The Fourth Element, the Unquenched Heart (Six Thousand Words)

For two whole days, Xiao Xiao did not leave the Old Chairman's small building.

He was simply immersed in the indigenous people's research on the phenomenon of "mother" invasion, as if he really regarded himself as an indigenous person, understanding these mysterious and terrifying phenomena, and trying to understand everything he was familiar with with a different way of thinking.

The materials left behind by the Old Chairman and the old housekeeper Uncle Chen, provided him with a lot of help.

Xiao Xiao vaguely felt as if he had entered another world, or rather, returned to his original world.

But he wasn't sure which perspective was the true one.

I also deliberately avoided thinking about this aspect of the problem, and instead focused on understanding and comprehending the way those people think.

Normally, two days wouldn't be enough to understand these things, or even just to read them. But Xiao Xiao's Mind Burst ability was put to good use in this process. So, when two days had passed, Xiao Xiao placed the last document on his desk, closed his eyes slightly, rubbed his temples, and everything gradually became clear in his mind.

"The investigation into the Black Forest can begin..."

He made a preliminary plan in his mind and then called the Rabbit Boss.

Before entering the small building to seriously study the past two days, I was extremely confused about the Black Forest and the Black Goat Club, or rather, the "city core," because abnormal people cannot defy the influence of the City Will, like a minefield that they dare not touch.

But from that time on, Xiao Xiao began to consider a question.

If outsiders can't touch it, what about the indigenous people?

The influence of the City Will restricts outsiders from prying into the city's core secrets, but the original inhabitants should be free from such constraints.

Because for the indigenous people, the City Will doesn't even exist.

Therefore, understanding the indigenous people's understanding of the Mother is also to understand the logic among the indigenous people. Only by understanding these logics can Xiao Xiao conduct an investigation of the city from the perspective of the indigenous people. Of course, it is conceivable that starting the investigation from the perspective of the indigenous people will also encounter great resistance, because the Black Forest has enormous power in the real world.

But I still had to give it a try.

"Hey bro, that's not fair of you..."

But Xiao Xiao, who had made this decision in his heart and started to try it with a very serious attitude, heard the Rabbit Boss's complaints.

He was somewhat surprised. "What's wrong?"

"You're not good to me..."

The Rabbit Boss's voice sounded full of grievance, "What's so good about that fat guy surnamed Tang..."

Why would you rather pollute him than pollute me?

"..."

"Um?"

It took Xiao Xiao a moment to realize what was happening.

It seems, perhaps, vaguely... that during a deep conversation with his father, he may have corrupted someone?

He wasn't a good person, but I didn't take him too seriously.

How did the Rabbit Boss know?

"It's so obvious..."

The Rabbit Boss's voice alone conjured up the image of her pouting. "That fat guy surnamed Tang has always been at odds with us. We're in the nightlife business, while his main business is casinos and loan sharking. We're all pretty much on the same level, so even if we could take him down, we'd still suffer significant losses. That's why we've always had a headache dealing with this guy..."

"But unexpectedly, he suddenly betrayed us..."

"They proactively approached our Pink Maiden Gang discuss joining, and to show their sincerity, they even offered to wear the Pink Girls uniform..."

Everyone else thought he was crazy, but I could tell at a glance that he had been bought by you...

"..."

"The chubby guy in a pink girl's uniform..."

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but squint, thinking to himself, "You've gotten so fat, at least wear something black, right?"

But having his emotions disrupted by this question, he had no choice but to start thinking about how to explain...

... Because it's cheap!

The Rabbit Boss may not look like much, but he has a whopping 10,000 points to redeem!

Even if I were to have a net worth of 100,000 right now, I would still feel the pinch if I suddenly had to take out 10,000.

But these words weren't easy to explain. After processing his surprise with Mind Burst, Xiao Xiao chuckled softly at the sullen Rabbit Boss and said, "How do you know I haven't contaminated you?"

"Ah?"

Hearing his words, the Rabbit Boss was visibly stunned and lowered his voice, saying, "I didn't feel anything at all!"

Xiao Xiao glanced at the old butler, Uncle Chen, who was standing silently to the side inside the small building. He then thought of the concept of "pollution" as explained by the indigenous people in the documents. He quickly sorted it out in his mind, but he didn't pause at all during the conversation. He laughed and said, "If you need to be aware of it yourself to complete the pollution, then you are underestimating the power of the Mother."

"Besides, I am, after all, the guild leader of Black Gate City..."

"Don't try to delve into whether your rationality has been distorted. Just know that we're in the same boat now. I hope you can do your best to gather information about the Black Forest Biological Laboratory and the Black Goat Club for me. Don't make it like when you were looking for my father before, taking so long for such a small matter."

