Through the woods, walking forward for over five hundred meters brought them to 1120, Maynard Villa.
Aly Barclay stood waiting at the villa's main gate. Seeing Tong Yang and the other two, she bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Maynard and the others have already arrived. Please come in."
"Thank you."
Led by Aly Barclay, they entered the gates of Maynard Villa.
A long flagstone path led to the villa, lined with trees and flowers on both sides, an extensive estate.
Arriving at the door, Aly Barclay said, "Please, come in."
Entering the villa, several people were sitting in the living room.
"What were you all doing? You're so late," said Chu Shiyu from World A.
"None of your business," Xu Junyue was never particularly polite to her.
Chu Shiyu from World A puffed out her cheeks, "I'm your great benefactor, and this is how you talk to me?"
"How else should I talk to you if not like this?"
"You..."
He Jingjing helplessly interrupted the two, "Alright, is it fun for you two to argue every single time you disagree?"
Chu Shiyu from World A complained, "She's always like this."
Xu Junyue pursed her lips, "I just don't like you. Go ahead and call the police if you can."
Chu Shiyu from World A gritted her teeth in frustration, "Do you think I like you?"
"If you don't like looking at me, then gouge your own eyes out."
Verbally, Chu Shiyu from World A was a bit slower than Xu Junyue and had almost never gained the upper hand.
"Hmph, I won't stoop to your level."
Tong Yang turned a blind eye to their bickering. After all, they wouldn't feel comfortable if they didn't exchange a few barbs every time they met.
"So? Do you know where the energy terminal is?" Tong Yang looked towards Ye Huai on the sofa.
His complexion didn't look good. Presumably, the strain on his heart was too great, and his body was nearing its limit.
"Not sure. I'm afraid we'll have to search room by room," Ye Huai said.
Tang Li stepped forward, took his right hand, and checked his pulse, her brow furrowing slightly. "The medicine isn't working anymore?"
Ye Huai withdrew his hand and said, "The medication can only provide relief. My respiratory function is poor, which greatly affects my body."
"Keep taking the medicine?" Tong Yang asked.
Tang Li shook her head, "Some medicines can't be taken in large doses within a short period. The side effects could kill him."
"Then what should we do?" Tong Yang's brow furrowed tightly.
Tang Li glanced at her. It was rare to hear Tong Yang ask such a question; she usually figured things out herself.
"I'll give him a few acupuncture treatments. It can help him hold on a bit longer. He needs to seek medical attention immediately upon returning to the real world, requiring professional equipment."
Ye Huai said, "My personal doctor will come with Dr. Wu. He understands my physical condition better."
"That's good," Tang Li nodded, taking out silver needles to perform acupuncture. "After editing the energy terminal, we can send you out early."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Ye Huai's voice was hoarse.
"The energy terminal... if it truly exists, I should have seen it already."
Hearing this, everyone was stunned.
"What did you say?"
"You've seen the energy terminal?"
"When?"
The silver needle sank deep into his chest. Ye Huai's breath hitched, and he tilted his head back uncomfortably, revealing his pale neck.
His hands hung by his sides, clenched tightly into fists.
Xu Junyue said, "Boss Ye, if it's too much, you can grab the boss's hand. Don't hurt yourself. The boss doesn't mind anyway. Last time, it was also..."
Ye Huai was momentarily stunned, forgetting his discomfort as he turned to look at Tong Yang. "When?"
Xu Junyue realized her mistake, "Oh! Not you, not you. It was the one from the parallel world. I almost forgot; he pretended quite well."
"Stop talking, his heartbeat is about to stop!" Tang Li turned and glared at her.
"Sorry."
Ye Huai pressed his lips together, lowered his head, and endured three or four silver needles inserted into his chest without uttering a sound.
Just then, a hand rested on the back of his hand. A warm sensation pressed against his cool skin, prying open his fingers and fitting between them.
Ye Huai paused for a moment, then looked up at Tong Yang and tightly clasped the back of her hand.
