Chapter 106
In the meeting room, besides the three of them, there was only one participant left.
The remaining boy was obviously in a terrible mental state. He shrank in the corner of the meeting room, shivering and trembling.
Before the editor-in-chief arrived, Ren Li tried asking him about last night’s situation, but he just held his head, not saying a word. He didn’t respond even when it was Qin Zhou asking the questions.
Ren Li squatted down, stretched out his hand and pried the boy’s eyelids open. He then turned around and shook his head at Qin Zhou and Lin Yi.
This was actually a common occurrence in the Rule Worlds. Participants are unable to stand the oppressive environment and thus suffer a complete physical and mental breakdown. Qin Zhou and Ren Li have seen it happen a lot. When a participant suffers a breakdown, they can’t do anything, let alone bring that person around with them. People who’ve suffered collapse often go out of control and can easily do extreme things.
Qin Zhou nodded and Ren Li delivered a hand chop at the back of the boy’s neck.
Lin Yi was watching from the side. He could see that Ren Li was quite experienced in knocking people out. With one strike, the boy passed out. This was the only way to control the situation.
Afterwards, the editor-in-chief came in. Catching sight of Lin Yi and Qin Zhou, he first began to lecture them. After all, they hadn’t come in for work for two days.
The subsequent meeting went much the same as their previous ones. In the end, the editor-in-chief once again ordered them to go catch the latest news.
“Chief.”
Once the editor-in-chief finished speaking, Lin Yi couldn’t hold back and asked, “Has the anonymous tipper left any new information?”
Within the closed time loop, three fake and real Shunxis have appeared. From the perspective of the “present”, ‘Shunxi’ appeared to be unfathomable; its ever changing nature living up to the name ‘Shunxi‘.
However, the pictures of ‘Shunxi’ that the anonymous tipper gave the new agency must have been real. There was a time rewind to when Shunxi came to the news agency to delete these photos, resulting in his arrest. If the submission was fake, there would have been no need for Shunxi to venture to the news agency.
The identity of Cen Qian as Shunxi was the biggest puzzle in the 4-4 Rule World. It is precisely because of this puzzle that most participants fail to detect the existence of a real time rewind from the closed time loop. So judging from the actions of the anonymous contributor, the anonymous contributor must not be an NPC of the 4-4 Rule World.
Since whoever it was wasn’tt an NPC, the anonymous contributor could only be a participant.
A participant who knew from the very beginning of the 4-4 Rule World that Shunxi was Cen Qian. Lin Yi already knew in his heart who this anonymous contributor was.
But because of the grandfather paradox in a closed-time loop, there was a chance that the anonymous contributor could be a participant from the 'future'. Lin Yi thus wanted more information about this anonymous contributor.
The editor-in-chief glanced at Lin Yi. “Didn’t I ask you to find the anonymous contributor? Instead, you come asking me?”
In other words, there was none.
Although Lin Yi wasn’t actually expecting the editor-in-chief to give them more clues, he was still a little disappointed. He didn’t let it show on his face though. Now that Ren Li was back with them, it would be troublesome if he were to read something from his face.
After a few more words, the editor-in-chief left the conference room.
Ren Li turned to look at Qin Zhou. “President, so what do we do now?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Originally, Qin Zhou and Lin Yi were going to go back to investigate in a time rewind where the 170 Shunxi appeared, but Ren Li mentioned the anonymous contributor.
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Now there were only four surviving participants. Now that the main plot was known, it would be unfair to the participant for them to remain in the 4-4 Rule World any longer.
But Qin Zhou couldn’t simply let go of Yuan Yuan’s matter. It might affect the lives of all the students of the Unnatural Engineering University.
There were two time rewinds where the 170 Shunxi appeared, one was the ‘cat time rewind’ and the other was the ‘press release time rewind’.
However, in the ‘cat time rewind’, the appearance of the 170 Shunxi was only fleeting. In comparison, in the ‘press release time rewind’, the 170 Shunxi appeared for a longer amount of time. They would also be able to verify if she had actually led Zhou Qi to violate the Rules of Death.
