Chapter 759: Uneasy Visitors
"Find someone by 'luck'?" Yun Yao smiled at that moment.
"Huh...?" Zheng Yingxiong looked at her, unsure of what she meant.
"Little brother, if your 'luck' isn't good enough, you can use mine," Yun Yao said with a smile. "Let's set off together tomorrow morning to find the person you're looking for."
"Really...?" Zheng Yingxiong was startled.
"Really." Yun Yao nodded. "But my 'luck' hasn't arrived yet. I'll have to work on it tonight."
"Is that your Qing... your 'Resonance'?" Zheng Yingxiong asked again.
"Yes, this big sister's 'Resonance' carries strong 'luck,'" Yun Yao said. "Before we leave tomorrow morning, we can throw a twig to decide which direction to go. It'll most likely lead us to the person you're looking for."
"Throw a twig..." Zheng Yingxiong scratched his head after saying this. "But Sister, aren't you all also looking for someone? Wouldn't the direction the twig points ultimately lead to the person you're after?"
"It's hard to say," Yun Yao replied. "It depends on whether my 'luck' leans more toward you or toward me."
Zheng Yingxiong nodded, half-understanding.
Ever since arriving at "Dao City," Zheng Yingxiong had encountered many strange "fragrances."
Some people's abilities seemed quite useless on the surface, yet they could wield them in endlessly varied ways.
He increasingly felt that humans were creatures in need of tempering.
The only thing that made Dao City stronger than Jade City was the freedom of the people here.
They were free from anyone's control, able to explore anything they wished. Though their understanding of the "Endlands" was less unified than in Jade City, and though all sorts of deadly dangers awaited them, they gradually grew stronger under the onslaught of those very dangers.
Zheng Yingxiong could sense that everyone standing on the playground today carried a particular scent.
It might not qualify as "seasoned by countless battles," but it was experienced enough.
More importantly, each person had the right to choose, and they were brimming with the spirit of "freedom."
"Hero."
Tiantian's soft, gentle voice interrupted Zheng Yingxiong's train of thought.
"What is it, Sister Tiantian?"
"Why don't you just tell us who you're looking for?" Tiantian said. "It's still dangerous out there. Besides, the streets are full of corpses now. If you can avoid going out, stay here and rest up."
"It's all right, Sister," Zheng Yingxiong replied. "I want to go out with you. I want to protect you."
"Ha." Tiantian helplessly pinched Zheng Yingxiong's cheek and said, "Do you remember I told you I have a little brother about your age?"
Zheng Yingxiong nodded. "I remember. I also told you I know a sister around your age."
"Then you might not understand how we older sisters think. How could we let our little brother risk himself to protect us?"
"I..."
Zheng Yingxiong often found himself mistaking the sister before him for someone else.
But someone so kind usually didn't end up well around here. If he wanted to persuade her, he'd have to be "willful" one more time.
"Sister, please let me go along," Zheng Yingxiong said quietly. "I beg you... just this once... I'll never do this again."
"Huh?" Tiantian was amused. "Why are you saying it so seriously, kid? If you're not afraid, then sure, I'll let you go. What's with 'never do this again'?"
Tiantian, Li Xiangling, and Yun Yao all chuckled nearby. Zhang Chenze shook her head helplessly.
They all felt that even the way this kid begged was a little odd.
Tiantian reached out, pulled Zheng Yingxiong down to sit beside her, and said, "Tell us, who is it you want to find?"
"A big brother who was very kind to me," Zheng Yingxiong answered. "He saved my life several times and helped me when I was in the most dire straits. But later we got separated. I want to know if he's doing well."
"Hmm?" Tiantian blinked. "I'm a bit confused, Hero. Weren't you from another city?"
Hearing this, Yun Yao, Zhang Chenze, and Li Xiangling all looked puzzled.
"Yes."
"So, we need to go to another city to find this big brother of yours?"
"No, he came here, and he might have become..." Zheng Yingxiong paused, then continued, "...and might have succeeded in staying here."
"Huh?" Yun Yao was taken aback. "Someone from another city staying here...? How is that possible?"
"This..."
Zheng Yingxiong pondered for a long time before shaking his head. "I can't say. If he really did it and succeeded, speaking out might ruin him."
"Is that so?"
Though the girls didn't quite understand, seeing Zheng Yingxiong so insistent, they could only stop asking.
Tiantian took the opportunity to suggest that Zheng Yingxiong stay the night. He agreed.
As night deepened, the voices in each room gradually lowered with the darkness.
People by the window noticed that even after nightfall, a few weary figures still straggled to the gate of "Heaven's Gate."
Though the playground was strewn with corpses, though the entrance was no longer guarded, for many, this dilapidated school was still the base that had once given them hope.
Whenever they had nowhere else to turn, they thought of seeking refuge at Heaven's Gate. They'd never imagined that one day even Heaven's Gate would have no way out.
Qi Xia listened to Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin's soft snoring from the room, then could only lean back in his chair and close his eyes slightly.
When the streets were clearly empty of "participants," those faint, rustling sounds would rise like a tide from all directions. It seemed this place had indeed become a complete "industrial chain."
Some were responsible for producing "chips," some for earning "chips," and some for transporting "chips."
Numerous administrators and participants had formed a delicate balance.
The only pity was that there would never be new members, and no one could ever resign.
As Qi Xia was pondering this, he heard the window beside him being tapped.
He opened his eyes and scanned the pitch-black outside. He knew that only pests stirred in the depths of the night, so he simply reached out, closed the window, and locked it.
Though those things weren't aggressive, they were ultimately neither human nor insect. If they got inside, killing them was troublesome, and wounding them was no better. They had no reason, might possess "Earth-class" physical abilities, and were a hassle to deal with.
After locking the window, Qi Xia leaned back against the chair. With everything that had happened, he felt that this single day had exhausted him more than many previous days combined.
*Tap tap!*
No sooner had Qi Xia closed his eyes than he heard someone tapping on the window again.
*Tap tap!*
He slowly opened his eyes and saw a pale hand rhythmically tapping the glass.