"..."

"Good..."

The Rabbit Boss was still unsure and stammered his agreement.

She remained stunned, looking on in disbelief, until the dial tone came through the receiver.

Gao Ning's voice rang out beside her. "What did you say?"

"Quick..."

The Rabbit Boss didn't have time to explain anything else. He was so flustered that he hurriedly said to Gao Ning, "Bring me the verification card I prepared earlier."

Gao Ning was also slightly startled. She quickly walked into the pink dressing room, opened a safe hidden in a secret compartment, took out a black card, and hurried back to the Rabbit Boss. She opened the card and earnestly asked her questions:

"May I have your name?"

"..."

The Rabbit Boss was very serious and quickly replied, "Baby Ai."

How old are you?

"...27!"

"What do you like?"

"Sisters, cake, world peace!"

"... What do you really like?"

"Whips, candles, rubber batons..."

"... If there was one last thing you could do in this world, what would it be?"

"Find a closet where nobody knows you, squat inside and wait to die, and play one last game of hide-and-seek with everyone in the world."

"..."

"..."

After asking a series of questions, Gao Ning, with a strange expression, put down the black card in his hand and said:

"Everything is correct..."

"..."

"He's lying to me?"

The Rabbit Boss's expression also looked very strange, and the confusion in his eyes seemed to deepen.

"What exactly did you say to him this time?"

Gao Ning couldn't help but say, "I don't understand what you're doing now, including the verification card you had me record and lock in the safe. You... you give me such a strange feeling. You used to be a very ambitious, inspiring young woman who only knew how to seize territory and do business. But ever since you met that handsome dog surnamed Xiao, the things you do are always incomprehensible to me..."

"You know what? He asked us to investigate his father, Xiao Zhigong, and we helped him find him."

"But in the end, Xiao Zhigong died..."

"Although we helped him keep the news under wraps, think about it, that was his father, and he ended up blowing him up alive..."

"People like that are terrifying and dangerous..."

Are you sure you want to get this close to him?

"..."

Seeing Gao Ning's worried expression, the Rabbit Boss seemed to have really figured something out, and looked slightly confused.

"Yes..."

"I knew he was scary before, but I never knew he would be so ruthless as to kill his own father without batting an eye..."

"..."

As she spoke, her face became serious, her eyes blinked slightly, and her expression surprisingly began to show some excitement:

"But I didn't care about his behavior at all, and even thought it was cool..."

"Could it be..."

"Have I really been corrupted by him?"

"Otherwise, how could I not mind something like this, and even find it exciting?"

"..."

She became increasingly excited as she spoke, even tearing off her shirt in one swift motion. Her Xiao Xiao breasts trembled slightly with the movement, but what was truly noticeable was a laser-printed label on the upper left side of her pristine white back:

[White Mouse 037/II]

[...]

"Now it's all right..."

She chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with a fierce yet chilling light. "I can finally stop being afraid."

"Now we can finally have a good fight with those monsters in the Black Forest..."

"..."

Gao Ning, standing nearby, had no idea why she was so excited. He only heard the words "Black Forest" from her lips, and his expression turned slightly out of control. He immediately glanced around, then took a step forward and pulled the curtains shut tightly before lowering his voice to say to the Rabbit Boss, "Are you crazy? What are you talking about, Black Forest? Have you forgotten the laws of the underworld?"

"We can even set up honey traps with high-ranking politicians, but the Black Forest the place where anyone who touches it dies!"

"..."

But faced with her tension and worry, the Rabbit Boss only let out a suppressed and eerie laugh:

"Mingming they were the ones who provoked me first..."

"They started using me as a guinea pig when I was still too young to understand anything..."

"..."

"..."

"Anyway, the City Will has warned us that true sycophants don't need pollution..."

As Xiao Xiao walked out of the small building, he was thinking to himself, "So this is a good opportunity to give it a try."

"The person who is contaminated is completely unaware that he or she is contaminated, and cannot resist the will of the person who is contaminated."

"Then, if someone who hasn't been contaminated is given a suggestion, can they also act as if they have been contaminated?"

"..."

Rabbit Boss could offer very little help with the investigation of the Black Forest Biological Laboratory, so Xiao Xiao didn't mind giving it a try at this time. However, he was more focused on another aspect, namely, the "Fourth Element" of his own Insightful Path. According to Lin Bo and others, only by possessing this element could he truly reach the core of the city.

Before I came to the small building to conduct in-depth research, Lin Bo had promised to help me investigate. Now I should have an answer, right?

