The Shepherd's Confession (5,700 Words)

Xiao Xiao himself was not even aware of this change.

He simply ate the noodles his mother cooked for him, including the poached egg, and then fell into a deep sleep in his bedroom. For some reason, he slept very soundly that night, as if even his dreams had disappeared. He was just sleeping soundly, like a baby living in a city womb, in the most relaxed and secure position, sleeping for a full twelve hours.

When he opened his eyes, he could feel an unprecedented sense of comfort.

It was as if the pain and torment of the previous four years had been greatly relieved by this unprecedented sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he even felt slightly confused.

Why do all the frustration, anxiety, tension, and fear seem to have disappeared overnight?

Why can the world suddenly become so peaceful as if nothing had ever happened?

Perhaps because he was reluctant to leave this wonderful sleep, Xiao Xiao lay in bed for a while before slowly getting up.

Seeing the note and breakfast left by her mother, she had already gone back to work at the supermarket. Xiao Xiao had talked to her last night, saying that he could now earn enough money to support the family and that she didn't need to go to work. But her mother just smiled and said that if she didn't go to work now, who would she brag to about her son no longer staying at home all day and earning a lot of money?

That makes sense.

Xiao Xiao didn't stop his mother anymore, but silently considered a question.

To prevent my mother from being unhappy at work, should I go back and buy the supermarket owner?

While thinking about all sorts of random things, he silently finished his breakfast, then glanced at the time; it was time for lunch.

The messages on his phone didn't contain any important information, only Ruan Ruan Ruan inquiring about his experiences in Night's End City. Xiao Xiao didn't know how someone so short could be so curious. Too lazy to answer, he simply started planning his participation in the dinner party invited by the Shepherds that evening, his eyes gradually becoming somewhat profound.

I definitely have to attend this meeting.

Having returned to Black Gate City, he was determined to investigate what the Black Forest had done to him.

Now that he has the opportunity to visit them, he certainly won't miss it.

But after meeting, what should I ask, and what preparations should I make?

On the surface, he was just quietly eating breakfast, but in Xiao Xiao heart, he had considered all these issues many times. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, got up and washed the dishes. He then watched TV at home for a while to pass the time. When it was almost five o'clock in the afternoon, he got up, packed his things, took his pistol and red-handled fruit knife, and went out to take a taxi to his destination.

This meeting with the Shepherds, the most mysterious man in Black Gate City, was on the surface extremely ordinary.

Following the address on the invitation, Xiao Xiao arrived at the top of a luxurious building in the city's business district. The interior was extremely luxurious and expensive. On the surface, it was a high-end hotel with private conference rooms, restaurants, and bars. However, Xiao Xiao understood that since the Shepherds had chosen to meet him here, this hotel must also be one of the Black Goat Club's secret hideouts.

Holding the invitation in his hand, Xiao Xiao entered the hotel very smoothly.

He took the elevator to the 75th floor, then transferred to another elevator with a professional operator, and continued to the top floor. There, he encountered guards dressed in black protective suits, armed with guns, scanning and checking everyone. However, upon seeing the invitation in Xiao Xiao's hand, they did not search or question Xiao Xiao, and simply let him pass.

Xiao Xiao walked through a door where a waitress in a cheongsam was already waiting. She led Xiao Xiao through a winding corridor covered with a thick carpet. Finally, after the electronic device confirmed the code on the invitation, a thick iron door at the end of the corridor opened. Xiao Xiao had finally arrived at this mysterious hotel and saw all sorts of people here.

There's a bar, bowling alley, young and graceful women, and elderly men with white beards.

"Is this the Black Goat Club?"

Xiao Xiao observed everything in this place with curiosity in his heart.

The Insightful One's abilities can still be used here, but there seems to be a slight obstacle. Xiao Xiao understands that there must be some electromagnetic devices here that can affect the abilities of strangers. He had encountered them before, but he didn't know if it was because his abilities were too strong, or if these devices were in the process of maintenance or replacement, and their restraint on his abilities was negligible.

