Prepare Your Mind

Qu Xuanqing could guess that Yu Xing sought out Shu Xiaonan so that this special girl could use her power of words to say something.

But no matter how much she pressed, Yu Xing refused to say what it was.

Her intuition told her that it must be something that would make her angry if she said it, Yu Xing was determined to keep it a secret.

Qu Xuanqing knew Yu Xing too well. When Yu Xing was playing hard to get, he could make the other person believe that the result of the question was definitely true. But when Yu Xing decided to bear something alone, no one could pry him open his mouth.

In the end Qu Xuanqing gave up. Even if she knew, she couldn't change the fact that had already happened. She could only choose to completely trust Yu Xing. In the end, whatever the outcome... was Yu Xing's own choice.

She had no right to stop her, and she didn't want to become the kind of ingrate who used love and care to emotionally blackmail Yu Xing.

The two rested for a while that night and bought plane tickets for the next morning—to be precise, Qu Xuanqing bought two tickets for herself, and then, when boarding, Yu Xing directly distorted other people's visual perception and boarded the plane in a blatant manner.

After all, he had nothing on him this time. Apart from the clothes given to him by the system and the down jacket and jeans he was wearing, he only had a mobile phone. He had long since lost his ID card.

Qu Xuanqing relayed the decision to return to Mijin City back to the team. At noon, all the team members in the real world gathered at Yu Xing's house, seemingly intending to hold a symbolic welcome ceremony.

Zhao Mou wasn't there. It's said he went into the simulation the day after Zhao Yijiu returned, and if all goes well, he might come out tonight.

Carlos, Zhao Yijiu, along with Zhang Yu and Zeng Ranran, whose strength is now quite considerable, prepared a table of dishes. Yu Xing could smell the aroma of food even before he pushed open the door in the hallway.

"Why should I cook for you? I should arrest you and interrogate you first before feeding you," Qu Xuanqing chuckled mischievously, pushing open the door and going inside.

Yu Xing paused for a moment, then followed her inside. "They wouldn't bear to, you're so heartless."

The most difficult person to deal with isn't here right now, so he's not guilty at all. The real disaster will come when Zhao Mou sees him.

The vice-captain of Broken Mirror must really want to have a serious talk with the captain about how much work he actually did that should have been the captain's responsibility.

Zeng Ranran, who was busy in the kitchen, heard the door open, peeked out, and looked on with a hint of surprise. "It's Brother Yu, long time no see."

Zhang Yu, who was assisting her, immediately put down what he was doing and walked respectfully to Yu Xing: "Captain!"

In contrast, Carlos, curled up on the sofa watching TV, and Zhao Yijiu, sitting in a chair by the balcony reading a book, appeared much more indifferent.

Yu Xing glanced at the two people first, and raised an eyebrow when she saw that the bandage on Zhao Yijiu's neck had disappeared, but a metal collar two fingers wide had appeared.

Sure enough, the bandages weren't covering up a wound, but something else entirely.

This collar must have been specially found by Zhao Mou, right? It looks like a new sacrificial offering. At least with this collar, he can no longer sense the strange aura around Zhao Yijiu's neck as he did before.

Carlos was still the same, his blue hair a mess. When he saw him arrive, he simply raised his hand in a lazy greeting. "Yo~"

So Yu Xing withdrew his gaze and focused his attention on the young man in front of him, repeating, "You called me captain?"

"Ah, Brother Zhao said that Ranran and I are strong enough to officially join the Breaking Realm, as long as you come back and assess us." Zhang Yu's eyes crinkled with laughter. "I'm very confident, so it's not a problem to call you captain in advance, is it?"

Having confidence is a good thing, Yu Xing thought.

"I'm good at observing and analyzing the plot itself, Ranran is good at fighting. They'll definitely be a great help to the team." Even after a year apart, Zhang Yu is still the same Zhang Yu who loves to seek the truth.

For him, Yu Xing's disappearance wasn't so hard to accept, because he didn't actually have much contact with Yu Xing. Although she saved his life and he shared a room with Yu Xing Ranran, their relationship was definitely much more distant due to their lack of understanding.

In Absurd Deduction, life and death often separate people. Even if Yu Xing really died, Zhang Yu wouldn't feel too sad or depressed.

But Zhang Yu was absolutely happy that everyone returned safely.

The people he admired—Sister Qu, Brother Zhao, and Carlos, whose intentions he couldn't quite figure out—all seemed willing to obey Yu Xing, as if this captain was omnipotent.

How wonderful! With our pillar of support back, Broken Mirror will surely go much further.

Yu Xing Zhang Yu seemed lost in thought, standing there staring at him blankly, Yu Xing chuckled softly, walked past him, and went into the house. He heard Qu Xuanqing close the door behind him.

"I mean, you guys... it's like there's no lock on my door at all. You really have complete freedom of movement."

