from him?
Xie Shiyu felt that the system wasn’t just a “mutant anti-human consciousness” but rather, the system developed by the gaming company itself was ruthless: to squeeze out as much money as possible from players, that was the mission of these systems.
Chu Feng didn’t want to hand over control of the characters to the system. Regardless, he wanted to maintain 100% fidelity to the characters because compared to the unfamiliar system, Chu Feng trusted that Xie Shiyu would ensure his safety.
In reality, this was indeed the case. Due to the 100% fidelity, the characters within Xie Shiyu divided into different roles: there was the hidden character with hidden codes, the 27-year-old character Little Xie who planned behind the scenes, and the other Little Xies who obeyed orders to die.
The cold system tried various methods to regain control of the characters. Once the characters weren’t 100% faithful, it could control all the Little Xies in the city. It could easily make one Little Xie fall ill, make Chu Feng spend money on medicine, or make another Little Xie die, disguise it as an accident, and then tell Chu Feng that he could spend how much ever to resurrect the character.
—Spending five or six million on microtransactions couldn’t improve the player’s treatment. Instead, it would allow the system’s big data to identify that the player’s spending level could be even higher.
As long as they grabbed his Achilles’ heel, they could squeeze out however much money they wanted. Just a little spending would easily bring in six million. Handle him well, and they could contribute tens of millions or even hundreds of millions to the game company!
So, the “anti-human” system didn’t inform Chu Feng about the “mutant mosquitoes,” waiting for the virus to infect the entire city, and then come clean to Chu Feng, saying that it would take over supervising the entire city, which would quickly find the cause.
Ordinary players, in a desperate hurry to get treated, would believe it. From then on, all the characters in the city would lose their freedom and be firmly held by the system.
In the end, because of being too ruthless, the cold system was reported for “anti-human consciousness” by Chu Feng.
Reporting this behavior meant that this player wasn’t so easily manipulated. If the company continued to exploit value and force microtransactions, they might lose players.
Therefore, after the report, the game company would automatically send the “kinship” system to appease the players’ emotions.
Xie Shiyu, as X before, didn’t always have a clear view of the company’s internal operations.
But now that his memories have recovered, breaking free from the mindset of a single position and looking at Dream City from the perspective of the entire company’s business operations, this game is very cold, and Chu Feng must not continue playing here.
—Preventing Chu Feng from playing doesn’t mean prohibiting Chu Feng from playing games. Chu Feng loves his Dream City very much; after all, every blade of grass and every tree is built by himself. Instead, it’s about changing the game, making it playable for Chu Feng.
***
Two days later, the news of the departure of the highest regulator X sank like a stone, submerged within Dream City Company’s internal affairs.
Considering X’s high popularity among players, and even many players spontaneously forming fan clubs for him, directly announcing X’s departure would have a certain impact on Dream City. Therefore, the headquarters decided to promote another regulator to directly replace X’s account without informing the outside world that the personnel had changed. It was treated as if nothing had happened.
While no replacement had been determined, regulator X’s account was temporarily used by regulators A and Z jointly.
The regulators were somewhat disdainful of the game company’s practice of concealing X’s departure. A was lively and cheerful, while Z was sarcastic and sharp-tongued. When the two took turns using the account, they deliberately didn’t follow X’s usual style.
When A used X’s account to save players, he wore a bright smile under the bandages and spoke in a sweet voice: “Darling, are you okay? Let me dust you off a bit. Be careful when playing games next time, and remember to call for help if you’re in danger. I’ll come to save you again! If possible, please remember to vote for me in the [Favorite regulator of the Year] poll. Love you lots!”
—Leaving the players stunned.
When Z used X’s account, he carried a silver gun, wore combat boots, and almost stepped on the players’ faces. As soon as he opened his mouth, he said: “What are you looking at? I’m your lifesaving benefactor. Aren’t you going to kneel down and thank me?”
The players were not fools. Soon, the player forums erupted with a series of questioning posts: “Is X going crazy??? Insulting players like this?” “I thought X never cared about virtual fame? Now he’s asking players to vote for him? Is he sick?” “Breaking news: The highest regulator X is suspected of being diagnosed with split personality.” “Forget about the illness, don’t you think X’s skills have regressed? Today’s simple bomb disposal almost failed. Does he still deserve the title of a god?”
…X’s fans quickly compiled a series of doubts, posting a highlighted thread on the forum: “Please come forward to clarify, game company! Has the highest regulator X been replaced? Are two people taking turns on the same account?”
Dream City’s public relations department quickly took action. Forum administrators swiftly deleted all posts suggesting that X had been replaced, and anyone who agreed with these posts was either banned or had their accounts suspended.
At the same time, a pinned post was immediately released, stating: “The highest regulator X has never resigned. Please do not spread false information. Rumors stop with the wise; let’s not believe or spread rumors, starting from you and me.”
Xie Shiyu quietly observed all these movements.
On the third day, when the head of Dream City headquarters opened his phone news, he saw a news headline: “DG Multinational Corporation Founder President Xie Resurrected! Sole Survivor of MF Flight Crash Two Years Ago!”
