Volume 3 - CH 53.2

Xü Beijin was clearly quiet for too long, so Thin questions him again, “however…?”

Xü Beijin finally snaps back to reality and smiles apologetically, saying, “however, something similar is also going on here,” he first relays the information as given by the Server, “I’ve seen the elevator doors close in on someone and then continue to got up, so in the end…” (TL: Yes, it’s that thing in the original Resident Evil film again)

The Missiontakers all furrow their brows.

Then Xü Beijin starts adding his own twists, “that’s why I’ve ended up cleaning out the electronics and devices and whatnot outside gradually,” he continues with a poker face, “it was all those that were acting up.”

Thin suddenly asks, “do you know why they were acting up, laoban?”

Xü Beijin deliberately pauses before shaking his head.

And Thin interprets this hesitation as Xü Beijin actually knowing something, but is unsure or unwilling to divulge… Or, he is actually the one behind it.

Locking himself here, where there is no danger from the rogue electronics…

Thin narrows his eyes slightly, asking, “laoban, can’t you tell us a bit more? The escalators in the shopping mall was after our lives and chased us here; we don’t even know how to leave, now.”

Jiang Shuangjie, seemingly also picking up the cues, adds, “yeah, this is all too ridiculous. Laoban, if you know something, please tell us. They’re already going to kill us, so I think we also deserve the truth?”

The teenage girl even coldly asserts, “if you’re hiding the truth, it merely makes you complicit in murder.”

Xü Beijin still looks like he’s pondering when suddenly, someone pops up next to the counter.

Lin Qin says unhappily, “what kind of way of asking is that?! How do you know Beijin here definitely knows the truth?” Then he turns to Xü Beijin to say, “you are acting too much like a pushover!”

The Missiontakers “…”

Xü Beijin “…”

The viewers in the stream are happily typing their thoughts,

“hahahaha i knew it! the little apple is on Beibeis side!”

“the little apple was so cool! it was too arrogant how these missiontakers are pounding on Beibei!”

“they’re seriously just treating Beibei as a game NPC, yeah, so they’re coercing him and morally trapping him”

“arent they also at fault for assuming Beibei isnt a good person…”

“I think so too to be honest… but Beibei is definitely a kind and harmless good person”

Xü Beijin “…”

He wouldn’t exactly agree to being gentle or harmless himself.

He takes a deep breath and pats Lin Qin on the shoulder, saying, “thanks,” and then turns to the Missiontakers to say, “while I can tell you what I think, I am under no obligation to do so.”

Xü Beijin actually didn’t think much of the Missiontakers pressuring him to give them what he knows, having become used to the Missiontakers treating Tower residents extremely impolitely.

Since Missiontakers still only see them as game NPCs, no?

But what Lin Qin did standing up for him does make Xü Beijin both touched and amused, as he suddenly realises that, he doesn’t have to necessarily be proactive in helping and friendly either… He mustn’t sadden his close friends to appease those who do not treat him well, you see.

Lin Qin’s intervention has made the Missiontakers, used to bullying the ‘weak-willed’ Actors, shocked. And Xü Beijin’s words send their minds into haywire.

What in the world… are these game NPCs which are the Tower residents doing? Has the Server gone mad?

Lin Qin is crossing his arms standing to the side with a fierce glare on his face, acting like he really is a loyal guard of Xü Beijin’s.

Thin is speechless, and suddenly recalls how Ding Yi told them to investigate the relationship between Lin Qin and Xü Beijin. She sure… was on point. He discreetly examines Lin Qin, before turning back to Xü Beijin.

He has a strange thought all of a sudden.

Now, he has never seen a Missiontaker being so helpful to Tower residents, even going so far as to protect a Tower resident’s pride.

Outside of…

Outside of people who, for whatever reason, wants to romantically pursue a Tower resident.

Thin “…”

He gives Lin Qin another serious look from top to bottom, and then turns back towards Xü Beijin again.

No, it can’t be… But, if he now knows the dalao’s secret, would the dalao silence him?

Thin is mired in his own thoughts.

Jiang Shuangjie still seems all confused, so the teenage girl has to take over the lead, saying, “apologies, we were really stressed here,” she tries her best to paint a friendlier smile despite her cold appearance, saying, “our lives were in serious danger back then, when those things… we are seriously distressed because of it.”

Not that she’s really even lying, as Xü Beijin himself saw their entire journey to reach this plaza. ‘Distress’ would be putting it mildly. Think about what you might feel if the things you are used to in life suddenly came to life, with outright hostility. The mental pressure from that, even when these people are Missiontakers, is clearly significant.

Thin and Jiang Shuangjie react quickly enough and also apologise, then give doggy-eyed looks towards Xü Beijin.

Xü Beijin can’t help but glance over at Lin Qin seeing the difference in attitude, but replies with a friendly smile, “it is really just an idle guess of mine,” and he murmurs something inaudible before saying, “that’s why I unplugged the ethernet from my bookstore.”

When he said what he did, he looked neutral but in fact he was nervous and restless inside. He is worried NE will pay particular attention to him just for this one attempt. He has always avoided it as much as possible.

This was a risk… Yet, he thinks, after taking this streaming system, is he still to maintain this dead, unchanging life of his? The situations, the stakes have changed, beyond his own wishes.

Just watching the stream itself has caused ripples in his fixed life.

He can even sense, that there is an inexplicable undercurrent brewing and overtaking the Tower.

Mu Jiashi’s return to the bottom floor, Ding Yi’s choice to ascend after so many years, and… Lin Qin. Lin Qin, who has no memories of Earth at all, for reasons unknown.

Xü Beijin has been running away for years, like the other Actors, lamenting their own powerlessness, but right now, he wants to work a bit harder… Work some changes.

When he realised this streaming system is actually a port to the outside world, he already has the awareness to identify this as an opportunity; his wariness to NE has delayed him, causing him to first cautiously observe the situation and the feedback from the viewers.

This time, his attempt to relay information he knew via the stream, via other means, and its tacit permission from the Server in the form of him being able to divulge without being stopped, has helped strengthen Xü Beijin’s resolve.

That is why there is now a hint of a stability only achieved when one feels like an act is over, “that’s it.”

Though the Missiontakers aren’t paying attention to minute details in tone anymore.