"Oh? Heartbeat speeding up? Can your little heart handle this kind of excitement?" Tang Li teased.
Ye Huai hung his head, the tips of his ears slightly reddening. "Please," he said.
"They're so ambiguous," Xu Junyue remarked with feeling.
He Jingjing rolled her eyes, "Only noticing now?"
"No, I noticed a long time ago."
"What ambiguity?" Chu Shiyu from World A looked confused. "Didn't you suggest they hold hands?"
"Magnetic field energy really does affect intelligence."
"True."
A moment later, Tang Li removed the silver needles from his chest and said, "Try to rest as much as possible, don't move around. Is there a wheelchair?"
Aly Barclay said, "Yes, I'll go fetch one."
"Feeling better?" Tong Yang asked.
Ye Huai lowered his gaze, looking at their intertwined hands. "Mhm."
"Good."
Immediately, Tong Yang let go of his hand.
Ye Huai didn't stop her. He released his fingers and stared blankly at his now empty palm.
"Tell us, when did you see the energy terminal?" Tong Yang resumed her business-like tone.
"The boss really has no sense of romance. My old Xu is like this when interrogating suspects too."
Tong Yang shot her a sidelong glance. "Then you ask?"
"Heh! My old Xu gets impatient with suspects like this too."
Tong Yang: "..."
Ye Huai curled his fingers, gathering them into his palm, and smiled faintly.
"In District One, in the study of Yan Qing's father from the parallel world."
"You discovered it back then?"
Ye Huai shook his head. "No."
"I checked the computer in the study and found the satellite signal receiver for the Yan family villa area. I discovered something very strange."
"What was it?"
"The satellite signal receiver was linked to a program."
"I tried to access it. It was just an engineering diagram of District One that was being edited."
"An engineering diagram?"
Ye Huai frowned slightly. "Rather than an engineering diagram, it was more like a 3D model of District One, but the presentation method was quite odd. I tried to rewrite the code. It required an ID card. I tried using Yan Qing's father's ID card, but the clearance level was too low to modify the program. Upon closer inspection of the program, I confirmed it was a program set to self-destruct at a specific time."
Chu Shiyu from World A said, "That must be the program set by the energy terminal."
Ye Huai said, "Right. I suspect the reason District One was destroyed was because of it, but there's no evidence or more information to corroborate it."
Tong Yang crossed her arms, lost in thought. "So, with Maynard's S-level ID card, the program can be modified?"
"That should be the case," Ye Huai nodded. "However, most of the program is locked, and the modifiable space is very limited."
"Modifying it just enough to clear the level in a short time is sufficient."
"Right."
"Then let's go. We'll split up and search. Ye Huai, stay here and wait until we find it."
"Okay."
Aly Barclay pushed a wheelchair in and reminded them, "This is not the true Maynard family estate. I also don't know where the energy terminal is. The training soldiers are in the rooms. Mr. Maynard has permitted your entry into the villa; they won't take the initiative to attack."
"We understand."
"You can move around the villa, but you must not touch anything inside easily. Once the location of the energy terminal is confirmed, only Mr. Maynard can activate it."
"Also, there will be more training soldiers near the energy terminal compared to other areas. You can use that as a clue to pinpoint its location."
"Understood."
The Maynard Villa covered an extensive area, with seven or eight buildings alone, each containing countless rooms. Searching them was no small task.
Aly Barclay said, "I will stay by Mr. Maynard's side to guard against any unexpected incidents."
"Then let's proceed."
As long as they didn't violate any taboos, they wouldn't alert the training soldiers. To improve efficiency, the five of them decided to split up. He Jingjing and A-World Chu Shiyu's phones had long been waterlogged and useless, so they could only communicate via walkie-talkies.
Tong Yang walked alone into one of the villas. The training soldiers were hidden in the rooms, leaving the living room empty. The corridors on the left and right had their doors and windows tightly shut.
