C22 The Underground City(3)

Russell watched Xie Yu with a sense of irritation. The man stood before him, exuding a calmness as if he were merely a tourist on vacation.

Had it not been for these two, he wouldn't have been caught and dragged into this mess.

Xie Yu and Soong Mu exchanged glances, barely containing their laughter.

The young man was a classic case of courting disaster. Had he simply ignored them and returned home after disposing of his trash, he would have avoided trouble.

Instead, he chose to play the good citizen and report them to the police, not realizing that by stepping outside, he was violating a law himself. Now, he was caught up in the same predicament.

The three of them were now comrades in misfortune, and it was hard to say who was more unlucky.

Xie Yu, however, remained cautious around Russell. As a native of the underground city, Russell's call to the police revealed his disdain for outsiders. Getting too close to him, especially now that they were all in the police station, could be like inviting a wolf into one's home.

Trust was out of the question, but Russell could be useful if necessary.

That was the label Xie Yu had assigned to him.

Soong Mu kept his thoughts to himself, as strategic planning was Xie Yu's domain. His role was action.

He trusted his brother implicitly. If Xie Yu decided it was time to fight their way out, Soong Mu would not hesitate to follow suit.

After all, this was merely a game instance, with its plot, characters, and worldviews all being fictional constructs. There was no need for mercy.

In previous cultivation games, Soong Mu had dispatched countless NPCs, so many that he doubted he could tally them all in a lifetime.

"Stop staring. He's not like you two," a voice, soft and slightly cloying, interrupted from behind. Xie Yu and Soong Mu turned to see who had spoken.

A woman with a high ponytail and subtle makeup approached from the rear. She carried a folder, its contents a densely written A4 sheet. She murmured a few instructions, and someone escorted Russell out, firmly closing the door behind them, leaving only her, Xie Yu, and Soong Mu in the room.

Xie Yu's face was etched with concern. Both he and Soong Mu were masters of melee combat, and in such close quarters against a solitary woman, they were confident she wouldn't have a chance to draw her gun.

Yet, resorting to violence wasn't necessary at this juncture. Engaging in combat now could complicate the storyline significantly.

Their objective was simple: deliver a letter to Dr. Robert and complete the game instance flawlessly, not to play the hero by killing within the virtual world.

Reveler World, the game they were immersed in, required players to think rather than just slaughter. Most instances demanded intellect, as the system thrived on collecting a range of emotions from players' subconscious reactions. Pure violence only yielded madness, brutality, and bloodlust—emotions that held no value for the system.

"Don't be alarmed. I'm friends with Dr. Robert. The name's Hai Yun," she said, flipping her hair with a smile.

Alarm bells rang in Xie Yu's mind. Was the game now employing seduction as a tactic to ramp up the challenge? The more stunning the woman, the greater the threat—Xie Yu couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear.

"You're scared of me?" Hai Yun asked, her surprise evident. She hadn't done anything threatening, so why did Xie Yu recoil at her approach?

Hai Yun began to question herself for the first time, glancing down at her attire and then at her reflection in the police station glass, searching for any flaw in her appearance.

Her gaze lingered thoughtfully on Xie Yu and Soong Mu before a realization seemed to dawn on her.

Xie Yu was oblivious to her internal musings, his instincts warning him that she was more than just a simple NPC—perhaps even a trap.

"You mentioned you know Dr. Robert?" Xie Yu cut to the chase, no time to dally on uncertainties.

If Hai Yun truly had ties to Dr. Robert, there were only two possibilities: she was either a genuine friend as she claimed or an adversary of the doctor.

Regardless, Xie Yu knew better than to disclose his mission to this woman. It was best to sideline those not privy to the full picture.

"Don't you trust me?" Hai Yun didn't respond to Xie Yu's question but instead posed one of her own. "I've been acquainted with Dr. Robert for quite some time. I'm familiar with nearly everyone in his circle, yet I've never heard of you two."

After a brief pause, Xie Yu replied, "If you truly are an associate of Dr. Robert, could you take us to the City Administration's headquarters?"

Hai Yun shook her head, moved behind the desk, sat down, and opened a folder, deliberately changing the subject. "Before we get into that, there's something I'd like to discuss regarding both of you. Would you spare me a moment?" Hai Yun sat with a straight posture, her eyes conveying goodwill as she regarded Xie Yu and Soong Mu, showing no hint of malice.

"What's on your mind?" Xie Yu asked, foregoing formalities. He gestured for Soong Mu to join him in taking a seat. Standing had been draining their energy, and with the possibility of an impending battle, it was best to conserve strength.

"Our records indicate that in over two centuries, there have been eight instances of outsiders arriving, always on this specific date, without exception," Hai Yun said, her eyes scanning the documents before her. "I'm curious about where you outsiders come from and what drives you."

"Regarding that, I have nothing to offer. Our only agenda is to locate Dr. Robert. There's no need for further questions," Xie Yu stated firmly.

Soong Mu nodded in agreement, remaining silent. He was cautious around the striking woman before them, fearing that saying too much might betray them. Xie Yu's presence was sufficient.

"If you're unwilling to divulge more, I won't press the issue. No outsider has ever spoken up; you're not the first, and we've grown accustomed to the silence," Hai Yun remarked casually.

She continued to peruse the documents, her finger rhythmically tapping on the tabletop. Abruptly, her finger paused, and she looked up intently. "There's just one thing I need to know. Is there a complete world beyond this underground city?"

Xie Yu's eyebrows lifted in surprise; he hadn't anticipated that this would be Hai Yun's concern.

Before he could respond, Hai Yun pressed on, "The underground city's energy and vegetation have been showing subtle signs of trouble in recent years. We're hoping that through you, we might discover a new path forward."

"I can't reveal the details of the outside world to you, but I urge you to hold onto the belief that hope exists," Xie Yu carefully considered his words, recognizing the gravity of the conversation. He couldn't disclose to Hai Yun that their reality was merely a game instance, and that even in the absence of an external world, their own could endure.

Yet, to the person before him, this was all he could impart.

Hold fast to hope, for the essence of life is forever encapsulated within that very concept.