Teaming Up

The call was answered by Liu Jinsen. Under the effect of the Level 6 item Mysterious CEO Call, everything around Liu Jinsen appeared in the projection as well.

Liu Jinsen looked as he always did, cold-faced and meticulous.

Sha Ruijing, standing beside him, was also the same as last time, smiling with a hint of ingratiating flattery.

"Wen Xishu, I'm calling to tell you that you need to enter the Strange Tower before four this afternoon."

Liu Jinsen did not waste a single word.

Wen Xishu said,

"How can I redeem my sins? I already did as you said and exceeded the requirements for exploring the Strange Tower."

"By all rights, my merits and demerits should have canceled each other out by now, shouldn't they? I also saved countless lives. It would be one thing if the Bunker Security Bureau refused to reward me, but now you're actually sending me into danger again?"

A guilty expression appeared on Liu Jinsen's face, which surprised Wen Xishu.

"I'm sorry. I misjudged how much the higher-ups desired you... or rather, the secret you possess."

"At present, aside from the First Bureau and the Sixth Bureau, the other four bureaus within the Security Bureau all want to interrogate you. The five bureaus under the Government Affairs Bureau also want to capture you."

"Thanks to the Old Principal's intervention, as well as the efforts of the directors of the First Bureau and Sixth Bureau, you are temporarily safe for now."

"You may study at Three Towers Academy, or move about the Bunker as freely as an ordinary citizen."

"For now, no department may apply for an arrest warrant against you, nor do they have the authority to apprehend you."

"All of this is thanks to your contributions to the lower levels. Sha Ruijing also put in considerable effort on this matter. The name Wen Xishu is now extremely sacred in the lower levels."

At that point, Liu Jinsen looked toward Sha Ruijing.

Wen Xishu had not expected Sha Ruijing to pull off something this huge.

Although he did not know how famous he had become in the lower levels, nor how exactly Sha Ruijing had made it happen...

Since Liu Jinsen had specifically mentioned it, and had deliberately brought Sha Ruijing along for this call, it was probably so Wen Xishu would know that Sha Ruijing's contributions could not be overlooked.

Wen Xishu said,

"Thank Secretary Sha... no, Comrade Sha Ruijing for me. If I get the chance in the future, I'll repay him."

Sha Ruijing seemed to know that Wen Xishu could see them through the call. He waved at Wen Xishu with a beaming smile.

Wen Xishu returned to the main subject.

"But I'm guessing that neither what I've done nor what Sha Ruijing has done is enough, right?"

Liu Jinsen nodded.

"I'm sorry... it really isn't enough."

"This involves many complicated matters, Wen Xishu. All I can tell you is that you are now a chess piece in a struggle between multiple sides."

No one would be happy to be called a chess piece. But Wen Xishu was not angry.

"Alright, Officer Liu. Tell me, what else do I need to do?"

Liu Jinsen said,

"Grow stronger."

Wen Xishu was startled at first, then understood. That really was a tactful way of putting it.

Liu Jinsen continued,

"From now on, you must continue growing stronger. But you should know how that must be done."

"The Bunker Security Bureau hopes that you will explore the Strange Tower at fixed intervals. The exact interval is seven days."

"After each exploration of the Strange Tower, you will have seven days to rest and adjust. Seven days later, you will explore the Strange Tower again."

"Wen Xishu, I personally despise Wen Chaohua. His crimes are too numerous to recount. But I don't dislike you, especially after you recently saved the lives of countless people in the lower levels."

"If I could, I would be willing to stake my career on protecting you. But I am too insignificant to do that."

"Even if I risked everything, I would not be able to change the decisions of those at the top."

"Seven days after seven days, it is foreseeable that you will continue to fall into danger."

"But judging from your first performance, I believe you are no ordinary man. Perhaps someday, in terms of climbing the towers alone... you will surpass Wen Chaohua."

"I think that when that time comes, certain decisions made by the Security Bureau will become more cautious."

"May you become a legend of the Bunker."

At that moment, Wen Xishu glanced at Albert, the old madman behind him, who was drinking red wine and swaying his head.

Wen Xishu fell silent for a while before saying,

"Can you tell me what Wen Chaohua actually did?"

Although Albert had refused to answer this question not long ago, when Wen Xishu asked Liu Jinsen now, Albert did not stop him.

The Old Principal still wore that leisurely expression.

