"Miss Tong Yang, what are you doing back there all by yourself? Hurry up."
Tong Yang hung up the phone and quickened her pace to catch up with the other three.
Parallel World Tong Yang asked, "So, what's the plan?"
Tong Yang replied, "Same as usual."
Parallel World Tong Yang nodded, not fully understanding. "Where to?"
"Anywhere."
"How long do you plan to stay out?"
Tong Yang said, "We'll see tonight."
"Alright."
While their conversation seemed to be about planning the next activity, undercurrents swirled beneath the surface, the subtext far exceeding the spoken words.
Tong Yang bought a few things she wanted. Parallel World Tong Yang, who likely rarely went shopping, purchased quite a few odd and unusual items. She was penniless, so Tong Yang paid.
If it weren't for the fact that the Hark Island operation had earned her enough money to live comfortably off the interest for a lifetime, Tong Yang wouldn't have played the fool and paid for her.
The young couple didn't buy much, following behind them the whole time, their presence quite noticeable.
After lunch, Tong Yang suggested it was time to head back.
Cynthia exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't you say we'd stay out until evening?"
Parallel World Tong Yang smiled. "Don't worry, we'll come find you to play tonight."
"Really? You absolutely must come then."
Tong Yang gave a faint smile. "Of course."
Returning to the hotel, the four entered their respective rooms.
Tong Yang reviewed online lectures and practiced listening comprehension, while Parallel World Tong Yang leaned on the sofa playing games.
In the evening, the two had a quick bite to eat.
A little after nine, Cynthia proactively knocked on their door.
"We've prepared a game of Truth or Dare. Want to join?"
Tong Yang took off her headphones. "I have about half an hour of listening left. I'll join in a bit."
"Then just come over when you're ready. Norman and I prepared lots of snacks!"
"Okay."
Tong Yang and Parallel World Tong Yang exchanged a glance, then returned to their respective tasks.
Half an hour later, the two of them knocked on the neighboring room's door.
"You're finally here! Norman and I can't wait any longer."
"Is that so?"
"Then let's start early and finish early."
"Come on in!"
The two entered the room. The layout was identical to every other hotel room. They had spread a carpet on the floor, with some snacks and a Truth or Dare spinner placed on it.
"Have you played Truth or Dare before?"
Tong Yang said, "Yes."
Parallel World Tong Yang said, "Yes."
"Any special rules from your side?"
Tong Yang said, "Probably similar."
Parallel World Tong Yang said, "Whoever loses, dies."
"Wow! That sounds really interesting. Should we try that too?" Cynthia said with delight.
Norman chimed in, "I think it sounds great too. Whoever loses, dies!"
Parallel World Tong Yang said, "No need to be so direct. We can start with smaller stakes. Like a finger, or an eyeball. By the end, someone will always die."
She curled her lips into a smile, her eyes relaxed. "I've never lost once, you know."
"Let's do it, let's do it!"
"I'm so excited!"
The four sat on the carpet. Tong Yang didn't participate much in the idle chat, still mentally reviewing the English listening passage she had just heard. However, her line of thought was different: if this listening passage were turned into reading comprehension questions, which parts would likely be tested.
"I'll go first." Parallel World Tong Yang spun the pointer. It stopped in front of Norman.
"Truth or Dare? After three truths, you must choose dare."
Norman said, "Truth."
"Ask me anything."
Tong Yang voiced an English phrase she had been thinking about and asked him to translate it into Chinese.
Norman said, "They said, I will die tonight."
Tong Yang nodded. "Correct."
For the next few rounds, everyone chose Truth, asking some inconsequential questions.
After three rounds of Truth, Norman had no choice but to choose Dare.
Parallel World Tong Yang tossed out a knife. "Right index finger."
Norman took the knife, tightened his lips, pressed his hand onto the carpet, and forcefully brought the knife down.
"Ugh!" Norman let out a muffled groan, blood splattering.
A little got on Tong Yang. Her expression didn't change as she observed Norman's severed finger, noting it showed no signs of healing.
Not someone who stayed in the real world because of the premium gene serum, but one of the fifty people sent to the real world from childhood, like He Jingjing?
"Next..." Parallel World Tong Yang flicked the pointer. It steadily stopped in front of Cynthia. "Your turn. You can only choose Dare."
Cynthia propped her chin on her hand. "Well, no choice then. I choose Dare!"
"Tong Yang, what dare do you think is good?" Parallel World Tong Yang asked.
Tong Yang thought for a moment. "An ear."
