Home

Chapter 87

When relaying the information she had obtained from Lian Qingmiao, Lian Ru Ning carefully observed Hao Jian’s expression. She was worried that Hao Jian might be unable to handle the news and might act out impulsively. 

 

However, it turned out she had overthought it. Hao Jian simply listened quietly, occasionally furrowing her brow. When Lian Ru Ning stopped speaking, Hao Jian asked, "That’s it?" 

 

Lian Ru Ning let out a heavy sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. "That’s all my father knows," she said. 

 

Hao Jian gazed at her, the corners of her mouth twitching into a faint smile. "No wonder he stopped sharing his thrilling adventure stories with me later on. He probably found a new admirer, someone who would cling to him, excitedly asking what he saw along the way, what was on the mountains, if it was dangerous, and how close the summit was to the sky. And then he’d say, ‘The summit is close to the sky but also dangerously close to death.’ He’d try to dissuade them as much as he could, telling them not to take that path." 

 

Lian Ru Ning rested her head on Hao Jian’s shoulder, feeling a deep sense of unease in her heart. 

 

Hao Jian gently patted her back and said, "Actually, I don’t seem to feel as angry or vengeful as I imagined. It’s almost as if… I already knew about this, somehow." 

 

"The hippocampus effect," Lian Ru Ning added. 

 

"Yes, the hippocampus effect... Whatever the case, he’d better still be alive. When the apocalypse is over, I’ll go settle the score with him." 

 

The system, which had been silent for most of the day, suddenly spoke up: "The host doesn’t need to wait for the apocalypse to end." 

 

"What do you mean?" 

 

"Congratulations, Host, on triggering Main Quest 2: Go to Mingzhu City to find Hao Kan." 

 

Hao Jian froze, feeling frustrated. "Why does my system have to hit so close to home?" 

 

The system sounded rather innocent. "The quest was triggered by the host. It has nothing to do with the system." 

 

"You assign quests like this and then claim it’s unrelated to you?" Hao Jian felt a headache coming on, not just her head but also her face, as though she had been slapped hard by the system right after saying she’d wait until after the apocalypse to find Hao Kan. 

 

Noticing Hao Jian’s sudden odd expression, Lian Ru Ning asked, "What’s wrong?" 

 

Hao Jian shook her head. "You go take a shower. I’ll go for a walk." 

 

"Want me to come with you?" 

 

"No need. I’ll just walk around downstairs." Hao Jian didn’t want Lian Ru Ning to notice anything unusual about her. 

 

After speaking, she left the dormitory. Lian Ru Ning watched her retreating figure disappear at the door before sighing and heading into the bathroom to shower. 

 

"So, it turns out I can accept Main Quest 2 even if the side quests from Main Quest 1 aren’t completed yet? This means Main Quest 2 doesn’t conflict with the side quests, they’re related to some extent. Main Quest 1 and Main Quest 2 might be connected, or maybe not..." 

 

The system let out an ambiguous sound, which, to Hao Jian, felt like it was at a loss for words. 

 

"Let me see… Triggering Main Quest 2 requires knowing Hao Kan is still alive and that he’s in Mingzhu City. These two conditions must be met. Coincidentally, it was my junior sister who told me all of this, though you could say it was indirectly passed on through Professor Lian Qingmiao." 

 

Hao Jian frowned. "So this proves what I’ve always said: The characters in these main quests are inevitably interconnected. That means your central system must know about these connections and has likely already written the cause, process, development, and conclusion of these events, right?" 

 

"Written?" the system asked in confusion. 

 

"That’s right. Doesn’t all of this feel like a web designed by your central system? I now have every reason to suspect that the zombie virus is your doing." 

 

The system’s voice sounded as though it was being disrupted by electromagnetic interference. After a moment, it returned to normal, sounding unusually solemn. "…Access granted to inform the host: The Q virus is the result of human research and experimentation. I regret to inform the host, zombies are a creation of human self-destruction. If the host has the ability to infiltrate this nation’s upper echelons, you may glimpse the truth of the world." 

 

"If that’s the case, then what’s your purpose for existing? If you’re truly working for humanity’s survival, you should be contacting this country’s leaders, not me." 

 

"If the host wishes to learn more but doesn’t want to become part of this nation’s leadership, then please continue completing tasks." 

 

Though still mechanical, the system’s voice now carried a hint of threat. 

 

Hao Jian smiled. "If you’re really capable of analyzing my thought patterns, you’d know I don’t take kindly to being threatened. Whether it’s by people or by beings like you, perhaps higher-dimensional life forms, or perhaps just a bunch of data.’" 