Tong Yang walked to the corridor on the right, grasped the handle of the first door, turned it down, and gently pushed.
Suddenly, she felt resistance, as if something inside was blocking the door.
She didn't push further. Peering through the crack, she saw a pair of eyes glaring fiercely at her from the shadows behind the door, bloodshot and rather menacing.
"My apologies..."
"Bang!"
Before Tong Yang could finish, the door was slammed shut forcefully.
Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. This wouldn't do. How could she know if the energy terminal was inside without entering the room?
After a pause, she inexplicably recalled the two people from parallel worlds she had encountered at the Third Middle School teachers' dormitory.
They were oddly polite, knocking on each door one by one. If no one answered, they let it be; if the door opened, they went in and started slaughtering.
Tong Yang raised her hand and knocked on the door. "May I come in, please?"
After a moment, there was a click from the door, and it slowly swung open inward.
Tong Yang was genuinely surprised. She turned on her walkie-talkie and said, "Be polite. Remember to knock."
Xu Junyue responded immediately: "Knock? Why knock? I just open it directly... Holy shit!"
"What happened?"
"I just opened the door, and an axe came swinging at me. Good thing I reacted fast."
Tong Yang walked into the room, her voice amused. "So, I'm telling you to be a polite person."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!"
Then, A-World Chu Shiyu's voice drifted eerily from the walkie-talkie: "You could have mentioned that earlier next time. I've already been slashed twice."
"Hahaha... Serves you right!" Xu Junyue said gleefully.
"Piss off!"
Tong Yang ignored them and entered the room, surveying her surroundings. It was an ordinary study, not large in layout. Bookshelves lined both sides, and a desk was placed by the window in the middle.
Meanwhile, the training soldier standing in the corner stared fixedly at her. Tong Yang took a step forward, and he took a step forward, a weapon in his hand, seeming somewhat eager for action.
Tong Yang turned on the walkie-talkie and reminded, "Don't touch anything in the rooms."
"Oh, I know. Gotta be a polite person," Xu Junyue responded.
A-World Chu Shiyu roared, "I told you to mention it earlier next time! My head almost got chopped off!"
"Pfft, hahaha... Serves you right!" Xu Junyue's laughter was wild.
"Get lost, get lost, get lost!"
He Jingjing joined the channel, saying, "Xu Junyue, you're laughing like a maniac."
"Am I? Hahaha..."
Tang Li's voice came through: "Have you guys noticed? These training soldiers aren't bad-looking. It's a pity they're stuck alone in these rooms. It would be nice if we could take them home..."
"You're so lecherous!"
Tang Li said, "Appetite and desire are part of human nature."
"Tch."
Tong Yang headed straight for the desk. Walking behind it, she was about to pull out the chair to examine the computer closely. Just as her fingers were about to touch the chair back, a cool breeze blew from behind. She paused and looked back.
The man stood behind her, eyes wide with anger, holding his weapon high. If Tong Yang touched the chair, the weapon would plunge down without hesitation.
Tong Yang withdrew her hand. "I won't touch it. I'm not touching it."
The man stared at her. After a few seconds, he slowly lowered his weapon, but his eyes remained fixed on Tong Yang.
She paid him no further mind and looked at the computer screen. It was powered off.
Ye Huai had said the energy terminal was connected to the regional satellite receiver. The computer couldn't be shut down, otherwise the regional satellite signal would disappear too.
"Move aside." Tong Yang turned to leave the room, speaking to the man.
The man paused for several seconds before stepping out of the way.
Tong Yang walked straight out of the room. The man followed closely step by step. The moment she exited, the door slammed shut with a heavy "Bang!"
The gust of wind it created ruffled Tong Yang's hair.
"What a temper," Tong Yang scoffed.
Without further delay, she knocked on the next door.
With the previous experience, the confirmation process became much faster.
There were over thirty rooms on the villa's first floor. After more than half an hour, she had barely managed to check them all before heading to the second floor.
