The Thing in the Safe

"I..."

Even with his Mind Burst ability, Xiao Xiao was instantly overwhelmed by this vast and distorted thing, and briefly lost his ability to express himself and think. He just stood there blankly, holding Yang Jia's hand, with her on this huge piece of flesh and blood, watching the light rail wrapped inside being transported away at high speed, feeling the bloody and intense wind rushing towards them.

He couldn't describe his feelings; he could feel the flesh and blood writhing beneath his feet.

He saw countless enormous and dense fleshy tissues extending from the vast city and surging into the sky.

Is it terrifying or shocking?

Xiao Xiao couldn't choose a single word to express his feelings, or like Yang Jia, choose both?

The wavering and self-doubt that the Suit Man had caused her earlier conversation vanished at this moment.

Nothing could be more sobering than such a bizarre and massive sense of realism.

He had just wondered if strangers and natives were essentially the same, the only difference being whether they had awakened or not. But after witnessing this massive and terrifying scene, all his thoughts vanished. The wavering he had felt because of the Suit Man's words disappeared as well. He only felt a tremendous shock and instantly understood Yang Jia's composure.

Yes, after seeing this, what else is there to discuss?

He paused for a full two seconds before saying in a hoarse voice, "If these indigenous people are just city dwellers..."

"Flesh and blood components".

"Even their memories and perceptions are instilled in them by this city..."

"... Then why do they deny the existence of the City Will, and why do they think we're crazy?"

"..."

"This may simply be a necessary condition for urban survival."

Yang Jia looked at Xiao Qi and said softly, "You see, these natives actually have no freedom at all. Even their memories and perceptions may be false. However, they cannot sense the existence of the City Will, and they even believe that everything is real. In normal times, when they are not controlled by the city's will, they still have their own logical thinking and creativity..."

"I think the city deliberately allowed them to keep it."

"For example, some of the preparations produced by the Black Forest Biological Laboratory are enhancement drugs produced by them through research on Violence Factor. This has far fewer side effects than us directly using Violence Factor to enhance ourselves. They are even constantly improving these drugs. Moreover, many of the elements we need for enhancement are actually related to them."

"Of course, because they retain their own logical thinking and cognition, there will always be things that go too far. For example, in pursuit of more Pain Substance, they will raise animals; or in their research on certain things, they will cause harm to the city..."

"But this is all inevitable; as long as their will is preserved, these things will be born."

"The city's will does not exert influence on them all the time; they will only be restarted when the problems become serious."

"..."

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao suddenly felt speechless.

Countless doubts in his heart were resolved, and he even felt that his previous suspicions were somewhat ridiculous.

After a long silence, he suddenly looked at Yang Jia and asked with a bitter smile, "Why didn't you bring me to see these things sooner?"

"Because I'm worried you'll break down."

Yang Jia turned to look at him and said softly, "We all need to rely on things we're familiar with to survive."

Xiao Xiao also fell silent for a moment, but he looked with her into the distance at the terrifying scene.

"That's also why we don't want newcomers to know so much."

Yang Jia held Xiao Xiao's hand for a long time before softly sighing, "Many people in Black Gate City envy my ability to travel between different cities, but in reality, it's not something to be envied. Every time I travel between different cities, I feel an immense sense of despair and loneliness, and many times I've almost been overwhelmed by this despair..."

"Only strangers, only each other's company, can keep me going time and time again..."

"Actually, I..."

She paused for a long time before saying the rest of her sentence in a very low voice, "I'm also afraid."

"This..."

As Xiao Xiao held Yang Jia's hand, he could vaguely feel that her palm was also cold and trembling at this moment.

He wanted to comfort her, but found himself at a loss for words.

She knows far more than I do, so any attempt at comfort from me would probably seem naive and laughable.

He could only squeeze Yang Jia's hand even tighter to comfort her.

Whether his words of comfort had any effect or not, Yang Jia suddenly tilted her head and looked at him:

"But you don't seem scared?"

"..."

"I'm scared..."

Xiao Xiao also looked up at this bizarre world and whispered, "I'm scared inside, but I just haven't shown it."

"Only..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Compared to these things, I am indeed more afraid... In fact, it is I who am going crazy."

Yang Jia looked at his Mingming, which clearly showed he was afraid, yet only appeared calm and resolute...

... and there even seemed to be a hint of excitement hidden within.

One sentence stuck in my throat. "I just want to tell you that our world is real, and it has nothing to do with whether you're crazy or not..."

With mixed feelings, she turned around with Xiao Xiao and entered a rectangular doorway again. It was only a step away. Xiao Xiao once again felt his body being swept up by an unknown force and moved rapidly, returning to the bridge.