Ren Li nodded lightly. Qin Zhou glanced at Lin Yi and then at Ren Li. “I will go with Lin Yi.”
He noticed that Ren Li was about to protest but he cut him off saying, “You watch the time. Wake us up in about four hours.”
Ren Li didn’t say anything. He raised his eyes to look at Lin Yi.
Qin Zhou turned sideways to block Ren Li’s sight and asked again, displeased, “Did you hear that?”
Ren Li looked back at him. “Okay.”
Lin Yi on the side scratched his nose awkwardly. Although Qin Zhou hadn’t told Ren Li who was the 4-4 Monster, with so few people left — the three of them plus the one who’d passed out — Ren Li, being that he wasn’t Cheng Yang and had the proven ability to find Monsters, could already tell who it was.
Ren Li had already pinned his suspicion on Lin Yi.
That afternoon, they went around Jianshe Road. The IP address of the anonymous contributor indicated that they were nearby. In any case, time rewinds can only be access at night, so that afternoon was spent to see if they could find any clues.
However, the three of them knew very well that if there were any clues to be found, they should have found them long ago. They’d looked around this area many times before and yet the 4-4 Rule World still reached this point.
This proved to be the case as after an afternoon of searching, they still came up empty.
Seeing the sky slowly darkening, Lin Yi gradually became nervous.
They went to Cen Qian’s apartment and Lin Yi explained to Cen Qian that they’d been away on a business trip and this was why they were unable to come the past couple of days.
Cen Qian didn’t say anything and opened the door to let them in.
Maybe because Lin Yi didn’t eat the birthday cake with him as promised, Cen Qian now acted indifferent to Lin Yi. Even though he let the three of them in, Cen Qian didn’t stay with them, instead turning around and heading back to his room.
The door was locked with a ‘click’.
In the locked room was the cabinet containing Shunxi’s spoils from his victims.
Lin Yi glanced at the closed door. Although the door was locked, Lin Yi wasn’t concerned. Due to the nature of the closed time loop, there weren’t just one but two ‘press releases’ in the present.
One had been picked up by Cen Qian in the “past” and kept in his possession until now, stored in a box in the closet.
The other was the press release of the ‘present’, the one Zhou Qi’s corpse held.
This version of the press release had been placed under the bed by Lin Yi after he and Qin Zhou visited that time rewind.
Lin Yi went to the guest room to get the press release. Qin Zhou waited for Lin Yi to enter the room before turning to whisper to Ren Li, “I know you doubt him but he’s fine now.”
Ren Li was sitting on the sofa. He didn’t quite understand the “now” in Qin Zhou’s “he’s fine now”.
After pondering for a few seconds, Ren Li said, “A lot of people died this time.”
“I guarantee that the rest will get out alive.” Qin Zhou’s voice turned a little deeper.
Ren Li could only back down. “Understood.”
Qin Zhou stressed again, “Four hours.”
Now there were three Rules of Death, even if the one Ren Li found was true, there was still a Rule of Death they were completely clueless about. Tonight they will visit a time rewind where both the 170 Shunxi and the real Shunxi exist. The longer they stay, the more dangerous it would be for them. Thus, Qin Zhou decided to stay for only four hours.
After four hours, no matter what, they had to get back and seek out the 4-4 Monster for a Replay.
Ren Li agreed.
Qin Zhou was quite relieved that Ren Li decided to cooperate. He then headed to Lin Yi’s room.
Lin Yi was already lying down on the bed, holding the press release in his hand.
There was only a small lamp by the bed in the room. Qin Zhou glanced in Lin Yi’s direction. Lin Yi had already closed his eyes.
Based on Lin Yi’s breathing, he seemed to already be falling asleep.
Qin Zhou glanced at Lin Yi, then lay down on the bed. He reached out to touch the press release that Lin Yi held in his hand.
He closed his eyes.
After about ten minutes, Lin Yi opened his eyes. He carefully looked sideways at Qin Zhou. After confirming that Qin Zhou was asleep, he let go of the press release.
When he let go, the press release he was holding slid down. The corner must have brushed lightly on Qin Zhou’s arm. Lin Yi saw Qin Zhou frown again.