 

This conversation with the system left Hao Jian feeling disgruntled. She couldn’t tell if it was because being asked to find Hao Kan had irritated her. It wasn’t just her; even the system, in her perception, seemed to be becoming more… human.  

 

Of course, "humanization" didn’t refer to the system’s form of existence but rather how, compared to when it first bonded with Hao Jian, it now behaved more like a person. It would become evasive in response to Hao Jian’s reflections on the world and, like a human, would lose its temper, resorting to intimidation and threats. 

 

Perhaps she was getting closer to the truth, but what awaited her was anyone's guess. 

 

The next morning, Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning got up early for a run and training session. Someone from the Refugee Management Office approached Hao Jian and said, “Miss Hao, someone wants to see you.” 

 

“Who?” Hao Jian thought for a moment. There weren’t many people here who would need to contact her through the office, after all, even An Minghui could come straight to her. 

 

“It’s Huang Sheng, the commando you contacted earlier.” 

 

Both Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning were a bit surprised. They hadn’t expected him to show up directly. 

 

Hao Jian returned to the dormitory to retrieve Chen Jin’s ring before going to meet Huang Sheng. He was a sturdy man with a buzz cut, sharp eyes, and a calm demeanor, clearly someone who had danced on the edge of life and death many times. 

 

“Hello, I’m Huang Sheng. I heard your message through the Refugee Management Office, so I rushed over as soon as my mission ended. I’m glad you’re still here.” He extended his hand first. 

 

Hao Jian shook his hand and got straight to the point. “Chen Jin asked me to bring you something. I believe you’ve already seen it in the photo.” 

 

Lian Ru Ning took out the ring and handed it to Huang Sheng. His slightly trembling hand reached for it, and his eyes instantly reddened. 

 

“Just to clarify,” Hao Jian said, “When I left, Chen Jin was still alive and well.” 

 

Huang Sheng froze, then blinked hard before grabbing the ring. With a hint of joy, he asked, “She’s fine? I thought something had happened to her. If she’s okay, then—” 

 

“She said you’d understand when you saw this ring.” 

 

Huang Sheng gazed at the ring, rubbing it gently between his fingers. Then he looked up at Hao Jian. “Did she say anything else?” 

 

Hao Jian shook her head. Huang Sheng bowed slightly and said solemnly, “Thank you both.” 

 

Seeing his slightly sorrowful expression, Lian Ru Ning couldn’t help but add, “She mentioned that you’re a devoted person.” 

 

Huang Sheng nodded. “Thank you. I understand what she meant. She wants me to stop waiting for her. She’s afraid we might lose touch forever if something happens to one of us, leaving the other to hold on in vain.” 

 

As he spoke, he pulled a silver chain from his pocket, threaded the ring onto it, and wore it around his neck. 

 

Looking at Lian Ru Ning again, his expression became serious. “But now that I know she’s alive, I won’t give up on her.” 

 

Lian Ru Ning suggested, “You couldn’t contact her before, but now you should be able to, right?” 

 

Huang Sheng nodded. “The encryption work on the new communication network has nearly reached her side. Soon, I’ll be able to try contacting her. But with the escort team being understaffed and overworked, it’s often hard to find someone when things get busy. So, I can’t rush it.” 

 

Hao Jian suddenly asked, “How’s the situation outside now?” 

 

“I can’t say for sure, but thinking optimistically, with people like us out there, it’s not all that bad.” Huang Sheng offered some reassurance, thanked them sincerely again, and then left. 

 

Lian Ru Ning took Hao Jian’s hand and said, “I won’t give up on you either. I’ll always stay by your side.” 

 

Hao Jian gazed at her, gently tapping her nose with a smile. “You’d better keep your word.” 

 

Just as the two were gazing affectionately at each other, someone interrupted their moment. Lian Ru Ning instinctively pulled Hao Jian behind her when she saw her younger brother appear. “Xiao Ruoji, what are you doing here?” 

 

Lian Ruoji, holding a steamed bun, said, “I saw you both going downstairs for a run earlier. When I changed and came out to find you, you were gone. I only spotted you after finishing breakfast at the canteen, so I came to say hi.” 

 

He flashed a bright smile at Hao Jian. “Good morning, Sister Hao!” 

 

“Morning,” Hao Jian replied, still pleased by Lian Ru Ning’s protective gesture. Her smile lingered. 

 

Lian Ruoji, seeing this, felt a little excited: Sister Hao isn’t as silly as she seems during her livestreams, she’s just pretending! 

