Chapter 405: The Bookworm
Yun Yao looked at Zhang Chenze, then after a long pause, nodded.
"I understand. The paths we walk are different," Yun Yao said. "We walk different paths, so we have no business scheming together. I can only wish you well."
"Yun Yao... is it?" Zhang Chenze confirmed.
"Yes."
"Although I don't know exactly what your plan is, I participated in the game with Lin Qin, Qin Dingdong, and Su Shan. I believe they are trustworthy people." Zhang Chenze spoke earnestly. "You've never participated in a game with Lin Qin, have you? So you shouldn't criticize her actions."
Yun Yao's eyes gradually dimmed. She spoke: "You're right. I apologize. But this is a hurdle I can't get past in my heart. Because of 'Jidao,' I lost my teammates time and time again. That feeling is too painful."
"It's alright..." Lin Qin nodded and said, "The current 'Jidao' is long gone from what it was initially. My way of doing things is different from theirs."
After saying this, she looked sadly at Su Shan's corpse, then turned and asked Yun Yao: "Have you decided where to go?"
"Mm..." Yun Yao nodded. "When I participated in the Earth Snake game before, I remember his game venue was very large, divided into many small rooms. I want to make that our first foothold."
At this moment, Tiantian also stepped forward and looked at everyone's injuries. "It seems you're all hurt... Are you sure you won't come with us?"
Li Xiangling also looked at Lin Qin's right leg from behind and said, "Sis, I... know some bone setting. I can help fix you up roughly."
Lin Qin and Qin Dingdong exchanged a glance. Their impression of Yun Yao wasn't particularly good, but dragging their current bodies back to 'Heaven's Gate' would definitely be troublesome.
"Even if we don't look for Dr. Zhao..." Lin Qin said, "We need to go back and find Qi Xia first. There's something I need to ask his opinion on."
"Qi Xia?" Yun Yao shook her head silently after hearing this. "If I'm not mistaken, Qi Xia didn't return to 'Heaven's Gate' last night. He went to 'The Cat' with Qiao Jiajin and Officer Li. Later, Chen Junnan followed too. He should still be there by now."
"What? That bastard Chen Junnan went too?!" Qin Dingdong was stunned. "Is that kid really trying to avoid me? I come looking for him, he shows up. I show up, he leaves. I'm so fucking done."
"So what do you say...?" Li Xiangling asked. "Sister Lin Qin's injuries aren't light. Walking back would probably be dangerous..."
"Since Qi Xia isn't at 'Heaven's Gate,' there's no point in us going back either." Lin Qin finished speaking and looked at Li Xiangling again. "Can you help me stabilize my right leg? Later, I'll go to 'The Cat' to find Qi Xia."
"No problem, Sister Lin Qin." Li Xiangling nodded.
"Then can we go to that Earth Snake game venue with you first?" Lin Qin asked Yun Yao again.
"Yes... that's fine." Yun Yao said. "Don't mind what I said earlier. I just..."
"It's alright." Lin Qin smiled slightly. "I can tell what you're thinking from your micro-expressions. You've just been deceived too many times."
Yun Yao smiled bitterly and nodded.
Just as the six of them had agreed to leave, they turned around and found a strange man standing right before them.
The man's figure didn't seem to have appeared out of nowhere. It was as if he had been standing there all along, now staring blankly at the screen.
This man had a pale complexion and disheveled hair, with a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses perched on his face.
In his left hand, he held a book titled *Game Theory*, and he wore a somewhat wrinkled white shirt. Although he wasn't old, he had tucked the hem of his shirt into his pants.
"Excuse me... I'm terribly sorry..." the man stammered. "I overheard you mentioning 'Earth Snake,' right? Excuse me... I know this is a bit of an interruption... but do you have any information about him?"
Seeing this man's face, Qin Dingdong drew in a sharp breath and silently took half a step back.
These past few days had been utterly absurd.
"A legion of ghosts wandering the night, that's what this is..."
Qin Dingdong muttered to herself, then looked around, contemplating the possibility of escape from here.
Seeing this man, Yun Yao furrowed her brow slightly. She knew that anyone who could appear nearby so silently was no ordinary character. Even the naturally perceptive Li Xiangling hadn't noticed his presence. He warranted caution.
"We... We did indeed mention 'Earth Snake' just now. We said we wanted to go participate in his game." Yun Yao said. "Would you like to join?"
"Oh, yes... Right..." The man nodded, then reached up to push his glasses. "You young ladies... you people should indeed go participate in Earth Snake's game... Earth Snake does have a game. That's reasonable."
From that brief exchange, Yun Yao felt this man seemed like an 'aborigine.' His thinking seemed somewhat off, yet he had no 'Echo.'
"So, are you coming too?" Yun Yao asked again.
"Me? Should I go?" The man looked at Yun Yao awkwardly, stammering again. "Sigh, I won't go. There's no point in me going. I need to find someone."
"Find... whom?" Yun Yao asked again.
"Find... who am I looking for?" The man seemed baffled by the question. "Who was I looking for? I'm looking for... I don't know that person... Right... I don't know them, so how can I look for them..."
"Then, what's the reason you need to find them...?" Lin Qin also asked from the side.
Upon hearing this, the man's expression gradually turned cold. "My research materials... my experimental samples have run out... No Earth Snake, no Earth Snake means I can't continue... What am I going to do..."
He slowly raised one hand to grab his hair, making his already disheveled hairstyle even more unkempt.
"What am I going to do?! How many Earth Snakes are left?! I can't let my experimental samples run out!"
How many Earth Snakes are left...?
The girls furrowed their brows in unison. Had this man made deals with the various Earth Snakes too?
"Don't mind him..." Lin Qin said quietly. "This guy is too weird. Let's go quickly."
"Mm." Yun Yao nodded and signaled to Tiantian and Li Xiangling with her eyes.
Just as everyone was about to leave, they noticed that Qin Dingdong had already retreated several steps away.
"Hey..." The man also turned to look in Qin Dingdong's direction. He squinted, carefully examining this woman. "Excuse me... why are you so far from me?"
"Ah?!" Qin Dingdong was startled. "I'm not... I've been standing right here all along..."
"Wait a moment..." The man pushed his glasses and scrutinized Qin Dingdong closely. "I'm sorry... what did you just say?"
"I said I've been standing right here all along..." Qin Dingdong repeated.
"You said you saw me eight years ago?!" The man's eyes flew wide open, and he exclaimed, "Are you trying to trick me?!"
"I fucking..." Qin Dingdong sensed impending doom and turned to run.
The man's eyes widened as he gave a slight wave of his hand. Vines instantly sprouted around Qin Dingdong's feet, tripping her flat on the spot.