"Which one?"
"Left."
Norman handed the blood-stained knife to Cynthia. "Here, a bet's a bet."
Cynthia took the knife, gritted her teeth, and in one swift motion cut off her left ear. It fell to the floor, bloody.
Tong Yang glanced at it, then continued silently reciting English vocabulary.
"Next." Cynthia said, her face pale.
Norman spun the pointer. The golden pointer finally pointed at Tong Yang.
"Dare." Tong Yang said.
"I want your heart!" Cynthia said excitedly, disregarding her own bleeding ear, and handed the knife to Tong Yang.
Tong Yang looked at the blood on the blade. "Don't you two want to tend to your wounds?"
"We're fine!"
"Tong Yang, a bet's a bet. Hurry up and do it!"
Tong Yang sighed regretfully. "What a pity. I haven't finished reciting my vocabulary yet."
"Not a pity!"
"Not a pity at all!"
Tong Yang gripped the knife. Suddenly, the blade turned and slashed towards Cynthia's throat.
A chill spread through Cynthia's throat, followed by the gradual, warm trickle of liquid.
"You..." Cynthia's eyes widened in disbelief.
Norman frowned. "That's not within the game rules."
Before he could finish speaking, a face suddenly appeared right in front of him.
"Have a safe journey."
Parallel World Tong Yang seized his jaw, forced his mouth open, reached her right hand inside, and ripped his internal organs out alive.
Instantly, blood flowed everywhere, bits of human tissue scattering across the floor.
"You... broke the rules..."
Tong Yang stood up, plunged the knife fiercely into her heart, and said calmly, "Rules are meant to be broken."
"How did... you find out..."
"Be smarter in your next life. No normal person would invite a murderer to play a game at a time like that."
The two bodies fell in succession, the room a scene of carnage.
Tong Yang walked into the bathroom expressionlessly and washed the blood from her hands.
By the time she came out, the two corpses on the floor had already vanished.
"Let's go back." Tong Yang said.
Parallel World Tong Yang said with lingering relish, "I haven't had enough fun yet."
"Then you can keep playing by yourself."
"Since you can loop, let's loop once? I want to know what that feels like."
"You go ahead and have fun, I'm going back. I still have two online lectures to finish watching."
Tong Yang from the parallel world lazily got up, following behind her, and said, "What a good kid, so studious."
Tong Yang shot her a sidelong glance, opened the door, and left the room directly.
A few days later, Tong Yang obtained the coordinates of the next parallel world human and prepared to leave the hotel.
At eight in the morning, two police officers knocked on the door.
"Can I help you?" Tong Yang asked.
"The two guests staying next door to you have mysteriously disappeared. We reviewed the surveillance footage, and you were the only ones who entered their room before they vanished. Please cooperate with the police investigation."
"Just a moment..." Tong Yang turned to get her phone.
"Don't move!" the other officer suddenly raised his pistol, aiming at Tong Yang. "Please do nothing and cooperate with the investigation!"
Tong Yang pursed her lips. Carrying firearms wasn't illegal in Country M, and the police were being very cautious, probably thinking she was hiding some weapon.
"I want to make a call to speak with your superiors."
"You can say whatever you need to at the police station."
"I don't have time. You can handcuff me, but let me make one phone call."
"No. Come with us to the station first."
Tong Yang was speechless. If she had known it would be this troublesome, she would have called Mr. Meng earlier. Back in the country, the police basically all knew her and didn't require much explanation.
The two of them were taken to the nearby police station and interrogated separately.
The police didn't let her speak directly with Mr. Meng, probably thinking he was their guardian, and just called him to come to the station.
During the interrogation, Tong Yang's answers were extremely perfunctory.
The police had no substantial evidence and couldn't do anything to her.
A little over an hour later, a police officer with a solemn expression entered the interrogation room.
"Your accomplice has confessed. Where is the body?"
Tong Yang said, "Confessed to what?"
"She confessed to everything."
Just then, Tong Yang from the parallel world passed by the window, raising her cuffed right hand and waving it. "I confessed to everything. You couldn't take the loss, so you killed the person."
Tong Yang: "..."
"Then did you tell the officer that you reached into his mouth and pulled his organs out alive?"
The few observing officers, who had been looking serious, immediately wore expressions of shock upon hearing Tong Yang's words.
"No. I didn't say anything that would be unfavorable to me," the parallel world Tong Yang was quite candid.
Right at that moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from the corridor.
"Chief?"
"Chief, what brings you here?"