After thinking about it, Lin Yi felt that he should apologize.
He silently said sorry to Qin Zhou from the bottom of his heart.
Then Lin Yi closed his eyes and he began to recall Yuan Yuan’s appearance in his mind.
He didn’t know if this method was feasible but Lin Yi still wanted to give it a try.
Since ‘It’ was willing to divulge the main plot to Qin Zhou in order to hide this secret, then Yuan Yuan must be able to cause waves in ‘It’s’ heart.
Lin Yi too guessed from Qin Zhou’s “four hours” that Qin Zhou planned to do the Replay after this time rewind.
He came to the Unnatural Engineering University for his parents’ sake. Finally, he had found a clue related to his mother. The next time the 4-4 Rule World would open would be in another two years. He didn’t want to wait so long and so he wanted to give this — recalling his mother’s face to open a time rewind — a try.
The sky was getting darker, Ren Li looked up and stared at the door where Qin Zhou and Lin Yi were.
The same time Ren Li raised his head, white light appeared before Qin Zhou and Lin Yi, leaking from under the door.
Qin Zhou opened the door. Lin Yi too opened a door.
There was a dark alley in front of him. Hurried footsteps could be heard coming from the corner of the street. Qin Zhou raised his head, and Zhou Qi rounded the corner in a panic, holding the press release in his hand.
Then Qin Zhou rushed in the other direction. He didn’t see Lin Yi anywhere.
Lin Yi had also been late when he entered this time rewind last time.
But Qin Zhou remembered that Lin Yi had fallen asleep before him. Logically, Lin Yi should have gotten here before him.
Qin Zhou frowned slightly.
A slight ringing reached his ears. It was the weak sound made by his past self dodging over the trash bins to hide during his last trip to this time rewind.
This noise was covered by the sound of Zhou Qi running. Qin Zhou turned sideways; this time hiding behind a telegraph pole.
Looking at it from his current angle, he could clearly see a cloaked person behind Zhou Qi. The hood that came with the cloak was very deep, and the figure’s face was hidden completely under the hood.
But the evening wind was blowing and Qin Zhou saw a tuft of long hair flutterring under the hood.
After that, the 170 Shunxi took out a knife. The moonlight elongating the figure’s shadow. Zhou Qi, who was running ahead, must have noticed the weapon in the hand of his pursuer and ran into the alley in a panic.
The 170 Shunxi followed. Qin Zhou thought for a while and tore off a corner of his shirt. He leaned over and held the scrap down with a stone on the foot of the telephone pole. This was a mark he left for the tardy Lin Yi. It was meant to signal that he had left to follow.
If he wanted to see what had happened, he needed to follow the 170 Shunxi into the alley immediately. Qin Zhou glanced at the wall of the alley, gave a light push and jumped up.
Inside the alley, the 170 Shunxi seemed to have heard the movement. The figure turned its head to look outside the alley.
It was at that moment, when it turned its head, that Qin Zhou, who was to the right, behind the 170 Shunxi, finally saw her face.
It was Yuan Yuan.
Among the materials in the archive room, there was a photo of Yuan Yuan.
Qin Zhou quickly found that Yuan Yuan hadn’t looked out because of the noise made when he climbed over the wall but at the trash can facing the alley. He followed Yuan Yuan’s line of sight, just in time to see his past self from the previous visit to this time rewind, dragging ‘Lin Yi’ who just appeared here to hide behind the trash bins.
He could even see Lin Yi’s exposed arm beyond the cover of the trash bins.
Qin Zhou suddenly paused.
Yuan Yuan had discovered them the last time!
But Yuan Yuan didn’t expose them. She turned back around, adjusted her hood again and continued after Zhou Qi.
Thank you for the chapter!
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Ohohoh ….so did she kill them? Looks like she is still conscious or sane mind not completely monster like
I wonder how much Yuan Yuan knows of Lin Yi!
Thank you for the update!
Wouldn’t it be easier if Lin Yi had told him the truth?
oh my fricking god oh my fricking god……ahhh ….she actually saw them but didnt went to kill them……..
……..im so damn curious about the truth ..ahhh