Liu Jinsen also fell silent for a moment before saying,

"Countless people... tower climbers in the Bunker, including many on the Ladder Ranking, died because of him. He also caused losses in the exploration of the Three Towers that were nearly irreversible."

"As for anything more, I promised the Old Principal that I could not tell you."

Wen Xishu glanced at Albert. Albert smiled and waved at him.

Wen Xishu said helplessly,

"Alright, I understand. Is there anything else you need to add about entering the tower this afternoon?"

Liu Jinsen gave a sound of acknowledgment.

"Yes. You have already gone to the Three Towers once, so this time, after activating the Login Device... you will go to the Rest Area."

"The function of the Rest Area..."

Wen Xishu interrupted him.

"I know what the Rest Area is for. It's a place to trade information, prepare for battle, and form teams."

Liu Jinsen said,

"Alright. What I wanted to say is that there will be quite a few people in the Rest Area for this Strange Tower expedition."

"Most of them are death-row inmates or exiles. There will also be some... well, some 'of our own people.'"

"You should know that people of the same level with the same mission can form teams in the Rest Area."

Wen Xishu gave a soft scoff, roughly guessing what was going on.

Liu Jinsen said,

"If you do not meet the conditions for forming a team, then so be it. But if you do... the higher-ups hope you will accept team invitations."

Wen Xishu asked curiously,

"If I meet the conditions but refuse to form a team... will the higher-ups know? They aren't in the Rest Area."

Liu Jinsen's tone turned grave.

"They will. There are many special items in this world, such as the phone you are using right now, which belongs to the Old Principal."

"There are also some items that can analyze part of the Login Device's data. I've even heard that in the Bunker's highest Function Layer, there are rooms capable of viewing all kinds of indicators."

"So do not choose to defy them. Wen Xishu, I know you are unwilling, but I am not advising you from the Security Bureau's position. Before you become strong enough, it is best to adapt to the environment first."

Wen Xishu understood.

When exploring the Three Towers, which layer or which area one would enter was unknown.

For the Desire Tower and Strange Tower, one had to be in the same area and have the same mission in order to form a team.

In other words, if he was the only person assigned a certain mission during a given period, he would be unable to team up with anyone.

And even if he could form a team, his teammates might not necessarily be the "watchers" arranged by the higher-ups.

But the possibility still existed.

As long as the higher-ups arranged enough people, and as long as he explored the Strange Tower enough times...

There would eventually be a time when he might form a team with one of those people arranged by the higher-ups.

Once they formed a team and became teammates, the process of his exploration of the Strange Tower might be recorded.

The higher-ups were truly going all out to obtain Wen Chaohua's secret.

Even for the slightest possibility, they were willing to send numerous exiles, death-row inmates... even suicide squads to gamble on it.

Wen Xishu now believed more and more that Wen Chaohua possessed something the higher-ups desperately desired.

Wen Xishu said,

"If I happen to be able to form a team, but I kill all my teammates in the Strange Tower, what would happen?"

That was blunt enough. The casual attitude with which he spoke of killing teammates even stunned Liu Jinsen.

Liu Jinsen suddenly wondered whether demons lived inside the hearts of both Wen brothers.

Albert narrowed his eyes slightly and studied Wen Xishu.

Liu Jinsen still answered truthfully.

"Please do not do that. Most people who explore the Strange Tower are criminals, but that does not rule out a small number of people who choose to risk everything to change their fate. Just like you."

"Some people are innocent. Even if they are criminals, from the moment they choose to enter the Strange Tower, they are already atoning for their sins."

"You cannot know whether the people teaming up with you are there for you, or for freedom and wealth."

"If it is the latter, then they may die to the monsters of the Strange Tower, but they should never die at the hands of their own people."

Wen Xishu did not refute that.

In truth, the moment Liu Jinsen said, "Please do not do that," he had already received his answer.

Wen Xishu naturally knew that some people did not deserve to die. But if he were in an environment where they would kill him if he did not kill them, he knew very well that he would not show the slightest mercy.

"Alright, Officer Liu. I'm someone without any violent tendencies. I won't do that sort of thing. I didn't even use violence in the Strange Tower."

At least the latter half of that was true. Wen Xishu had indeed not used violence in the Strange Tower.

He had only used it in the Desire Tower.

(I'm in Xi'an these past two days, so I'll temporarily muddle through with two updates a day.)