The police chief, a man in his forties, arrived at the interrogation room door, panting as he glanced inside. "Who is Tong Yang?"
Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. "I am."
"Chief, they've already confessed. They are the suspects in the hotel disappearance case."
"Confessed my foot!" the Chief snapped coldly. "Uncuff them immediately!"
"Huh?"
"Hurry up!"
"Okay..."
Tong Yang's handcuffs were removed. She stretched. "My fault. I should have contacted Mr. Meng in advance."
The Chief said with a smile, "Miss Tong, please don't say that. Mr. Meng will be here shortly. Please come with me to the lounge to wait."
"Alright."
The parallel world Tong Yang shook her handcuffs. "Uncuff me."
After removing the handcuffs, both were taken to the lounge.
"My apologies. The people below didn't know your identity. Please forgive their rudeness."
Tong Yang said, "They were just doing their job. It was my oversight."
"As long as you're not upset. Mr. Meng will be here soon. Please wait a moment."
"Okay."
The Chief left the lounge. An officer waiting outside the door asked quietly, "Chief, they already admitted it. They really did kill someone!"
The Chief said irritably, "Stop talking nonsense. Treat this as if it never happened. No one is to speak of it."
"Why? They killed someone..."
"Where's the body? Where's the evidence?"
"That's the strange part. The body is nowhere to be found, and there wasn't a drop of blood on the floor."
"Then keep your mouth shut."
Not long after, Mr. Meng arrived.
"Tong Yang, are you okay..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly saw two identical people sitting in the lounge.
"You... which one of you is Tong Yang?" Mr. Meng asked, dumbfounded.
The parallel world Tong Yang said, "Me."
Mr. Meng shook his head. "I remember Tong Yang has a strand of blonde hair."
The parallel world Tong Yang said, "You know that, so why ask?"
Mr. Meng glanced at her, then walked over to Tong Yang and asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"Then who is she..."
"My sister, same father and mother. Yang Tong."
Mr. Meng was astonished. "Really?"
"Really." Tong Yang smiled meaningfully. After all, she and the parallel world Tong Yang could indeed be considered from the same father and mother.
Mr. Meng looked at the two with a suspicious gaze, lowering his voice. "The you from a parallel world?"
Tong Yang nodded. "Yes."
"Why is she here?" Mr. Meng frowned.
Tong Yang glanced at her, then said to Mr. Meng, "She came looking for me. She'll be acting with me for the time being."
Tong Yang thought for a moment and said, "Can you arrange new identities for us? It's a bit inconvenient."
Mr. Meng looked her up and down. The parallel world Tong Yang comfortably narrowed her eyes, letting him look.
"I can, I suppose. I'll handle it with the government. But being with her, won't there be danger?"
Tong Yang said, "It's fine. I can handle it."
Mr. Meng said helplessly, "Alright then."
"Thank you for the trouble."
"It's just a trivial matter. No need for thanks."
Mr. Meng paused for a moment, then asked, "You can't return to Country Z for now. Any plans?"
"Yes. Similar incidents might happen frequently from now on. We'll need police cooperation, and not limited to just one country."
Mr. Meng pondered. "There shouldn't be a problem here in Country M, but other countries would probably require further negotiation."
Tong Yang said, "The government of Country Z should negotiate with other countries."
After all, parallel world humans didn't only exist in Countries Z and M. Among them were those who had taken the gene serum, requiring the cooperation of national governments.
Mr. Meng nodded. "I understand. I'll also try to contact them."
"Okay."
They left the police station, returned to the hotel to pack their luggage, and then the three of them left Liel Harbor.
For a period after that, using the new identity arranged by the Country M government, Tong Yang traveled between various countries, finding parallel world humans and killing them.
The parallel world Tong Yang stayed by her side the whole time and was actually able to help quite a bit.
Among them were some humans who had been injected with the gene serum. If Tong Yang couldn't kill them immediately, she could only cooperate with the local government to temporarily contain them and hand them over to the military for disposal.
Furthermore, some parallel world humans already had organs from real-world humans inside them. Their bodies wouldn't disappear after death. Whenever this happened, the national governments stepped in to cover things up for them.
Perhaps because Tong Yang's hunting activities were too rampant, pursuers from the parallel world and the First World became more and more numerous. However, aside from the "Forerunners" and trained soldiers, they couldn't really harm Tong Yang.
Yet, "Forerunners" and trained soldiers weren't so common that you could find them everywhere. Tong Yang and the parallel world Tong Yang's operations proceeded very smoothly.