The others were in the same situation, with no discoveries.
"Bzzz—"
At that moment, the sound of broadcast static echoed over Hack Island.
Tong Yang's steps faltered slightly. Since last night, the broadcast hadn't issued any further instructions to them. She had thought there were no more rules.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" A woman's voice sounded over the broadcast.
"You can hear, right? Let me introduce myself. I'm Xu Siyuan from the First World."
Tong Yang's pupils constricted sharply. Xu Siyuan? Wasn't she connected to the game? What did she want to do?
"I'm not too concerned about how the game is going. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me either, so rest assured, I won't do anything to you. However..."
Xu Siyuan chuckled softly. "Auntie, do you want to say something to our dear Junyue?"
"Hmm? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Ah!"
It was unclear what Xu Siyuan did, but a scream came through the broadcast.
"Don't worry, Auntie is still alive. Come on, Junyue is waiting for you to talk to her."
"Whimper... whimper..."
Xu Jingya's suppressed sobs leaked out.
"Auntie, this is troubling me."
"You wanted to meet me, didn't you? Why do you seem so reluctant now?"
Xu Siyuan sighed. "Has our familial bond faded? Or did I go too hard, making you uncomfortable?"
"Whimper... whimper..."
"Let me pull the knife out. Hurry up and talk to Junyue."
"Schlick—"
"Ah!"
The sound of a blade piercing flesh and Xu Jingya's scream came simultaneously.
The sound echoed across all of Hack Island. Guests unaware of the truth were terrified, hurriedly closing their doors and windows.
"Junyue... Junyue..." Xu Jingya wailed in agony, calling Xu Junyue's name.
Tong Yang reached the second floor. Knocking on a door, she simultaneously turned on her walkie-talkie.
"Xu Junyue, what are you doing?"
Xu Junyue's response speed was the same as before: "Knocking, of course. They won't let you in if you don't knock."
"The broadcast..."
Xu Junyue said, "Who the hell knows what that idiot Xu Siyuan is trying to do? What's it got to do with me? Anyway, Auntie has done so many wrong things, collaborating with parallel worlds just to cure her eyes. She totally deserves it!"
Hearing her words, Tong Yang laughed. "You're quite clear-headed. Xu Siyuan's target is probably you."
After a pause, Tong Yang said, "We have more important matters right now. Whatever decision you make, I won't interfere, but I hope you'll use your head before deciding and not act too recklessly."
"Ah! I know, I know. Am I a reckless person?"
He Jingjing said coldly, "Do you really not have any self-awareness about whether you're reckless or not?"
Xu Junyue laughed, "I know, don't worry. It won't affect me. This is all my aunt's own fault. Forget about her, even if Old Xu died here, he'd deserve it too."
A burst of laughter sounded over the broadcast. "Auntie, what do you think Junyue would feel hearing you sobbing and crying?"
"Hmm... I bet she's still grinning foolishly."
Xu Junyue indeed grinned foolishly: "I didn't expect her to understand me so well."
The voice from the broadcast did not interrupt their actions.
"Auntie, since you don't want to talk to Junyue, why not talk to me?" Xu Siyuan's voice was laced with amusement. "Didn't you like me very much, didn't you treat me as your own daughter? What's wrong? Why are you suddenly not looking at me anymore?"
"Ah..." Xu Siyuan suddenly remembered something. "Your eyes were gouged out by me! No wonder, I was wondering why you weren't happy to see me!"
Xu Junyue had kept the channel open the whole time, so Tong Yang could hear every sound clearly.
"Is Xu Siyuan insane? Can't they talk privately? Who is she saying all this for on the broadcast?"
He Jingjing said, "What do you think?"
"Hahaha... I know, she's saying it for me to hear."
A-world Chu Shiyu complained, "You're really something, to have absolutely no reaction at all."
Xu Junyue retorted, "I am human. Whether you are or not, I don't know."
