The Old Road (20)

"It sounds like you discovered a better version of yourself in the middle of a crisis."

In response to Fran's suggestion that they head down the mountain and her self-analysis, Fu Qian smiled, offered his assessment, and gave her a thumbs-up.

"I'll take your advice. Let's head down now."

Fran's expression was still strange. It was clear she didn't entirely believe Fu Qian's praise.

But since he'd accepted her suggestion so readily, she didn't have anything to say.

"Anyway, I still have to thank you."

As she followed Fu Qian outside, Fran said wistfully,

"We haven't really met much before, but after spending these past two days with you, I've found you even more reliable than I expected."

"Having you come up here with me made me feel a lot safer."

Reliable?

Faced with her praise, Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

"That's the problem."

"What do you mean?"

His words had clearly piqued Fran's curiosity.

Thinking about it now, the first task had actually been very simple, because anyone could potentially be Lasik.

Once the pressure pushed someone past a certain psychological threshold, anyone could enter this "Lasik" state, just like Fran had.

In the most extreme case, if he'd stuffed Fran into the Iron Maiden right at the start of the task, he probably would have completed it immediately.

And even without that, given how bizarre these young people's circumstances were, it was only natural that they'd be scared out of their wits.

But because he was so reliable, he'd become the group's spiritual pillar, to some extent easing the tension.

That was why Lasik had been so elusive from Fu Qian's perspective.

The odds of Lasik appearing around him had naturally decreased.

Talk about searching high and low, only to find it in the last place you looked!