Occasionally, I would contact He Jingjing and the others; they were also tracking traces of outsiders.
In early June, Tong Yang suspended her operations.
After playing around in the parallel world, Tong Yang from the parallel world returned to her own world, satisfied.
Tong Yang booked a return flight ticket online using an identity registered in Country M.
After the plane landed, Tong Yang carried only a black crossbody bag, with no other luggage.
Walking out of the airport arrival channel, Tong Yang lowered the brim of her cap and glanced toward the waiting area. She spotted a boy in a creamy white shirt staring eagerly at her, his hands nervously clasped together, his eyes sparkling.
There was a glass railing in the waiting area. As Tong Yang walked forward, he followed along.
Among the bustling crowd, Tong Yang's tall and slender figure made her quite noticeable.
Finally, after exiting the arrival channel, the boy strode up to her and called out, "Sis."
Tong Yang raised her head, giving him a once-over. "You've grown taller."
Tong Le broke into a smile, stepping forward to grab her arm. "Sis, you're finally back!"
"Mhm. Where are the others?"
Tong Le said, "They're resting on the seats up ahead. I wanted to come over by myself, so I did."
"Alright, let's go. We'll eat first."
"Sis, I heard most people from our country aren't used to the food outside. Did you eat properly every day?"
"Mhm, I'm not picky."
"That's great."
When they found the seats where the others were, Chu Shiyu, Xu Junyue, and a few others were huddled together playing a game, occasionally yelling out.
"Chu Shiyu, cover me! Watch me take them down!"
"Left! Left!"
"Don't die!"
Tong Yang glanced over; they were all Xu Junyue's friends, old acquaintances. Surprisingly, He Jingjing was among them.
"How come you're back?" Tong Yang walked up to her and asked.
He Jingjing pouted. "You can take leave from Dr. Wu, but I can't?"
"Tong Yang? You're back?"
"Hold on a sec! Let us finish this round."
"Tong Yang, long time no see." Tao Bai smiled at her.
"Long time no see! That kid Zhou Jingyun isn't here. I heard he's busy running around with schedules all day, barely touching the ground." Hu Shuo's hands flew across the screen as he spoke without looking up.
"Take a seat, take a seat. We'll leave after this round." Xu Junyue greeted her. "General Manager Ye is at the research base. He won't be back for another couple of days."
Chu Shiyu, wearing a bucket hat, pursed her lips and remained silent.
Tong Yang sat down with Tong Le beside her and asked, "Where's Lin Lin?"
"He's still in class!"
Tong Yang paused, remembering it was June 5th, a Thursday. He should indeed be in class at this time.
"How do you have time to come?" Tong Yang asked.
Tong Le said, "Our teacher took us to complete a small project, so we got half a day off on Friday."
"A project? What kind of project?"
Tong Le smiled. "Just an ordinary little experiment."
Chu Shiyu chimed in, "Several students from the advanced class, with him as the lead, developed a robot. It won first prize at the Capital Invention Competition."
Tong Yang said in surprise, "That impressive?"
Tong Le looked shy. "Not as impressive as you, sis."
"Sis, what do you want to eat later? The teacher gave me a lot of prize money. I'll treat you and the other big brothers and sisters to a meal."
Hu Shuo asked curiously, "How much prize money?"
Tong Le said, "The first prize is three hundred and fifty thousand."
"?"
"How much?"
"How much???"
Tong Yang was stunned. What competition's first prize is 350,000? If it weren't for the old district being informationally isolated, Tong Yang would be holed up at home inventing things every day.
Tong Le explained, "It's not that much. It has to be shared with the classmates who participated. I just got a slightly larger share."
"How much?" Tong Yang asked.
"Eighty thousand."
"?"
"Holy crap!"
"No way? I'm a fresh graduate intern with no parental support. My measly salary isn't even enough for my rent!"
"Le Le, you're amazing."
Tong Le opened his backpack, took out a frog-shaped card holder, and handed it to Tong Yang. "Sis, after buying gifts for Sister Shiyu and the others, I had 72,8600 left. Here, take it. All the money I earn in the future will be deposited into this card."
Tong Yang didn't take it. "Keep it for yourself."
Tong Le had always been sensible with money. The money he earned himself should be at his own disposal.
"I don't need it, sis. You take it. From now on, you can rest properly. I'll earn money to support you!"
"I don't need it either."
"Sis..." Tong Le looked up, his eyes reddening. "You don't want my money?"