"It's difficult."

When Lin Bo received Xiao Xiao's call, he sounded very tired.

"President Xiao, you have no idea how strict the database of our Dante Organization is. I had to spend a lot of effort, use my connections, and even promise a woman that I would dedicate myself to her when I returned to the Dante Organization in order to keep the investigation going."

"..."

It seems he must have suffered a lot these past few days trying to help me.

Xiao Xiao also became serious and said, "So, what was the result...?"

"And I found it."

Lin Bo said in a low voice, "Although I paid such a high price and used a lot of points to bribe people..."

Xiao Xiao turned slightly serious, and he quickly asked, "What is it?"

"..."

Lin Bo's emotions were interrupted several times, and he couldn't help but pause for a moment before saying, "You really don't care at all about what I've done!"

"But there's nothing I can do; I'm just the kind of person who's willing to sacrifice for my friends."

"Come here, I've already prepared the answer for you."

"..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao, with a serious expression, hung up the phone without saying a word, then took a taxi to his bar. When he arrived, he saw Lin Bo sitting in a booth, hugging several girls and telling jokes. The waiters around him all looked on with disapproval, after all, Lin Bo and his team had been loitering in the bar for three consecutive nights...

Not only did they sign contracts every day, but they also ate lunch with the staff without any hesitation.

Especially when he drinks, he gets so crazy...

Even the store manager felt sorry for him and tried several times to persuade him, "This isn't good wine, don't drink so much..."

But when he saw Xiao Xiao walk into the bar, Lin Bo quickly changed back to a serious expression, gave him a wink, and they went to Xiao Xiao's office together. At the same time, Yang Jia also rushed over, looking at them with a helpless expression.

"To get the Fourth Element you need, you need to log in to the forum."

Lin Bo pulled up a chair and sat down next to the computer, saying to Xiao Xiao, "Then contact the people in Night's End City."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao showed a hint of curiosity. "Forum?"

"Yes..."

Lin Bo looked at him with some surprise and said, "You don't even know this?"

Xiao Xiao blinked and looked at Yang Jia, who also seemed somewhat helpless, saying, "He really doesn't know."

"The information on the forum is too complicated. Scams, brainwashing theories, evil cults, and people who just want to have fun are everywhere. So normally, outsiders need to accept their situation and develop a strong sense of self before they are brought to the forum. But our guild leader... he's too busy and skipped the knight stage, so he hasn't come in yet."

"..."

Xiao Xiao only understood what this forum was after hearing what they said.

Strangers actually have their own online chat area?

I really didn't know!

The information card was placed on the computer case, and then, with Lin Bo's help, the website address was entered. The screen quickly redirected.

Dark red blocks appeared on the screen, with countless chaotic lines breaking and rearranging themselves.

Soon a website flashing with black and red light appeared before me, with only one line of text in the link bar:

Welcome to the world of strangers!

"..."

"Etc..."

Just before Xiao Xiao was about to click, Yang Jia suddenly grabbed his hand and said solemnly:

"You need to be mentally prepared before entering this world."

"You're already quite famous on this forum..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao couldn't quite grasp what this meant, so he simply nodded and clicked on the link.

The screen suddenly went dark, with some trembling and shaking visual effects.

From the deepest recesses of the professional gaming speakers, one could almost hear screams and a woman's sobs that required careful discernment.

A few seconds later, the forum finally appeared in full before Xiao Xiao. Its back was black, which made people feel extremely uncomfortable.

Upon logging in, he immediately saw a series of sections with different functions.

The first thing that catches the eye is the "Things for Strangers", displayed in bold, bright font and permanently pinned to the top!

Following that, there are sections for compiling information on Aberrant Creature, summarizing taboos in foreign lands, a comprehensive guide to Black Dead City, as well as a gossip forum for strangers and a chat room for making friends and dating.

The preparations were quite thorough.

Xiao Xiao stared at the dating and matchmaking chat section with a strange look in his eyes, and then resisted the urge to tap it.

With a gentle swipe of the mouse, I clicked directly on the title at the top: "What Strangers Should Know".

Then, the page popped up, and a notification appeared. "Guests are not authorized to browse!"

"?"

Xiao Xiao was somewhat speechless and turned to look at Lin Bo.

"Register..."

Lin Bo pointed to the registration button above and said, "You don't even know how to do this?"

"These guys..."

Xiao Xiao was speechless. "Why must we talk about logic when it doesn't need to?"

But I still patiently clicked on the registration section at the top.

The string of nicknames, names, and even phone numbers felt both familiar and strange to Xiao Xiao.