"Auntie did wrong, she got what she deserved. Does Xu Siyuan want me to go stop her? That's insane. Even if I went, I couldn't win. It would be walking right into a trap."
Tong Yang said, "It's good that you know."
"I know, of course I know."
He Jingjing sighed, "Back at Xili Mall, I thought you were too heartless towards Jingjing. We were friends for so long, yet you could just kill her like that."
Xu Junyue stated frankly, "Friends, family... I believe greater principles should come before these things."
Tang Li laughed, "Looks like you were born to work for the country."
"Obviously."
Xu Junyue said, "Let's just keep the channel open, chat a bit. It's so boring going in and out all by myself."
"Where exactly is the energy terminal?"
"So annoying."
In the broadcast, the voice continued to sound.
"Auntie, do you regret it?"
"Say something."
"I... I..." Xu Jingya gasped with difficulty.
Xu Siyuan sneered, "I bet you regret it, don't you?"
"If you had just left me alone, let me fend for myself, hadn't searched everywhere for a cure for my eyes, you probably would have been happy, right?"
"You wouldn't be alone in M country, enduring humiliation and working for the Main World?"
"Ah... ah... kill me... kill me..." Xu Junyue's voice was hoarse, pleading.
"Oh no, I haven't had enough fun yet." Xu Siyuan's tone was light, as if Xu Jingya were merely a toy she was playing with.
"Siyuan... I beg you... kill me..."
"Auntie, I said no." Her voice was almost coquettish, so childish.
The sound of a blade piercing flesh sounded repeatedly.
Clearly, this kind of torture was more agonizing than a quick death.
"Auntie, if you do regret it, what would you regret the most?"
Xu Junyue cursed, "What else could she regret? Regretting not strangling you at birth?"
"She's insane. Who wants to listen to this noise?"
"Don't want to listen but can't turn it off. I wish I had earplugs."
He Jingjing said, "Just pretend it doesn't exist."
"You're right."
In the broadcast, Xu Siyuan laughed, "You won't say?"
"You've all forgotten that incident?"
"Auntie?"
Xu Jingya was breathing heavily, unable to speak.
Xu Siyuan sighed, "You won't say? Then I'll just have to guess myself."
"How old was I then? Seven or eight, I can't quite remember."
Xu Siyuan chuckled to herself. "My little sister was only two. She had a strong constitution, loved playing with knives and guns even then. You and Dad adored her. Actually, I liked her too. Such a little child, calling 'big sister, big sister' all the time, so cute. How could I not like her?"
Over the walkie-talkie, Xu Junyue wondered, "How mentally ill is she to suddenly bring this up? The energy field of the parallel world really does affect a person's IQ."
A-world Chu Shiyu said, "Are you implying something about me?"
"I'm insulting you."
"Pah! With that brain of yours, you're insulting me?"
"What's wrong with my brain? It's new, never been used!"
"You have the nerve to say that."
Despite Xu Junyue's constant chatter, it still couldn't drown out Xu Siyuan's voice from the broadcast.
"It must have been nighttime. Mom took me away, Uncle took Junyue away. They sent you a message, and sent Dad one too. Told you not to contact anyone, and didn't let you know the other had also received a message. You could only choose one of us, me or my sister."
"Who did you choose? I'm not entirely sure. All I know is, that night, no one came for me. Mom blinded my eyes. She mocked me, looked down on me, said no one would come for me, that I was so, so pitiful, even more pitiful than her, so she didn't kill such a pathetic me."
Xu Siyuan's laughter turned cold. "I didn't believe it at first. But when I woke up, I was blind in both eyes, while Junyue only lost one. Why?"
"I thought about it for so, so long, couldn't figure it out. Why did Junyue only lose one eye? Mom clearly told me that no matter which of you went looking for Junyue, Uncle would kill her. But, why? Junyue didn't die. She lived just fine, even only lost one eye. I truly, truly couldn't understand it."
"Auntie, tell me, why is that?" Xu Siyuan asked, bewildered.