From the perspective of the indigenous people, this is the most high-end shelter that ordinary people can find.

It could even be said that this place is close to the entire Black Gate City and even the surrounding commercial center. Back then, his father joined this club at the cost of his own life and easily gained opportunities here, which allowed his career to take off again.

This also shows that everyone who can join this club is wealthy and holds a high position of power.

While silently pondering this, Xiao Xiao calmly walked forward.

With the help of his insightful abilities, the entire layout of the bar and the crowd were clearly imprinted in his mind.

Many people also glanced at Xiao Xiao curiously as they passed by, seemingly finding it odd:

"How come such a young person is allowed in this club?"

"..."

Wealth and status determine eligibility to join this club, so most of the people here, especially the men, are over thirty or forty. It's extremely rare for someone of Xiao Xiao's age not to be seen without a wealthy woman by his side. The invitation he's holding further indicates that he's there as a host, not just a decorative object.

Perhaps he is the son of a powerful figure, or a rising star in the business world?

They silently speculated, but didn't rush forward to ask; instead, they exchanged friendly smiles when their eyes met.

Until, someone near the bar turned around unintentionally and saw Xiao Xiao.

Suddenly, his expression faltered slightly. "That young man over there, doesn't he look just like someone?"

Those around him asked curiously, "Who?"

"Xiao Zhigong".

The person next to the bar whispered, "The one who was blown up in the company by his own son."

"?"

The two immediately turned to look at Xiao Xiao, and just then met his gaze, smiling and nodding at him.

The man's hair practically stood on end, and his body trembled as if he'd been electrocuted. "No way?"

"Isn't Xiao Zhigong's son one of those lunatics?"

"How could he possibly be in this club?"

"..."

Just as I was wondering what was going on, someone stood up from a group of sofas in the distance. He was wearing a suit and gold-rimmed glasses. His hair and beard were a mix of gray and white. He had a confident smile on his face that came from power and status. Only his eyes, though partially covered by his glasses, still gave off an overly sharp and aggressive feeling.

He turned around between the sofas and extended his hand to Xiao Xiao from a distance. "Welcome, Mr. Xiao..."

"Or rather, Chairman Xiao?"

"..."

"His surname really is Xiao?"

Upon hearing this address, the two people at the bar became extremely nervous.

He stared intently at Xiao Xiao's face several times, then suddenly his expression changed drastically. He hurried away from the bar, as if he had seen a ghost. Starting with the two of them, some suspicious gazes gradually began to fall on Xiao Xiao in the quiet and elegant club. A disturbance began to emerge, and many terrified heads peeked out from behind the sofas in the rooms.

Xiao Xiao ignored the strange looks directed at him and did not shake hands with the old man in the suit in front of him.

He had seen the Shepherds once, but that time the shepherd was wearing a hood and his face was not visible.

But having spoken with him before, Xiao Xiao remembered his voice. Moreover, the Insightful Observer observes not only the face but also the demeanor and temperament. So Xiao Xiao quickly made up his mind and confirmed that the person in front of him was the most mysterious guy in Black Gate City who had invited him here.

Shepherds.

So he asked the other person directly, "Why did you ask me to meet here?"

This is the Black Goat Club's stronghold; it even looks a bit like their headquarters.

Inside the Black Goat Club, there was yet another group of wealthy people who had come seeking refuge because they were afraid of the "Mother."

Isn't he afraid that I'll wipe out their base?

"Because only here can you see the most authentic side of ordinary people when facing the womb."

The Shepherds seemed unsurprised by this sudden question and laughed, "The common people don't know about the Mother's existence, so even if they suddenly learn about the existence of strangers, they won't be afraid. The Black Forest, on the other hand, prioritizes problem-solving, so the first lesson they need to learn is to remain calm and rational when facing strangers."

"Only here can you see the most authentic side of things."

"They know the Matrix exists, and even know how terrifying it is. But they are unwilling to accept that one day, with just a glance, they might suddenly be stripped of all their wealth and power by a stranger. So they seek the protection of the Black Goat Club. To be honest, the Black Goat Club only promises them protection, but they prefer to come here whenever they have free time..."