In the nickname field, he thought for a moment, typed in the words "[Black Gate City Leader Xiao Xiao]", and then clicked the confirm button.

Then, a notification sounded: This ID has already been registered.

"?"

A look of surprise and doubt appeared on Xiao Xiao's head.

Yang Jia, who was watching from the side, also felt a little helpless and said, "I've already told you, you're quite famous on the forum now."

Xiao Xiao added a "1" after his name, only to find that it was still taken.

Even after adding a "2", it was still occupied.

He was a little angry, so he logged out and searched for IDs related to Black Gate City. Immediately, many results popped up.

[Xiao the Madman, Guild Master of Black Gate City]

[The Black Gate's Great Pervert]

There's a kind of perversion called Xiao Xiao.

[The official Black Gate City Guild Master is here]

[...]

Xiao Xiao was getting a little frantic, thinking to himself, "What the hell is this?"

Forcing himself to calm down, he typed in "[Heartless Boy in a Foreign Land]" and then clicked the confirm button.

It passed.

Xiao Xiao's hands trembled slightly as he tried to straighten his neck, refusing to look at the expressions of Lin Bo and Yang Jia beside him.

More content appeared before my eyes, appearing so bizarre and surreal.

[The Mutant People Invade the Lost City; Has the Great Cataclysm Arrived Ahead of Schedule?]

[Latest news from the Fog Sea Pirates Zero Organization: They are preparing to recruit more than ten peripheral members.]

A new mutated species has been discovered in City of Rest, and its threat level has reached SS level...

[...]

A variety of unimaginable information came into view, making Xiao Xiao feel extremely strange. He forced himself to scroll down.

[A true account of how I became a lord-level powerhouse overnight]

[A Guide to Clearing S-Rank Missions Without Taking Damage - Truly Effective]

[Breaking News – Captain White Devil of the Hell Organization Recounts His Love-Hate Relationship with Xiao Xiao, the Guild Master of Black Gate City]

[...]

[...]

"What are all these things?"

He turned to look at Yang Jia and Lin Bo, his voice filled with confusion.

"Forum for the exchange and sharing of information among strangers in a foreign land".

Lin Bo said, "Of course, some people also call it a forum for patients to exchange ideas."

"Strangers in different cities and different organizations face this distorted and twisted world together. They also need to share information and find a sense of belonging. So, the Dante Organization initially used the network world of the natives to create such a forum. Only those with information cards can enter, which also ensures the confidentiality of the forum to a certain extent."

"Many people use this forum to get information and share intelligence."

"During this time, the hottest news on the forums is the anomaly that occurred in City of Rest, and your bet with the Hell Organization. Black Gate City is now a hot topic in the Outlanders' World, and is regarded as the first true forbidden zone of Hell..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao tried to process this and said, "Is the Fourth Element you mentioned right here?"

"Of course not."

Lin Bo shook his head and said, "The Fourth Element that suits you is a special item called the Unquenched Heart in Night's End City. For Night's End City, it is just a relatively rare and precious item, but it can only be ranked at Class A level at most. However, what others do not know is that if the Insightful One obtains this item, it will produce a wonderful chemical reaction and complete the fourth stage of enhancement."

"So what you need to do now is to obtain this special item from Night's End City at all costs."

"And the forum, without a doubt, is the fastest way for you to access the underworld."

"..."

Xiao Xiao then realized what was going on. He searched for the name Night's End City and found a large number of IDs.

However, one of the IDs, belonging to a Night's End Phantom, caught his attention because it was verified.

This thing can be certified?

"In order to effectively identify the real power holders and those who enjoy the city, certification is still necessary..."

Lin Bo scratched his head and said, "However, verification requires three months of registration, so there's nothing you can do right now..."

"This forum is really not good..."

Xiao Xiao muttered a complaint under his breath and clicked on that ID.

Lin Bo listened, his face slightly embarrassed, and explained in a low voice, "It's a good forum, but there are too many shady people here..."

"Hello, I am Xiao Xiao, the newly appointed president of Black Gate City. I would like to conduct a friendly exchange of special items with your city. Whether it is points or equivalent special items or elements, we are open to consideration. We are extremely sincere and hope that your city will respond promptly..."

Ignoring everything else, Xiao Xiao carefully composed a message and sent it to that Night's End Phantom.

Then he breathed a sigh of relief and waited quietly for a response.

To my surprise, the other party responded much faster than I expected; almost three seconds after the message was sent, someone replied.

"You're the Black Gate City Guild Master? I'm Qin Shi Huang! Send me the money!"

"Roll!"