The walkie-talkie fell silent.
"Xu Junyue?" Tong Yang called out.
"Xu Junyue, can you hear me?" He Jingjing also called.
After a long while, Xu Junyue's voice came through: "I can hear. I'm also very curious why."
"Old Xu and Auntie never mentioned this to me."
"Auntie, talk!" In the broadcast, Xu Siyuan's tone became much heavier.
"I... I..."
"You what? You don't know either?" Xu Siyuan burst into laughter. "Later, I found out."
"You never said anything, never said anything. I thought neither of you saved anyone, that Mom and Uncle had a sudden pang of conscience and didn't kill us, just that my luck was worse than Junyue's, so I lost both eyes and she only lost one."
"But, even if you didn't say, someone else always knows."
The broadcast sound stopped. After a few seconds, a voice shouted, "Xu Junyue, you have such a cruel heart."
"Don't you plan to come save your aunt? You should have been to the underground base before."
"Back then, when Auntie and Dad received the news, they didn't dare call the police or contact anyone else. They didn't want to make too big a fuss. Yet, they both thought of you, independently sought you out, and independently saved you. That's why you survived, and that's why you lost an eye."
Xu Junyue's dazed voice came through the walkie-talkie: "That can't be right..."
"Old Xu and Auntie saved me?"
Xu Siyuan asked with a laugh, "You think it's impossible, don't you? You think Dad and Auntie preferred me, right?"
"Hahaha... What a pity. The first person they always think of is you. For me, it's just guilt, just wanting to make it up to me."
He Jingjing said, "Xu Junyue, what's done is done. It has nothing to do with you, understand?"
"This can't be." Xu Junyue murmured.
"Every time I met Old Xu, we either fought or argued. I've only seen Auntie during the last two Spring Festivals. Why would they save me?"
Tong Yang said, "Xu Junyue, it doesn't matter anymore."
"I know it doesn't matter, but..."
"No buts."
Over the broadcast, Xu Siyuan's voice continued, "Junyue, you should know my target is you. Aren't you coming to save Auntie?"
"Junyue... don't come... please don't come..."
"Smack!"
Xu Siyuan slapped Xu Jingya hard.
"Shut up. You don't speak when you're told to, so let Auntie keep her mouth shut forever."
"Mmph! Ah..."
Xu Jingya wailed incessantly, her voice becoming broken, as if enduring inhuman torture.
"Don't get your drool on my hand, how disgusting!" Xu Siyuan said with disgust.
"Cut out her tongue. We'll pickle it in liquor."
"Junyue, my dear sister, I'm waiting for you."
"Auntie is waiting for you too. If you don't come, I really will kill Auntie, you know."
He Jingjing said worriedly, "Xu Junyue..."
"I'm not going." Xu Junyue's resolute voice sounded. "I'm not an idiot. If I go to her, not only can I not save Auntie, but I'd also lose my own life."
"I can't be bothered with all that. Whatever the reason, Auntie chose to do those things herself, so she should accept punishment. Although... although the one punishing her should be the law of the land, there's just no other way now."
"I can't defeat Xu Siyuan. I can't save her."
He Jingjing's voice softened a little. "Xu Junyue, you're right to think that way. There's no need for us to waste our effort."
Tong Yang asked, "Have you found the energy terminal yet?"
"Not yet."
"No."
"Where on earth is it?"
"This is so annoying!"
The screams and cries from the broadcast hovered over the entire Hake Island.
Some guests, unable to bear the psychological pressure, wept bitterly, hoping this person named "Junyue" would appear quickly and end the cruel torture.
Xu Siyuan never turned off the broadcast, using the audio to livestream her atrocities to everyone on Hake Island.
Time passed minute by minute. Xu Jingya's voice grew hoarse and weak, while Tong Yang and the others were still searching for the location of the energy terminal.
"Junyue, my dear sister, why haven't you appeared yet?"