When he saw this, the head of the company remained unmoved. There were many big companies in the world, and DG Corporation was not a gaming company. They had nothing to do with him. He was about to scroll past this news—
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a small line behind: “When asked about his business plans after his return, President Xie stated that he would spare no effort to create a holographic game…”
The head of the company “…!!”
The news was accompanied by a photo of a well-dressed man, smiling gracefully. It was none other than the regulator X who had come to resign from him that day!
The head of the company quickly searched to see if there were any press conferences held by the company. Such a big event would definitely be explained to the public.
“President Xie! Can you tell us how you survived?”
At the press conference, questions poured in: “Can you give us details on why you only returned after two years?” “What were the circumstances of the plane crash at that time?! Could there still be other survivors?!” …
Xie Shiyu handled it skillfully: “I have already given the police all the information related to the plane crash. Please wait for official announcements.”
Many people at the scene were shocked that a survivor could be found two years after the plane crash!
But this Chief Xie seemed unwilling to elaborate on his experience, only mentioning being stranded overseas, severely injured, and only recently recovered and returned to the country.
“So, do you have any specific business plans for your return this time?”
Xie Shiyu calmly stated that he plans to develop a holographic game.
“Why choose a holographic game?” a journalist asked. “Is there any special reason?”
“Is it related to the plane crash this time? Do you not plan to develop any business plans in the aviation sector?”
“Your company’s previous business seems to have had no involvement in holographic games. This new content is entirely new. Do you have any confidence?”
…
President Xie’s proposal puzzled many present. They didn’t think this business direction was promising. Even the company’s board of directors had some reservations. The holographic game market was already crowded, and with Dream City dominating the market, it would be difficult for them to gain any benefits by entering the holographic gaming industry now.
Faced with numerous doubts, Xie Shiyu remained silent. He had a plan in mind: within three years, he would surely swallow up Dream City Company.
The executives at Dream City headquarters were already on edge, watching this live broadcast attentively. They saw the once taciturn and wheelchair-bound disabled regulator, now confidently standing in the spotlight, speaking eloquently.
If this President Xie were to reveal that he was actually the highest regulator X of Dream City at this time, it would be over!
To their surprise, the man on the screen, wearing a suit and tie, elegantly smiled at the journalists: “To be honest, I was a bit bored while recuperating in bed, so I tried a holographic game and found it quite enjoyable. That’s why I decided to develop a game myself. There’s no special reason.”
This answer was straightforward, and the journalists didn’t press further. Their main focus was still on reporting President Xie’s miraculous survival and trying to interview him about the plane crash at that time.
The head of Dream City headquarters breathed a sigh of relief, but soon became nervous again.
This President Xie / regulator X shouldn’t be someone who would show mercy. The fact that this hidden bomb hadn’t exploded yet might mean it was being saved for later… Who knows what kind of shock it might cause.
On the screen, Xie Shiyu saw that it was almost time and prepared to end the live broadcast. The main purpose of this appearance was to announce that he was still alive and to discuss future investment directions…
“President Xie, one last question.”
A journalist stood up, very straightforward: “Can I ask you a personal question?”
Xie Shiyu frowned slightly. His personal question probably referred to Chu Feng.
He didn’t like to talk too much about Chu Feng’s affairs in public and didn’t want Chu Feng to be exposed to too many eyes.
Considering the occasion, Xie Shiyu smiled slightly: “You can try asking, but I reserve the right not to answer.”
The journalist wasn’t polite either and asked the most tricky question of the whole event:
“President Xie, after you left, your position as president and the company’s assets were inherited by your spouse. Now that you have returned, will your spouse’s position be squeezed out by you?”
Silence fell over the entire venue.
“…”
Xie Shiyu inwardly chuckled. These journalists were really gossipy, cunningly staring at him with their eyes wide open, all eagerly waiting to report on his marital problems!
“That’s not going to happen.” Xie Shiyu didn’t let them have their way. He elegantly smiled: “We are very loving, and there is no question of squeezing each other out. The company was founded by me after marriage and legally belongs as joint property.”
The journalists persisted: “But, your spouse left H City today. Is it because of your return that there was a dispute over positions?”
“…”
Xie Shiyu’s heart skipped a beat. Chu Feng… left?
—Where did he go? Was he photographed by gossip reporters?
There was no change in Xie Shiyu’s expression. He improvised: “He just went out on business. Please don’t make baseless assumptions about us quarreling. It’s a bit troubling.”
Xie Shiyu smiled like a warm breeze and gentle rain: “We are united as a couple. It doesn’t matter who holds this position. If he is willing to continue as the president, I’m more than happy to stay at home.”
Finally, the press conference came to an end. The first thing Xie Shiyu did after stepping down from the stage was to quickly call Chu Feng on his phone: “Wife!! Where are you?”
“…” Chu Feng turned the phone towards the outside: “Guess.”
The sounds of students clamoring, followed by the school bell, ding ding ding — It was clearly a school.
— But which school?
Since the gossip reporters claimed to have spotted Chu Feng leaving H City, then…
Xie Shiyu paused for a moment and asked, “Are you… at our high school?”
— Chu Feng had returned to his hometown.
Xie Shiyu felt a bit anxious, his palm holding the phone slightly sweating: “Why did you suddenly go back there?”
Chu Feng chuckled, pinching the phone and replied, “I won’t… tell… you.”
Xie Shiyu: “…………”
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