After walking a few steps toward the city, I returned to a state of normal awareness.

It's as if just a few steps are all it takes to walk out and see the truth, and walk back and see familiar things.

Walk over there and you'll see the truth.

"Your confusion is very common."

Yang Jia walked to the SUV, took out a menthol cigarette, and said softly, "Besides, even we veterans don't really understand many things. The city's will only use us to clean up things and protect itself."

"But he never takes the responsibility to explain things to us."

"If you are interested in these things, you can talk to Mister Ye more."

"Of course, not now..."

Yang Jia silently took out a cigarette, looked up at Xiao Xiao, and said, "The Insightful Path is the easiest to break down."

"Is there?"

Xiao Xiao was slightly embarrassed and said, "When they told me this, I suspected they were lying..."

"... Really, that's what I really thought."

"..."

Yang Jia ignored him, lowered her head and lit a cigarette seriously, making it look like she was giving herself a disapproving look.

He said calmly, "In short, in the eyes of the natives, we are just a group of madmen who have been captured by illusions. They can find explanations for our power and some of our special characteristics with their own logic. For example, they believe that we are the ones who have created illusions about the truth of this world. They think that we can buy them with points, and that they have only corrupted them with illusions."

"We stopped them from carrying out the painful breeding, and they just thought we were sabotaging their experiments."

"We take advantage of the privileges that come with points, but they can always find a reason for us to do so in reality."

"So, there's no way to communicate..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao listened to her story and wholeheartedly agreed.

How to communicate?

Just like that Suit Man, who confidently and even forcefully told me the "truth," how could I refute him?

They said you'd be affected and turn into a monster when Shedding Skin?

He might find another explanation for himself, just like Jiang Cheng did.

Even if I manage to convince him in this very second, what if it attracts the city's attention and they immediately erase this memory?

Perhaps that's why Yang Jia showed that disappointed expression?

A stranger in a foreign land is destined to endure endless loneliness and hardship.

Explanation is a form of communication, a reconciliation with the outside world, but strangers never have this right.

Only...

Xiao Xiao suddenly realized something else: where did all this come from?

Since Yang Jia has traveled between different cities, has she ever discovered the true origin of this world?

What is the origin and purpose of this vast unknown and absurdity?

"Perhaps it's time..."

At the same moment, Yang Jia seemed to be considering his options as well. After a moment of thought, he slowly said:

"Have you ever wondered what's actually in the Old Chairman's safe?"

"A safe?"

Xiao Xiao slightly surprised.

I don't understand why Yang Jia would bring up that item when we were discussing these issues.

Of course I was curious, and I had guessed it many times in my mind.

I just kept reminding myself to follow the rule that newcomers shouldn't ask questions...

But Yang Jia was actually willing to speak up?

He hurriedly asked, "What is it?"

"It is a powerful forbidden item, said to possess the ability to influence the Mysterious Source, that is, life forms at the level of cities. It is a legendary item in the circle of outsiders, and should not even have been found by someone of the Old Chairman's level."

Yang Jia said softly, "More importantly, some people say that it was a road sign."

"Road signs?"

Xiao Xiao's heart stirred slightly. "If it's a road sign, then where does it point to?"

"The end."

Yang Jia said softly, "It is said that the road signs point to this world, to the end of all that is unknown and mysterious."

"There, you'll find the answers we all want to know."

"There is a door for a group that firmly believes they are just outsiders to return to the normal world."

"It possesses what those power-hungry, Hell Organization madmen firmly believe is the path to the throne of supreme life."

"There is also the 'mother nest,' which is firmly believed by the indigenous people!"

"..."

"This..."

Xiao Xiao suddenly looked up at Yang Jia, his usually expressionless face unable to hide his excitement.

He had never been interested in the so-called safe or the high-level contract.

Even now, after hearing Yang Jia say that the things inside are so powerful that they can shake the entire city, I don't feel anything.

After all, I'm just a newcomer, so I won't get access to such high-end things.

Nuclear weapons? What do they have to do with me?

All I care about is whether the upgrade for my Old Record Player can be done for free...

However, upon hearing Yang Jia mention another use for this thing, he suddenly felt an irresistible urge.

Can this vast unknown, this incomprehensible distortion, really have an answer?

Can I reclaim the life that I've always longed for, the life that belongs to me?

Seeing his excited expression, Yang Jia suddenly smiled, put a cigarette in his mouth, and whispered:

"The Insightful Path was created to find these answers."

I overslept! I need to update this quickly.