Chapter 894: Multi-Person Meeting
This was the first time I had seen such a fierce girl. She didn't look tall, but she had an intimidating aura.
"Um... I haven't even said who I'm looking for, and you're already saying you don't know?" I asked.
"Tsk, no matter who you're looking for, I just don't know," the girl said. "I'm used to being alone; I don't know anyone."
"Ah... alright..." I nodded, inexplicably feeling that the girl in front of me seemed a bit like myself.
But she was far more assertive than I was.
At that moment, a middle-aged man walked by. I had no choice but to stop pestering the girl and let her leave, then grabbed the man and asked, "Brother, do you know a participant named Jiang Ruoxue?"
"Who...? Jiang Ruoxue?" The man was slightly startled. "I think I've heard the name, but I'm not familiar with her."
What intrigued me was that after I said Jiang Ruoxue's name, the girl in leather jacket walked a few steps and then stopped not far away.
"Alright then..." I smiled at the man. "I'll ask someone else."
After the man left, I curiously glanced at the back of the leather-jacket girl. She was silently lowering her head, as if muttering something.
But there was no one else here; what was she muttering to herself?
I shook my head, thinking that encountering one or two oddballs in the "Land of Finality" was only to be expected.
Just as I was about to leave, the leather-jacket girl turned around and called out unceremoniously, "Hey!"
"Huh?"
She came step by step in front of me, looking troubled. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke, "Tsk... this is a robbery. Hand over all the 'Dao' you have on you."
I really didn't get it.
Was this sudden robbery serious?
Judging by the girl's expression, it was clear that someone was pressuring her.
"Can you tell me the reason?" I said. "If you really wanted to rob me, you could have done it the moment we met."
The girl didn't answer. She just silently lowered her head and muttered, "Tsk, stop nagging. What else can I do but rob him... You told me to stall him, but what am I supposed to stall with?"
"What...?" I suspected this girl might have some sort of split personality.
"Tsk, nothing. Just hand over the 'Dao' first. If you don't have any, I'll detain you for now," the girl said, lifting her head again. "No rush. Take your time."
"Take my time...?"
I really hadn't encountered a situation like this in a long time. Exploring alone did have its amusements. I slowly reached up and smoothed back my hair, and the girl's right hand, completely uncontrollably, also followed along and smoothed her dreadlocks.
This action startled even herself.
Not to mention herself; even if there were thirty people standing nearby, as long as I could move, they would never be able to touch me.
"I think you'd better forget about robbing me," I said. "You'll probably die before you can even touch me."
"Impressive..." She looked up at me, then looked into the distance. "Tsk, remarkable. The bell hasn't even rung. Are you a senior 'Echoer'?"
I didn't speak; I just shook my head.
"Let's shake hands." The girl extended her hand toward me. "My name is Zhou Mo. Consider us friends."
The girl before me, named Zhou Mo, had said the words "senior 'Echoer'", so she was probably an "Echoer" herself. I didn't intend to touch her.
After all, among the many "Echoes" I had encountered, touching the other party was one of the activation conditions—like Jiang Ruoxue or Aunt Tong. There was no way I would touch a stranger carrying an "Echo".
Seeing that I hadn't extended my hand, Zhou Mo lowered her head again and muttered, "Tsk, I really have no choice. I'll have to find a way to touch her. Come if you want, or don't."
Her mental state seemed concerning... In front of her there was only me, but she seemed to be talking to two people at once.
"I don't want any trouble," I said. "Whatever factions you have here, they have nothing to do with me. I just want to find someone."
"What do you mean 'find my own way'?!" she shouted. "Tsk, don't be so unreasonable. I've already helped as much as I can, alright?"
"Ah...?"
Good grief, it seemed she had started to completely ignore me.
"Um..." I asked uncertainly, "Zhou Mo, are you okay?"
"Tsk, just hurry up and come!" the girl said again. "That Gu Yu isn't anyone important. Let him get lost quickly."
I looked at Zhou Mo helplessly, having no idea what to do.
"Gu Yu, I'm talking to you. Do you hear me?" she said, still lowering her head.
Great. It seemed more and more people were joining this conversation.
I'd better just take my leave directly.
"Um... I still have to find someone, so I'll go first," I said. "You go ahead..."
"Tsk..." Zhou Mo finally looked up at me and let out a deep sigh. "Why are you leaving?"
"I..."
"Tsk, I can't pretend anymore. I'll tell you the truth: Jiang Ruoxue that bitch and I come from the same room," she said. "Just now, she lost face and told me to find a way to keep you here. This is way too damn difficult."
"Huh?" I quickly thought back over the situation. "What do you mean... Can you communicate with Jiang Ruoxue remotely?"
"'Voice Transmission' Zhou Mo." She extended her hand again. "Are you the 'Jidao King'?"
"I..."
Indeed, not many people knew the identity of the "Jidao King". After all, when I recruited everyone, I never said I was the "Jidao King". I figured only Jiang Ruoxue would call me that.
Thinking this, I extended my hand and shook Zhou Mo's.
"Yan Zhichun."
I had to admit, the name "Zhou Mo" was quite interesting; just hearing it once was enough to remember it.
"Anyone I've touched can be 'Voice Transmitted' by me," Zhou Mo said. "I've already told Jiang Ruoxue about your situation here. That bitch wants to reconcile with you but also wants to save face, so she intends to pretend she doesn't know anything and then bump into you accidentally. Wait here for a while, and then watch her put on a show. After that, just play it by ear."
"P-play it by ear...?"
Zhou Mo's words carried too much information; I didn't even know how to respond.
"Tsk, by the way, this area has been unstable lately," Zhou Mo said. "A newly moved-in organization is quite aggressive and is betting lives with the 'Human-level Zodiac'. It's fine if you wander around here, but try not to participate in any 'Human-level Games', or else you could easily get dragged into a life-or-death bet."
I nodded, then stared into her eyes and asked, "Zhou Mo, are you 'Jidao'?"
"I..." Zhou Mo looked at me. "Whether I am or not doesn't matter anymore..."
"Doesn't matter...?"
"Tsk, there was a game in our interview room that required us to touch each other, so every time I'm reborn, I can 'Voice Transmit' with Jiang Ruoxue," Zhou Mo shook her head helplessly. "That bitch had already unilaterally considered me a member of 'Jidao' before it was even fully established. I can't escape even if I want to."
Well... That was indeed something Jiang Ruoxue would do.