Tong Yang frowned. "What are you crying for?"
"I'm not crying. Just take it, please!" Tong Le stuffed the bank card into her hand. "This was originally your bank card anyway."
Tong Yang reluctantly accepted it.
Tong Le turned around with his backpack, fumbled around secretly for a moment, then approached Tong Yang holding a bouquet of flowers.
"Sis, welcome home!"
"Ooooh!"
"It's so nice to have a brother!"
Tong Yang paused for a second, then accepted it. "Thank you."
"You're welcome!"
"Finally won! Let's go!"
"The boss is treating us to something good!"
Tong Le immediately said, "My treat! I'll treat all my big brothers and sisters to a meal."
"Didn't you just give all your money to your sister?"
Tong Le said, "I still have my allowance! The one sis gives me, the one Auntie Yang gives me, and what I've saved myself. It's enough to treat you all!"
"So you have your own little private stash too!"
"If sis needs it, I can give it to her too."
Tong Yang ruffled his hair. "Alright, then it's your treat."
"Great!"
"Sis, brothers, what do you want to eat?"
"Let's get out of the airport first. There's nothing good to eat nearby."
Chu Shiyu put away her phone, adjusted her hat brim, and stood up with everyone else.
"Long time no see." Tong Yang walked up beside her and greeted her.
Chu Shiyu kept her head down. "Long time no see."
Tong Yang found it strange. Chu Shiyu wasn't as boisterous as Xu Junyue, but she wasn't the quiet type either.
She leaned down to look at Chu Shiyu, who instinctively turned her face away.
Tong Yang asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
The others who heard the voice turned to look at them, their expressions all somewhat complicated.
Tong Yang frowned tightly, sensing something unusual. "What exactly is going on?"
Tong Le walked over to the two of them, took Chu Shiyu's hand, and said, "Sister Shiyu, it's okay."
Tong Yang was taken aback. "What's okay?"
Chu Shiyu gritted her teeth, took off her bucket hat, fully revealing her face, and said, "If you dare laugh at me, I'll never forgive you!"
At that moment, Tong Yang saw a long suture line on her forehead, resembling a lightning bolt scar, between her right temple and eyebrow.
"Harry Potter?"
"Pfft... hahaha..."
"Chu Shiyu... hahaha... I told you so..."
"If only the position were right and it were a few times smaller, otherwise Hogwarts would be sending an owl with your acceptance letter!"
Tong Yang asked with a laugh, "How did that happen?"
Chu Shiyu said angrily, "Don't laugh!"
"Okay, I won't laugh."
Tong Le explained, "Sister Shiyu fell at school and needed several stitches."
Tong Yang's pupils narrowed slightly. "Fell?"
Chu Shiyu rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I fell."
Tong Yang looked at her wound, her gaze deep and thoughtful.
It doesn't look like a fall, more like a knife wound.
"Let's go, we'll talk more once we find a place to eat."
The group walked out one after another, with Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu at the very back.
"It will leave a scar, won't it?" Tong Yang said.
"Yeah, after it heals, I'll be just like Harry Potter." She brushed her hair aside, "But, it actually looks kind of cool."
Tong Yang pressed her lips together and asked in a low voice, "Is it related to the parallel world?"
The injury looked like it had happened not long ago.
Chu Shiyu glanced at her sideways, "Yes."
Tong Yang frowned, "Why did they come after you?"
Chu Shiyu said, "It wasn't just me."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone in Examination Hall 1209 was attacked. My injuries are actually on the lighter side."
Tong Yang's steps faltered, "Examination Hall 1209? What does that have to do with them?"
"I don't know."
"How are the others doing?"
Just as Chu Shiyu was about to answer, Tong Yang's phone rang.
"Hold on." Tong Yang paused. The call was from an unknown number, registered in Yao City.
Tong Yang answered, "Hello, who is this?"
Sobbing sounds came through the phone. A woman spoke haltingly, "Ex... excuse me, are you the student, Tong Yang?"
Tong Yang said, "This is Tong Yang."
"I am Sun Ye's mother. I saw in his notebook that he owed you a lot of money. Could you give me your bank account number? I want to pay you back." The woman barely held her emotions in check, her voice still trembling.
A sense of foreboding washed over Tong Yang. She asked, "Where is Sun Ye? Is he okay?"
He was also in Examination Hall 1209. After Tong Yang rescued him, he became examinee number thirty-three.
Upon hearing her question, the woman suddenly broke down into loud sobs.
"He's dead..."
"He died so horribly...!"