Xu Siyuan seemed to have lost patience, her tone becoming extremely dangerous.
"Is my bargaining chip not enough? Is Auntie alone not worth that much to you?"
"Or are you afraid of dying? You know coming here means certain death?" Xu Siyuan let out a long sigh.
"Well, who wants to die?"
"Let me lay it all out clearly. If you come find me, you will die. But what can I do? I don't want to go find you, I can't be bothered to move, yet I still want you dead... I've got it! I just need to increase the stakes!"
Xu Siyuan said excitedly, "How about this?"
"I know what you're trying to do. I can let you have your way. I won't interfere, you can do whatever you want, as long as you come to me! How about it?"
"If you don't come, I'll kill everyone, rendering all your efforts futile!"
"You probably don't know, do you? I have special privileges, I'm not bound by the rules. Once you clear the instance and return to the Shadow World, I'll follow right away! I'll kill everyone on this island. Even if you have the defective virus antidote, I'll make sure you die here!"
The words from the broadcast seemed to freeze the air over the entire island.
Xu Junyue asked, "Boss, is what she said true? She isn't bound by the rules?"
Xu Junyue's tone was calm, betraying no emotion.
"Do you want the truth?" Tong Yang asked.
In fact, ever since the broadcast started, she had sensed something was off.
"I do." Xu Junyue said firmly. "Tell me the truth."
"Yes. What she said is correct. She is not bound by the rules."
"Why?" Xu Junyue asked, puzzled.
"I don't know the reason. But if Xu Siyuan were bound by the rules, she wouldn't be able to attack Xu Jingya."
"Oh, right!" Xu Junyue suddenly understood. "If bound by the rules, she couldn't take action against us."
"Boss, from the very beginning, the 'Forerunners' never intended to kill us, right?"
"Probably so."
"Junyue, think about it. I know many things, but I haven't exposed you. As long as you come to me, I won't care about anything else except you." Xu Siyuan's voice came through again.
"Are you really going to let all this effort go to waste? Even if you think it doesn't matter, what about your companions?"
"Junyue, come on, come find me."
Xu Siyuan said with a laugh, "You should thank me. I'm giving you an opportunity! You come to me, I only kill you. Your goal is achieved, and everyone can return safely to their loved ones. If you don't come find me, I'll be very angry. I won't just kill you, I'll kill everyone on this island."
"In that case, you will die, your companions will die, everyone on the island will die. You'll fail your mission, unable to bring the secret of the energy terminal out. Then, in the days to come, what will you use to fight us?"
Xu Siyuan sighed. "Junyue, I think you understand too. This opportunity is extremely rare. You will absolutely not encounter a second chance like this in your lifetime. Haven't you noticed? We have no intention of stopping you; in fact, we're happy to see you succeed. But next time, whether it's us or others, you won't get such an opportunity again."
"You can guess, right? I am powerful. We are powerful. Even if we can't achieve our goal in the short term, we definitely will not lose."
The stakes she raised were too high.
This operation was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Tong Yang and the others, and for the real world. Missing this chance, as Xu Siyuan said, there would be no next time.
The walkie-talkie fell into a heavy silence. Everyone tacitly refrained from making a sound, or perhaps they simply didn't know what to say.
Xu Siyuan's words had struck everyone's weak spot.
Whether driven by emotion, logic, or differing objectives, they all understood the gravity of the situation.
They were also acutely aware that if Xu Siyuan wanted to kill them all, she could do it.
"Junyue, I'm not lying to you. What happened on Hake Island, the existence of the energy terminal—it can grant you the true ability to contend with the Main World. Once lost, there will absolutely, absolutely be no second chance. You will only be swiftly overrun by us after the Anchor dies. Are you really looking forward to that day?"
"Junyue, you've all done remarkably well. To be honest, it was beyond my expectations. I didn't foresee everything falling into place so seamlessly. The destruction of the black market, which had the most contact with the Main World, is definitely not a good thing for them. Yet, I didn't stop you, did I? I, Tong Yang... we could have stopped it, but we didn't."