 

Unaware of Lian Ruoji’s thick “fan filter,” Hao Jian wasn’t in the mood to engage with him. She turned to Lian Ru Ning and asked, “Are you still planning to go to Foshan City?” 

 

“My dad tried to persuade me again last night to help out in the lab, so I’m not sure.” 

 

“That works out. I might be starting my period, so it’s inconvenient to travel far. I’ll contact Wei Guojia to ensure Ru Meng’s safety is in their hands.” 

 

Lian Ruoji, overhearing this, almost choked on his bun. Hao Jian glanced back at him and said, “Sorry, I forgot you’re a guy.” 

 

“...” What does that even mean? 

 

Lian Ru Ning stifled a laugh. “Xiao Ruoji, we’re having a girls’ conversation. If you’re smart, go entertain yourself elsewhere!” 

 

Lian Ruoji looked a little hurt. “Sister Ning, why do I feel like you’re becoming more like Sister Meng?” 

 

“Doesn’t matter. I’m still your sister,” Lian Ru Ning said, patting his head. “Be good and go play somewhere else!” 

 

“...” After ruthlessly sending her younger brother away, Lian Ru Ning heard Hao Jian ask, “Can we visit Professor Lian today?” 

 

Though she couldn’t become a high-ranking insider, Hao Jian thought that gaining access to information about the virus might help her unravel the mysteries of this world. 

 

At the same time, she was prepared to take on more tasks. Based on the connections between missions and the importance of various characters, she believed there was no way such a crucial place as the Science Center would be devoid of missions. 

 

Even though she had visited once before, perhaps certain key conditions hadn’t been met. Like an NPC in a game, no matter how many times a player interacts with it, tasks won’t be triggered unless the timing and circumstances are right. 

 

Lian Ru Ning replied, “That shouldn’t be a problem.” 

 

The two of them went back to shower, changed into fresh clothes, and headed to the Science Center to meet Lian Qingmiao. Coincidentally, Gao Ruosu was there as well, and Lian Qingmiao decided to show them around the Science Center. 

 

Regarding Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning’s relationship, Lian Qingmiao had already told Gao Ruosu. When Gao Ruosu saw Hao Jian again, she was extremely grateful. Noticing Hao Jian’s young age, she couldn’t help but ask about her background. 

 

However, both Lian Qingmiao and Lian Ru Ning avoided the topic. Finally, Lian Qingmiao said bluntly, “Don’t ask too many questions. Let’s just take a look around.” 

 

Gao Ruosu didn’t understand her husband’s reaction but chose not to press further. 

 

At this moment, a striking figure in high heels approached. Spotting Lian Qingmiao and Lian Ru Ning, the woman shifted her direction and walked over. “Professor Lian, I heard the results from irrigating the A3 and B11 zones in the rice trial field at the seedling cultivation base are out. Could I take a copy of the data back with me?” 

 

“Researcher Le, of course,” Lian Qingmiao said, his tone turning serious as he discussed work. 

 

“There’s no rush,” Le Yan replied, her gaze settling on Gao Ruosu. She offered a polite smile and said, “You must be Professor Gao. Hello, I’m Le Yan from the hydrology research team.” 

 

“Hello,” Gao Ruosu stepped forward to exchange pleasantries. 

 

After their brief chat, Le Yan turned her attention to Hao Jian, who had been silent the whole time. “And this is…?” 

 

“Safety Recorder, Hao Jian,” Hao Jian introduced herself, taking the initiative to reveal her identity. 

 

Le Yan looked puzzled. “Safety Recorder? Forgive me, but I’m not familiar with this profession. What does it involve?” 

 

“Just a general helper, nothing worth noting. No need to pay it much mind, Researcher Le,” Hao Jian replied nonchalantly. 

 

Lian Qingmiao interjected, “She’s not just a helper. Young people have such a humorous way of describing things. A Safety Recorder is a specialist who records safety-related events and information.” 

 

Le Yan nodded. “Professor Lian is right. For someone as young as Miss Hao to hold such a role, she must have extraordinary skills. I’ve always admired people like that.” 

 

Hao Jian shamelessly agreed, “I think my skills are indeed exceptional.” 

 

“...” Both Lian Qingmiao and Gao Ruosu were momentarily speechless, while Lian Ru Ning’s calm demeanor suggested she wholeheartedly agreed. 

 

Le Yan, clearly unprepared for Hao Jian to take her polite words seriously, gave a faint smile and said nothing more.