"The defensive measures and luxurious environment here were all built with their own money."

"After all, they're rich, so they want to hide comfortably..."

"Of course, with your sudden appearance here and your special identity, how could they not be nervous?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao listened silently, nodded, and then suddenly looked at him and asked, "Aren't you nervous?"

Why should I be nervous?

The Shepherds looked into Xiao Xiao's eyes and laughed, "You're one of ours!"

Looking into his calm gaze, Xiao Xiao suddenly fell silent, reading many answers from his face.

The Shepherds and the Pioneer Project that my father mentioned back then—so the moment we met, the other party admitted it, confirming the answer I got from my father. It turned out that I was indeed chosen to enter that damned plan by the person in front of me, or rather, by the force he represented, which led to four years of torment and my current madness.

There seemed to be some kind of impulse hidden in my heart.

However, his Mind Burst ability deprived Xiao Xiao of the power to act impulsively. He could always think of too many things in a very short time, which caused him to clarify his thoughts in an instant, even though he usually rarely did anything on impulse.

"Just because you turned me into one of yours."

Xiao Xiao replied softly, "And since I knew nothing about it, you should be nervous, right?"

Looking into the Shepherds's eyes, he slowly said, "So, what I asked my father before was true?"

"I could have lived a peaceful life as an ordinary person, but you made me endure four years of torment, you plunged me into a huge illusion, and even, it was you who ultimately caused me to watch my father die in front of me..."

"... Until he died, his eyes were filled with fear when he looked at me!"

"..."

He spoke slowly, but inexplicably, the air around them began to feel heavy, and an invisible tension enveloped the two of them.

Xiao Xiao was waiting for an answer, and he was quite confident that no one could lie to him.

Of course, Shepherds cannot either.

"Yes!"

When Xiao Xiao asked the question, the Shepherds simply nodded slowly. "I was in charge of the Pioneer Project."

"You were chosen by me too."

"That's why I apologized to you when we first met."

"Of course, at that time I didn't know that we would be able to officially meet so quickly."

"..."

"Thump" "Thump"

Xiao Xiao's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the man's frank admission.

He closed his eyes slightly, then slowly opened them, revealing a vast emptiness within them.

"Then, I hope you can take thirty seconds to help me find a reason not to kill you right now."

"..."

"It won't take that long!"

Faced with Xiao Xiao's very serious expression and the oppressive atmosphere that made people uneasy, the Shepherds suddenly laughed:

"One sentence is enough."

"Because only I can understand you and help you solve the problem that you care about most right now."

"..."

Xiao Xiao listened to his words, but just looked at him silently.

The Shepherds looked at Xiao Xiao calmly and said only one sentence without adding any further explanation or reason.

So Xiao Xiao remained silent for thirty seconds, then suddenly pulled out Silver Revolver.

"Bang!"

He fired a shot at the Shepherds.

"Bang!" "Bang!"

As if that wasn't enough, he fired two more shots in quick succession, and then even walked over to the Shepherds and pulled the trigger repeatedly.

Chaos erupted instantly. Countless people screamed, ran, and some even cried in fear. The chaotic crowd and footsteps filled the entire club. Armed men in black protective suits rushed over with guns in hand, shouting something. But just as they raised their guns, the Shepherds lying on the ground suddenly yelled, "Everyone stay still!"

"Bring over the Type III Gene Enhancer, right now!"

"..."

The Shepherds had been shot in both shoulders, chest, and thighs, his body riddled with bullets by Xiao Xiao, but his head was spared.

So he shouted those words from his full mouth, and the people around him fell silent for a moment. The armed personnel, under extreme vigilance, put down their guns. Then, people in white protective suits quickly brought over the box.

Xiao Xiao saw them take out a special injection that was somewhat similar to the Violence Factor he had used before.

Different models should have different functions.