"Do you really want all that effort to be in vain? Junyue, listen to your sister, okay? Come to me. Or, should I capture someone else to make you understand my resolve? How about Aly Barclay? She's from the Maynard family. If I kill her, will you come then?"
"Or, would you prefer I storm the Maynard villa? The training soldiers are troublesome, but they can't stop me. Should I just kill you all here and let everyone on the island die from the poison with you?"
"I'm giving you twenty minutes, understand? If you don't come to me within twenty minutes, there will be no more room for negotiation."
"Beep—"
The broadcast was finally switched off.
"Have you found the energy terminal?" Tong Yang asked calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"Haven't found it."
"No luck."
"Where on earth is it!"
Everyone responded, except for Xu Junyue.
"Xu Junyue, have you found it?" Tong Yang asked.
The five of them had kept their channels open, able to hear each other in real-time.
Xu Junyue had been silent for a long time.
"Boss, do you think I should go?"
Tong Yang said, "There's no 'should' or 'shouldn't.' The survival of the real world isn't your responsibility alone. You also don't need to sacrifice yourself for its survival. Do you understand what I mean?"
Xu Junyue said, "I understand. I remember you once said you wouldn't sacrifice yourself for others, nor would you force others to sacrifice for you. I think you're right. No one should sacrifice themselves for anyone or anything."
"Right. No one should sacrifice themselves for anyone or anything," Tong Yang repeated her words with firm conviction.
He Jingjing said, "There must be another way. Let's find the energy terminal first."
Tang Li said, "Don't be impulsive. The worst thing is a meaningless sacrifice."
World A's Chu Shiyu said, "Anyway, I only follow Dr. Wu's orders."
Over the walkie-talkie, Xu Junyue fell silent for a long while.
"But she has the ability to kill us all here."
"Then let her try. Have you forgotten? I can make bombs. Tang Li is formidable. He Jingjing and Chu Shiyu won't die. I can loop."
Xu Junyue said, "Things could be simpler. If we can't get out, what about the people on the island? Everything will be lost."
"Then let them die."
Xu Junyue paused for a few seconds before saying,
"I've found the energy terminal. It's in the second room on the left, second floor of Villa Three. Come over."
Tong Yang turned and ran out. "Okay, we're coming right away."
"Mm."
"Boss, if it were you, would you go? Tell me the truth," Xu Junyue asked.
Tong Yang clenched her teeth. "No."
"No, you would. I heard from Chu Shiyu that you saved them at Third Middle School. You would weigh whether something is worth the sacrifice, right?" The sound of wind came through Xu Junyue's walkie-talkie.
"Boss, if it were Tong Le being tortured, would you go?"
Without waiting for an answer, Xu Junyue continued on her own, "You would. You definitely would."
Tong Yang dashed across the stone path, running towards Villa Three, and asked, "Where are you? Wait for me to get there."
Xu Junyue didn't answer, instead asking, "Boss, do you think the stakes Xu Siyuan mentioned are worth the sacrifice?"
The wind noise on Xu Junyue's walkie-talkie grew louder, and her breathing became uneven.
"Xu Junyue, where are you?" Tong Yang was running so fast her voice wavered. She ran into Villa Three and arrived at the room on the second floor.
The door was wide open. A training soldier stood in the corner, but there was no one else in the room.
"Xu Junyue!"
Xu Junyue didn't answer any of her questions, murmuring to herself, "It's worth it."
"Xu Junyue!"
"Tong Yang, you promised me that if you couldn't save me, or if it would implicate you all, you wouldn't try to save me."
Tong Yang froze in place. Through the study window, she saw a figure sprinting down the main road leading to the helipad.
"I'm not sacrificing myself for anyone or anything. Xu Siyuan's target is me."
"If I hadn't come along, this wouldn't have happened."
At the end of that road was the underground base.