Zhao Yijiu looked up from the book she hadn't turned a page in ages, glanced at him, and asked, "No way?"

"Very good." Yu Xing shrugged.

Only then did he have time to carefully observe the place where he used to live. It had been a while since he had returned, and it felt like a lifetime had passed. The room felt a little unfamiliar, and the decorations that Zhu Yan had chosen and matched seemed to have been abandoned, looking listless and droopy.

Zhao Yijiu followed his gaze, hesitated for a moment, but still worried that he might mind, she couldn't help but say, "No one has been in your bedroom."

People know the basics of respect.

Carlos added with a grin, "I didn't even check your computer's browser history."

Qu Xuanqing gave him a knowing look. "Tsk tsk tsk."

"... There's nothing in my browser history that's scary, Carlos. Don't apply your fears to me." Yu Xing walked straight towards the annoying blue-haired guy. Carlos, sensing something was wrong, tried to run away, but Yu Xing slammed him down on the sofa with a paw.

Yu Xing gripped Carlos's shoulder tightly, leaned down to his ear, and teased him in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I'm just having trouble explaining myself because I've worried everyone. What about you?"

"You have quite a few secrets, Magician."

Carlos froze, ignoring the probing gazes of the people around him, and shoved away Yu Xing's restraint. "What?! You actually want to look through my files? No way, they're all my treasures, I won't let you see them!"

Zhao Yijiu: "..." It's really hard to understand that kind of hobby.

The so-called preparation of the meal was actually done entirely by Zeng Ranran, with Zhang Yu assisting. Since no one was incapable of cooking, the result was quite good.

It was an hour or two after dinner. During the meal, through casual conversation, he gained a better understanding of the abilities of the two soon-to-be new members.

Due to the system's erratic behavior over the past year, the mortality rate among the deducers has increased significantly, and those who survive are all quite capable.

This young couple has great potential and is progressing at a similar pace. They are currently both at the Struggle Level, which is considered above average overall.

"Before Zhao Mou left, he did a divination. He said if he hadn't returned by the time you participated in the Yugi next time, he would tell you to bring Xiao Yu, who needs to be tested, to participate in the new live-streamed simulation." Carlos, having eaten and drunk his fill, lay back down on the sofa and said lazily.

"Really? Let me take a look." Yu Xing opened the system panel and entered the live streaming section. He didn't need to search for anything; there was a big promotional sign at the top.

[All deducers are welcome to sign up for the live stream event exploring Nanshui Town. The deducer with the highest score during the live stream will receive a mystery ticket.]

[Registration Requirements: Applicants must have an Investigator account in the Great World where Nanshui Town is located. The system has sent private messages to all eligible participants; please register via these messages.]

[Please register as soon as possible! Only 50 people are allowed to participate in this event. (48/50)]

Those two remaining seats, like some deliberate detail, exude a hint of strangeness.

Yu Xing somewhat surprised. "Investigator identity? Is this the world in Investigator mode?"

"Yes, the Research Institute has confirmed that the Investigator Mode only has a few fixed large worlds. All players are randomly assigned to one of these worlds and enter the role." Qu Xuanqing handed Yu Xing a cup of hot water. "And this Nanshui Town happens to be the world you and Carlos are in, as is Zhang Yu."

Carlos said, "Zhao Mou has foreseen that Nanshui Town has a very close relationship with the role you're playing. You'll definitely benefit from going and taking a look. Oh, I won't go; I have other deductions to do."

Zhao Yijiu was even more direct. "The reward is tickets."

Indeed, at present, since the tickets involve Yin Yang City, every little bit helps.

Yu Xing felt Zhang Yu's expectant gaze and casually nodded. "No problem, let's get ready."

Zeng Ranran asked on behalf of her boyfriend, "What preparations should we make?"

Yu Xing: "Be mentally prepared."

Zhang Yu:?

"Actually, since I regained consciousness, the system hasn't given me any rest time. If you hadn't brought this up, I could have rested for another 15 minutes." Yu Xing's smile was no different from usual, making it hard to imagine what terrifying things he was saying. "Once we sign up, the number of people will be full, and the live stream will probably start immediately in 15 minutes based on the principle of proximity."

"..." Zhang Yu was completely numb.

How did this big shot manage to eat his meal without batting an eye in just 15 minutes?

He really needs to prepare himself mentally.

He didn't expect that as soon as the captain returned, he would immediately feel such excitement.

Over there, the young couple went to a corner to whisper sweet nothings. Yu Xing shooed Carlos aside, crossed her legs, and sat down on the soft sofa.

The live simulation was exactly what he wanted.

Things are different now. With Yin Yang City ahead of him, it's time for him to spread the news of his return and also demonstrate some of his strength in the live stream.

In this way, the broken mirror can function as a glass rod in the waters that are about to be churned.

Instead of fish that get dizzy and disoriented by the current.