These people quickly injected the injection into the Shepherds's body. Strange blue veins immediately appeared on the Shepherds's body surface, as if he was enduring great pain. However, a strange scene appeared in front of Xiao Xiao. The wounds torn by the bullets actually sprouted granulation tissue after the injection, and quickly intertwined and healed.

Xiao Xiao didn't stop him, but he was a little surprised.

I absolutely had to fire the gun because I was really angry and needed to vent.

But in reality, the Shepherds had shown strength comparable to Yang Jia, so I shouldn't be able to hurt him.

But he calmly accepted the bullets.

Furthermore, instead of using any magical ability to heal itself, it used this unknown medicine right in front of me.

"Alright, all of you, leave!"

As the Shepherds's wounds healed rapidly, he slowly sat up, though his face was terribly pale.

He waved his hand and said to the people around him, "I need to have a good talk with Chairman Xiao."

People around fled as if their lives depended on it, including the panicked club president and the fully armed guards, as well as the few people who looked like doctors. The huge club was instantly empty, leaving only Xiao Xiao and the Shepherds. But at the same time, the cameras around them suddenly lit up red, as if they had opened their eyes.

"It's reasonable to let you vent your anger a little."

The Shepherds sat back down on the sofa, his clothes, still riddled with holes from the bullet wounds, still showing several large holes. He smiled and said, "From my perspective, I'm not wrong. Because this world has been invaded by this mysterious force, and we want to fight back, we will inevitably choose some people to enter that force and bring back useful information for us... The only difference is who goes in."

"Of course, I can't expect you to be that enlightened, so I'd rather take a few shots from you."

"..."

Looking into his eyes, Xiao Xiao understood that this man was willing to take a few shots from him, which was why he was willing to give him a few shots.

If he doesn't want to die, I don't have the power to make him die right now.

So she sat down on the sofa opposite him and said softly, "Now you can tell me why you asked me to come here."

"My goal is very simple."

The Shepherds rubbed the spot on his chest where he had just been shot. Although the wound had healed, it still ached slightly. He then said to Xiao Xiao, "You've grown too fast. I never expected that you would have obtained Level 4 access within the Mother Body in such a short time. So, it's time for us to officially begin our cooperation. I know that you need our help now."

"You... help me?"

Xiao Xiao didn't know if this was Shepherds's rhetoric, but upon hearing it, he couldn't help but sneer.

"Yes, it's to help you."

The Shepherds, however, looked very serious and said, "It's also about helping those strangers."

"The Noah Project isn't so easy to execute, is it?"

"..."

"Whoosh!"

Xiao Xiao glanced at him in surprise, never expecting that this native would mention the Noah Project.

But he remained calm, though his expression darkened slightly. "How did you know about this plan?"

"Of course I know."

The Shepherds looked directly into Xiao Xiao's eyes and slowly said, "Because I have known Kuang Juemin for a long time, and we can even be considered friends."

"And the Noah Project he created was actually designed with my participation."

"..."

"Kuang Juemin..."

Xiao Xiao knew that this was the Old Chairman's name, but few people in Black Gate City mentioned it because everyone subconsciously regarded the Old Chairman as an elder or mentor, so they either called him teacher or Old Chairman. No one would say his name directly, feeling that it would lack respect... But now, the Shepherds called him by his name directly, speaking it as an equal.

What he said was even more shocking:

Was the Noah Project designed by indigenous people?

Is that strange?

Seeing Xiao Xiao's slightly surprised expression, the Shepherds suddenly laughed and said:

"We two should have been the first to realize that the outsiders and the natives were not inherently irreconcilable. Kuang Juemin is very proud; he neither aligns himself with the Hell Organization nor submits to the Dante Organization. Yet, he chose to believe me, probably because we both know that the outsiders want to get rid of this strange perception, while the ordinary people just want to eliminate the invasion of those mysterious forces..."

"The two sides should not be enemies, but rather the best partners!"

"But because both sides have been affected to some extent, it is difficult to achieve complete trust and unimpeded communication."

"Then..."

"..."

He paused, looked directly into Xiao Xiao's eyes, and said, "You've appeared!"